Psychological Control and Chinese Preschoolers’ Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: Bidirectional Associations in Four Parent-child Dyads

Abstract Previous research has shown there might be bidirectional association between psychological control and child internalizing and externalizing problems. However, most studies were conducted among adolescents, leaving the relationships during early childhood unknown. The present study aimed to examine the gender differences in the bidirectional relationship between parental psychological control and preschoolers’ problem behaviors across four dyadic relationships (mother/son, mother/daughter, father/son, and father/daughter) in the Chinese cultural context. Data were collected from 238 preschool children (132 boys, Mage = 4.21 years, SD = .85) and their parents. Both fathers and mothers reported their psychological control and preschoolers’ problem behaviors. Results showed that for internalizing problems, gender differences in the bidirectional relationship were not found and preschoolers’ internalizing problems predicted increases in parental psychological control, suggesting the child-driven effect. For externalizing problems, gender differences were found across four dyadic relationships. Specifically, in the mother-daughter dyad, maternal psychological control negatively predicted girls’ externalizing problems, suggesting the parent-driven effect. This study underscores the influence of preschoolers’ internalizing problems on parental psychological control. The findings contribute to our understanding of the bidirectional associations and gender differences between parental psychological control and problem behaviors in preschoolers in the Chinese cultural context.