Maintaining the working state of firefighters by utilizing self-concept clarity as a resource.

The working state of firefighters is important for their own safety as well as that of the general public. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlations between self-concept clarity, resilience, work engagement, and job burnout among firefighters, as well as the impacts of self-concept clarity and resilience as resources that can maintain their working state. Based on data from 2,156 firefighters, analysis showed that self-concept clarity was negatively associated with job burnout and positively associated with work engagement. The results also showed that self-concept clarity had a direct effect on job burnout and work engagement, and an indirect effect by improving the firefighters' resilience. Maintaining and improving their self-concept clarity and resilience promises to be an effective strategy for guaranteeing the working state of firefighters.

Daily associations between global self-esteem and self-concept clarity and their relationships with subjective well-being in a sample of adult workers.

OBJECTIVES: The present pre-registered study examined the reciprocal day-to-day associations between global self-esteem and self-concept clarity and their incremental validity with respect to daily life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. METHODS: We used intensive longitudinal data from 153 adult workers (45.1% women), over a period of 31 days. Data were analyzed using dynamic structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Results attested higher global self-esteem and self-concept clarity mean levels for older vs. younger participants, and lower global self-esteem and self-concept clarity variability for older vs. younger participants. Furthermore, global self-esteem and self-concept clarity were correlated at a cross-sectional daily level, yet only self-concept clarity states positively predicted subsequent global self-esteem states, while global self-esteem states did not predict subsequent self-concept clarity states. Daily global self-esteem and daily self-concept clarity further predicted subsequent daily higher life satisfaction and positive affect, respectively. CONCLUSION: Overall, our findings shed light on the short-term relationships linking global self-esteem and self-concept clarity, pointing to their discriminant validity in predicting individuals' subjective well-being.

Longitudinal relationships among sociocultural pressure for body image, self-concept clarity, and emotional well-being in adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the longitudinal relationships among sociocultural pressure for body image (SPBI), self-concept clarity (SCC), and emotional well-being (EWB) at both the between- and within-person levels. METHODS: The participants were 2001 Chinese adolescents (age range 11-24, 42.9% males). Recruitment of participants occurred for 1 year across three waves (i.e., 6 months apart across three cohorts). The baseline and follow-up questionnaire surveys were utilized to assess SPBI, SCC, EWB, and background variables. Longitudinal associations between the above main variables were tested using a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and multilevel regression analysis. RESULTS: The CLPM and multilevel-model analysis showed that SCC longitudinally mediated the relationships between SPBI and EWB. Besides, gender and age were considered moderators in the associations among SPBI, SCC, and EWB. CONCLUSIONS: SCC could be an underlying mechanism for the longitudinal relationship between SPBI and EWB among Chinese adolescents, which provides a potential intervention target for improving adolescents' well-being from a sociocultural framework.

The Reciprocal Relations between Parental Psychological Control and Social Anxiety and the Mediating Role of Self-Concept Clarity Among Chinese Early Adolescents.

Although parental psychological control has been well-documented as a significant predictor of social anxiety among adolescents, few studies examine how changes in parental psychological control and adolescent social anxiety are reciprocally related at the within-person level, especially in Chinese culture. This longitudinal study examined reciprocal relations between parental psychological control and social anxiety, and the potential mediating role of self-concept clarity, by disentangling between- and within-person effects. A total of 4731 students (44.9% girls; Mage = 10.91 years, SD = 0.72) participated in a four-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals. Results from random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling indicated that parental psychological control directly predicted social anxiety, and vice versa. Parental psychological control indirectly predicted social anxiety via self-concept clarity, and social anxiety also indirectly predicted parental psychological control via self-concept clarity. These findings reveal a vicious cycle of mutual influence between parental psychological control and adolescent social anxiety in Chinese youth, and highlight the crucial role of self-concept clarity in the interplay between parenting and adolescent social functioning.

Online Self-Disclosure and Self-Concept Clarity Among Chinese Middle School Students: A Longitudinal Study.

