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This study examined the influence of self-focused attention (rumination and reflection) on the relationship between shyness and academic adjustment in a Chinese adolescent sample. Seven hundred and six senior high school students (383 girls, 323 boys; 231 grade one, 238 grade two, 237 grade three) from two Chinese public secondary schools completed anonymous questionnaires regarding shyness, self-focused attention, and academic adjustment. Results indicated that 1) shyness was negatively related to academic adjustment; 2) rumination mediated the association between shyness and academic adjustment; 3) the mediating role of reflection was not significant. These findings demonstrated the contribution of rumination to the academic adjustment of timid students. Shy students in high school tend to adopt rumination model rather than a reflection model in their daily academic life, and this approach may harm their academic adjustment.

Existing studies have explored the relationship between shyness and specific indicators of social adjustment of children or middle school students, indicating that individuals with shyness have social maladjustment. However, few studies have examined the overall social adjustment and underlying mechanisms of college students. Therefore, the present study explored the influence of shyness on the overall social adjustment of college students and its underlying mechanism from the perspective of individuals’ interaction with their environment. 1201 participants (Mage = 19.43, SD = 1.40) from two universities in China were measured using the College Student Shyness Scale, Adolescent Alienation Scale, School Connectedness Scale, and Chinese College Student Adjustment Scale. The results showed that shyness was negatively associated with social adjustment and that alienation partially mediated the relationship between them. Moreover, this mediation effect was moderated by school connectedness. Specifically, school connectedness moderated the second stage of the mediating process, that is, school connectedness could effectively alleviate the social maladjustment caused by alienation, and the protection effect of this moderation on low alienation was more obvious. These findings enrich the research on social adjustment of college students, and show that reducing alienation and strengthening school connectedness can alleviate the maladjustment of shy college students.

This short-term longitudinal study examined the reciprocal associations among shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness in a sample of 361 Chinese college freshmen (138 male students, mean age = 18.57 years). A fully cross-lagged panel design was used in which shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness were assessed at three time points separated by 8 months. The results indicated that the associations among shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness were dynamic and bidirectional. The self-report scores and the pattern of cross-lagged associations among shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness were the same for male and female students at all three times. Implications for loneliness interventions and future research directions are provided.

The present research aims to examine whether and how the negative network news browsing preference (NNNBP) affect individual’s aggression. Two studies were conducted in the current research: study 1 developed a new measurement scale—network news browsing preference questionnaire(NNBPQ). The results indicated it had appropriate reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.93) and validity (χ 2 /df = 1.92, CFI = 0.94, NFI = 0.89, GFI = 0.89，TLI = 0.94，RMSEA = 0.05) , which was conformed to psychometrics standards, and could be used for further study. Study 2 explored the relationship between NNNBP and aggression, and the moderate effect of MAOA gene × gender among 352 college students. The results indicated that: (a) NNNBP could positively predict male college students’ hostility and total score. It also could positively predict female college students’ physical aggression, verbal aggression, hostility and total score. (b) MAOA Gene × gender had moderate effect on the relationship between NNNBP and aggression; more specially, NNNBP could positively predict female G allele carriers’ physical aggression and hostility, while didn’t show significant under other conditions. Finally, the limitations and future prospects of the present research were discussed.

The Internet is an indispensable everyday tool for many students, but it also poses a certain problem to academic careers and may negatively affect students’ mental health, resulting in academic failure. Procrastination is also a common issue amongst college students. This study made use of extended research to explore the correlation between Internet addiction and procrastination and the underlying mechanisms thereof. A cross-sectional design and a questionnaire survey were utilized. Correlation analysis revealed that Internet addiction was positively correlated with procrastination, and core self-evaluations were positively associated with self-control. Both Internet addiction and procrastination were significantly and negatively correlated with core self-evaluations and self-control, respectively. In addition, social adjustment was positively correlated with core self-evaluations, but not significantly correlated with the other variables. In addition, the results supported the moderated mediation model, specifically that a high level of social adjustment could block the direct effect of Internet addiction on procrastination and weaken the indirect effects of Internet addiction on procrastination via core self-evaluations. The results of this study suggest that procrastination among Internet-addicted college students can be reduced by enhancing core self-evaluations, self-control, and social adjustment.

