Table of Content

15 September 2016, Volume 32 Issue 5

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Difficulty in Disengaging Attention from Emotionally Negative Stimuli among Individuals with Sub-threshold Depression

LI Haijiang, LU Jiamei, ZHANG Qinglin, QIU Jiang

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  513-520.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.01

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Sub-threshold depression is clinically classified as those with mild self-reported symptoms of depression, but do not meet the criteria for major depression disorders. Given that people with sub-threshold depression are more likely to develop major depression disorders, it is critical to gain a better understanding of this disorder from both clinical and cognitive perspectives. The attentional bias towards negative emotional stimuli has been suggested as a precursor (or predictor) for depression. Using dot probe tasks, previous studies have revealed that, in patients with major depression, the attentional bias towards negative emotional stimuli can be the result of either facilitated orienting towards these stimuli or the difficulty in disengaging from them. No study has yet investigated this attentional bias in individuals suffering from sub-threshold depression. The present study examined the attentional bias towards negative emotional stimuli and the components of attentional bias among individuals with sub-threshold depression using dot probe task. A two-stage screening procedure were used to recruit participants with sub-threshold depression and non-depressed controls. The severity of neuroticism and anxiety were also collected and compared between individuals with sub-threshold depression and non-depressed controls. Positive, neutral and negative facial expression (positive: happy faces; neutral: neutral faces; negative: sad and angry faces) were selected from the NimStim Face Stimulus Set to create positive-neutral and negative-neutral pairs. Moreover, Neutral-Neutral baseline condition was included to explore any observed attentional bias effects that due to facilitated orienting or delayed disengagement of attention.Results found no significant differences between individuals with sub-threshold depression and non-depressed controls in age and general intelligence. However, individuals with sub-threshold depression had increased anxiety, neuroticism and depression than non-depressed controls. Behavioral data found that individuals with sub-threshold depression expressed significantly longer reaction time in negative-incongruent condition when compared with negative-congruent condition, indicating individuals with sub-threshold depression showed attentional bias for negative stimuli. To differentiate the components of attentional bias, we compared negative-congruent and negative-incongruent condition with the neutral-neutral baseline condition. Results observed that individuals with sub-threshold depression expressed longer reaction time in negative-incongruent condition than in neutral-neutral baseline condition, whereas no significant difference between negative-congruent condition and neutral-neutral baseline. These findings suggested that attentional bias for negative stimuli reflects difficulty in disengaging attention from negative stimuli among individuals with sub-threshold depression. In addition, we also found that non-depressed controls showed significantly longer reaction time in positive-incongruent condition compared with positive-congruent condition, suggesting non-depressed controls expressed attentional bias for positive stimuli. No other significant results were found.Conclusion, attentional bias for negative stimuli were observed among individuals with sub-threshold depression and the attentional bias for negative stimuli reflect difficulty in disengaging attention from emotionally negative stimuli. Individuals with sub-threshold depression did not express attentional bias towards positive stimuli as non-depressed controls did. The dysfunction of attentional control and emotional regulation may underlying attentional bias for negative stimuli among individuals with sub-threshold depression.

The Effect of Negative Emotion Stimulus on College Students' Performance of Multiple Object Tracking

SU Jing, DUAN Dongyuan, ZHANG Xuemin

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  521-531.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.02

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This study investigated the impact of negative emotion on Multiple Object Tracking tasks and explored its mechanism. Participants were required to complete both multiple objects tracking task and dot-probe detection task after viewing a set of emotional pictures from International Affective Picture System. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure evoked emotional state. Results showed that: (1) Watching emotional pictures successfully evoked negative emotion; (2) Participants under neutral picture condition performed better than the baseline condition in tracking task, and there's no difference between negative picture condition and the baseline condition, negative emotion suppressed the effect of training. (3) Probe detection results showed that performance under negative emotion condition was lower than neutral condition, indicating negative emotion affected allocation of attention resources during tracking process. The results indicated that: (1) Anxiety impaired goal-directed attentional system, making participants easily affected by stimulus-driven attentional system. (2) Anxiety impaired efficiency of inhibition and shifting functions. of the central executive system.

