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Popularity has been empirically linked to psychological and several indices of school adjustment outcomes during childhood and early adolescence. Yet, best friend popularity in relation to the adjustment outcomes remains unclear, especially in more interdependent-oriented cultures. To address this gap, this study applied the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to simultaneously considering whether, and how, the popularity of youth (actor effects) and their best friends (partner effects) contribute uniquely to psychological well-being and school adjustment outcomes, after controlling for social preference. Age and gender differences were also examined. Participants were 162 same-gender best friend dyads (81 boys, M

The goal of this study was to evaluate the measurement invariance of an adapted assessment of motivations for social withdrawal (Social Preference Scale-Revised; SPS-R) across cultural contexts and explore associations with loneliness. Participants were a large sample of university students (N = 4,397; M-age = 20.08 years, SD = 2.96; 66% females) from 10 countries (Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, South Korea, Norway, Turkey, and the United States). With this cross-cultural focus, we illustrate the multiple-group factor analysis alignment method, an approach developed to assess measurement invariance when there are several groups. Results indicated approximate measurement invariance across the 10 country groups. Additional analyses indicated that overall, shyness, avoidance, and unsociability are three related, but distinct factors, with some notable country differences evident (e.g., in China, India, and Turkey). Shyness and avoidance were related positively to loneliness in all countries, but the strength of the association between shyness and loneliness differed in Italy and India relative to the other countries. Results also indicated that unsociability was related positively to loneliness in the United States only. Theoretical and assessment implications are discussed., Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant [4352017-0849], The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article:This research was supported, in part, by a Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant (4352017-0849) to authors R.J.C. and J.C.B.

This 2-year longitudinal study examined relations between enjoyment of learning in Chinese and mathematics, two major subjects in Chinese schools, and indexes of school performance. The participants included 1041 students (501 boys) initially in third, fifth, and seventh grades (mean age = 10.49 years) in China. Data on enjoyment of Chinese and mathematics were collected from students' self-reports and data on school performance were collected from multiple sources in 2017 and 2019. The results showed that enjoyment of mathematics positively predicted later academic achievement, self-perceptions of academic competence, teacher-rated school competence, and peer-assessed leadership-social competence. Enjoyment of Chinese negatively predicted later mathematics achievement and self-perceptions of academic competence and nonsignificantly predicted other school performance variables. The results were discussed in Chinese context.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the measurement invariance of the School Connectedness Scale for Chinese, Canadian, and Tanzanian adolescents, and to explore the inter association between school connectedness and cyberbullying/cybervictimization. Participants included 3872 adolescents from urban settings in China ( N= 2053, M age=16.36 years, SD = 1.14 years; 44.6% boys), Canada ( N = 642, M age = 12.13 years, SD = 0.77 years; 50.1% boys), and Tanzania ( N = 1056 , M age=15.87 years, SD = 2.03 years; 52.8% boys). Adolescents self-reported their cybervictimization and cyberbullying experiences, as well as their perceived school connectedness. Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed an approximate measurement invariance of the scale across the three countries. Chinese students showed the lowest levels of school connectedness while Tanzanian students showed the highest. The findings of the multivariate multigroup regression analyses across the three countries revealed similar relationships between school connectedness and cyberbullying/cybervictimization, thus broadening our understanding of school connectedness and its relationship to cyberbullying/cybervictimization across these three different countries.

Preferring to spend time alone (for any reason) has been empirically linked to symptoms of internalizing problems among Chinese children and early adolescents. However, little is known about the implications of affinity for solitude (i.e., an enjoyment of solitude) in China. Moreover, it remains unclear how affinity for solitude and depressive symptoms development simultaneously in early adolescence. To address these gaps, this study examined the longitudinal and parallel associations between affinity for solitude and depressive symptoms among Chinese early adolescents. Participants were 853 adolescents (48.4% female; M

We explored the mediating effect of coping style in the relationship between psychological capital and depression in a sample of 367 senior high school students from Shanghai, China. We measured their psychological capital, coping style, and depression using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire for Adolescent Students, the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The results show that psychological capital and positive coping were significantly and positively correlated, psychological capital and positive coping were significantly and negatively related to negative coping and depression, and negative coping and depression were significantly and positively correlated. After controlling for school type, grade, and gender, both positive and negative coping styles mediated the association between psychological capital and depression. The results indicate the importance of high levels of psychological capital and positive coping for preventing and alleviating depression in senior high school students.

