From the perspective of developmental psychology, this paper explores the intrinsic link between childhood emotional neglect and adolescent people-pleasing personality. It first posits that childhood emotional development is foundational to individual mental health, and that emotional neglect leads to deficits in security and low self-worth. Subsequently, it analyzes the etiology of people-pleasing personality, identifying cognitive attribution bias and blurred interpersonal boundaries as core contributing factors. Finally, it elaborates on the psychological transformation mechanism from “emotional neglect” to “people-pleasing behavior,” and proposes a tiered school-based psychological intervention framework—spanning micro (individual counseling), meso (group guidance), and macro (campus culture cultivation)—tailored to contemporary primary and secondary education. Findings suggest that scientific psychological intervention and emotionally responsive schooling can effectively help adolescents break free from people-pleasing patterns and develop an authentic, healthy sense of self.

Rongwei Sun. The Relationship between Childhood Emotional Neglect and Adolescent People-Pleasing. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 5: 14-19. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090503.

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