Parental Control And Teen Social Anxiety: Emotion Regulation And SES

Social anxiety is a prevalent concern among adolescents, affecting their mental health and social development.

Parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s emotional responses and social behaviors.

Parenting styles, particularly those involving psychological control, can contribute to the development of social anxiety by undermining a child’s autonomy and self-confidence.

Understanding these dynamics is vital for developing effective interventions and support systems.

Researching the relationship between parenting practices and adolescent social anxiety, especially in diverse cultural contexts, can inform strategies to promote healthy emotional development and improve mental health outcomes for young people worldwide.

Fu, W., Zhang, W., Dong, Y., & Chen, G. (2024). Parental control and adolescent social anxiety: A focus on emotional regulation strategies and socioeconomic influences in China. British Journal of Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12525

Key Points

• Parental psychological control was positively associated with social anxiety in Chinese adolescents.
• Negative emotion response-focused strategies (NERFS) mediated the relationship between parental psychological control and social anxiety.
• Socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the relationship between NERFS and social anxiety, with a stronger effect in lower SES families.
• Both maternal and paternal psychological control had similar effects on adolescent social anxiety.
• The study highlights the importance of considering cultural context, emotion regulation strategies, and socioeconomic factors in understanding adolescent social anxiety.
• Limitations include the cross-sectional design, self-report measures, and focus on a specific region in China.
• The findings have implications for parent education, school-based interventions, and support for lower SES families to address adolescent social anxiety.

Rationale

Social anxiety is a significant concern for adolescents, potentially hindering their physical and mental development (Li et al., 2020).

Previous research has identified parental psychological control as a factor contributing to social anxiety (Nelemans et al., 2020; Gómez-Ortiz et al., 2019).

However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear, particularly in the Chinese cultural context where parental psychological control may be more prevalent and culturally accepted (Wuyts et al., 2015).

This study aimed to examine the relationship between parental psychological control and adolescent social anxiety in China, exploring the mediating role of negative emotion response-focused strategies (NERFS) and the moderating effect of socioeconomic status (SES).

By investigating these factors, the research sought to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the development of social anxiety in Chinese adolescents.

The study builds on attachment theory (Bowlby, 1988) and self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) to explain how parental psychological control may impact adolescent emotional regulation and social anxiety.

Additionally, it considers the potential buffering effect of SES on the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and social anxiety (Narisada, 2017).

By examining these relationships in a Chinese context, the study addresses a gap in the literature, as most previous research has focused on Western populations.

This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of how cultural factors may influence the development of social anxiety in adolescents.

Method

The study employed a cross-sectional design using questionnaires to collect data from Chinese middle school students.

Procedure

Administrators from junior high schools in Beijing were invited to participate in the study. Upon agreement, head teachers obtained consent from students and their parents.

Participants completed questionnaires assessing parental psychological control, negative emotion response-focused strategies, social anxiety, and socioeconomic status.

Sample

The sample consisted of 1343 Chinese students aged 12-16 years (M = 13.3, SD = 0.96).

Participants were from seventh (n = 548), eighth (n = 362), and ninth (n = 433) grades.

The sample was 52.6% male, and 58.1% were only children.

Measures

1. Parental Psychological Control Scale (Shek, 2007; Chinese version by Chen et al., 2018)
   • Two subscales: Paternal Psychological Control (PPC) and Maternal Psychological Control (MPC)
   • 10 items each, rated on a 4-point Likert scale
2. Negative Emotion Response-Focused Strategy (NERFS) Scale (adapted from Huang & Guo, 2001)
   • 4 items measuring suppression strategies for negative emotions
   • Rated on a 4-point Likert scale
3. Social Anxiety Scale for Children (La Greca & Lopez, 1998; Chinese version by Sun et al., 2017)
   • 10 items rated on a 3-point scale
4. Socioeconomic Status (SES)
   • Computed using parents’ education, occupation, and income

Statistical measures

The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) with the R programming language and lavaan package.

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to establish the reliability and validity of the scales.

Moderated mediation analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between variables, with separate models for paternal and maternal psychological control.