Impact of Trier Social Stress Test on Children Salivary Cortisol Secretion

CHEN Guanghui, KONG Yanhong

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  532-538.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.03

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Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a widely used psychosocial stress paradigm conducted in laboratory setting which has been shown to reliably elicit a physiological stress response in various study samples. However, no study to date has investigated the responses to the TSST in Chinese children sample. Therefore, in the present study, healthy boys and girls (n=32, mean age=10.47) performed the modified TSST protocol according to Chinese children, during which the subjective stress level and salivary cortisol level were assessed. The results showed that participants exhibited a significant increase in salivary cortisol, and reported more anxiety immediately following the TSST compared to baseline. Furthermore, while boys and girls differ with respect to salivary cortisol to TSST, boys generated higher levels of salivary cortisol compared to girls. The findings demonstrated that the modified TSST is a protocol with good applicability in Chinese children participants and could be used to conduct psychosocial stress research in China.

The Impact of Romantic Media Exposure on Undergraduate Students' Romantic Beliefs: The Effect of Perceived Realism and Social Comparison Orientation

NIU Gengfeng, WU Li, XU Lei, ZHOU Zongkui, LIAN Shuailei

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  539-546.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.04

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In order to investigate the impact of romantic media exposure on romantic beliefs as well as the effects of perceived realism and social comparison orientation, a sample of 614 undergraduate students without romantic experience completed Questionnaire of Romantic Media Exposure, Perceived Realism Scale, Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure and Romantic Beliefs Scale. Results revealed that: (1) Romantic media exposure was positively correlated with perceived realism and romantic beliefs, and perceived realism was also positively correlated with romantic beliefs; (2) Romantic media exposure could affect romanticc beliefs through the mediation of perceived realism; (3) Both the direct effect of romantic media exposure on romantic beliefs and the mediating effect of perceived realism were moderated by social comparison orientation, and both these two effects were much stronger among undergraduate students with high social comparison orientation.

The Mediating Role of Achievement Motivation between College Students' Proactive Personality and Career Adaptability and Its Gender Differences

WU Jieqing, DONG Yongyan, XIONG Junmei, CAO Yu

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  547-556.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.05

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This study used Career Adaptability Questionnaire, Proactive Personality Questionnaire and Achievement Motivation Scales to survey 864 college students, and tested the mediating role of achievement motivation on the relationship between proactive personality and career adaptability. The gender difference of the effect was also explored. The results showed the following: (1) Achievement motivation partially mediated the relationship between proactive personality and career adaptability. (2)There were also significant gender differences in the medating effect of achievement: the mediating effect of motivation of achieving success between proactive personality and career adaptability was significant in both male and female group; as to motivation of avoiding failure, the mediating effect was only significant in the female group while not significant in the male group. These findings thus offer a new insight into how college students' proactive personality influences their career adaptability.

The Effect of Graduate Students' Research Role Identification on Research Creativity: Roles of Mentor's Inclusive Leadership and Error Management Culture

YIN Kui, SUN Jianmin, XING Lu, YANG Xijin

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  557-564.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.06

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The purpose of the present investigation was to explore how graduate students' research role identification influences their creativity as well as the roles of inclusive leadership and error management climate in moderating the relationship. Based on 411 full-time graduate students and their 62 supervisors' questionnaire, and through hierarchical linear model (HLM) method, our findings revealed that: (1) Graduate students' research role identification was positively related to research creativity; (2) Supervisors' inclusive leadership and team error management climate both enhanced the relationship between students' research role identification and research creativity; (3) Inclusive leadership had positive effect on team error management climate, and error management climate mediated the moderation effect of supervisors' inclusive leadership.

Text-Picture Integration in Multimedia Learning: A Meta-Analysis of the Spatial Contiguity Effect

WANG Yuxin, XIE Heping, WANG Fuxing, AN Jing, HAO Yanbin

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  565-578.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.07

