A Longitudinal Network Analysis of Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Problems, and Eating Disorder Psychopathology in Chinese Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The present longitudinal study examined sex-specific, symptom-level relationships among emotion regulation (ER), interpersonal problems (IP), and eating disorder (ED) psychopathology in a large sample of Chinese adolescents. METHOD: Data were from a project with four waves of data collection (N = 1540; 710 boys and 830 girls) at 6-month intervals over 18 months. Questionnaires assessed ED psychopathology, ER, and IP at each wave of data collection. Longitudinal network analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls. Sex differences in the network structures were also examined. RESULTS: The results revealed pronounced heterogeneity in the presentation of ED psychopathology, ER, and IP across Chinese adolescent boys and girls longitudinally and intra-individually. For example, weight/shape preoccupation in ED psychopathology and awareness in ER emerged as important nodes in the temporal network for boys. However, weight/shape preoccupation and dissatisfaction in ED psychopathology were identified as the most important nodes in the temporal network for girls. Regarding bridge strength, awareness in ER emerged as the node with the highest connectivity in the temporal network for boys. At the same time, weight/shape dissatisfaction in ED psychopathology was the node with the highest connectivity for girls. DISCUSSION: The current study extended network theory to better understand the longitudinal interplay among ER, IP, and ED psychopathology in Chinese adolescents and their sex differences in the importance of symptoms. Such insights may pave the way for developing targeted prevention and treatment strategies for adolescent boys and girls in China.

The effects of self-esteem and parental phubbing on adolescent internet addiction and the moderating role of the classroom environment: a hierarchical linear model analysis.

BACKGROUND: With the advent of the new media era, the understanding of adolescent internet addiction needs to be enriched. It is also necessary to distinguish the related factors of adolescent internet addiction at different levels to clarify the mechanisms of this phenomenon. METHODS: This study used hierarchical linear model analysis to explore the effects of student-level factors and school-level factors on adolescent internet addiction, along with cross-level moderating effects. A total of 1,912 students between the 4th and 8th grades in China participated in the study. Participants completed the Self-Esteem Scale, Parents Phubbing Scale, Classroom Environment Scale, and the Diagnostic Questionnaire of Internet Addiction. RESULTS: Correlational analyses revealed that internet addiction was found to be negatively correlated with both self-esteem and the teacher-student relationship (p < 0.01), while father phubbing, mother phubbing, and learning burden were shown to positively correlate with internet addiction (p < 0.01). Hierarchical linear model analysis suggested that student-level variables, including self-esteem, and mother phubbing, were significant predictors of internet addiction (ß = -0.077, p < 0.001 and ß = 0.028, p < 0.01, respectively). At the school level, learning burden significantly and negatively predicted internet addiction (ß = 0.073, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the relationship between self-esteem and internet addiction was significantly moderated by learning burden (ß = -0.007, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the teacher-student relationship also had a significant moderating effect on the association between mother phubbing and internet addiction (ß = -0.005, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the relationships between self-esteem, parental phubbing, and classroom environment with adolescent internet addiction, and these findings could provide insights into reducing adolescent internet addiction from the perspective of individuals, families, and schools.

Peripheral and posterior pole retinal changes in highly myopic Chinese children and adolescents : Retinal changes in Chinese children and adolescents.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and related factors of peripheral and posterior pole retinal changes in highly myopic Chinese children and adolescents. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was designed. A total of 120 subjects with high myopia were recruited and underwent cycloplegic refraction, dilated fundus examination, and optical coherence tomography. A statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the factors associated with peripheral and posterior pole retinal changes. RESULTS: The mean spherical equivalent refraction of the subjects was - 8.74 ± 2.86 D, and the mean age was 11.45 ± 3.02 years. Snowflake retinal degeneration (27.5%), white without pressure (27.5%), snail-track degeneration (15%), and lattice degeneration (15%) were the most common peripheral retinal changes, while tessellated fundus (84.17%), optic nerve crescents (78.3%), and posterior staphyloma (11.7%) were the most common posterior changes. Subjects with peripheral changes were significantly older, with thinner choroids (OR = 1.194, 95% CI: 1.045-1.363, p = 0.009; OR = 0.993, 95% CI: 0.987-0.999, p = 0.022, respectively). Optic nerve crescents, tessellated fundus, and posterior scleral staphyloma were all associated with thin choroids (OR = 0.990, 95% CI: 0.983-0.997, p = 0.008; OR = 0.983, 95% CI: 0.974-0.991, p < 0.001; OR = 0.974, 95% CI: 0.960-0.987, p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of the subjects had peripheral and posterior retinal changes. An increased risk of retinal changes was associated with high degrees of myopia, long axial lengths, thin choroids, and older ages among 7-16-year-old individuals.

