Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making framework

BackgroundStudents with high IQs often underperform in practice-oriented fields like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) because they lack the emotional regulation, stress management, and interpersonal skills needed to realize their academic potential. Recent research underscores the critical role of...

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Main Authors: Liang Shaoshuai, Peng Qian, Zhang Yiwen, Xu Meiru
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1619509/full
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author Liang Shaoshuai
Peng Qian
Zhang Yiwen
Xu Meiru
author_facet Liang Shaoshuai
Peng Qian
Zhang Yiwen
Xu Meiru
author_sort Liang Shaoshuai
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundStudents with high IQs often underperform in practice-oriented fields like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) because they lack the emotional regulation, stress management, and interpersonal skills needed to realize their academic potential. Recent research underscores the critical role of psychosocial competencies—emotional quotient (EQ), adversity quotient (AQ), and psychological resilience (PR)—in bridging cognitive potential and real-world academic success. Furthermore, the interplay between EQ, AQ, PR, and parent-student relationships, an underexplored dimension in higher education, may serve as a stabilizing force against academic stressors.MethodsThe study involved 428 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) students who underwent comprehensive evaluations to assess EQ, AQ, PR, parent-student relationships, and academic engagement. Structural equation modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS analyzed causal pathways, while the VIKOR-AHP method addressed MCDM by (1) weighting criteria via AHP and (2) ranking interventions via VIKOR’s compromise-ranking, ensuring practical solutions amid real-world constraints.ResultsThis study examined the impact of EQ, AQ, PR, and parent-student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students. The results indicated that engagement was directly influenced by EQ, while it was indirectly enhanced through improved PR and AQ. During academic challenges, parental-student relationships emerged as a significant moderator. EQ and AQ were identified as the most critical factors in promoting academic engagement. To ensure robustness, a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess how variations in experts’ weights influenced the outcomes, thereby validating the stability and reliability of the results under uncertainty.ImplicationsThis study, grounded in Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory, proposes specific strategies to enhance academic engagement. While students often possess adequate cognitive abilities, they require improved emotional regulation and stress management skills to convert potential into achievement. Educational institutions should integrate emotional quotient training with traditional cognitive curricula, alongside resilience-building programs and efforts to foster parent-student collaboration. These non-cognitive approaches not only improve academic performance but also promote personal adaptability. The findings advocate for comprehensive educational frameworks that combine cognitive and psychosocial development to optimize student engagement.
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spelling doaj-art-5154ad23f49b41529e5f6f56aaada52a2025-08-20T03:55:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-07-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.16195091619509Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making frameworkLiang ShaoshuaiPeng QianZhang YiwenXu MeiruBackgroundStudents with high IQs often underperform in practice-oriented fields like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) because they lack the emotional regulation, stress management, and interpersonal skills needed to realize their academic potential. Recent research underscores the critical role of psychosocial competencies—emotional quotient (EQ), adversity quotient (AQ), and psychological resilience (PR)—in bridging cognitive potential and real-world academic success. Furthermore, the interplay between EQ, AQ, PR, and parent-student relationships, an underexplored dimension in higher education, may serve as a stabilizing force against academic stressors.MethodsThe study involved 428 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) students who underwent comprehensive evaluations to assess EQ, AQ, PR, parent-student relationships, and academic engagement. Structural equation modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS analyzed causal pathways, while the VIKOR-AHP method addressed MCDM by (1) weighting criteria via AHP and (2) ranking interventions via VIKOR’s compromise-ranking, ensuring practical solutions amid real-world constraints.ResultsThis study examined the impact of EQ, AQ, PR, and parent-student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students. The results indicated that engagement was directly influenced by EQ, while it was indirectly enhanced through improved PR and AQ. During academic challenges, parental-student relationships emerged as a significant moderator. EQ and AQ were identified as the most critical factors in promoting academic engagement. To ensure robustness, a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess how variations in experts’ weights influenced the outcomes, thereby validating the stability and reliability of the results under uncertainty.ImplicationsThis study, grounded in Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory, proposes specific strategies to enhance academic engagement. While students often possess adequate cognitive abilities, they require improved emotional regulation and stress management skills to convert potential into achievement. Educational institutions should integrate emotional quotient training with traditional cognitive curricula, alongside resilience-building programs and efforts to foster parent-student collaboration. These non-cognitive approaches not only improve academic performance but also promote personal adaptability. The findings advocate for comprehensive educational frameworks that combine cognitive and psychosocial development to optimize student engagement.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1619509/fullemotional quotientadversity quotientpsychological resilienceparent–student relationsacademic engagementVIKOR-AHP
spellingShingle Liang Shaoshuai
Peng Qian
Zhang Yiwen
Xu Meiru
Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making framework
Frontiers in Psychology
emotional quotient
adversity quotient
psychological resilience
parent–student relations
academic engagement
VIKOR-AHP
title Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making framework
title_full Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making framework
title_fullStr Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making framework
title_full_unstemmed Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making framework
title_short Influence of psychosocial factors and parent–student relationships on the academic engagement of TCM students: a structural equation modeling and multi-criteria decision-making framework
title_sort influence of psychosocial factors and parent student relationships on the academic engagement of tcm students a structural equation modeling and multi criteria decision making framework
topic emotional quotient
adversity quotient
psychological resilience
parent–student relations
academic engagement
VIKOR-AHP
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1619509/full
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