Chinese Undergraduates Research Articles

Mindfulness and life satisfaction: The moderating effect of self-control and the moderated moderating effect of resilience

Studies have revealed that mindfulness is related to life satisfaction. However, little was known about under which conditions mindfulness is associated with life satisfaction. The present study aimed to explore the moderating roles of self-control and resilience in the association between mindfulness and life satisfaction. Four hundred and ninety-four Chinese undergraduates filled the questionnaires that measure mindfulness, self-control, resilience, and life satisfaction. The results indicated that self-control moderated the association between mindfulness and life satisfaction so that this association was only significant for individuals with high self-control but not for individuals with low self-control. The moderating role of self-control was further moderated by resilience, so that at high and average levels of resilience, mindfulness and self-control interacted to influence life satisfaction; whereas at low levels of resilience, this interaction was insignificant. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Self-compassion in Chinese Young Adults: Specific Features of the Construct from a Cultural Perspective

ObjectivesRecent research has suggested that Chinese individuals from a collectivist culture may have a different understanding of self-compassion, which could differentially contribute to mental health. This study aimed to obtain an in-depth insight into Chinese adults’ understanding of self-compassion.MethodsFour online focus groups in Chinese undergraduates discussed the construct of self-compassion based on self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness, and over-identification. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsChinese participants valued benign self-criticism and self-reflection when contemplating their understanding of self-compassion. Similarly, participants’ view of self-compassion dimensions can be described as dialectical in that they reflected both negative and positive perceptions in each factor rather than suggesting separate and purely negative or purely positive dimensions. There was also an overlap in the interpretation of the negative dimensions (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification).ConclusionsThe findings highlight particularities in the understanding of self-compassion in these Chinese students, which may be influenced by philosophical traditions promoting dialecticism and the dual focus on the transformation of the self and social participation. This suggests the importance of a cultural perspective when studying self-compassion and interpreting relevant research findings.

How Does that Make You Feel: Students’ Affective Engagement with Feedback

Understanding how students engage with written feedback (WF) on L2 writing is crucial. Given the mediating role of learner perceptions and beliefs about WF (including in relation to teacher behaviour and perceived persona), our research explores learner perceptions and affective responses to – or affective engagement with –WF in a university context. Furthermore, because it has been shown that learners relate differently to native and nonnative English-speaking teachers, who themselves relate differently to WF, we investigate how Chinese students engage with WF given by a Chinese English teacher (CET) and a native English-speaking English teacher (NET). Ninety-nine Chinese undergraduates at an East China University participated in the study. They received anonymous feedback from three NETs and three CETs, and then completed a survey about their feelings and reactions regarding the feedback received. Our results indicate that student writers expect to receive feedback that is detailed without overwhelming with corrections. When the WF provided in this study met these requirements, it stirred positive feelings in the students. More and more detailed WF was associated with feeling “moved,” “touched,” and “motivated,” and seemed to encourage the students to follow up with revisions and other actions. In all the aspects investigated, the NETs’ WF and approach was appreciated more positively than that of the Chinese teachers. The latter provided less WF, which was also more unclear and included a higher proportion of written corrective feedback (WCF). We propose recommendations for increasing student-teacher interaction and communication about feedback to improve student engagement with feedback.

Investigating Students' Metacognitive Experiences: Insights From the English as a Foreign Language Learners' Writing Metacognitive Experiences Questionnaire (EFLLWMEQ).

While research on metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive strategies in second language (L2) writing has proliferated, little attention has been paid to metacognitive experiences in learning to write. This study contributes a novel 6-point Likert scale questionnaire, EFL Learners' Writing Metacognitive Experiences Questionnaire (EFLLWMEQ), and reports insights into learners' metacognitive experiences gathered from its use. The questionnaire was designed to investigate, first, the nature of students' metacognitive experiences when they learn to write in English as a foreign language (EFL) and, secondly, the relationship between students' metacognitive experiences and their writing performance. To this end, the questionnaire was developed and validated with two independent samples of 340 and 540 Chinese undergraduates whose metacognitive experiences were measured as they learned to write in EFL. Data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively. Findings of EFA and CFA revealed a four-factor structure of students' metacognitive experiences of EFL writing: Metacognitive estimates, metacognitive feelings, online task-specific metacognitive knowledge, and online task-specific metacognitive strategies. Results showed that students' metacognitive experiences had positive correlations with their EFL writing test scores. Importantly, the CFA results from the sample of 540 students supported the four-factor correlated model with the best model fit, confirming the validity and reliability of the EFLLWMEQ. This study has theoretical and pedagogical implications for how learners' metacognitive experiences can be managed in learning to write, particularly in EFL classrooms.

