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Parenting Behaviors and Creativity: The Roles of Autonomous and Controlled Motivation

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Abstract

Previous research has shown that parenting behaviors are strongly related to adolescents’ creativity development. Based on the ecological systems model of creativity development, the componential model of creativity, and the self-determination theory, our study investigated the indirect roles of autonomous and controlled motivations in the association between parenting behaviors and creativity in Chinese adolescents. Participants (N = 411) completed the Parenting Behaviors Scale, Learning Self-regulation Scale, Creativity Self-report Scale, and two tasks in the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Correlation analysis revealed that autonomy support is positively related to autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and creativity; psychological control is positively related to controlled motivation and creativity; and autonomous motivation and controlled motivation are both positively related to creativity. Structural equation modeling suggested that autonomy support was positively associated with creativity both directly (p = 0.009, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.029, 0.205]) and via autonomous motivation (p < 0.001, CI [0.045, 0.127]), whereas psychological control was negatively associated with creativity via controlled motivation (p = 0.032, CI [−0.074, −0.009]). Generally, autonomous motivation and controlled motivation play indirect roles in the association between parenting behaviors and creativity. The results provided insights into the relationship between parenting behaviors and creativity and its indirect mechanism, as well as suggested implications for the pathways of creativity improvement in parenting.

Highlights

  • The relationships between parenting behaviors, motivation, and creativity are examined in Chinese junior school students.

  • Autonomous motivation means individuals’ spontaneous engagement in personally meaningful actions.

  • Controlled motivation means individuals’ engagement in actions under environmental pressure.

  • Autonomous motivation plays an indirect role in the relationship between parental autonomy support and creativity.

  • Controlled motivation plays an indirect role in the relationship between parental psychological control and creativity.

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Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Beijing Social Science Fund Project [23JYA006].

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Xu Han, Yueqi Shi, Huiting Miao

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  1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China

    Xu Han, Yueqi Shi & Ling Wang

  2. Hohhot No.17 Middle School, Hohhot, China

    Huiting Miao

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Han, X., Shi, Y., Miao, H. et al. Parenting Behaviors and Creativity: The Roles of Autonomous and Controlled Motivation. J Child Fam Stud 33, 1148–1157 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02781-z

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