Actor–Partner Interdependence Between Parenting Perfectionism and Parental Stress Among Chinese Parents Over Time
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17190872 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Janet T Y Leung (0000-0003-2648-5707, Department of Applied Social Sciences The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong China, corresponding author), Ann W S Hung (Department of Applied Social Sciences The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong China), Xiangying Ding (0000-0001-6410-9257, Department of Applied Social Sciences The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong China), Vincent W T Chua (Department of Applied Social Sciences The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong China) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | e70146-e70146 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Family Process (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0014-7370 • E-ISSN: 1545-5300 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/famp.70146 |
| PMID | 41980871 |
| OpenAlex | W7154349218 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
In contemporary society, parents have become obsessive on achieving "perfection" in preparing their children to succeed in the competitive environment. However, the personal and inter-spousal relationships between parenting perfectionism and parental stress among Chinese couples over time have been largely overlooked in the academic literature. Additionally, the moderating effect of marital satisfaction on these relationships remains unclear. Based on a sample of 642 Chinese couples with adolescent children in Grades 7 and 8 at Time 1, Actor-Partner Interdependent Modeling (APIM) analyses were conducted to assess the patterns of father-mother interdependence in the associations of parenting perfectionism (adaptive and maladaptive) with parental stress over time, as well as the moderating role of marital satisfaction in the relationships. The findings indicated that mother-reported maladaptive parenting perfectionism was positively associated with both paternal and maternal stress over time. An actor-only pattern was identified in the association of maladaptive parenting perfectionism with maternal stress, whereas a partner-only pattern was observed in the relationship between maladaptive parenting perfectionism and paternal stress. Moreover, father-perceived marital satisfaction strengthened these associations. These results offer valuable insights for family scholars and practitioners, underscoring the importance of examining the effects of parenting perfectionism on parental well-being. This understanding is crucial for exploring the dynamics of parenthood in the modern era
Association (psychology) · Interdependence · Marital relationship · Multilevel model · Partner effects · Perfectionism (psychology) · Stress (linguistics) · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies · Work-Family Balance Challenges
The dimensions of perfectionism
Why Are Chinese Mothers More Controlling Than American Mothers? “My Child Is My Report Card”
Understanding Families as Systems
Structural equation modeling with interchangeable dyads.
Maternal Guilt and Shame
Detecting, measuring, and testing dyadic patterns in the actor–partner interdependence model.
Positive Conceptions of Perfectionism
Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis
The robustness of test statistics to nonnormality and specification error in confirmatory factor analysis.
A Test of Missing Completely at Random for Multivariate Data with Missing Values
Systematic review of the differences between mothers and fathers in parenting styles and practices
Moderation in the actor–partner interdependence model
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being
The Chinese Version of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale
Parental shame and guilt
Parenthood and Well‐Being
Parents as socializers
Adolescent storm and stress, reconsidered
Emotion regulation and satisfaction in long-term marital relationships
Concurrent and Discriminant Validity of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale
Well-Being and the Transition to Parenthood
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |