The relationship between need for cognition and adolescents’ creative self-efficacy: The mediating roles of perceived parenting behaviors and perceived teacher support

Drawing on social cognitive theory, need for cognition might have a significant influence on adolescents’ creative self-efficacy. However, no studies, to date, have investigated this relationship. To address this gap in the literature, this study used a 3-year longitudinal design to investigate the effect of need for cognition on adolescents’ creative self-efficacy. Moreover, to better understand this effect, we also investigated the mediating roles of perceived parenting behaviors and perceived teacher support, and the possible gender differences. The sample included 221 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.58, 48% girls) followed across 3 years. The results revealed that need for cognition had a beneficial effect on adolescents’ creative self-efficacy. Moreover, perceived parental autonomy support and perceived parental psychological control mediated the effect of need for cognition on creative self-efficacy. Lastly, there exist gender differences in these mediation effects. Perceived parental autonomy support only mediated the effect of need for cognition on boys’ creative self-efficacy, whereas perceived parental psychological control only mediated the influence of need for cognition on girls’ creative self-efficacy. Our findings help clarify developmental pathways linking need for cognition to adolescents’ creative self-efficacy, and the underlying mediation mechanisms.