Effect of parenting style on the emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents: the mediating effect of resilience.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have found that parenting style significantly predicts emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) among Chinese adolescents, the mechanism between different parenting styles and EBPs requires in-depth investigation. In our study, we aimed to investigate the mediating effect of resilience, a positive psychological characteristic, between parenting style and EBPs among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we used a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method to collect data in Shenyang, Liaoning Province from November to December 2019. Self-developed questionnaires were distributed to 1028 adolescents aged 10-18. Finally, the study consisted of 895 participants. The bootstrap method was used to investigate the role of resilience as a mediator in the relationship between different parenting styles and EBPs from a positive psychology perspective. RESULTS: The mean score of EBPs was 12.71 (SD = 5.77). After controlling for variables such as gender, age, left-behind children, family type and family income, resilience partially played a mediating role in the associations of paternal rejection (a × b = 0.051 BCa95%CI:0.023,0.080), maternal rejection (a × b = 0.055 BCa95%CI: 0.024, 0.086), paternal emotional warmth (a × b = -0.139 BCa95%CI: -0.182, -0.099) and maternal emotional warmth (a × b = -0.140 BCa95%CI: -0.182, -0.102), with EBPs. The effect sizes were11.28%, 11.51%, 40.76%, and 38.78%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Resilience could partially mediate the relationship between parenting style and EBPs, highlighting that parents should adopt a positive parenting style and that resilience improvement could be effective in reducing EBPs among Chinese adolescents.

Positive character and psychological well-being: A nuanced examination among adolescents from diverse rural-urban and migration contexts.

INTRODUCTION: Positive character is an integral component of positive youth development that relates to psychological well-being among adolescents, yet the literature has largely overlooked its within-group variation. This study examined the latent profiles of positive character and explored their variation in psychological well-being across four adolescent groups (i.e., migrant, left-behind, rural local, and urban local adolescents) within each profile. METHODS: A diverse sample of 15,895 adolescents from 10 provinces of China (Meanage = 13.16, SD = 2.53; 47.5% girls) completed a cross-sectional survey on positive character and psychological well-being in 2017. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted based on four positive characters. We investigated the distribution of each positive character profile across subgroups, as well as if and how the psychological well-being varied across different adolescent groups within each profile. RESULTS: LPA revealed three subgroups, including "Thriving" (53.6%), "Moderate" (39.1%), and "Lagging" (7.4%) positive character profiles. The "Thriving" profile was more prevalent among the urban local (58.5%) and migrant (55.8%) adolescent groups, while the "Lagging" profile was most prevalent among the left-behind adolescent group (11.6%). Urban local and migrant adolescents tended to show better psychological well-being compared to rural local and left-behind adolescents, and the disparities were generally more pronounced under the "Thriving" profile as compared to the "Moderate" and "Lagging" profiles. CONCLUSIONS: Three positive character profiles were captured among four groups of Chinese adolescents varied in parental migration status and rural-urban residency. Tailored youth development programs are needed for different groups of adolescents varying in positive character profiles.

Impacts of difficulties with emotion regulation on the longitudinal relationship between peer victimization and changes in adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury.