A number indecent photos depicting models whose genital areas have been censored or covered have been widely disseminated on the Internet and proved to be extremely popular. The question is whether these “incomplete nudes” on the Internet can induce sexual cognition. To answer this question, this study presented 25 male college students with 4 types of images. Results found that pictures of females induced larger positive potential (P2) amplitudes and shorter latencies than did pictures of males, and that pictures of nude females induced larger negative potential (N2) amplitudes than did pictures of nude males. Moreover, pictures of covered or nude females evoked larger P300 waves than did pictures of fully-dressed or underwear-wearing females. Pictures of nude models also evoked larger PSW than did other types of pictures. These results suggested that P2 and N2 reflect early gender processing and early sexual cognition, respectively, while P300 reflect inferential sexual cognition which meant that covered models were indeed perceived as nude models. This study revealed that censored (covered) sexual information disseminated through the Internet could still evoke inferential sexual cognition.

Mobile phones are indispensable for many young adults, but such devices may negatively affect their mental health and well-being. Previous studies revealed a significant association between shyness and mobile phone addiction. This study further explored this association, its underlying mechanisms, and the mediating effects of self-control and attachment anxiety of mobile phone addiction. Investigational methods included a cross-sectional design and multiple questionnaires, namely the College Students' Shyness Scale, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, College Students' Self-Control Scale, and Mobile Phone Addiction Index. Correlation analysis indicated that shyness, attachment anxiety, and mobile phone addiction have significant, positive correlations with each other, as well as significant, negative correlations with self-control. Hayes's PROCESS macro revealed that self-control and attachment anxiety played multiple mediation roles in the relationship between shyness and mobile phone addiction. In other words, (1) shyness was negatively associated with mobile phone addiction, (2) both attachment anxiety and self-control played partial and parallel mediating roles between shyness and mobile phone addiction, and (3) attachment anxiety and self-control mediated the link between shyness and mobile phone addiction sequentially. The results of this study indicate that mobile phone addiction among shy young adults can be eliminated through the development of self-control and alleviation of attachment anxiety. Shyness emerged as a crucial predictor of mobile phone addiction.Self-control and attachment anxiety play mediating roles in the relationship between shyness and mobile phone addiction.Mobile phone addiction can be eliminated by improving self-control and alleviating attachment anxiety.

This short-term longitudinal study examined the reciprocal associations among preexisting psychosocial variables (shyness, loneliness, and interpersonal relationships), maladaptive cognitions, and generalized pathological Internet use (GPIU) in a Chinese sample. A total of 361 university freshmen (138 males; mean age=18.57 years) participated in the study. Cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that (i) the associations among shyness, maladaptive cognitions, and GPIU were dynamic and bidirectional, and the increased maladaptive cognitions bidirectionally mediated the relation between shyness and GPIU across time; (ii) the association between interpersonal relationships and GPIU was dynamic; and (iii) the association between loneliness and GPIU was dynamic and bidirectional. Additionally, (iv) shyness and GPIU had higher stability than interpersonal relationships, loneliness, and maladaptive cognitions did and (v) gender differences were identified in GPIU (T1 and T2). Interventions for GPIU and implications for future studies were discussed. Associations, shyness, maladaptive cognitions, and GPIU, dynamic and bidirectional.Association, interpersonal relationships and GPIU, dynamic and bidirectional.Association, loneliness and GPIU, dynamic and bidirectional.Male students have a higher GPIU score than female students.

