The longitudinal relationship between filial piety, gratitude and national identity: A 3‐year longitudinal study

Abstract Within the framework of traditional Chinese interpersonal construct theory, the doctrine of ‘transferring filial piety to loyalty’ (移孝为忠) is conceptualised, whereby filial devotion operates through a gratitude‐driven mechanism to engender national identity. However, in contemporary society, shifting social structures and evolving value systems have introduced inherent complexities to this linkage, sparking ongoing scholarly debate and necessitating further interdisciplinary inquiry into its function within modern governance contexts. The purpose of this study was to explore the temporal associations among filial piety, trait gratitude and national identity across 3 years. A cross‐lagged analysis of three waves of data was conducted using a Chinese sample ( N = 711, aged 15–60 years). The results showed that in the direct prediction model, reciprocal filial piety (RFP) (T1) positively predicted national identity (T2), and national identity (T2) positively predicted RFP (T3), while no significant longitudinal relationship was found between authoritative filial piety (AFP) and national identity. In the longitudinal mediation model, there was an interactive cumulative effect between RFP and gratitude, and trait gratitude (T2) played a significant longitudinal mediating role between RFP (T1) and national identity (T3). Additional national identity (T2) positively predicted trait gratitude (T3). And age positively predicted trait gratitude (T2).