Parental Psychological Control and College Students' Negative Risk-Taking Behaviors: The Chain-Mediating of Autonomy and Self-Control.

PURPOSE: To deeply explore the relationship between parental psychological control and negative risk-taking behaviors among Chinese college students and the mediating role of autonomy and self-control, providing a reference basis for preventing and intervening in college students' negative risk-taking behaviors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Questionnaires was administered to 1173 college students (Mage =20.7 ± 1.32) in Hunan Province using four scales. Subsequently, we processed and analyzed the collected data using SPSS 26.0 software.

RESULTS: Parental psychological control demonstrated a significantly positive correlation with college students' negative risk-taking behaviors. The impact of parental psychological control on college students' negative risk-taking behaviors was mediated by self-control and the combined effect of autonomy and self-control.

CONCLUSION: Among Chinese college students, autonomy and self-control act as a sequential mediating factor between negative risk-taking behaviors and parental psychological control. This study uncovered the underlying process by which parenting practices affected college students' negative risk-taking behaviors. It offers empirical support for successful treatments aimed at reducing future risk-taking behaviors among college students, as well as some evidence in favor of the crucial part that parenting styles play in the development of positive adolescents.