Humans are social beings. In the process of interacting with others, differences in personality, habits, worldviews, and values inevitably lead to conflicts between individuals and others (Halliday, 1978). Interparental conflict refers to verbal or physical aggression, disputes, or other behaviors between spouses in the family due to inconsistent opinions, conflicting values, or other reasons. As a key factor influencing the development of children and adolescents (Ma et al., 2017), interparental conflict has been extensively studied by researchers, with these studies primarily based on two theoretical models.

The Cognitive-Contextual Theory posits that children and adolescents’ cognitive appraisal of interparental conflict plays a crucial role in how such conflict affects their psychological development. Cognitive appraisal consists of primary processing and secondary processing: primary processing mainly evaluates the characteristics and nature of interparental conflict, while secondary processing focuses on assessing the causes of the conflict and its impact on oneself (Grych and Fincham, 1990; Wang et al., 2014). In the context of academic engagement, the role of this cognitive appraisal manifests as follows: when high school students perceive interparental conflict as frequent, intense, and difficult to resolve (primary processing), or attribute it to their own faults and perceive it as a threat to family stability (secondary processing), their cognitive resources become overoccupied. This, in turn, crowds out the psychological resources available for learning, leading to reduced learning vitality and distracted attention. The Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict Scale (CPIC), developed by Grych et al. (1992), is widely used by researchers because it measures both the characteristic levels of interparental conflict and the cognitive appraisal of the conflict’s causes and impact on oneself. Scholars in China have adapted this scale based on Chinese culture and students’ developmental levels, integrating dimensions such as conflict frequency and intensity (used to measure the level of perceived interparental conflict) into a single “conflict intensity” dimension. Among them, conflict intensity, conflict resolution, conflict threat, triangulation, self-attribution, and coping effectiveness are six key dimensions of perceived interparental conflict (Chi and Xin, 2003; Zhao and Mo, 2006). Considering the heavy academic workloads and time constraints of high school students, this study selects three dimensions—conflict intensity, self-involved conflict, and threat level—to measure the characteristic levels and cognitive appraisals of interparental conflict among high school students.

In contrast, the Emotional Security Theory emphasizes that the impact of interparental conflict on children essentially occurs by undermining their emotional security (Davies and Cummings, 1994). When interparental conflict persists or remains unresolved, children perceive instability in family relationships, which in turn triggers emotional responses such as fear and anxiety, leading to emotional insecurity. This emotional state inhibits academic engagement through two pathways: first, it directly consumes emotional resources, making it difficult for students to maintain enthusiasm for learning; second, it triggers sustained vigilance, resulting in difficulty concentrating during learning (Ding et al., 2022). Studies by Chinese scholars have confirmed that perceived interparental conflict positively predicts children’s behavioral problems (Li, 2016)—particularly regarding academic engagement. Such emotional insecurity reduces adolescents’ learning motivation and increases distracted behaviors (Li et al., 2023).

To summarize, the Cognitive-Contextual Theory and the Emotional Security Theory reveal the internal mechanisms by which perceived interparental conflict affects academic engagement from the perspectives of cognitive appraisal and emotional security, respectively. Specifically, regarding the three dimensions of academic engagement (vitality, dedication, and absorption): (1) Inhibition of vitality: Vitality is reflected in abundant energy and resilience during learning. Perceived interparental conflict may consume learning vitality through two pathways: cognitively, high school students’ repeated rumination on interparental conflict (e.g., “Will they get divorced?”) occupies their psychological resources, leading to insufficient energy for learning (Wang et al., 2014); emotionally, sustained anxiety caused by emotional insecurity weakens physiological energy reserves, making them prone to fatigue during long periods of learning. Existing studies have confirmed that adolescents who perceive more frequent interparental conflict experience stronger feelings of exhaustion during learning and significantly lower endurance when completing complex tasks (Liu and Tang, 2022). (2) Inhibition of dedication: Dedication manifests as a sense of meaning and enthusiasm for learning, such as recognizing the value of learning and actively participating in learning activities. Family emotional support is an important foundation for adolescents to develop a sense of meaning in learning, and interparental conflict undermines this support: when high school students perceive tension in their parents’ relationship, they may question the reliability of family stability, thereby weakening their belief in achieving future goals through learning (Wang, 2022). Meanwhile, the appraisal of conflict threat in the Cognitive-Contextual Theory causes adolescents to shift their attention from pursuing academic achievements to coping with family crises, reducing their active engagement in learning. (3) Inhibition of absorption: Absorption refers to focused attention during learning. Perceived interparental conflict particularly impairs absorption: on one hand, worries about family instability (from the Emotional Security Theory) become a persistent distraction, leading to frequent inattention during lectures or problem-solving; on the other hand, repeated attribution of conflict causes (e.g., “Did my poor grades cause their fight?”) in cognitive processing forms rumination, further diverting attention from learning (Li et al., 2023).

In conclusion, both the negative appraisals emphasized by the Cognitive-Contextual Theory and the emotional insecurity revealed by the Emotional Security Theory point to the inhibitory effect of perceived interparental conflict on academic engagement—and this inhibition covers the three core dimensions of vitality, dedication, and absorption. Based on this, this study proposes Hypothesis 1 (H1): Perceived interparental conflict has a significant negative impact on the academic engagement of high school students.

