Interparental conflict and adolescent online flaming: the chain mediating roles of psychological stress and online disinhibition

Vollständiger Abstract

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Objective This study aimed to examine the relationship between interparental conflict and online flaming among Chinese adolescents, to test the mediating effects of psychological stress and online disinhibition (including toxic disinhibition and benign disinhibition) in this relationship, and to further explore gender differences in these mechanisms. Methods Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,096 adolescents, all of whom completed self-report measures of interparental conflict characteristics, online flaming, psychological stress, and online disinhibition. Based on the survey data, a chain mediation model was constructed and fitted through structural equation modeling, and gender differences in the overall model as well as in path coefficients were examined via multi-group analysis and pairwise comparisons. Results Interparental conflict positively predicted adolescents' online flaming. Psychological stress, toxic online disinhibition, and benign online disinhibition each mediated this relationship. Furthermore, psychological stress and the two types of online disinhibition jointly formed two chain mediating pathways: “interparental conflict → psychological stress → toxic online disinhibition → online flaming” and “interparental conflict → psychological stress → benign online disinhibition → online flaming.” Although the overall hypothesized model showed no significant gender differences, both the direct effect of interparental conflict on psychological stress and the indirect effect of toxic online disinhibition in the interparental conflict–online flaming link were stronger for males than for females. Conclusion This study reveals the underlying mechanisms through which interparental conflict contributes to adolescents' online flaming, indicating that intervening in interparental conflict, alleviating psychological stress, and reducing online disinhibition are effective ways to decrease such behavior.