Dual Filial Piety Research Articles

Filial piety belief profiles among Chinese couples: Associations with relationship satisfaction and insecure attachment

AbstractThe present study examined the heterogeneity of Chinese romantic couples' filial piety belief patterns. In addition, we investigated how the configuration of filial piety belief profiles within couples can link to individuals' perceptions of romantic relationship satisfaction and different attachment tendencies. We recruited 297 dyads of Chinese couples currently in heterosexual romantic relationships in the university. The couples completed self‐reported measures of dual filial piety beliefs (reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety), romantic relationship satisfaction, and insecure attachment (attachment anxiety and avoidance). We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify couples' dual filial piety belief interaction profiles. Four‐couple profiles emerged: (1) authoritarian couples, (2) balanced couples (while men with slightly higher reciprocal filial piety), (3) balanced couples (while men with lower reciprocal filial piety), and (4) divergent couples (balanced men and non‐filial women). The couples in the four profiles did not show significant differences in their romantic relationship satisfaction, but their attachment styles differed. (1) authoritarian couples experienced the highest levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance; (2) balanced couples experienced relatively lower levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance; and (3) non‐filial women in divergent couple profiles experienced significantly higher levels of attachment avoidance. This was the first study to uncover the possible associations between Chinese young couples' dual filial piety interaction profiles, and their dyadic relationship satisfaction and insecure attachment by adopting the person‐centered approach. We further discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

Filial piety as a beneficial factor for posttraumatic adjustment in the context of adverse childhood experiences among Taiwanese young adults

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after exposure to later trauma, but in Chinese society some cultural factors such as filial piety can be perceived as a protector buffering the negative results of ACEs on early adulthood adaptation. Method: This study used a longitudinal design to investigate whether dual filial piety—reciprocal filial piety (RFP: affection/gratitude) and authoritarian filial piety (AFP: role obligation/hierarchy)—are protective factors against PTSS and facilitate posttraumatic growth (PTG) following trauma among Taiwanese young adults. The final sample comprised 246 participants aged 18-25 years old who reported experiencing at least one type of trauma in their history of ACEs, RFP, AFP, PTSS, and PTG at Time 1. One (Time 2) and seven (Time 3) months later, 98 and 60 of the original respondents completed follow-up assessments. Results: Results showed that ACEs were significantly associated with higher PTSS, and both RFP and AFP significantly related to lower PTSS and higher PTG at Time 1 and Time 2. Furthermore, RFP mediated the relationship between ACEs and PTSS such that individuals with higher RFP reported lower PTSS across time. Discussion: These findings suggest that filial piety may serve as a protective factor against PTSS and facilitate PTG among traumatized Taiwanese individuals with a history of ACEs. The study implies that future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these relationships and consider how cultural factors may influence the role of filial piety in posttraumatic adjustment.

Filial beliefs reduce aggression in different cultures: A conditional process model

The dual filial piety model divides filial piety beliefs into two types: reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety beliefs (RFP vs. AFP) in terms of attitude, emotion, and obligation towards parents. Previous studies have shown that these two types of filial piety beliefs related to different psychological outcomes. Literature also suggests that some aspects of the function of filial piety beliefs may be a cultural universal. This research aimed to test the effects of filial piety beliefs on aggression using participants from two cultures (Chinese vs. Islamic). We further explored the mediating role of moral disengagement, forgiveness, and self-control between filial piety beliefs and aggression, and the moderating role of culture. The results showed that moral disengagement, forgiveness, and self-control played mediating roles in the relationship between filial piety beliefs and aggression. The functions of filial piety beliefs showed both similarities and differences across cultures. (1) RFP was negatively associated with aggression in both cultures, while AFP was negatively associated with aggression only among Muslim participants. (2) RFP can reduce the aggression of Chinese participants through moral disengagement, forgiveness, and self-control; while the RFP of Muslim participants can reduce their aggressiveness only through forgiveness. (3) AFP enhanced aggression via moral disengagement and reduced self-control among; Chinese participants, but reduced aggression via self-control among Muslim participants. Findings of this study confirmed that the functions of RFP show more similarities than differences across cultures, while functions of AFP do the opposite.