Pekrun conceptualizes academic emotions as affective experiences arising in academic contexts, closely tied to learning activities, instructional outcomes, and academic performance. These emotions encompass diverse states such as enjoyment, pride, boredom, and anxiety. Based on valence and activation levels, Pekrun further categorizes academic emotions into four dimensions: positive high-arousal (e.g., excitement), positive low-arousal (e.g., contentment), negative low-arousal (e.g., boredom), and negative high-arousal (e.g., anxiety) (Pekrun et al., 2002). As research on academic emotions has deepened, their conceptualization has expanded. Chinese scholars adapted Pekrun’s framework to develop the Youth Academic Emotions Questionnaire (YAEQ), incorporating culturally specific dimensions like calmness, helplessness, and frustration, thereby enriching the understanding of students’ affective experiences in academic settings (Dong and Yu, 2007). Broadly, academic emotions can be classified into positive (e.g., happiness, satisfaction) and negative (e.g., anxiety, boredom) categories. This study focuses on two prototypical emotions: academic enjoyment (representing positive emotions) and academic anxiety (representing negative emotions).

The growing theoretical and applied research on academic emotions has spurred investigations into their correlations with other variables and underlying mechanisms. First, antecedent studies reveal that family environment factors shape students’ academic emotions through perceived control and value appraisals (Pekrun, 2006). Empirical evidence demonstrates that perceived interparental conflict positively predicts academic anxiety and negatively predicts academic enjoyment (Wang et al., 2021; Tu, 2017), aligning with findings on the family environment’s critical role in children’s holistic development, academic achievement, and social adaptation (Hunt et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2018). Second, outcome-oriented research confirms that positive academic emotions enhance academic engagement (Lin et al., 2020), self-efficacy (Li and Song, 2011), and achievement (Dong and Yu, 2010).

Within family systems, adolescents perceiving relational instability due to parental conflict may develop adverse emotions. These emotions, when transferred to school contexts, could manifest as diminished positive academic emotions and heightened negative ones. Grounded in emotional security theory, this study posits academic emotions as mediators between perceived interparental conflict and academic engagement. Investigating this mediation mechanism can clarify how parental conflict perceptions influence learning outcomes and inform strategies to improve educational effectiveness. Accordingly, the following hypotheses are proposed:

Since Mayer and Salovey first introduced emotional intelligence into psychological research in 1990, it has remained a subject of extensive research and debate (Liu and Zou, 2010). Grounded in the ability model, which conceptualizes emotional intelligence as a competence, Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence outlines five dimensions: self-awareness, emotion regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and interpersonal skills, forming the foundational five-factor framework (Daniel, 1997). Lu (2005) further posits emotional intelligence as a distinct psychological trait encompassing the capacity to perceive, express, experience, and regulate emotions—characteristics that differentiate it from other cognitive abilities while retaining the essential attributes of general competencies. Thus, emotional intelligence can be defined as an individual’s ability to manage emotional processes effectively.

Empirical studies indicate that emotions influence individuals’ environmental perceptions, thereby shaping behaviors, with emotional intelligence moderating these effects (Wang et al., 2013; Peter et al., 2002). As a subset of emotions, academic emotions are similarly subject to modulation by emotional intelligence. Specifically, students with higher emotional intelligence can not only recognize their academic emotions but also adaptively adjust them to optimize learning processes and outcomes. For instance, in low-conflict family environments, emotionally intelligent students may leverage positive emotions (e.g., joy, satisfaction) to enhance motivation, stimulate curiosity, and sustain high levels of academic engagement. Conversely, in high-conflict environments, such students employ strategies like cognitive reappraisal, distraction, or seeking social support to mitigate negative emotions (e.g., anxiety) and maintain learning resilience.

This study positions emotional intelligence as a moderating variable in the relationship between perceived interparental conflict and academic emotions among high school students. By examining how emotional intelligence buffers the mediating effects of academic emotions on engagement, this research aims to provide evidence-based strategies for mitigating the adverse impacts of parental conflict. The following hypotheses are proposed:

Synthesizing the above findings and research hypotheses, this study constructed a theoretical model, as shown in Figure 1:

This study focused on high school students in City G, Province S. Using convenience sampling, one high school was randomly selected, and institutional approval was obtained prior to data collection. Participants were selected based on the following inclusion and exclusion criteria: Inclusion Criteria included (1) currently enrolled as a high school student in City G, Province S; (2) willing to participate in the study and able to understand the content of the questionnaires (confirmed via a brief pre-survey comprehension check); (3) having lived with both parents for at least six consecutive months prior to the survey (to ensure sufficient exposure to interparental interactions). All procedures followed internationally recognized ethical principles for psychological research and ethical norms for psychological research in China. For participants under 18: (1) Written informed consent was obtained from parents/guardians via schools (detailing study purpose, anonymous data use, risks, and withdrawal rights); (2) Verbal assent was obtained from participants after explaining the study via simplified forms. Raw data were anonymized with unique codes and stored in a password-protected database (research team access only).

