Chinese Adolescent Students Research Articles

Chinese adolescent students’ motivational profiles in English learning: a situated expectancy-value theory approach

Chinese adolescent students’ motivational profiles in English learning: a situated expectancy-value theory approach

Cross-Lagged Associations Among Expectancy-Value-Cost Beliefs in Adolescent Students’ Mathematics Academic Outcomes

To explore students’ math motivation from a situated expectancy-value perspective, we investigated the longitudinal interrelations among self-efficacy, interest value, utility value, and effort cost, along with their connections to academic achievement and future choice intentions over one year. The latent cross-lagged path model, based on a sample of 626 Chinese adolescent students, revealed a bidirectional relationship between self-efficacy and effort cost within a semester. Previous self-efficacy and interest value also negatively predicted subsequent effort cost across semesters. Additionally, prior interest value had a lasting positive effect on later self-efficacy and utility value across semesters. Regarding the distinct predictive relationships between motivational beliefs and academic outcomes, self-efficacy and interest positively predicted future choice intentions and academic achievement, while effort cost negatively predicted achievement. In conclusion, the longitudinal dynamics and predictive utility of students’ motivational beliefs are complex and ever-changing, suggesting that future research should differentiate between more specific value facets and explore domain-specific motivation.

Distinct roles of autonomy satisfaction and frustration in predicting adolescent students’ academic motivation and achievement

We examined whether autonomy satisfaction and frustration could be empirically distinguished and had different predictive relationships with students’ academic motivation and achievement in maths and English. Results based on a group of 3142 Chinese adolescent students revealed that autonomy satisfaction and frustration were two distinguishable constructs and demonstrated distinct predictive utility. Specifically, satisfaction of autonomy was positively associated with self-efficacy, which in turn, led to higher achievement. Furthermore, autonomy satisfaction was positively linked to interest value. In contrast, frustration of autonomy was positively associated with effort cost, which subsequently undermined achievement. Furthermore, these patterns were highly consistent across two subject domains. Findings of the present study highlight the importance of differentiating between autonomy satisfaction and frustration when predicting students’ academic outcomes.

Morphological awareness in arithmetic word-problem solving among Chinese early adolescents

The current study explored a specific reading subskill, morphological awareness, in arithmetic word-problem solving among Chinese early adolescent students (N = 668, mean age = 11.3 years). Participants completed measures of Chinese morphological awareness, receptive vocabulary as well as arithmetic word-problem solving. Drawing upon multivariate analyses (hierarchical multiple regression and path analysis), the study showed that morphological awareness facets collectively contributed to arithmetic word-problem solving above and beyond age and receptive vocabulary. More specifically, recognition and discrimination of compound words were uniquely associated with word-problem-solving skills. The current study highlights the uniqueness of Chinese morphological awareness in structural linguistic input, and the facilitative effect of morphological awareness on arithmetic problem-solving.

Influencing factors for electronic cigarette use among Chinese adolescent students: a Meta-analysis

Objective: To explore the influencing factors of electronic cigarette use among adolescent students in China. Methods: We searched CNKI, Database of Chinese sci-tech periodicals (VIP), Wan-fang database, PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect for potentially relevant articles published from the inception to March 20th, 2023. The Metagen package in R was used for Meta-analysis. Results: A total of 19 publications with a sample size of 5 336 017 were identified. The results showed that electronic cigarette use among Chinese adolescent students was associated with gender (OR=2.41, 95%CI: 2.03-2.86), close friends smoking (OR=3.02, 95%CI: 2.08-4.39), current smoking (OR=11.26, 95%CI: 4.35-29.18), friends using electronic cigarettes (OR=5.19, 95%CI: 2.01-13.38), thinking smoking makes young people look more attractive (OR=2.00, 95%CI: 1.35-2.97), type of school (OR=2.10, 95%CI: 1.59-2.78), thinking smoking makes people feel more comfortable in social situations (OR=3.58, 95%CI: 2.99-4.28), other tobacco use (OR=5.53, 95%CI: 3.33-9.20), and ever experimented with cigarette use (OR=9.32, 95%CI: 4.38-19.80). Conclusion: The influencing factors for electronic cigarette use among adolescent students in China include gender, close friends smoking, current smoking, friends using electronic cigarettes, thinking smoking makes young people look more attractive, type of school, thinking smoking makes people feel more comfortable in social situations, other tobacco use, and ever experimented with cigarette use.