On the Significance and Measures of Improving Literature Reading Ability for Undergraduates

At present, the curriculum and training objectives of Chinese undergraduates pay less attention to the cultivation of their literature reading ability. More attention is paid to the study of textbook knowledge. This paper has studied the importance of literature reading ability for undergraduates, graduates and employees and the status quo of undergraduate education in China. This paper has also proposed measures to improve the literature reading ability of undergraduates by setting up literature reading training classes for undergraduates, adding literature reading links after specialized courses and offering paper writing courses. The improvement of the literature reading ability of undergraduates will have a positive impact on their future. Keywords: Literature reading ability, training classes, undergraduate education.

The motivational dynamics of learning a foreign language of limited ethnolinguistic vitality during a study abroad

ABSTRACT This study investigated the L2 motivation of five Chinese undergraduates learning Bulgarian as their major and studying in Bulgaria in a one-academic-year exchange programme. The focus of the study concerned a rarely explored L2 learning situation, namely when the L2 is associated with a host community of limited ethnolinguistic vitality. Based on the theoretical foundations of the L2 Motivational Self System and the ideal multilingual self, and drawing on the principles of retrodictive qualitative modelling, this study identified three distinct motivational patterns emerging during the one-year study abroad in Bulgaria: decreasing motivation with a weakened ideal Bulgarian self; fluctuating motivation with a weakened ideal Bulgarian self; and fluctuating motivation with a strengthened ideal Bulgarian self. A comparative analysis of these patterns suggested that: (a) language learners’ agentic interpretations of their sojourn in the host country had a considerable impact on their cultural interest, thereby shaping the quality of their ideal Bulgarian self; (b) the impairment/enhancement of the ideal Bulgarian self was a principal cause of the decrease/increase of the participants’ Bulgarian-learning motivation; (c) an ideal multilingual self can work as compensation for the impaired ideal Bulgarian self, by directly motivating student's learning when the ideal Bulgarian self was weakened.

Peer Phubbing and Social Networking Site Addiction: The Mediating Role of Social Anxiety and the Moderating Role of Family Financial Difficulty.

A growing body of research has pinpointed the consequences as well as mechanisms of phubbing. However, few studies have explored the relationship between peer phubbing and social networking site addiction. Based on the self-determination theory, the exclusion theory of anxiety, the social compensation model, and the reserve capacity model, the present study examined whether peer phubbing was positively related to social networking site addiction among undergraduates, whether social anxiety mediated the relationship, and whether this mediating process was moderated by family financial difficulty. Our theoretical model was tested using the data collected from 1,401 Chinese undergraduates (Mage = 18.83 years, standard deviation = 0.93). The participants completed anonymous questionnaires that assessed their peer phubbing, social anxiety, social networking site addiction, and family financial difficulty. The correlation analysis indicated that peer phubbing was positively associated with social networking site addiction. The testing for moderated mediation further revealed that social anxiety partially mediated the association between peer phubbing and social networking site addiction, with family financial difficulty moderating the first stage. To be specific, the indirect association between peer phubbing and social networking site addiction via social anxiety was stronger for undergraduates in high family financial difficulty. The results from this study extend research on the potential consequences of phubbing as well as highlight the significance of uncovering the underlying mechanisms.

Dispositional Awe and Online Altruism: Testing a Moderated Mediating Model.

Dispositional awe has a positive effect on prosociality. However, it has not been tested whether this disposition appears in online altruism. Using a large sample of 3,080 Chinese undergraduates, this study tested a moderated mediating model that takes self-transcendent meaning in life (STML) as a mediator and subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) as a moderator. As predicted, dispositional awe was positively correlated with online altruism, partly via the indirect effect of STML. SSES moderated both the direct and indirect effects. Specifically, the predictive effects of dispositional awe on both online prosocial behavior and STML were greater for lower rather than higher SSES. This study extends the prosociality of dispositional awe to cyberspace. Other implications are also discussed herein.

