Links Between Perceived Mother-Adolescent and Father-Adolescent Conflict and Low Self-Control: A Cross-National Comparative Study

The influence of parent-adolescent relationships and adolescent adjustment have been well-documented. Self-control has emerged as a key probabilistic construct in understanding adjustment, well-being, and life success. The present study tests the links between adolescent perceptions of maternal and paternal conflict and self-control. In addition, to understand the extent to which cultural developmental context impacts these associations, the study will employ a cross-cultural comparative lens to test whether cultural context moderates these links. Self-report data were collected from N = 4,924 adolescents (Mage = 16.97 years, 54.08% female) across four countries (China, Czech Republic, Turkey, and the United States). In by country analyses, findings provided evidence that both perceived maternal and paternal conflict was positively correlated with low self-control. Conversely, individualistic versus collectivistic did not potentiate the link between perceived maternal conflict and low self-control; however, it did potentiate the link between perceived paternal conflict and low self-control. As expected, this latter effect was larger or stronger in individualistic cultures as compared to collectivistic ones.