Structural equation modeling and the effect of perceived academic inferiority, socially prescribed perfectionism, and parents’ forced social comparison on adolescents’ depression and aggression

• Published in: Children and youth services review 2020-01, Vol.108, p.104649, Article 104649
• Main Authors: Lee, Youkyung, Ha, Jung Hee, Jue, Juliet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic inferiority; Adolescents; Aggression; Aggressiveness; Depression; Inferiority; Mental depression; Parents & parenting; Parents’ forced social comparison; Perfectionism; Secondary school students; Secondary schools; Social comparison; Socially prescribed perfectionism; Structural equation modeling
• ISSN: 0190-7409; 1873-7765
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104649

•The structural relationship between factors affecting depression and aggression in Korean adolescents.•Parents’ forced social comparison is related to adolescents’ academic inferiority and socially prescribed perfectionism.•Mediating effects of Socially prescribed perfectionism and of academic inferiority.•Relationship between parents’ forced social comparison and adolescents’ depression and aggression. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of socially prescribed perfectionism and academic inferiority on the relationship between parents’ forced social comparison and high school students’ depression and aggression. A total of 640 Korean high school students participated in the study’s survey, which measured their perceptions of socially prescribed perfectionism, academic inferiority, depression, aggression, and of their parents’ forced social comparison. The study’s results are as follows. First, the research model set in this study was found to be suitable. Parents’ forced social comparison was significantly related to socially prescribed perfectionism and academic inferiority, and socially prescribed perfectionism was significantly related to academic inferiority, depression, and aggression. Academic inferiority was significantly correlated with depression, and depression was significantly correlated with aggression. Second, socially prescribed perfectionism had a simple mediating effect on both the relationship between parents’ forced social comparison and depression and the relationship between academic comparison and aggression. In addition, academic inferiority presented a simple mediating effect on the relationship between social comparison and depression. Third, socially prescribed perfectionism and academic inferiority exhibited a double mediating effect on the relationship between parents’ forced social comparison and depression. After presenting these findings, the study outlines its implications and limitations.