Parental Child-Contingent Self-Esteem’s Relation to Academic Identity-Reconsideration in Early Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Parents who hinge their self-esteem on their children’s achievements may impose unrealistic expectations on their children’s development and stunt a child’s intrinsic interest in exploring their identity. During adolescence, when major academic decisions are made, children can reconsider pursuing their passions in favor of their parents’ desires. When parents’ self-esteem is contingent on their children, they desire more control than acceptance over their children’s identity. Consequently, negative parental practices (e.g. conditional regard and affection withdrawal) may be evident, pushing adolescents to reconsider their academic identity. This study tests if parents with child-contingent self-esteem have children who frequently reconsider their academic identity and whether this effect can be explained by perceived parental psychological control. This relation may be intensified in Third Culture Kids (TCKs), who often struggle with forming an identity for themselves and face high parental expectations. Therefore, this study also tests if the direct relationship varies between local and TCK samples from similar socio-economic backgrounds. Methods: Data from 75 Dutch and 23 TCK adolescents (ages 11-15, M=13, SD=1.08) were analyzed. Results: High levels of child-contingent self-esteem in parents correlates with daily academic identity-reconsideration in adolescents, completely mediated by perceived parental psychological control. However, this relationship is not stronger in TCKs. Conclusion: Parents whose self-esteem is dependent on their children may show more psychological control, seemingly hampering their children's academic identity-formation, regardless of migratory background. Study limitations may have obscured effect variations in sample groups. Future research should use larger samples to better explore the relationship's intensity.