Reliability and Validity of the Indonesian Version of the Dual Filial Piety Scale

Filial piety (bakti) is a familiar concept within societies in the Chinese diaspora, including multicultural Indonesian society. This concept describes the relationship dynamics between parents and children. It includes obedience and affection that motivate a range of behaviours, including caring for elderly parents. Filial piety becomes an important construct to be studied in its relationship with the psychological process both in children and parents. A conceptual model commonly used to describe filial piety is the Dual Filial Piety Model, which has been operationalized in the Dual Filial Piety Scale (DFPS). This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of DFPS which have been translated into Bahasa Indonesia through forward and backward translation. Data was collected from 202 participants recruited using nonprobability sampling. The result suggests that the Indonesian version of DPFS shows adequate reliability and validity. The instrument was found to be consistent with its theoretical model. It can be used for further research on filial piety in Indonesian society.

The cost of "snubbing": the effect of parental phubbing on filial piety behavior in children and adolescents.

Although numerous studies have used Chinese samples to examine the consequences of parental phubbing, these studies focused on children's mental health and peer interaction. No research to date has directly explored the association between parental phubbing and child-parent interaction. Since parental phubbing is a way how parents interact with their children (parent-child), it might be associated with the way how children interact with their parents (child-parent), such as filial piety behavior, which prescribes how children behave toward their parents and remains one of the goals of parents in educating their children in modern Chinese society. Based on social exchange theory and social gender theory, this study investigated the impact of parental phubbing on filial piety behavior and tested its mediation of perceived parental rejection, its moderation of gender among children and adolescents. This study was conducted using a questionnaire method. A total of 753 students from Grade 4 to 9 (Mage = 12.28 years, SD = 1.81 years) was surveyed using the Parental Phubbing Scale, Perceived Parental Rejection Questionnaire, and the revised Dual Filial Piety Scale. First, parental phubbing was negatively correlated with reciprocal filial piety (RFP) behavior, but not correlated with authoritarian filial piety (AFP) behavior. Second, perceived parental rejection played a mediating role between parental phubbing and RFP behavior. Third, this direct effect was moderated by gender, in that it was stronger for boys than for girls. These findings suggest that there are intergenerational costs of phubbing, such as reducing children and adolescents' RFP behavior. The present study is the first to combine parent-child interaction in the digital media era (parental phubbing) with traditional Chinese child-parent interaction (RFP behavior), which expands the research topic on the influence of parental phubbing on children and adolescents' psychological development.

The Relationship Between Dual Filial Piety and Mental Disorders and Symptoms Among Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Studies

AbstractFilial piety, a core value in Chinese culture, emphasizes the importance of children showing respect, obedience, and care toward their parents. The dual filial piety model distinguishes between reciprocal filial piety, associated with love and care, and authoritarian filial piety, associated with hierarchy. This study systematically reviewed the associations between dual filial piety and mental disorders and symptoms. The authors reviewed 17 studies among Chinese and Korean adolescents published between 2004 and 2022 on filial piety and mental disorders/symptoms and distinguished reciprocal filial piety and authoritarian filial piety based on the dual filial piety model. Meta-analyses based on quantitative analyses were also conducted to examine the relationship between dual filial piety and depression/anxiety. The results indicate that reciprocal filial piety is negatively associated with mental disorders/symptoms, including depression, anxiety, aggression, deviant behaviors, internet addiction, self-harm and eating disorders. Conversely, authoritarian filial piety is not related to mental disorders/symptoms but is negatively associated with suicide and positively associated with eating disorders. Based on the results, it is evident that filial piety has a significant relationship with various mental disorders and symptoms and that different forms of filial piety may have distinct associations with mental health.

MORE FILIAL PIETY FROM ADULT CHILDREN, MORE POSITIVE SELF-PERCEPTION OF AGING IN OLDER PARENTS?

