A longitudinal study of perceived differences in parental control and parent-child relational qualities in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong

On two occasions separated by 1 year, 2,758 Chinese adolescents respond to instruments assessing perceived parental behavioral control (indexed by parental knowledge, expectation, monitoring, discipline, demandingness, and control based on Chinese concepts), parental psychological control, and parent-child relational qualities (satisfaction with parental control, readiness to communicate with the parents, and perceived mutual trust between parents and their children). Chinese adolescents generally perceive their fathers' behavioral and psychological control to be lower than those of the mothers; mother-child relational qualities are also perceived to be relatively more positive than father-child relational qualities. Results further show that perceived parental differences in parental control are moderated by the gender of the participant, and adolescent girls have more favorable perceptions of parent-adolescent relational qualities than do adolescent boys. Regarding time differences, the scale scores of measures assessing perceived parental control and parent-child relational qualities decline in early adolescent years in the Chinese culture.