Influence of Perceived Parental Rearing on Adolescent Self-Concept and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Japan

Abstract

We examined the associations between perceived parental rearing, attachment style, self-concept, and mental health problems among Japanese adolescents. About 193 high school students (143 boys and 50 girls, mean = 16.4) completed a set of self-report questionnaires including EMBU-C (My Memories of Child Upbringing for Children), AQC (Attachment Questionnaire for Children), SDQII-S (Self-Description Questionnaire II-Short) and YSR (Youth Self-Report). There seems to be a unique influence on mental health problems from parentadolescent relations depending on the gender of parents and adolescents. PLS (Partial Latent Squares Regression) analysis showed that insecure attachments (Avoidant and Ambivalent) and Rejection from parents were predictors of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among boys, while all dysfunctional parenting (Rejection, Overprotection and Anxious Rearing) were determinants of these problems among girls. Non academic self-concept (social, emotional, and physical) was a predictor of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems. Power of the prediction of these problems was greater for girls than boys.

Attachment and Parental Practices as Predictors of Behavioral Disorders in Boys and Girls

“…These results partially confirm this study's primary hypotheses. Similar conclusions were obtained in the studies by Nishikawa et al (2010) in Japan and Roelofs et al (2006) in Holland.…”

“…This is an intriguing question that some researchers have already attempted to answer. Nishikawa et al (2010) suggest that girls are more sensitive than boys to negative parental practices or that fathers and mothers are more sensitive to the behavioral problems of their daughters than those of their sons. Boys, on the other hand, are more vulnerable and would have more difficulty obtaining psychological autonomy, especially from their mothers.…”

“…More recent studies (Muris et al, 2003;Nishikawa, Sundbom, & Hägglöf, 2010;Roelofs et al, 2006) investigated, separately, boys and girls in the way attachment and parental practices are combined to predict socio-emotional adjustment during childhood. Muris et al (2003) concluded that, regardless the child's gender, insecure attachment and parental practices play an unique role in the prediction of internalizing problems.…”

“…Finally, anxiety was predicted by insecure attachment and maternal rejection. Nishikawa et al (2010) concluded that, for boys, the model that included insecure attachment (ambivalent), parental rejection (from mother and father), and instruction permeated by anxiety (mother and father), were among the better predictors of externalizing disorders while insecure attachment (ambivalent and avoidant), parental rejection (from both mother and father) and paternal overprotection are predictors of internalizing problems. For girls, all the dysfunctional parental practices (rejection, overprotection and an anxious disposition in raising a child, by both parents) are associated with ambivalent insecure attachment, predicting internalizing problems, while parental practices such as rejection, overprotection, anxious disposition while raising a child (on the part of both mother and father) and paternal emotional warmth predicted externalizing problems.…”

Perceived parenting style and self-perception in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

“…According to the literature on parenting styles and parenting practices, one would expect that children who perceive acceptance and an adequate control (high accepted control and low pathological control or extreme autonomy) from their parents have positive self-perceptions (e.g. Nishikawa, Sundbom, et al, 2010;Reina et al, 2010;Skinner et al, 2005).…”