Parental Psychological Control Research Articles

The role of parenting style for the development of the implicit power motive in children

AbstractFindings show that both parents’ reported parenting and children’s perception of parenting play a role in predicting a vast number of developmental outcomes. Available research on the development of implicit motives in children, for example, shows a link to early parenting strategies. However, research on effects of parenting on the development of implicit motives is sparse. In the present study, we examined the role of authoritarian and positive parenting (parents’ reports) for the development of the implicit power motive (nPower) in children, along with the moderating role of perceived parental psychological control and warmth/support (children’s report). We hypothesized that authoritarian parenting shows a negative longitudinal association with nPower in children, particularly when children also perceive the parenting as psychologically controlling. In contrast, we assumed a positive longitudinal association of positive parenting with nPower in children, particularly when children also perceive the parenting as warm/supportive. Data of 66 German children (25 girls) and parents were assessed at two measurement points. Children were 6/7 years old at t1. Analyses partially support our hypotheses. The higher parental reports of authoritarian parenting were, the lower was children’s nPower 3.5 years later. This association was only significant among children perceiving high or medium levels (vs. low) of parental psychological control. We found neither significant effects of parents’ nor children’s reports of positive/warm parenting nor a significant interaction of the two. Findings are discussed with respect to existing models of the development and stability of implicit motives and the role of parenting for implicit motive development.

Helicopter parenting, autonomy support, and young adults’ psychological adjustment in Turkey: the mediating role of psychological control

AbstractThis study examined the relations from helicopter parenting and autonomy-supportive parenting to Turkish emerging adults’ psychological adjustment (depression, anxiety, and stress levels), using parental psychological control as a mediating mechanism. The participants included 457 emerging adults aged between 17 and 27 (M = 20.47, SD = 1.90) who filled out a self-report questionnaire on their parents’ helicopter parenting, autonomy-supportive parenting, psychological control, and their depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Path analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. The findings displayed that there were indirect links from helicopter parenting and autonomy-supportive parenting to emerging adults’ psychological adjustment through parental psychological control in a relatively collectivistic Turkish cultural context. Results indicated that parents who engage in developmentally inappropriate over-involvement in their children’s lives may also use psychological control to maintain or strengthen their control over their children. Furthermore, parents’ autonomy support may be related to a decrease in their tendency to use psychological control, which in turn results in better psychological adjustment.

Trajectories of Perceived Parental Psychological Control and the Longitudinal Associations with Chinese Adolescents' School Adjustment across High School Years.

Past research supports the detrimental effects of parental psychological control on adolescent school adjustment in both emotional and academic domains. However, how psychological control changes during adolescence, and how such developmental course is related to adolescent psychological well-being and academic functioning are unclear. The direction of effects between parenting and child behaviors is also inconclusive. This 3-year longitudinal study addressed these research gaps by using five waves of survey data on 710 Chinese adolescents of high school ages (Mean age at T1 = 15.54 years, SD = 0.45, 50% males). Using latent growth curve models and latent class growth analysis, the majority of adolescents (about 63%) reported gradual increases of parental psychological control in the first 2 years of high school but a slight decline afterwards, while the other 37% perceived low and stable levels. Results from parallel latent growth modeling suggested that trajectories of psychological control were positively related to developmental trends of internalizing problems (i.e., depression and anxiety) and maladaptive academic functioning, but negatively associated with the trajectory of adaptive academic functioning, as indexed by intercept-intercept and slope-slope associations. The random-intercept cross-lagged models further revealed that psychological control was predictive of adolescent anxiety and lower adaptive academic functioning, and bidirectionally associated with maladaptive academic-related beliefs and behaviors at the within-person level. Taken together, these findings highlight the crucial role of parental psychological control on adolescent school adjustment in the Chinese cultural context and support the reciprocal model of parent-child interactions.

