Modeling the Role of Parent-Child Conflict in Predicting Social Anxiety with the Mediation of Anxiety Sensitivity

Objective: The present study aimed to predict social anxiety based on parent-child conflict and the mediating role of anxiety sensitivity.Methods: The research methodology employed was structural equation modeling with the primary objective being to investigate anxiety sensitivity, social anxiety, and parent-child conflict among second-year high school students in Khorram Abad city during the academic year 2023-2024. A sample of 350 students was randomly selected using cluster sampling. The instruments utilized included the anxiety sensitivity questionnaire Floyd et al, social anxiety assessment Connor et al, and parent-child conflict measurement Fine et al Data analysis was conducted using SPSS26 and AMOS24 software.Results: The results indicated that parent-child conflict had a direct, positive, and significant impact on students’ social anxiety ( beta;₌0.44; p lt;0.01). Furthermore, parent-child conflict directly influenced students’ anxiety sensitivity ( beta;₌0.68; p lt;0.01). Additionally, anxiety sensitivity had a direct and significant correlation with students’ social anxiety ( beta;₌0.41; p lt;0.01). Overall, the findings suggest that the research model fits well.Conclusion: The findings of the study show that conflicts between parents and children, along with sensitivity to anxiety, are important factors that can predict the level of social anxiety in students.