Parents and children together (PaCT): a tri-directional examination of parental personality, adolescent traits, parenting, and context in affecting adolescent behavioural strengths and difficulties

In line with this Framework, this thesis was conducted in two parts with a total of four studies. Specifically, this thesis sought to explore i) personality outside of the Big Five, including the Dark Triad, ii) associations and interactions among parental and adolescent personality, parenting behaviour, contextual factors, and adolescent behavioural strengths and difficulties, and iii) the moderating effects of SES and parents’ past adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on personality-parenting associations in both parents and adolescents. <br>Part 1, comprising study 1, utilised partial correlation networks and Exploratory Graph Analysis to examine the structure of the Dark Triad domains, both independently and as a cluster.

Adults (Phase 1: N = 301; Phase 2: N = 224) completed six self-report questionnaires assessing Dark Triad domains; initial results were replicated with a validation sample. Part 1 informed Part 2 by providing evidence that (1) the Dirty Dozen (included in Part 2), over the Short Dark Triad, captured both vulnerable and grandiose narcissism, and (2) assessments of narcissism should include at least three major factors: antagonism, agentic extraversion, and narcissistic neuroticism.

Part 2, comprising studies 2, 3, and 4, utilised hierarchical regression and network analyses to examine contextual and process factors, parental and adolescent personality, and parenting behaviour as predictors of adolescent behavioural strengths and difficulties. Parents (N = 310, 46.9% mothers, 93.7% White Irish/British or European) completed self-report assessments of socioeconomic status, past adverse childhood experiences, personality (Big Five and Dark Triad) and parenting style (e.g., parental warmth).

Adolescents (N = 310, 48.7% female) completed self-report assessments of Dark Triad traits, perceived parenting (e.g., maternal warmth), and behavioural strengths and difficulties (e.g., externalizing behaviour). Results highlight the importance of assessing a wider spectrum of parental and adolescent personality in relation to the parent-offspring relationship and its impact on offspring development, and of moving beyond direct trait-outcome associations to examine contextual influences.<br>