Parent Child-Based Contingent Self-Esteem and Psychological Control on Child Self-Concept Clarity: A Parent-Child Dyad Study

Abstract

Developing a clear identity is crucial during adolescence when individuals begin to recognize their qualities, goals, and values. Parents significantly influence identity development through social interactions. Understanding these parental influences on self-concept clarity is especially important during the formative years and essential for promoting healthy psychological outcomes in adolescents. This study aimed to explore the link between parental child-based contingent self-esteem on adolescent self-concept clarity, focusing on the mediating role of parental psychological control in this relation. Participants were recruited from high-SES Dutch and international high schools in the Netherlands and consisted of 81 parent-child dyads (adolescents M age = 13.9, SD = 1.14, 51.85% female, 76.5% Dutch nationality; parent M age = 47, SD = 4.64, 71.60% female, 75.3% Dutch nationality). Cross-sectional design and questionnaires were used to collect data. Results highlight non-significant effects of parental child-based contingent self-concept on self-concept clarity (b = - 0.13, p = .33), and parental psychological control (b = 0.02, p = .90); and a significant negative influence of parental controlling behavior on self-concept clarity in adolescents (b = -0.34, p = .0017). These findings highlight the important role of parental psychological control in shaping adolescents' self-concept clarity and suggest that other factors may operate in the relationship between child-based contingent self-esteem and parental psychological control, warranting further research.