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Studies show that social networking sites (SNS) are convenient for older adults to bond with friends and family without traveling and provide new opportunities for communication that can help older adults to avoid loneliness and social isolation. However, the numbers of SNS usage among older adults are fewer in less developed nations, which can be because only a small number of older adults know how to use SNS, and difficulties such as fears and insecurities while trying to use SNS. To increase the number of older adults using SNS in Malaysia, this study explored the experiences that could affect the intention to learn SNS in older adults in using SNS. Phenomenology approaches using semi-structured one-to-one interviews were used to explore the factors that could affect the intention to learn SNS among older Malaysian adults. This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the intention to learn SNS of twelve older adults aged 60 to 73, residing in different regions of Malaysia. Thematic analysis was used to identify the themes and interpret the data after the data saturation was reached. The themes that emerged from the data were the 'perceived usefulness,' 'unrealistic dependency,' and 'ignorant.' The results of this study can be used to come up with policies and strategies to encourage the learning of SNS among older adults. Program developers and trainers can also use the results of this study to develop modules that are more suited for older adults.

The impact of demoralization among the general population has received little attention due to the lack of an appropriate measurement. Three studies involving 1,143 high school and undergraduate students in Taiwan were thus conducted to develop and validate a tool to assess demoralization. A pool of 50 items was first developed and administered to high school students. Exploratory factor analysis results supported a 5-factor solution with 15 items (Study 1). Study 2 compared the potential models using confirmatory factor analysis and found the 5-factor second-order model with 15 items the best fit model. The 15-item Mandarin version of Demoralization Scale (DS-M-15) was also found to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and (concurrent and predictive) validity in a sample of undergraduate students (Study 3). Taken together, the converging findings show that the DS-M-15 is a promising tool for assessing demoralization among Chinese adolescents and emerging adults., Author(s): Chuan-Yung Huang [sup.1] , Yi-Chun Hung [sup.1] , Chee-Seng Tan [sup.2] , Siew-May Cheng [sup.3] , Shun-Hao Hu [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412146.4, 0000 0004 0573 0416, Department of [...]

As depression has become a major disease burden in Malaysia, an easy-to-use tool with good psychometric qualities is urgently needed to facilitate the screening process. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric qualities of the 5-item World Health Organization Well-being Index (WHO-5) and the optimal cut-off point for depression screening in the Malaysian context. A total of 610 undergraduate students answered an online survey consisting of the English version of the WHO-5 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the single-factor model. The present study found the WHO-5 had a good reliability and concurrent validity. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that [less than or equal to]13 was the optimal threshold with acceptable sensitivity and specificity to detect depression. This study concludes the WHO-5 is a brief, valid, and reliable depression screening tool among young adults in Malaysia., Author(s): Kah-Yue Low [sup.1] , Kai-Shuen Pheh [sup.1] , Chee-Seng Tan [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412261.2, 0000 0004 1798 283X, Department of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Arts and Social [...]

Climate change threatens mental health via increasing exposure to the social and economic disruptions created by extreme weather and large-scale climatic events, as well as through the anxiety associated with recognising the existential threat posed by the climate crisis. Considering the growing levels of climate change awareness across the world, negative emotions like anxiety and worry about climate-related risks are a potentially pervasive conduit for the adverse impacts of climate change on mental health. In this study, we examined how negative climate-related emotions relate to sleep and mental health among a diverse non-representative sample of individuals recruited from 25 countries, as well as a Norwegian nationally-representative sample. Overall, we found that negative climate-related emotions are positively associated with insomnia symptoms and negatively related to self-rated mental health in most countries. Our findings suggest that climate-related psychological stressors are significantly linked with mental health in many countries and draw attention to the need for cross-disciplinary research aimed at achieving rigorous empirical assessments of the unique challenge posed to mental health by negative emotional responses to climate change., Author(s): Charles Adedayo Ogunbode [sup.1] [sup.2] , Ståle Pallesen [sup.3] , Gisela Böhm [sup.3] [sup.4] , Rouven Doran [sup.3] , Navjot Bhullar [sup.5] , Sibele Aquino [sup.6] , Tiago Marot [...]

While mindfulness has been found to increase well-being, the association between mindfulness and meaning in life has received relatively little attention. The present study examined the hypothetical positive relationship between mindfulness and meaning in life alongside the mechanism underlying the relationship. Specifically, guided by the Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory, a serial mediation model testing openness to experience and curiosity as the mediators for the connection was proposed. Undergraduate student participants (N = 1267) from four countries (Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, & Taiwan) responded to a battery of tests consisting of the Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale, the Big Five Inventory Openness Scale, the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II, and the Meaning in Life scale. Based on a correlation analysis, the four variables were positively correlated with one another in the whole sample except for the relationship between mindfulness and curiosity. Furthermore, the mediation analysis supports the positive correlation between mindfulness and the presence of meaning in life indirectly via openness and then curiosity while controlling search for meaning in life. Such pattern is consistent across the four samples. Overall, the findings offer cross-cultural evidence on the positive association between mindfulness and meaning in life and shed light on the underlying processes. Therefore, mindfulness practices have potential applications in achieving meaningful lives., Author(s): Chee-Seng Tan [sup.1] [sup.2] , Intan Hashimah Mohd Hashim [sup.3] , Kai-Shuen Pheh [sup.1] [sup.2] , Chris Pratt [sup.4] , Min-Huey Chung [sup.5] , Anggi Setyowati [sup.6] Author Affiliations: [...]

