Smoking behaviours in teenagers – companion and relationship influence mediated by the self-control effect

Lei Yong, Wu Yuxuan

Abstract


Self-control can be defined as active control of one’s own psychology and behaviour. It is a conscious choice without external supervision and comprises adjusting and controlling behaviour appropriately, inhibiting impulses, resisting temptation, and postponing satisfaction to achieve objectives. Teenagers’ smoking behaviour can be influenced by companionship. 700 participants were randomly chosen from middle schools. The results sustain the hypothesis that self-control partially mediates the relationship between students’ smoking behaviour and companions’ influence.
The influence of companions’ smoking is distinctly different according to gender and grade. There are significant positive relations between the influence of companions’ smoking and smoking behaviour, while self-control and smoking behaviour are negatively related. Behavioural self-control is a negative predictor of smoking behaviour in teenagers (p<0.01). Emotional self-control and mental selfcontrol have a negative mediating effect on companions’ smoking and teenagers’ smoking. Behavioural self-control and mental self-control have a negative mediating effect on the relationship between smoking opportunities afforded by companions and teenagers’ smoking behaviour.


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