Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background Early adolescence is a formative stage for identity formation, when family and peer relationships are the primary relational resources for adjustment. Few studies have compared family and peer attachment as differential correlates of identity and adjustment outcomes in the same early adolescent sample. This exploratory cross-sectional study compared family and peer attachment as differential correlates of identity confusion, self-esteem, and internet gaming disorder (IGD) in Chinese early adolescents and tested whether identity confusion operates as a proximal correlate rather than a mechanism. Methods A sample of 162 seventh- and eighth-grade students (81 boys, 81 girls) from Guangdong, China, completed self-report measures of attachment (family and peer), identity confusion, self-esteem, and the nine-item internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form. The analyses included Pearson correlations, Steiger's z tests, hierarchical regressions, bootstrap mediation (5,000 resamples, seed = 42), and a supplementary structural equation model. A sensitivity analysis indicated 80% power for |r| ≥ .218, and we report uncorrected and corrected p values. Results Family attachment was associated with higher self-esteem (r = .216, p = .006) and lower IGD (r = − .173, p = .028). Peer attachment showed no significant association with either outcome, although its IGD coefficient was marginal (B = 0.256, p = .092). The two domains differed in their associations with IGD (z = -2.43, p = .015) and identity confusion (z = -2.07, p = .039) but not with self-esteem (z = 1.38, p = .167). Identity confusion correlated strongly with lower self-esteem (r = − .627, p < .001) and higher IGD (r = .255, p = .001). Indirect effects through identity confusion were not significant, and a Harman test suggested that common method variance was unlikely (first factor: 17.0%). Boys reported greater IGD than girls did (B = 0.445, p = .002, d = 0.46). Conclusions Within this exploratory cross-sectional analysis, family attachment was the most consistent correlate of self-esteem and gaming disorders. Peer attachment was not significantly associated with either outcome. Identity confusion was strongly correlated with adjustment but did not show evidence of mediation. Prevention and intervention may prioritize the strengthening of family relationships at this stage.