Search

This study aimed to explore the pattern of marital power distribution and its association with marital aggression and satisfaction in contemporary Chinese families. A randomized community sample of 1,270 (518 males and 752 females) married Chinese who were 18 years or older and who resided in Hong Kong were telephone interviewed. Approximately half of the respondents reported having egalitarian relationships with their partners regarding decision making. Women's demographic characteristics, but not men's, were related to how decision making was distributed in marital relationships. Egalitarian decision making was directly associated with marital satisfaction but inversely related to marital aggression. In particular, verbal and physical aggression was less prevalent in egalitarian marriages, and there was a trend that severe violence was more prevalent in relationships that were husband-dominant. Men tended to have higher levels of marital satisfaction than did women, and marital satisfaction was higher in egalitarian or divided power relationships.

In this study, the authors investigated the association of perceived parental job insecurity and students’ part-time work quality on work values among 341 Hong Kong Chinese undergraduate students. Correlation and regression results showed that work values were strongly related to students’ part-time work satisfaction and work quality. In particular, regression analyses showed that high job satisfaction and low role conflict in the part-time job were significantly related to high motivation to do good work but low work cynicism, even after demographic information was considered. Layoff of the mother was also found to relate to work cynicism. The importance of student career counseling and organizational practice was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the relationship between emotional labor and burnout as well as job satisfaction. Besides, we also explored whether psychological capital (PsyCap) moderated the emotional labor-burnout or job satisfaction associations. In total, 264 full-time Chinese school teachers in China were recruited. Results showed that PsyCap was related to emotional labor, burnout, and job satisfaction in the hypothesized direction. Furthermore, PsyCap moderated the association between emotional labor and the outcome variables. For instance, positive association between surface acting on depersonalization as well as negative association with job satisfaction was weaker when PsyCap was high. In addition, positive association between deep acting and job satisfaction was further reinforced among participants with high PsyCap but not among participants with low PsyCap. Finally, the relationships of PsyCap with depersonalization as well as job satisfaction were more salient among employees who reported infrequent use of expression of naturally felt emotion. Limitations and implications of the study were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which identifies pathways in which cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities elicited by stress would result to disruptive gambling. Researchers have proposed a multiple mediation framework to delineate gambling cognition and well-being of 132 Australian gamblers and 154 Chinese gamblers. The cross-cultural study has showed that Australian gamblers accounted higher levels of perceived stress, problem gambling, and lower levels of life satisfaction than Chinese gamblers.

