‘Just Like a Marionette’: Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Self‐Dehumanisation Among Adolescents

Five studies ( N = 1549, age range = 12–18) explored the relationship between perceived parental psychological control, state authenticity, and self‐dehumanisation. Adolescents who perceived higher levels of parental psychological control—whether in daily life (Study 1), recalling past instances (Study 2), or imagining such control (Study 3)—reported lower feelings of authenticity and higher self‐dehumanisation compared to their peers. Authenticity mediated the link between perceived parental psychological control and self‐dehumanisation (Studies 1–3). In Study 4, adolescents had decreased levels of self‐dehumanisation when given the chance to restore authenticity after experiencing psychological control. Study 5 further indicated that perceived parental psychological control associated with higher self‐dehumanisation and negative academic and emotional outcomes. This research highlights the pivotal role of authenticity in adolescent well‐being and explicates how parent–child dynamics contribute to self‐dehumanisation and its consequences.