Social Behavior and Personality

Self-esteem mediates the relationship between resilience and aggression among adolescents

Xingtian Cao, Lin Ma — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

This study examined the links between resilience, self-esteem, and aggression in a sample of 462 Chinese middle school students (233 boys, 229 girls). Participants completed the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Results showed that resilience was positively correlated with self-esteem and negatively correlated with adolescent aggression. Further, resilience had an indirect impact on adolescent aggression via the mediator of self-esteem. These findings offer valuable insights into adolescent aggression.

Narcissism and knowledge hiding: The role of status-attaining motivation and status mutability

Xiaojing Yang, Feng Lu, Qingyu Xu — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

We used trait activation theory to investigate the relationship between narcissism and knowledge hiding based on a two-dimensional concept and a process model of narcissism. We collected data from 363 members of graduate and undergraduate research teams and found that narcissistic admiration had a significant negative impact on knowledge hiding, whereas narcissistic rivalry had a significant positive impact. The status-attaining motivation of prestige acted as a mediator between narcissistic admiration and knowledge hiding, while the motivation of dominance acted as a mediator between narcissistic rivalry and knowledge hiding. Status mutability served as a first-stage moderator, affecting the relationship between narcissistic admiration and prestige motivation, and the mediating effect of the motivation of prestige between narcissistic admiration and knowledge hiding. Status mutability moderated the relationship between narcissistic rivalry and dominance motivation, and the mediating effect of the motivation of dominance between narcissistic rivalry and knowledge hiding. This study expands understanding of knowledge-hiding antecedents and provides a valuable framework for reducing these behaviors in organizations.

Promoting university researchers’ innovative work behavior through mindfulness: Creative self-efficacy and inspiration as mediators

Lamu Zhuoma, Ziqing Xu, Huilin Wang, Xiaowen Xie — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

In today’s rapidly evolving academic environment, fostering innovative work behavior among university researchers is crucial for driving advancements across various fields. This study examined the relationship between mindfulness and the innovative work behavior of university researchers, as well as the mediating roles of creative self-efficacy and creative inspiration. Employing a combination of snowball and purposive sampling methods, we collected 342 online questionnaires and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling via Amos 26.0. The findings indicated there were positive correlations between mindfulness and creative self-efficacy, and between mindfulness and creative inspiration. Moreover, the positive relationship between mindfulness and innovative work behavior was mediated by creative self-efficacy and creative inspiration. This underscores the importance of universities prioritizing mindfulness training to enhance the levels of creative self-efficacy and creative inspiration among researchers, thereby fostering the development of their innovative work behavior.

Servant chief executive officers and employees’ responses

Chen Zhang, Wensong Zhang, Fengbo Liang, Jiequn Wang, Shaoxue Wu — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The impact of servant leadership, which emphasizes personal integrity and the needs of followers, has been examined in the literature. However, existing studies have not explored the influence of servant leadership by strategic leaders on the performance of employees. Drawing from social learning theory and collective social learning theory, we examined the effect of servant leadership by chief executive officers (CEOs) on employees’ work outcomes. Our sample comprised 66 CEOs from intelligence-intensive companies in China, matched with 526 members of top management teams and 1,294 employees. Our results revealed that servant leadership by CEOs had a positive influence on the performance of employees. Further, top management teams’ social integration, team knowledge integration, and employees’ psychological empowerment acted as mediators of this relationship. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Job autonomy, intrinsic motivation, and creativity: Cross-level moderating effects of team conflict

Bao Li, Wanming Chen, Chunyan Liu, Yongli Xu — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Job autonomy is crucial for employee creativity. However, findings in past research on the relationship between creativity and job autonomy have been inconsistent. In this study we explored the mechanism and boundary condition underlying the relationship between job autonomy and employee creativity. Using data obtained through a survey conducted with 86 supervisors and 307 subordinates in 86 teams, we found that job autonomy positively predicted employee creativity through intrinsic motivation. Moreover, team relationship conflict negatively moderated the relationship between job autonomy and employee intrinsic motivation, and task conflict positively moderated this relationship. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.

The impact of emotional reactions to unexpected events on subjective well-being: Self-transcendence and neuroticism as mediators

Yudi Ding, Yirimuwen — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Subjective well-being is crucial for human psychological and physical health. However, emotional reactions to unexpected events often lead to fluctuations in individual subjective well-being. In this study we examined the impact of emotional reactions to unexpected events on subjective well-being and the mediating roles of self-transcendence and neuroticism. We surveyed 509 college students using the Unexpected Public Health Event Reaction Questionnaire, the General Well-Being Schedule, the Self-Transcendence Scale, and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Results revealed emotional reactions to unexpected events were negatively correlated with both self-transcendence and subjective well-being, and positively correlated with neuroticism. Self-transcendence was positively associated with subjective well-being, while neuroticism was negatively associated with subjective well-being. This study elucidates the impact of emotional reactions to unexpected events on subjective well-being and their underlying mechanisms, providing an effective pathway for interventions to maintain subjective well-being and promote psychological health among individuals experiencing unexpected events.

