ISSN 0439-755X
CN 11-1911/B

Most Down Articles

    Published in last 1 year | In last 2 years| In last 3 years| All| Most Downloaded in Recent Month | Most Downloaded in Recent Year|

    Most Downloaded in Recent Year
    Please wait a minute...
    For Selected: Toggle Thumbnails
    The relationship between social media use and fear of missing out: A meta-analysis
    ZHANG Yali, LI Sen, YU Guoliang
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (3): 273-290.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00273
    Abstract3631)   HTML186)    PDF (992KB)(6102)      

    Social media use and fear of missing out are both common phenomena in our daily life. Numerous studies have discussed the relationship between these two variables, but the results were mixed. Theoretically, there are two main arguments about the relationship between social media use and fear of missing out. To be specific, the social cognitive theory of mass communication suggested that there was a significant positive correlation between the two variables, while the digital goldilocks hypothesis argued that there may be a U-shaped relationship instead of a significant linear correlation between the two. Empirically, the effect sizes of this relationship reported in the existing literature were far from consistent, with r values ranging from 0 to 0.75. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to explore the strength and moderators of the relationship between social media use and fear of missing out.
    Through literature retrieval, 65 studies consisting of 70 independent effect sizes that met the inclusion criteria were selected. In addition, a random-effects model was selected to conduct the meta-analysis in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.3 software, aiming at testing our hypotheses. The heterogeneity test illustrated that there was significant heterogeneity among 70 independent effect sizes, indicating that the random-effects model was appropriate for subsequent meta-analyses. Based on the funnel plot and Egger's test of regression to the intercept, no significant publication bias was found in the included studies.
    The main effect analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between social media use and fear of missing out (r = 0.38). The moderation analyses revealed that the relationship between social media use and fear of missing out was moderated by the indicator of social media use, as well as the type of social media. Specifically, compared with the frequency, the time as well as the intensity of social media use, social media use addiction had the strongest correlation with fear of missing out; compared with Snapchat and Facebook, Instagram had the strongest correlation with fear of missing out. Other moderators such as gender, age, measurement tools of fear of missing out as well as individualism index did not moderate the relation between these two constructs. The results supported the media effect model, which suggested that social media use, especially social media use addiction may be an important risk factor for individuals’ fear of missing out. Longitudinal studies are needed in the future to explore the dynamic relationship between social media use and fear of missing out.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    On Piaget’s epistemological methodology and its contemporary significance
    JIANG Ke, LI Qiwei
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2020, 52 (8): 1017-1030.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2020.01017
    Abstract2526)   HTML14)    PDF (283KB)(1522)      

    Piaget’s works covered philosophy, psychology, biology, and logic, as well as other fields. The psychological community attaches great importance to Piaget’s influence in the field. For example, he was the President of the Swiss Psychological Society, the President of the French National Psychological Federation, the President of the 14th International Union for Psychological Science, and he was awarded the Outstanding Scientific Contribution Award by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1969.
    Should Piaget’s academic identity be that of a philosopher or a psychologist? This question is essentially about Piaget’s methodology, as it is not the object of the study that defines which branch an approach belongs to, but the method of study it adopts. Piaget’s theories are rich and complex, and his works are numerous. What connects such theories into a whole system is the constructional method of Piaget’s epistemology.
    This article focuses on Piaget’s works in the fields of philosophical epistemology, biological analogy methodology, as well as the methodology of structuralism and dialectics, so as to analyze the key concepts in the construction process of Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology. It was hoped that through such reviews, we could learn from the core constructs of Piaget’s theoretical system, which are often misunderstood and ignored. It is also hoped that, by analyzing these contents, Piaget’s theory can be explained as being neither psychological in the traditional sense nor philosophical epistemology in the general sense. Instead, we should think of Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology as an innovative science of the mind. From this perspective, we can better understand how Genetic Epistemology can deal with many “difficult problems” faced by contemporary cognitive science.
    Piaget defined his core concepts by the theory of equilibrium-construction. He demonstrated the bidirectional interaction between organisms and the external environment based on the concepts of adaptation and equilibrium in biology. Furthermore, he constructed a structuralist epistemology of Genetic Epistemology through the “isomorphism” of cognitive and biological processes.
    Structuralism was not only a theoretical proposition, but a construction method of Piaget’s meta-theory. Piaget established structuralism as a methodology by defining three characteristics of structure: integrality, transformation, and self-adjustment.
    Piaget’s way of thinking was dialectic. This dialectic referred to any two separate and different systems, not necessarily opposed to each other, which could merge and produce a new system.
    Finally, Piaget’s research method was a clinical interview, as well as the Geneva Discovery Technique. In terms of research methods, Piaget could be regarded as an early pioneer of qualitative research techniques.
    In general, Piaget’s theoretical construction method had two important characteristics. First, he emphasized that relative to the structure, function would be the precondition, in the sense of logic; that is, the function was the adaptation of the organism to the environment. Second, the ideological basis of Piaget’s methodology is dialectics. His epistemology, on the one hand, criticizes rationalism, while on the other hand, criticizes empiricism, finally forming a unique epistemological system. Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology may provide guidance and inspiration on many “difficult problems” in the study of the philosophy of mind nowadays, such as the “other-mind problem” and the “induction problem.”

