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Building on recent research demonstrating consensus and accuracy in interpersonal perception based on minimal information, the present studies examined American and Chinese participants' within-and cross-cultural judgments. In Study 1, the authors used the zero-acquaintance paradigm in the People's Republic of China and found consensus on all personality dimensions. In Study 2, Chinese and American participants judged each other on the basis of photographs, and consensus was found among Americans' judgments of Chinese and Chinese participants' judgments of Americans. Further, by correlating target effects based on within-culture zero-acquaintance judgments and cross-cultural photographic judgments, the authors found agreement in the judgments of individuals by members of their own culture and the other culture for both Chinese and Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that intrapersonal, interpersonal, and stress factors are associated with development in marital satisfaction. However, the unique contributions of early predictors and changes in these factors to the development of marital satisfaction have been overlooked. Based on data from 268 Chinese newlywed couples (Mage = 29.59, SD = 3.25 for husbands; Mage = 28.08, SD = 2.51 for wives), the current study used latent growth curve model to examine (a) the development of marital satisfaction and the unique contributions of the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and stress predictors to the developmental trajectories (i.e., the initial level and change) of marital satisfaction; (b) whether the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and stress predictors develop over time; and (c) how trajectories of these predictor domains are associated with changes in marital satisfaction. The results indicated that interpersonal variables, rather than intrapersonal or stress predictors at baseline, were associated with both the initial levels of and changes in marital satisfaction; in contrast, only the changes in the stress levels were found to be related to changes in marital satisfaction. The theoretical implications and future directions for this research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on 4 annual waves of data from a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2,329, Mage = 18.40 years old, SD =.85; 63.10% females), this study examines the within-person and between-person effects in the association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and mental health issues. Results of analyses using the developmental equilibrium model (i.e., an autoregressive, cross-lagged panel model) demonstrate a reciprocal positive association between PIU and mental health issues consistently across waves. In contrast, results of analyses utilizing the random intercept, cross-lagged panel model (i.e., a model that can disaggregate within-person and between-person effects) indicate a unidirectional positive within-person effect from PIU to mental health issues (rather than the reverse) consistently over time, while controlling for the between-person effects that exist when comparing different individuals. Such findings highlight the importance of disaggregating within-person and between-person effects in understanding the nature of the temporal dynamics of the association between PIU and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the mediating roles of communication and marital affect in the association between marital quality and neuroticism. Guided by the social investment theory and the personality-relationship transactions model, we tested the actor-partner interdependence mediation model to examine the associations among the variables. Participants were 268 Chinese newlywed couples who were a maximum of 3 years into their first marriage. The path model indicated that, first, both spouses' marital quality at Time 1 was related with their own neuroticism at Time 3 after controlling for confounding variables. However, after controlling for neuroticism at Time 1, husbands' marital quality was not directly associated with their own neuroticism. Second, for wives, communication and marital affect at Time 2 fully mediated the association between marital quality and neuroticism. Conversely, for husbands, the multiple specific indirect effects were not significant. These findings suggest that communication and marital affect are mediators underlying the association between marital quality and neuroticism. Moreover, the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship effects differ between husbands and wives. The implications and future directions of these results were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on three annual waves of data obtained from 268 Chinese couples in the early years of marriage and using a three-wave, cross-lagged approach, the present study examined the associations among daily marital communication, marital conflict resolution, and marital quality. Results indicated unidirectional associations linking daily marital communication or marital conflict resolution to marital quality (instead of reciprocal associations); and when considered simultaneously in a single model, daily marital communication and marital conflict resolution explained variance in marital quality above and beyond each other. Furthermore, the authors also found a significant longitudinal, indirect association linking husbands' daily marital communication at Wave 1 to husbands' marital quality at Wave 3 via husbands' marital conflict resolution at Wave 2. Taken altogether, the current study adds to an emerging body of research aimed at clarifying: (a) the directionality of the associations between couple interactive processes and marital well-being; (b) the unique roles of daily marital communication and marital conflict resolution in predicting marital outcomes; and (c) how daily marital communication and marital conflict resolution may operate in conjunction with each other to shape the development of couple relationship well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data obtained from 203 Chinese couples during the early years of marriage and utilizing the actor-partner interdependence model, this