Effects Of Family Functioning,Preference For Solitude,and Social Avoidance Among Middle School Students:A Longitudinal Study

Previous studies have shown that social avoidance can have adverse effects on individual development,and that individuals with higher social avoidance may have more internalizing behavioral problems(e.g.,low self-esteem,loneliness,moodiness,anxiety sensitivity,depression,peer rejection,etc.).Social avoidance can be influenced by personal factors and family factors.However,most of the previous studies on social avoidance have used cross-sectional designs,which cannot examine the causal relationship among variables.To address this issue,this study combines a longitudinal design and cross-sectional study to examine the effect of family functioning on social avoidance and the mediation role of preference for solitude among them.Latent variable growth models can better explore the developmental trajectories of family functioning,social avoidance,and preference for solitude.Cross-lagged models can explore the intertemporal mediating role of preference for solitude between family function and social avoidance.In this study,we used middle school students were as participants,and the Family Functioning Scale,Social Avoidance Scale,and Preference for Solitude Scale for measurement.Based on previous research,this thesis examined the relationship among family functioning,social avoidance,and preference for solitude among adolescents.In study 1,we adopted cross-sectional method,and used questionnaires to measure family function,social avoidance,and the preference for solitude among 653 participants;In study 2 we examined the respective trends of adolescents’ family functioning,social avoidance,and preference for solitude through latent growth model;Study 3,we analyzed the intertemporal mediating role of preference for solitude between family functioning and social avoidance cross-lagged model.The main results were as follows:(1)The cross-sectional results of study 1 showed that family functioning negatively predicted social avoidance through the mediating effect of preference for solitude.(2)The longitudinal results showed that adolescents’ family functioning,preference for solitude,and social avoidance all showed a gradual increase,and the higher the initial level of family function,preference for solitude,and social avoidance,the slower the rate of decrease.(3)Family functioning at T1 negatively predicted solitary preference and social avoidance at T2;family functioning at T2 negatively predicted preference for solitude and social avoidance at T3;preference for solitude at T1 positively predicted social avoidance at T2;preference for solitude at T2 positively predicts social avoidance at T3;preference for solitude played a longitudinal mediating role between family functioning and social avoidance.In summary,the preference for solitude plays a mediating role between family function and social avoidance.Family function,the preference for solitude,and social avoidance showed an increasing trend with the development of time.The family function at time point T1 predicted the preference for solitude at time point T2 which predicted social avoidance at time point T3.