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The spatial contiguity effect shows that people learn more effectively when corresponding texts and pictures are presented close to each other rather than separately (Mayer, 2009). A meta-analysis based on 53 empirical studies was conducted to investigate the effects of spatial contiguity effect on subjective cognitive load, retention and transfer tests. Consistent with Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) (Mayer, 2009), the main effect analysis indicated that participants who learned from spatially contiguous materials outperformed those who were provided with spatially separated materials in both retention test (d_retention=0.48) and transfer test (d_transfer=0.39). Besides, spatially contiguity reduced learners' subjective cognitive load (d_{cognitive load}=-0.24), which supported Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) (Sweller, 1994). The moderator analysis revealed that multimedia material characteristics (element interactivity, pacing of presentation, learning duration) affected the spatial contiguity effect on transfer test. Specifically, studies which used materials with high interactivity (d_{high interactivity}=0.42), system-paced presentation (d_{system-paced presentation}=0.52), shorter duration (d_{shorter duration}=0.55) had larger effect size. Learning condition also had moderator effect on the spatial contiguity effect, learning with printed materials performed better both on retention and transfer tests (d_retention=0.66, d_transfer=0.52) than digital materials. In addition, the spatial contiguity may better enhance retention test when being applied to primary and secondary school students(d_{primary and secondary school}=0.71). The subjective cognitive load reduces by spatial contiguity wasn't moderated by above factors. The results suggested that spatial contiguity effect could play an important role in text-picture integration of multimedia learning. Moreover, element interactivity, pacing of presentation, learning duration, learning condition and learners' educational level should be considered as vital moderators of spatial contiguity effect.

The Relationship of College Students' Proactive Personality and Academic Performance: The Mediating Roles of Academic Self-efficacy and Academic Adjustment

WANG Wei, LEI Li, WANG Xingchao

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  579-586.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.08

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The study examined the relationship of college students' proactive personality and academic performance, and the mediating roles of academic self-efficacy and academic adjustment. Three hundred eighty-eight students participated in the study. The results found that: (1) Academic performance was positively correlated to proactive personality, academic self-efficacy, and academic adjustment. (2) Academic self-efficacy played a fully mediating role in the relationship between proactive personality and academic performance, but academic adjustment didn't play a mediating role in this relationship. Academic self-efficacy played a partially mediating role in the relationship between proactive personality and academic adjustment.

The Relation between Perceived Discrimination and Migrant Children's School Adaptation: A Longitudinal Study

ZHANG Guangzhen, JIANG Ning, LIANG Zongbao, DENG Huihua

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  587-594.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.09

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The present study examined the bi-directional relations between perceived discrimination and migrant children's school adaptation, and whether the relation varied with gender, with longitudinal design and multiple informants. Two hundred and eighty-one children (157 boys and 124 girls) and their parents and teachers participated in the study. When children were in grade 7 (M_age=13.09 years,SD=1.13)(T1) and grade 8 (T2), they were asked to report their perceived discrimination, and teachers and parents were respectively asked to report children's problem behaviors. The results indicated that: (1) boys perceived more discrimination and had more externalizing and learning problems than girls at both T1 and T2, however, they did not differ in internalizing problems; (2) children's perceived discrimination at T1 positively predicted teacher-reported externalizing and learning problems, and parent-reported internalizing problems at T2, and marginally significantly positively predicted parent-reported externalizing and learning problems at T2, whereas the prediction from children's school adaptation at T1 to children's perceived discrimination at T2 was nonsignificant; (3) the relation between perceived discrimination and migrant children's problem behaviors did not vary with gender. These results indicated that perceived discrimination was generally detrimental to migrant children's adjustment.

The Effect of Traumatic Severity and Posttraumatic Fear on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: The Moderating Role of Social Support

WU Xinchun, ZHOU Xiao, WU Mengwei, CHEN Jieling, ZHAO Xianzi

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  595-603.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.10

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To examine the relationships among traumatic severity, posttraumatic fear, social support and posttraumatic stress disorder, this study investigated 303 pupils by traumatic severity questionnaire, posttraumatic fear questionnaire, social support and PTSD scale in 0.5 years and 1.5 years after Ya'an earthquake. Then the regression analysis found that the traumatic severity have a positive effect on PTSD at 0.5 year but not 1.5 year after earthquake. Regardless of the change of time, posttraumatic fear has a positive effect on PTSD, social support has on negative effect on PTSD. In addition, the results of study also found that social support don't moderate the relationship between traumatic severity and PTSD from 0.5 year to 1.5 years after earthquake, but the social support have a moderating effect on the relationship between posttraumatic fear and PTSD in 1.5 year but not 0.5 years after earthquake.

