Social Behavior and Personality

Physical exercise and subjective well-being of Chinese adults: Relationship and mechanisms based on the Chinese General Social Survey 2021

Tao Guan, Jie Sheng, Liang Tan — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

We explored the relationship between physical exercise and subjective well-being among Chinese adults and examined its mechanisms. Data were sourced from 2,192 respondents to the Chinese General Social Survey 2021 regarding subjective well-being, physical exercise, perceived physical health, perceived mental health, body mass index, and frequency of socialization. After controlling for relevant variables, exercisers were found to have greater subjective well-being than did those who did not exercise. In addition, the perception of physical health and the frequency of socialization fully mediated the relationship between physical exercise and subjective well-being. We recommend that relevant policies be set in place to develop measures to promote Chinese adults’ participation in physical exercise and thereby improve their subjective well-being.

Factors influencing athletes’ intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster

Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

We investigated the factors predicting athletes’ intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster in Mainland China by integrating the stimulus–organism–response model and the theory of planned behavior. The sample comprised 981 respondents from the National Games of the People’s Republic of China, selected using purposive sampling. We used descriptive analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The findings revealed that athletes’ subjective norm and knowledge significantly predicted their attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control. Further, attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control were full mediators of the links between subjective norm, knowledge, and intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster. The path between knowledge and commitment was the most powerful predictor of intention to receive the booster. Motivation moderated the relationships between knowledge, attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control. Athletes’ knowledge was crucial in shaping a positive attitude, commitment, and perceived control, thus enhancing their intention to receive the booster.

Understanding consumer behavior: How the perceived threat of unsustainability influences sustainable behaviors

Fei Chen, Huimin Xu — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

The aim of our study was to fill a gap in the environmental sustainability literature regarding consumers’ perception of identity threats to sustainability. We examined how the perceived identity threat posed by strangers’ unsustainable behaviors affects the sustainable behaviors of consumers, with motivation types as a moderator. Respondents were 940 Chinese undergraduate business students, and we randomly assigned them to scenarios depicting either unsustainable behaviors or neutral behaviors. We measured their intention to engage in sustainable behaviors and their motivation type using questionnaires, then conducted structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses. The results revealed that consumers’ perception of the identity threats posed by strangers’ unsustainable behaviors led them to exhibit a stronger intention to practice environmentally sustainable behaviors. Approach motivation positively moderated this relationship, while avoidance motivation had no significant effect. We discuss the managerial implications and limitations of our research, as well as opportunities for further research.

Physical activity and subjective well-being: A chain mediating model

Yanying Liu, Yao Tong, Guihua Huang — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

Physical activity plays an important role in enhancing individual subjective well-being, but the mechanism underlying this effect is still under investigation. This study constructed a chain mediation model to explore the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being among college students, incorporating the mediating effects of general self-efficacy and self-esteem. We recruited a sample of 1,184 Chinese college students, who completed four scales. Physical activity had a significant positive correlation with subjective well-being. Further, the direct effect of physical activity on subjective well-being was significant, and general self-efficacy and self-esteem had both independent and chain mediating effects on this relationship. Our results provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for improving the subjective well-being of college students.

Psychological mechanisms linking supervisors’ moral decoupling to subordinates’ ethical voice

Lei Ren, Xiaobin Zhang, Qingqing Liu, Yan Zhang, Yuwei Zhang — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

We used social information processing theory to examine the influence of supervisors’ moral decoupling on subordinates’ ethical voice. Full-time employees of two manufacturing enterprises in southern China completed a two-stage survey. The results revealed that supervisors’ moral decoupling negatively predicted subordinates' perceptive moral attentiveness and reflective moral attentiveness. The relationship between perceptual moral attentiveness and ethical voice was nonsignificant, but reflective moral attentiveness was positively related to ethical voice and it negatively mediated the relationship between supervisors’ moral decoupling and subordinates’ ethical voice. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Coping with negative emotions: Interpersonal effects in organizational settings