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
     Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: The halo effect and generalization effect in the facial attractiveness evaluation
    HAN Shangfeng, LI Yue, LIU Shen, XU Qiang, TAN Qun, ZHANG Lin
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2018, 50 (4): 363-376.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2018.00363
    Abstract12388)      PDF (1140KB)(1729)      
     Even though people usually agreed that “a book should not be judged by its cover”, researches had repeatedly demonstrated that individuals spontaneously and very swiftly formed impression on others based merely on the appearance of their faces. Facial attractiveness is an important content in the first perception. Which had been linked to outcomes as diverse as mate choice, job hunting, and cooperation. Given these real world consequences of the first impressions, it is important to understand how these impressions are formed. Some studies found that facial physical characteristics, such as symmetry, averageness and sexual dimorphism, had a great impact on facial attractiveness. While different individuals have different experience, when faced with the same face in the same context, different individuals have different evaluations on facial attractiveness. Some researchers put forward a new theory, namely, the observer hypothesis, which demonstrated that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, the processing of unfamiliar facial attractiveness remained unclear. The goal of the current study was to explore how we processed the impression of unfamiliar facial attractiveness. 19 males and 27 females took part in the experiment one and 16 males and 22 females participated in the experiment two, each experiment contained two phases that were learning tasks and evaluation tasks. In the learning phase, participants firstly learned to associate faces with negative, neutral, or positive trait words or imaged the behavior of the individuals to form different impression, which was contribute to the same valence between the neutral face and trait words or sentence. When participants could evaluate the valence of the face correctly, they could proceed to the next phase. In the experiment one, 13 males and 25 females had passed learning phase and evaluated the original faces and the unfamiliar faces. In the experiment two, 12 males and 17 females had done the learning task and evaluation task successfully. And in the evaluation phase, extend of warmth, competence and facial attractiveness of the unfamiliar faces, which had 50% similarity with the learned faces, were evaluated. Both of the two experiments had the same results, which showed that there are two ways to form unfamiliar facial attractiveness: (1) the first one is that generalization effect occurred after halo effect, compared with negative familiar faces, positive familiar faces were evaluated more attractive, so did the unfamiliar faces that were familiar with positive familiar faces; (2) the second one is that halo effect occurred after generalization effect, unfamiliar faces which were similar with positive familiar faces were not only evaluated more positive but also more attractive. The results suggested that generalization effect occurred after halo effect and halo effect occurred after generalization effect were the two ways to form unfamiliar facial attractiveness. In conclusion, halo effect and generalization effect play an important role in the processing of unfamiliar facial attractiveness.
    Related Articles | Metrics
     Mobile phone addiction and sleep quality in adolescents: Mediation and moderation analyses
    LIU Qingqi, ZHOU Zongkui, NIU Gengfeng, Fan Cuiying
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2017, 49 (12): 1524-1536.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2017.01524
    Abstract13902)      PDF (852KB)(2146)      
     Mobile phones have integrated into people’s daily lives. Proper mobile phone use would help individuals meet diverse needs in learning and shopping, as well as in recreation and communication. However, the problem that more and more people are getting addicted to mobile phones has been salient. Studies have revealed that mobile phone addiction would bring about significant adverse impacts on mental health such as depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation. Poor sleep quality is also one of the major undesirable outcomes of mobile phone addiction. Research documented that mobile phone addiction significantly predicted sleep quality, and sleep quality deteriorated with increasing level of mobile phone addiction. Prior studies have focused mainly on the direct association between mobile phone addiction and sleep quality, however, little is known about the underlying mediating mechanism (i.e. how mobile phone addiction influences sleep quality) and moderating mechanism (i.e. when mobile phone addiction influences sleep quality). To address these gaps, the present study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine the effect of mobile phone addiction on sleep quality in adolescents since both the use rate of mobile phone and the occurrence rate of mobile phone addiction are very high among adolescents. Specifically, the present study would examine the mediating role of affect balance in the relation between mobile phone addiction and sleep quality of adolescents, and test whether the direct effect and the indirect effect would be moderated by rumination and mindfulness. A sample of 1258 high school students completed a battery of self-report questionnaires measuring their mobile phone addiction, sleep quality, affect balance, rumination and mindfulness. All the measures showed good reliability and validity in the present study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 and the SPSS macro PROCESS which was specifically developed for assessing the complex models including both mediators and moderators. The results were as followings: (1) After controlling for gender and grade, mobile phone addiction significantly exerted direct effect on sleep quality and indirect effect on sleep quality through the mediation of affect balance. (2) Both the direct effect of mobile phone addiction on sleep quality and the indirect effect of affect balance were moderated by rumination, and these two effects were stronger in adolescents with high level of rumination. (3) Both the direct effect and the indirect effect of were moderated by mindfulness, and these two effects were weaker in adolescents with high level of mindfulness. The present study highlights the mediating role of affect balance and the moderating role of rumination and mindfulness in the effect of mobile phone addiction on sleep quality. It may contribute to a better understanding of the effects as well as its paths and conditions of mobile phone addiction on sleep quality of adolescents. Moreover, it can also provide constructive suggestions for protecting and improving affect balance and sleep quality of adolescents in the mobile Internet era.
    Related Articles | Metrics
    Green nudging
    Bonini Nicolao, Hadjichristidis Constantinos, Graffeo Michele
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2018, 50 (8): 814-826.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2018.00814
    Abstract4948)      PDF (276KB)(1957)      