Longitudinal influence of COVID-19-related stress on sexual compulsivity symptoms in Chinese undergraduates

BackgroundThe coping theory shows that stressful life events are associated with individuals’ psychology/behaviors; meanwhile, the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is known to have impacted individuals’ physical and mental health. Prior studies revealed that undergraduates have many sexual behavior and emotion disorders, which may be impacted during an isolation period, such as the one brought by COVID-19. However, few studies have explored the longitudinal associations between COVID-19-related stress and sexual compulsivity symptoms (SCS), and the mediating effect of emotions (i.e., depression and anxiety) on this relationship. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate these associations.MethodsWe employed a cross-lagged design (2020/2/12: Time 1, 3219 participants; 2020/6/6: Time 2, 2998 participants) and recruited Chinese undergraduates through an online system to respond to a survey.ResultsOur results showed that COVID-19-related stress at Time 1 directly influenced SCS at Time 1, and there was an indirect influence via depression and anxiety at Time 1. COVID-19-related stress at Time 1 positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and SCS at Time 2, and the first could directly and positively predict SCS at Time 2. Moreover, albeit depression at Time 2 was negatively linked to SCS at Time 2, anxiety at Time 2 enhanced the effect of COVID-19-related stress on SCS.ConclusionsOur findings extend the literature on SCS, showing that the higher the COVID-19-related stress, the higher the SCS, and the longer-lasting effect was associated with anxiety in undergraduates. Furthermore, depression does not mediate the relationship between COVID-19-related stress and SCS.

Childhood abuse and borderline personality disorder features in Chinese undergraduates: the role of self-esteem and resilience

BackgroundAlthough childhood abuse is considered to be related to borderline personality disorder (BPD), few studies have elaborated on the mediating role of self-esteem and resilience in it. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the potential mediating role of resilience and self-esteem between childhood abuse and BPD.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted with 4034 college students in Anhui Province, China. Participants were asked to complete Chinese versions of the following instruments: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form (CTQ-SF), Mclean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the mediation effects.ResultsResilience and self-esteem were found to be mediators of all three types of childhood abuse (emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse) when the types were examined separately; however, when all three types of childhood abuse were entered into the model simultaneously, neither the indirect effects nor direct effects of physical abuse or sexual abuse were found to be significant, only the association between emotional abuse and BPD features was partially mediated by resilience and self-esteem.ConclusionsSelf-esteem and resilience mediate the links between childhood abuse and BPD features, and emotional abuse is uniquely associated with BPD features.

Being Chinese in Lived Intercultural Experiences: A Discourse Analysis of Chinese Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Chinese Culture

Abstract The current study investigates a group of Chinese undergraduates’ perceptions of Chinese culture. It examines the discourses that the students drew on to assign meaning to Chinese culture and how the students used these discourses in constructing their Chinese cultural identity. A qualitative study was conducted collecting written self-reflective reports on critical intercultural incidents from 39 Chinese undergraduates at a university in Beijing. Questions designed to evoke reports from the students had them describe incidents in their past intercultural experiences that made them acutely aware of themselves “being Chinese” and specify aspects of Chinese culture that they felt such awareness could be attributed to. A discourse analysis reveals the multiplicity and contextuality of the students’ notions of Chinese culture. The findings raise important considerations for contemporary Chinese undergraduates’ cultural identity and their much debated “identity crisis.”

Application of the Inverted Classroom Model for Teaching Pathophysiology to Chinese Undergraduate Medical Students: Usability Study.

BackgroundThe inverted classroom model differs from the traditional teaching model as it reverses the pattern of knowledge transfer and internalization. In recent years, this new teaching model has received much attention in undergraduate medical education. Pathophysiology is a course in the undergraduate Chinese medical curriculum that is critical in bridging basic medical science and clinical medicine.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the application of inverted classroom in delivering the course on pathophysiology to Chinese undergraduate medical students.MethodsIn the spring semester of 2018, inverted classroom teaching was implemented for second-year clinical medicine students at the College of Medicine at Nanchang University. The topics of hypoxia and respiratory failure were selected for the inverted classroom study. The effect of the inverted classroom on teaching pathophysiology was evaluated using classroom performance metrics, a final examination, and questionnaires.ResultsThis study found that students in the inverted classroom group achieved higher scores in their in-course assessments (82.35 [SD 11.45] vs 81.33 [SD 9.51], respectively) and in their final exams (73.41 [SD 10.37] vs 71.13 [SD 11.22], respectively) than those in the traditional lecture-based group, but the scores were not significantly different (P=.13, unpaired two-tailed t test). There was also no significant difference in the distribution of the score segments in the class quiz (P=.09, chi-square test) and in the final exams (P=.25, chi-square test) between the 2 groups. Further, most of the students reported that the inverted classroom increased their learning motivation, made them more confident, and helped them understand the content on pathophysiology better. The students in the inverted classroom also improved in their problem-solving skills and teamwork abilities. However, some students from the inverted classroom group also reported that the self-learning and preparatory work before class increased their learning burden.ConclusionsThis study shows the feasibility and promise of inverted classroom for teaching pathophysiology to undergraduate Chinese medical students. The inverted classroom improves students’ learning interests and attitudes toward learning. However, further studies are required to assess the benefits of broader acceptance and implementation of the inverted classroom among Chinese undergraduate medical students.