INTRODUCTION: Research has found that peer victimization is associated with adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior; however, most of these studies ignored the association between these constructs at the within-person level. Additionally, the association between peer victimization and NSSI may vary among adolescents with different personal characteristics. With a longitudinal design, this study investigated whether and how emotion regulation (ER) difficulties moderate the relationship between peer victimization and changes in NSSI, with particular attention given to the unique moderating role of different dimensions of ER difficulties. METHODS: The study sample comprised 3,561 adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years old (Mage = 13.22, SD = 0.85; 56.9% males). Self-report assessments were administered in December 2021 and June 2022 in Shanxi province, China. RESULTS: The latent change score model showed that the adolescent NSSI increased during our assessments, with peer victimization as a significant predictor. ER difficulties moderated the association between peer victimization and NSSI changes, but interestingly, in an unexpected pattern. Specifically, peer victimization significantly predicted NSSI changes among adolescents with low ER difficulties but not for those with high ER difficulties. Moreover, among the multiple dimensions of ER difficulties, only nonacceptance of emotional responses and limited access to emotion regulation strategies interacted with peer victimization to predict NSSI changes and showed interaction patterns similar to those at the overall level of ER difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: The current study revealed the moderating role of ER difficulties in the relationship between peer victimization and changes in NSSI. These findings provide intervention implications for adolescents who engage in NSSI.

Approaching Temporal Dynamics in the Dimension-Level Associations Between Career Adaptability/Ambivalence and Internalizing Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents Throughout Their High Middle School Years.

Despite the well-established associations between adolescents' internalizing symptoms and career development, it still remains unclear whether adolescents' internalizing symptoms are precursors or consequences of their career adaptability/ambivalence. Subtler nuance inherent within such association also await to be revealed, because internalizing symptoms and career development have been primarily treated as broad constructs, despite the multifaceted nature of both. To narrow such gaps, this study examined the potentially dynamic associations among career adaptability, career ambivalence, and internalizing symptoms using three-wave longitudinal data. The study collected data from 3196 Chinese adolescents (52.72% girls, mean age = 15.56 years, SD = 0.58) at Wave 1, with 2820 (attrition rate = 11.76%) participating in Wave 2 and 2568 (attrition rate = 8.93%) in Wave 3. The measurement invariance suggested that there were no significant differences across both waves and genders. This study approached associations at both broader construct levels and subtler dimension levels. Results of cross-lagged path models at broader construct levels demonstrated a unidirectional association between internalizing symptoms and career adaptability. Results of models at subtler dimension levels indicated a series of transactional links over time between career adaptability dimensions/ambivalence and depressive symptoms in particular. Career adaptability dimensions and career ambivalence predicted later anxiety symptoms rather than the reverse. Group model comparisons showed no difference across waves and genders. These findings shed light on the dynamic nature of the associations during adolescence between career adaptability/ambivalence and internalizing symptoms, particularly at subtler dimensional levels, which should be considered in relevant clinical and educational practices.

Longitudinal Associations Between Negative Body Image, Self-Disgust, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: Disentangling Between- and Within-Person Effects.

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and negative body image are both highly prevalent among adolescents, and there are theoretically proposed reciprocal associations between them. However, previous research has not differentiated between stable personal traits and time-varying state levels when examining these associations, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To address these gaps, this study investigated the longitudinal associations between negative body image, self-disgust, and NSSI among Chinese adolescents, disentangling the between- and within-person effects by employing random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs). A total of 515 Chinese adolescents (50.7% boys; baseline Mage = 12.34 years, SD = 0.47) participated in a four-wave longitudinal study with 6-month intervals. The results indicated that, at the between-person level, higher levels of self-disgust were associated with more NSSI and more concerns about general appearance, facial appearance, shortness, and fatness, but were not associated with concerns about thinness. At the within-person level, general appearance concern and NSSI positively predicted each other over time through self-disgust. Concerns about facial appearance, shortness, and fatness all positively predicted self-disgust, which in turn positively predicted NSSI over time, but not vice versa. These findings highlight the stable and trait-like associations between self-disgust, NSSI, and most negative body image dimensions. Self-disgust is worth considering as a target for intervention, as it plays a mediating role in the long-term associations between negative body image and NSSI.

