Analysis of the complex relationship between parental response and purpose in Chinese children’s life: a study using network analysis

Abstract Background Parental responses to children’s negative emotions (PRCNE) play a crucial role in child development, yet their relationship with children’s purpose in life (CPL) remains underexplored. Given that Chinese parents attach great importance to gender-differentiated child-rearing, it is imperative to investigate gender-based variations in children’s perceptions of PRCNE and their associations with the construction of meaning in CPL. Purpose This study aimed to investigate: (1) the interconnections among perceived dimensions of PRCNE; (2) the pattern of associations linking perceived PRCNE dimensions to children’s CPL, thereby extending the literature on parental behaviors and child development; and (3) the boundary role of gender by examining gender differences in both the perceived PRCNE patterns and their associations with CPL. Methods Data were collected from a sample of 573 Chinese students between March and June 2024, and network analysis was conducted. Given the study’s focus on pairwise variable associations, strength centrality and bridge strength were jointly examined to identify key nodes and meaningful connections within the networks. Results Network comparisons within the PRCNE network revealed that problem-focused response was the most central node among boys (centrality = 1.142), whereas emotion-focused response was the most central node among girls (centrality = 1.085). In the combined PRCNE–CPL network, minimization response emerged as the strongest bridge node and was positively associated with beyond-self orientation (weight = 0.112). While global network structures were invariant across gender, localized differences in specific edge weights suggested that girls’ networks exhibited tighter clustering of negative responses. Furthermore, the assocaition between problem-focused response and meaningfulness was significantly stronger for boys than for girls ( p = 0.034), while the edge between emotion-focused response and goal-directedness appeared only for girls ( p = 0.055). Conclusion These findings indicate that children’s perceptions of PRCNE reflect a mixed pattern: overall, boys perceived a greater emphasis on problem-solving responses, while girls perceived a greater emphasis on emotional support. Minimization response is positively associated with goal directedness, suggesting it may co-occur with aspects of children’s purpose development. Gender-stratified analyses further revealed that the difference of purpose built between problem-focused response among boys and emotion-focused response girls. These results underscore the importance of perceived PRCNE for children’s development and broaden the research significance of family education.