This study extended the diathesis-stress-coping model (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) to understand problem gambling in Chinese societies. We examined core model components of impulsivity trait (diathesis), life stress, and gambling refusal efficacy (coping efficacy) with 942 Chinese college students and 153 Chinese gamblers. Results showed that the three core model components exerted main effects on problem gambling for both samples. Among college students, refusal efficacy interacted with impulsivity to influence problem gambling in male and female students, and interacted with life stress in male students only. In particular, more severe problem gambling was associated with higher impulsivity in low- but not high-efficacy students, and with higher stress in low- but not high-efficacy male students. Among gamblers, impulsivity interacted with life stress to influence problem gambling. In the high stress condition, high- relative to low-impulsivity gamblers reported more severe problem gambling, but this pattern was not found in the low-stress condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines intentions to take protective action against peer sexual harassment and abuse (PSHA). The theory of planned behavior (TPB) proposes that attitudes about protective action, perceptions of what others would think about doing this (subjective norms), and behavioral control would be important predictors. A total of 1,531 Chinese secondary school students (769 boys and 762 girls) from Hong Kong were surveyed to test this model. Results showed that the TPB model was predictive for girls, but only subjective norms and behavioral control significantly predicted boys' intentions to protect themselves. Results supported the influence of subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on youths' intentions to reject PSHA. These factors may be useful in guiding the development of an educational program for prevention of PSHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goals Of Work: The objective of the study was to examine quality of life (QOL) and its age-specific factors in cervical cancer patients at different stages of life.Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventy-three Chinese patients with cervical cancer were surveyed by telephone. QOL was assessed with the WHO Quality of Life Scale-Chinese/Hong Kong (HK) version (WHOQOL-BREF-HK) and compared across age groups. Using multiple regression analyses, demographic and medical factors that were independently associated with QOL outcomes in each age group were identified.Main Results: The age groups did not differ in the level of QOL, except for the social relationship domain. Older patients reported poorer social functioning than younger patients. Different factors were associated with QOL outcomes in different age groups. For patients in young adulthood, employment and education level were positively associated with QOL. For patients in midlife adulthood, time since diagnosis and stage of cancer were positively associated with QOL. For patients in aging adulthood, QOL was negatively associated with age, physical morbidity, and a history of termination of pregnancy. However, having a partner and possessing religious belief were positively associated with QOL.Conclusions: Patient's age had a significant impact on the experience of QOL. Older patients had poorer social relationships than younger patients. Religion seemed to have a protective effect against poor social functioning in aging patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: This longitudinal study examined the negative impact of postnatal bulimic symptoms on parenting behavior. Method: Ninety-one Chinese mothers were assessed with self-report questionnaires during pregnancy (T1) and telephone interviewed at 6 months (T2) and 1 year postnatal (T3). Results: Bivariate correlation analyses showed that parenting behavior at T3 was correlated with maternal–fetal attachment at T1 and maternal bulimic symptoms at T2. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses further demonstrated that bulimic symptoms at T2 predicted maternal concern at T3 above and beyond the effects of maternal–fetal attachment at T1. However, bulimic symptoms at T2 did not uniquely predict maternal restrictiveness at T3. Conclusion: To facilitate effective parenting, examining maternal eating disturbance alone may not be sufficient to understand fully its impact on parenting behavior. This area of research should move toward identifying how multiple risk factors work together to interfere with the functioning of the parental role. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstracts: The process of modernization and rapid economic development in China has brought changes in family structure and gender relation. We reviewed empirical literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) in China within the past 20 years to understand the magnitude and nature of the problem. Information was drawn from 19 empirical studies and a total of 49,201 adult respondents. The average lifetime and year prevalence of male-on-female IPV was respectively 19.7% and 16.8% for any type, 42.6% and 37.3% for psychological, 14.2% and 6.7% for physical, and 9.8% and 5.4% for sexual violence. Higher lifetime prevalence of any type of IPV was reported by rural respondents, by studies conducted in healthcare settings, and by studies using standardized scales to assess IPV. Women were at increased risk of IPV when they and/or their partners were of low education and socio-economic status, grew up in rural areas, and exhibited behavior problems of smoking, alcoholism, and illicit drug use. IPV was also related to long duration of marriage, poor marital quality, marital conflicts, sexual jealousy and extramarital affairs, status/power disparity between partners, inadequate social support, and extended family structure. Cultural and societal risk markers included patriarchal beliefs, wife-beating myths, and political/legal sanction of violence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: This study explored psychosocial factors associated with psychological adjustment among survivors of a severe natural disaster. Methods: Two hundred sixty-seven adult Thai survivors of the 2004 Southeast Asian earthquake–tsunami were surveyed. Results: At 6 months following the disaster, percentages of survivors who reported positive and negative adjustment were 34% and 40%, respectively. For positive adjustment, best predictors were predisaster employment, increased arousal, and frequent support seeking. Support seeking also partially mediated the association between arousal and positive adjustment. For negative adjustment, infrequent support seeking and increased intrusion and arousal were the best predictors. Arousal was a partial mediator between intrusion and negative adjustment, and support seeking also partially mediated the influence of intrusion and arousal on negative adjustment. Conclusion: Mental health programs for survivors of natural disasters should focus on promoting active coping strategies such as support seeking, strengthening of support networks, and management of posttraumatic stress symptoms to facilitate adjustment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to examine rates and associated factors of parent-to-child corporal punishment and physical maltreatment in Hong Kong Chinese families. Method: Cross-sectional and randomized household interviews were conducted with 1,662 Chinese parents to collect information on demographic characteristics of parents and children, marital satisfaction, perceived social support, evaluation of child problem behaviors, and reactions to conflicts with children. Descriptive statistics, analyses of variances, and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: The rates of parent-to-child physical aggression were 57.5% for corporal punishment and 4.5% for physical maltreatment. Mothers as compared to fathers reported higher rates and more frequent use of corporal punishment on their children, but this parental gender effect was insignificant among older parents and those with adolescent children. Boys as compared to girls were more likely to experience higher rates and more frequent parental corporal punishment, especially in middle childhood at aged 5–12. Furthermore, parents perpetrated more frequent physical maltreatment on younger as compared to older children. Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that significant correlates of parental corporal punishment were: children''s young age, male gender, and externalizing behaviors as well as parents’ young age, non-employment, and marital dissatisfaction. For parent-to-child physical maltreatment, significant correlates were externalizing behaviors of children and parental marital dissatisfaction. Conclusions: Hong Kong Chinese parents commonly used corporal punishment on their children, which was associated with characteristics of children, parents, and family. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aimed to establish preliminary estimates and related risk factors for elder abuse among Hong Kong Chinese families. A total of 276 elder Chinese participated in the study, among which 27.5% reported having experienced at least one abusive behavior committed against them by their caregivers during the surveyed year. The most common form of abuse was verbal abuse (26.8%), whereas physical abuse (2.5%) and violation of personal rights (5.1%) were relatively less common. There was no gender difference in the prevalence of elder abuse. Overall and verbal abuse were best predicted by participants' poor visual and memory abilities, dependence on the caregivers, and caregivers' nondependence on them. Physical abuse was best predicted by caregivers' nondependence on the participants as well as participants' dependence on the caregivers. Participants' age was the only significant predictor for violation of personal rights. Results, limitations, and implications of the study were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that examined how Chinese public service professional trainees attribute responsibility to victims and perpetrators of violence against women. Factors associated with responsibility attribution; Methodology; Results of the study.

Analyses of focus group discussions show that Chinese conceptions of women as legitimate victims of violence are constructed through representations of men as sick or being controlled by their impulses and of women as sex objects or naggers who trigger men's impulses or potential for violence. As women's behaviors are seen as precipitating factors, men are thus excused from their acts of violence and do not have to shoulder full responsibility for their violent behaviors. However, some young and educated Chinese reject various cultural myths, oppose victim-blaming explanations, and disrupt pro-violence social scripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore various psychosocial correlates associated with how Chinese react to death and dying. A total of 282 Chinese college students participated in this study. They completed the Death Anxiety Scale, the Revised Death Anxiety Scale, and the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale, as well as measures on self-efficacy and health locus of control. Results showed that younger as compared with older participants and women as compared with men tended to be more death anxious.Those with low levels of self-efficacy and external health control orientations were more likely to report a high level of death anxiety. Only a weak association was found between internal health locus of control and fear of conscious death. Limitations of the study were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]