Leaders of Peer Groups in Chinese Early Adolescents: The Roles of Social, Academic, and Psychological Characteristics in Group Leadership.

Leadership in peer groups is an important issue in adolescent socioemotional development, yet it has received limited attention in research. This one-year longitudinal study examined peer group leadership and the roles of social, academic, and psychological characteristics in the dynamics of group leadership. Participants included 1061 Chinese students (initial mean age =11.17 years; SD = 6.98 months; 49.4% female). Data were collected from peer assessments, teacher ratings, and self-reports. The longitudinal social network analysis (SIENA) indicated that peer group leadership was fluid with leadership status evolving over time across groups in a hierarchical manner. Adolescents displaying higher social competence and aggression and lower shyness were more likely to become group leaders. Academic performance and loneliness were not significantly associated with the dynamics of peer group leadership. The results help understand peer group leadership and contributions of social behaviors to the attainment of leadership status in peer groups in early adolescence.

Developmental antecedents of adherence to masculinity norms: A 9-year longitudinal study of urban Chinese families.

A growing body of literature shows that adherence to some aspects of Western masculinity norms, including the suppression of emotional vulnerability, avoidance of seeking support from others, and exaggerated physical toughness, is associated with poorer psychological and social outcomes. While existing research suggests that parental gender beliefs and caregiving behaviors might influence the development of children's gendered behaviors, little is known about the developmental origins of individual differences in adherence to masculinity norms. The current study aims to address this gap and presents a longitudinal investigation of how parental gender beliefs and maternal sensitivity during infancy contribute to children's adherence to masculinity norms during middle childhood. Data were drawn from a mixed-method 9-year longitudinal study of 374 urban Chinese families (48.40% with daughters). Parental gender beliefs were assessed at 24 months, maternal sensitivity was assessed with mother-child interaction observations at 14 and 24 months, and children's self-reported adherence to masculinity norms were assessed at age 10 years. Results indicate that while parental gender beliefs had no associations with children's adherence to masculinity norms, maternal sensitivity predicted children's adherence to masculinity norms (ß = -.18, p = .008) above and beyond parental gender beliefs and parental education level; moreover, there was a significant interaction of sex on the effect of maternal sensitivity on children's adherence to masculinity (ß = -.23, p = .025), and the association was significant only for boys. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A cognitive script perspective on how early caregiving experiences inform adolescent peer relationships and loneliness: A 14-year longitudinal study of Chinese families.

Leveraging data from a longitudinal study of Chinese families (n = 364), this research aims to understand the role of secure base script knowledge as a cognitive mechanism by which early caregiving experiences inform adolescents' friendship quality and feelings of loneliness. Results showed that observed maternal sensitivity at 14 and 24 months old was negatively associated with adolescents' self-reported conflicts with close friends (ß = -0.17, p = 0.044) at 15 years old, and this association was partially mediated by their secure base script knowledge assessed at 10 years old. Further, secure base script knowledge moderated the link between adolescents' friend conflict and feelings of loneliness (ß = -0.15, p = 0.037). The results support a cognitive script perspective on the association between early caregiving experiences and later socio-emotional adjustment. Furthermore, this study adds to the developmental literature that has previously focused on more stringent and authoritarian aspects of parenting in Chinese families, thereby contributing to our understanding of how sensitive and supportive parenting practices contribute to socio-emotional development outside of Western contexts. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Maternal sensitivity during infancy and toddlerhood has a long-term association with adolescents' friendship quality and adolescents' secure base script partially explains the association. First evidence to demonstrate that the secure base script in attachment relationships mediates the association between early maternal caregiving and socio-emotional development in Chinese adolescents. Adolescents lacking secure base script knowledge are particularly vulnerable to feelings of loneliness when facing high levels of conflict in close friendships.

The development of self- and group orientations among Chinese young adolescents: Implications for social and behavioral adjustment.

