Longitudinal Relationships Between Parental Psychological Control Dimensions and Adolescent Developmental Outcomes in the Chinese Mainland: Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models

This study investigated bidirectional relationships between multidimensional Chinese parental psychological control (PC), specifically relational induction (guilt/shame tactics emphasizing family sacrifices/reputation), social comparison shame (unfavorable comparisons with others), and harsh control (hostility/rejection), and adolescent psychological, behavioral, and academic outcomes. Data from 1,309 adolescents (Mean age = 13.73, SD = 1.17; 53.78% boys) across three waves were analyzed using Random Intercept-Cross-Lagged Panel Models. Between families, harsh control was associated with poor outcomes in all domains. Within families, parental relational induction predicted increased adolescent mental health problems and decreased school engagement, parental social comparison shame predicted reduced adolescent life satisfaction, whereas parental harsh control unexpectedly predicted higher school engagement among adolescents over time. Bidirectional analyses revealed that adolescent maladjustment (e.g., mental health issues and low school engagement) also predicted subsequent increases in perceived PC. Findings challenge assumptions about cultural adaptiveness, revealing nuanced risks in prevalent PC practices.