The relationship between online self-disclosure and self-concept clarity has been previously examined through cross-sectional studies. This study examined causal connections between online self-disclosure and self-concept clarity among Chinese middle school students using longitudinal data collected over 18 months. Participants were 535 seventh-grade students aged 12-14 years (Mage = 12.93, SD = 0.54, 43.18% girls), assessed four times, six months apart. In a random intercept cross-lagged panel model, self-concept clarity significantly predicted online self-disclosure. Latent growth mixture modeling identified two distinct growth trajectories for both online self-disclosure (Rapid change, 7%; Slow change, 93%) and self-concept clarity (Rapid change, 8%; No change, 92%). Multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that changes in self-concept clarity influenced the developmental trajectory profile of online self-disclosure. Although male and female students differed in online self-disclosure and self-concept clarity, gender differences in the developmental trajectory profiles of online self-disclosure and self-concept clarity were not significant. Supporting adolescents in developing a clear self-concept to mitigate risks associated with excessive online self-disclosure is important.

Self-compassion promotes self-concept clarity and self-change in response to negative events.

OBJECTIVE: Negative events tend to reduce self-concept clarity, which could hinder self-change. Three studies (total n = 1603) including two preregistered tested whether inducing self-compassion in response to negative events promotes self-concept clarity and self-change. METHODS: Participants engaged in either a self-compassionate or a control writing task regarding negative events. They responded to the scales of self-concept clarity and self-change before and after the manipulation. Self-change was assessed using two indicators: self-improvement regarding the negative aspects of the self (i.e., negativity transformation, Studies 1-3) and openness to self-change (Studies 2 and 3). In Study 3, self-esteem and affect were assessed to test alternative processes. RESULTS: Across the studies, participants induced to be self-compassionate reported higher levels of self-concept clarity, negativity transformation (except in Study 1), and openness to self-change. Studies 2 and 3 found that self-concept clarity mediated the effect of self-compassion on openness to self-change. Study 3 indicated that this indirect effect remained significant, while the indirect effect of self-compassion on negativity transformation was nonsignificant when self-esteem and affect were considered. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, boosting self-compassion in response to negative events could help people retain self-concept clarity and, thus, be open to self-change. Self-compassion could also orient people to engage in negativity transformation.

Mediation of self-concept clarity and self-control between negative emotional states and emotional eating in Chinese adolescents.

Recent studies have consistently lent support for the significant relationship between negative emotional states (e.g., anxiety, stress, and depression) and emotional eating; however, only a handful of studies focused on examining the potential mediator in this association. The present study aimed to contribute to the literature surrounding the link between negative emotional states and emotional eating and to examine the mediating role of self-concept clarity and self-control in this association among a sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 1347, 62.44% girls). Results indicated that adolescents perceived higher levels of negative emotional states were linked to higher emotional eating. Additionally, the structural equation model suggested that symptoms of stress and depression could be associated with emotional eating through self-control. Moreover, the serial mediation effect of self-concept clarity and self-control could account for the association of negative emotional states (e.g., symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression) and emotional eating. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the underlying mechanisms through which negative emotional states predict emotional eating in adolescence. If future studies reveal converging findings, this knowledge points to the need for programs preventing the development of emotional eating in adolescence through increasing the level of self-control and self-concept clarity.

Searching for secrets, searching for self: Childhood adversity, self-concept clarity, and the motivation to uncover family secrets through direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests have become an attractive product for those hoping to gain insight into their health, ancestry, and biological relatedness. In some cases, test results are unexpected, and lead to the revelation of previously undisclosed family secrets. A subset of individuals may pursue testing explicitly for this purpose; however, the psychosocial processes underlying this motivation remain unexamined. Grounded in the literature on family secrecy, trauma, and the development of self-concept, we tested a hypothesized mediation model to provide insight into this motivation among a sample of 433 individuals in pursuit of DTC genetic testing. In line with the documented association between maladaptive family communication patterns and trauma exposure in childhood, we found that exposure to adverse childhood experiences was associated with the motivation to pursue DTC genetic testing for the purpose of uncovering family secrets. We also found evidence of an indirect effect through reduced self-concept clarity. These findings suggest that impaired identity formation processes may have played a role in transmitting the effect. Furthermore, the findings highlight a novel way in which family histories may contribute to DTC genetic testing motivations. Future examination of these and other psychosocial phenomena that contribute to DTC genetic testing will be crucial to consider as the tests become increasingly accessible, and as the information they can provide becomes increasingly comprehensive. Findings from this line of research could help to identify for whom and under what conditions DTC genetic testing benefits well-being, and the conditions under which the act of testing and receipt of results could have adverse psychosocial effects. These insights will be of interest to genetic counselors working in the field of DTC genetic testing, and those working with individuals and families affected by unexpected test results.

Testing the Identity Disruption Model among Adolescents: Pathways Connecting Adverse Childhood Experiences to Body Dissatisfaction.