Distinct roles of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism in Chinese adolescent students' achievement goals, classroom affect, and academic achievement

We investigated the reasons and processes through which self-oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism demonstrate different predictive utilities in relation to adolescent students' achievement goals, classroom affect, and academic achievement in math and English. Results based on a group of 542 Chinese middle school students revealed that self-oriented perfectionism was closely related to both mastery-approach and performance-approach goals as well as positive classroom affect. In contrast, socially prescribed perfectionism was closely related to performance-avoidance goals and negative classroom affect. Moreover, achievement goals largely mediated the predictive paths between the two types of perfectionism and academic outcomes. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of recognizing the multidimensionality of perfectionism in understanding students' academic motivation and educational outcomes.

The bridge symptoms of childhood trauma, sleep disorder and depressive symptoms: a network analysis

BackgroundThis study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of symptom network of childhood trauma (CT) and sleep disorder (SD) in Chinese adolescents, with the influence of depressive symptoms taken into account.MethodA total of 1301 adolescent students were included, and their CT, SD and depressive symptoms were measured using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), and The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. Central symptoms and bridge symptoms were identified based on centrality indices and bridge centrality indices, respectively. Network stability was examined using the case-dropping procedure.ResultsIn CT and SD symptom network, emotional abuse and sleep quality symptoms had the highest centrality values, and two bridge symptoms, i.e., emotional abuse and sleep disturbance symptoms, were also identified. In symptom network for CT, SD, and depressive symptoms, sleeping difficulty symptoms, daily dysfunction symptoms, and emotional abuse appeared to be potential bridge symptoms. In symptom network of CT, SD, and depressive symptoms (excluding the symptom of sleeping difficulty), daily dysfunction symptoms, emotional abuse, and sleep disturbance symptoms appeared to be bridge symptoms.ConclusionsIn this study, emotional abuse and poor sleep quality were found to be central symptoms in the CT-SD network structure among Chinese adolescent students, with daytime dysfunction as the bridge symptom in the CT-SD-depression network structure. Systemic multi-level interventions targeting the central symptoms and bridge symptoms may be effective in alleviating the co-occurrence of CT, SD and depression in this population.

JAK3/STAT5b/PPARγ Pathway Mediates the Association between Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure and Lipid Metabolic Disorder in Chinese Adolescent Students.

Our previous studies found that di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) could disorder lipid metabolism in adolescents but the mechanisms underlying this association remained unclear. This study was undertaken to clarify the mediating effect of JAK3/STAT5/PPARγ on disorder lipid levels induced by DEHP in adolescents. We recruited 478 adolescent students (median age 18.1 years). The mRNA expression and DNA methylation levels of JAK3/STAT5/PPARγ were detected by real-time PCR and the MethylTarget, respectively. We used multiple linear regression to analyze the association between DEHP metabolites (MEHP, MEOHP, MEHHP, MECPP, MCMHP, and ΣDEHP) levels, mRNA expression, and DNA methylation levels. The mediating effect of JAK3/STAT5/PPARγ mRNA expression levels was examined by mediation analysis. We found that all DEHP metabolite levels were positively correlated with TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C (P < 0.05). The MEOHP level was negatively associated with DNA methylation levels and positively associated with mRNA levels of PPARγ and STAT5b (P < 0.05). The MEHP level was negatively associated with the DNA methylation level and positively associated with the mRNA level of JAK3 (P < 0.05). Higher MEOHP was associated with a higher level of TC/HDL-C, the mediation analysis showed the mediation effect was 17.18% for the JAK3 level, 10.76% for the STAT5b level, and 11% for the PPARγ level. Higher MEHP was associated with a higher level of LDL-C/HDL-C, the mediation effect was 14.49% for the JAK3 level. In conclusion, DEHP metabolites decreased the DNA methylation levels, inducing the increase of the mRNA levels of JAK3/STAT5/PPARγ. In addition, the mRNA levels mediated the association between DEHP exposure and disorder lipid levels.

