Children's interpretation moderates relations of maternal autonomy support with sociability and assertiveness in China

This 1‐year longitudinal study investigated whether children's positive interpretations of maternal autonomy support moderated its relations with later sociability and assertiveness in China. Third to sixth graders (N = 889; 50.4% girls; Mage = 10.82 years, SD = 1.29) residing in Shanghai, P.R. China, reported maternal autonomy support and their interpretations of such parenting. Children's sociability was rated by teachers and assertiveness was assessed via peer nominations. Results indicated that child interpretations moderated the associations between maternal autonomy support and later sociability and assertiveness after controlling for their stabilities. For children with high levels of child‐beneficial interpretations, maternal autonomy support was positively associated with later sociability and assertiveness. However, for children with low or average levels of child‐beneficial interpretations, maternal autonomy support was not related to later sociability and assertiveness. Moreover, maternal autonomy support was positively related to later sociability for girls, but not for boys. The findings highlighted the possible role of children's interpretations in modulating the impact of mothers' autonomy support on social functioning.