Influences of Parenting Styles on Adolescents’ Empathy through the Intervening Effects of Self-integrity and Sense of Coherence

Abstract Previous studies have revealed that parenting is a typical external factor influencing the formation and development of children’s empathy; however, little is known about the underlying processes that may mediate or moderate this relationship. This study examined the possible patterns of relationship between parenting, self-integrity, sense of coherence, and adolescents’ empathy through a moderated mediating model. A sample of 2228 adolescents participated in this study and completed the measures of parenting, empathy, self-integrity and sense of coherence. Mediation analyses indicated that self-integrity mediated the relationship between positive parenting and adolescents’ empathy. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that sense of coherence moderated the relationship between positive parenting and adolescents’ empathy, as well as the relationship between positive parenting and self-integrity. The findings of this study can contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of associations between parenting and adolescents’ empathy. The results obtained from current study can provide guidance for effectively improving adolescents’ empathy.