Childhood maltreatment and adolescent cyberbullying perpetration: Roles of individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation

Guided by the general aggression model, relative deprivation theory, social control theory, and self-determination theory, the current study aims to explore the relation between childhood maltreatment and cyerbullying perpetration using a multiple mediation model, that includes individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation as mediating variables. In November 2019, a sample of 1976 Chinese adolescent students attending 7th, 8th, and 10th grades (49.40% males; 8.80% only children; 32.30% middle school students; 32.10% urban students; Mage = 14.43 years, SD = 1.14) responded to questionnaires regarding demographics, childhood maltreatment, individual relative deprivation, deviant peer affiliation, as well as cyberbullying perpetration. Results showed that: (a) after controlling for relevant demographic variables, childhood maltreatment was significantly and positively related to adolescent cyberbullying perpetration; (b) both individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation partially mediated the relation between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying perpetration in a parallel fashion; and (c) individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation also mediated the relation between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying perpetration in a sequential fashion. In sum, childhood maltreatment is positively related to adolescent cyberbullying perpetration, and the relation is mediated by individual relative deprivation and deviant peer affiliation both parallelly and sequentially. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how childhood maltreatment is related to adolescent cyberbullying perpetration, which has important implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent cyberbullying perpetration.

Changes in Chinese adolescent college students' psychological security during 2004-2020: A cross-temporal meta-analysis.

Psychological security is the outcome of interaction between individuals and society, and it is an important indicator reflecting adolescent mental health and self-growth. Previous studies have paid more attention to external security, but less attention to individual's internal psychological security. In addition, few previous studies have examined the changes of psychological security over time and the influence of socio-cultural environmental factors on psychological security. A cross-temporal meta-analysis was performed using papers that measured the psychological security level of Chinese adolescent college students between 2004 and 2020. Moreover, a time-lag analysis was conducted to define whether the macro-social indicators can explain the changes in Chinese adolescent college students' psychological security. (1) A total of 85 papers was included in the final sample (included 48,817 Chinese adolescent college students); (2) the scores of psychological security and its two sub-dimensions were significantly negatively correlated with the year, indicating that Chinese college students' psychological security declined significantly over time; (3) seven macro social indicators from the socioeconomic environmental, social connectedness and overall social threats can predict the changes in college students' psychological security; (4) the psychological security of male and female college students decreased over time, but the gender difference was insignificant. Evidently, social changes play an important role in predicting changes in Chinese college students' psychological security. The results can provide a research basis for the mental health education of adolescent college students, and also provide an explanation perspective for the increasingly serious "involution" phenomenon among Chinese college students.

How is circadian preference associated with cyber-victimization? A moderated mediation model of hostile recognition and online self-disclosure in Chinese early adolescent students.

Although circadian preference is widely accepted to be a risk factor in the increase of adolescents' negative experiences, little is known about its association with cyber-victimization. The current study sought to examine whether eveningness was significantly related to adolescents' negative experiences. We further examined in-victimization events and whether hostile recognition and online self-disclosure played a vital role in eveningness and adolescents' cyber-victimization. Study participants included 583 adolescents from four middle schools in China who completed questionnaires regarding their circadian preference, hostile recognition, online self-disclosure, and experience with cyber-victimization. Results indicated that adolescents with a high level of eveningness were more likely to experience cyber-victimization. Hostile recognition significantly mediated the relationship between eveningness and adolescents' cyber-victimization. Furthermore, online self-disclosure moderated the indirect relationship between eveningness and cyber-victimization. Specifically, the paths from eveningness to hostile recognition and from hostile recognition to cyber-victimization became strengthened when adolescents experienced high levels of online self-disclosure. The results imply that researchers should pay more attention to remote factors, such as adolescents' circadian preference and their relationship with cyber-victimization, to help them adapt to school requirements and reduce the frequency of victimization.

The link between exposure to violent media, normative beliefs about aggression, self-control, and aggression: A comparison of traditional and cyberbullying.

Adolescence is a high-risk age for exposure to violent media (EVM) and bullying. Some previous theories and empirical studies have highlighted a moderated mediating model that normative beliefs about aggression (NBA) as a mediator and self-control (SC) as a moderator for the link between EVMand aggressive behaviors (including bullying behaviors). However, most previous studies analyzed traditional bullying (TB) and cyberbullying (CB) separately, which is not conducive to finding the differences between the two bullying behaviors. Therefore, this study aims to compare the differences between risk prediction models of TB and CB among adolescents. A total of 777 Chinese adolescent students (336 girls; Mage = 13.57 ± 0.98) completed questionnaires including EVM, NBA, TB, CB, and SC. The results showed that: (1) EVM was positively related to adolescent TB/CB; (2) NBA mediated the above relations; and (3) SC buffers the direct effect of EVM on TB and the effect of NBA on TB. However, SC buffers the effect of NBA on adolescent CB but not buffers the direct effect of EVM on CB. This study highlights the necessity of distinguishing offline and online situations in aggressive behavior research. We suggested "online disinhibit hypothesis" would be adopted to explain why protector factors (e.g., SC) do not buffer the link between aggression-related risk factors (e.g., EVM) and online aggression (e.g., CB).

