Parenting behavior profiles and adolescents’ self-handicapping: an analysis from the perspective of self-determination theory

This study identified parenting behavior profiles in China and examined how they relate to adolescents’ self-handicapping from the perspective of self-determination theory. High school students (N = 647) completed questionnaires assessing parenting behaviors, basic psychological needs, autonomous motivation, and self-handicapping. A latent profile analysis identified three parenting profiles: supportive, disengaged, and harsh. The supportive profile showed the lowest self-handicapping, while the harsh profile exhibited the highest. Furthermore, path analysis revealed a chain-mediating effect of basic psychological needs and autonomous motivation in the relationship between parenting profiles and self-handicapping. The findings clarify the internal mechanism of the relationship between parenting behaviors and adolescents’ self-handicapping with a person-centered approach. Our study provides differentiated suggestions for how parents can reduce self-handicapping in their children.