With the latest, rapid developments of the Internet, young people have become the main group in the online world. Congruently, Internet problem behaviors have shown a significant growth trend among adolescents. The present paper explores the factors affecting adolescents' problem network behavior from the perspective of their shyness, gender, and loneliness, and provides suggestions for guiding these young people toward using the network rationally. The study surveyed 5,130 teenagers from Shandong province in China to investigate the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between shyness and problem network behavior, and the mediating effect of loneliness on the moderating effect. The results indicated that the level of shyness among girls was significantly higher than that among boys, whereas the prevalence of cyberbullying, pathological Internet use, and Internet gaming disorder was significantly lower for girls than for boys. The relationship among shyness, cyberbullying, and Internet gaming disorder was found to be moderated by gender, and the problems of cyberbullying and Internet gaming disorder faced by shy boys were greater than those faced by shy girls. In addition, the moderating effect of gender on cyberbullying and Internet gaming disorder was found to occur through the mediating factor of loneliness. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical significance and generalizability of our research results.

The general aggression model (GAM) has suggested that the interaction between person factors (e.g., personality variables) and situation factors (e.g., playing violent video games [VVGs]) can increase individuals' aggressive behaviors through their cognition (e.g., hostile attributions), affect (e.g., negative affect), and/or arousal. The present study employed a modified competitive reaction time task to test the effects of shyness, violent (vs. nonviolent) gameplay, and shyness on individuals' positive-negative affect, hostile attributions, and aggressive behaviors. In addition, the present study also employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the mediation (by cognition and affect) and moderation (by shyness). Results showed that playing a VVG increased aggressive behaviors, negative affect, and hostile attributions primarily among shy participants. In addition, the results of SEM also revealed that this moderating role was mediated by negative affect and hostile attributions. The present study supported GAM and showed that individuals' aggressive behaviors are differentially susceptible to VVGs, depending on their level of shyness in a "for bad and for worse" manner.

To explore the intergenerational transmission of relative deprivation, as well as the mediating role of children’s sense of security and the moderating role of teachers’ emotional support, questionnaires were used in this study. Considering the family as the sampling unit, 271 families of junior high school students were surveyed. The results showed that the relative deprivation of parents significantly predicted that of their children, and there was an intergenerational transmission effect. Moreover, the sense of security partially mediated the intergenerational transmission of relative deprivation. Finally, teachers’ emotional support moderated the path by which relative deprivation of parents affected children’s sense of security. For children with a high level of teachers’ emotional support, relative deprivation of parents had a significant and negative predictive effect on their sense of security; Conversely, for children with a low level of teachers’ emotional support, relative deprivation of parents had no significant effect. The results suggested that the relative deprivation of children was the result of the combined effect of teachers’ emotional support and parents’ relative deprivation, and both factors were indispensable. Only when parents and teachers provided positive guidance and support for the development of adolescents could they truly protect children from relative deprivation and foster their healthy growth.

Many people empirically believe that shyness, as a withdrawn personality trait, is not correlated or is negatively correlated with aggression, however, previous studies have found that shy individuals show higher levels of aggression. According to the social fitness model, shy children are more likely to be excluded from the outside world and to exist in an internal state of unease. From this perspective, the present study investigated the effects of shyness on aggression by considering peer victimization and security and by finding moderating factors (parent–child attachment) to improve this phenomenon. The sample consisted of 689 children. Questionnaires were utilized to investigate the mediating mechanism of shyness on aggression from the perspective of peer victimization and security in children and the possible moderating effect of parent–child attachment. The results showed that shyness not only directly predicts aggression but also can influence aggression through the multiple mediating effects of peer victimization and security. In addition, we found that mother–child attachment moderated the relationship between shyness and peer victimization and between shyness and security. Father–child attachment moderated the relationship between security and aggression and between shyness and aggression.