    Our current lifestyle is not sustainable. One way to increase sustainability is by developing greener technologies. Another, complementary way, is by altering people’s attitudes, habits, and behaviors. Here we discuss six techniques that aim to gently push or nudge people towards more pro-environmental choices and behaviors. These techniques range from ones that can be applied from a distance, e.g., techniques which could inform the construction of communication messages, to ones that involve changes in the context where the choice takes place. Therefore, the present review can be of interest to practitioners such as marketers, policymakers, and consumer representatives. For each technique, we discuss its theorized cognitive and/or emotional underpinnings. Furthermore, we identify gaps in the literature and ways in which future research could fill these gaps.

    Related Articles | Metrics
    How to facilitate employee green behavior: The joint role of green transformational leadership and green human resource management practice
    PENG Jian, YIN Kui, HOU Nan, ZOU Yanchun, NIE Qi
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2020, 52 (9): 1105-1120.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2020.01105
    Abstract2960)   HTML46)    PDF (599KB)(2336)      

    Faced with the problem of critical environmental pollution, organizations are expected to plan and implement environmental management practices. Employees, as the implementers of environmental management practices, have been considered to play a crucial role in organizational green management. Hence, how to facilitate employee green behavior is of particular importance for contemporary organizations. Employee green behavior is defined as a series of workplace behaviors that contribute to environmental sustainability. Given that employee green behavior is relevant to the sustainable development of the organization, this topic increasingly attracts attention and interest from scholars and practitioners alike. In particular, they have focused on how to facilitate employee green behavior.
    Previous research revealed that green (environmentally specific) transformational leadership and green human resource management practice (HRM) played a crucial role in shaping employee green behavior. However, previous studies took an “either…or…” approach to investigate the effects of green transformational leadership and green HRM (separately), ignoring their joint effects. Recent studies indicated a trend to examine the joint role of leadership and HRM. Accordingly, this study explored the joint role of green transformational leadership and green HRM on employee green behavior in the Chinese context. In particular, we proposed two alternative hypotheses. Drawing on the cue consistency theory, we claimed that green transformational leadership and green HRM positively interacted to shape employee green behavior. Based on the leadership substitute theory, we proposed that green transformational leadership and green HRM negatively interacted to shape employee green behavior. Moreover, we proposed that pro-environmental goal clarity mediated the interactive effect of green transformational leadership and green HRM on employee green behavior.
    We conducted two experiments and one survey study to test our hypotheses. In experiment 1a and 1b (a 2 × 2 between-subject design), the ANOVA results showed that green transformational leadership and green HRM positively interacted to shape individual green behavior, which supported the hypotheses based on cue consistence theory. Specifically, under the condition of high green transformational leadership and high green HRM, individuals were more likely to engage in green behavior. Study 2, a field study based on the survey data from 173 leader-employee dyads, not only replicated the findings of study 1a and 1b but also revealed that the interaction of green HRM and green transformational leadership was positively related to employee green behavior through the mediating role of pro-environmental goal clarity.
    This study contributes to the literature in several ways. First, by revealing the positive interactive effect of green transformational leadership and green HRM on employee green behavior, our findings guide us toward a better understanding of how to facilitate employee green behavior from a comprehensive and balanced perspective. Second, by revealing the mediating role of pro-environmental goal clarity, this study contributes to a detailed understanding of how green HRM and green transformational leadership jointly influence employee green behavior. Finally, for practitioners, our results provide some implications on ways to promote employee green behavior, such as adopting green HRM and simultaneously developing the leaders’ green transformational leadership.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
     Effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in intervention for anxiety: A meta-analysis
    REN Zhihong, Zhang Yawen, JIANG Guangrong
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2018, 50 (3): 283-305.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2018.00283
    Abstract8168)      PDF (2406KB)(1401)      
     Mindfulness meditation (MM) has enjoyed a growing popularity in healthcare in recent years when bio-psycho-social approaches are becoming more and more emphasized in modern medicine. There has been mounting empirical evidence showing MM’s significant effectiveness in alleviating anxiety for both nonclinical and clinical populations. However, the effect size of the available empirical investigation results has remained inconsistent and possible moderators have yet to be explored comprehensively. In order to determine the immediate and long-term efficacy of MM in overcoming anxiety, we conducted a meta-analysis based on a systematic and comprehensive review of the published studies on mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety. We also examined whether some characteristics of research participants (e.g. age, geographic areas) and interventions (e.g. format, duration, at-home practice), and specifics of the study (i.e. types of control, quality of the study) and data analysis (e.g. attrition rate) moderate the magnitude of the effectiveness of MM interventions (11variables). The review was performed following the rigorous PRISMA Protocol. Published studies using randomized controlled trial were selected from major databases worldwide to include investigations conducted in both Western and Eastern countries. Databases used include VIP Journal Integration Platform, Wan fang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and PubMed. Keywords used are mindfulness, meditation, MBSR, MBCT, anxi*, mood, intervention, therapy, program. Using the random effect model, we pooled the effect size (Hedge’s g), and conducted a publication bias evaluation, a moderating effect analysis and an interaction analysis in CMA 3.3. Results of our analyses revealed fifty-five RCTs from both Eastern and Western countries (k = 68 samples, N = 4595 participants). Mindfulness meditation for treating anxiety is shown to be efficacious with a medium to large immediate effect (g = 0.60), but the effect is not reliably shown at follow-up assessments. The post-heterogeneity test result suggests that using the random effect model is reasonable. Univariate meta-regression analysis yielded that study quality, geographic areas, participants’ age, intervention format (Group vs. Individual), amount of at-home practice, and attrition rate shown in data analysis remarkably influenced the effect size of MM’s immediate effect, while types of control, health condition, mindfulness practice experience, intervention duration, or statistical analysis methods used (ITT vs. PP) did not appear to moderate MM’s immediate effectiveness for reducing anxiety. Additionally, geographic areas affect the effect size the most. Multiple meta-regression models suggested that type of control and geographic areas, as well as statistical analysis methods significantly moderate the effect size of intervention effectiveness. Overall, the study results demonstrated high immediate effect of mindfulness-based practices for alleviating anxiety, but the effect did not seem to last. In addition, geographic area turns out to be the strongest moderator, and practitioners in the East seem to benefit more than those who are in the West. Study quality, participants’ age, mindfulness practice experience, intervention format, at-home practice quantity and attrition rate also affect the effect size to a certain extent. Future research is warranted to improve methodological quality of outcome studies, to provide more clear and replicable evidence of MM efficacy, and to explore more underlying moderators for the intervention effect size, such as participant satisfaction and so forth.
    Related Articles | Metrics
    The relationship between perceived overqualification and individual performance and mediating mechanisms: A meta-analytic review and examination of emotional and cognitive processing systems and cultural contexts
    YANG Weiwen, LI Chaoping
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (5): 527-554.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00527
    Abstract758)   HTML61)    PDF (517KB)(1115)      

