Poster #153 - The Mediating Role of Positive Attributes between Parental Control and Psychological Adjustment among Migrant Children

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Background: Parental control has been found to be associated with psychological adjustment in children globally. There is an increasing interest in studies about these relationships among rural-to-urban migrant children in China. However, relatively less research has explored the path through which parental control relates to psychological adjustment among migrant children based on positive youth development (PYD) perspectives. Such investigation is needed to understand the processes through which these children may develop positively, and to inform youth programs focusing on promoting the positive development of these children. Among current PYD frameworks, the Lerner and Lerner model (Lerner et al., 2015) is the most widely used and empirically supported framework (Petersen, Verma, Koller, & Motti-Stefanidi, 2017). This model of PYD emphasizes the interaction between individual and context. The outcomes of such individual-context relations are operationalized by Five Cs (Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring), the growth of which may improve positive outcomes and reduce risk behaviors. Grounded in this model, the current study tested how previously perceived parental control (indexed by psychological control and behavioral control by their fathers and mothers, respectively) may influence subsequent psychological adjustment (indexed by subjective well-being and social anxiety) through the mediation of subsequent PYD attributes (represented by Five Cs) among Chinese migrant children.
Methods: Participants were 672 rural-to-urban migrant children (Mage=10.97, SDage=1.00; boys=375) from the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of three primary schools in Beijing. Data were derived from two continuous semiannual surveys conducted on June and December in 2014. Participants completed questionnaires assessing the indicators of parental control and psychological adjustment at Wave 1, and indicators of parental control, Five Cs, and psychological adjustment at Wave 2. Psychological adjustment at Wave 1 were controlling in the mediation model. Covariance associated with Wave 1 age and socioeconomic status were also assessed. We used structural equation modeling in Mplus 7.0 for analysis.
Results: 1) The mediation model had good fit [CFI=0.946, TLI=0.931, RMEA=0.056(0.051, 0.062), SRMR=0.074]. Controlling for age, socioeconomic status and Wave 1 psychological adjustment, PYD partially mediated the paths from Wave 1 psychological control to Wave 2 subjective well-being (z-score = -6.14, p < .001) and Wave 2 social anxiety (z-score = 3.98, p < .001). In addition, PYD fully mediated the effects of Wave 1 behavioral control on Wave 2 subjective well-being (z-score = 6.23, p < .001) and Wave 2 social anxiety (z-score = -4.04, p < .001); 2) Higher levels of previously perceived psychological control was significantly related to worse subsequent psychological adjustment outcomes, whereas higher levels of previous behavioral control related to better subsequent psychological adjustment outcomes.
Conclusions: PYD served as a mediator between previously perceived parental control and current status of psychological adjustment among migrant children. Previously perceived parental behavioral control served as a protective factor in predicting current PYD and current psychological adjustment whereas previously perceived parental psychological control showed reverse effects. These findings have important implications for future research and practice on parenting and PYD promotion.
Keywords: Positive Youth Development, Parental Control, Subjective Well-being, Social Anxiety.

Authors

• Xiaoyan Li, Beijing Normal University
  Presenting Author

• Shaobing Su, Tufts University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Danhua Lin, Beijing Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author