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Parent-children relationship and internet addiction of adolescents: The mediating role of self-concept

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Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the association between parent-children relationship and internet addiction with the mediating effect of self-concept among Chinese adolescents. The Chinese Parent-Children Relationship Diagnostic Test, the Chinese revised edition of Tennessee Self-concept Scale, and the Chinese Internet Addiction Scale were administered to 300 junior and high school students aged 13–18 years (in grades 7–12). Results indicated that parent-children relationship was positively related to self-concept and was negatively related to internet addiction, while self-concept was negatively related to internet addiction among adolescents. Moreover, the association between parent-children relationship and internet addiction was partially mediated by self-concept. Findings of the present study suggested that parent-children relationship exerted not only direct effect but also indirect effect on internet addiction through self-concept. Limitations of the study are considered and implications of the findings for reducing adolescents’ internet addiction are discussed.

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Notes

  1. We also tested whether there was a gender difference on the mediation model. Multi-group analysis was performed and the results showed that the fit of the constrained model did not significantly differ from the fit of the unconstrained model in which the mediated effect was allowed to vary across the groups (p > .05), suggesting the mediation model was not moderated by gender.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by Key Research Grant of Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (GK201802020) awarded to Wei Lü.

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  1. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shaanxi Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, 199 South Chang’an Road, Xi’an, 710062, China

    Simin Huang, Yaqi Hu, Qing Ni, Yi Qin & Wei Lü

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Huang, S., Hu, Y., Ni, Q. et al. Parent-children relationship and internet addiction of adolescents: The mediating role of self-concept. Curr Psychol 40, 2510–2517 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00199-9

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