Finasteride is an antiandrogenic drug used for the clinical treatment of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP). Recently, we reported the anti-CNP activity of Poria cocos polysaccharides (PPs) in a rat model. In this study, we compared the differences between PPs and finasteride in treating CNP, especially their effects on the gut microbiota. Results showed that both PPs and finasteride significantly reduced the prostate weight and prostate index of CNP rats, and improved the histological damages in the inflamed prostate. Moreover, PPs and finasteride inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-8) and androgens (dihydrotestosterone and testosterone). By 16S rDNA sequencing, PPs and finasteride were found to reprogram the gut microbiota into distinct profiles. Further analysis presented that PPs but not finasteride recovered CNP-induced changes in the gut microbiota, including Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group, uncultured bacterium f Ruminococcaceae, Ruminiclostridium 9, Phascolarctobacterium, Coriobacteriaceae UCG-002 and Oribacterium. LDA effect size (LEfSe) analysis revealed that PPs recovered the gut microbiota by targeting Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group. Our results suggested that PPs alleviated CNP via different mechanisms from finasteride, especially by regulating the gut microbiota, which offers therapeutic target for the treatment of CNP.

This 1-year longitudinal study examined the effects of academic performance and depression in friendships among elementary school children in China. Participants included 1122 children (44% boys) within 561 stable friendship dyads initially in fourth and fifth grades (initial M

This 1-year longitudinal study examined the relations between maternal encouragement of sociability and social, school, and psychological adjustment in nonmigrant (n = 355, Mage = 9.90 years) and migrant children (n = 248, Mage = 9.95 years) in urban China. Data were obtained from multiple sources, including mothers' reports, peer nominations, teacher ratings, and child self-reports. The results showed that maternal encouragement of sociability negatively contributed to later loneliness in nonmigrant children, but not in migrant children. Moreover, among nonmigrant children, maternal encouragement of sociability was negatively associated with later behavioral problems for those who had higher initial behavioral problems, and positively associated with later perceived self-worth for those with higher initial self-worth. Among migrant children, the maternal encouragement of sociability was positively associated with later peer victimization and learning problems for those who had higher initial problems. The results indicate that maternal encouragement of sociability may function differently in the nonmigrant and migrant family contexts in China. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The goal of the present study was to explore the potential moderating role of quality of Parent–child relationships in the relations between child shyness and peer difficulties across the transition to middle school. Participants were 215 children attending public primary schools in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, who were followed from Grade 5 to Grade 6. Children reported on the quality of their relationships with mothers and fathers (conflict, support), while peer-nominations were used to assess shyness, peer rejection, and peer victimization. Among the results, shyness in Grade 5 was positively associated with peer rejection and peer victimization in Grade 6. The associations between shyness and peer relationship difficulties were stronger among Parent–child relationships characterized by higher levels of conflict and lower levels of support and attenuated among Parent–child relationships characterized by lower levels of conflict and higher levels of support. Gender differences were also found; parent support moderated the relations between shyness and peer difficulties, for girls, but not for boys. At lower levels of parent support, the association between shyness and peer difficulties among girls were stronger. Taken together, the findings offer evidence that the quality of Parent–child relationships function as a moderator, providing support for the Goodness-of-Fit model.

Few studies have been conducted to examine the role shyness plays in friendship selection and influences processes, particularly how befriending shy peers affects individual’s psychological adjustment. To address these gaps, this study investigated the selection, de-selection, same behavior influence effects of shyness in the friendship network in Chinese adolescents using the longitudinal social network analysis. It also explored the possible pathways that transmit indirect influences of friends’ shyness to individual’s psychological maladjustments (i.e., loneliness and depressive symptoms). A sample of adolescents (N = 1254, 48.4% girls, Mage = 13.20 years at Time 1) were followed for three years in middle schools. The results showed that adolescents tended to befriend those who had similar shyness level during T1–T2 interval, but the friendships between shy friends were more likely to terminate during T2–T3 interval. Moreover, adolescents were found to become more similar with their friends in shyness over time. The study also found that friends’ shyness at T1 would influence individual’s loneliness at T3 via 1) increasing friends’ loneliness at T2 or 2) increasing individual’s shyness level at T2. Those two pathways, however, were not found for depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that shyness plays an important role in the friendship formation and dissolution and befriending shy peers may have implications for adolescents’ development of shyness and loneliness.

Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP) is a common male disease with high incidence and low cure rate. This study aims to investigate the anti-CNP potential of Poria cocos polysaccharides (PPs) in a λ-carrageenan-induced CNP rat model. Results showed that PPs exerted anti-CNP functions by reducing the prostate weight and prostate index as well as the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β). Further analysis on sex hormones revealed that PPs could favor CNP alleviation by regulating the production of testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DTH), and estradiol (E2). PPs could also alleviate CNP by regulating the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), malonaldehyde (MDA), and superoxide diamutase (SOD) in inflamed prostate, thereby enhancing the anti-oxidative stress activity. As most non-digestive polysaccharides are fermented by gut microbiota rather than being digested directly by the host, we further analyzed PP-induced changes in gut microbiota. Microbiomic analysis revealed that PPs significantly change the profile of gut microbiota. Moreover, the relative abundance of five genera was recovered by PPs with a dose-effect relationship, thereby being suggested to play critical roles in the alleviation of CNP. Epigenomic (methylomic) analysis showed that PPs remodeled the DNA methylome of intestinal epithelia, by which PPs might modify hormone production. In the present study, we reported the anti-CNP activity of PPs as well as the involved mechanisms.

Although psychologically controlling and autonomy-supportive parenting are important indicators of social anxiety during early adolescence, less research has explored distinct roles of father and mother parenting, especially in interdependent-oriented culture. This 3-year longitudinal study examined the reciprocal associations between such parenting and early adolescent social anxiety from multi-informants in the Chinese context. A sample of 1,140 Chinese early adolescents (51.1% boys; M

Melamine contains three aromatic nitrogen atoms and three free amino groups, which have great adsorption potential for heavy metallic ions in wastewater. The sorption performances of melamine for Cu(II) and Pb(II) ( They are denoted as Cu&Pb) were studied. Some major effects such as adsorption time, original concentration, and temperature on its adsorption performances were studied. The effects confirmed that melamine had true adsorption for Cu&Pb, and higher selectivity for the adsorption of Cu&Pb in a binary blended system. The adsorption amount of Pb(II) on melamine reached 4.91 mg/g at pH 5, adsorption equilibrium time of 12 h, and temperature of 55 °C, while the sorption amount of Cu(II) was only 2.70 mg/g, with a difference of about 1.8 times. The adsorption mechanism shows that the sorption of Cu&Pb on melamine follows the Lagergren quasi-second-order kinetic model. This result indicates that the mixture of Cu&Pb can be separated by stepwise processes from a binary mixed system.

The present study explored the role of adaptive and maladaptive parenting practices as moderators in the relations between child shyness and internalizing problems (depressive symptoms, loneliness, low self-worth) in Mainland China. Participants were N = 1,066 third- to eighth-grade students (499 boys; Mage = 11.73 years, SD = 21.75) attending six public elementary and junior high schools in Shanghai, P. R. China. Multisource assessments were employed. Children provided self-reports of shyness and internalizing problems, mothers and fathers provided ratings of their adaptive (warmth, reasoning, autonomy) and maladaptive (physical hostility, verbal hostility, punishment) parenting practices, and teacher-rated children's internalizing problem. The results indicated that the relations between shyness and internalizing problems were attenuated among children whose parents were rated higher in adaptive parenting. However, maladaptive parenting did not significantly moderate these associations. The findings underscore the importance of considering the meaning and implication of parenting in Chinese culture. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

This 1-year longitudinal study examined relations between maternal power-assertive parenting and children's social, academic and psychological adjustment in China. Participants were 316 elementary school children (mean age = 11 years, 153 boys). Maternal power-assertive parenting was assessed using children's self-reports. Data on children's social and school adjustment were obtained from peer evaluations and teacher ratings. In addition, children completed measures of loneliness and depression. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that whereas maternal power-assertive parenting was only related to later academic adjustment, children's adjustment in socioemotional and academic domains contributed to the prediction of later maternal power-assertive parenting. The results were discussed in the Chinese context.

The goal of this study was to evaluate a complex multiple mediation model linking parental support, homework self-efficacy, emotion regulation strategies (i.e. cognitive reappraisal and expressive ...

