Effects of self-monitoring and perceived approval on delinquent behavior among Hong Kong adolescents

It has been established that perceived approval from relevant others is related to delinquent behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate how this relationship was mediated by self- monitoring. Eight hundred twenty-eight students from Grade 7 to Grade 9 were asked to respond to a questionnaire that measured their self-monitoring, the frequency they committed delinquent acts, and the perceived approval of committing these acts from their parents, teachers, and friends. Regression analyses indicated that self- monitoring wax an interacting factor between perceived approval and delinquency. On further path analyses, it was found that self- monitoring acted as a mediating factor, and that the relationship between delinquent behavior and perceived approval was more apparent among high self- monitoring individuals.