This study examined the effects of group art therapy on self-concept and peer relationships among adolescents using a mixed-method approach. Twelve recruited adolescents from a high school in Northern Taiwan attended weekly 2-h group art therapy sessions for 8 weeks. Through a discovery-oriented approach incorporating focus group interviews and individual interviews, qualitative results revealed that the participants started getting to know themselves better and were able to explore their inner selves while noticing their own emotions. Their self-concept also became more positive along with reduced negative self-concept, increased positive self-concept, and clearer visions towards future goals. Furthermore, the therapy modified adolescents' negative peer relationships by reducing their social anxiety and adjusting their complicated experiences. Participants were found to experience trustable, allied, and compassionate positive peer relationships while having reduced loneliness and improved social skills at the same time. Besides, the participants answered self-concept and peer relationship scales at pre- and post-interventions as well as a 12-month follow-up thereafter. Friedman test on the longitudinal data showed participants reporting consistently higher self-concept and peer relationship at post-intervention and 12-month follow-up than at the pre-intervention stage. Taken together, the findings duly support art therapy in boosting adolescents' self-concept and peer relationships.

Zhou and George's (2001 (See CR28)) 13-item supervisory rating scale has been modified and used for individuals' self-report creativity. This present research has particularly translated and investigated the psychometric properties of the Malay version Self-Rated Creativity Scale (SRCS-M) through two studies using two different adolescent samples (N = 753). A one-factor model was identified after the removal of three items following low factor loading and item-total correlation in exploratory factor analysis in Study 1. Study 2 then examined and compared the 10-item and 13-item one-factor model besides the 12-item bifactor model. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the 10-item one-factor model was superior compared with other competing models. Moreover, the test of measurement variance supported partial scalar invariance between two gender groups in the 10-item one-factor model. The 10-item SRCS-M also showed good reliability and validity. In a nutshell, the sound psychometric properties of the SRCS-M suggest its practical use on Malaysian adolescents., Author(s): Chee-Seng Tan [sup.1] , Anna Wen-Huey Ong [sup.1] [sup.2] , Soon-Aun Tan [sup.1] , Siew-May Cheng [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412261.2, 0000 0004 1798 283X, Department of Psychology and [...]

Professional learning community (PLC) studies in the Asian Chinese nations remain scarce despite the emerging interest in the practice of PLC beyond the Western context. This study attempts to provide an understanding of the practices of PLC and challenges in implementing PLC in a Malaysian Chinese culture-dominated secondary school. This qualitative study used a phenomenological constructivist approach as a strategy of inquiry. Semi-structured interview data were collected from six middle leaders and ordinary teachers in a national-type Chinese secondary school in the northern region. Findings informed three existing PLC practices at the school level, namely, (a) peer coaching, (b) sharing of personal practices, and (c) professional development courses. However, the practice of PLC encounters various challenges, including excessive workload, teachers' passive attitudes, unsupportive conditions in the school, poor execution of PLC by the school community, and a vague understanding of PLC. Interestingly, this study identified two uncovered challenges hindering the development of PLC: misconception about PLC and lack of supervision from the authority. Implications and future studies are presented.

The 13-item self-rated creativity scale (SRCS) initially developed for supervisory rating of employees' creativity was modified by some researchers and used as a self-report of creativity. However, it is not clear if the modified SRCS is psychometrically sound. The present study addressed this gap in three studies (N = 1,033). The exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) revealed a two-factor solution after removing Item 9 due to low factor loading. Confirmatory factor analysis was then used in Study 2 to examine and compare the conceptual one-factor model with 13 items (Model 1), one-factor model with 12 items (Model 2), two-factor model with 12 items (Model 3), and the 12-item bifactor model with one general factor and two specific factors (Model 4). The results indicated that Model 4 is more superior to all the competing models. Study 3 further confirmed that the bifactor model, showed support to the reliability and convergent validity, and found partial metric invariance across Chinese and Malay undergraduates. Taken together, the modified (12-item) SRCS is a psychometrically sound tool for self-rated creativity in the Malaysian context.

