Controlling Parenting and College Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Self-Regulation and the Role of Ethnic Identity
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Nicolette Rickert
Location
Russell Union Ballroom
Type of Research
Completed
Session Format
Poster Presentation
College
Jack Averitt College of Graduate Studies
Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Self-Determination Theory posits that autonomy, the ability to feel in charge of one’s own behavior, is required for individuals to thrive. Parenting practices that either support autonomy or rely on control have been proposed to influence students’ academic mindset and competence by affecting whether school demands feel self-chosen or imposed (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Self-regulation may help explain this process, as greater opportunities for autonomy are thought to promote students’ capacity to plan, monitor, and control learning behaviors. These associations may vary by ethnic identity, as stronger ethnic identity may buffer the negative effects of controlling parenting (Museus, 2014). The present study examines how controlling parenting during high school, an understudied factor in the transition to college, affects college students’ self-regulation, mindset, and competence, and whether these associations are moderated by ethnic identity. First- and second-year college students completed self-report questionnaires assessing retrospective perceptions of controlling parenting, and current self-regulation, mindset, competence, and ethnic identity (N = 398; 69.18% women, 63.3% White/Caucasian, 24.2% Black/African American, 5% Hispanic, 2.7% Asian/Pacific Islander). Using the PROCESS macro in R (v4.5.2), moderated mediation analyses indicated that self-regulation partially mediated the relation between parental control and competence (indirect effect = -0.016, 95% CI [-0.031, -0.003]), and parental control and fixed mindsets (indirect effect = -0.024, 95% CI [-0.052, -0.003]). Ethnic identity did not act as a moderator but showed a main effect, such that stronger ethnic identity was associated with greater competence and a growth mindset. These findings suggest that controlling parenting during high school may have long-lasting effects on academic outcomes, mediated by reduced self-regulation. Implications include family or school-based interventions that target controlling parenting in adolescence in order to increase self-regulation and ultimately promote academic competence during college.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 12:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Khandelwal, Ria and Rickert, Nicolette, "Controlling Parenting and College Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Self-Regulation and the Role of Ethnic Identity" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 70.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/70
Controlling Parenting and College Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Self-Regulation and the Role of Ethnic Identity
Russell Union Ballroom
Self-Determination Theory posits that autonomy, the ability to feel in charge of one’s own behavior, is required for individuals to thrive. Parenting practices that either support autonomy or rely on control have been proposed to influence students’ academic mindset and competence by affecting whether school demands feel self-chosen or imposed (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Self-regulation may help explain this process, as greater opportunities for autonomy are thought to promote students’ capacity to plan, monitor, and control learning behaviors. These associations may vary by ethnic identity, as stronger ethnic identity may buffer the negative effects of controlling parenting (Museus, 2014). The present study examines how controlling parenting during high school, an understudied factor in the transition to college, affects college students’ self-regulation, mindset, and competence, and whether these associations are moderated by ethnic identity. First- and second-year college students completed self-report questionnaires assessing retrospective perceptions of controlling parenting, and current self-regulation, mindset, competence, and ethnic identity (N = 398; 69.18% women, 63.3% White/Caucasian, 24.2% Black/African American, 5% Hispanic, 2.7% Asian/Pacific Islander). Using the PROCESS macro in R (v4.5.2), moderated mediation analyses indicated that self-regulation partially mediated the relation between parental control and competence (indirect effect = -0.016, 95% CI [-0.031, -0.003]), and parental control and fixed mindsets (indirect effect = -0.024, 95% CI [-0.052, -0.003]). Ethnic identity did not act as a moderator but showed a main effect, such that stronger ethnic identity was associated with greater competence and a growth mindset. These findings suggest that controlling parenting during high school may have long-lasting effects on academic outcomes, mediated by reduced self-regulation. Implications include family or school-based interventions that target controlling parenting in adolescence in order to increase self-regulation and ultimately promote academic competence during college.