Parental psychological control and depression, anxiety among adolescents: The mediating role of bedtime procrastination and moderating role of neuroticism

Studies have shown that maladaptive parenting styles, particularly parental psychological control may be an important risk factor for emotional problems in adolescence. However, the potential mechanisms behind this association are still not fully understood. To fill the research gap, this study investigated the relationship between parental psychological control and depression and anxiety among adolescents. It also explored the mediating effect of bedtime procrastination and the moderating effect of neuroticism through a moderated mediation analysis. A sample of 665 adolescents (331 girls) were recruited from two secondary schools in southern China. All participants completed standardized self-report questionnaires measuring the severity of parental psychological control, bedtime procrastination, depression, anxiety, and neuroticism. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and PROCESS macros. The results indicated that parental psychological control had a positive predictive effect on depression and anxiety among adolescents. Bedtime procrastination partially mediated the relationship between parental psychological control and depression, as well as parental psychological control and anxiety. Neuroticism was found to play a moderating role in the path from bedtime procrastination to depression and from bedtime procrastination to anxiety, with these effects being stronger for adolescents with higher levels of neuroticism. This study advances a deeper understanding of how and when or for whom parental psychological control is related to adolescents' severe depression and anxiety. Our findings suggest that intervention programs or strategies aimed at reducing parental psychological control and assisting adolescents in establishing healthy sleep hygiene practices should be developed to decrease the risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents.

Parental psychological control and children’s self-esteem: A longitudinal investigation in children with and without oppositional defiant problems

Oppositional defiant problems are among the most prevalent psychological problems among children and adolescents from China and across the world. Still little is understood about how self-esteem, in conjunction with parenting experiences, develops in children with oppositional defiant problems. We addressed this gap of knowledge in a two-year longitudinal study. Specifically, we explored how parental psychological control predicts children’s self-esteem levels over time, and in turn, how children’s self-esteem levels predict parental psychological control. We collected data in Chinese children (ages 8 to 13 at T1) with (N = 224) and without (N = 217) oppositional defiant problems, and tested three-wave cross-lagged panel models. Multigroup analyses showed that the associations between parental psychological control and children’s self-esteem were the same for children with and without oppositional defiant problems. Results for the total sample revealed bi-directional associations between maternal psychological control and children’s self-esteem. Children who perceived more psychological control from their mothers were likely to exhibit lower self-esteem over time, and vice versa, children with lower self-esteem were likely to perceive more maternal psychological control over time. Conversely, a unidirectional paternal effect was observed in father-child dyads. Our findings help understand the parent–child dynamics that shape the psychological development of children with oppositional defiant problems.

The roles of parent temperament and parenting styles in adolescent temperament development

AbstractThis study examined temperament development from early to middle adolescence and the roles of parenting styles and parent temperament in this development. The sample consisted of 842 adolescents (n = 842 in Grade 6; 54% girls) and their parents (N = 707). Adolescents assessed their temperament in Grades 6 and 9 and parents assessed their temperament and parenting styles when adolescents were in Grade 6. The results showed that adolescent affiliativeness increased and effortful control decreased from early to middle adolescence. High parental warmth was related to higher adolescent affiliativeness and higher effortful control, but also to a decrease in adolescent negative affectivity. High parental behavioral control, in turn, was related to adolescents’ initially higher, but subsequently decreasing surgency. Further, high parental psychological control was related to lower adolescent effortful control. Parent temperament was also related to adolescent temperament, and parenting styles partially mediated several associations between parents’ and adolescents’ temperament. The results suggest that parents’ temperament and parenting styles are related to adolescents’ temperament development in a complex manner, even as adolescents seek to gain independence from parents. Understanding the roles of parental temperament and parenting in adolescent temperament development is important in order to support adolescents in their development towards a stable adulthood.

Distinct Roles of Parental Autonomy Support and Psychological Control in Chinese Elementary School Students’ Intelligence Mindsets and Academic Outcomes

Distinct Roles of Parental Autonomy Support and Psychological Control in Chinese Elementary School Students’ Intelligence Mindsets and Academic Outcomes

Perceived parental psychological control and the risk of internet gaming disorder in adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Perceived parental psychological control and the risk of internet gaming disorder in adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Family obligation moderates longitudinal associations between parental psychological control and adjustment of urban adolescents

This study investigated child-reported family obligation values (FOVs) in early adolescence as a moderator for associations between mother-, father-, and child-reported parental psychological control (PC) in early adolescence and child-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms in middle and late adolescents in the Philippines. Data were drawn from three waves of a larger longitudinal study, when the Filipino youth were in late elementary grades (age M = 12.04, SD = 0.58; N = 91), in junior high school (age M = 15.03, SD = 0.59; N = 80), and in senior high school (age M = 17.00, SD = 0.59, N = 75). Results revealed that high levels of FOV buffered the positive associations between mother-reported PC and internalizing symptoms in late adolescence, and between child-reported PC and internalizing symptoms in middle and late adolescence, as well as externalizing symptoms in late adolescence. Conversely, low levels of FOV exacerbated the associations between mother- and child-reported PC on externalizing symptoms in late adolescence. Findings suggest that FOV may shape the meaning and influence of PC for children and adolescents in contexts where familial obligations are normative and important.