Music engagement and college student creativity: Emotional awareness as a mediator

Saifei Xu, Xin Jin — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Given the significance of fostering creativity within higher education settings, it is imperative to explore the strategies universities can adopt to nurture student creativity. The primary objective of this study was to examine the mediating pathway of emotional awareness between music engagement and student creativity. We administered a self-administered questionnaire to Chinese college students (N = 330) to collect data. We tested the hypotheses by utilizing structural equation modeling techniques. The findings revealed that music engagement enhanced emotional awareness, thereby fostering student creativity. Furthermore, the results underscored the pivotal role of emotional awareness as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between music engagement and student creativity. This study contributes significantly to elucidating the underlying mechanism linking music engagement and student creativity, thereby enriching the extant literature on the relationship between music and creativity.

The relationship between parental autonomy support and aggression: A chain mediation model

Dongbin Lai, Yuan Zheng, Menghua Wang, Pengfei Wen, Jinsong Wu — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

This study used a chain mediation model to explore the mediating roles of psychological resilience and loneliness in the relationship between parental autonomy support and aggression among college students. We conducted a survey of 289 college students via the Questionnaire Star platform, using standardized scales for assessing parental autonomy support, aggression, psychological resilience, and loneliness. The results showed that parental autonomy support had a direct negative effect on college student aggression and indirectly influenced aggression through psychological resilience and loneliness. Through exploring the factors influencing aggression in college students from multiple perspectives, these findings provide a significant basis for promoting the mental and physical health of college students, contributing to a more stable and orderly society.

The relationship between employees’ green brand understanding and green brand citizenship behavior

Yung-Chang Chen, Chih-Young Hung — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

This study explored how employees’ understanding of green brands affects their green brand citizenship behavior. We surveyed 356 restaurant employees in Taiwan and used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The results showed that green brand understanding was positively correlated with green brand identification and green brand love. In addition, green brand identification and green brand love both exerted mediating effects in the relationship between understanding green brands and engaging in green brand citizenship behavior. This study fills a research gap by examining the role of employees’ understanding of green brands in promoting green brand citizenship behavior and provides practical guidance for increasing employee engagement in voluntary green activities.

Stress and phubbing behavior among Chinese teenagers: Grit as a mediator

Yue Zhang, Yonghong Lu, Xiangzhe Meng, Jingyan Li — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

We examined the relationship between stress and phubbing behavior among Chinese teenagers, as well as the mediating role of grit in this process. The sample comprised 487 teenagers aged between 15 and 19 years, who voluntarily completed a survey. We applied PROCESS Version 3.5 for SPSS to perform a mediation effect analysis, and the results indicated that both stress and grit had a significant impact on phubbing behavior. Grit partially mediated the relationship between stress and phubbing, implying that higher stress led to phubbing behavior through lower grit. Further, the two dimensions of grit (consistency of interest and persistence of effort) partially mediated the relationship between stress and phubbing. Our results provide guidance for preventing phubbing behavior among Chinese teenagers.

Investigating when and why employee cheating behavior predicts leader bottom-line mentality

Guanfeng Shi, Dandan Shuai — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

This study explored the relationship between employee cheating behavior and leader bottom-line mentality using the organizational shame framework. We surveyed 372 department and team heads in China using a two-wave time-lagged procedure. The results showed that employee cheating behavior increased leader bottom-line mentality by enhancing leader’s shame, and the degree of leader–subordinate cooperative goal interdependence moderated this relationship. The positive effect of employee cheating behavior on leader’s shame and its positive indirect effect on leader bottom-line mentality via leader’s shame were more pronounced when the interdependence was high rather than low. Finally, leader’s desire for control intensified the effect of the positive interaction between employee cheating behavior and leader–subordinate cooperative goal interdependence on leader’s shame, and it also indirectly impacted leader bottom-line mentality through shame. These findings enrich the theoretical study of bottom-line mentality antecedents and also provide important practical insights for managing employee cheating behavior.