Shyness has been found to have a negative impact on creativity. However, little attention has been given to the underlying process of the relationship between shyness and creativity. On the basis of literature, we hypothesize that shyness has an indirect impact on creativity through creative process engagement. Two studies were conducted on undergraduate students (Study 1) and working adults (Study 2) to test the hypothetical relationship. Analysis on participants self-report showed that shyness was negatively associated with self-reported creativity as well as creative process engagement. There was a positive relationship between creative process engagement and creativity. More importantly, mediation analysis supported that shyness was indirectly linked to creativity via creative process engagement. Specifically, shy people are found to be less involved in creativity-relevant processes such as information searching and idea generation. The low level of creative process engagement, in turn, hinders their creativity. The findings not only lend support to the detrimental effect of shyness on creativity but also shed light on the underlying mechanism of the relationship.

Studies indicate that there is a positive relationship between openness to experience and creativity. However, relatively little attention has been given to the mechanism of this relationship. On the basis of previous findings, we hypothesized a conceptual model and tested the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the creative process engagement in the relationship between openness to experience and creativity. One hundred and ninety-eight undergraduates in Malaysia participated in the study and completed an online measure of openness to new experience, creativity, intrinsic motivation, and the creative process engagement. Consistent with the hypothesis, people who scored high on openness reported high intrinsic motivation. The high motivation enhanced engagement in creativity-related activities, which in turn, improved self-rated creativity. The findings not only shed light on mechanisms that underlie in the openness-creativity linkage but they also highlight the importance of intrinsic motivation and creative process engagement in the linkage. Together, the study extends the effect of personality trait on creativity and offers a new direction for future studies.

Many studies have found that creativity tends to promote happiness, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study proposed and tested a serial mediation model to investigate the relationships among creativity, problem solving, stress, and happiness on emerging adults and adolescents (N = 1,146). It is hypothesized that creativity is conducive to happiness indirectly through (a) problem-solving ability, (b) stress, and (c) problem-solving ability and then stress (i.e., serial mediating effect). Undergraduate students and secondary school students self-reported their creativity, social problem-solving ability, stress, happiness, and life satisfaction. The mediating role of problem-solving ability and the serial mediating effect were found statistically significant while controlling the effect of life satisfaction. The mediating role of stress, however, was not supported. The findings not only lend further support to the beneficial effect of self-perceived creativity on happiness, but also extend our understanding on the relationship by revealing the underlying process.

The 50-item Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scale (K-DOCS; Kaufman Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts, 6(4), 298-308, 2012 (See CR16)) is a relatively new domain-specific self-report scale designed to assess the five different domains of creativity. However, a shorter form of the scale is preferable to reduce participants' burden. The present research addresses the development of a shorter 20-item K-DOCS (20-K-DOCS) to be used on Malaysian undergraduates across three studies (N = 1409). On the basis of past findings, the four items with the highest factor loading for each of the five domains were extracted to construct the 20-K-DOCS in Study 1. Exploratory factor analysis on the 20 items showed support to the theoretical five-factor structure. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine and compare the 20-K-DOCS with the parent form of K-DOCS and other competing models. Results indicated that the 20-K-DOCS were superior to all the alternative models. In Study 3, the factorial structure of the 20-K-DOCS was further examined. The five-factor model was supported. Moreover, the 20-K-DOCS showed good internal consistency and acceptable convergence with creative self-efficacy and self-rated creativity. The findings of this study strengthen the evidence that the 20-K-DOCS is a psychometrically equivalent short form of the original K-DOCS. Researchers and educators may consider this brief measurement to assess the five different domains of students' creativity., Author(s): Chee-Seng Tan [sup.1] [sup.2] , Soon-Aun Tan [sup.1] , Siew-May Cheng [sup.3] , Intan Hashimah Mohd Hashim [sup.4] , Anna Wen-Huey Ong [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412261.2, 0000 0004 [...]

This study investigated how parental autonomy support influences adolescents' life satisfaction through the mediation effect of reciprocal filial piety. A total of 589 school-going adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years were recruited using the cluster sampling method. The results showed that both paternal and maternal autonomy supports positively correlated with reciprocal filial piety as well as life satisfaction. There was also a positive relationship between reciprocal filial piety and life satisfaction. In addition, the data supported the hypothetical mediation model in which both paternal and maternal autonomy supports are associated with reciprocal filial piety; the gratitude toward parents in turn having a positive link with life satisfaction. The indirect effect of parental support on adolescents' life satisfaction was found evident across gender and the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia. This study not only highlights the positive effects of parental autonomy support on adolescents' filial beliefs and life satisfaction across cultures, but also sheds light on the mechanism of parental support in boosting adolescents' life satisfaction., Author(s): Soon-Aun Tan [sup.1] , Sarvarubini Nainee [sup.1] , Chee-Seng Tan [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412261.2, 0000 0004 1798 283X, Department of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Arts and Social [...]

