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The main objective of this study was to learn whether emotional autonomy is truly part of
a developmental stage for Spanish adolescents and young adults or if it is an indicator of
difficult family relationships. Using a longitudinal design, a sample of ninety young people
was followed for ten years, from their initial adolescence until their first years of adulthood. At four observation points, the In recent decades, a large body of research has been focused on analysing the process by which girls and boys acquire
autonomy from their parents. In this case, autonomy is understood as a developmental stage during adolescence, which
marks entrance into the adult world (Allen, Hauser, Bell, & O'Connor, 1994; Grotevant & Cooper, 1986; Hill & Holmbeck, 1986).
Autonomy within the framework of family relationships during adolescence appears to be composed of at least three dimensions (Noom, Dekovic, & Meeus, 1999). The first of these dimensions is behavioural as it refers to a young person's ability
to act independently. The second dimension is cognitive as implies the acquisition of a sense of competence and agency,
through which the person knows how to take control of his or her own life. The third dimension is emotional as it refers to the
perception of independence through self-confidence and individuality, plus the establishment of emotional bonds that are
more symmetrical than those seen in their relationship during childhood.
The last of these aspects, emotional autonomy, which involves individuation and relinquishing dependence on parents
(Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), has sparked a great deal of interest among researchers to the extent that it has generated a
certain degree of controversy. On the one hand, there are authors who understand the emotional distancing from parents as a
fundamental requirement for healthy development during adolescence (Blos, 1979; Freud, 1958). According to this
perspective, emotional autonomy would be positively related to adjustment and health during adolescence and would tend to
increase during these years (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986). In contrast, there are authors who question the need for separation
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