The Role of Family Environment in the Psychological Well-being and Emotional Development of Adolescents in a Cross-cultural Context

Parenting style is regarded as the most significant factor in the family process that affects the psychological and emotional development of adolescents. Authoritative parenting features moderate support and positive, warm interactions, which usually lead to positive outcomes for children, such as high self-esteem and psychological well-being. Moreover, positive parenting styles can promote the free expression of emotions and facilitate successful emotion regulation. Since culture defines the value standards of parental parenting behaviors, parenting styles and behaviors may have different effects on children's development in different cultural backgrounds. To this end, attention should be given to adolescent development in diverse cultural contexts. Moreover, current cross-cultural research has focused mainly on the comparison of cultures among different countries, with little mention of urban and rural settings. Future research could explore how different parenting styles influence adolescents’ psychological well-being and emotional regulation in rural and urban Chinese settings.