The Effect of Parental Autonomy Support on School-aged Children’ s School Adjustment: The Longitudinal Mediating Effect of Executive Function

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between parental autonomy support and school-aged children’s adjustment in four major domains of school and the longitudinal mediating role of children’s executive function. Methods: The Psychological Autonomy Support Scale, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 and the Primary School Students’ Psychological Suzhi Measure were used as instruments for three short-term follow-ups with 476 school-aged children and their parents. Results: (1) Paternal autonomy support could predict the four dimensions of school adjustment significantly and positively, whereas maternal autonomy support only had a positive effect on interpersonal adjustment; (2) The intercept and slope of children’s executive function positively predicted the four dimensions of school adjustment; (3) The “initial level” of children’s executive function fully mediated the relationships between paternal autonomy support and school adjustment, while the“ rate of development” of executive function did not. Conclusions: Those parental autonomy supportive behavior targeting to improving children’s executive function will be particularly helpful to contribute to children’s school adjustment.