Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Camilo Ortiz, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Jill Rathus, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Hilary Vidar, Ph.D.

Abstract

Overinvolved parenting is on the rise, despite its association with negative outcomes for children (Twenge, 2017; American Psychological Association (APA), 2019; Segrin et al., 2013). Its emerging counterpart, free-range parenting, urges parents to offer their children more independence and less supervision (Skenazy, 2009). However, no quantitative, peer-reviewed research has been conducted on the effects of independent task engagement on children’s independence and resilience. The present study evaluated the effects of The Let Grow Project (Skenazy, 2018), a school-based intervention aimed at increasing resilience and independence in children by assigning homework to engage in tasks independently. Children completed measures of independence, resilience, helicopter parenting, and anxiety at pre-intervention, post-intervention and after a one-month follow up. Parents of participants completed measures of parent stress, child’s independence, child anxiety, child resilience, and overparenting. The current study found that independent task completion has significant, if inconsistent effects on children’s independence and resilience, and significant effects on child anxiety and helicopter parenting behaviors. The results could have theoretical implications relating to our understanding of free-range parenting practices and their impacts on children’s independence and resilience.

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