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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

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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.

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A Data Availability Statement

Data and materials for the present study have not been made publicly available. Requests for the data and/or materials can be sent via email to the lead author at chenggang314@163.com.

Funding

This research was funded by the Research project of Humanities and Social Sciences in Colleges and universities of Guizhou Province (Master Program) supported by the Department of Education of Guizhou Province (DEGP, Project No. 2020SSD017); It was also awarded from PhD early development program of Guizhou Normal University (2017) supported by the Guizhou Normal University (GZNU) grant to G. Cheng and awarded from the Special Project for Academic Novice Cultivation and Innovative Exploration (Project No. QianKeQuanPingTaiRenCai[2017]5726–16) supported by Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Foundation (GPSTF) to G. Cheng. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in the paper are solely of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of DEGP, GZNU and GPSTF.

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  1. School of Psychology, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Jia Chen, Jiajia Huang, Wenwen Zhao, Feiling Du & Gang Cheng

  2. Center for Rural Children and Adolescents Mental Health Education, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China

    Jia Chen, Wenwen Zhao, Feiling Du & Gang Cheng

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Chen, J., Huang, J., Zhao, W. et al. 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. Curr Psychol 42, 3860–3869 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01752-1

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