Does social self-efficacy act as a mediator in the relationship between parental control and social anxiety?

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of social self-efficacy in the relationship between parental control and social anxiety. The study population comprised all first and second-year high school students studying in Ahvaz County during the academic year 2020 to 2021. A total of 373 (53.08% female and 46.92% male) students were selected using multistage cluster sampling. The mean age ( SD) of the participants was 15.06 (2.4) years. The data were collected using the Parental Psychological Control Scale (PPCS), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), and the Self-Efficacy for Social Situations Scale (SESS). The reliability of the research tools was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha method, and path analysis was used to analyze the data. The results showed that both achievement-oriented and dependency-oriented parental control was directly related to social self-efficacy, which, in turn, was significantly related to social anxiety. Moreover, social self-efficacy completely mediated the relationships between achievement-oriented and dependency-oriented parental control with social anxiety. Therefore, reducing parental psychological control can increase adolescents’ level of social self-efficacy, which can subsequently decrease their social anxiety.

The Effect of Parental Psychological Control on Adolescents’ Academic Delayed Behavior

The Effect of Parental Psychological Control on Adolescents’ Academic Delayed Behavior

“Why don't you go to bed on time”? parental psychological control and bedtime procrastination among Chinese adolescents

ObjectiveAlthough bedtime procrastination has become a prevalent social problem among adolescents, little study has investigated the impact of parental psychological control on bedtime procrastination and the possible mechanisms underlying this relationship. To fill the gaps, this study constructed a moderated serial mediation model to test the mediating effects of negative affect and self-control, as well as the moderating effect of sensory processing sensitivity in the relation of parental psychological control to bedtime procrastination. MethodsTo evaluate our hypotheses, 2167 adolescents (Mage = 12.99, SD = 1.27) were recruited in the current cross-sectional study using multiple questionnaires. The data were analyzed using correlation analysis. Furthermore, structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating effects of negative affect and self-control, as well as the moderating effect of sensory processing sensitivity. ResultsCorrelational analysis indicated a positive relation between parental psychological control and bedtime procrastination. The result of the structural equation modeling showed that negative affect and self-control act as mediators in the relation of parental psychological control to bedtime procrastination. Furthermore, the model indicated the moderating effect of sensory processing sensitivity. Specifically, adolescents who were more sensitive to sensory processing were also more likely to have more negative affect when faced with parental psychological control. ConclusionThese results may offer some direction for the intervention to lessen bedtime procrastination among adolescents.

Disparities in Cannabis Use among Female and Male Sexual Minority Young Adults in the US: The Role of Parenting Behaviors

Introduction. Despite cannabis use disparities among sexual minority (SM; vs. heterosexual) young adults (SMYAs), little research has explored social influences contributing to these disparities. This study examined sexual identity subgroup differences in parenting behaviors and associations among parenting behaviors and cannabis use behaviors among YA subgroups. Methods. Participants were female (N=416; 44.7% bisexual, 7.2% lesbian) and male (N=228; 11.0% bisexual, 13.2% gay) YAs (ages 18-29) recruited via social media from 6 US cities. Bivariate analyses examined differences in perceived parenting (psychological control, behavioral control, knowledge, autonomy support, warmth, communication, cannabis disapproval), any past-month (current) cannabis use, and current cannabis use frequency across sexual identity subgroups. Multivariable regression examined associations among sexual identity and parenting behaviors with cannabis use outcomes. Results. Among female YAs, bisexual (vs. heterosexual) YAs had greater odds of cannabis use, reported more frequent use, and reported greater parental psychological control and less behavioral control, autonomy support, warmth, and communication; greater psychological control was associated with both outcomes; less autonomy support was associated with current use; and less warmth and communication were associated with use frequency. Among male YAs, gay and bisexual (vs. heterosexual) YAs had greater odds of current use and reported more frequent use and greater psychological control; gay (vs. heterosexual) YAs reported greater behavioral control and less autonomy support, warmth, and communication; and greater psychological control and less warmth and communication were associated with both outcomes. Conclusions. Cannabis prevention/cessation programs should target specific parenting behaviors that differentially impact cannabis use outcomes among specific SMYA subgroups.

