Interparental conflict, parent–adolescent attachment, and adolescent Internet addiction: The moderating role of adolescent self-control

Abstract

We explored the extent to which adolescent self-control moderated the relationships among interparental conflict, parent–adolescent attachment, and adolescent Internet addiction. Participants comprised 459 junior high school students, who completed the Adolescents' Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale, the Self-Control Scale, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, and the Internet Addiction Scale. Results show that adolescents' perceptions of interparental conflict was significantly and positively correlated with their Internet addiction. In addition, the relationship between perceived interparental conflict and Internet addiction was mediated by parent–adolescent attachment. Finally, self-control moderated the relationships among interparental conflict, parent–adolescent attachment, and Internet addiction. Policy implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.