Table of Content

15 March 2018, Volume 34 Issue 2

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Gender Difference in Empathy: The Evidence from Meta-analysis

YAN Zhiqiang, SU Yanjie

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  129-136.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.01

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The present research conducted a meta-analysis to explore the relationship between empathy and gender, and the factors affecting this relationship. Through literature retrieval, 175 cases and 186 independent effect sizes together with 179546 participants which met the inclusion criteria of meta-analysis were selected. Heterogeneity test indicated that the random effects model was appropriate for the meta-analysis. The result of funnel plot and fail-safe number illustrated that there was no publication bias. Main-effect test findings demonstrated that empathy was significantly associated with gender (r=-0.23, p<0.001). The moderator analysis revealed that empathy measurement tools moderated the relationship between empathy and gender (Q_b=87.18, p<0.001), participants' age moderated the relationship between empathy (Q_b=36.80, p<0.001), emotional empathy (Q_b=21.04, p<0.001) and gender. For example, the questionnaire which mainly measures person's affective empathy would be easier to show gender difference, and preschool age won't show difference in empathy or cognitive empathy and affective empathy, and puberty would be the most salient period in the relationship between empathy, emotional empathy and gender.

Relations between Social Avoidance and Peer Problems in Chinese Early Adolescents: A Moderated-mediation Model

DING Xuechen, DENG Xinmei, SANG Biao, LI Dan

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  137-145.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.02

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The goal of the present study was to explore the relations between social avoidance, peer problems, emotion regulation, and academic achievement among children in Shanghai, mainland China. Participants were 660 early adolescents attending elementary schools and middle schools. Data were collected using multi-source assessments, including self-reports, peer nominations, and school records. Results indicated that:(1) social avoidance positively predicted peer problems; (2) emotion regulation partially mediated the relations between social avoidance and peer problems; (3) academic achievement moderated the mediating path through emotion regulation. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of social avoidance, emotion regulation, and academic achievement for children'social-emotional functioning in China.

The Relationship between Family Functioning and Adolescent Negative Risk-taking Behavior: A Moderated Mediating Model

WANG Bing, TIAN Lumei, DONG Xinyue

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  146-154.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.03

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To explore the mechanism of the relationship between family functioning and adolescent negative risk-taking behavior, the present study hypothesized and examined a moderated mediating model in which deviant peer affiliation mediates the above-mentioned relationship and this mediating effect is moderated by self-esteem, with a sample of 940 middle school and high school students (mean age=14.38 years, SD=1.69) as participants. The participants completed the Family Assessment Device, Peer Group Character Questionnaire, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior Questionnaire. The results showed that:(1) family functioning directly predicted adolescent negative risk-taking behavior and indirectly influence it via deviant peer affiliation as a mediator. (2) The effect of deviant peer affiliation on adolescent negative risk-taking behavior was moderated by self-esteem.Specifically, this effect was much stronger among low self-esteem adolescents than was among high self-esteem adolescents. These findings suggest that family provides the basis of healthy growth for adolescents, and poor family functioning is likely to make adolescents maladaptive,whereas improving adolescent peer context and self system may reduce this risk.

Effects of Emotions and Occupation Quantity on Career Decision-making Process for College Students with Different Career Delay of Gratification

ZONG Zheng, LIU Weizhen, DONG Jie, SI Jiwei

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  155-163.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.04

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The current research explores the influence of emotions and occupation quantity on career decision making process for individuals with different career delay of gratification. Forty participants with high or low career delay of gratification were induced to positive or negative emotion. Afterwards, they finished a simulated career decision task displayed through information board. The results showed that:1)Participants with high career delayed gratification were found to have significantly greater search depth and search patterns than participants with low career delayed gratification; 2)Regardless of delay of gratification tendency, participants in positive emotion or low occupation number conditions displayed greater search depth and search patterns in the career decision task; 3)Participants with high career delayed gratification carried out more searches based on different dimensions of occupation attributes across different level of occupation quantity. As a concept closely related to the future career planning, career delayed gratification reflects the impact of individual career planning on their career decision-making processes.

