Abstract
Despite ample evidence for the benefits of parental autonomy support and the harms of parental psychological control to Chinese
adolescents’ well-being, little is known about what foreshadows these parenting behaviors among Chinese parents. The current
research addressed this gap in the literature. It tested the hypothesis that parents’ endorsement of self-development socialization
goals (i.e., regarding a positive sense of self in terms of holding optimistic attitudes toward oneself, feeling autonomous
in one’s actions, and establishing one’s independence from others, as important for adolescents to develop) and adolescents’
school performance may interact to predict parental autonomy support and psychological control in urban China. Three hundred
and forty-one Chinese seventh graders (mean age = 13.30 years, 58 % female) and their parents (186 mothers and 155 fathers)
participated. Parents reported on their own and their spouses’ endorsement of self-development socialization goals; adolescents
reported on parental autonomy support and psychological control; and adolescents’ grades were obtained from school records.
Significant interactions were found between parents’ socialization goals and adolescents’ grades in predicting parenting behaviors.
When adolescents were doing well at school, the stronger parents’ endorsement of self-development socialization goals, the
greater their autonomy support and the lesser their psychological control; when adolescents were doing poorly at school, regardless
of parents’ socialization goals, their autonomy support was relatively low and their psychological control was relatively
high. These findings highlight a tension between parental concerns over adolescents’ self-development and academic success,
which needs to be resolved to promote autonomy support and prevent psychological control among urban Chinese parents.
adolescents’ well-being, little is known about what foreshadows these parenting behaviors among Chinese parents. The current
research addressed this gap in the literature. It tested the hypothesis that parents’ endorsement of self-development socialization
goals (i.e., regarding a positive sense of self in terms of holding optimistic attitudes toward oneself, feeling autonomous
in one’s actions, and establishing one’s independence from others, as important for adolescents to develop) and adolescents’
school performance may interact to predict parental autonomy support and psychological control in urban China. Three hundred
and forty-one Chinese seventh graders (mean age = 13.30 years, 58 % female) and their parents (186 mothers and 155 fathers)
participated. Parents reported on their own and their spouses’ endorsement of self-development socialization goals; adolescents
reported on parental autonomy support and psychological control; and adolescents’ grades were obtained from school records.
Significant interactions were found between parents’ socialization goals and adolescents’ grades in predicting parenting behaviors.
When adolescents were doing well at school, the stronger parents’ endorsement of self-development socialization goals, the
greater their autonomy support and the lesser their psychological control; when adolescents were doing poorly at school, regardless
of parents’ socialization goals, their autonomy support was relatively low and their psychological control was relatively
high. These findings highlight a tension between parental concerns over adolescents’ self-development and academic success,
which needs to be resolved to promote autonomy support and prevent psychological control among urban Chinese parents.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Empirical Research
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.1007/s10964-012-9760-0
- Authors
- Qian Wang, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
- Hoi-Wing Chan, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
- Li Lin, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
- Journal Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Online ISSN 1573-6601
- Print ISSN 0047-2891