How Parental Attachment and Monitoring Shape Self-Concept: Mediating Effects of Academic Pressure and Career Maturity

This study aims to explore the impact of parental attachment and parental monitoring on self-concept among high school seniors and to identify the mediating roles of academic pressure and career maturity in this process. Utilizing data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS), the study employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and multiple regression analysis to validate the relationships among variables. The findings indicate that both parental attachment and parental monitoring exert significant positive effects on self-concept, with parental attachment demonstrating a stronger influence. Parental attachment was found to be a key factor in enhancing career maturity, and its indirect effect on self-concept was also significant. In contrast, parental monitoring was associated with increased academic pressure and exhibited a weaker direct influence on self-concept compared to parental attachment. While career maturity emerged as a crucial mediator in self-concept formation, the mediating effect of academic pressure was relatively minor. Furthermore, the interaction between parental attachment and parental monitoring negatively impacted self-concept, indicating that higher levels of parental monitoring weakened the positive effect of parental attachment. These results highlight the critical role of parental emotional support and behavioral guidance in shaping adolescents' self-concept and underscore the necessity of balanced parenting approaches. The study further suggests implications for the development of parent education and counseling programs.