The Role of Family Health in Mediating the Association between Smartphone Use and Health Risk Behaviors among Chinese Adolescent Students: A National Cross-Sectional Study.

The direct impact of smartphones on health risk behaviors of adolescent students has been verified. However, the mediating mechanisms that underly this relationship remain largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the role of family health in mediating the relationship between the frequency of smartphone use and adolescent students’ health risk behaviors. A questionnaire was used to collect cross-sectional data from 693 adolescent students aged 12–18 in China and a structural equation model was analyzed. Among the nine health risk behaviors, the most frequent health risk behaviors in Chinese adolescent students were non-compliance walking behaviors (M=Mean; SD = Standard deviation) (M ± SD) (2.78 ± 1.747), eating unhygienic food (M ± SD) (2.23 ± 1.299), being subjected to physical violence (M ± SD) (2.19 ± 0.645), and leaving home (M ± SD) (2.13 ± 0.557). The SEM results showed that the adolescent students’ smartphone use had a positive impact on delaying the age of first alcohol consumption (β = 0.167, CI:0.067 0.287) and a negative impact on the non-compliance walking behaviors (β = 0.176, CI:0.011 0.266). Family health plays an indirect-only mediated role (the proportions of indirect-only mediated roles are 11.2%, 12.4%, and 11.5%) in the relationship between smartphone use and adolescent students’ partial health risk behaviors: (CI: −0.042 −0.002), (CI: −0.049 −0.005), and (CI: −0.043 −0.002). These findings provided a theoretical and practical basis for better interventions in adolescent health risk behaviors.

Design of Growth Trend Map of Children and Adolescents Based on Bone Age.

Accurate height prediction has important reference significance for the development of children and adolescents and the selection of athletes. The current mainstream height prediction methods include the B-P (Bayley–Pinneau) method and the TW2 (Tanner–Whitehouse) method. A large number of documents show that the B-P method and the TW2 method have relatively large deviations in the lifelong height prediction results of Chinese children and adolescents. Based on the data collected by the Chinese Adolescent Students' Physical Fitness and Growth and Development Health Project in Zhejiang's primary and secondary schools, this paper proposes a graph of height growth trends based on bone age. The height map of age has more reference value. Aiming at the feasibility of the height data in the statistical results, the interpolation prediction method is used to verify the data, and the height growth trend graph is drawn through the method of fitting. Validation results with actual data show that the average error of the lifetime height prediction of the height growth trend map proposed in this paper is 2.1 cm, which is 1.4 cm lower than the 3.5 cm error predicted by the B-P method and 0.4 cm lower than the 2.5 cm error predicted by the TW2 method.

The Concurrent and Longitudinal Relations Between Competitive Classroom Climate and Learning Motivation Among Chinese Adolescent Students: The Mediating Roles of Social Comparisons.

PurposeOver the past decade, cross-sectional studies have established a link between competitive classroom climate and learning motivation. However, the precise predictive direction has remained unclear, and the potential mechanisms underlying the link have yet to be investigated. According to the social comparison theory, competitive classroom climate is positively associated with learning motivation, and upward and downward comparison may play a role in mediating this process.Patients and MethodsData were obtained from a three-wave study of 476 Chinese senior high school students (45.4% boys, 54.6% girls) aged 14–18 years. Structural equation modeling was performed to test different models.ResultsConcurrent and longitudinal analyses revealed that higher competitive classroom climate was associated with higher learning motivation. Moreover, upward comparison mediated the relation between competitive classroom climate and learning motivation. However, downward comparison did not mediate these relations.ConclusionFrom the perspective of practice, the results provide evidence for how to promote learning motivation by cultivating competitive classroom climate and applying effective social comparison strategies.

Construction of Intelligent Service System for Adolescent Students’ PE Based on Big Data Analysis

As an important gateway to talent training, a university should monitor the physique of college students in real time and effectively cultivate their physical quality. Under the background of big data, it is necessary to construct the intelligent service system of students’ physical health (PE) in time, realize unified management, provide strong support for improving decision-making at all levels, ensure the orderly development of physical examination, and find and solve related problems in time. In this paper, the adolescent students’ PE is taken as the research object, and driven by big data, the intelligent service system of Chinese adolescent students’ PE is studied. Students’ PE test system based on data mining makes use of modern computer technology, breaks through many limitations of traditional manual test, transfers the traditional test form to computer, and uses IT to complete test and data analysis efficiently and accurately with the advantage of computer. This not only improves college students’ health awareness, health status, and participation enthusiasm but also significantly improves the work efficiency of health management institutions.

