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Perceived parental disfavoritism and life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: Belief in a just world as the mediator and child gender as the moderator

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  • Wang, Mingzhong
  • Wang, He
  • Guang, Shaokui
  • Yan, Yongjie
  • Zhao, Ying
  • Wang, Jing

Abstract

Parental disfavoritism refers to the phenomenon that children tend to perceive their parents to treat their siblings more favorably and it has been demonstrated to be associated with negative child outcomes. This study examined whether adolescents' perception of parental disfavoritism could compromise their personal and general beliefs in a just world (BJW), further lowering their life satisfaction and whether child gender moderated the variable associations. Participants were 648 Chinese middle school students (336 boys and 312 girls, Mage = 12.50, SD = 0.82) who completed questionnaires on their belief in a just world, life satisfaction, and their parents' disfavoritism. Parental disfavoritism was found to be negatively associated with adolescents' belief in a just world and life satisfaction. The personal and general BJWs played important mediating roles in the relationship between perceived parental disfavoritism and adolescent life satisfaction. Adolescent gender moderated both the association between perceived parental disfavoritism and adolescents' personal BJW and that between adolescents' general BJW and life satisfaction. Specifically, both the negative effect of parental disfavoritism on adolescents' personal BJW and the positive effect of the general BJW on adolescents' life satisfaction were stronger for girls than for boys. These findings contribute to child services program aiming to improve adolescents' life satisfaction which could be improved by decreasing parental disfavoritism and increasing adolescents' BJW.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Mingzhong & Wang, He & Guang, Shaokui & Yan, Yongjie & Zhao, Ying & Wang, Jing, 2019. "Perceived parental disfavoritism and life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: Belief in a just world as the mediator and child gender as the moderator," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 279-285.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:99:y:2019:i:c:p:279-285
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.02.017
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marina Bastounis & Rémi Finkelstein & Jale Minibas-Poussard, 2009. "The moderating role of seeking social support on coping styles and perceptions of organizational justice: A study with French and Turkish students," Post-Print hal-00565062, HAL.
    2. Piko, Bettina F. & Hamvai, Csaba, 2010. "Parent, school and peer-related correlates of adolescents' life satisfaction," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(10), pages 1479-1482, October.
    3. Silvia Guarnieri & Martina Smorti & Franca Tani, 2015. "Attachment Relationships and Life Satisfaction During Emerging Adulthood," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 833-847, April.
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    1. Wang, Hongxia & Wang, Yuhui & Nie, Jia & Lei, Li, 2021. "Family socioeconomic status and internet altruistic behavior among Chinese adolescents: The mediating effect of personal belief in a just world and emotional intelligence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).

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