Parental Punishment and Adolescents’ Loneliness: A Moderated Mediation Model of General Self-Concept and Teacher–Student Relationships

Yun Luo,Anyi Wu,Hui Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.693222

Yun Luo, Anyi Wu + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.693222

Copy DOI

Abstract

Background: Loneliness adversely affects physical and mental health; therefore, it is necessary to explore its related influencing factors and mechanisms. This study investigated the mediating role of general self-concept in the association between parental punishment (PP) and adolescent loneliness and as well as the moderating role of teacher–student relationships (TSR) in Chinese students.Methods: Data were obtained from 1,169 Chinese students (10–18years old) using several self-report questionnaires: the Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU), Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ), Teacher–Student Relationships Scale (TSR), and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS 22.0, and the PROCESS macro program.Results: (1) Parental punishment had a positive predictive effect on adolescent loneliness, (2) parental punishment predicted adolescent loneliness not only directly but also indirectly through the mediating effect of general self-concept, and (3) teacher–student relationships moderated the influence of PP on adolescent loneliness.Conclusion: Adolescent loneliness is less affected by parental punishment when TSRs are better. Additionally, when adolescents are punished less by their parents and have good teacher–student relationships, they have higher general self-concepts.Limitations: This study’s cross-sectional research design was unable to show causal relationships among the factors influencing adolescent loneliness.

Highlights

Adolescent loneliness is currently a topic of considerable interest among researchers
Loneliness was positively correlated with parental punishment (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with general self-concept and the teacher–student relationships (p < 0.001)
Parental punishment was negatively correlated with general self-concept and the teacher–student relationships (p < 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

Adolescent loneliness is currently a topic of considerable interest among researchers. In the Parental Punishment and Adolescents’ Loneliness early adolescence, when young people are psychologically far away from their parents but have not found their place in the social world of the same age, some teenagers will feel lonely (Goossens, 2018). Loneliness is a common negative emotional experience during adolescence (Shevlin et al, 2014; Goossens, 2018) that is detrimental to both physical and mental health (Holt-Lunstad et al, 2015; Kearns et al, 2015). The above literature clearly shows that loneliness adversely affects physical and mental health. It is necessary to explore the influencing factors and mechanisms of loneliness. Loneliness adversely affects physical and mental health; it is necessary to explore its related influencing factors and mechanisms. This study investigated the mediating role of general self-concept in the association between parental punishment (PP) and adolescent loneliness and as well as the moderating role of teacher–student relationships (TSR) in Chinese students

Results

Discussion

Conclusion