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Introduction: There have been studies indicating that children's unsociability was associated with poorer socio-emotional functioning in China. Although some researchers have found that parenting behavior would influence the relationship between children's unsociability and adjustment, the role of parental psychological control has not been explored. This study aimed to investigate the moderating effect of parental psychological control on the relationship between unsociability and socio-emotional functioning in Chinese children. Methods: A total of 1,275 students from Grades 3 to 7 (637 boys, Mage = 10.78 years, SD = 1.55 years) were selected from four public schools in Shanghai to participate in this study. Data of unsociability, peer victimization and social preference were collected from peer-nominations, and data of parental psychological control, depressive symptoms and social anxiety were collected from self-reports. Results: There were positive associations between unsociability and peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety, as well as a negative association between unsociability and social preference. Parental psychological control moderated these associations, specifically, the associations between unsociability and peer victimization, social preference, and depressive symptoms were stronger, and the association between unsociability and social anxiety was only significant among children with higher level of parental psychological control. Discussion: The findings in the current study highlight the importance of parental psychological control in the socio-emotional functioning of unsociable children in the Chinese context, enlightening educators that improving parenting behavior is essential for children's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: From the perspective of person-centered research, the present study aimed to identify the potential profiles of solitude among late adolescents based on their solitary behavior, motivation, attitude, and time alone. In addition, to echo the paradox of solitude, we further explored the links between solitude profiles and adjustment outcomes. Methods: The participants of the study were 355 late adolescents (56.34% female, Mage = 19.71 years old) at three universities in Shanghai, China. Measures of solitary behavior, autonomous motivation for solitude, attitude toward being alone, and time spent alone were collected using adolescents' self-report assessments. The UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Basic Psychological Needs Scales were measured as indices of adjustment. Results: Latent profile analysis revealed four distinct groups: absence of the aloneness group (21.13%), the positive motivational solitude group (29.01%), the negative motivational solitude group (38.03%), and the activity-oriented solitude group (11.83%). Differences emerged among these four groups in terms of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and basic needs satisfaction, with adolescents in the negative motivational solitude group facing the most risk of psychological maladjustment. Conclusion: Findings revealed the possible heterogeneous nature of solitude among Chinese late adolescents and provided a theoretical basis for further understanding of adolescents' solitary state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The goal of the present study was to examine the moderating effect of classroom sociable norm on the relations between unsociability and internalizing problems (the indicators included depression, loneliness and selfesteem) in Chinese adolescents. Methods: Participants were N = 1,160 adolescents in Grade 4-8 from Shanghai, People's Republic of China. They completed questionnaires about unsociability, sociability, and social preference via peer nominations, while depression, loneliness, and self-esteem were collected via self-report. Results: It was found that unsociability was positively associated with depression and loneliness, and negatively associated with self-esteem. Moreover, the relations between unsociability and indicators of internalizing problems were moderated by classroom sociable norm. More specifically, the significant positive associations between unsociability and depression and loneliness were stronger in classrooms with high sociable norm, and the negative association between unsociability and self-esteem was only significant in such classrooms. Conclusion: The findings suggest that classroom sociable norm plays an important role in unsociable adolescents' psychological adjustment in China. Researchers should focus more on the influence of classroom environment on adolescents' development in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal links between interpersonal competences and loneliness in Chinese college students. Participants were N = 623 undergraduate students (Mage = 20.34 years, SDage = 1.28 years; 42.5% males) from Shanghai, P.R. China, which were followed over two years, with half a year apart. The Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale were used to measure interpersonal competences and loneliness at each time point. Results indicated that as compared with the unidirectional model, the bidirectional model represented the best fit for the data. Within this model, after controlling for the stability of the variables, interpersonal competences directly contributed to later decreases in loneliness and loneliness directly led to decreases in interpersonal competences from Time 1 to Time 3, but not from Time 3 to Time 4. There is a bidirectional relationship between college students' interpersonal competences and loneliness. Higher interpersonal competences can mitigate later loneliness, and higher loneliness can also weaken later interpersonal competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of social competence and the moderating role of teacher-child conflict in the relation between maternal overcontrol and Chinese preschooler's internalizing problems. Participants were 216 children aged 3–4 years, from two kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Mothers completed the observation of mother-child interaction task. Teachers completed the assessment of children's social competence, internalizing problems, and teacher-child conflict. Result of mediation showed that maternal overcontrol indirectly predicted child internalizing problems through its negative association with child social