The Mediating Effect of Mother-Adolescent Interactions on the Relationship Between Maternal Ego Development and Adolescent Individuation in Taiwan

A mediation model using a sample of 158 adolescents (51% girls; Mage = 12.4, SD = 0.52) tested the relationships between maternal ego development, mother-adolescent interaction, and adolescent autonomy and ego development. Maternal ego development was positively related to supportive interaction, but negatively related to coercive interaction. Supportive interaction was positively related to adolescent autonomy, but was not related to ego development. There was a mediating effect of supportive interaction on the relationship between maternal ego development and adolescent autonomy.