Abstract Filial piety, as a central concept in Confucianism, is about the ideas of how children should treat their parents. Previous studies on filial piety have focused on older generation’s well-being. However, whether filial piety of adult children could influence their parents’ self-perception of aging on a longitudinal dyad basis is largely unknown. Drawing on the Dual Filial Piety Model and the intergenerational contact perspective, we investigated the differential impacts of authoritarian vs. reciprocal filial piety of adult children on older parents’ self-perception of aging using a longitudinal parent-child dyads dataset from a large population-based survey (i.e., Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, CLHLS) from wave 2002 to wave 2005. Self-perception of aging of older parents was measured at two time points, authoritarian and reciprocal filial piety of adult children was measured at wave 2002. Latent change score modeling was performed on a 2387 parent-child dyads sample (Mage = 80.03, SD = 9.86 for parent; Mage = 48.54, SD = 8.10 for child) to test our research hypothesis. Results showed only reciprocal filial piety of adult child at wave 2002 could positively predicted their parents’ latent change score of self-perception of aging 3 years later, after controlling for potential covariates. Our study suggested that the effects of adult children’s filial piety might have different effects on parents’ aging attitude, such that a reciprocal parent-child relationship rather than child’s submission to parents could improve parents’ attitude toward their own aging.

The interdependence of happiness and filial piety within the family: a study in Vietnam.

Filial piety is one of the most important values in Vietnam, as it is in a number of East Asian countries. It is an expression of children's respect, gratitude, and care for their parents. While filial piety may bring joy to parents and is a personal duty for offspring, it can also be a pressure for children. Hence, in recent years, some studies have considered filial piety as two dimensions instead of one dimension.Participants And Procedure This study focused on clarifying the relationship between filial piety and perceived family happiness with 385 adult offspring who lived in Vietnam at the time of the study. The Dual Filial Piety Scale (DFPS) and the Interdependent Happiness Scale (IHS) were used. The results showed that participants regularly engaged in aspects of filial piety and there was no contradiction between authoritarian filial piety (AFP) and reciprocal filial piety (RFP). Filial piety can predict family happiness at a fairly high level. These results, besides showing the importance and value to the family, also give a multi-dimensional and comprehensive view of filial piety. At the social level, upholding the value of filial piety is the basis for building family happiness as well as making an important contribution to the implementation of social security in the family.

Emerging ideas. Filial piety, substance use, adverse childhood experiences, and parental support: An intergenerational perspective

AbstractObjectiveThe goal was to test the validity of the dual filial piety model in Austria and examine how the reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety interplay with familial factors and one's tobacco and alcohol use.BackgroundFamilial influences on substance use have been identified. Being conceptualized as a Chinese construct, research on filial piety and its interplay with substance use is insufficient in Western populations.MethodUsing a cross‐sectional survey including filial piety, familial variables, psychopathy traits, and alcohol use, we collected data from 201 Austrian community members (63.0% female; Mage = 35.15 years). Another age‐stratified random sample with 202 Austrians was also subsequently recruited to replicate the original findings. Multiple correlational analyses and confirmatory structural equation modeling were utilized on both samples, separately.ResultsThe dual filial piety model was found as a robust construct in both samples, with an acceptable scalability (Cronbach's α > .70). Although filial piety was unassociated with substance use, earlier experiences and psychopathy traits both showed consistent correlations with substance use. Un‐directional network analysis among variables further revealed an association between ever smoking experience and adverse childhood experiences, which was replicated in the second sample.ConclusionsThis study highlights the utility of filial piety in non‐Eastern populations. Filial piety was associated with substance use in one sample, but more research from family and developmental psychology is needed given its close relationships with childhood aversive experiences and remembered parental support.

Filial piety and meaning in life among late adolescents: A moderated mediation model

Meaning in life plays a vital role in adolescents’ development. If lacking meaning in life, adolescents may face a variety of psychological and behavioral problems. It is of great significance to explore the factors affecting meaning in life. This study aimed to probe the influencing factors of meaning in life from the perspective of filial piety, which represents a parent–child interaction pattern between parents and children. Specially, this study tested the effects of two types of filial piety on two dimensions of meaning in life and the internal mechanism therein among late adolescents. To this end, a questionnaire survey, including dual filial piety, parent–child cohesion, core self-evaluation, and meaning in life, was conducted by three hundred and forty-three late adolescent students. The results showed that: (a) both reciprocal filial piety and authoritarian filial piety positively predicted presence of meaning and search for meaning in life among late adolescents; (b) Parent-child cohesion mediated the relationships between two sorts of filial piety and two dimensions of meaning in life; (c) core self-evaluation moderated the positive effect of parent–child cohesion on presence of meaning in life. These findings provided valuable guidance on how to improve late adolescents’ meaning in life. In addition, the implications, limitations, and future research directions of the study were discussed as well.