Tae Jin Hwang, Thomas Sy, Jin Nam Choi — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

Drawing on a social functional account of emotions, we explored how different coping approaches (i.e., suppressing, bursting, and sharing) provide information that coworkers use to form interpersonal perceptions (i.e., perceived warmth and competence), and whether these perceptions, in turn, affect coworkers’ behavior toward the target employees (i.e., helping or harming). Our survey data from 139 coworker dyads revealed that different coping approaches had distinct effects on perceptions. Coworkers perceived employees who suppressed negative feelings as warm, those who burst with negative emotions as less competent, and those who shared negative emotional experiences as both warm and competent. Coworkers were more helpful and less inclined to harm employees they perceived as warm and competent. These findings extend the literature on the interpersonal outcomes of coping.

Physical exercise and adolescent aggressive behavior: The mediating role of self-esteem

Kequn Chu, Xiuqing Yang — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

This study investigated the mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between physical exercise and aggressive behavior in adolescents. We conducted a survey of 756 high school students, using standardized scales to assess physical exercise, self-esteem, and aggressive behavior. The results showed that physical exercise and self-esteem were significantly and negatively correlated with aggressive behavior, and that self-esteem played a mediating role in the relationship between physical exercise and aggressive behavior. These findings provide valuable insights for policy makers and school administrators, offering practical strategies to enhance the effectiveness of programs designed to reduce aggressive behavior among adolescents by promoting increased physical exercise and boosting self-esteem, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more positive school environment.

Physical exercise and academic achievement in Chinese college students: The mediating role of self-control

Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

We used a context–process–outcome model to understand how physical activity develops and sustains academic achievement among college students. We also assessed the mediating role of self-control in the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement. Participants comprised 1,181 Chinese college students. Our findings showed that physical activity positively predicted self-control and academic achievement. Further, self-control was an important predictor of academic achievement. Finally, self-control played a mediating role in the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement. These findings provide evidence for the feasibility of the context–process–outcome model and explain the key mechanisms by which physical activity has a positive impact on college students’ academic achievement. Therefore, university teachers and administrators could implement interventions related to physical activity and self-control to improve the academic achievement of college students.

Longitudinal association of depression with cyberbullying perpetration among Chinese adolescents

Yuetian Ma — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

Although studies have suggested there is a significant association between depression and cyberbullying perpetration, little is known about the longitudinal relationship between these variables. Therefore, I employed a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model to estimate the longitudinal association of depression with cyberbullying perpetration, assessing the variables at four time points, each separated by 1 year. The final sample comprised 460 middle school students from Grades 6–9 in China. The results indicated that the association between depression and cyberbullying perpetration was bidirectional. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Organizational values and employee participation in food-waste-reduction initiatives

Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

In this research we examined the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the food-waste-reduction behavior of employees in the Chinese food-service industry, incorporating intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy as mediators. We collected data from 366 employees across restaurants, catering companies, and hotel dining services in three major Chinese cities. Using SMART-PLS for data analysis, we discovered that CSR positively affected sustainable behaviors both directly and indirectly through the mediating psychological mechanisms of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. These findings indicate that CSR can lead to a sustainable culture in organizations and imply that strengthening employees’ self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation can significantly enhance this effect. Our study enriches theoretical understanding of the role of CSR in fostering sustainable practices and provides practical insights for firms aiming to improve their environmental performance.

A qualitative study of fairness perceptions in the classroom among students and teachers

Xiaoxue Sun, Xinmiao Du — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

Perceptions of unfairness can stem from various viewpoints. This qualitative study explored how teachers and students judge their experiences at school from the perspective of fairness. We conducted semistructured interviews with 19 teachers and 22 students in different regions of China and found that the merit-based principle was generally recognized by both teachers and students, particularly in the area of resource distribution. Disagreements emerged between the groups, however, in relation to punishment and teacher–student interactions. Teachers’ preference for a consequentialist solution that encourages normative behavior diverged from students’ desire for those who deviate from behavioral norms to face consequences. Furthermore, teachers often neglected students’ emotional support needs by emphasizing individual agency and the triage mode of interaction. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Mindfulness mediates the relationship between academic stress and academic achievement among college students

