Parent's motivation and behaviour to protect their children from COVID-19: A prospective test of self-determination theory

Background: This two-wave prospective study aims to apply self-determination theory (SDT) to understand how parents are motivated to protect their young children from COVID-19. We hypothesised that psychological need support from society and autonomous motivation from parents were predictive of parent's future engagement in preventive behaviours against COVID-19 for their children. 

Methods: Participants were 689 US parents or legal caregivers of 3- to 8-year-old children. They completed an online survey comprising previously validated measures of psychological need support, autonomous motivation from SDT and behavioural adherence to COVID-19 prevention at baseline and a 1-month follow-up. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were employed to test the hypothesised relationships. 

Results: Structural equation modelling revealed that psychological need support and autonomous motivation at baseline were positively related to parents’ adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours at follow-up. 

Conclusion: The findings suggest that the provision of autonomy-supportive and need-satisfying social environments may promote greater COVID-19 preventive behaviours in parents for their children and provide formative evidence to inform future interventions. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s).