Alexithymia and Internet Addiction in Children: Meaning in Life as Mediator and Reciprocal Filial Piety as Moderator.

To explore the psychological mechanism between alexithymia and Internet addiction, the present study constructed a moderated mediation model based on the problem behavior theory. A total of 899 middle school students (Mage=13.95, SD=1.10) were surveyed using the 20-item Toronto-alexithymia-scale, meaning in life questionnaire, dual filial piety scale, and Internet addiction disorder diagnostic scale. First, alexithymia was significantly negatively correlated with meaning in life and reciprocal filial piety, and positively correlated with Internet addiction; meaning in life was significantly positively correlated with reciprocal filial piety, and negatively correlated with Internet addiction; reciprocal filial piety was significantly positively correlated with authoritarian filial piety, and negatively correlated with Internet addiction. Second, alexithymia could not only directly predict Internet addiction, but also indirectly predict Internet addiction through meaning in life. Third, reciprocal filial piety played a moderating role between meaning in life and Internet addiction, while authoritarian filial piety did not. For middle school students with low reciprocal filial piety, meaning in life can negatively predict Internet addiction; for those with high reciprocal filial piety, there is no correlation between meaning in life and Internet addiction. This study reveals the internal mechanism of the relationship between alexithymia and Internet addiction in middle school students, emphasizes the role of positive psychology and family environment, and provides specific evidence and theoretical guidance for preventing Internet addiction in middle school students.

Effects of filial piety belief on cyberbullying perpetration of Chinese university students.

Cyberbullying has become a worldwide phenomenon. Although the topic has drawn decent academic attention and many studies have been conducted on Chinese samples, variable interests in these studies have not captured the thinking and behavioral characteristics of Chinese people. Based on the dual filial piety model and self-determination theory, this study examined the effect of filial piety belief on cyberbullying perpetration and tested the mediation of relatedness need satisfaction. A total of 856 university students completed the questionnaires, including dual filial piety scale, relatedness need satisfaction scale and cyberbullying perpetration scale. The regression results found that reciprocal filial piety negatively predicted and authoritarian filial piety positively predicted cyberbullying perpetration. The SEM results showed that reciprocal filial piety and authoritarian filial piety impacted cyberbullying perpetration through the mediating effect of relatedness need satisfaction. Reciprocal filial piety was positively while authoritarian filial piety negatively correlated with relatedness need satisfaction and relatedness need satisfaction was negatively correlated with cyberbullying perpetration. The results provide a new position to understand the effect of family factors on cyberbullying perpetration by placing the topic within traditional Chinese family value.

Chinese intimacy: Filial piety, autonomy, and romantic relationship quality

AbstractDue to its accurate representation of parent–child interaction quality in Confucian‐influenced cultures, contemporary filial piety, which refers to general beliefs about how children are expected to behave toward their parents, has drawn increasing attention in academia. However, how filial piety associates with intimate relationships beyond the family setting is less clear. This study examined the relation between dual filial piety (i.e., reciprocal filial piety and authoritarian filial piety) and romantic relationship quality among Chinese youths. We explored a mediational model in which we tested whether dual autonomy (i.e., individuating autonomy and relating autonomy) would help explain how Chinese youths' beliefs in filial piety are linked to the quality of their romantic relationships. A total of 605 youths from Macau (N = 291) and Taiwan (N = 314) who are currently or once romantically involved participated in the study. We employed structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Results showed within‐culture invariance regarding the direct and indirect associations between filial piety, autonomy, and romantic relationship quality. Specifically, young people in both Macau and Taiwan who endorsed higher reciprocal filial piety had more individuating autonomy, which in turn contributed to them having higher quality romantic relationships.

