Emerging ideas. Filial piety, substance use, adverse childhood experiences, and parental support: An intergenerational perspective

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThe goal was to test the validity of the dual filial piety model in Austria and examine how the reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety interplay with familial factors and one's tobacco and alcohol use.BackgroundFamilial influences on substance use have been identified. Being conceptualized as a Chinese construct, research on filial piety and its interplay with substance use is insufficient in Western populations.MethodUsing a cross‐sectional survey including filial piety, familial variables, psychopathy traits, and alcohol use, we collected data from 201 Austrian community members (63.0% female; Mage = 35.15 years). Another age‐stratified random sample with 202 Austrians was also subsequently recruited to replicate the original findings. Multiple correlational analyses and confirmatory structural equation modeling were utilized on both samples, separately.ResultsThe dual filial piety model was found as a robust construct in both samples, with an acceptable scalability (Cronbach's α > .70). Although filial piety was unassociated with substance use, earlier experiences and psychopathy traits both showed consistent correlations with substance use. Un‐directional network analysis among variables further revealed an association between ever smoking experience and adverse childhood experiences, which was replicated in the second sample.ConclusionsThis study highlights the utility of filial piety in non‐Eastern populations. Filial piety was associated with substance use in one sample, but more research from family and developmental psychology is needed given its close relationships with childhood aversive experiences and remembered parental support.