Results

Hypothesis 1: Parental psychological control is positively correlated with children’s social anxiety.

Result: Supported. Both paternal (β = .136, p < .001) and maternal (β = .145, p < .001) psychological control were positively associated with social anxiety.

Hypothesis 2: Parental psychological control is positively correlated with children’s negative emotion response-focused strategies (NERFS).

Result: Supported. Both paternal (β = .191, p < .001) and maternal (β = .212, p < .001) psychological control were positively associated with NERFS.

Hypothesis 3: There is a significant positive correlation between children’s NERFS and social anxiety.

Result: Supported. NERFS was positively associated with social anxiety in both paternal (β = .430, p < .001) and maternal (β = .425, p < .001) models.

Hypothesis 4: NERFS plays a mediating role in the relationship between parental psychological control and children’s social anxiety.

Result: Supported. NERFS mediated the relationship between parental psychological control and social anxiety in both paternal and maternal models.

Hypothesis 5: SES played a moderating role between NERFS and social anxiety.

Result: Supported. The interaction term of NERFS and SES had a significant effect on social anxiety in both paternal (β = -0.092, p = .011) and maternal (β = -0.082, p = .029) models.

Insight

This study provides valuable insights into the development of social anxiety in Chinese adolescents, highlighting the complex interplay between parental psychological control, emotion regulation strategies, and socioeconomic factors.

The findings extend previous research by demonstrating that the relationship between parental psychological control and social anxiety is mediated by negative emotion response-focused strategies, particularly in the Chinese cultural context.

The study’s results suggest that both maternal and paternal psychological control contribute to adolescent social anxiety, emphasizing the importance of considering both parents’ roles in adolescent development.

This is particularly relevant in the Chinese context, where traditional family values and parenting practices may differ from Western cultures.

The moderating effect of socioeconomic status on the relationship between NERFS and social anxiety is a novel finding.

It suggests that adolescents from lower SES backgrounds may be more vulnerable to the negative effects of poor emotion regulation strategies on social anxiety.

This highlights the need for targeted interventions and support for families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Future research could explore:

1. Longitudinal studies to establish causal relationships between variables
2. Cross-cultural comparisons to examine the universality of these findings
3. Investigating other potential mediators or moderators, such as peer relationships or school environment
4. Developing and testing interventions to promote adaptive emotion regulation strategies and reduce parental psychological control

Strengths

This study had several methodological strengths, including:

1. Large sample size (N = 1343) providing statistical power
2. Examination of both maternal and paternal psychological control
3. Use of validated measures adapted for the Chinese context
4. Consideration of socioeconomic status as a moderating factor
5. Advanced statistical techniques (SEM and moderated mediation analysis)
6. Focus on an understudied population (Chinese adolescents)

Limitations

This study also had several methodological limitations, including:

1. Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences
2. Reliance on self-report measures may introduce common method variance
3. Sample limited to Beijing, potentially reducing generalizability to other regions of China
4. Lack of consideration for different dimensions of parental psychological control
5. Lower reliability of the NERFS scale (α < 0.8)
6. Focus on a specific age range (12-16 years) may limit generalizability to younger or older adolescents

These limitations suggest that the findings should be interpreted with caution and may not be fully representative of all Chinese adolescents or generalizable to other cultural contexts.

The cross-sectional nature of the study prevents drawing definitive conclusions about causality, and the reliance on self-report measures may introduce bias.

Implications

The study’s findings have significant implications for understanding and addressing social anxiety in Chinese adolescents:

1. Parent education: Develop programs to raise awareness about the negative effects of psychological control and promote more supportive parenting practices.
2. Emotion regulation interventions: Design school-based programs to help adolescents develop adaptive emotion regulation strategies, particularly for those from lower SES backgrounds.
3. Cultural sensitivity: Recognize the cultural context of parenting practices in China when developing interventions or providing family counseling.
4. Socioeconomic considerations: Tailor support and interventions to address the specific needs of families from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
5. Clinical practice: Incorporate assessment of parental psychological control and emotion regulation strategies when treating adolescent social anxiety.
6. Policy implications: Advocate for resources and support services for lower SES families to help mitigate the impact of socioeconomic disparities on adolescent mental health.
7. Teacher training: Educate teachers about the signs of social anxiety and the potential influence of parenting practices to help identify at-risk students.