The Relationship Between Dual Filial Piety and Caregiver Burden Among Arab Family Caregivers in Israel.

The current study examined the association between dual filial piety (FP) (reciprocal and authoritarian) and caregiver burden in adult children caregivers and attempted to understand the underlying mechanisms of these links. A cross-sectional study of 222 family caregivers of older relatives in an Arab community in Israel was performed. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews in Arabic using structured questionnaires. Bootstrapping with resampling strategies tested the multiple mediator model. Reciprocal and authoritarian components of FP were associated negatively with caregiver burden. The link with reciprocal FP was partially mediated by role engagement and relationship strain between caregiver and care recipient, whereas the link between authoritarian FP and caregiver burden was mediated by role engagement, but not by relationship strain between caregiver and care recipient. The study highlights the positive effect of cultural values (dual FP) and the underlying mechanisms working against the harmful effects of caregiving stressors in traditional societies, such as Arab-Israeli society. Practitioners should be sensitive to issues of family cultural values and family care among traditional populations. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 15(6), 293-302.].

Development and Validation of Filial Piety Representations at Parents' End of Life Scale.

Filial piety has a long historical standing in Chinese communities. However, the filial piety practices of adult children at the end of a parent’s life are under-explored. This study aims to develop a measurement for filial piety representations of the adult children of Macao Chinese, whose parents are at the stage of end of life. By adopting a scale development and validation framework, a 19-item Filial Piety Representations at Parents’ End of Life Scale (FPR-EoL) was formulated based on a Dual Filial Piety Model and literature, through procedures of item identification, panel review, cognitive interviews, and pre-test. The FPR-EoL was examined on 274 individuals. Factor analysis showed four factors in the scale; respect and comfort, acceptance of death, spending final days, and disclosing bad news. The Cronbach’s alpha of FPR-EoL was 0.73, and the four factors were 0.73, 0.66, 0.58 and 0.77, respectively. Discriminant validity was examined between FPR-EoL, the Good Death Inventory (GDI) and the Filial Piety Scale (FPS). The results suggested that there were differences between the three scales. FPR-EoL is found to be a reliable, valid and novel measure of filial piety representations among Macao Chinese. It may be a potential tool to probe and achieve good death among older persons of Chinese ethnicity in clinical settings.

How Chinese children's filial piety beliefs affect their parents’ life satisfaction and loneliness

Filial piety (or xiao) is a unique Chinese culture that affects older adults' life satisfaction and loneliness. Guided by the dual filial piety model and socioemotional selectivity theory, this study explores how adult children's filial piety beliefs affect their parent's life satisfaction and loneliness. A total of 350 pairs of parent-child data were collected through a parent-child pair design. Results show that emotional support provided by adult children and emotional support perceived by parents (i.e., the transmission of emotional support) fully mediated the relationship between children's reciprocal filial piety belief and parents' life satisfaction and loneliness, and partially mediated the relationship between children's authoritarian filial piety belief and parents' life satisfaction and loneliness. However, instrumental support provided by adult children and instrumental support perceived by parents (i.e., the transmission of instrumental support) had no such mediating roles in the relationship between adult children's filial piety beliefs and parents' life satisfaction and loneliness. This finding suggests that to improve parental well-being, adult Chinese children should cultivate their filial piety and pay close attention to their parents' emotional needs.

Attachment differences in psychological distress: The mediating roles of filial piety and mindfulness

Evidence for the role of attachment differences in psychological distress is accumulating. Culture may serve as an important influencing factor in this relationship, especially in collectivist societies. We examined the role of two cultural factors relevant to Taiwan: dual filial piety motivations and dispositional mindfulness. Specifically, we investigated whether the associations between attachment insecurities (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) were mediated by dispositional mindfulness and filial piety among Taiwanese emerging adults. We expected that filial piety and dispositional mindfulness might jointly mediate the influence of attachment differences on an individual's level of psychological distress. In total, 302 emerging adults completed the survey questions. After controlling for the mediating effects of filial piety and dispositional mindfulness, attachment anxiety still directly predicts greater depression, anxiety, and perceived stress, but attachment avoidance does not predict psychological distress. Attachment anxiety indirectly predicts greater depression, anxiety, and perceived stress via the mediation of lower dispositional mindfulness, and attachment avoidance indirectly predicts higher depression via lower reciprocal filial piety and lower dispositional mindfulness. Interestingly, we note a negative relationship between attachment avoidance and reciprocal filial piety, which may support the culture‐fit hypothesis that a person’s attachment orientation will be more problematic when it is incompatible with cultural values.