Self- and group orientations represent distinct ways of perceiving the relations between the world and the self and are relevant to adolescents' development. Most of the existing studies in this area are cross-sectional, providing little information about how self- and group orientations develop. This 3-year longitudinal study examined the developmental patterns of self- and group orientations and their relations with adjustment among Chinese adolescents. The participants included 1,257 students (648 boys, initial Mage = 13.37 years, SD = 0.63 years). Data on self- and group orientations and social and behavioral adjustment were obtained from multiple sources, including self-reports, peer nominations, and teacher ratings. The results showed that self-orientation increased, and group orientation decreased during early adolescence. Moreover, an increase (slope) in self-orientation was positively associated with subsequent assertive behavior, whereas a slower decrease in group orientation was positively associated with subsequent prosocial behavior and peer preference. The initial level (intercept) of self-orientation was positively associated with later externalizing problems, and the initial level of group orientation was negatively associated with later internalizing problems. The intercepts of self- and group orientations were higher for boys than girls. No significant gender differences were found in the slopes of self- and group orientations or in the associations of intercepts and slopes with adjustment outcomes. The results indicated different developmental patterns of self- and group orientations and their different implications for adjustment in Chinese adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Affinity for solitude in Chinese children and adolescents: Relations with social, school, and psychological adjustment.

This study examined relations of affinity for solitude with social-behavioral, academic, and psychological adjustment in Chinese children and adolescents. The participants included 3,417 students (1,714 boys) in fourth, sixth, and eighth grades (Mages = 10, 12, and 14 years, respectively) in China. Data on affinity for solitude were collected from students' self-reports and data on adjustment were collected from multiple sources. The results showed that whereas affinity for solitude was negatively associated with social competence and academic achievement and positively associated with behavioral problems in Grade 4, the associations were weaker or nonsignificant in Grade 6. Moreover, affinity for solitude was positively associated with academic achievement and negatively associated with behavioral problems in Grade 8. Affinity for solitude was negatively associated with psychological adjustment in general, but the associations were weaker in higher grades. The results indicate that the functional meaning of affinity for solitude may differ across developmental periods. Parents, teachers, and professionals should be aware of the different implications of affinity for solitude in childhood and adolescence and use different strategies to support children and adolescents who display affinity for solitude. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Concern for mianzi: Relations with adjustment in rural and urban Chinese adolescents.

The present study examined relations between concern for mianzi, or the social perception of one's prestige and standing in the group, and adjustment in Chinese adolescents. Participants were seventh- and ninth-grade students in rural and urban regions of China (n = 794, Mage = 14 years). Data were obtained from multiple sources including peer assessments, teacher ratings, self-reports, and school records. The results showed that concern for mianzi was associated with social competence, leadership, academic achievement, as well as aggression and mixed peer relationships in rural adolescents. In contrast, concern for mianzi was associated with comprehensive social, school, and psychological adjustment problems in urban adolescents. The results indicate the role of context in shaping the relations between adolescents' concern for mianzi and adjustment.

Peer relationships mediate the pathways from behavioral qualities to United States and Chinese children's loneliness.

Loneliness is a perceived deficit in social relationships that is nested within broader cultural meaning systems. This longitudinal study examined predictors of loneliness in Chinese and U.S. children with the hypothesis that peer relationship parameters (number of friends, social preference, and popularity) mediate the associations between behavior qualities and loneliness differently across countries. Fifth-grade Chinese (n = 576, Mage = 10.58 years) and U.S. (White, Black, Asian, n = 540; Mage = 10.23 years) children completed two waves of assessment within an academic year. Shyness and athletic competence more strongly predicted loneliness for U.S. children, and academic ability, and aggression more strongly predicted loneliness for Chinese children. Popularity was a mediator for U.S. children but not Chinese children.

Growth of preference for solitude in urban and rural Chinese adolescents.

