How Biases Impact Parenting and Teen Relationships: Insights from a Psychologist

Teenagers are often stereotyped as moody, rebellious, and overly concerned with peer opinions, which can create challenges for parents trying to build positive relationships. Wake Forest University psychologist Christy Buchanan emphasizes that these stereotypes can hinder effective parenting and distort parent-teen interactions.

Buchanan, a developmental psychologist, has extensively studied parenting beliefs and practices. Her research indicates that negative stereotypes about adolescents often lead to unrealistic expectations and undermine parents’ confidence. These stereotypes are essentially overgeneralizations that do not accurately reflect individual teen behaviors and can cause parents to overlook their teens’ positive actions.

Common stereotypes include beliefs that teens are inherently risky, emotional, rebellious, or indifferent to parental authority. Such beliefs can create self-fulfilling prophecies, whereby parents interpret their teen’s behaviors through a negative lens, which may lead to strained relationships.

A key concept explained by Buchanan is confirmation bias—parents tend to notice behaviors that confirm their existing stereotypes while ignoring positive or neutral behaviors. For example, if a parent expects their teen to challenge authority, they are more likely to focus on instances where the teen questions rules, while missing out on cooperative or kind behaviors.

Adopting this biased perspective can have various adverse consequences. Parents might assume negative motives behind their teen’s emotional outbursts, rather than considering external factors like stress or peer issues. Despite increasing importance of peer relationships during adolescence, research shows that parents remain vital, and stereotypes can cause parents to underestimate their influence.

Buchanan recommends that parents actively challenge stereotypes by recognizing that these overgeneralizations rarely apply to all teens; instead, they should focus on their teen’s positive behaviors. Paying attention to everyday positive acts—such as getting up on time, helping with chores, or engaging in family conversations—can foster better understanding and closeness.

It's also vital for parents to seek professional help if their teen’s negative behaviors, like risk-taking or emotional distress, persist for extended periods. Early intervention can address underlying issues rather than dismissing these behaviors as typical teen phases.

For long-term positive outcomes, Buchanan advocates a parenting style that combines love, involvement, and reasonable boundaries. Adolescents benefit from feeling respected and cared for within a structured environment.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-qa-psychologist-bias-hinders-good.html