Jing Han — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

The relationship between academic stress and academic achievement is a topic of interest in education. In this study I investigated the potential moderating effect of mindfulness on the association between academic stress and academic success among Chinese college students. A sample of 217 college students completed a printed questionnaire, and I analyzed the data using correlation and hierarchical multiple regression techniques. Findings revealed a negative link between academic stress and academic achievement, as well as a positive association between mindfulness and academic achievement. Furthermore, mindfulness moderated the adverse impact of academic stress on academic achievement. These outcomes enhance comprehension of the relationship between academic stress and academic achievement, suggesting that mindfulness may act as a protective factor. This underscores the necessity of further investigation into tailored mindfulness interventions for college students.

Behavioral perspectives: Examining the nexus between high-commitment work systems and sustainable performance

Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

Rapidly changing business environments necessitate sustainable performance. While research on environmentally responsible behavior continues to expand, the complexities and boundaries of this phenomenon are not yet fully comprehended. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigated the relationship between high-commitment work systems (HCWS) and sustainable performance, leveraging the resource-based view and sustainable human resources literature. Results from a survey of 555 telecommunications employees showed a positive correlation between HCWS and sustainable performance. Notably, innovative work behavior and employee well-being partially mediated this relationship. This study contributes to the HCWS and sustainable performance literature and offers practical recommendations for promoting sustainability and achieving sustainable development goals in the telecommunications industry.

Relationship between psychological richness and innovative behavior in Chinese college students

Xueying Bai, Yiwen Chen, Chunhui Zhang — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

This study explored the chain mediating effects of self-expansion and creative self-efficacy in the relationship between psychological richness and innovative behavior. We conducted a survey of 901 Chinese college students using standardized scales for assessing psychological richness, self-expansion, creative self-efficacy, and innovative behavior. The results showed that there were significant and positive correlations among psychological richness, self-expansion, innovative self-efficacy, and innovative behavior. Psychological richness had a direct effect on innovative behavior, and the single mediation and chain mediation effects of self-expansion and creative self-efficacy were also significant. By identifying the underlying mechanisms through which psychological richness influences innovation behavior, this study enriches the field of positive psychology and provides valuable theoretical and practical insights for fostering individual innovation.

Effect of career resilience on job burnout in university physical education teachers

Tong Wang, Jiaxin Deng, Rui Chen, Weicheng Li, Yongfeng Liu, Qiubo Zhang — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

We examined the chain mediating role of job satisfaction and job performance in the relationship between career resilience and burnout by conducting a survey of 455 university physical education teachers using the Career Resilience Scale, the Job Burnout Scale, the Job Performance Scale, and the Job Satisfaction Scale. We used the bootstrapping method to test and analyze the mediating effects. The results showed that career resilience had a negative predictive effect on the job burnout of university physical education teachers, and that job satisfaction and job performance played a mediating role in this relationship. The mediating role included three pathways: the individual mediating effect of job satisfaction, the individual mediating effect of job performance, and the chain mediating effect of job satisfaction and job performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Impact of parental phubbing on emotional and behavioral problems of young children: The mediating role of parent–child conflict

Xiaofen Wang, Linrong Wang, Xuzhen Wang, Cheng Chen, Zhixuan An — Wed, 07 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200

We examined the relationship between parental phubbing and emotional and behavioral problems of 3–5-year-old children, focusing on the mediating role of parent–child conflict. We conducted a survey with 1,042 parents at four kindergartens in Fujian Province, China. Results showed that parental phubbing was positively correlated with children’s emotional and behavioral problems and with parent–child conflict, which, in turn, was correlated with children’s emotional and behavioral problems. Parent–child conflict mediated the relationship between parental phubbing behavior and children's problems, accounting for 40.78% of the total effect. These findings indicate that reducing parental phubbing may mitigate parent–child conflict and support children's emotional development.