Parents Support of Autonomy, Relatedness, Competence and Children’s Wellbeing in Mainland China: Considering Child Gender

• In Event: Parental Psychological Control or Autonomy Granting and Child Outcomes Across Age and Gender in China

Abstract

Self-determination theorists proposed that human beings flourish when three fundamental psychological needs-autonomy, relatedness, and competence - are nurtured (Deci & Ryan, 2002). Parents’ support of children’s autonomy, relatedness, and competence contribute to adolescents’ wellbeing in western countries (Levesque et al., 2004; Liew et al., 2014; Reis et al., 2000). It is unclear if such parenting practices also benefit children in the non-western world, such as in mainland China. Parents’ socioeconomic status should also be considered as a structural determinant that may influence parenting quality (Conger et al., 2002). Additionally, adult caregivers may socialize children differently based on children’s gender (Chen & Rao, 2011; Liu, 2006) and parenting beliefs regarding gender expectations may evolve as culture changes. To address these existing gaps, the current study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) Are maternal socioeconomic factors associated with maternal support for children’s autonomy, relatedness, and competence? (2) How are maternal support for children’s autonomy, relatedness, and competence related to children’s social outcomes? (3) Do these associations vary by child gender?

Method

The sample included mothers with young children (Mean = 3.35 years, SD = .98) from mainland China (N =310; ngirls = 179, 57.7%). Mothers reported their education attainment and family income level. Measures of mothers’ support for children’s autonomy, relatedness, and competence were adapted from the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction scale (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Gagné, 2003). Children’s outcomes included empathy (Empathy Questionnaire; Lazdauskas & Nasvytienė, 2020; Rieffe et al., 2010), and three subscales from Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) including self-regulation, initiatives, and relationship closeness (Devereux Foundation, 2001a, 2001b, 2001c).

Analysis and Findings

T-tests revealed mean-level differences by child gender (Table 1). Path analysis revealed that the model fit the data well (RMSEA = .058, CFI = .987, SRMR = .046). Standardized coefficients and significance levels are presented in Figure 1. Multigroup analysis was used to examine gender variations on the path associations. Both unconstrained model (RMSEA = .049, CFI = .995, SRMR = .027) and constrained model (RMSEA = .012, CFI = .999, SRMR = .057) fit the data well. Parenting practices were related to all child outcomes. Chi-square comparison tests revealed that constrained and unconstrained models did not differ (Sotorra-Bentler Scaled X2(18) = 12.787, p = .804). Therefore, even though study variables differed at mean-level by child gender, path associations did not.

Discussion and Implications

The current study provided empirical evidence that mothers’ support for children’s autonomy, relatedness, and competence contributed to children’s social competences in mainland China. This supports self-determination theorists’ argument that these basic psychological needs are important for individual wellbeing universally (Deci & Ryan, 2000, 2002). Family income, not maternal education, influences parenting quality. It is likely financial stress undermines mothers’ ability to nurture children’s autonomy, relatedness, and competence (Conger et al., 2002) in mainland China. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the associations between parenting factors and children’s outcomes did not differ by child gender, which might be explained by mothers’ modern parenting beliefs as a result of cultural changes.

Author

• Chang Su-Russell, Illinois State University
  Presenting Author