    In recent years, overqualification, a special phenomenon of person-environment misfit, has attracted a lot of scholars’ attention, but the conclusions from related studies remain controversial. A meta-analysis of 321 articles including 383 independent studies, 945 effect sizes and 575061 study samples was conducted: (1) The direct effect test showed that there was a significant positive correlation between perceived overqualification (POQ) and negative emotions (i.e., anger, boredom). There was no significant correlation between POQ and positive self-concepts (i.e., self-esteem, self-efficacy), but a significant positive correlation exists between POQ and negative extra-role behaviors (i.e., counterproductive work behavior, turnover). There was no significant correlation between positive extra-role behaviors (i.e., creativity, organizational citizenship behavior, etc.) and task performance. (2) The meta-analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM) shows that POQ can augment negative emotions, and further promote negative extra-role behaviors while decreasing positive extra-role behaviors and task performance. Meanwhile, POQ can increase positive self-concepts, and can furthermore enhance positive extra-role behaviors and task performance while decreasing negative extra-role behaviors; (3) Collectivism played a moderating role in the process of POQ affecting individual performance through the emotional-cognitive processing system. In the high collectivistic cultural context, POQ had a lower level of negative effect on negative emotions and had a positive effect on positive self-concepts; in the low collectivistic cultural context, POQ had a stronger negative effect on negative emotions, and a negative effect on positive self-concepts. (4) The relationship between POQ and person-job fit (P-J fit) was stronger than that between POQ and person-organization fit (P-O fit). Compare with P-J fit and P-O fit, POQ had the strongest effect on strain and turnover. The findings of this study provide insights into understanding the complex mechanisms and boundary conditions of POQ on individual performance, and provide evidence for how to manage overqualified employees.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    Relationship between narcissism and aggression: A meta-analysis
    ZHANG Lihua, ZHU He
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (11): 1228-1243.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.01228
    Abstract919)   HTML48)    PDF (260KB)(1295)      