Preschool teachers’ workload and turnover intention: A moderated chain mediation model

Juan Hong, Jian-Guo Qu, Xin Yang — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

The retention rate of teachers in preschools significantly influences the potential for high-quality development in early childhood education. In this study 835 preschool teachers completed a survey to examine how workload impacted the likelihood that they would remain in their role at the preschool, as well as to determine the conditions under which this occurs. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between workload and turnover intention, with effort–reward imbalance and professional well-being each playing a partial intermediary role in this relationship. Further, workload indirectly impacted turnover intention via the chain mediating role of effort–reward imbalance and professional well-being, and being employed in compliance with state-sanctioned size of staff and number of leadership roles (authorized strength) moderated the role of workload in predicting level of professional well-being. We recommend lessening the burden of preschool educators, ensuring they are well resourced, and increasing flexibility in their role.

Kindergarten teachers’ inclusive education literacy and self-efficacy: Anxiety and attitudes as mediators

Shoujun Song, Lili Zhang, Bin Yang — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Inclusive education, an educational ideology that promotes education without exclusion, discrimination, or categorization, is increasing in prominence worldwide. Since teachers are primarily responsible for its implementation, we surveyed 1,377 Chinese kindergarten teachers to examine the roles of inclusive education anxiety and attitudes in the relationship between kindergarten teachers’ inclusive education literacy and self-efficacy. The results showed that kindergarten teachers’ inclusive education literacy significantly and positively predicted their inclusive education self-efficacy, while inclusive education anxiety and attitudes had both independent and chain mediating roles in the relationship between inclusive education literacy and self-efficacy. These findings provide practical recommendations for school administrators, including enhancing on-the-job training for kindergarten teachers, increasing the dissemination of inclusive education principles, and improving the inclusive education support system.

How parenting style impacts adolescents’ nomophobia: Basic psychological needs satisfaction and loneliness as mediators

Boyuan Zheng, Yi Ling, Tianyu Miao — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

Although previous research has found a close relationship between parenting style and problematic cell phone use among adolescents, the specific link between parenting style and nomophobia has been little explored. In this study we used a cross-sectional design to examine this relationship, focusing on the mediators of adolescents’ basic psychological needs satisfaction and loneliness. Analysis of data obtained in a survey completed by 573 Chinese adolescents revealed a negative relationship between parental emotional warmth and adolescents’ nomophobia, and a positive relationship between both parental rejection and overprotection and nomophobia. Satisfaction of adolescents’ basic psychological needs and loneliness mediated the relationship between parenting style and nomophobia, both individually and sequentially. These findings enhance understanding of the mechanisms linking parenting styles and adolescents’ nomophobia, contributing to the development of intervention programs aimed at reducing symptoms of nomophobia among adolescents.

Childhood trauma and aggression of young women serving a prison term in China: Dark personality as a mediator

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

We investigated the mediating role of dark personality in the relationship between childhood trauma and aggressive behavior among young women who had been imprisoned for violent offenses in China. Participants were 125 young women serving prison terms, who completed a survey. We found that childhood trauma, dark personality, and aggressive behavior were significantly and positively associated with one another. Further, dark personality played a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and aggressive behavior. Our findings elucidate the mechanisms underlying aggressive behavior in women incarcerated for a violent offense, offering valuable insights for parents and prison staff to intervene and prevent such behaviors within this population.

South Korean consumers’ double standards for luxury consumption: The role of extrinsic incentive bias

Jin Suk Lee, Hyun Young Cho — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

We examined the relationship between the subject (self vs. others) and attitude toward luxury consumption, and analyzed the mediating effect of extrinsic incentive bias and the moderating effect of materialism on this relationship. To test the hypotheses we conducted an experiment with 256 South Korean participants. The results showed that consumers exhibited a more negative attitude toward luxury consumption by others compared to their own consumption of the same goods, and extrinsic incentive bias mediated this effect. Additionally, the disparity was more pronounced among consumers with greater materialistic values. These findings offer valuable insights for luxury brand managers seeking to understand the South Korean luxury market and its consumers.

Professional identity and learning engagement: Chain mediating effect among Chinese preservice teachers

Ling Yang, Yaxing Wang, Zhijuan Niu, Min Ren, Lu Wang — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +1300

On the basis of identification–participation and social identity theories, we investigated the association between preservice teachers’ professional identity and learning engagement, along with the individual and chain mediating effects of teacher occupational identity and emotional resilience. Using convenience sampling, we recruited 1,156 preservice teachers from two Chinese universities and asked them to complete a questionnaire. Findings indicated that professional identity was positively related to learning engagement. In addition, teacher occupational identity and emotional resilience partially mediated this connection. Further, teacher occupational identity and emotional resilience played a chain mediating role, linking professional identity with learning engagement. These results provide valuable insights for universities to enhance learning for preservice teachers.