The Correlations between Parenting Style and the Sense of Social Responsibility among Undergraduate: The Mediating Role of Self-control and the Gender Difference

LUO Lei, MING Hua, TIAN Yuan, XIA XiaoQing, HUANG SiLin

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  164-170.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.05

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The sense of social responsibility is an important psychological quality that is referring to taking social responsibility and helping others. Previous studies have suggested that parenting style can predict their children's sense of social responsibility. However, little research has explored the mediating role in the correlations between parenting styles and the sense of social responsibility among undergraduate. Increasing evidence has suggested that self-control might be a mediating variable. Self-control is considered to be a remarkable ability to adapt to the society and also the most basic way of self-regulation in self-consciousness structure. In sum, this study aimed to examine the correlations between parenting style and the sense of social responsibility and the mediating role of self-control in the relationship between the two variables among undergraduate in China.
A total of 852 undergraduates were recruited from 5 universities in China. The mean age of the sample was 20.44 yearsdd (SD=1.18; range:17~25 years). 68.38% were girl, and 6 undergraduates did not report their gender. The results showed that:(1) The sense of social responsibility was positively related to parental care, while negatively related to parental control. (2) There was a significant positive correlation between self-control and sense of social responsibility. (3) Self-control acted as the mediating variable in the correlation between parental care and social responsibility, but not between parental control and social responsibility. (4) The mediating role of self-control in the correlation between parent care and sense of social responsibility were significant among girls, but not among boys.
Based on these findings, we suggested that parental care could significantly improve undergraduates'sense of social responsibility, but parental control could decrease. Specially, as for girls, parents care not only could directly improve their sense of social responsibility, but also indirectly increase throughout self-control. However, parents care could directly improve boys'sense of social responsibility, but direct way not found in this study. The results of this study provided a basis for the possibility of promoting the sense of social responsibility among undergraduates from the family perspective.

The Relationship between College Students' Self-esteem and Cyber Aggressive Behavior: the Role of Social Anxiety and Dual Self-consciousness

DING Zien, WANG Xiaohan, LIU Qinxue

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  171-180.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.06

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The present study examined whether social anxiety mediated the relationship between self-esteem and cyber aggressive behavior, and whether this mediating process was moderated by dual self-consciousness (public self-consciousness and private self-consciousness). A sample of 391 college students (mean age=19.54, SD=0.946) completed anonymous questionnaires concerning demographics, self-esteem, social anxiety, cyber aggressive behavior and dual self-consciousness. After controlling for gender and age, the results revealed that:(1) self-esteem was negatively associated with cyber aggressive behavior, (2) the relation between self-esteem and cyber aggressive behavior was partially mediated by social anxiety, (3) the effect of self-esteem on cyber aggressive behavior was moderated by public self-consciousness, with the effect being stronger for students with low public self-consciousness, and (4) the effect of self-esteem on cyber aggressive behavior was moderated by private self-consciousness, with the effect being stronger for students with high private self-consciousness.

The Relationship of Constructivist Pedagogy and Metathinking: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Holding Power

CHI Liping, ZONG Zheng, XIN Ziqiang, CHEN Yinghe

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  181-190.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.07

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Constructivist pedagogy may exert more cognitive holding power on students, so as to make them think more about their thinking process, i.e., to strengthen their metathinking. In the present study, the constructivist pedagogy evaluation questionnaire, the cognitive holding power questionnaire, and the scales of general metathinking and situational metathinking were administrated to a sample of 381 students in the grades of 5, 8, and 11 to explore the relationship among constructivist pedagogy, cognitive holding power and metathinking. It was found that (1) scores of constructivist pedagogy could positively predict levels of participants' general metathinking and situational metathinking; and (2) the first order cognitive holding power partly mediated the prediction relations, when adding the first order cognitive holding power as the only mediator; (3) while adding the second order cognitive holding power as the only mediator into the original direct path from constructivist pedagogy to general metathinking and situational metathinking, the direct path became not significant, whereas the mediating path was significant; (4) when the first and second order cognitive holding power were added into the direct path at the same time, constructivist pedagogy could only predict the level of the second order cognitive holding power, and the latter could affect participants' general metathinking and situational metathinking.

