The Relationship between Maternal Extraversion and Adolescent Extraversion：Mediating and Moderating Model

Abstract

This study constructed a moderated mediation model and a serial mediation model to examine the effect of maternal extraversion and parenting styles, peer relationships on adolescent extraversion.The 864 junior high school students and their mothers from the three middle schools in Changde completed questionnaire measures of maternal and adolescent extraversion, positive parenting styles and peer relationships. The results indicated that:(1) Mediation analysis revealed that maternal extraversion could affect adolescent extraversion through the mediation of mother’s positive parenting styles and peer relationships. The mediation effect contained three paths, the separate mediation effect of mother’s positive parenting styles and peer relationships, and the serial mediation effect of mother’s positive parenting styles and peer relationships; (2) The mediating effects of mother’s positive parenting styles in the association between maternal extraversion and adolescent extraversion was moderated by peer relationships. The indirect effects were stronger for individuals with a high level of peer relationships. In the process of individual development, peer relationships may play multiple roles.