The effect of parental burnout on psychological adjustment among Chinese children with developmental disabilities: the roles of parental autonomy support and psychological control

Objectives Children with developmental disabilities (DD) suffer from adverse psychological adjustment due to parental burnout. The current study aimed to examine how parental burnout affected psychological adjustment in children with DD, and the roles of parental psychological control and autonomy support as mediators. Methods In the current study, 332 Chinese parents of children with DD were investigated using the Chinese versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Parental Autonomy Support Scale, Psychological Control Questionnaire, Parent Self-Report, and Parental Burnout Assessment. The data analysis approaches included correlation and mediation effect analyses. Results The results indicated that parental burnout was negatively correlated with prosocial behavior and positively correlated with emotional/behavioral problems. Moreover, the mediation analysis showed that the effect of parental burnout on prosocial behavior was mediated by both parental autonomy support and psychological control, whereas the effect on emotional/behavioral problems was mediated by psychological control. Conclusions These findings provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between parental burnout, parental psychological control, autonomy support, and psychological adjustment in children with DD, and provide theoretical guidance and empirical evidence for strategies to improve psychological adjustment in children with DD.

Parental psychological control and emotional well-being among emerging adults: The moderating role of parent-oriented self-construals

It has been well documented that parental psychological control is detrimental to child and adolescent development. Yet, when entering emerging adulthood, the centrality of relationships with parents in youth’s lives may differ across individuals as well as cultures, making both cross- and within-cultural variations in the implications of parental psychological control for emerging adults’ emotional well-being worth exploration. Therefore, this research examined the relations from parental psychological control to youth’s emotional well-being among emerging adults from two cultures, and the moderating role of youth’s parent-oriented interdependent self-construals (i.e., the extent to which youth view their relationships with parents as self-defining) in these relations within each culture. A cross-cultural study was conducted among European American and Hong Kong Chinese college students in the United States and China, respectively (N = 276; 68.1% females; mean age = 20.39 years, SD = 1.33). It was found that youth’s perceived parental psychological control related to their dampened emotional well-being to a similar extent in both cultures. Moreover, these relations were moderated by youth’s parent-oriented self-construals similarly in both cultures, such that the negative associations between youth’s perceived parental psychological control and their emotional well-being were significant only among youth with high (vs low) levels of parent-oriented self-construals. The findings demonstrate the negative implications of parental psychological control for youth’s emotional well-being during emerging adulthood, and suggest that youth’s parent-oriented self-construals may amplify such implications.

The moderating effects of parental psychological control on the relationship between unsociability and socio-emotional functioning among Chinese children.

There have been studies indicating that children's unsociability was associated with poorer socio-emotional functioning in China. Although some researchers have found that parenting behavior would influence the relationship between children's unsociability and adjustment, the role of parental psychological control has not been explored. This study aimed to investigate the moderating effect of parental psychological control on the relationship between unsociability and socio-emotional functioning in Chinese children. A total of 1,275 students from Grades 3 to 7 (637 boys, Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.55 years) were selected from four public schools in Shanghai to participate in this study. Data of unsociability, peer victimization and social preference were collected from peer-nominations, and data of parental psychological control, depressive symptoms and social anxiety were collected from self-reports. There were positive associations between unsociability and peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety, as well as a negative association between unsociability and social preference. Parental psychological control moderated these associations, specifically, the associations between unsociability and peer victimization, social preference, and depressive symptoms were stronger, and the association between unsociability and social anxiety was only significant among children with higher level of parental psychological control. The findings in the current study highlight the importance of parental psychological control in the socio-emotional functioning of unsociable children in the Chinese context, enlightening educators that improving parenting behavior is essential for children's development.

