The influence of parental educational involvement on social anxiety among Chinese middle school students: The mediating role of psychological Suzhi and the moderating role of family socioeconomic status

Abstract

This study combined the family investment theory and family stress model to explore the relationship between parental educational involvement (PEI) and social anxiety (SA) among Chinese middle school students, as well as the mediating role of psychological Suzhi and the moderating role of family socioeconomic status (SES). Participants consisted of 596 middle school students from two middle schools in Guizhou and Sichuan who completed a survey that included the simplified version of the Psychological Suzhi Scale for Middle School Students and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale. Students’ parents completed sections regarding family SES and PEI. The students then returned the completed surveys to the researchers. The results showed that (1) PEI predicted SA among middle school students; (2) psychological Suzhi partially mediated the relationship between PEI and SA; and (3) family SES played a moderating role in the direct relationship between PEI and SA. Low family SES may hinder the direct inhibitory effect of PEI on their offspring’s SA due to parents’ poor educational quality.