The present study examined the longitudinal relations between child perceptions of parental autonomy-support and peer preference in mainland China. Participants were N = 758 children (50.8% boys, Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.03 at Wave 1, Mage = 11.72 years, SD = 1.11 at Wave 2, Mage = 12.65 years, SD = 0.95 at Wave 3) from elementary and middle schools in Shanghai, P.R. China. Children were followed over three years from Grades 4–6 to Grades 6–8. Each year, children reported their perceived maternal/paternal autonomy-support and peer preference (being well-liked among peers) was measured via peer nominations. Among the results, peer preference positively predicted later perceptions of maternal and paternal autonomy-supportive parenting, whereas autonomy-supportive parenting did not significantly predict later peer preference. Results are discussed in terms of the interactions between parental autonomy-supportive parenting and children’s peer relationships in Chinese culture.

Despite empirical findings that prosociality is related to decreased depressive symptoms in children, little is known about the directionality of the relations and the mechanisms that may explain the relations. To address these gaps, this study examined bi-directional associations between prosociality and depressive symptoms and the mediating effects of peer preference on the associations in Chinese children. Multi-wave longitudinal data were collected each year from Grades 3 to 6 in a sample of children in China (initial N = 1012; 51.6% girls; initial Mage = 8.68 years). The results showed that prosociality and depression negatively contributed to each other over time. Prosociality also predicted increased peer preference, which in turn contributed to fewer depressive symptoms, suggesting that peer preference was a mediator of the contributions of prosociality to depressive symptoms. These findings indicate the temporal ordering of prosociality and depressive symptoms and the processes in the development of depressive symptoms in Chinese children.

Recent studies have indicated that there are benefits to be derived from incorporating emotional design principles into multimedia lessons. However, the results of how this principle affects the amount of mental effort that is exerted in learning have been mixed. In this study, the effect of the emotional design principle on individuals' mental effort investment was examined using effort-related physiological measures (i.e., heart rate variability). Sixty college participants, of whom 30 were in a positive emotional design group and the remaining 30 in a neutral emotional design (control) group, received a six-minute-long set of biology multimedia instructions. Compared to the participants in the neutral design group, the participants in the positive emotional design group performed better on a subsequent retention test and had a stronger decrease in the high-frequency band of heart rate variability in the instruction session. These findings are consistent with the affective mediation assumption of Cognitive Affective Theory of Learning with Media and indicate the potential importance of including affective and motivational factors in multimedia learning research.

The goal of this study was to explore longitudinal associations among child shyness, harsh maternal and paternal parenting styles, and close teacher-child relationships in the cultural context of contemporary urban China. Participants were N = 1,154 third through seventh-grade students (566 boys, 588 girls; Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.55), recruited from schools in Shanghai, P. R. China. Data were collected at two time-periods over a one-year period using multi-source assessments. Children provided self-reports of shyness, mothers and fathers rated their own harsh parenting, and teachers assessed teacher-child relationships. Among the results, shyness predicted increased incremental change in harsh parenting (for both mothers and fathers) and incremental decrease in close teacher-child relationships one year later. Results are discussed in terms of the evolving meaning and implications of child shyness in contemporary Chinese culture.

The ability to intentionally control behavior to achieve specific goals helps children concentrate in school and behave appropriately in social situations. In Chinese culture, where self-regulation is highly valued by parents and teachers, children’s difficulties self-regulating may contribute to increased learning problems and subsequent authoritarian parenting. In this study we explored the longitudinal linkages among Chinese children’s self-regulation, learning problems, and authoritarian parenting using a developmental cascades model. Participants were N = 617 primary school students in Shanghai, P.R. China followed over three years from Grade 3–4 to Grade 5–6. Measures of children’s self-regulation, learning problems, and maternal authoritarian parenting were obtained each year from a combination of child self-reports and maternal and teacher ratings. Among the results: (1) compared with the unidirectional and bidirectional models, the developmental cascades model was deemed the best fit for the data; (2) earlier self-regulation negatively predicted later authoritarian parenting via a pathway through academic performance; (3) academic performance directly and indirectly contributed to greater self-regulation. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of self-regulation for Chinese children’s academic success and authoritarian parenting practices.

This study evaluates a model linking shyness, aspects of peer relations, and internalizing problems among young adolescents in the People's Republic of China. Participants were 547 young adolescents from Shanghai, China (46% boys; Mage = 10.35 years, SD = 0.77 years) who completed peer nominations of shyness, rejection, and victimization, and self-report measures of loneliness, depression, and friendship support. Analyses demonstrated that peer difficulties (rejection, victimization) mediated the associations between shyness and internalizing problems. However, moderated mediation analyses revealed a protective effect for highly supportive friendships, especially for boys. Findings highlight the importance of considering different types of peer experiences in studies of shy young adolescents and are discussed in terms of importance to theory and intervention in China and elsewhere.

