Structural Equation Modeling of Addiction Proneness in Male High School Students Based on Parental Emotional Tone and Cognitive Bias with the Mediating Role of Coherent Self-Knowledge
Keywords:
addiction proneness, parental emotional tone, cognitive bias, coherent self-knowledge, studentsAbstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the structural relationships between parental emotional tone and cognitive bias with addiction proneness in male high school students, considering the mediating role of integrative self-knowledge.
Methods and Materials: This correlational study employed a structural equation modeling design. The statistical population included male high school students in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year, from whom 590 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Addiction Proneness Questionnaire, Family Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire, Cognitive Bias Questionnaire, and Integrative Self-Knowledge Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26 and AMOS 26. Model fit was evaluated using χ²/df, RMSEA, CFI, GFI, AGFI, NFI, IFI, and SRMR indices. Indirect effects were tested using the bootstrap method.
Findings: Positive parental emotional expressiveness had a significant positive effect on integrative self-knowledge (β = 0.38, p < .001) and a significant negative direct effect on addiction proneness (β = −0.18, p < .001). Negative parental emotional expressiveness (β = 0.24, p < .001) and cognitive bias (β = 0.21, p < .001) showed significant positive direct effects on addiction proneness, while both negatively predicted integrative self-knowledge (β = −0.31 and β = −0.29, respectively, p < .001). Integrative self-knowledge significantly reduced addiction proneness (β = −0.36, p < .001) and mediated the relationships between parental emotional tone, cognitive bias, and addiction proneness. The model explained 52% of the variance in addiction proneness and 41% of the variance in integrative self-knowledge, with satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices (χ²/df = 2.18, RMSEA = 0.052, CFI = 0.94).
Conclusion: The findings highlight integrative self-knowledge as a central protective mechanism through which emotional family environments and cognitive processing patterns shape adolescents’ vulnerability to addiction.
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