Understanding adolescents’ perceived social responsibility: the role of family cohesion, interdependent self-construal, and social trust

Cheng, W. Y., Cheung, R. Y. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0998-7991 and Chung, K. K. H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8105-7361 (2021) Understanding adolescents’ perceived social responsibility: the role of family cohesion, interdependent self-construal, and social trust. Journal of adolescence, 89 (1). pp. 55-62. ISSN 0140-1971 doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.04.001

Abstract/Summary

Introduction Positive family interactions contribute to the development of social responsibility among adolescents. Interdependent self-construal and social trust, which reflect the perceived relatedness and beliefs towards others, may explain the relation between family cohesion and social responsibility. The present study tested the mediating mechanisms between family cohesion and adolescents’ social responsibility via adolescents’ interdependent self-construal and social trust. Methods A total of 386 Chinese children in Hong Kong (52.07% girls, Mage = 13.64 years) and their parents completed self-report questionnaires twice at 12 months apart. Family cohesion was measured by mothers’, fathers’, and adolescents’ reports to provide a comprehensive representation of the family environment. A structural equation modeling was conducted to investigate the mediation effect. Results Findings based on structural equation modeling revealed that family cohesion was positively associated with interdependent self-construal and social trust. In addition, adolescents’ interdependent self-construal and social trust were positively associated with social responsibility. Bootstrapping analysis showed that interdependent self-construal and social trust were mediators between family cohesion and social responsibility. Conclusion Based on these findings, the study added new evidence to the literature by demonstrating the mediating role of interdependent self-construal and social trust between family cohesion and social responsibility. Future studies could examine potential cultural variabilities in Western and other Chinese contexts.

Additional Information	Cheng, W. Y., Cheung, R. Y. M., & Chung, K. K. H. (2021). Understanding adolescents’ perceived social responsibility: The role of family cohesion, interdependent self-construal, and social trust. Journal of Adolescence, 89, 55-62. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.04.001
Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/107929
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology
Additional Information	Cheng, W. Y., Cheung, R. Y. M., & Chung, K. K. H. (2021). Understanding adolescents’ perceived social responsibility: The role of family cohesion, interdependent self-construal, and social trust. Journal of Adolescence, 89, 55-62. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.04.001
Publisher	Wiley
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