    Aggression and violence are prevalent public health problems, tremendously harming individuals, families and society. Supposedly, low self-esteem is an important cause of aggression. However, some researchers have suggested that aggression may be attributable to threatened egoism, that is, the inflated and narcissistic view of self that is threatened, rather than low self-esteem itself. Numerous studies have explored the relationship between narcissism and aggression. However, these results appear somewhat inconsistent in different studies. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to explore the strength and moderators of the relationship between narcissism and aggression.
    We included Chinese and English literature from 1965 to 2021. A total of 177 independent effect sizes (121 studies, 73687 participants) were found within the criteria of the meta-analysis. On the basis of the characteristics of studies, we selected the random-effects model. After the data was coded, independent effect sizes were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 3.3 program.
    The results of the funnel plot and Egger test showed no publication bias. Results showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.27, 95% CI [0.25, 0.29]) between narcissism and aggression. Additionally, the moderation analyses revealed that the strength of the relationship was moderated by gender and the modes of reporting narcissism, but not by the modes of reporting aggression or culture. Meanwhile, different types of narcissism related differently to aggression, in that covert narcissism was more positively correlated with aggression compared with overt narcissism, and maladaptive narcissism was more positively correlated with aggression compared with adaptive narcissism.
    Based on the meta-analysis, narcissism and aggression were closely related. The mechanisms of aggression must be identified to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies to alleviate the public health problems caused by aggression. Future research could: (1) The present study found that the modes of reporting narcissism play a moderating role in the relationship between narcissism and aggression. Therefore, to gain insights into the reporters’ bias and obtain accurate and complete information regarding narcissism, the data of multiple reporters can be employed. (2) Overt narcissism and covert narcissism are distinct structures, and the existing studies on the relationship between narcissism and aggression have paid less attention to covert narcissism. The present study found that covert narcissism is more likely to be a risk factor for aggression than overt narcissism. Therefore, future research could strengthen the exploration of covert narcissism.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    Passive use of social network site and its relationships with self-esteem and self-concept clarity: A moderated mediation analysis
    LIU Qingqi, NIU Gengfeng, Fan Cuiying, ZHOU Zongkui
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2017, 49 (1): 60-71.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2017.00060
    Abstract4451)      PDF (942KB)(1183)      

    Activities on social network site can be classified into two main types: active use and passive use. Previous studies revealed that active use of social network site, such as self-presentation and self-disclosure, could enhance social capital, self-esteem and life satisfaction, as well as reduce loneliness. On the contrary, passive use of social network site could exert adverse effects on emotional well-being and life satisfaction, and might lead to depression. However, little is known about the effect of passive use of social network site on self-concept, in particular, effects on self-esteem and self-concept clarity. Passive use of social network site exposes individuals to a lot of positive information of others, which may result in upward social comparison. Upward social comparison in turn negatively impacts individuals’ self-esteem and self-concept clarity. But individuals are not equally influenced by upward social comparison. Optimism, as an important personality trait, may impact the way individuals process information of upward social comparison and thus alleviates the negative effects of upward social comparison. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the mediating roles of upward social comparison in the effects of passive use of social network site on self-esteem and self-concept clarity. The study would also test whether the mediating effects of upward social comparison would be moderated by optimism. A sample of 1208 undergraduate students (mean age = 19.86; SD = 1.26) were recruited for the study to complete a battery of self-report questionnaires measuring their passive use of social network site, upward social comparison on social network site, self-esteem, self-concept clarity and optimism. All the measures showed good reliability and validity in the present study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 and SPSS macro PROCESS which was specifically developed for assessing the complex models including both mediators and moderators with the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method. The results were as followings: (1) After controlling for gender, grade and mean time of social network site use per day, passive use of social network site had no significant direct effect on self-esteem. But it could negatively predict self-esteem through the mediation of upward social comparison. (2) Passive use of social network site had significant effect on self-concept clarity, and could also negatively predict self-concept clarity through upward social comparison. (3) The mediating effects of upward social comparison in the association between passive use of social network site and self-esteem and between passive use of social network site and self-concept clarity were both moderated by optimism. The indirect effects were stronger for individuals with a low level of optimism. (4) For individuals with a high level of optimism, the direct effect of upward social comparison on self-esteem and the mediating effect of upward social comparison in the association between passive use of social network site and self-esteem were not statistically significant. But the direct effect of upward social comparison on self-concept clarity and the mediating effect of upward social comparison in the association between passive use of social network site and self-concept clarity were both significant. The present study highlights the mediating effect of upward social comparison and the moderating effect of optimism in the effect of passive use of social network site on self-esteem and self-concept clarity. It may contribute to a better understanding of the effects, mechanisms, and the conditions of passive use of social network site on self-esteem and self-concept clarity.