Relations between Achievement Goal Orientations and Mathematics Engagement among Pupils: The Mediating Roles of Academic Procrastination and Mathematics Anxiety

HONG Wei, LIU Rude, ZHEN Rui, JIANG Shuyang, JIN Fangkai

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  191-199.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.08

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The current study investigated seven hundred and eight pupils in upper grades by using self-report scales, to explore the relations among achievement goal orientations, academic procrastination, mathematics anxiety, and mathematics engagement. The results showed:(1) both mastery and performance-approach orientations had direct and positive prediction on mathematics engagement, but the prediction of performance-avoidance orientation was not significant; (2) mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance orientations indirectly predicted mathematics engagement through academic procrastination; (3) both mastery and performance-approach orientations, but not performance-avoidance orientation, indirectly predicted mathematics engagement through mathematics anxiety; (4) all the three types of achievement goal orientations indirectly predicted mathematics engagement through a multiple mediating path from academic procrastination to mathematics anxiety. The findings indicated that achievement goal orientations had not only a direct influence on mathematics engagement, but also an indirect effect on mathematics engagement through academic procrastination and mathematics anxiety.

The Development Trend of Depression and Its Concurrency with Problem Behaviors during Middle and Late Childhood: A Two-year Longitudinal Study

SU Zhiqiang, WANG Gang, LIU Chuanxing, ZHANG Dajun

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  200-209.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.09

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This study was conducted to explore the development trend of depression and the sex difference of this trend during Middle and Late Childhood. Besides, Comorbidity of depression and problem behaviors was also being explored in this research. 771 students in grades 3~4 were investigated by Children Depression Scale and Behavior Problem Scale in the time of 2 years. The results indicated as follows:(1) The developmental trajectory of depression during middle and late childhood was non-linear conversion, it is on the decline with the time passed by. However, child's depression showed a upward trend during the late of childhood. (2) The multi-group LGM analysis indicated the gender differences were not significant in the initial level and development speed of depression. (3) The development of depression during middle and late childhood was often accompanied by the problem behaviors.

The Effect of Social Network Sites Addiction on Adolescents' Depression: Mediating Role of Cognitive Overload and Core Self-evaluation

CHEN Chunyu, LIAN Shuailei, SUN Xiaojun, CHAI Huanyou, ZHOU Zongkui

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  210-218.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.10

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism between social network sites addiction and depression in adolescents. Based on the Diathesis-stress theory, a questionnaire, including Social Network Sites Addiction Scale, Cognitive Overload Scale, Core Self-Evaluations Scale, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), was used to investigate 886 junior school students from three full-time middle schools in Wuhan. The results indicated that:(1) There were significant correlations among social network sites addiction, cognitive overload, core self-evaluation and depression, and social network sites addiction significantly and positively predicted the level of depression; (2) Cognitive overload and core self-evaluation played mediating roles between social network sites addiction and depression. In particular, social network sites addiction affected depression through three paths:one was the mediating role of cognitive overload; the second was the mediating role of core self-evaluation; the third was the chain-mediated role of both cognitive overload and core self-evaluation. In summary, this study uncovered the mechanism underlying the relationship between social network sites addiction and depression, which contributes to the understanding of the complex mechanism between social network sites addiction and its outcomes.

