Parental Psychological Control and Children’s Curiosity and Academic Self-Concept

Curiosity and academic self-concept are essential factors in the process of learning, and relationships with parents have been suggested to be a critical element in nurturing children’s curiosity and academic self-concept. The current study examined the contribution of parents’ psychological control (PPC) to their children’s curiosity (both interest- and deprivation-type) and academic self-concept in a sample of 159 Israeli triads of elementary school-age children, their mothers, and their fathers. The results revealed negative associations between parents’ dependency- and achievement-oriented psychological control and children’s curiosity and academic concept. Fathers reported higher levels of achievement-oriented PPC than did mothers, and mothers’ PPC negatively contributed to children’s perceived openness. Implications for the learning process, as well as suggestions for professionals working in the school system, are discussed.