    Related Articles | Metrics
    The influence of culture on wise reasoning in the context of self-friend conflict and its mechanism
    WEI, Xindong, WANG, Fengyan
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (11): 1244-1259.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.01244
    Abstract355)   HTML18)    PDF (528KB)(442)      

    In contrast to dealing with personal conflicts, westerners who are mainly independent self are wiser in dealing with their friends’ personal conflicts (Solomon paradox). Will Solomon’s paradox have different characteristics among Chinese people who are mainly interdependent self? In Study 1, Chinese and American participants were recruited through an online platform and randomly assigned to a self/friend conflict group to examine their levels of wise reasoning and the influence of self-type. The results of alignment and ANOVA showed that the friend group had significantly higher wise reasoning than the self group among Americans, while the two groups had no significant difference among Chinese. Further analysis found that the interaction between independent self and conflict type significantly predicted wise reasoning in Chinese culture. Based on this study, through the priming of different self types, Study 2-4 examined the individual’s wisdom reasoning differences in self or friend-conflict groups in Chinese culture. The results showed that the wise reasoning of the friend-group was significantly higher than that of the self-group when independent self was primed; however, there was no significant difference between the two groups when interdependent self was primed. Research suggests that the Solomon paradox may only exist in individuals with a high level of independent self and is not universal. Therefore, in addition to the issue of sample diversity, psychological research should pay more attention to researchers who use only Western samples and make inferences in an unreflective way.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    Confucian ideal personality traits (Junzi personality): Exploration of psychological measurement
    GE Xiaoyu, LI Xiaoming, HOU Yubo
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (12): 1321-1334.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.01321
    Abstract1481)   HTML53)    PDF (672KB)(1106)      

    Junzi personality is defined as ideal personality traits in Chinese culture (particularly Confucianism), and is a vital key in understanding Chinese cultural psychology. But there are few empirical researches on this variable. In the current study, we combined the theory analysis of classical texts and empirical analysis of psychological measurement. We collected all the Confucius’ statements about Junzi personality from the Analects of Confucius and utilized them to create a preliminary questionnaire. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis, two confirmatory factor analyses, and criteria-related validity analyses, and the total sample size was 1916. We explored the internal structure of Junzi personality in Confucius’ thought, and established the Inventory of Junzi Personality in Confucius’ Thought, which had good reliability and validity. The findings revealed that Junzi personality is composed of five factors: (A) wisdom, benevolence, and courage, (B) respectfulness and propriety, (C) conversancy with righteousness and cherishment of benign rule, (D) refraining from what should not be done, and (E) self-cultivation rather than contentions with others. Additionally, we examined the correlations of Junzi personality with the Big-Five personality, Chinese values, self-consistency and congruence, cooperative and competitive personality tendencies, and prosocial inclinations.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    “You were what you eat”: Food-gender stereotypes and their impact on evaluation of impression
    ZUO Bin, DAI Yuee, WEN Fangfang, GAO Jia, XIE Zhijie, HE Saifei
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (3): 259-272.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00259
    Abstract1493)   HTML88)    PDF (218KB)(1736)      

    Food plays an important role in social life, endowed with cultural and gender connotations. We used two studies to explore ex-plicit and implicit food-gender stereotypes and their influence on person evaluation (i.e., perceived warmth and competence). Study 1 examined the presence of explicit and implicit food-gender stereotypes using nomination, self-reports, and semantic priming para-digms. The results demonstrated participants held explicit food-gender stereotypes that the male preferred masculine food, and the female preferred feminine food, and female participants hold implicit food-gender stereotypes. In Study 2, we used situational ex-periment and implicit relational assessment procedure to measure participants’ evaluation of the stereotype-(in)consistent targets’ warmth and competence. Results showed that participants implicitly elevated the warmth trait of the stereotype-inconsistent male target.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    Developmental change and stability of social anxiety from toddlerhood to young adulthood: A three-level meta-analysis of longitudinal studies
    CHEN Bizhong, HUANG Xuan, NIU Gengfeng, SUN Xiaojun, CAI Zhihui
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2023, 55 (10): 1637-1652.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2023.01637
    Abstract134)   HTML22)    PDF (215KB)(473)      
    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    A meta-analysis of the effect of crowding on consumers’ emotional reactions and shopping-related behavioral reactions
    LIU Wumei, MA Zengguang, WEI Xuhua
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2020, 52 (10): 1237-1252.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2020.01237
    Abstract1208)   HTML14)    PDF (650KB)(853)      

    In the last few years, marketing scholars have been showing increasing interest in examining how crowding affects consumers’ emotions and behaviors. As a result, empirical literature on crowding has been growing rapidly. However, the crowding literature in Marketing has reported many inconsistent findings which need to be reconciled. The current meta-analysis paper aims to find out the reasons for heterogeneity in the findings of previous studies on crowding.

    In this meta-analysis, the authors analyzed 149 effect sizes from 38 Eastern and Western empirical studies and 81 samples. Each author independently coded the data and discrepancies were resolved through discussion. Based on the measures of crowding used in each individual empirical paper, the authors coded two types of crowding, namely social crowding and spatial crowding. First, the authors analyzed the effects of social crowding and spatial crowding on consumers’ emotional reactions and shopping reactions. Next, the authors examined the potential moderation effects of several contextual and methodological factors, including types of shopping environment, the reality of research context, and sources of research samples (western countries vs. eastern countries, students vs. non-students).

