The Influence of Parental Parenting Style on Test Anxiety among High School Students: The Chain Mediation Model of Self-Esteem and Psychological Resilience

Abstract

This study examines the influence of parental parenting styles, self-esteem, and psychological resilience on test anxiety among high school students using a chain mediation model. A total of 602 Vietnamese high school students were surveyed using the Parenting Style Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, the Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Test Anxiety Scale. The results indicated that: 1) negative parental parenting styles directly increased students’ test anxiety, while positive parenting styles did not significantly predict test anxiety; 2) both self-esteem and psychological resilience independently mediated the relationship between parental parenting style and test anxiety; and 3) self-esteem and psychological resilience jointly functioned as a chain mediator between parental parenting style and test anxiety. The findings demonstrate that negative parenting styles not only directly affect students’ test anxiety but also exert an indirect influence through the chain mediating roles of self-esteem and psychological resilience. Conversely, positive parenting styles influence test anxiety only indirectly through the mediating effects of self-esteem and psychological resilience.