Background: Self-monitoring is crucial for behavioral weight loss. However, few studies have examined the role of self-monitoring using mixed methods, which may hinder our understanding of its impact. Methods: This study examined self-monitoring data from 61 Chinese adults who participated in a 5-week online group intervention for weight loss. Participants reported their baseline Body Mass Index (BMI), weight loss motivation, and engaged in both daily quantitative self-monitoring (e.g., caloric intake, mood, sedentary behavior, etc.) and qualitative self-monitoring (e.g., daily log that summarizes the progress of weight loss). The timeliness of participants' daily self-monitoring data filling was assessed using a scoring rule. One-way repeated measurement ANOVA was employed to analyze the dynamics of each self-monitoring indicator. Correlation and regression analyses were used to reveal the relationship between baseline data, self-monitoring indicators, and weight change. Content analysis was utilized to analyze participants' qualitative self-monitoring data. Participants were categorized into three groups based on their weight loss outcomes, and a chi-square test was used to compare the frequency distribution between these groups. Results: After the intervention, participants achieved an average weight loss of 2.52 kg (SD = 1.36) and 3.99% (SD = 1.96%) of their initial weight. Daily caloric intake, weight loss satisfaction, frequency of daily log, and the speed of weight loss showed a downward trend, but daily sedentary time gradually increased. Moreover, regression analysis showed that baseline BMI, weight loss motivation, and timeliness of daily filling predicted final weight loss. Qualitative self-monitoring data analysis revealed four categories and nineteen subcategories. A significant difference in the frequency of qualitative data was observed, with the excellent group reporting a greater number of daily logs than expected in all categories and most subcategories, and the moderate and poor groups reporting less than expected in all categories and most subcategories. Conclusion: The self-monitoring data in short-term online group intervention exhibited fluctuations. Participants with higher baseline BMI, higher levels of weight loss motivation, and timely self-monitoring achieved more weight loss. Participants who achieved greater weight loss reported a higher quantity of qualitative self-monitoring data. Practitioners should focus on enhancing dieters' weight loss motivation and promote adherence to self-monitoring practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the changes of Thai Chinese students' enrolment in the history of Chinese education in Penang from 1957 to 1967, based on statistical analysis on the number of students from the school graduation magazines of Han Chiang High School and Chung Ling High School. After The Second World War (1939-1945), Chinese education with its Chinese language was often associated with the spread of communism, affecting the relationships with Southeast Asian countries. Malaysia and Thailand adopted different policies for Chinese education. The goal of Chinese education in Malaysia was to establish a national mother tongue education system, while Thailand viewed the Chinese language as a useful foreign language. This study reveals that Thai Chinese had different reasons and their numbers varied in pursuing Chinese education in Penang during different periods. By comparing the number of Chinese students in Thailand in their annual graduation reports for two schools from 1948 to 1956 and from 1957 to 1967, the objective of this study is to identify the decline in the enrolment of Thailand Chinese students in Chinese education history in Penang from 1957 to 1967 and the contributing factors. There are two findings regarding the enrolment of Chinese students from Thailand from 1957 to 1967. Firstly, there were still Chinese students studying in Penang during this period, but their numbers were decreasing. This decline was attributed to the continued success of the Thai cultural assimilation policy, where the values of the Thai and English languages were perceived to be higher than the Chinese language among Chinese students in Thailand during this period. Secondly, most Thai students coming to Penang were inclined to choose Han Chiang High School, which did not undergo educational system reforms. This study also found out that this change was closely related to the Chinese education policy in Malaysia during that time. All these factors have influenced the decisions and choices of Chinese students from Thailand in pursuing Chinese education in Penang during that period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although experimentally induced positive mood can generally last for 20 min and the induced mood is conducive to creative performance, it is still unclear whether the facilitation effect is stable during these 20 min. Two studies were conducted to examine this issue while controlling for the impacts of task switching, practice effect, and test item differences. In Study 1, participants (N = 42) were randomly assigned to positive, negative, and neutral mood conditions. After watching a short video clip, participants answered four items of the Alternate Uses Test (AUT) in 20 min, with 5 min allotted for each item. Creative performance during each 5-min period was scored in terms of fluency and flexibility. Separate repeated-measures analyses of variances on these creativity scores showed that positive mood consistently enhanced performance over 20 min. Study 2 further eliminated the effects of test item differences and test order. Participants (N = 131) underwent the same mood induction procedure and answered the same four items of the AUT, except that these items were presented in four different sequences in accordance with the Latin square design. Consistent with the findings in Study 1, Study 2 showed that the facilitation effect of positive mood lasted for 20 min when the interference of task switching, practice effect, and test item differences were minimized. This finding not only sheds light on the debate regarding the stability of experimentally induced positive mood effect, but also contributes to the body of empirical evidence that future studies may use to examine the positive mood effect over a relatively long period of time.