Circadian rhythm abnormalities during the COVID-19 outbreak related to mental health in China: a nationwide university-based survey

Objective/backgroundSchool closure and home quarantine has been implemented worldwide during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. The study aims to assess the associations of circadian rhythm abnormalities (CRA) during the COVID-19 outbreak with mental health in Chinese undergraduates. MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional university-based survey was conducted from 4th February to 12th, 2020. Based on different geographical locations and purposive sampling approach, 19 universities from 16 provinces or municipalities in the mainland of China were selected. A total of 14,789 participants were recruited by using multistage stratified random sampling. The data of CRA were collected by self-reported questionnaires consist of four items involved rest–activity cycle, diet rhythm, wake up rhythm and sleep rhythm. The Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder were applied to evaluate the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression models were used to describe the distributions and associations of CRA and mental health. ResultsA total of 11,787 students [female: 6731(57.1%)] aged 15–26 years old (M = 20.45, SD = 1.76) were analyzed (response rate: 79.7%). The results showed the percentage of CRA were 17.5–28.7%. The prevalence of depression and anxiety were significantly higher in students with single CRA. Students who reported the coexistence of four CRA were more likely to be with the symptoms of depression (OR: 4.43, 95% CI: 3.91–5.03) and anxiety (OR: 3.11, 95% CI: 2.70–3.60). Dose–response relationships were found between multiple CRA and mental problems. ConclusionCircadian rhythm abnormalities are positively associated with mental health among university studies. Mental health care is needed for college students during the COVID-19 epidemic period.

A comparison between flipped and lecture-based course delivery of a career development programme for Chinese undergraduates

ABSTRACT Existing research on the effectiveness of career courses often lacks evidence on the comparative effects of different pedagogical formats. This study compared the effects of a flipped classroom approach to a traditional lecture-based approach for delivering a career course among Chinese undergraduate students. A longitudinal quasi-experimental field design was used to assess changes in the career outcomes between the flipped and non-flipped groups over three time points (pre-, post-, and 2-month follow-up). Mixed-factorial ANOVAs showed the overall effects were stronger immediately post-course and at the 2-month follow-up for the flipped approach, although both course designs decreased lack of career information and increased environmental exploration. The study suggests that the flipped classroom design has the potential to outperform traditional teaching approaches.

Relating health information literacy self-efficacy to information technology use and health status: A large-scale study among Chinese undergraduates

The purpose of this paper is to relate individuals’ health information literacy (HIL) self-efficacy to their information technology (IT) use and health status. Using a large-scale field survey with 6,160 valid respondents from undergraduates in a Chinese university, we found that individuals’ HIL self-efficacy was significantly related to some socio-demographics and lifestyle features, IT use, and health status. Meanwhile, some socio-demographics and lifestyle features and health status help identify low HIL self-efficacy individuals, while moderate daily IT use may improve HIL self-efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and future work, are also discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the 10-Item Ruminative Response Scale Among Undergraduates and Depressive Patients.

Objective: Rumination is considered as a key process in the mechanism of depression. Assessing rumination is important for both research and clinical practice. The Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) is a widely-used instrument to measure rumination. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese 10-item Ruminative Response Scale (RRS-10) in a large sample of Chinese undergraduates and depressive patients.Methods: A total of 1,773 university students and 286 clinical patients with major depressive disorder finished the Chinese version of the RRS10, State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the two-factor structure (reflection and brooding) of the RRS-10. The correlations among RRS-10, STAI, and BDI were explored in two samples. In addition, the measurement invariance of the RRS-10 across gender, time, and groups with and without depressive symptoms were further investigated. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also evaluated.Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that the two-factor structure of RRS-10 fitted reasonably both in undergraduates (CFI = 0.933, TLI = 0.905, RMSEA = 0.071, SRMR = 0.035) and depressive patients (CFI = 0.941, TLI = 0.910, RMSEA = 0.077, SRMR = 0.057). The results of the multi-group confirmatory factor analysis supported the full strict invariance across genders and across groups (undergraduates and depressive patients). The full strong invariance over time was also supported by MGCFA. Besides, the RRS-10 showed acceptable internal consistency and good stability.Conclusions: The RRS-10 has good reliability and validity in different samples and over time, which demonstrated that RRS-10 is a valid measurement instrument to assess rumination.

