Family Processes and Social Responsibility Among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

Social responsibility refers to people’s concern for others that extend beyond personal interest (Gallay, 2006), which helps to build a stronger community (Wray-Lake & Syvertsen, 2011). According to family system theory (Cox & Paley, 1997), family dynamics are important to adolescent development and their social responsibility (Lenzi et al., 2014). In this study, we examined family processes as a predictor of social responsibility through emotion regulation as a mediating mechanism. Importantly, previous research showed emotion regulation as a precursor of adolescents’ social responsibility (Wray-Lake & Syvertsen, 2011). For example, emotion regulation was associated with prosocial behavior and civic engagement (Carlo et al., 2012; Metzger et al., 2018). Given that the family environment is linked to emotion regulation (Anto & Jayan, 2013) and social responsibility, we hypothesized that emotion regulation would mediate the relationship between family environment and social responsibility.

Methods
Participants were 828 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong (n = 442) and Macau (n = 386). The sample had 35.6% girls (n = 295) and the age was ranged from 11 to 19 years old (M = 13.92; SD = 1.34).
In terms of measures, the Family environment scale (Moos & Moos, 1994) was used to assess adolescents’ family environment with two subscales (family cohesion and family conflict). The Cronbach’s alphas were .77 and .71, respectively. The Emotion intelligence scale (Wong & Law, 2002) was used to assess adolescents’ emotion regulation. The Cronbach’s alpha was .90. Finally, the Social responsibility scale (Flanagan, 2005) was used to assess adolescents’ social responsibility. The Cronbach’s alpha was .89.

Results
Structural equation model was conducted to examine the mediation model (see Figure 1). Specifically, the model fit adequately to the data, χ2(4) = 30.19, p < .001, CFI = .94, RMSEA = .09, SRMR = .03. Specifically, family processes were positively associated with emotion regulation (β = .28, p = .001). Emotion regulation, in turn, was related to social responsibility (β = .12, p < .05). Adolescents’ age was inversely associated with family process (β = -.17, p < .001) and was not associated with other variables (ps > .05). Adolescents’ gender was not associated with any variables (ps > .05).
Based on 1000 bootstrap samples with replacement, the 95% confidence interval (CI) indicated that the standardized indirect effect between family processes and adolescents’ social responsibility via emotion regulation did not include a zero [CI: (.02, .11)] in the model, suggesting emotion regulation as a viable mediator.

Discussion
The findings highlighted the role of emotion regulation as a mediator between family processes and social responsibility. As such, both family processes and emotion regulation are potential precursors of social responsibility (see also Wray-Lake & Syvertsen, 2011). To further clarify the temporal relationships between these variables, future research could adopt a longitudinal framework. Based on these findings, educators and policy makers must allocate adequate resources to maintain an optimal family environment and cultivating emotional competency in order to foster adolescents’ social responsibility.

Authors

• Rebecca Y. M. Cheung, The Education University of Hong Kong
  Presenting Author

• Wing Yee Cheng, The Education University of Hong Kong
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kevin K. H. Chung, The Education University of Hong Kong
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hoi Yan Cheung, University of Macau
  Non-Presenting Author