Introduction: As individuals enter adolescence, their preference for solitude (PFS) increases with age, which may be a result of balancing the need for social affiliation and the need for autonomy and independence. These needs are shaped by the social-cultural contexts, and thus the growth rate of PFS may differ across social-cultural contexts.This study examined to what extent the developmental trajectory of PFS differed between urban and rural Chinese adolescents. Methods: Adolescents in urban (n = 326,168 boys, Mage =12.00 years, SD = 0.61) and rural (n = 449, 198 boys, Mage =11.82 years, SD = 0.58) regions in China reported their PFS and shyness each year from Grade 6 to Grade 8. Longitudinal measurement invariance of PFS was established between the urban and rural samples. Location and gender differences in the intercept and the slope of PFS were examined using a latent growth model, while controlling for shyness at each time point. Results: The analyses revealed that adolescents in both urban and rural regions showed an increasing trajectory of PFS. Although urban and rural adolescents did not differ in the initial level of PFS at Grade 6, urban adolescents' PFS increased faster than that of the rural adolescents. The urban-rural difference in the slope of PFS remained significant after controlling for the associations between the intercept and the slope of PFS and shyness at each time point. In addition, in the rural region, boys showed a faster increase of PFS than girls, yet gender differences in the initial level of PFS and the developmental trajectory in the urban region were nonsignificant. Discussion: The findings reveal a normative increasing trend of PFS during early adolescence and faster increase for urban than rural adolescents. To promote adolescents' psychological well-being, parents, teachers and practitioners need to help adolescents establish a good balance between social interaction and solitude. When deciding what is a good balance, it is important to consider the social-cultural context.

One undescribed glycoside benzofuran derivative and a new p-hydroxybenzoate glycoside from the leaves of Illicium dunnianum Tutcher.

One undescribed benzofuran derivative (illiciumphenolicacid A, 1) and one new phenolic glycoside (illiciumphenolicacid B, 2), together with six known compounds (3-8) were isolated from the leaves of Illicium dunnianum Tutcher. Their structures were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR). In addition, we determined the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the isolates in vitro using spectrophotometric methods. Compared with the positive control acarbose (IC50 306.2 ± 4.1 µM), compounds 1-8 were shown to be moderate potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values in the range 380-655 µM.

How does interparental conflict affect adolescent preference-for-solitude? Depressive symptoms as mediator at between- and within-person levels.

This 3-year longitudinal study explored the mediating role of depressive symptoms in the relations between interparental conflict (IPC) and preference-for-solitude (PFS). Participants were 1,039 Chinese adolescents (53.9% boys) between 11 and 15 years old (MT1 = 12.37, SD = .58). Data were collected at three time points and included maternal reports of IPC, adolescent reports of depressive symptoms, peer nominations of PFS. Results from multilevel mediation analyses indicated that at both the between- and within-person levels, statistically significant indirect effects were found for depressive symptoms as a mediator of the relation between IPC and PFS. That is, elevated IPC predicted adolescent increased depressive symptoms, which in turn, were associated with heightened PFS. As well, within a given adolescent, higher frequencies of IPC were a significant positive predictor of depressive symptoms for that adolescent, and in turn, changes in depressive symptoms were positively associated with changes in PFS over time. These findings highlight the influence of IPC on early adolescents' maladaptive outcomes over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Development of School Satisfaction in Chinese Early Adolescents: The Contributions of Peer Liking and Academic Performance.

Research in Western countries has shown a general declining trend of school satisfaction over time among adolescents, yet it remains unclear how social and school factors predict the developmental pattern. Moreover, relative to their Western counterparts, adolescents in China tend to report lower levels of school satisfaction, but little is known about how it develops and the predictors of the development. To fill the gaps, this four-wave longitudinal study explored the developmental patterns of school satisfaction and the contributions of peer liking and academic performance. Six hundred and eighty-nine Chinese adolescents (Mage = 11.39, SDage = 0.53 at Time 1; 53.7% girls) participated in this study from Grade 6 to Grade 9 in 2017 to 2020. School satisfaction was measured each academic year using self-reports. Peer liking was assessed by classroom-based sociometric nominations, and information on academic performance was collected through school records in Grade 6. The conditional growth curve model results showed that peer liking and academic performance positively predicted the intercept of school satisfaction. School satisfaction decreased over time among students with low initial academic achievement, but increased in an exponential manner among students with high initial academic achievement. The results indicated that peer relationships and academic performance might play a role in affecting the level and the development of school satisfaction in the Chinese context.

Academic performance and depression in Chinese children: Same-domain and cross-domain effects in friendships.

