The Mediating Effect of Grit on the Relationship between Parental Attachment and Adolescent Happiness

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parental attachment on the happiness of adolescents, including attachment with both fathers and mothers. For this purpose, we examined the mediating role of grit on the relationship between paternal attachment and maternal attachment, as well as the impact of paternal attachment and maternal attachment on the happiness of adolescents and gender differences along that path. The participants of this study were 413 adolescents(204 males and 209 females) in the first, second, and third year of three middle schools located in a certain region of G Province. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and Mplus 7.4(Muthen & Muthen, 2015). T-tests, Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis, structural equation model analysis, and multiple group analysis were conducted as well. The following is a summary of the main results based from this study. First, paternal and maternal attachment have a direct impact on the happiness of adolescents; adolescents have a higher sense of happiness when their parental attachment is higher. Second, grit had a mediating role on the relationships between paternal attachment and maternal attachment and the overall happiness of adolescents. In other words, stronger attachment with parents was correlated with higher grit, and higher grit was correlated with a higher sense of happiness. Third, gender differences were observed in the path through which paternal attachment and maternal attachment impact the happiness of adolescents through grit; for male students, only maternal attachment had an indirect impact on their sense of happiness through grit. In other words, stronger maternal attachment was correlated with higher grit for male students, and higher grit was correlated with a higher sense of happiness. Grit did not have a mediating role on the relationship between parental attachment and the happiness of female students. However, if female students had strong paternal and maternal attachment, they showed a higher sense of happiness. In summary, the present study confirmed the importance of parental attachment and grit for improving the sense of happiness in adolescents. In addition, the present study determined differences in variables that affect the happiness of male and female adolescents. Accordingly, parents’ attitude and behavior toward children and parents’ role may differently influence the happiness of male and female adolescents. The findings of the present study can be used as basic data for the development of adolescents’counselling, education, and parental education programs to promote the happiness of male and female adolescents.