Emotion regulation profiles moderate links between perceived interparental conflict, peer bullying victimization, and adolescent internet gaming disorder.

Résumé

Perceived interparental conflict and peer bullying victimization are risk factors for adolescent internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, little is known about how these risks are associated with IGD across distinct emotion regulation patterns from a person-centered perspective. This study examined whether associations of perceived interparental conflict and peer bullying victimization with adolescent IGD risk differ across emotion regulation profiles. Data were collected from 1,820 Chinese adolescents (M = 14.81, SD = 1.19). Latent profile analysis identified four emotion regulation profiles: "low cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression", "moderate cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression", "high cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression", and "high cognitive reappraisal, low expressive suppression". Adolescents in the "high cognitive reappraisal, low expressive suppression" group reported the lowest IGD scores, perceived interparental conflict, and peer bullying victimization. Among moderate, high cognitive reappraisal-expressive suppression groups, both perceived interparental conflict and peer bullying victimization were positively associated with IGD risk, with stronger associations for perceived interparental conflict than those observed in high cognitive reappraisal and low expressive suppression group. These findings underscore the importance of considering complex emotion regulation patterns to better understand parental and peer influences on adolescent IGD risk.