The Relationship between Parental Psychological Control and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems of Children with ODD: The Mediation Effects of Father-child Attachment and Mother-child Attachment

HE Ting, SONG Zijing, DING Wan, LIU Wei, LIN Xiuyun

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  219-228.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.11

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The present study aimed to explore the relationship of parental psychological control and the internalizing (depression) and externalizing (aggression) problems among children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and investigate whether the parent-child attachment would play a mediator role in the relationship between parental psychological control and children's problems. Totally, 246 children with ODD and their class master teachers from 14 elementary schools in Beijing, Shandong and Yunnan participated the study and completed the scales. Children completed the Parental Psychological Control, Parent-child Attachment and Children's Depression, and class master teachers completed the Children's Aggression. Data analysis revealed that:(1) Compared to girls, boys with ODD had more emotional and behavioral problems; (2) Boys perceived significant much more paternal psychological control; (3) Parental psychological control positively correlated with parent attachment and children's depression, only paternal psychological control positively correlated with children's aggression; (4) Only mother-child attachment mediated the relationship between maternal psychological control and depression. Unfortunately, parent-child attachment didn't mediate in the relationship between parental psychological control and aggression behavior among children with ODD.

The Relationship between Negative Life Events and Non-suicidal Self-injury among Junior Middle School Students: Moderated Mediation Effect

GU Honglei, FU Dandan, LU Xiaoying, XIA Tiansheng

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  229-238.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.12

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To investigate the impact of negative life events on the non-suicidal self-injury behavior, 333 junior middle school students were recruited to participate in this study, and they anonymously filled out questionnaires regarding negative life events, self-criticism, parent-child relationship and non-suicidal self-injury behavior. This study indicated that:(1) negative life events had a significantly positive prediction for self-criticism and self-injury behavior of the junior middle school students; (2) self-criticism of junior middle school students mediated the relationship between negative life events and their self-injury; (3) the relationship between life events and their self-criticism was moderated by parent-child relationship. That is, with father-child relationship and mother-child relationship being strengthen, the influence of negative life events on the self-criticism of the junior middle school students was decreased. Therefore, there was a moderated mediation model between negative life events and self-injury, and the present study enriched the theory of non-suicidal self-injury behavior.

A Review of Neural Mechanism of Anhedonia in Depressive Adolescents

LI Peng, LIU Xia, SUN Binghai, ZHANG Wenhai, LI Hong

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  239-248.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.13

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With a trend of younger age, depression in adolescence has been more and more concerned from the psychological, social, and clinical researches. As one of the core clinical symptoms of depression, anhedonia has become one of the most promising endophenotypes in future research of depression. However, the neural mechanism of anhedonia in depressive adolescents is still not clear. Firstly, the current study summarized the two neural mechanism models, namely the triadic model and the social frustration model. Secondly, we reviewed frontiers in the neural mechanism of anhedonia in depressive adolescents under various reward processes, such as monetary reward, effort motivational reward, future reward, and social reward. Future researches are supposed to deeply explore the action of effort motivation and future reward in predicting depressive adolescents, and strengthen how puberty and gender interact on anhedonia in early depression, and further apply noninvasive electromagnetic stimulations to intervene adolescent depression, which will help clarify the neural developmental mechanism of anhedonia in adolescent depression.

The Definitions and Predictors of Successful Aging

LIU Xueping, CHEN Zizhuo, HUANG Wen, PENG Huamao

Psychological Development and Education. 2018, 34(2):  249-256.  doi:10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2018.02.14

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Based on Rowe and Kahn's model of successful aging, this article proposed a four-dimension model of successful aging from the perspective of Chinese culture, which includes physiological health, mental function, engagement with life, and life satisfaction. This article also reviewed previous research on successful aging and classified the predictors into passive and proactive factors. Previous studies showed that both passive factors (i.e., demographic characteristics, early experiences, social interaction environment and social-historical-cultural environment) and proactive factors (i.e., lifestyle and habits, daily cognitive activities and training, and aging attitude) would affect the aging process of older adults. Successful aging should serve as a goal pursuit in older adults and guide older adults to age better. Positive aging is the mean or way to achieve successful aging.