The influence of alexithymia on problematic mobile phone use among Chinese adolescent students: Multiple mediating roles of social interaction anxiousness and core self-evaluations

BackgroundAlexithymia can lead to problematic mobile phone use (PMPU). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. MethodsDrawing on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model, the present study tests the mediating effects (parallel and serial) of social interaction anxiety (SIA) and core self-evaluations (CSE) on the relationship between alexithymia and PMPU. We obtained 1267 valid responses from adolescent students (mean age, 20.36, standard deviation, 0.97) from southeast China who completed the Mobile Phone Addiction Index, Toronto Alexithymia-20 Scale, Social Interaction Anxiousness Scale, and Core Self-Evaluation Inventory. ResultsAfter controlling for demographic variables (i.e., gender) as covariates, the results revealed that: (1) alexithymia had a positive predictive effect on PMPU in adolescent students; (2) SIA and CSE mediated the association between alexithymia and PMPU; and (3) a series of indirect pathways (i.e., from alexithymia to PMPU via SIA and CSE) were detected. Thus, alexithymia can directly affect (parallel mediation) PMPU by increasing SIA and lowering CSE simultaneously. However, alexithymia can also indirectly affect (serial mediation) PMPU by increasing the level of SIA by decreasing CSE. LimitationsData were collected by participant self-report. This method may lead to recall bias. Further, we adopted a cross-sectional rather than an experimental design, thus precluding causal conclusions. Lastly, it would be useful to validate our findings with other age groups outside southeast China. ConclusionsThe current study findings are conducive to understanding the relationship between alexithymia and PMPU and inspire the prevention and intervention of PMPU.

Research on Non-Cognitive Ability Disparity of Chinese Adolescent Students: A Rural-Urban Analysis

ABSTRACT This paper has examined rural-urban Chinese student’s non-cognitive abilities using the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) by employing include Two-Sample t-Test, Regression analysis, and Oaxaca–Blinder Decomposition analysis. The results reveal a significant gap in the non-cognitive abilities of rural and urban students in which that of the urban students is higher. Furthermore, irrespective of whether rural or urban, male students have higher non-cognitive ability than female students. Moreover, it discovered that about 52% of the rural-urban non-cognitive abilities gap accounted by the following factors, namely region, gender, whether the student is the only child, school grade, and ethnic minority.

Concurrent and longitudinal contributions of phonological awareness to early adolescent Chinese reading acquisition

This study investigated universal and language-specific phonological awareness in reading development among Chinese early adolescent students. Seventy-six children participated in this study and completed a series of reading tasks at two data collection points across Grades 5 and 6. In Grade 5, universal phonological awareness (syllable, onset, rhyme, and phoneme awareness), language-specific phonological awareness (tone awareness) as well as character recognition and production measurements were administered to the participants. Lexical inferencing ability was measured in Grade 6. Character recognition and lexical inference were coded as the outcome variables. Subsequent multiple regression analyses showed that Time 1 (Grade 5) language-universal onset and phoneme awareness predicted character recognition and production at Time 1. More strikingly, the study demonstrated that language-specific tone awareness exerted a longitudinal effect on later lexical inferencing ability after controlling for age and nonverbal intelligence. Results underscored both the universality and language specificity of phonological awareness and provided empirical evidence to substantiate the facilitative role of early language-specific psycholinguistic grain size in later reading performance.

Socioeconomic Status and Risk-Taking Behavior Among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Self-Control.

Risk-taking behavior is particularly widespread during adolescence, and negatively impacts the healthy growth and social adaptation of adolescents. Utilizing problem-behavior theory (PBT) and the family stress model (FSM), the current study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescents’ risk-taking behavior, as well as the mediating role of psychological capital and self-control. A total of 1,156 Chinese adolescent students (Mage = 15.51, 48% boys) completed a series of questionnaires anonymously. The results showed that: (1) Socioeconomic status was negatively correlated with adolescents’ risk-taking behavior; (2) Both psychological capital and self-control mediated the relationship between SES and adolescents’ risk-taking behavior independently; and (3) Psychological capital and self-control also mediated the relationship between SES and the risk-taking behavior of adolescents sequentially. This study reveals the internal mechanism of risk-taking behavior during adolescence and provides theoretical support and empirical evidence for preventing and reducing such behavior in this age group.