ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Human Developmental Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1621111
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Power of Relationships in Human Development: From Prenatal Bonding to Attachment Across the LifespanView all 5 articles
General Attachment and Behavioral Problem among Chinese Adolescents: A Serial Multiple Mediation Model
Provisionally accepted
- 1Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- 2Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Grounded in the attachment hierarchy and attachment control system models, this study explores the link between general attachment and adolescent behavioral problems, focusing on the sequential mediation of parent-child attachment and self-regulation within the dual-system framework. A survey of 568 adolescents (M = 16.58 years) assessed general and parent-child attachment, self-regulation, and behavioral issues. Results showed that general attachment predicted behavioral problems via parent-child attachment, which was negatively associated with general attachment. Moreover, attachment avoidance predicted behavioral problems through the control system, while attachment anxiety did so via the impulsive system. These findings highlight distinct pathways linking attachment dimensions to adolescent behavior, supporting both theoretical models.
Keywords: General attachment, Parent-child attachment, Self-Control, dual-system model, Behavioral problems
Received: 30 Apr 2025; Accepted: 18 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cao, Zhang, Wang and Cao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiancai Cao, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
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