Why Parents' Regulation of Internet Use was Ineffective to Adolescent Problematic Online Game Use? A Moderated Mediation Model

SU Binyuan, ZHANG Wei, SU Qin, YU Chengfu

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  604-613.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.11

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In consideration of the different effect of parents' regulation of internet use reducing adolescents' problematic online game use, this study intended to inspect the mediation role of deviant peer affiliation and the moderation role of parent-child relationship. The sample included 4105 middle school students from Grade 4、Grade 7 and Grade 8 from six cities in Guangdong Province, China. Results: (1) direct effect showed that parents' regulation of internet use would accelerate the process of adolescents' problematic online game use. Deviant peer affiliation had the suppressing effects in the relationship between parents' regulation of internet use and problematic online game use. (2) parent-child relationship moderated the mediated path between parents' regulation of internet use and deviant peer affiliation. (3) the whole model inspection found that parents' regulation of internet use, parent-child relationship, deviant peer affiliation and problematic online game use formed a moderated mediation model.

Perceived Discrimination and Loneliness among the Rural Impoverished College Students: the Mediating Effect of Core Self-Evaluation and Friends-Support

XIE Qili, WAN Rong, ZHANG Rui, JIANG Guangrong

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  614-622.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.12

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The present study investigated the relationship between perceived discrimination and loneliness, and to explore the mediating effect of core self-evaluation and friends-support of impoverished college students and non-impoverished college students. By using the relevant questionnaires, the perceived discrimination, the core self-evaluation, and the support of friends and loneliness of 769 impoverished college students and 1014 non-impoverished college students were measured. Results showed that: (1) The perceived discrimination and loneliness of impoverished college students is higher than that of the non-impoverished students, while their core self-evaluation and friends-support is higher than that of the non-impoverished students. (2) There is significant relevance between the perceived discrimination and core self-evaluation, as well as friends-support and loneliness in the two groups. Perceived discrimination has significant direct effect on the loneliness of impoverished college students and non-impoverished college students. (3) There is no obvious difference that the perceived discrimination has direct effect on the loneliness of impoverished and non-impoverished students, as to the influence of perceived discrimination on the loneliness via the mediation of core self-evaluation and friends-support in these two groups.

A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Mental Health with Chinese Samples

LUO Zhen, JIN Cancan

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  623-630.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.13

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The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the relationships between emotional intelligence and related variables of mental health (psychological symptoms, perceived stress, coping, social adaptation and subjective well-being). 104 qualified studies have been selected, including 151 independent samples and 75754 participants. The results showed individual emotional intelligence had a moderately positive relationship with subjective well-being (r=0.30), highly positive relationships with positive coping strategy (r=0.40) and social adaptation (r=0.42), and moderately negative relationships with psychological symptoms (r=-0.32), perceived stress (r=-0.29) and negative coping strategy (r=-0.13). Besides, the relationships between emotional intelligence and some variables of mental health were moderated by publication year, participants' age, the theoretical model, and measuring tools of emotional intelligence. The results suggested that the correlation between emotional intelligence and positive mental health was higher than the correlation between emotional intelligence and negative mental health, which were stable in a long period.

Co-rumination: Conceptualization, Measurements and Theoretical Explanation

FAN Cuiying, CHU Xiaowei, WANG Mingzhong, ZHOU Zongkui

Psychological Development and Education. 2016, 32(5):  631-640.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.05.14

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Co-rumination refers to excessive discussion of personal problems within a dyadic relationship. It brings about the adjustment trade-offs for individuals. Specifically, co-rumination is not only related to the positive aspects of friendships, but also related to one's internalizing problems such as depression and anxiety. Previous research mainly investigated such themes as gender differences, developmental characteristics, and manifestations in different close relationships of co-rumination. Findings indicated that the adjustment trade-offs produced by co-rumination were more salient in females than in males, and were more salient in adolescence than in childhood. The relationship between co-rumination and individuals' internalizing problems was explained through certain perspectives including peer contagion, stress generation, empathetic distress and physiological mechanisms. Detecting the negative impacts of co-rumination on individuals' adjustment in close relationships such as friendships might be difficult and co-rumination can be taken as a risk signal of one's internalizing problems such as depression and anxiety. The topic concerning co-rumination could be deepened in the future research by testing personality and social environment as potential predictors.