IMPLICATIONS OF EARLY ADOLESCENTS' PARENT-ORIENTED SELF-CONSTRUAL FOR THEIR ADJUSTMENT: MODERATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED ACADEMIC COMPETENCE

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the implications of early adolescents’ parent-oriented self-construals and perceived academic ability on academic adjustment as reflected in various dimensions of engagement, and emotional adjustment as reflected in anxiety and depression across the United States (n = 420) and China (n = 514), across three waves spanning a year and a half. Results showed that only American adolescents with better academic selfperceptions showed more behavioural and affective engagement with increasing parentoriented self-construals, while those with poorer academic self-perceptions reported more anxiety if they also had high parent-oriented self-construals. However, Chinese adolescents with poor academic self-perceptions reported more behavioural engagement and less depression when they also had high parent-oriented self-construals. These findings point to the contrary effects of parent-oriented self-construal in China as compared to the United States. Parent-oriented self-construal appears to be more advantageous and less adverse in China, a culture supportive of interdependence, than in the US, a culture that prizes independent abilities and achievements. Thus, this calls for future research to examine how adolescents’ adjustments can be better supported in line with their cultural norms.