This study explored the longitudinal relations among peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement in Chinese primary school students. Participants were N = 945 fourth-grade students (485 boys, 460 girls; Mage = 10.16 years, SD = 2 months) attending elementary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Three waves of data on peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement were collected from peer nominations, self-reports, and school records, respectively. The results indicated that peer victimization had both direct and indirect effects on later depression and academic achievement. Depression also had both direct and indirect negative effects on later academic achievement, but demonstrated only an indirect effect on later peer victimization. Finally, academic achievement had both direct and indirect negative effects on later peer victimization and depression. The findings show that there are cross-cultural similarities and differences in the various transactions that exist among peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Peer victimization directly and indirectly relates to depression and academic achievement. Depression directly and indirectly relates to academic achievement. Academic achievement directly and indirectly relates to depression. What the present study adds? A developmental cascade approach was used to assess the interrelations among peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement. Academic achievement mediates the relation between peer victimization and depression. Depression is related to peer victimization through academic achievement. Academic achievement directly and indirectly relates to peer victimization. Academic achievement is related to depression through peer victimization.

OBJECTIVE. This study explores the contributions of Chinese immigrant mothers’ parenting cognitions and parenting practices to their children’s social skills. DESIGN. We used a cross-sectional design to examine the mediating role of authoritative parenting in associations between Chinese immigrant mothers’ parenting attributions and their children’s social skills. Chinese immigrant mothers (N = 208, M(age) = 37.36 years) reported their attributions regarding successes and failures in their daily caregiving experiences, authoritative parenting practices, and demographic information. Their preschool children’s (M(age) = 4.51 years, 46.2% females) social skills in school were rated by their teachers. RESULTS. Maternal attributions of successful events to uncontrollable causes and unsuccessful events to controllable causes were associated with more authoritative parenting. In turn, more authoritative parenting was associated with more competent social skills in children. In contrast, maternal attributions of successful events to controllable causes and unsuccessful events to uncontrollable causes were associated with less authoritative parenting, which in turn was associated with poorer social skills in children. CONCLUSIONS. Promoting Chinese immigrant mothers’ attributions that preserve positive efficacy during daily parenting tasks may enhance their engagement in warm, autonomy-promoting and regulatory parenting, which in turn may facilitate their children’s social skills.

Introduction Victims of peer victimization are likely to develop psychological adjustment difficulties. The primary goal of the present study was to examine the moderating effects of conflict resolution strategies (solution-orientation, control, nonconfrontation) on the relations between peer victimization and psychological problems (depressive symptoms, loneliness) in Chinese early adolescents using a cross-sectional design. Methods Participants included 569 children (298 boys) in fifth grade (M = 11.75 years, SD = 0.40) in urban China. Peer victimization, conflict resolution strategies, depressive symptoms, and loneliness were measured through self-report questionnaires. Results Peer victimization was positively related to depressive symptoms and loneliness. The relations between peer victimization and psychological problems were moderated by adolescents' solution-oriented and nonconfrontational strategies. Specifically, the relations between peer victimization and psychological problems, including depressive symptoms and loneliness, were attenuated by solution-orientation strategy. In addition, victimized youth who used nonconfrontation strategy were more prone to suffer from loneliness. Gender was also found to moderate these associations. Conclusions The findings suggest that solution-oriented conflict resolution strategy may protect victimized adolescents from developing loneliness and depressive symptoms and nonconfrontation conflict strategy may exacerbate feelings of loneliness of victimized adolescents. Intervention programs should consider helping victimized youth use more solution-oriented strategies and less nonconfrontational strategies.

The present study examined the moderating effects of social sensitivity in the relations between cybervictimization and school and psychological adjustment in Chinese children. Participants were 577 elementary school students in fifth and sixth grades (287 boys; Mage = 11 years) in Sichuan, China. Self-report data were collected on cybervictimization, social sensitivity, and psychological adjustment (social anxiety and loneliness). Teachers rated children on school competence, and data on academic achievement was obtained from school records. The results indicated that cybervictimization was negatively associated with teacher-rated school competence and academic achievement and positively associated with loneliness, mainly for children with high social sensitivity. Children with low social sensitivity were relatively unsusceptible to the experiences of cybervictimization. The results suggest that parents, teachers, and professionals should pay particular attention to the school and psychological adjustment of cybervictimized and socially sensitive children.