The Chinese Adaptation and Validation of the Adolescents' Ageism Toward Older Adults Scale.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the adolescents' ageism toward older adults scale (AGES) in the Chinese cultural context and examine its psychometric properties among Chinese adolescents. Methods: The study consists of two phases with two separate samples. In phase one (sample 1: n = 407), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is conducted to determine the factor structure of the C-AGES. In phase two (sample 2: n = 379), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is performed to confirm the factor structure and assess the model fit of the C-AGES. Results: EFA reveals a two-factor structure consisting of 17 items for the C-AGES. CFA in sample 2 confirms the factor structure and demonstrates good model fit. The C-AGES also exhibits high criterion validity, internal consistency, and cross-gender invariance. Discussion: The results suggest that the C-AGES is a valid measurement tool for assessing agism among Chinese adolescents.

The latent profile analysis of Chinese adolescents' gaming disorder: examination and validation.

BACKGROUND: Gaming disorder is a new disease, which is included in the disease unit of disorder caused by addiction in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. This study examined the symptom characteristics of gaming disorders in Chinese adolescents using the latent profile analysis. METHODS: Totally, 5988 students (including 3285 boys and 2703 girls; aged 12-18 years) from junior high schools and senior high schools were enrolled. The Gaming Disorder Symptom Questionnaire-21 (GDSQ-21) was used to screen gaming disorder. A latent profile analysis was used for classifying the subgroups based on the extent of gaming usage. The relationship between adolescent gamers and demographic variables was analyzed by logistic regression. RESULTS: The results of latent profile analysis supported the models of four latent profiles, which were defined as healthy gamers (Profile 1, 56.83%), impaired control gamers (Profile 2, 26.09%), impaired control-game priority gamers (Profile 3, 9.72%) and gamers with disorder (Profile 4, 7.36%), respectively. Logistic regression analysis found that, compared with girls, boys were more likely to be classified into the group dominated by the impaired gamers, the impaired control-game priority gamers, and the gamers with disorder. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted that the latent profile analysis identified four different groups of adolescent gamers, showing a clearer conceptualization of heterogeneous gamers. Gender and average weekly gaming time can predict the latent profile of adolescents. Our findings may facilitate the design of individualized assessment and early intervention programs for adolescent gamer users based on different gaming usage symptoms.

Childhood trauma, peer victimization, and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: a latent variable mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Childhood and peer experiences can influence adolescents' perceptions of interpersonal relationships, which can, in turn, influence their emotional states and behavior patterns. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is now a common problem behavior among adolescents. The present study examined the role of childhood trauma and peer victimization in adolescents' NSSI. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1783 adolescents (1464 girls and 318 boys) in the psychiatric outpatient clinics or wards of 14 psychiatric hospitals or general hospitals in nine provinces in China. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Peer Victimization Scale (MPVS), Short-form Childhood Trauma Questionnaire(CTQ-SF), and Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM). Structural equation modeling (SEM) with latent variables was used to demonstrate the mediating role of peer victimization in the association between childhoodtrauma and NSSI. RESULTS: The SEM analysis demonstrated that peer victimization plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and NSSI. In addition, several covariates (such as age, gender, education level, and place of residence) effectively regulated the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI. CONCLUSION: In future studies of NSSI among Chinese adolescents, attention should be paid to the roles of childhood trauma and peer bullying; there is a temporal sequence between these two variables and, to some extent, childhood trauma can have an impact on bullying during adolescence which, in turn, influences NSSI behavior.

Problematic internet gaming and non-suicidal self-injury in Chinese adolescents: Moderating and mediating roles of anxiety.

INTRODUCTION: Despite consistent reports of the association between problematic internet gaming (PIG) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), an increase in PIG does not necessarily lead to increased NSSI. This apparent paradox indicates the presence of other mediators and moderators in the PIG-NSSI association. This study aimed to investigate the role of anxiety as a potential moderating and mediating factor of the PIG-NSSI association in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 10,479 Chinese adolescents (50.5% male; age range, 9-18 years). Standardized self-report questionnaires were used to assess the severity of PIG, anxiety, and NSSI. Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression were applied to examine the relationships among PIG, anxiety, and NSSI. Both moderating and mediating effects of anxiety were assessed using Hayes' methods. RESULTS: PIG, anxiety symptoms, and NSSI significantly correlated with one another. Anxiety significantly moderated the relationship between PIG and NSSI [B = 0.002, standard error (SE) = 0.000, p < 0.001], and it partially mediated the PIG-NSSI association [B = 0.017, SE = 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.014-0.021]. Social concern and concentration were the two dimensions of anxiety that exerted the strongest mediation effect (B = 0.017, SE = 0.002, 95% CI 0.014-0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with PIG and high anxiety are likely to suffer more severe NSSI and may benefit from interventions to reduce anxiety symptoms.