The Identity Disruption Model posits that early adversity is associated with lower self-concept clarity, which in turn increases vulnerability to sociocultural appearance factors and body dissatisfaction, but this model has not previously been tested among adolescents. Testing the model during adolescence is critical because this is a key point of development of both identity and body dissatisfaction. This paper presents two studies with adolescents recruited through social media (Study 1: n = 213; 78% female; mean age = 15.7 years, SD = 1.14) and from high schools (Study 2; n = 228; 43% female; mean age = 13.8 years, SD = 1.15). In both studies, self-reported early adversity was associated with lower self-concept clarity; lower self-concept clarity was associated with greater internalization of appearance ideals and more frequent appearance comparisons; and internalization and appearance comparisons were associated with greater body dissatisfaction. This research builds on previous sociocultural models of body dissatisfaction by pointing to processes that occur early in life that could be potential targets of intervention and prevention efforts.

How social connectedness contributes to life satisfaction among Chinese nurses: Testing potential moderated mediation pathways.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to identify the mediating and moderating mechanisms by which social connectedness predicts life satisfaction among Chinese nurses. BACKGROUND: Previous researchers have primarily focused on sociodemographic and occupational domain risk factors for nurses' life satisfaction with relatively little insight into facilitative and protective factors and underlying psychological mechanisms. METHODS: We investigated 459 Chinese nurses' social connectedness, work-family enrichment, self-concept clarity, and life satisfaction via a cross-sectional design. We explored the underlying predictive mechanisms among these variables by creating a moderated mediation model. We followed STROBE checklist. RESULTS: Work-family enrichment played a mediating role in understanding the positive effects of social connectedness on nurses' life satisfaction. In addition, the moderating effect of self-concept clarity was manifested itself in the association between work-family enrichment and life satisfaction. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Interpersonal asset (social connectedness) and the positive aspect of the work-family interface (work-family enrichment) were significant contributors to nurses' life satisfaction. In particular, high self-concept clarity can enhance the beneficial effect of work-family enrichment on life satisfaction. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY AND PRACTICE: Strengthening social connectedness, promoting synergy in work-family roles, and maintaining a clarity of self-concept are important intervention pathways to enhance the health and well-being of nurses.

Self-concept Clarity and Subjective Well-Being: Disentangling Within- and Between-Person Associations.

Previous research has suggested that, among adolescents, clarity about one's self-concept is closely related to subjective well-being. However, longitudinal studies are scarce, and whether a clear self-concept is the cause or effect of subjective well-being remains unclear. This study examined the dynamic longitudinal associations between self-concept clarity and subjective well-being at the between- and within-person levels over a one-year time span among adolescents (baseline Mage = 16.01 years; 57.0% girls) from China. The data were collected in three waves (each at a six-month interval), in which adolescents reported their self-concept clarity and well-being (i.e., positive and negative affect and personal satisfaction with life). Both Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPMs) and Cross-Lagged Panel Models (CLPMs) were applied to examine the stability, cross-sectional relationships, and cross-lagged effects between adolescents' self-concept clarity and subjective well-being over time. The CLPMs provided unique support for a reciprocal relations model of self-concept clarity and subjective well-being (including both cognitive and emotional well-being) across three time points, although the results of traditional CLPM might represent an unknown blend of between- and within-person effects. However, the RI-CLPM analyses provided tentative support only for cross-sectional correlations between self-concept clarity and well-being outcomes. Our findings advance the literature by elucidating longitudinal relationships between self-concept clarity and subjective well-being in collectivist cultural contexts using CLPM and RI-CLPM.

Cumulative childhood trauma and mobile phone addiction among chinese college students: role of self-esteem and self-concept clarity as serial mediators.

Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of people's lives, and their use has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, mobile phone addiction has also become a growing concern. This study investigates how cumulative childhood trauma relates to mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students, and the subsequent role of self-esteem and self-concept clarity. A sample of Chinese college students (N = 620) were investigated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Self-Concept Clarity Scale. The results showed that: (1) cumulative childhood trauma significantly and positively predicted mobile phone addiction among college students; (2) self-esteem mediated the association between cumulative childhood trauma and mobile phone addiction; and (3) self-esteem and self-concept clarity had a sequential mediating effect on the relationship between cumulative childhood trauma and mobile phone addiction. Thus, this study is a reminder to focus on the combined role of multiple adverse experiences and self-system factors in the intervention of mobile phone addiction.

