Impact of Parental Autonomy Support on Adolescent Life Satisfaction Through Creative Personality: Moderated Mediating Effect of Parental Structure Provision

Abstract

Objectives: This study seeks to investigate the mediating effect of adolescent creative personality in the relationship between parental autonomy support and adolescent life satisfaction. Additionally, the study explores the moderated mediation effect of parental structure provision in the relationship between parental autonomy support, adolescent creative personality, and life satisfaction.Methods: A total of 2,590 first-year middle school students surveyed in 2018 from the “Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018; KCYPS,” produced by the National Youth Policy Institute, were targeted. Adolescents responded to questions about parental autonomy support, parental structure provision, creative personality, and life satisfaction. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS macro version 4.2 (Hayes, 2022); Model 4 was employed to analyze the mediating effect of adolescent creative personality and model 1 and 7 for the moderated mediating effect of parental structure provision.Results: This study derived the following key findings. First, a significant mediating effect of adolescent creative personality was observed in the relationship between parental autonomy support and adolescent life satisfaction. Parental autonomy support had a direct positive impact on adolescents’ life satisfaction. Additionally, as the level of parental autonomy support increased, adolescent creative personality also increased, which led to higher life satisfaction. Second, a moderated mediating effect of parental structure provision was observed for the impact of parental autonomy support on adolescent life satisfaction through adolescent creative personality.Conclusion: The results can be utilized as foundational information for parental education, and educational settings, thereby aiming to promote adolescents’ creativity and, subsequently, a satisfying life.