Abstract
The current study investigated the relationship between gratitude, internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors, along with the mediating roles of positive and negative coping styles therein. A sample of 589 Chinese adolescents completed the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6), the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), the Irritability, Depression, and Anxiety Scale (IDAS), and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Results of structural equation modeling showed that (1) the total effects of gratitude on both internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors were all significant and (2) both positive and negative coping styles mediated the links between gratitude and two types of problem behaviors. Thus, cultivating gratitude and developing adaptive coping style may help adolescents rectify problem behaviors.
Highlights
Adolescence is the critical stage of individual’s physical and mental development
Based on previous evidences (Yu et al, 2011; Lin, 2015; Deng et al, 2016; Liang et al, 2018), we propose the hypotheses that gratitude may exert significant influence on both internalizing problem behavior and externalizing problem behavior, and both positive and negative coping style will play mediating roles in the links between gratitude and problem behaviors
Negative coping style was positively related to two types of problem behaviors
Summary
Adolescence is the critical stage of individual’s physical and mental development Individuals at this stage are more likely to suffer from problem behaviors, which can carry on to adulthood, developing further into life-long problems (Connell et al, 2009; Huang et al, 2012). Problem behavior refers to abnormal behaviors that are harmful to individuals’ physical and mental health, which can be divided into internalizing problem behavior and externalizing problem behavior (Owens and Hoza, 2003). Delinquency is an externalizing problem behavior, which is defined as the behavior by one individual that violates the formal norms and it even makes the person subject to the court (Shaw and Gross, 2008)
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