This 1-year longitudinal study examined the effects of academic performance and depression in friendships among elementary school children in China. Participants included 1122 children (44% boys) within 561 stable friendship dyads initially in fourth and fifth grades (initial Mage  = 11 years). Data on academic performance, depression, and friendship were collected from multiple sources in the period of 2012 to 2014. Dyadic analysis using the actor-partner interdependence model showed that friends' academic performance significantly and positively predicted children's later academic performance, indicating same-domain effects, and significantly and negatively predicted children's later depression, indicating cross-domain effects, with a medium effect size (ε3  = .70) for the effects of academic performance. The results help understand the role of friendship in children's development in the Chinese context.

Aggression and Depression in Chinese Early Adolescents: Same-Domain and Cross-Domain Effects in Friendships.

From late childhood, friendships as a distinct peer experience become increasingly salient in affecting individual development. This one-year longitudinal study examined same-domain and cross-domain effects of aggression and depression in friendships among early adolescents in China. Participants included 226 students (95 boys) within 113 friendship dyads initially in sixth grade (initial mean age = 12 years) in two public junior high schools. Data on aggression, depression, and friendship were collected from self-reports and peer nominations in 2017 and 2018. The results using the actor-partner interdependence model showed that friends' aggression positively predicted adolescents' later aggression and that friends' depression positively predicted adolescents' later depression, indicating same-domain contagion effects. In addition, friends' aggression positively predicted adolescents' later depression, indicating cross-domain cascading effects. The results suggest that adolescents with more aggressive friends are at risk for developing higher levels of social-behavioral and psychological problems with time. The results help understand the role of friendships in individual maladaptive development and are discussed in terms of the Chinese context.

Prospective within-family bidirectional effects between parental emotion socialization practices and Chinese adolescents' psychosocial adjustment.

Previous research indicates that parental emotion socialization (ES) practices play important roles in adolescents' social and emotional development. However, longitudinal studies testing bidirectional effects are relatively scarce. Additionally, most studies have focused on people from Western societies. In the current 3-year, multi-informant, longitudinal study of Chinese adolescents and their parents, we investigated prospective bidirectional effects between parental positive ES practices and adolescents' psychosocial adjustment (i.e., self-esteem and depressive symptoms). Adolescents (N = 710 at T1, 50% boys, Mage = 12.41, SD = 0.59) reported on parental positive ES practices and their own depressive symptoms and self-esteem when they were in 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. Mothers and fathers reported on their own use of positive ES practices at all three time points. We utilized a random intercept cross-lagged panel model to examine between- and within-family effects. Overall results showed robust effects of adolescent depressive symptoms on parental positive ES practices and bidirectional effects between parental ES and adolescent self-esteem. Effects differed by informants whether using adolescent-perceived data, or mother- or father-reported data. However, these child effects and bidirectional effects did not differ by adolescent sex. Our findings add to the understanding of parental ES and adolescent psychosocial adjustment.

Enjoyment of Chinese and mathematics and school performance in Chinese children and adolescents.

This 2-year longitudinal study examined relations between enjoyment of learning in Chinese and mathematics, two major subjects in Chinese schools, and indexes of school performance. The participants included 1041 students (501 boys) initially in third, fifth, and seventh grades (mean age = 10.49 years) in China. Data on enjoyment of Chinese and mathematics were collected from students' self-reports and data on school performance were collected from multiple sources in 2017 and 2019. The results showed that enjoyment of mathematics positively predicted later academic achievement, self-perceptions of academic competence, teacher-rated school competence, and peer-assessed leadership-social competence. Enjoyment of Chinese negatively predicted later mathematics achievement and self-perceptions of academic competence and nonsignificantly predicted other school performance variables. The results were discussed in Chinese context.

Social, academic, and psychological characteristics of peer groups in Chinese children: Same-domain and cross-domain effects on individual development.

The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the contributions of social, academic, and psychological characteristics of peer groups to individual development in the same and different domains in Chinese children. Participants included 1,864 elementary school students (945 boys, Mage = 11 years) in China. One-year longitudinal data on social competence, academic functioning, and psychological problems were obtained from peer nominations, teacher ratings, school records, and self-reports. Multilevel structural equation modeling analysis showed that group-level social competence, academic performance, and psychological problems had significant same-domain effects on later individual outcomes. Moreover, group-level social competence had a positive cross-domain effect on later individual academic performance and a negative cross-domain effect on later individual psychological problems. Group academic performance had a positive cross-domain effect on later individual social competence, and group psychological problems had a negative cross-domain effect on later individual social competence. The results suggest that affiliation with peer groups, particularly socially competent groups, may have pervasive implications for children's performance and adjustment from a developmental perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Maternal encouragement of competitiveness and school adjustment in Chinese adolescents.

