Parenting, self-concept, and attitudes about romantic relationships

Introduction: This study examined associations among the perceived parenting, self-concept, and adolescent attitudes of Chinese adolescents regarding romantic relationships. Methods: A survey of 729 high school students in Macau was carried out to collect information on the degree to which they perceived their fathers and mothers as demanding or responsive, their general self-concept, and their attitudes about romantic relationships. Results: Structural equation modeling showed that maternal and paternal responsiveness positively associated with adolescents' self-concept, which then positively contributed to their attitudes about romantic relationships. Maternal demandingness could link directly to positive adolescent attitudes about romantic relationships and indirectly to negative self-concept. Conclusions: The present study's findings suggest that perceived maternal parenting may be more important than perceived paternal parenting regarding adolescents' romantic attitudes, and parental responsiveness is particularly critical to positive self-concept and positive romantic attitudes in Chinese culture.