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24-12-2024 | Empirical Research

How Perceptions of the Accuracy of Parental Praise and Criticism Link With Child Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Perfectionism

Auteurs: Huilin Xing, Meilin Yao, Hongrui Liu

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence | Uitgave 5/2025

Abstract

Accurate parental praise and criticism congruent with child performance—often ignored—might have lasting impacts on child development. This study explored whether the levels of the accuracy (from deflated to accurate to inflated) of parental praise and criticism perceived by children linked to a risk for their maladjustment (i.e., showing negative affect, failure-is-debilitating mindset, and academic self-handicapping) in a nonlinear way and perfectionism acted as a mediator. Data were collected on 1230 early adolescents (44.9% girls; M_age = 11.0 years, SD = 1.6) who resided in Chinese county towns with their parents. Applying polynomial regression and response surface analysis (RSA), the results showed that (a) Chinese children perceived parents’ tendency to slightly overpraise and overcriticize them; (b) perceptions of inflated and deflated parental praise and criticism were associated with higher levels of maladjustment outcomes; and (c) perfectionism played a mediating role in some cases. This study reveals the nonlinear and combined effects of the accuracy of parental praise and criticism and emphasizes the benefits of parental feedback commensurate with children’s actual performance.

vorige artikel Mental Health Disparities Between Both-, Other- and Same-Sex Attracted Adolescents: The Role of Bullying Victimization, Gender and Age

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Titel: How Perceptions of the Accuracy of Parental Praise and Criticism Link With Child Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Perfectionism
Auteurs: Huilin Xing
Meilin Yao
Hongrui Liu
Publicatiedatum: 24-12-2024
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Youth and Adolescence / Uitgave 5/2025
Print ISSN: 0047-2891
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-6601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-024-02125-0

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How Perceptions of the Accuracy of Parental Praise and Criticism Link With Child Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Perfectionism

Abstract

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