The intergenerational continuity of parental conditional regard and its role in mothers’ and adolescents’ contingent self‐esteem and depressive symptoms

Abstract

Although research has documented the adverse consequences of parental academic conditional regard in different developmental periods, few studies have examined antecedents and, in particular, the possibility of intergenerational continuity of this parenting dimension. The current study aimed to identify patterns of intergenerational similarity in two types of conditional regard (i.e., positive and negative). Additionally, it examined mothers’ and adolescents’ contingent self‐esteem (CSE) and depressive symptoms as outcomes of this process. In total, 211 mothers and their 10‐ to 16‐year‐old adolescents filled out questionnaires assessing perceived conditional regard in the relationship with their own mother (i.e., grandmothers’, and mothers’ conditional positive (PACPR) and negative regard (PACNR)), contingent self‐esteem (i.e., maternal child‐invested CSE and adolescents’ academic CSE), and maternal and adolescents’ depressive symptoms. Results revealed direct intergenerational similarity for PACPR, but not for PACNR. Within generations, PACPR was related positively to CSE, which, in turn, was related positively to depressive symptoms. Moreover, PACNR was related positively to depressive symptoms. Our findings provide preliminary evidence for the intergenerational continuity of conditional regard, which has important consequences because of its relation to CSE and subsequent depressive symptoms within both generations.

Instrumentality Gives Girls the Edge: Gender-Differential Relations Between Instrumentality, Achievement Motivation, and Self-Esteem

“…Global self-esteem relates to an overall estimation of the self (Rosenberg, 1965), while contingent self-esteem captures the degree to which self-esteem is dependent on external factors (Crocker et al, 2003a, b). The relevance of these constructs is supported by their relation to well-being (Burwell & Shirk, 2006;Otterpohl et al, 2020) and their continued influence into adulthood (Abele et al, 2016;Crocker & Park, 2004;Gebauer et al, 2013;Otterpohl et al, 2020;Whitley & Gridley, 1993;Wojciszke et al, 2011;Zuckerman et al, 2016). The relations of these variables with gender role self-concepts have not been sufficiently investigated in adolescent samples, a gap this paper attempts to address.…”

“…In contrast, having high academic contingent selfesteem places additional stress on students to achieve good results, as not only their academic reputation but their feeling of self-worth is perceived to be at risk (Burwell & Shirk, 2006;Crocker & Park, 2004;Fairlamb, 2020;Herrmann et al, 2019). Indeed, researchers have found relations between highly contingent self-esteem and depressive symptoms (Burwell & Shirk, 2006; Otterpohl et al, 2020) and lower global self-esteem (Moore & Smith, 2018;Schöne & Stiensmeier-Pelster, 2016;Schöne et al, 2015). The following sections will illuminate how self-esteem has been investigated in student samples in relation to gender and gender role self-concepts.…”

Parental conditional regard: A meta‐analysis

“…Further, the two concepts have different correlates, indicating conceptual distinctiveness (Assor & Tal, 2012). Regard‐withdrawal characterising parental conditional negative regard is similar to love‐withdrawal, which also correlates with adverse outcomes for children (Otterpohl et al, 2020; Romm et al, 2020).…”

Clarifying the connection between parental conditional regard and contingent self‐esteem: An examination of cross‐lagged relations in early adolescence

“…Several studies examined CSE as an intraindividual precursor of PCR (e.g., maternal child‐based CSE is related with maternal PCR, which in turn contributes to negative outcomes in the child; Israeli‐Halevi et al., 2015). Over and above these relations, studies also suggest that the overall association between CSE and PCR within an individual may be transmitted intergenerationally (Otterpohl et al., 2020). Accordingly, some authors see PCR not only as an intraindividual product, but also as an intergenerational cause of CSE, suggesting that when relationships with significant others are perceived to be highly conditional, thoughts about those significant others trigger concerns about self‐esteem and self‐worth (Crocker & Park, 2004; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Roth et al., 2009).…”