    This meta-analysis work obtained many interesting findings. First, this paper documented that social crowding significantly increased consumers’ negative emotions, but dramatically decreased consumers’ dominance. Social crowding was found to be positively correlated with the approach-related shopping responses (ρ = 0.208, N = 28624), and negatively correlated with consumer attitudes and willingness to shop (ρ = -0.135, N = 10094). Second, this paper documented that spatial crowding had a significant negative effect on avoidance-related shopping responses (ρ = -0.409, N = 3223), but had no significant influence on the approach- related shopping responses. Furthermore, moderation analyses showed that some of the aforementioned main effects were significantly moderated by types of shopping environment (utilitarian vs. hedonic), the reality of the context (virtual vs. real), and sources of research samples (western countries vs. eastern countries, students vs. non-students).

    To summarize, this paper makes several important theoretical advances. First, drawing on several psychological theories on individuals’ reactions to the crowding environment, this paper builds a relatively unified research framework on consumers’ reactions to crowding. More importantly, this paper also tests this framework via meta-analyzing the effects of social crowding and those of spatial crowding on consumers’ emotional reactions and shopping-related behavioral responses, respectively. The results suggest that the overall influence of crowding on individuals’ emotion and behavior is not as large as that reported in previous studies. Second, by examining the moderation effects of several situational and methodology-related factors, this paper is able to explain why prior literature on crowding has reported inconsistent findings. Finally, this meta-analysis work also puts forth several intriguing and testable future research hypothese. In addition to advancing theory, the current paper’s findings also have practical implications. Companies and managers should consider reducing consumers’ spatial crowding perceptions of the shopping environment. However, it is not wise for firms to universally adopt a policy of decreasing consumers’ perceptions of pedestrian volume.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    Does conformity lead to gains? The effect of workplace ostracism on performance evaluation from a self-presentational view
    JIANG Ping, ZHANG Lihua
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (4): 400-412.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00400
    Abstract1060)   HTML61)    PDF (254KB)(1557)      

    There are some inconsistent conclusions about the effect of workplace ostracism on employee performance, which indicates that there are potential mechanisms in this field to be explored. Therefore, based on the self-presentation theory, this research built and tested a conditional indirect effect model to explore how and when individuals who suffered from workplace ostracism might obtain higher performance evaluation. Based on an experimental study and a field sample of supervisor-employee dyads, the results supported our theoretical hypotheses that workplace ostracism was positively related to facades of conformity. Besides, the relationship between workplace ostracism and facades of conformity was stronger when employees were high in collectivism values. However, when supervisors themselves also hold high collectivism values, employees’ facades of conformity are positively related to supervisors’ evaluations of job performance. Moreover, workplace ostracism has a conditional, positive indirect effect on supervisor’s evaluations of employee performance via employee facades of conformity, such that the indirect effect is positive when both employee and supervisors’ collectivism values are high.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    The relationship between positive parenting and adolescent prosocial behavior: The mediating role of empathy and the moderating role of the oxytocin receptor gene
    ZHANG Wenxin, LI Xi, CHEN Guanghui, CAO Yanmiao
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (9): 976-991.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00976
    Abstract688)   HTML23)    PDF (516KB)(900)      

    Plenty of studies have shown that maternal positive parenting promotes adolescents’ prosocial behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The participants were 1082 mother-offspring dyads (adolescents’ mean age: 12.32 ± 0.48 years, 50.3% females) recruited from the community which was followed for two years. Under the framework of “gene-environment-endophenotype- behavior”, this study investigated the mediating role of empathy in the relationship between maternal positive parenting and adolescents’ prosocial behavior, and the moderating role of OXTR gene rs53576 polymorphism. The results showed that cognitive empathy, but not emotional empathy, mediated the association between positive parenting and prosocial behavior. Specifically, positive parenting was positively associated with cognitive empathy, which in turn was positively associated with adolescents’ prosocial behavior. Further, this mediation was moderated by the OXTR gene rs53576 polymorphism. For adolescents with AA and GG genotypes, positive parenting was related to higher levels of cognitive empathy, which increased prosocial behavior. However, this mediation effect was not observed among adolescents with AG genotype. In addition, the results revealed evidence for an overdominance model for OXTR rs53576 polymorphism. Moreover, the G×E interaction predicted cognitive empathy but not prosocial behavior. These findings add to our understanding of how empathy and genetic factors contribute to adolescents’ prosocial behavior within the family context.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    The meaning of the body: Enactive approach to emotion
    YE Haosheng, SU Jiajia, SU Dequan
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2021, 53 (12): 1393-1404.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.01393
    Abstract548)   HTML37)    PDF (154KB)(909)      