Due to rapid urbanization and modernization, individual competitiveness has become increasingly important for individuals to acquire success in the contemporary Chinese society. This 1-year longitudinal study examined the relations between maternal encouragement of competitiveness and adjustment in Chinese adolescents (N = 1,493, 720 boys, Mage = 13 years). Maternal encouragement of competitiveness was assessed using child reports, and information on adolescents' adjustment was obtained from peer reports, teacher ratings, and school records. The results showed that maternal encouragement of competitiveness was negatively related to later teacher-rated learning problems. Moreover, maternal encouragement of competitiveness positively contributed to later peer-assessed assertiveness and social status among those who were initially high on assertiveness and social status. The results were discussed in the Chinese context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Bullying victimization and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents: A moderated mediation model of self-esteem and friendship intimacy.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a major mental disorder and poses a serious threat to public health. Bullying victimization is identified as one of the major risk factors for depression in adolescence. Understanding the mechanism that explain why bullying victimization leads to depression, and identifying protective factors that could alleviate the negative effects of bullying victimization are pivotal to developing effective intervention programs. METHODS: A sample of Chinese adolescents in junior high schools (N = 458, 50.58 % girls, M age = 11.63 years at T1) was followed for three years. The data on depression, bullying victimization, self-esteem, and friendship intimacy were collected from adolescents' self-report. RESULTS: After controlling related variables, T1 bullying victimization positively predicted T3 depressive symptoms. T2 self-esteem mediated the link between T1 bullying victimization and T3 depressive symptoms when T1 friendship intimacy was low. More specifically, only for youth who reported low friendship intimacy, bullying victimization would lead to a lower level of self-esteem, which in turn, was associated with a higher level of depression. LIMITATIONS: The study only considered the roles of self-esteem as the mediator and friendship intimacy as the moderator. All measures were based on self-report. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlighted the role of friendship intimacy and self-esteem in the longitudinal relation between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms. The results suggest that intervention programs aiming at reducing victimized adolescents' depressive symptoms should consider the buffering effect of friendship intimacy.

A Parallel Latent Growth Model of Affinity for Solitude and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Early Adolescents.

Preferring to spend time alone (for any reason) has been empirically linked to symptoms of internalizing problems among Chinese children and early adolescents. However, little is known about the implications of affinity for solitude (i.e., an enjoyment of solitude) in China. Moreover, it remains unclear how affinity for solitude and depressive symptoms development simultaneously in early adolescence. To address these gaps, this study examined the longitudinal and parallel associations between affinity for solitude and depressive symptoms among Chinese early adolescents. Participants were 853 adolescents (48.4% female; Mage = 14.65 years, SD = 0.54) from mainland China followed over three years from Grade 7 to Grade 9. Assessments of affinity for solitude and depressive symptoms were obtained each year via adolescent self-reports. Among the findings, results from parallel latent growth modeling suggested that higher initial levels of affinity for solitude in Grade7 negatively predicted the slope of adolescents' depressive symptoms. This indicates that higher levels of affinity for solitude in Grade 7 predicted a slower increase in adolescents' depressive symptoms levels over three years. Implications are discussed that consider the adaptive mechanism of affinity for solitude among Chinese adolescents in the development of depressive symptoms.

Subtypes of social withdrawal and mental health trajectories during COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has pervasive implications for the well-being of people, especially for the social withdrawn individuals. The present study examined changes of well-being among people in distinct subgroups of social withdrawal - shyness, unsociability, and social avoidance -in different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic using six-wave longitudinal data in China (N = 222; 54.50% female). Results showed that, in general, well-being sharply decreased from the initial phase to the peak phase of the pandemic, but steadily recovered after the peak phase. People in different withdrawal groups displayed different levels and trajectories of well-being during a period of six months. The current study has implications for developing targeted interventions for vulnerable people in public health crisis.