Parental autonomy support and parental psychological control perceptions: a study with Spanish school-aged children

ABSTRACT Objective The present study examined the antecedents and consequences of perceived parental autonomy support and psychological control. More specifically, we had three aims: a) to investigate the associations between parents’ expectations and beliefs about parenting and perceived parental autonomy support and psychological control; b) to analyse the relationships between the perceived parenting strategies (autonomy support and psychological control) and children’s outcomes: prosocial competence, emotional stability, and verbal and physical aggression and c) to test differences based on parents’ and children’s gender. Method The participants comprised 2,396 parents from Spain (1,164 fathers and 1,232 mothers) with diverse levels of qualification, professional and civil status and 1,325 children (637 boys and 685 girls) aged between 7 and 13 years old. Results Perceive parental autonomy support was positively correlated with children’s prosocial behaviour and competence: being more likely to engage in behaviours to achieve other people’s improvement or well – being. In contrast, perceived parental psychological control was positively correlated with emotional instability, and physical and emotional aggression, that is children will be more likely to develop emotional adjustment problems. Besides, we found a positive association between some negative parenting beliefs and perceived parental psychological control, and we found positive association between some positive parenting beliefs and perceived parental autonomy support. Women scoring significantly higher than men in all associations between parenting beliefs and perceived parenting autonomy support and psychological control. No relationship was found between parental separation anxiety and perceived parental autonomy support or control. Conclusions The results confirmed the importance of the role of parenting practices defined by SDT in children’s development.

A Case Study on Chinese Student: Parental Control and Adolescent Depression

The National Blue Book of Depression 2022 revealed that 50% of the participants with depression were school students. As the mental health problems of children and adolescents are becoming more and more prominent in China, it is necessary to study the influencing factors and mechanisms of adolescent depression. Parental control is one of the key factors influencing adolescent depression. However, there are not many studies on the effects of parental control on adolescent depression. This paper initiates the discussion with a case study to analyze the depth of the association between parental control and adolescents by analyzing the case in depth. The results showed that both parental psychological and behavioral control were closely related to adolescents’ depression problems. In addition, there is a possibility of intergenerational transmission of parental control. Intergenerational transmission should be included as one of the research factors in relevant studies on parental control.

Mental Imagery in the Relationship between Alexithymia and Parental Psychological Control.

This study aims to explore the mediating role of mental imagery in the relationship between alexithymia and parental psychological control among Chinese university students. Conducted between March and April 2023, this descriptive study involved 282 volunteer participants from a university in southern China. Data collection included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Parental Psychological Control Scale (PPC), and the Vividness of Visual Mental Imagery questionnaire (VVIQ). The results revealed that: (1) based on established cut-off, 81 students were identified as highly alexithymic; (2) the alexithymia group scored higher on both the TAS and PPC and lower on the VVIQ compared to the non-alexithymia and possible-alexithymia groups; and (3) mediating analysis demonstrated a strong and positive correlation between parental psychological control and alexithymia for all participants, with visual mental imagery mediating this relationship. This study underscores the interconnectedness of parental psychological control, visual mental imagery, and alexithymia among college students. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are also discussed.

Parental Psychological Control and Adolescent Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Achievement Goal Orientation.

This study examined the multiple mediating roles of achievement goal orientation between three parental psychological control (PPC) strategies and adolescents' academic achievement. The study sample consisted of 2613 Chinese middle school adolescents (52.6% boys) who were followed for one and a half years; they completed questionnaires on PPC (including love withdrawal, guilt induction, and authority assertion), achievement goal orientation (involving the mastery approach, the performance approach, and performance-avoidance goals), and academic achievement. We found that (1) the direct effects of the three strategies on academic performance differed, with love withdrawal directly and negatively predicting adolescents' academic achievement and guilt induction and authority assertion not being significant direct predictors. (2) The mediating role of achievement goal orientations differed across the psychological control strategies. Specifically, love withdrawal led to adolescents' academic achievement through their performance-approach goal orientation, performance-avoidance goal orientation, and mastery goal orientation. Moreover, guilt induction and authority assertion had impacts only on adolescents' performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations. This study highlights the negative impact of love withdrawal on adolescents' internal motivation and academic achievement by warning parents not to use this strategy to influence their children's thoughts and feelings.