The Relationship Between Social Adaptation and Parenting Styles in Left-Behind and Non-Left-Behind Children: A Network Analysis

Abstract Numerous theoretical and empirical studies have demonstrated that parenting styles significantly influence the social adaptation of left-behind children. Previous research typically categorized parenting styles into distinct types before investigating the relationship between these types and the overall social adaptation levels of left-behind children. However, this approach did not allow for an exploration of the specific dimensions of parenting styles and social adaptation that may be directly related to one another. This study use network analysis to conceptualize parenting styles and social adaptation as a network of interrelated dimensions. The objective is to identify key dimensions and to examine the correlations among these dimensions. A total of 2,452 children were included in this study (nleft-behind=713, nnon-left-behind =1739;Mage = 12.13, SD = 2.95). The results indicated that interpersonal adaptation and learning adaptation are core dimensions within the social adaptation(SA) networks of both left-behind and non-left-behind children. interpersonal adaptation, learning adaptation, father refused, and mother refused constitute the core dimensions of the parenting styles and social adaptation (PS-SA) network for left-behind children, while interpersonal adaptation, learning adaptation, mother refused', and mother's emotional warmth form the core dimensions of the PS-SA network for non-left-behind children. The network comparisons indicate that the connection strengths between father refused and interpersonal adaptation, father refused and learning adaptation, as well as father's emotional warmth and learning adaptation are more robust in the PS-SA network of left-behind children; the connection strengths between mother's emotional warmth and positive emotional adaptation, as well as interpersonal adaptation and learning adaptation, are stronger in the PS-SA network of non-left-behind children. This study contributed to the conceptualization and visualization of the relationship between parenting styles and social adaptation. The findings can assist parents and schools in implementing more targeted adaptation education for left-behind children.