The Cost of Pushing Too Hard: Academic Self-Efficacy and Self-Alienation Link Achievement-Oriented Parental Psychological Control to Disruptive Behaviors

Although achievement-oriented parental psychological control (APPC) has been associated with several forms of adolescent maladjustment, little is known about its relationship to disruptive behavior at school. Drawing on self-determination and social cognitive theories, this study tested whether academic self-efficacy and self-alienation mediated this association. A sample of 544 middle school students in grades 7 and 8 (grade 7: n = 341, 62.68%; grade 8: n = 203, 37.32%; 48.35% female) across 20 classrooms at a public school in a mid-sized city in central China completed self-reported measures of APPC, academic self-efficacy, self-alienation, and disruptive behavior. Path analysis revealed that APPC was indirectly associated with disruptive behaviors via academic self-efficacy and self-alienation. The findings highlight the importance of self-perception as a key mechanism linking APPC to adolescent behavioral problems, offering valuable insights for future interventions.