Openness to experience and dispositional awe: The moderating role of subjective socioeconomic status and mediating role of Zhong-Yong thinking style in Chinese undergraduates.

Existing research has established that openness to experience can enhance dispositional awe. For the first time, the current study examines whether subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) moderates and a Zhong-Yong thinking style mediates this effect. A sample of 2,377 Chinese undergraduates (mean age 20.7, ranging from 18 to 26) was recruited. As shown in previous research, openness was found to be positively associated with dispositional awe. As predicted, the relationship was moderated by familial and school SSES. The positive correlation was significantly larger in cases of lower familial and school SSES. The mediating effect of Zhong-Yong thinking style was also supported in the relationship between openness and dispositional awe, as was the moderating effect of familial SSES; however, a suppressive effect was found for school SSES. The implications of this study are discussed herein.

Effects of Online Social Support and Perceived Social Support on the Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Problematic Smartphone Usage Among Chinese Undergraduates.

PurposeRecent research has identified a relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone usage. However, little is known about the underlying mediating and moderating mechanisms. The present study aimed to test the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone usage as well as the mediating role of online social support and the moderating role of perceived social support among Chinese undergraduates.Patients and MethodsA sample of 1123 college students participated in the study. The Perceived Stress Scale, Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale, Online Social Support Questionnaire, and Perceived Social Support Scale were used.ResultsPerceived stress was significantly and positively associated with problematic smartphone usage, and online social support partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone usage. Moderated mediation analysis suggested that perceived social support moderated the association between perceived stress and online social support. This relationship became stronger for college students with lower levels of perceived social support.ConclusionThe results of this study can contribute to a better understanding of how perceived stress increases the risk of problematic smartphone usage. The importance of reducing online social support and enhancing perceived social support in preventing undergraduates’ problematic smartphone usage is highlighted. The findings should be taken with caution given the convenience sampling and cross-sectional study design.

Which Type of Interpersonal Interaction Better Facilitates College Student Learning and Development in China: Face-to-Face or Online?

Purpose: This study attempts to explore how Chinese college students engage in face-to-face synchronous and online asynchronous interactions and examine how the two different interaction types are associated with their academic learning (learning achievement and the development of research skills), satisfaction, and their perceptions of learning environments. Design/Approach/Methods: A sample of 3,999 undergraduate students from a research university in Northern China participated in the survey. A series of cluster analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted. Findings: The cluster analysis results revealed that there were four types of learners among these students and that a large percentage of Chinese undergraduates were classified into either digital communicators (36.16%) or passive interactors (32.71%). In general, the face-to-face synchronous interaction generated more desirable academic learning, perceptions of the learning environment, and higher satisfaction than the online asynchronous interaction in most aspects. However, the asynchronous online interaction fostered student autonomy and contributed to students’ completion of an in-depth thesis. Originality/Value: By distinguishing face-to-face synchronous versus online asynchronous interactions, this study led to an enhanced knowledge of the interactive patterns of Chinese college students and uncovered the specific effects of the two types of interpersonal interactions in Chinese research universities.

Validation of the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities-Revised Scale in Chinese Adults.

The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities-Revised scale (HEMA-R) is one of the most extensively used instruments to assess how people pursue well-being. The main aims of the present research were to translate HEMA-R into Chinese and test its construct and predictive validity as well as measurement invariance across gender. In Study 1, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis with data containing 1090 Chinese undergraduates, and replicated the two-factor model which has been found in other studies. Furthermore, the measurement invariance across gender was supported throughout the multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Study 2 replicated these results and further found the HEMA-R had satisfactory predictive validity in measures of well-being, social support and smartphone addiction. All the findings indicate that the HEMA-R is reliable and valid to measure hedonic and eudaimonic motives, and it could be applied generally across gender in Chinese adults.