The results underscore the complex interplay between family dynamics, individual coping strategies, and socioeconomic factors in the development of social anxiety.

By addressing these various aspects, interventions and support systems can be more effectively tailored to meet the needs of Chinese adolescents and their families.

References

Primary reference

Fu, W., Zhang, W., Dong, Y., & Chen, G. (2024). Parental control and adolescent social anxiety: A focus on emotional regulation strategies and socioeconomic influences in China. British Journal of Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12525

Other references

Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books.

Chen, Y., Li, R., & Liu, X. (2018). Parental psychological control, autonomous support, and adolescents’ externalizing problem behaviors: The centrality of control motivation. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 26(5), 981–986.

Gómez-Ortiz, O., Romera, E. M., Jiménez-Castillejo, R., Ortega-Ruiz, R., & García-López, L. J. (2019). Parenting practices and adolescent social anxiety: A direct or indirect relationship?. International journal of clinical and health psychology, 19(2), 124-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2019.04.001

Huang, M. E., & Guo, D. J. (2001). The mode of emotion regulation and its development trend. Chinese Journal of Applied Psychology, 7(2), 17–22.

La Greca, A. M., & Lopez, N. (1998). Social anxiety among adolescents: Linkages with peer relations and friendships. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 26, 83-94. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022684520514

Li, M., Ren, Y., & Sun, H. (2020). Social anxiety status of left-behind children in rural areas of hunan province and its relationship with loneliness. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 51(6), 1016–1024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-01045-x

Narisada, A. (2017). Socioeconomic status and the relationship between under-reward and distress: Buffering-resource or status-disconfirmation?. Social Justice Research, 30, 191-220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-017-0288-z

Nelemans, S. A., Keijsers, L., Colpin, H., van Leeuwen, K., Bijttebier, P., Verschueren, K., & Goossens, L. (2020). Transactional links between social anxiety symptoms and parenting across adolescence: Between‐and within‐person associations. Child development, 91(3), 814-828. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13236

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publications.

Shek, D. T. (2007). A longitudinal study of perceived parental psychological control and psychological well‐being in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20331

Sun, M., Liu, K., Liu, L., Meng, L., & Huang, L. (2017). Teen social lite evaluation of the reliability and validity of anxiety scale in junior high school students. Modern Preventive Medicine, 44(23), 4310–4313.

Wuyts, D., Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Van Petegem, S., & Brenning, K. (2017). The role of separation anxiety in mothers’ use of autonomy support: An observational study. Journal of Child and Family studies, 26, 1949-1957. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0707-7

Keep Learning

Socratic questions for a college class to discuss this paper:

1. How might cultural differences between Chinese and Western parenting practices influence the interpretation and generalizability of these findings?
2. In what ways could the relationship between parental psychological control and adolescent social anxiety be bidirectional? How might this impact our understanding of the results?
3. How do you think the use of negative emotion response-focused strategies might differ across cultures? What cultural factors could influence the development and use of these strategies?
4. Given the moderating effect of socioeconomic status, what ethical considerations should be taken into account when developing interventions for adolescent social anxiety?
5. How might the findings of this study inform our understanding of the development of social anxiety in other collectivist cultures?
6. What are some potential explanations for the similar effects of maternal and paternal psychological control on adolescent social anxiety? How might this relate to traditional gender roles in Chinese families?
7. How could the use of longitudinal data enhance our understanding of the relationships between parental psychological control, emotion regulation strategies, and social anxiety in adolescents?
8. In what ways might the rapid social and economic changes in China influence the relationships observed in this study? How could future research address these potential changes?
9. How might the findings of this study inform our understanding of resilience in adolescents facing parental psychological control and socioeconomic challenges?
10. What are some potential positive aspects of parental control in Chinese culture that this study might not have captured? How could future research address this balance?