Family of origin and the view of life values of college students: The mediating role of self-esteem and its cultural specificity

Objective Applying self-determination theory from an integrative perspective, this study explores the relationship between the family of origin and the view of life values of college students, focusing particularly on the mediating role of self-esteem and its cultural specificity. Method Using cluster sampling, a total of 853 college students from local undergraduate institutions were selected. The Family of Origin Scale, View of Life Values Questionnaire, and Self-Esteem Scale were used to determine their impact on the phenomenon. Results The results obtained from the family of origin, self-esteem, and view of life values revealed a significant positive correlation ( r = 0.83, p < 0.01). However, the family of origin not only demonstrates a direct structural linkage with life values (β = 0.83, p < 0.001) but also signposts an indirect pathway to life values via the mediating link of self-esteem. Interestingly, the indirect pathway value was 0.29, accounting for 35.3% of the total effect. Moreover, confirmatory factor analysis indicates that the three-factor model fits well (χ 2 /df = 2.18, CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.05), establishing the discriminant validity of each construct (Δχ 2 = 127.34, p < 0.001). Likewise, the variance inflation factor (VIF) figure being less than 3 ruled out the issue of severe multicollinearity and conceptual overlap. Conclusion The family of origin and self-esteem construct serve as prominent factors in understanding the variations in college students. Self-esteem plays a partial mediating role between the family of origin and view of life values, thereby supporting the theoretical assumption that “environmental contexts co-variate with self-evaluation, which in turn parallels distinct value orientations.” Taken together, the results obtained from this research provide empirical evidence and support for universities conducting educational programs and research on college students' life values and for families to enhance the well-being and advance the mental health education of their wards and relatives.