Beyond the one‐parent effect: Profiles of Chinese maternal and paternal parenting combinations and adolescent adjustment

ABSTRACT Objective The study aimed to identify Chinese parenting patterns by considering interparental differences and combinations within families and examine relations to emotional, behavioral, self‐adjustment, and academic outcomes of adolescents. Background The heterogeneity of parenting is widely acknowledged; profiles of maternal and paternal parenting combinations and benefits for adolescent adjustment across multiple domains remain unclear, however. Method This sample consisted of 2,877 intact Chinese families with adolescents ( M age = 12.3 years), their parents, and their head teachers. Four crucial parenting dimensions in China (i.e., warmth, control, protection, and encouragement of achievement) reported by fathers and mothers, as well as emotional, behavioral, self‐adjustment, and academic outcomes reported by adolescents were collected, and latent profile analysis was conducted. Results Our findings revealed four parenting profiles (i.e., affectionate and father‐centered strict, mother‐centered strict, neglectful, and highly affectionate‐strict). Adolescents in affectionate and father‐centered strict families, with enough warmth, moderate control and protection, and sufficient father involvement, adjusted the best across multiple domains. Conclusions Two novel parenting profiles characterized by interparental differences in China (i.e., affectionate and father‐centered strict, mother‐centered strict) were uncovered, with the former one the most beneficial for adolescent outcomes. Implications Findings highlighted the necessity of reconsidering parenting typologies from a two‐parent perspective and provided valuable insights for future interventions in China.