Parental emotional warmth and subjective well-being in adolescent eyes: mediating effects of gratitude and emotion regulation
GU Xiling1,2, CHEN Yiwen1,2
1. CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science; Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; 2. Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Abstract：Objective To explore the mechanisms of parental emotional warmth, gratitude, and emotion regulation on adolescent subjective well-being. Methods Based on bioecological theory, a questionnaire survey was conducted on876 adolescents by using Egna Minnen Barndoms Uppfostran（EMBU）, adolescent gratitude scale, emotional regulation scale, and subjective well-being scale. The statistical analysis was conducted on the relevant data. Results Parental emotional warmth, gratitude, cognitive reappraisal dimension of emotional regulation, and subjective well-being were significantly positively correlated with each other. The expressive suppression dimensions of emotional regulation was significantly negatively correlated with mothers’ emotional warmth, but significantly positively correlated with the cognitive reappraisal dimension. The results of structural equation model and Bootstrap mediation effect tests showed that fathers’ emotional warmth positively predicted adolescent subjective well-being. Gratitude and the cognitive reappraisal dimension of emotion regulation partially mediated the relationship between fathers’ emotional warmth and adolescent subjective well-being, and completely mediated the relationship between mothers’ emotional warmth and adolescent subjective well-being. Conclusion The mechanisms of fathers’ or mothers’ emotional warmth on adolescents’ subjective well-being are not completely consistent. Fathers’ emotional warmth could directly influence adolescent subjective well-being. Parental emotional warmth could influence adolescent subjective well-being through the mediating effect of gratitude and the cognitive reappraisal dimension of emotion regulation, respectively.