An electronic questionnaire QR code was distributed to all enrolled high school students. A total of 296 responses were collected, with 257 valid questionnaires retained after data cleaning, yielding an effective response rate of 86.82%. As shown in Table 1, the sample exhibited balanced gender distribution (approximately 50% male and 50% female). Sophomores constituted the majority (68.48%), followed by freshmen and juniors. Regarding family structure, 55.25% (n = 142) were non-only children. In terms of household registration, 55.25% (n = 142) originated from rural areas.

Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 for descriptive statistics, reliability assessment, and correlation analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted via AMOS 26.0 to evaluate construct validity (Wu, 2010). Mediation and moderated mediation effects were tested using the SPSS PROCESS macro, employing bootstrapping (5,000 resamples) to assess indirect effects and moderated pathways, which offers superior statistical power over traditional causal steps approaches (Wen et al., 2022).

Table 2 presents the descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and intercorrelations among key variables: perceived interparental conflict, positive academic emotions, negative academic emotions, academic engagement, and emotional intelligence.

Significant negative correlations were observed between perceived interparental conflict and both positive academic emotions (r = −0.166, p < 0.05) and academic engagement (r = −0.172, p < 0.05). Conversely, perceived interparental conflict showed a significant positive correlation with negative academic emotions (r = 0.152, p < 0.05). As hypothesized, positive academic emotions were positively associated with academic engagement (r = 0.253, p < 0.05), while negative academic emotions exhibited a negative association (r = −0.181, p < 0.05).

Cross-sectional design: The study’s correlational data preclude causal inferences. Longitudinal designs could clarify temporal dynamics. Sample representativeness: Convenience sampling limits generalizability. Future studies should diversify samples across regions and school types. Emotion granularity: This study focused on valence (positive/negative) but not arousal levels (e.g., high vs. low arousal). Investigating arousal-specific effects could deepen understanding of emotion-mediated pathways.

Educators and parents should prioritize fostering emotional intelligence and creating supportive environments to buffer adolescents from familial stressors. School-based interventions, such as counseling programs and emotion-regulation workshops, could enhance students’ resilience and academic engagement.

Meanwhile, this study confirms that perceived interparental conflict negatively affects high school students’ academic engagement through the dual mediating pathways of positive and negative academic emotions, and that emotional intelligence weakens this adverse effect. The findings not only enrich the theoretical understanding of the “family-academic” link in Chinese cultural contexts but also provide actionable strategies for schools, universities, and families to support adolescents’ academic and psychological development. With further longitudinal and diverse-sample research, these insights could be refined to better address the needs of Chinese high school and first-year university students.

Teachers play a pivotal role in fostering students’ emotional competence (Salovey and Mayer, 1990). To systematically cultivate emotional intelligence (EI), educators should:Embed EI Development into Curricula: Design structured activities such as emotion identification exercises, regulation training (e.g., mindfulness meditation, cognitive reappraisal), and scenario-based role-playing to enhance self-awareness and interpersonal skills. Incorporate reflective practices where students articulate emotions through journals or group discussions. Model Emotionally Intelligent Behaviors: Teachers should exemplify effective emotion management and communication. For instance, demonstrating calm conflict resolution during classroom disagreements or openly discussing personal strategies for stress management. Adopt a student-centered approach by empathizing with learners’ perspectives, fostering trust through active listening, and co-creating classroom norms that prioritize emotional safety. Strengthen School-Family Partnerships: Establish regular communication channels (e.g., parent-teacher conferences, digital platforms) to share updates on students’ academic and emotional wellbeing. For families experiencing interparental conflict, schools should offer targeted support, including counseling services and workshops on constructive conflict resolution, to mitigate adverse impacts on students. Institutionalize Emotional Education: Integrate EI training into teacher professional development programs. Implement mandatory mental health courses that teach coping strategies, resilience-building, and social-emotional skills, moving beyond ad hoc interventions to systemic curricular integration.

Family environments critically shape EI development. Parents should adopt the following strategies: Promote Positive Parenting Practices:Transition from authoritarian or permissive styles to authoritative parenting, balancing warmth with clear boundaries (Lu et al., 2016). Model healthy conflict resolution: Address disagreements calmly, emphasize collaborative problem-solving, and avoid hostile interactions in children’s presence. Enhance Parental Emotional Literacy: Engage in EI training programs, workshops, or self-directed learning (e.g., books, online courses) to improve emotion recognition, expression, and regulation. Practice techniques such as “emotional labeling” (e.g., “I feel frustrated because…”) to normalize constructive emotional discourse. Foster Open Family Communication: Schedule regular family meetings to discuss challenges, celebrate achievements, and validate each member’s perspectives. Encourage children to articulate their feelings using prompts like, “How did that situation make you feel?” while actively listening without judgment. Leverage Community Resources: Collaborate with schools to access counseling services or peer support groups for families navigating high-conflict dynamics. Participate in community-based EI initiatives, such as parent-child mindfulness sessions or cooperative games that reinforce empathy and teamwork.