Encouraging autonomy support in early adolescence: development and pilot of the ASPIRE parenting program

Abstract

Adolescence is a formative time for development of autonomy. Parenting that is supportive of autonomy has been associated with positive developmental and social-emotional youth outcomes. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides a foundation for understanding and intervening on autonomy support. There are several preventive interventions which encourage autonomy-supportive parenting in early adolescence. However, because little is understood about parents’ experiences with autonomy support, the existing interventions do not often explore parents’ internal processes, thoughts, and emotions related to autonomy support. This dissertation consists of two studies, conducted with parents of early adolescents aged 10 to 14. Study 1 used focus groups (n = 17 parents) to help fill the gap in understanding parents’ experiences of providing autonomy support. Thematic analysis yielded findings around the internal processes, relational dynamics, and everyday practices involved in autonomy- supportive parenting. Study 2 used sequential exploratory design to develop and pilot a process-oriented parent training prevention program. Directed content analysis on the focus groups informed the initial framework of Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Intention, Reflection, & Encouragement (ASPIRE), a 6-week virtual prevention group. ASPIRE was implemented with a total of 21 parents attending most sessions and 16 completing the pre- and post-test measures. Thematic analysis of the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire indicated high acceptability in terms of program structure, content, and process. Preliminary effectiveness was explored through paired t-tests of the Revised Parents as Social Context Questionnaire (R-PSCQ). Results indicated no significant change in autonomy support, but significantly higher parental warmth from pre- to post-test. Implications for future research, implementation, and applications in family therapy are discussed.