    The emotion theory of enactivism looks at the dynamic function of emotion from the perspective of “sense-making”, and advocates that emotion and cognition are intertwined and closely related to the bodily activities of organisms adapting to the environment. Emotion is the emotion of the body, and the body is the body in emotional experience. The body plays a constitutive role in emotional experience. According to this view, emotion is a positive action tendency, which is an embodied action based on understanding the meaning of environment. Emotion does not occur in the skull of an organism, but in the interaction and coupling of brain, body and environment. Because cognition and emotion are unified in the activities of organism sense-making from the perspective of enactivism, the 4E attribute of cognition must also be reflected in emotion, which makes emotion and affection also have the characteristics of embodiment, embedding, extension and enaction. The enactive theory of emotion provides a new perspective for understanding emotion and then the essence of consciousness.

    Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    “Attraction of the like”: How does coworkers’ proactive behavior stimulate employees’ motivation and job performance?
    ZHANG Ying, DUAN Jinyun, WANG Fuxi, QU Jinzhao, PENG Xiongliang
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2022, 54 (5): 516-528.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00516
    Abstract520)   HTML33)    PDF (267KB)(694)      

    Previous studies on proactivity usually focus on employees themselves, ignoring the important management practice and theoretical perspective that coworkers in teams or organizations will have an impact on employees’ behaviors. Therefore, based on social learning theory, this study explores the influence of coworkers’ proactive behavior on employees’ autonomous motivation and job performance, and the moderating effect of employees’ proactive personality. Through two studies, including a multi-time, leader-subordinate dyads questionnaire (Study 1) and a situational experiment (Study 2), this paper finds that coworkers’ proactive behavior can stimulate employees’ autonomous motivation, and then improve job performance. Moreover, employees’ proactive personality strengthens the positive effect of coworkers’ proactive behavior on employees’ autonomous motivation. This study not only shifts the existing research perspective on proactive behavior to coworkers in theory, but also provides practical guidance on how to better motivate employees.

    Table and Figures | Reference | Related Articles | Metrics
    The Impact of Parent-Child Attachment on Adolescent Problematic Internet Use: A Moderated Mediation Model
    CHEN Wu, LI Dongping, BAO Zhenzhou, YAN Yuwen, ZHOU Zongkui
    Acta Psychologica Sinica    2015, 47 (5): 611-623.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2015.00611
    Abstract3808)      PDF (575KB)(685)      

    Problematic Internet use (PIU) and its detrimental effects on adolescents’ adjustment has become a hot topic of research in developmental psychology. Among many factors influencing adolescent PIU, the role of parent-child attachment has increasingly received attention of both practitioners and researchers over the past few years. There is substantial literature documenting that parent-child attachment has an important influence on adolescent PIU, but little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. Under the basic framework of development system theories and attachment theory, the present study constructed a moderated mediation model based on the social development model and the organism-environment interaction model to examine the effect of family factors (parent-child attachment), peer factors (deviant peer affiliation) and individual factors (effortful control) on PIU and the underling mechanisms. Specifically, the present study examined whether parental attachment would be indirectly related to adolescent PIU through deviant peer affiliation, and whether this indirect association would be moderated by adolescent effortful control. This integrated model can address questions about both mediation and moderation in one model which was helpful to answer the issues such as “what works for whom”, and provide valuable information for early identification and prevention that cannot be obtained by separately testing the two questions. A total of 2758 junior high school students (mean age = 13.53 years, SD = 1.06) participated in this study. Adolescents’ perceived attachment to their parents was measured by the subscale of parental attachment adapted from the short form of Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA). Adolescent affiliation with deviant peers was assessed with deviant peer affiliation questionnaire. The short form of Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised was used to assess effortful control. Adolescent PIU was assessed with questionnaire for screening of PIU. All the measures have good reliability and validity. Multiple regression analysis showed that: (1) After controlling for gender, age, and socioeconomic status, the parent-child attachment has a negative effect on adolescent PIU. (2) The negative association between parent-child attachment and adolescent PIU was mediated by deviant peer affiliation. (3) The mediating effect of deviant peer affiliation was moderated by effortful control. The indirect effect was stronger for adolescents with low self-control than for those with high self-control. These findings contribute to our understanding of how and when parent-child attachment impacts adolescent PIU from different subsystems of development system theories. On the one hand, peer relationships relative to the parent-child attachment, may be a stronger social control factors in a way that parents and educators should be actively concern about whether the child was associated with deviant peers, and give reasonable guidance to help solve their confusion encountered in peer interactions. On the other hand, more attentions should be paid to the low self-control individuals (especially improve their parent-child attachment condition) and low parent-child attachment individuals (especially improve their self-control abilities). Last but not the least, the prevention and interventions for adolescent PIU should not only pay attention to the effect of family factors, peer factors (especially deviant peer affiliation) and individual factors (especially self-control), but also to the combined influence of those factors.

    Related Articles | Metrics