The relationships between gender, grade, socioeconomic status, parental emotional warmth, psychological suzhi, and problem behaviours were explored.
After controlling for gender and grade, parental emotional warmth significantly mediated the socioeconomic status–psychological suzhi relationship.
Parental emotional warmth had a significant indirect effect on problem behaviours through psychological suzhi.
After controlling for gender and grade, children with low socioeconomic status may experience less parental emotional warmth, thereby reducing their psychological suzhi level, which in turn, will increase their problem behaviours