competence. Moderated mediation results show that teacher – child conflict moderated the relation between maternal overcontrol and child social competence. Moreover, lower levels of teacher-student conflict can buffer the negative impact of maternal overcontrol on child social competence, and thus reduce children's internalizing problems. Practice or Policy: Maternal overcontrol as a negative parenting is related to children's maladjustment in current China. Reducing teacher-child conflict might alleviate the negative effects of maternal overcontrol on child social adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study examined the moderating effect of children's resilience on the relations between unsociability and social adjustment (i.e., prosocial behaviors, peer exclusion, interpersonal skills, internalizing problems) in Chinese preschool migrant children. Methods: Participants were N = 148 children (82 boys, Mage = 62.32 months, SD = 6.76) attending two public kindergartens in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Mothers provided ratings of children's unsociability and resilience; teachers assessed children's social adjustment outcomes, and children reported their receptive vocabulary. Results: Unsociability was positively associated with peer exclusion and internalizing problems, and negatively associated with prosocial behaviors and interpersonal skills among Chinese preschool migrant children. Moreover, children's resilience significantly moderated the relationship between unsociability and social adjustment. Specifically, among children with lower levels of resilience, unsociability was significantly and positively associated with peer exclusion and internalizing problems, while among children with higher levels of resilience, unsociability was not associated with social adjustment difficulties. Conclusion: The current findings inform us of the importance of improving children's resilience to buffer the negative adjustment among Chinese migrant unsociable young children. The findings also highlight the importance of considering the meaning and implication of unsociability for preschool migrant children in Chinese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. Highlights: Shyness was predictive of later peer rejection and peer victimization. Parent–child relationships moderated the association between shyness and peer relationship difficulties. The association between shyness and peer relationship difficulties during the transition to middle school was more prominent when the Parent–child relationship was characterized by higher levels of conflict and lower levels of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This one‐year longitudinal study examined relations between acculturation and adjustment in rural‐to‐urban migrant children in China. Participants included 335 migrant students (initial mean age = 12 years, 198 boys) in fourth to sixth grades in public schools in Shanghai, China. Data on acculturation were collected from children's self‐reports, and data on social, school, and psychological adjustment were obtained from multiple sources, including peer evaluations, teacher ratings, self‐reports, and school records. The results showed that accommodation to urban culture positively contributed to later social competence. Maintenance of rural culture positively contributed to later psychological well‐being for migrant children who were low on accommodation to urban culture. In addition, social competence and academic performance positively contributed to later accommodation to urban culture and maintenance of rural culture. The results help understand the developmental processes involved in the acculturation and adjustment of migrant children in contemporary societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This 1‐year longitudinal study investigated whether children's positive interpretations of maternal autonomy support moderated its relations with later sociability and assertiveness in China. Third to sixth graders (N = 889; 50.4% girls; Mage = 10.82 years, SD = 1.29) residing in Shanghai, P.R. China, reported maternal autonomy support and their interpretations of such parenting. Children's sociability was rated by teachers and assertiveness was assessed via peer nominations. Results indicated that child interpretations moderated the associations between maternal autonomy support and later sociability and assertiveness after controlling for their stabilities. For children with high levels of child‐beneficial interpretations, maternal autonomy support was positively associated with later sociability and assertiveness. However, for children with low or average levels of child‐beneficial interpretations, maternal autonomy support was not related to later sociability and assertiveness. Moreover, maternal autonomy support was positively related to later sociability for girls, but not for boys. The findings highlighted the possible role of children's interpretations in modulating the impact of mothers' autonomy support on social functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to evaluate a complex theoretical model linking gender, unsociability, peer relations, and indices of psychological maladjustment among children in the People's Republic of China. Participants were 711 (395 boys) Grade 4 to Grade 8 (Mage = 10.98 years, SD = 1.56) students selected from 4 public schools in Shanghai. Multi‐source assessments were employed, including peer nominations of unsociability, sociometric nominations to measure peer preference, as well as child self‐reports of friendship quality, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and self‐worth. Among the results, both peer preference and friendship quality mediated the associations between unsociability and psychological maladjustment. Further analyses revealed that such mediating effects were significantly moderated by gender. Specifically, the mediating effects of friendship quality in the associations between unsociability and psychological maladjustment only existed for boys. In addition, peer preference played a mediation role in the associations between unsociability and psychological maladjustment for both boys and girls, although the strength of the associations was stronger among boys than girls. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of considering gender and different types of peer experiences in studies of unsociable children in Mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]