The Characteristics of Parental Favoritism in Two-Child Families and Its Relationship with Adolescent Depression

doi:10.12139/j.1672-0628.2022.05.012

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to explore the characteristics of parental favoritism and its relationship with adolescent depression in two-child families. Participants were 1,655 adolescents from two-child families. Findings were as follows: 1) Both maternal and paternal favoritism were at a low level with no significant difference. 2) There were significant gender and birth order differences in maternal and paternal favoritism, that is, a) boys reported that parents favor themselves more, while girls reported that parents favor their siblings more; b) the first-borns reported that fathers favored themselves more and mothers favored their siblings more, while the second-borns reported the opposite pattern. 3) Both maternal and paternal favoritism were U-curvilinearly associated with adolescent depression. Adolescents with either strongly parenting favored or strongly parenting disfavored were associated with higher levels of depression, compared with that with a more moderate range of parental favoritism. These findings indicate that there is no serious parental favoritism in two-child families, but parental favoritism have negative effects on adolescent development.

Key words: two-child family, parental favoritism, adolescent depression, curvilinear relationships

摘要： 对1655名来自二孩家庭的青少年进行调查，以考察二孩家庭中父母偏爱的特点及其与青少年抑郁的关系。结果发现：（1）父母偏爱水平较低，且父亲偏爱和母亲偏爱不存在显著差异。（2）父母偏爱存在性别和出生次序差异，男孩报告父母更偏爱自己，女孩报告父母更偏爱同胞；头胎子女报告父亲更偏爱自己，母亲更偏爱同胞，二胎子女则相反。（3）父母偏爱对青少年抑郁有显著影响，且为U型曲线关系，即当父母偏爱同胞或中高程度偏爱自己时，青少年抑郁水平均较高；当父母较低程度偏爱自己时，青少年抑郁水平最低。说明二孩家庭中不存在严重的父母偏爱，但父母偏爱会对青少年发展产生消极影响。

关键词: 二孩家庭, 父母偏爱, 青少年抑郁, 曲线关系

CLC Number:

B844

LUO Rui, ZHAO Yunyan, HE Ran, WANG Yun, CHEN Fumei. The Characteristics of Parental Favoritism in Two-Child Families and Its Relationship with Adolescent Depression[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2022, 20(5): 657-664.

罗芮, 赵云燕, 何然, 王耘, 陈福美. 二孩家庭父母偏爱的特点及其与青少年抑郁的关系[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2022, 20(5): 657-664.

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