Maternal psychological control and aggressive behaviors in adolescents: The roles of emotional reactivity and trait mindfulness

Existing research has rarely explored how maternal psychological control impacts adolescent aggressive behaviors, and little is known about the protective factors that can buffer these associations. This study examines the indirect effect of emotional reactivity in the relation between maternal psychological control and both proactive and reactive aggression, as well as the moderating role of trait mindfulness. The sample included 1864 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 12.80 years old, SD = 1.26) and their mothers. Adolescents self-reported their emotional reactivity and trait mindfulness, while mothers reported data on maternal psychological control and adolescents' aggressive behaviors. Results of the latent variable structural equation model showed that emotional reactivity has an indirect effect in the relation between maternal psychological control and both proactive and reactive aggression. Trait mindfulness buffers the relation between psychological control and proactive aggression (but not reactive aggression). Trait mindfulness mitigates the effect of maternal psychological control on emotional reactivity. The indirect effects of emotional reactivity on the relations between maternal psychological control and both proactive and reactive aggression were significant only for adolescents with low levels of trait mindfulness, but not for those with high levels. This study holds significant implications for optimizing parenting styles and preventing and reducing the incidence of aggressive behaviors in adolescents.