This study examines how values, understood as guiding life principles, serve as
key resources for addressing relational challenges within families during
adolescence. In line with the symposium's focus on the value of values in
addressing social challenges, the contribution investigates how parents' values
shape parenting styles and are related to the quality of family relationships at a
developmental stage characterized by increasing autonomy needs and evolving
family roles.
Building on Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values, the study distinguishes
among three types of parental values: personal values (those held by the
parents), perceived children's values (those parents attribute to their adolescent

children), and socialization values (those they aim to transmit). The degree of
congruence or divergence between these value sets—both within individual
parents and between partners—is considered a potential correlate of parenting
practices and relational quality.
Participants were 418 Italian heterosexual parental couples (mothers: Mage =
44.93, SD = 4.68; fathers: Mage = 48.19, SD = 5.46), all living in Italy and having
at least one adolescent child. Mothers and fathers independently completed a
self-report questionnaire, including the Portrait Values Questionnaire and
validated measures of parenting behavior and perceived parent-child
relationship quality.
Data analyses (currently ongoing) will adopt dyadic and family-level strategies
that account for the interdependence between family members, in line with a
systemic approach. Preliminary results will be discussed in relation to how value
(in)congruence is associated with parenting styles—particularly acceptance
versus rejection—and how these dynamics impact the quality of parent-child
relationships. The findings offer new insights into value-related dynamics within
families, highlighting the psychological processes through which values
contribute to relational functioning and support adolescent development as well
as overall family well-being.