study examined the prospective associations between different aspects of marital well-being (i.e., marital satisfaction, instability, commitment, and closeness) and depressive symptoms (assessed 2 years later) while controlling for critical intrapersonal (i.e., neuroticism and self-esteem) and contextual (i.e., stressful life events) confounders. Results indicated that (a) when considering different aspects of marital well-being as predictors of depressive symptoms separately, each aspect was significantly associated with spouses' own subsequent depressive symptoms; (b) when examining various aspects of marital well-being simultaneously, only husbands' commitment, husbands' instability, and wives' instability were significantly associated with their own subsequent depressive symptoms above and beyond the other aspects; and (c) the associations between husbands' commitment, husbands' instability, and wives' instability and their own subsequent depressive symptoms remained significant even after controlling for potential major intrapersonal and contextual confounders. Such findings (a) provide evidence that the marital discord model of depression may apply to Chinese couples, (b) highlight the importance of going beyond marital (dis)satisfaction when examining the association between marital well-being and depression, and (c) demonstrate that marital well-being can account for unique variance in depressive symptoms above and beyond an array of intrapersonal and contextual risk factors. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a multicontext observational design, using a person-centered approach, and treating the marital dyad as the unit of analysis, this study examined the within-couple communication patterning of 144 Chinese newlywed couples and its association with relationship satisfaction. Latent profile analysis consistently revealed 3 profiles of spouses' interactive behaviors across contexts differing in both topic nature (i.e., problem-solving vs. social support) and initiator (i.e., husbands vs. wives): (a) traditionally undemonstrative profile, (b) emotionally quarrelling profile, and (c) warmly supportive profile. The prevalence of communication profiles changed markedly with the nature of the discussion topic and the topic initiator. Further, using latent class analysis, we classified couples into subgroups based on their identified profile memberships across contexts (i.e., consistency of interaction mode across contexts). Three classes were identified: (a) consistently quarrelling class, (b) consistently supportive class, and (c) modestly traditional class. Both the consistently supportive class and the modestly traditional class reported significantly higher levels of marital satisfaction than did the consistently quarrelling class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the mediating roles of communication and marital affect in the association between marital quality and neuroticism. Guided by the social investment theory and the personality-relationship transactions model, we tested the actor-partner interdependence mediation model to examine the associations among the variables. Participants were 268 Chinese newlywed couples who were a maximum of 3 years into their first marriage. The path model indicated that, first, both spouses' marital quality at Time 1 was related with their own neuroticism at Time 3 after controlling for confounding variables. However, after controlling for neuroticism at Time 1, husbands' marital quality was not directly associated with their own neuroticism. Second, for wives, communication and marital affect at Time 2 fully mediated the association between marital quality and neuroticism. Conversely, for husbands, the multiple specific indirect effects were not significant. These findings suggest that communication and marital affect are mediators underlying the association between marital quality and neuroticism. Moreover, the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship effects differ between husbands and wives. The implications and future directions of these results were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Based on three annual waves of data obtained from 268 Chinese couples in the early years of marriage and using a three-wave, cross-lagged approach, the present study examined the associations among daily marital communication, marital conflict resolution, and marital quality. Results indicated unidirectional associations linking daily marital communication or marital conflict resolution to marital quality (instead of reciprocal associations); and when considered simultaneously in a single model, daily marital communication and marital conflict resolution explained variance in marital quality above and beyond each other. Furthermore, the authors also found a significant longitudinal, indirect association linking husbands' daily marital communication at Wave 1 to husbands' marital quality at Wave 3 via husbands' marital conflict resolution at Wave 2. Taken altogether, the current study adds to an emerging body of research aimed at clarifying: (a) the directionality of the associations between couple interactive processes and marital well-being; (b) the unique roles of daily marital communication and marital conflict resolution in predicting marital outcomes; and (c) how daily marital communication and marital conflict resolution may operate in conjunction with each other to shape the development of couple relationship well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

Internet addiction has been typically conceptualized as either a continuous construct or a dichotomous construct. Limited research has differentiated adolescents with problematic Internet use (PIU) from the Internet addiction group (IA) and/or nonproblematic Internet use group (NPIU) and examined the potential correlates. To fill this gap, based on data obtained from 956 Chinese adolescents (11-19 years, 47% male), this study examined if adolescents with PIU is a distinctive group from the IA and NPIU. This study also examined factors from different ecological levels that may differentiate among the three groups, including individual, parental, peer, and sociodemographic factors. Results indicated that IA, PIU, and NPIU differed significantly on scores of Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ). Critical factors emerging from different ecological levels could differentiate between PIU and NPIU and between IA and NPIU. Such findings suggest that PIU may represent a distinct, intermediate group of Internet users. The potential theoretical and practical implications of identifying PIU were also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)

