Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Background: Academic performance is one of the main psychological concepts that is allocated wide theoretical and experimental researches and studies. This study aimed to determine the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between attachment to father and academic performance.

Methods: Participants were 303 eighth grade experimental field students (134 boys, 169 girls) who were studying in public schools of Tehran and completed Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and Attachment to Parents and Peers Questionnaire. Their academic performance was calculated using their final exam’s average scores of physics, chemistry and biology. The validity and reliability of the study was obtained by using confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 23, Lisrel version 9.2 and Amos version 23.

Results: Results showed good fit to the model and attachment to father (p<0.001, β=0.48) and emotion regulation (p<0.001, β=-0.37) each one separately to affect academic performance. Indirect effect of attachment to father on academic performance also was significant p>0.001 through emotion regulation.

Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the effect of attachment to parents in children's emotion regulation and thus improve their academic performance.