Confucian ideal personality traits (Junzi personality) and mental health: The serial mediating roles of self-control and authenticity

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00374

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on the proposition of Confucian classics, this paper proposed the hypothesis that Junzi personality had a positive effect on mental health through the serial mediation of self-control and authenticity and used various methods to examine the hypothesis (total sample size is 1169). Results showed that when measured simultaneously, Junzi personality positively predicted mental health (in Study 1). When measured after 6 months, Junzi personality also positively predicted self-esteem, core self-evaluation, and affect balance but negatively predicted mental symptoms (in Study 4). Junzi personality positively predicted the trait of self-control (in Study 1) and decisions involving self-control (in Study 3 and Study 4), whether in situations provided in the experiment or as were recalled by the participants. Manipulated self-control positively affected both mental health and authenticity (in Study 2), while manipulated authenticity positively affected mental health (in Study 3). Results also provided evidence of the serial mediating effect of self-control and authenticity in the positive effect of Junzi personality on mental health through simultaneous measurement and cross-temporal measurement. In addition, results of experimental manipulation also provided indirect evidence for this. People with a higher level of Junzi personality are better at self-control, thus feel more consistent and connected with their true selves, and therefore have a more positive mental state.

Key words: Junzi personality, Confucianism cultural psychology, mental health, self-control, authenticity

GE Xiaoyu, HOU Yubo. (2021). Confucian ideal personality traits (Junzi personality) and mental health: The serial mediating roles of self-control and authenticity. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 53(4), 374-386.

Figures/Tables 7

References 58

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Variables	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1. Gender	0.48	0.50
2. Age	32.96	7.97	-0.07
3. Education attainment	2.99	0.68	0.17*	-0.16*
4. Junzi personality	159.13	17.32	0.06	0.18*	0.25***
5. Self control	73.26	7.41	0.01	0.10	0.17*	0.47***
6. authenticity	57.75	8.55	-0.03	0.07	-0.01	0.38***	0.45***
7. Mental Health	183.29	58.43	0.03	0.09	0.09	0.44***	0.44***	0.40***
8. Social desirability	18.70	9.68	-0.08	0.11	0.15*	0.35***	0.32***	0.28***	0.41***

Variables	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1. Gender	0.48	0.50
2. Age	32.96	7.97	-0.07
3. Education attainment	2.99	0.68	0.17*	-0.16*
4. Junzi personality	159.13	17.32	0.06	0.18*	0.25***
5. Self control	73.26	7.41	0.01	0.10	0.17*	0.47***
6. authenticity	57.75	8.55	-0.03	0.07	-0.01	0.38***	0.45***
7. Mental Health	183.29	58.43	0.03	0.09	0.09	0.44***	0.44***	0.40***
8. Social desirability	18.70	9.68	-0.08	0.11	0.15*	0.35***	0.32***	0.28***	0.41***

变量Variable	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1. Gender	0.55	0.50
2. Age	21.30	2.13	0.07
3. Junzi personality	161.75	17.01	0.02	-0.01
4. Self control	4.56	1.60	0.04	0.02	0.44***
5. authenticity	69.35	6.47	-0.11	-0.08	0.62***	0.44***
6. Self-esteem	32.10	3.82	-0.07	-0.04	0.44***	0.39***	0.55***
7. Core self-evaluation	37.50	6.04	-0.16*	-0.04	0.55***	0.44***	0.60***	0.82***
8. Affect balance	7.04	2.09	-0.04	-0.01	0.52***	0.39***	0.54***	0.59***	0.67***
9. Mental symptoms	32.90	20.08	0.05	0.06	-0.45***	-0.38****	-0.49***	-0.56***	-0.61***	-0.60***

变量Variable	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1. Gender	0.55	0.50
2. Age	21.30	2.13	0.07
3. Junzi personality	161.75	17.01	0.02	-0.01
4. Self control	4.56	1.60	0.04	0.02	0.44***
5. authenticity	69.35	6.47	-0.11	-0.08	0.62***	0.44***
6. Self-esteem	32.10	3.82	-0.07	-0.04	0.44***	0.39***	0.55***
7. Core self-evaluation	37.50	6.04	-0.16*	-0.04	0.55***	0.44***	0.60***	0.82***
8. Affect balance	7.04	2.09	-0.04	-0.01	0.52***	0.39***	0.54***	0.59***	0.67***
9. Mental symptoms	32.90	20.08	0.05	0.06	-0.45***	-0.38****	-0.49***	-0.56***	-0.61***	-0.60***

Independent variables	Self-control as the dependent variable	Authenticity as the dependent variable	Self-esteem as the dependent variable	Core self-evaluation as the dependent variable	Affect balance as the dependent variable	Mental symptoms as the dependent variable
Gender	0.03 ([-0.09, 0.15])	-0.13 ([-0.23, -0.03])	-0.03 ([-0.14, 0.08])	-0.13 ([-0.24, -0.03])	-0.01 ([-0.12, 0.10])	0.02 ([-0.09, 0.14])
Age	0.02 ([-0.10, 0.14])	-0.07 ([-0.17, 0.03])	-0.01 ([-0.12, 0.10])	-0.01 ([-0.11, 0.09])	0.02 ([-0.09, 0.13])	0.04 ([-0.07, 0.15])
Junzi personality	0.44 ([0.32, 0.56])	0.53 ([0.41, 0.64])	0.12 ([-0.03, 0.26])	0.25 ([0.12, 0.38])	0.26 ([0.11, 0.40])	-0.21 ([-0.36, -0.06])
Self-control		0.22 ([0.10, 0.33])	0.16 ([0.03, 0.29])	0.18 ([0.06, 0.29])	0.13 ([0.01, 0.26])	-0.16 ([-0.29, -0.03])
Authenticity			0.40 ([0.25, 0.55])	0.35 ([0.22, 0.49])	0.33 ([0.18, 0.47])	-0.28 ([-0.43, -0.13])
The specific indirect effects through self-control			0.07 ([0.02, 0.14])	0.08 ([0.03, 0.14])	0.06 ([0.01, 0.12])	-0.07 ([-0.14, -0.01])
The specific indirect effects through authenticity			0.21 ([0.13, 0.31])	0.19 ([0.11, 0.28])	0.17 ([0.08, 0.28])	-0.15 ([-0.27, -0.06])
The specific indirect effects through both			0.04 ([0.02, 0.08])	0.03 ([0.01, 0.07])	0.03 ([0.01, 0.07])	-0.03 ([-0.06, -0.01])
The total indirect effect			0.32 ([0.23, 0.42])	0.30 ([0.22, 0.40])	0.26 ([0.15, 0.38])	-0.24 ([-0.38, -0.13])
R²	0.20	0.44	0.34	0.45	0.36	0.29
F	17.68 (p < 0.001)	42.39 (p < 0.001)	21.64 (p < 0.001)	34.92 (p < 0.001)	24.10 (p < 0.001)	17.73 (p < 0.001)