Based on data obtained from 203 Chinese couples during the early years of marriage and utilizing the actor-partner interdependence model, this study examined the prospective associations between different aspects of marital well-being (i.e., marital satisfaction, instability, commitment, and closeness) and depressive symptoms (assessed 2 years later) while controlling for critical intrapersonal (i.e., neuroticism and self-esteem) and contextual (i.e., stressful life events) confounders. Results indicated that (a) when considering different aspects of marital well-being as predictors of depressive symptoms separately, each aspect was significantly associated with spouses' own subsequent depressive symptoms; (b) when examining various aspects of marital well-being simultaneously, only husbands' commitment, husbands' instability, and wives' instability were significantly associated with their own subsequent depressive symptoms above and beyond the other aspects; and (c) the associations between husbands' commitment, husbands' instability, and wives' instability and their own subsequent depressive symptoms remained significant even after controlling for potential major intrapersonal and contextual confounders. Such findings (a) provide evidence that the marital discord model of depression may apply to Chinese couples, (b) highlight the importance of going beyond marital (dis)satisfaction when examining the association between marital well-being and depression, and (c) demonstrate that marital well-being can account for unique variance in depressive symptoms above and beyond an array of intrapersonal and contextual risk factors. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).)

Employing a multicontext observational design, using a person-centered approach, and treating the marital dyad as the unit of analysis, this study examined the within-couple communication patterning of 144 Chinese newlywed couples and its association with relationship satisfaction. Latent profile analysis consistently revealed 3 profiles of spouses' interactive behaviors across contexts differing in both topic nature (i.e., problem-solving vs. social support) and initiator (i.e., husbands vs. wives): (a) traditionally undemonstrative profile, (b) emotionally quarrelling profile, and (c) warmly supportive profile. The prevalence of communication profiles changed markedly with the nature of the discussion topic and the topic initiator. Further, using latent class analysis, we classified couples into subgroups based on their identified profile memberships across contexts (i.e., consistency of interaction mode across contexts). Three classes were identified: (a) consistently quarrelling class, (b) consistently supportive class, and (c) modestly traditional class. Both the consistently supportive class and the modestly traditional class reported significantly higher levels of marital satisfaction than did the consistently quarrelling class., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Prior research has indicated that partners' standards for their couple relationships are associated with their levels of marital satisfaction, both in terms of similarity between standards and the degree to which partners are able to resolve differences in their standards constructively. However, little is known about processes through which couples effectively cope with conflicting relationship standards. Furthermore, most research on relationship standards has been conducted in Western countries, and there is a need for more information about the role of this form of cognition in Asian and other cultures. In the present study, relationship standards and communication patterns were examined in relation to marital satisfaction among 297 community couples in a northern city in mainland China. Results indicated that the similarity of relationship standards of members of real couples was significantly higher than randomly matched male-female pairs. A hypothesized conceptual model predicting marital satisfaction from partners' similarity of relationship standards and communication patterns was tested using structural equation modeling. Similarity of relationship standards can affect couple's marital satisfaction indirectly, through perceived communication patterns. The interdependence between husbands' and wives' aspects of relationship functioning also are examined and discussed.

Most research on couple communication patterns comes from North America and Europe and suggests cross-cultural universality in effects, but emerging studies suggest that couple communication takes different forms depending on the cultural context in which it occurs. The current study addressed this discrepancy by comparing the observed social support behaviors of 50 newlywed American couples and 41 newlywed Mainland Chinese couples, first on mean levels of positivity and negativity and second on behavior-satisfaction associations. Consistent with predictions derived from observational work by Tsai and Levenson (1997), Chinese couples were observed displaying significantly more negative behavior than American couples, even after controlling for relationship satisfaction; the 2 groups did not differ in observed positive behaviors. Tests of the moderating role of culture on behavior-satisfaction associations showed that positivity was significantly related to relationship satisfaction only for American husbands, whereas negativity was significantly associated with relationship satisfaction only for Chinese husbands. We speculate that cultural contexts may influence the display and evaluation of behavior in intimate relationships, suggesting the need for caution when generalizing models and associated interventions to non-Western couples., (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.)