Identity, self-blame, and body regard in NSSI: A test of moderated-mediation.

BACKGROUND: Prior work suggests that an unstable identity is an important developmental factor impacting risk for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), partly because it can foster lowered self-esteem and self-blame coping styles. Theoretical models suggest that how one regards the self, including experiences of and reactions to one's body (e.g., body regard), impact how factors such as identity instability and coping styles influence NSSI behavior. This study tested whether body regard moderated the mediational effect of self-blame coping on the relationship between poor self-concept clarity and past-year NSSI. METHODS: A sample of 1906 university students had complete data from an anonymous online questionnaires measuring self-concept clarity, self-blame coping, and past-year NSSI behaviors. RESULTS: Past-year NSSI was reported by 23.5% of the sample. Moderated mediational regression analyses using the PROCESS macro for SPSS were run. Body regard significantly moderated the effects of self-blame coping and poor self-concept clarity on NSSI such that neither risk factor was associated with NSSI when body regard was high. Poor self-concept clarity also retained a significant, although weakened, direct relationship with NSSI in the full model. CONCLUSIONS: Positive body regard is protective and appears to mitigate the strength of the relationships between poor self-concept clarity and self-blame coping on past year NSSI. When body regard is low or average, poor self-concept clarity is associated with increased NSSI, partly through the effect of self-blame coping. Treatments that address body- and self-perceptions related to self-concept may enhance the effectiveness of interventions used to reduce NSSI behavior.

Effects of an intergenerational program on adolescent self-concept clarity: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study examined the effects of a newly developed intergenerational program on self-concept clarity (SCC) of adolescent participants. METHOD: In 12 encounter groups, 58 secondary school students and 50 nursing home residents shared their life stories and discussed existential questions about life (e.g., important values in life, how to deal with failure and regret). The life story encounter program (LSEP) is based on the dyadic Life Story Interview and was expanded into a group format consisting of ten 90-min sessions. SCC was measured with the SCC Scale before, shortly after, and three months after the end of the LSEP. RESULTS: Analyses suggest that adolescent LSEP participants' SCC improved compared to a control group (no LSEP participation). Findings also indicate that increases in SCC were associated with LSEP participants' extraversion and agreeableness. CONCLUSIONS: The LSEP is a promising program for fostering SCC in adolescence. Implications for the application of the LSEP are discussed.

The role of identity in chronic pain cognitions and pain-related disability within a clinical chronic pain population.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic pain has a significant impact on functioning and results in the disruption of one's assumed life trajectory, potentially altering their self-perceived identity. The present research is designed to determine whether identity-related issues are associated with common chronic pain cognitions and pain-related disability, which may help inform understanding of clinical chronic pain populations. METHOD: Ninety-eight adult chronic pain patients were assessed at a local pain clinic during a regularly scheduled appointment focusing on pain management. Multivariate hierarchal regression was used to determine whether issues related to identity and death anxiety were associated with pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, and pain-related disability, above and beyond pain severity, fear-avoidance, and age. RESULTS: Self-concept clarity was significantly related to pain catastrophizing and pain acceptance, above and beyond death anxiety, pain severity, fear-avoidance, and age. Death anxiety was associated with pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, and pain-related disability above and beyond pain severity, fear-avoidance, and age. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first examination of self-concept clarity and death anxiety as they relate to pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, and pain-related disability. These descriptive results support the inclusion of identity and death anxiety within the pain experience and could serve as a foundation for future directions relevant to clinical applications.

Parental psychological control and adolescents depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating and moderating effect of self-concept clarity and mindfulness.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health state of adolescents had caused widespread concern, especially the various problems caused by the relationship between adolescents and their parents in the long isolation at home. Based on the mindfulness reperceiving model and Rogers's Self-theory, this study aimed to explore the roles of adolescents' self-concept clarity and mindfulness level in the relationship between parental psychological control and adolescent depression. A total of 1,100 junior high school students from China completed the questionnaires regarding parental psychological control, depression, self-concept clarity, and mindfulness. Moderated mediation analyses suggest that parental psychological control affects adolescent depression via self-concept clarity. The association between parental psychological control and depression is moderated by self-concept clarity. The effect was stronger among adolescents with high mindfulness levels than those with low. This study suggests that it is necessary to consider both parental factors and adolescents' factors in the future. The interventions on self-concept or mindfulness may ameliorate adolescent mental problems more effectively.

