Poster #88 - The Joint Effect of Paternal and Maternal Parenting Behavior and School Engagement among Chinese Adolescents

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

Prior research has shown that parental parenting behavior is associated with adolescents’ academic outcomes and academic motivation may play a mediating role between their relationship. However, it’s unclear whether and how paternal and maternal parenting behavior interacted with each other, and how different achievement goals account for the mechanism. This study aimed at expanding the understanding that when and how paternal and maternal parenting behavior has effect on school engagement among Chinese adolescents. A new tool including three parenting dimensions (emotional warmth, behavioral guidance, and punishment and control) was developed in this study to adapt to Chinese culture, and three parenting dimensions were analyzed separately to understand the interaction effect of the same type of parenting behavior between father and mother. A total of 2,775 (44.7% boys, Mage=15.68) adolescents who come from two-parent families participated in this study. It was revealed that both paternal and maternal emotional warmth, behavioral guidance positively predicted school engagement, while both paternal and maternal punishment and control were negatively associated with adolescents’ engagement degree in learning. Moreover, the interaction effects of three pairs of paternal and maternal parenting dimensions on school engagement were all significant, but met different patterns. Specifically, the interaction effects of two pairs of supportive dimensions were in accordance with strengthening pattern. One’s high emotional warmth, behavioral guidance enhanced the positive relation between the corresponding parenting behavior of the other parent and adolescents’ school engagement. In contrast, the interaction effect of paternal and maternal punishment and control displayed interfering pattern. The negative relation between paternal punishment and control only make a sense when maternal punishment and control is low. If mothers tend to adopt harsh punishment and manipulation, the behavior of paternal punishment and control cannot add any negative effect on school engagement. Further, mediated moderation model indicated that three interaction effects between fathers and mothers on school engagement were all mediated only by mastery goal, not by performance approach or avoidance goal. In addition, the predictions toward school engagement were no longer significant, suggesting the interaction effects were totally mediated by mastery goal. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Authors

• Juan Wang, Beijing Normal University
  Presenting Author

• Xinxin Shi, Beijing Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hong Zou, Beijing Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author