Alternative interpretations of the association between interparental conflict and adolescent online flaming: A reanalysis of Zeng et al. (2026)
Abstract
Using the covariance matrix reported by Zeng et al., we reassess the evidence supporting their proposed mediation model linking interparental conflict to adolescent online flaming. We demonstrate that the observed relationships can be reproduced with high precision by an alternative latent variable model that does not require the sequence of influence suggested in the original article. In this alternative account, adolescent-reported interparental conflict, psychological stress, online disinhibition, and online flaming are viewed as manifestations of broader underlying tendencies related to general disinhibition. The findings illustrate the problem of model underdetermination in observational research, whereby distinct theoretical explanations may fit the same empirical data. We therefore recommend greater attention to competing model specifications and caution when interpreting correlational findings as evidence for specific influencing mechanisms.
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BibTeX
@misc{sorjonen2026alternative,
title = {{Alternative interpretations of the association between interparental conflict and adolescent online flaming: A reanalysis of Zeng et al. (2026)}},
author = {Kimmo Sorjonen and Bo Melin and Marika Melin},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/9vpuq_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/9vpuq_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Alternative interpretations of the association between interparental conflict and adolescent online flaming: A reanalysis of Zeng et al. (2026)
AU - Kimmo Sorjonen
AU - Bo Melin
AU - Marika Melin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/9vpuq_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/9vpuq_v1/
AB - Using the covariance matrix reported by Zeng et al., we reassess the evidence supporting their proposed mediation model linking interparental conflict to adolescent online flaming. We demonstrate that the observed relationships can be reproduced with high precision by an alternative latent variable model that does not require the sequence of influence suggested in the original article. In this alternative account, adolescent-reported interparental conflict, psychological stress, online disinhibition, and online flaming are viewed as manifestations of broader underlying tendencies related to general disinhibition. The findings illustrate the problem of model underdetermination in observational research, whereby distinct theoretical explanations may fit the same empirical data. We therefore recommend greater attention to competing model specifications and caution when interpreting correlational findings as evidence for specific influencing mechanisms.
ER -