Relationships between Parenting Behaviors and Adolescents’ Creativity in China: The Mediating Role of Autonomous Motivation

Abstract

This study used a two-wave, longitudinal design to examine the relationships between parenting behaviors (parental autonomy support, parental behavioral control, and parental psychological control) and Chinese adolescents’ creativity, and the mechanism underlying the relationships. A total of 258 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 13.35, 48% girls) participated in the present study. The study measured the parenting behaviors received by the participants, their autonomous motivation, and creativity using the Parenting Scale, the Self-Regulatory Style Questionnaire-Academic, and the verbal and figural Divergent Thinking Tests, respectively. Structural equation models revealed that parental autonomy support and parental behavioral control had positive effects on Chinese adolescents’ creativity one year later, whereas the relationship between parental psychological control and creativity one year later was not significant. In addition, parental autonomy support and parental behavioral control contributed to adolescents’ creativity through the mediating effect of autonomous motivation. Findings from the present study help clarify developmental pathways linking parenting behaviors to adolescents’ creativity in Chinese culture.

Keywords:

• Parental autonomy support
• parental behavioral control
• parental psychological control
• autonomous motivation
• creativity
• Chinese adolescents

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771235) and Key special project of national key research and development program of China (SQ2017YFB1400100).

Notes on contributors

Peipei Chen

Peipei Chen is a doctoral candidate at department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University. Her current research interests include family process and creativity.

Jinghuan Zhang

Jinghuan Zhang is a professor at Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University. Her current research interests include the genetics of creativity, social environment and creativity.

Hongxuan Li

Hongxuan Li is a teacher at NO 3. Primary School of Yantai Etdz. Her current research interests include family process and creativity.

Mengmeng Fu

Mengmeng Fu is a master degree candidate at Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University. Her current research interests include school environment and creativity.