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.

Development of beliefs in a just world among Chinese early adolescents and the predictive role of family factors: A three-wave longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored how belief in a just world (BJW) develops among Chinese adolescents and the predictive role of family factors. BACKGROUND: The development of BJW in adolescence is an important but understudied topic, especially in non-Western contexts. METHOD: Using a three-wave longitudinal design, 1525 participants (48% girls; Mage = 12.47) were recruited to report their BJW, childhood SES, only-child or not, and parental psychological control in Wave 1 (Wave 2: N = 1262; Wave 3: N = 1124). RESULTS: The mean slope for personal BJW is positive and significant, but not significant for general BJW. Childhood SES predicted initial level of personal and general BJW and the rate of growth of personal BJW. Only-child predicted initial level and the growth rate of personal BJW. Parental psychological control negatively predicted personal and general BJW at three time points. CONCLUSION: Personal BJW increased during the observation period, whereas general BJW was stable. Individuals with lower levels of childhood SES had lower initial personal and general BJW but a higher growth rate in personal BJW than those with higher SES. Individuals having siblings had lower levels of initial personal BJW but a higher growth rate in personal BJW than those from only-child family. Parental psychological control may exert consistent and contemporaneous negative effect on BJW across time.

Influence of family structure on adolescent deviant behavior and depression: the mediation roles of parental monitoring and school connectedness.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the specific pathway of family structure on adolescent health. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. METHODS: We examined the influence of family structure on adolescent deviant behavior and depression, as well as the mediation roles of parental monitoring and school connectedness, using the multivariate regression and Karlson-Holm-Breen mediation models. RESULTS: Compared with adolescents in intact families, those in non-intact families showed more deviant behaviors and depression. Parental monitoring and school connectedness appeared to be two important pathways from family structure to deviant behavior and depression. In addition, urban and female adolescents in non-intact families showed more deviant behaviors and depression than their rural and male counterparts, respectively. Furthermore, adolescents in reconstituted families showed more deviant behaviors than those in single-parent families. CONCLUSIONS: The behavioral and mental health of adolescents in single-parent or reconstituted families deserves more attention, and interventions should be actively conducted at both family and school level to improve adolescent health.

Internet addiction and depression among Chinese adolescents: anxiety as a mediator and social support as a moderator.

This study constructed a moderated mediation model to investigate the mediating effect of anxiety and the moderating effect of social support between Internet addiction and depression. A sample of 17 058 middle school students in one district of Chengdu were selected. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Social Support Scale for adolescents were used to investigate their Internet addiction, anxiety, depression and social support. The descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation analysis were performed with SPSS 25.0. An SPSS macro process was used to analyze the data from complex models that contained mediators and moderators. The results show that adolescents with Internet addiction are more likely to suffer from depression. Anxiety partially mediated the relations between Internet addiction and depression. Social support moderated both direct and indirect pathways leading from Internet addiction to depression, and these two effects were stronger for adolescents with low social support than for those with high social support. It will be possible for researchers to gain a better understanding of the conditions, pathways, and effects of Internet addiction on depression in adolescents through the results of this study.