Recent studies found that some personality traits (e.g., impulsivity, sensation seeking) are frequently related to Internet addiction. In line with previous studies, this study aimed to determine whether shy students readily develop Internet addiction and to identify the causes of their developing Internet addiction. Specifically, this study examined the mediating roles of cognitive flexibility, self-regulation, and self-inconsistency in linking shyness and Internet addiction. A total of 1301 middle-school students in Shandong Province, East China, completed the relevant scales. Correlation analysis revealed that shyness was positively correlated with self-inconsistency and Internet addiction and negatively correlated with self-regulation and self-inconsistency. Cognitive flexibility, self-regulation, and self-inconsistency played fully mediating roles in the relationship between shyness and Internet addiction. The results indicate the significance of shyness-sensitivity for Internet addiction and suggest that cognitive and coping abilities as well as social adjustment factors should be considered when designing interventions to help shy students overcome Internet addiction.

The current study examined the associations between specific Internet activities (online shopping, pornography use, social networking site use, and Internet gaming), life satisfaction, and the mediating effects of loneliness and depression for these associations. Participants were 5,215 students (2,303 male participants, Mage = 16.20 years; ranging in age from 10 to 23 years) from various school types (546 elementary school students, 1710 junior high school students, 688 senior high school students, and 2271 university students) who provided self-report data on demographic variables, online shopping, pornography use, social networking site use, loneliness, depression, and life satisfaction. The results indicated that after controlling for demographic variables (gender and age) (a) loneliness and depression had fully positive mediating effects on the association between social networking site use and life satisfaction; (b) loneliness and depression played fully negative mediating effects on life satisfaction associations with online shopping, pornography use, and Internet gaming. Therefore, loneliness and depression were the underlying mechanisms that caused life satisfaction to be affected by online shopping, pornography use, social networking site use, and Internet gaming.

This study examined the relationship between externalizing behavior and academic engagement, and tested the possibility of class collective efficacy and class size moderating this relationship. Data were collected from 28 Chinese classrooms (N = 1034 students; grades 7, 8, and 9) with student reports. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to test all hypotheses and results revealed a negative relationship between externalizing behavior and academic engagement; class collective efficacy was also significantly related to academic engagement. Additionally, class collective efficacy and class size moderated the relationship between externalizing behavior and academic engagement: For students in a class with high collective efficacy or small size (≤30 students), the relationship between externalizing behavior and academic engagement was weaker than for those in a class with low collective efficacy or large size (≥43 students). Results are discussed considering self-regulatory mechanisms and social environment theory, with possible implications for teachers of students’ learning provided.

Research Findings: The current study examined the moderating effects of gender and teacher–child relationship on the association between shyness and school adjustment (school liking and avoidance, cooperative and independent participation). The sample consisted of 524 preschool students from 3 cities of Shandong province in northern China. Mothers reported children's shyness, school liking, and school avoidance, whereas teachers rated children's cooperative and independent participation and reported perceived teacher–child relationships. Overall, findings indicated that shyness was associated with lower teacher–child closeness, lower school liking, and higher school avoidance. Child gender moderated the relationship between shyness and teacher–child dependency. Moreover, teacher–child relationship and child gender moderated the shyness–adjustment relationships. Practice or Policy: These findings point to the potential for improving teacher–child relationships to facilitate shy preschoolers’ school adjustm...

Prospective memory (PM) is the process associated with the task of realizing delayed intentions in the future. Researchers distinguish two types of PM, namely time-based PM (tbPM) and event-based PM (ebPM). Experiment 1 investigated the developmental trajectory of 3- to 5-year-old preschool children’s PM ability, and the occurrence of delayed retrieval (children execute the PM task in a larger window of opportunity) in both tbPM and ebPM tasks. Results revealed that the 5-year-old children outperformed the 3- and 4-year-old children in PM. Moreover, delayed retrieval was more likely to occur in tbPM task than in ebPM task. In Experiment 2, the influence of ongoing task (OT) difficulty on PM performance was investigated with a sample of 5-year-old children. Results revealed no significant effect of OT difficulty on PM performance. In Experiment 3, we improved children’s motivation level to complete the OT, then explored the influence of OT difficulty on children’s PM performance. Results revealed that the effect of OT difficulty on PM performance became significant after increasing the children’s motivation to complete the OT. These results provide insights into the mechanism of attentional resource allocation in PM tasks and have crucial educational and social implications.