The goals of the present study were to (a) develop and validate a new self-report measure of social avoidance for use among early adolescents in mainland China and (b) explore the links between subtypes of social withdrawal (i.e., shyness, unsociability, and social avoidance) and indices of socio-emotional difficulties in this cultural context. Participants were 663 early adolescents (350 boys, 313 girls) attending elementary schools ([Formula: see text] = 10.25 years) and middle schools ([Formula: see text] = 12.53 years) in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Measures of social withdrawal subtypes and adjustment were collected using multi-source assessments, including self-reports, peer nominations, and teacher ratings. The results provided evidence in support of the reliability and validity of the new scale of self-reported social avoidance. Shyness, unsociability, and social avoidance were also all uniquely associated with emotion dysregulation and self-reported internalizing problems. However, only social avoidance was uniquely associated with teacher-rated emotion symptoms and peer problems (as rated by both peers and teachers). Results are discussed in terms of the reasons why social avoidance may have particularly negative implications for early adolescents in China.

This study examined how shyness–sensitivity and unsociability were associated with social, school, and psychological adjustment in Chinese children and adolescents. Participants included 564 children (272 boys, Mage=9 years) and 462 adolescents (246 boys, Mage=13 years) in a suburban region in China. Data were obtained from peer assessments, sociometric nominations, teacher-ratings, self-reports, and school records. The results showed that relations of shyness and unsociability with adjustment differed in middle childhood and early adolescence. Shyness tended to be associated with social and psychological problems more evidently in adolescence than in childhood. In contrast, unsociability was associated with problems more evidently across domains in childhood than in adolescence. The results indicate that the implications of the two main forms of social withdrawal may vary across developmental periods.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Self-Regulation Scale (C-SRS) were examined in a sample of 1,458 third- to eighth-grade students in China. Children completed self-reports of self-regulation, loneliness, depression, and self-esteem, and teachers rated children’s school adjustment. Results showed a stable three-factor model that demonstrated a reasonable fit to the C-SRS items, and the scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency, reliability, and convergent validity. Results of measurement invariance tests indicated metric and scalar invariance across gender and grade. Findings from this study suggest that the C-SRS can be used with Chinese primary and junior high school students.

This study examined relations of social sensitivity to socioemotional and school adjustment in Chinese and Canadian children. Participants were fourth- to eighth-grade students (Mage = 12 years) in China (n = 723) and Canada (n = 568). Data were obtained from multiple sources. The analyses revealed that the pattern of relations between social sensitivity and indexes of adjustment differed in the two countries. Social sensitivity was negatively associated with social and school adjustment and positively associated with psychological distress in Canadian children. However, social sensitivity was positively associated with school competence and psychological well-being in Chinese children. The results indicate that children's social sensitivity may have different functional meanings in Chinese and North American societies.

The goal of this study was to explore the moderating role of perceived parental psychological control in the links between shyness and socio-emotional adjustment in Chinese adolescents. Participants were N = 462 Grade 7 and 8 Chinese adolescents (246 boys, Mage = 13.42 years, SD = 8 months) recruited from four randomly selected public schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Participants completed peer assessment measures of shyness and peer victimization, sociometric nominations of peer rejection, and self-report measures of loneliness, depression, and perceived parental psychological control. Among the results, shyness was positively associated with loneliness, depressive symptoms, and peer rejection among adolescents who perceived their parents as higher in psychological control, but no significant associations were found among adolescents who perceived lower levels of parental psychological control. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of parenting practices perpetuating adjustment problems among shy adolescents in urban China.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the implications of social anxiety symptoms in a community sample of elementary school children in mainland China. Method Participants were N = 576 children (309 boys, 267 girls; mean age = 11.52 years, standard deviation = 1.21) attending public elementary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Multisource assessments included child self-reports, teacher ratings, and school records. Results Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the previously established 3-factor solution for the Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised. Social anxiety symptoms were associated with indices of internalizing problems, peer difficulties, and poorer school adjustment. Conclusion Results are discussed in terms of the implications of social avoidance as a particularly maladaptive component of social anxiety in the collectivistic society of China.

