| Sumario: | The aim of the present study was to explore gender differences in perceived parental involvement and perceived psychological and behavioral control during emerging adulthood in two Southern European countries (Spain and Portugal). Data were collected from 491 Portuguese and 552 Spanish undergraduate emerging adults (53.7 % women and 46.3 % men) aged between 18 and 29 years (M = 20.24 and SD = 2.12). Results indicated that women perceived higher levels of parental involvement than men in both countries, and men perceived more behavioral control than women in Portugal. Furthermore, gender was found to moderate the association between perceived parental involvement and perceived psychological and behavioral control differently in each country. Taken together, our findings suggest that gender-differentiated socialization patterns persist during emerging adulthood and that these patterns may be affected by the sociocultural context. Highlights: Older children's gender is a key variable that influences family relationships during emerging adulthood in southern Europe, being Spain and Portugal the focus of the present study. Women perceive higher levels of parental involvement than men in both countries, while men perceive higher levels of behavioral control than women exclusively in Portugal. No gender differences were found among either Portuguese or Spanish emerging adults in terms of perceived psychological control. Spanish emerging adults perceive higher levels of parental involvement and behavioral control than their Portuguese counterparts. Greater perceived parental involvement is associated with less perceived psychological control among both women and men, in both countries, although this association is stronger among women. Greater perceived parental involvement is associated with less perceived behavioral control in Spain (for both genders) and for women in Portugal.
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