Translation and validation of the STARx questionnaire in transitioning Chinese adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent/young adults (AYAs) with chronic conditions must undergo healthcare transition (HCT) preparation until their mid-twenties. Valid HCT readiness measures are lacking in China. METHODS: The present study translated, back-translated, and adapted the Self-Management and Transition to Adulthood with Rx = Treatment (STARx) Questionnaire. We examined the psychometric properties of this tool in a relatively large in-patient sample of AYAs with various chronic health conditions at a Chinese tertiary general hospital. RESULTS: We enrolled 624 AYAs aged 10-25 years (19.66 ±â€¯3.64) with various chronic health conditions. The Chinese version of the STARx Questionnaire demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83) and reliability with a two-week test-retest (ICC = 0.88, p < .001). Furthermore, the Chinese version revealed a three-factor structure (self-management, disease knowledge, and provider communication) consistent with the revised English version of the STARx Questionnaire. In terms of discriminant validity, the total score of the Chinese STARx Questionnaire showed a significant positive correlation with age but no gender differences were found. In terms of predictive validity, the Chinese STARx Questionnaire was significantly correlated with shorter length of hospitalization and higher frequency of emergency room visit, but the correlations became insignificant after controlling for age. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the Chinese version of the STARx Questionnaire is a robust HCT readiness tool in AYAs with chronic conditions and clinicians may find it useful to develop individualized interventions.

Joint Developmental Trajectories of Likability and Popularity: Associations with Social Behavior among Chinese Adolescents.

The beginning of secondary school is a critical time point of adolescents' development as they entered a new peer context in which social status was re-established. As the key indicators of social status, likability and popularity co-occur but also display distinct developmental trajectories over time. Nevertheless, little is known about the joint developmental trajectories of likability and popularity among adolescents and how identified trajectories are associated with important social behavior. The current study examined the joint developmental trajectories of likability and popularity among Chinese adolescents and their associations with social behavior (prosocial behavior, aggression, and peer victimization) over time. A total of 1509 Chinese 7th grade students (53.6% male, Mage = 13.1, SD = 0.67) participated in self-report and peer nomination assessments on three occasions at 6-month intervals. Parallel process latent growth mixture models revealed four distinct trajectories of likability and popularity: social status decreasing, average, high social status, and social status increasing. The high social status group showed the highest levels of prosocial behavior, the lowest levels of peer victimization, and higher aggression than the average group. The social status decreasing group and social status increasing group exhibited the lower prosocial behavior as well as the higher aggression and peer victimization compared to the average group over time. The findings highlight the co-occurrence but diversity of developmental patterns of likability and popularity in adolescence.

Sensation Seeking and Substance use in Chinese Adolescents: Longitudinal Trajectories and Prospective Within-person Associations.

Sensation seeking has been extensively demonstrated as a risk factor for substance use. Potential bidirectional associations between sensation seeking and substance use at the within-person level are incompletely understood. The present study examined longitudinal trajectories of sensation seeking and substance use and bidirectional longitudinal associations between sensation seeking and substance use in Chinese adolescents during a 3-year period over three time points. A total of 10,138 adolescents (59.8%) male; Mage = 16.77, SD = 0.83 at time (1) were surveyed. Sensation seeking and substance use frequency increased concomitantly over time. At the within-person level, sensation seeking and substance use were reciprocally predictable, and there were no evidence of sex difference in longitudinal associations. This study provides unique data concerning the relationship between sensation seeking and substance use in a sample of Chinese adolescents, and highlights the importance of identifying sensation seeking behaviors to prevent substance use.

Autonomy-relatedness Patterns and their Association with Academic and Psychological Adjustment among Chinese Adolescents.

Establishing autonomy and maintaining relatedness with parents are two of the most crucial goals for adolescents and meeting these goals can be critical for academic and psychological adjustment. A two-dimensional framework was proposed for exploring the integrative synthesis of autonomy and relatedness, but its cultural applicability was limited. To better account for the situations associated with non-Western cultural context, this study extended the prior framework to three dimensions (volition, functional independence, and relatedness) and utilized latent profile analysis to explore the configurations and their concurrent and longitudinal (one year later) associations with adjustment (academic engagement, academic buoyancy, depressive symptoms, and externalizing problems). The study collected data from 3992 Chinese adolescents (51.33% girls, Mage = 15.41, SD = 0.55). Latent profile analyses identified five profiles: High, High Functional Independence, Moderate, Low Functional Independence, and Extremely Low Functional Independence. The High profile was the robust optimal pattern for academic and psychological adjustment, while the Low Functional Independence and Extremely Low Functional Independence were risk patterns over time. The High Functional Independence profile was only conducive to academic areas but not to psychological areas. Findings demonstrated the necessity of the three-dimensional framework in this field.