The purpose of this study was to examine school adjustment of rural-to-urban migrant children and its relations with acculturation in China. Migrant children were those whose official hukou status was in a rural region outside the city. Data were collected for 1175 students (M age = 11 years) in urban public schools from multiple sources including peer evaluations, teacher ratings, self-reports, and school records. The results showed that migrant students performed more competently than urban non-migrant students in social and academic areas. Migrant students displayed better psychological adjustment than non-migrant students in higher grades, but not in lower grades. Among migrant students, those with higher scores on accommodation to urban culture and maintenance of rural culture tended to be better adjusted. These results indicate the implications of migration and change in life circumstances for children's school functioning in social, academic, and psychological domains.

The aims of the present study were to (a) examine the factor structure of the Self-Report Coping Scale in a sample of Chinese early adolescents and (b) explore associations between coping and socioemotional functioning in this sample. Participants were N= 569 elementary school students (307 boys) in Grades 4 to 6. Participants completed a measure of coping in response to an argument with a friend. Students’ functioning across multiple domains was assessed using self, peer, and teacher reports. Results suggested a five-factor model of coping in Chinese early adolescents (problem solving, seeking social support, internalizing, externalizing, distancing). In support of predictions, internalizing and distancing coping were positively related to adjustment indices, whereas seeking social support and problem-solving coping were negatively related to outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of the important role of coping for adolescents’ adjustment across multiple domains and in relation to recent shifts in traditional Chinese cultural values.

Unsociable children are likely to develop adjustment difficulties in Chinese society. The primary goal of the present study was to examine the moderating effect of behavioural control on the relation between unsociability and peer problems in Chinese children. Participants were fourth to eighth grade students in urban China (N = 787). Assessments of unsociability, shyness, peer problems and behavioural control were obtained from peer nominations and teacher ratings. Results indicated that unsociability was positively related to peer problems in Chinese children after controlling for shyness. Also, the relation between unsociability and peer problems was attenuated among children with higher behavioural control. Thus, behavioural control may be a buffering factor that serves to protect unsociable children from developing peer problems. Gender and age also moderated these associations. Results are discussed in terms of the meaning and implications of unsociability and behavioural control in Chinese culture. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The goal of this study was to explore longitudinal associations between peer victimization and academic achievement in Chinese children. Participants were N = 805 3rd-grade students (486 boys, 319 girls; M(age) = 9.5 years, SD = 3 months) attending primary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. At Time 1 and Time 2 (2 years later), peers nominated classmates who were victims of peer maltreatment using the Chinese version of the Revised Class Play (Chen, Rubin, & Sun, 1992), and teachers rated students' academic achievement. Among the results, peer victimization was negatively related to academic achievement at both time points. Also, peer victimization and academic achievement displayed considerable stability across the 2 years. Results from cross-lagged hierarchical analyses demonstrated that peer victimization at Grade 3 predicted lower academic achievement at Grade 5. However, academic achievement at Grade 3 was not predictive of peer victimization at Grade 5. These results suggest that peer victimization appears to function more as a precursor rather than a consequence of lower academic achievement. Results are discussed in terms of the cross-cultural similarities in the links between peer maltreatment and academic achievement and their educational implications.

The primary goal of this study was to examine the short-term longitudinal associations between unsociability, shyness, and indices of adjustment among Chinese children. Participants were 787 children (ages 10–14 years) in an urban area in China. Assessments of unsociability, shyness, and adjustment were obtained from multiple sources, including peer nominations, self-reports, and school records. Results indicated that while controlling for the effects of shyness, unsociability was associated with socioemotional and school difficulties. In particular, unsociability appeared to act as a risk factor for later peer problems and internalizing difficulties across the school year. Some gender differences were also observed in the longitudinal associations between unsociability and indices of adjustment. Results are discussed in terms of the meaning and implication of unsociability in Chinese culture.

This study explored the extent to which loneliness of Indonesian and Chinese adolescents was predicted by their intimacy and conflict with friends and parents. The total sample included 1,833 thirteen- and fifteen-year-old adolescents recruited from urban schools. Boys reported more loneliness than girls, and Chinese boys reported more loneliness than Indonesian boys. Indonesian adolescents reported less intimacy with friends, more intimacy with parents, and more conflict with peers and parents than did Chinese adolescents. Consistent with expectations, loneliness was predicted primarily by low intimacy with friends for Chinese adolescents and by low social preference for Indonesian adolescents. Whereas low intimacy and conflict with parents predicted loneliness for adolescents in both countries, these effects were stronger for Chinese than Indonesian adolescents. These findings suggest that experiences of loneliness across cultures vary as a function of the relative salience of qualities of peer and parent relationships.