Parental Psychological Control and Children’s Prosocial Behavior: The Mediating Role of Social Anxiety and the Moderating Role of Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

Complementing internalizing and externalizing developmental outcomes of parental psychological control, in this study, we shift the focus to children’s prosocial behaviors. Drawing on self-determination theory and problem-behavior theory, this study addresses the relationship between parental psychological control, social anxiety, socioeconomic status (SES), and children’s prosocial behavior. The parental psychological control scale, social anxiety scale for children, and prosocial behavior were applied in the study. Participants were 1202 elementary school-age children in China. The present study showed that parental psychological control was negatively associated with prosocial behavior and social anxiety played a partial mediating role between parental psychological control and prosocial behavior. Meanwhile, SES moderated the relationship between parental psychological control and prosocial behavior. The effect of parental psychological control on prosocial behavior was more significant among students with low levels of SES than the higher ones. The findings showed that parenting plays an essential role in the development of children’s prosociality.

Evolving Perspectives and Methodologies in Developmental Psychology

“…Recent research endeavors in developmental psychology have demonstrated a clear evolution in the field's perspectives and methodologies. From exploring the implications of evolutionary theory in understanding human behavior (Goetz et al, 2022;Narvaez et al, 2022) to delving into the impact of parental influences on children's development (Zhang et al, 2022), scholars are continually pushing the boundaries of traditional developmental psychology. The incorporation of diverse theoretical frameworks and empirical approaches has not only enriched the field but has also opened up new avenues for research and practice.…”

Investigating the Effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing on Social Anxiety and Academic Procrastination among Students

“…The prevalence of this disorder in Iranian society shows a 10.1% prevalence, with women being more affected than men (You et al, 2019). If untreated, this disorder is accompanied by a chronic and covert course (Lamb, 2009), causing fundamental disorders in work, social fields, academic functions, family, and personal life, leading to a decrease in the individual's quality of life (Xu et al, 2017;Zhang et al, 2022).…”

Impact of ICT and social networks on students: An analysis of gender-based attitudinal profiles

“…Regarding gender, studies indicate that females tend to spend more time on VSNs connecting with strangers, engaging in discussions with friends and relatives, and expressing heightened concern when lacking Internet access (Ballesta-Pagán et al, 2021). Additionally, there seems to be limited parental oversight regarding their children's access to VSNs, irrespective of gender (Zhang et al, 2022). In relation to dangerous practices associated with ICTs and VSNs, high school students might exhibit violent attitudes and find themselves in dangerous online situations (Masrom et al, 2021).…”