The Mediating Role of Cognitive Distortions in the Relationship between Parental Academic Achievement Pressure/Support and Life Satisfaction in Adolescents

This study examined the mediating role of cognitive distortions related to academic achievement in the relationship between parental academic achievement pressure and support as perceived by adolescents and their life satisfaction. The study group of the research consisted of a total of 792 high school students, 528 females (66.7%) and 264 males (33.3%), aged 14-18 years (M = 15.79; SD = 1.18). The data of the research were collected through the Parents' Academic Achievement Pressure and Support Scale (PAAPSS), Student Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS), and Cognitive Distortions Scale Related to Academic Achievement (CDS-AA). Within the scope of this research, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses. Research results show that (1) parental academic achievement pressure and support separately predict adolescent life satisfaction and cognitive distortions related to academic achievement, and (2) adolescent cognitive distortions related to academic achievement predict life satisfaction. In addition, (3) adolescents' cognitive distortions related to academic achievement had a full mediating effect on parental achievement pressure and adolescent life satisfaction and a partial mediating effect on the relationship between parental achievement support and adolescent life satisfaction. Finally, findings (4) showed that the model proposed in the study could explain 37% of the total variance in adolescent life satisfaction. As a result of this research, it was concluded that the academic achievement pressure and support perceived by adolescents from their parents, as well as their cognitive distortions related to academic achievement, have an impact on their life satisfaction.