Origin and Functions of Chinese Seasonal Festivals Qingmingjie and Chongyangjie

The article analyses the connection between Chinese folk calendar and the fundamental to the whole religious and social tradition of China ancestor worship. With the aim to clarify the role of folk calendar in the formation of the traditional culture, the author makes use of the theory of the Chinese philosopher Li Zehou about the development stages of the mankind evolution and civilization as stages of a process of sedimentation. The article presents two examples with the seasonal festivals Qingming and Chongyang, both dedicated to the ancestor worship. Origin, development and functions of this festivals are traced in the context of the ancestor worship and the culture of the filial piety (xiao), based on the latter. The author uses the Dual Filial Piety Model, developed by Bedford and Yeh and creates a consequent model for describing the functions of the festivals Qingming and Chongyang as a binary complex of corresponding rituals. Thеse rituals are analysed as fulfilling basic psychological and social needs of the members of the Han ethnic community in connection to the specific background of the culture of filial piety (xiao).

Applying the Dual Filial Piety Model in the United States: A Comparison of Filial Piety Between Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans.

The definition and measurement of filial piety in existing research primarily focuses on the narrow conceptualizations of Asian filial piety, which would inflate cultural differences and undermine cultural universals in how people approach caring for their elderly parents. Employing the Dual Filial Piety Model (DFPM), this study aimed to examine the relationship between filial piety and attitude toward caring for elderly parents beyond the Asian context. In our study (N = 276), we found that reciprocal filial piety (RFP) does not differ across cultures while authoritarian filial piety (AFP) does. We also found that collectivism, rather than ethnicity, predicted RFP and AFP, which in turn predicted positive attitude toward caring for elderly parents. Our work demonstrates the cross-cultural applicability of the DFPM and highlights the universal and culture-specific aspects of filial piety.

Adolescents' Filial Piety Attitudes in Relation to Their Perceived Parenting Styles: An Urban-Rural Comparative Longitudinal Study in China.

The Dual Filial Piety Model (i.e., the model of reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety) offers a universally applicable framework for understanding essential aspects of intergenerational relations across diverse cultural contexts. The current research aimed to examine two important issues concerning this model that have lacked investigation: the roles of parental socialization (i.e., authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles) and social ecologies (i.e., urban vs. rural settings that differ in levels of economic development and modernization) in the development of reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety attitudes. To this end, a two-wave short-term longitudinal survey study was conducted among 850 early adolescents residing in urban (N = 314, 49.4% females, mean age = 13.31 years) and rural China (N = 536, 45.3% females, mean age = 13.72 years), who completed questionnaires twice, 6 months apart, in the spring semester of grade 7 and the fall semester of grade 8. Multigroup path analyses revealed bidirectional associations over time between perceived parenting styles and adolescents’ filial piety attitudes, with both similarities and differences in these associations between urban and rural China. In both settings, perceived authoritative parenting predicted increased reciprocal filial piety 6 months later, whereas perceived authoritarian parenting predicted reduced reciprocal filial piety among urban (but not rural) adolescents over time. Moreover, in both settings, reciprocal filial piety predicted higher levels of perceived authoritative parenting and lower levels of perceived authoritarian parenting 6 months later, with the latter effect being stronger among urban (vs. rural) adolescents. Adolescents’ perceived parenting styles did not predict their authoritarian filial piety over time; however, authoritarian filial piety predicted higher levels of perceived authoritative parenting (but not perceived authoritarian parenting) 6 months later in both settings. The findings highlight the roles of transactional socialization processes between parents and youth as well as social ecologies in the development of filial piety, thus advancing the understanding of how the universal human motivations underlying filial piety may function developmentally across different socioeconomic and sociocultural settings.