Writing about life story chapters increases self-esteem: Three experimental studies.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present three studies was to examine experimentally whether writing about life story chapters would increase self-esteem, self-concept clarity, and meaning. METHOD: In study 1, 179 participants rated state self-esteem and self-concept clarity before and after they described either four important life story chapters or four famous Americans. In study 2, 141 new participants completed a similar procedure to study 1 and then returned two days later to complete the procedure a second time. In study 3, 101 community dwelling adults completed a similar procedure to study 1, but responded to full scales measuring self-concept clarity, self-esteem, and mood. RESULTS: In all the studies, writing about four important life story chapters increased the ratings of self-esteem, whereas writing about four famous Americans did not. CONCLUSION: The studies show that writing about chapters in life stories can increase self-esteem and suggest that constructing positive self-worth may be an important function of life stories.

The Longitudinal Role of Self-Concept Clarity and Best Friend Delinquency in Adolescent Delinquent Behavior.

Adolescence tends to be characterized by a temporary peak in delinquent behavior, and friends in particular play a key role in the initiation and the development of delinquency. However, adolescents differ in their susceptibility to friends' influence on delinquency. Especially adolescents who are less certain about who they are might show more delinquent behavior, and might be more susceptible to their friends' behaviors, as friends are also crucial for adolescents' identity formation. In addition to examining the main effects of best friend's delinquency and self-concept clarity on the development of adolescents' delinquency, the current study scrutinized whether self-concept clarity moderated the longitudinal association between adolescents' and their best friends' self-reported delinquent behavior. The current study examined whether best friend delinquency and adolescent self-concept clarity were related to the development of adolescents' delinquency, and whether self-concept clarity moderated the relation between adolescent and best friend delinquency. Dutch adolescents (N = 497, Mage Wave 1 = 13 years, 287 boys) and their best friends participated across six annual waves. Both adolescents and best friends reported on their delinquency and adolescents reported on their self-concept clarity. Adolescent delinquency linearly declined, and although adolescents' and best friends' delinquency levels were related, changes in delinquency of adolescents and best friends were not. Adolescents low on self-concept clarity reported higher levels of delinquency. Self-concept clarity also moderated the relation between adolescent and best friend delinquency levels, with stronger relations observed for adolescents with lower self-concept clarity. Future research should examine the protective role of self-concept clarity not only against delinquent behavior, but also against susceptibility to peer influence.

Reciprocal feedback between self-concept and goal pursuit in daily life.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that self-knowledge and goal perseverance are mutually reinforcing because of the roles of self-knowledge in directing goal pursuit, and of goal pursuit in structuring the self-concept. METHOD: To test this hypothesis, we used a daily diary design with 97 college-aged participants for 40 days to assess whether daily self-concept clarity and grit predict one another's next-day levels. Data were analyzed using multilevel cross-lagged panel modeling. RESULTS: Results indicated that daily self-concept clarity and grit had positive and symmetric associations with each other across time, while controlling for their respective previous values. Similar crossed results were also found when testing the model using individual daily self-concept clarity and grit items. CONCLUSIONS: The results are the first to indicate the existence of reinforcing feedback loops between self-concept clarity and grit, such that fluctuations in the clarity of self-knowledge are associated with fluctuations in goal resolve, and vice versa. Discussion centers on the implications of these results for the functional link between mind and action and on the study's heuristic value for subsequent research.

Intolerance of uncertainty, causal uncertainty, causal importance, self-concept clarity and their relations to generalized anxiety disorder.

Although numerous studies have provided support for the notion that intolerance of uncertainty plays a key role in pathological worry (the hallmark feature of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)), other uncertainty-related constructs may also have relevance for the understanding of individuals who engage in pathological worry. Three constructs from the social cognition literature, causal uncertainty, causal importance, and self-concept clarity, were examined in the present study to assess the degree to which these explain unique variance in GAD, over and above intolerance of uncertainty. N = 235 participants completed self-report measures of trait worry, GAD symptoms, and uncertainty-relevant constructs. A subgroup was subsequently classified as low in GAD symptoms (n = 69) or high in GAD symptoms (n = 54) based on validated cut scores on measures of trait worry and GAD symptoms. In logistic regressions, only elevated intolerance of uncertainty and lower self-concept clarity emerged as unique correlates of high (vs. low) GAD symptoms. The possible role of self-concept uncertainty in GAD and the utility of integrating social cognition theories and constructs into clinical research on intolerance of uncertainty are discussed.