A survey of 821 college students in Guizhou found reciprocal filial piety indirectly associated with filial practice through better parent-child relationships and filial perception. Authoritarian filial piety related to lower practice through poorer relationships. Direct effects were non-significant, and the cross-sectional design cannot establish temporal mediation.
Key findings
- Reciprocal filial piety had positive indirect paths through relationship quality and filial perception. Authoritarian filial piety had a negative indirect path through relationship quality, but not filial perception. Neither construct had a significant direct effect on practice.
Why this matters globally
Distinguishing reciprocal from authoritarian filial piety helps family and youth-wellbeing research avoid treating traditional values as uniformly beneficial or harmful.
Thai researcher contribution
The corresponding coauthor is affiliated with Shinawatra University, while participants and funding were Chinese. This is Thai-institution collaboration, not Thai student data.
Limitations to consider
A one-province convenience sample, self-report and one time point create common-method, social-desirability and reverse-causation risks. SEM does not create causality, and filial piety may differ across cultures and ages.