Chinese Virtues Questionnaire Research Articles

The Relationship Between Character Strengths and Subjective Well-Being Among Chinese Impoverished College Students: The Chain Mediating Roles of Perceived Social Support and Positive Emotions.

The mental health of economically disadvantaged college students in China is notably inferior to that of their non-disadvantaged peers. As such, these students necessitate a broader spectrum of psychological support beyond mere financial assistance. Seligman's PERMA theory has established a compelling association between social support and positive emotions with subjective well-being. However, there is a scarcity of research focusing on character strengths within this framework, particularly the mechanisms that underlie their relationship. Hence, this study aims to examine the relationship between character strengths and subjective well-being among Chinese impoverished college students, while also delving into the chain mediating roles of perceived social support and positive emotions. A convenience sampling method was employed to collect cross-sectional data from impoverished college students. Participants (N=336, Mean age=20.67) were assessed using four instruments: the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire (CVQ-96), the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Character strengths, perceived social support, positive emotions, and subjective well-being were all significantly positively correlated with each other (p<0.01). In addition, regression analysis indicated that character strengths positively predicted perceived social support (β=0.71, p<0.001), positive emotions (β=0.44, p<0.001), and subjective well-being (β=0.52, p<0.001). Perceived social support positively predicted positive emotions (β=0.34, p<0.001), and subjective well-being (β=0.44, p<0.001). Positive emotions positively predicted subjective well-being (β=0.88, p<0.001). Furthermore, chain mediation analysis revealed that character strengths influenced subjective well-being both directly and indirectly through perceived social support and positive emotions. Perceived social support and positive emotions play a chain mediating role between character strengths and subjective well-being among impoverished college students.

Chinese Virtues and Resilience among Students in Hong Kong

Character strengths and training have a great impact on students' whole-person development. This study examined the applicability of the Chinese virtues questionnaire (CVQ) and the relationships between students' perceptions of virtues and resilience in Hong Kong, SAR, China. A total of 2468 pupils from primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong were recruited as the sample for this study. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a measurement model of Chinese virtues, and the results of structural equation modeling (SEM) suggested that Chinese virtues were positively related to positive resilience and succumbing. Significant relationships were found between gender and students' positive resilience, and school grade level showed a significant impact on the Chinese virtues, which in turn affect resilience. Student resilience could be enhanced by nurturing virtues and related character strengths, keeping in mind the role of gender and grade level.

Alienation as Mediator and Moderator of the Relationship Between Virtues and Smartphone Addiction Among Chinese University Students

Research reports that high alienation can increase smartphone addiction; however, few studies have explored potential protective factors such as virtues. Understanding virtues as protective factors may help prevent smartphone addiction and promote effective interventions. This study examined the relationship among virtues (i.e. interpersonal, vitality, and conscientiousness), alienation and smartphone addiction. Seven hundred sixteen Chinese university students (385 males, 331 females) aged 18–24 years completed the 96-item Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, General Alienation Scale, and Mobile Phone Addiction Index. Results indicated that both interpersonal and conscientiousness virtues negatively predicted smartphone addiction. Alienation mediated the relationship between interpersonal and smartphone addiction, whereas conscientiousness directly affected smartphone addiction regardless of alienation level. Moreover, alienation moderated the link between conscientiousness and smartphone addiction. When students reported low alienation, those with high conscientiousness also reported lower smartphone addiction. However, there was no difference in smartphone addiction between high and low conscientiousness groups when alienation was high. This study clarified the positive role of specific virtues in reducing alienation and smartphone addiction. Future smartphone addiction intervention strategies could focus on enhancing interpersonal and conscientiousness virtues and reducing alienation. University administrators and educators should focus on improving low alienation students’ conscientiousness.

Character strengths, social anxiety, and physiological stress reactivity.

In this paper, the effects of character strengths on the physiological reactivity to social anxiety induced by the Trier Social Stress Task were reported. On the basis of their scores in the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, 30 college students were assigned to either high- (n = 15) or low-character-strength (n = 15) groups. Their psychological stress and physiological data across three laboratory stages (namely, baseline, stress exposure, and post-stress) were collected. Results indicated that individuals with high character strengths exhibited rapid cardiovascular recovery from baseline to post-stress even if high- and low-character-strength groups showed similar patterns of cardiovascular arousal in response to the stress at baseline and stress exposure. These results prove that character strengths are stress-defense factors that allow for psychological and physiological adaptation to stress.

Specific Virtues as Predictors of Smartphone Addiction among Chinese Undergraduates

Smartphones are important communication and technological tools that have become an indispensable part of university students’ lives. Although empirical research has evaluated factors that influence Smartphone addiction, few studies have explored positive and potentially protective factors such as virtues that may increase the efficacy of future Smartphone addiction prevention programs. Thus, this study examined the relationship between three key virtues (i.e., relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness) and Smartphone addiction as well as evaluated the specific contributions of these virtues as applied to Smartphone use among Chinese university students. A total of 682 undergraduates (aged 18–24 years) from three universities completed the 96-item Chinese Virtues Questionnaire and Mobile Phone Addiction Index. Results showed that three virtues were significantly correlated with Smartphone addiction. Specifically, conscientiousness and relationship virtues negatively predicted Smartphone addiction and explained 82.61% of addiction-related variance. Vitality positively predicted Smartphone addiction and accounted for the remaining 17.39% variance. Thus, this study demonstrated that conscientiousness and relationship virtues were potential protective factors for Smartphone addiction, while vitality led to increased vulnerability. Gender-related differences were also discovered. Specifically, male students may be more sensitive to the conscientiousness virtue, while female students may show increased sensitivity to the relationship virtue. Consequently, future efforts to prevent Smartphone addiction could focus on how to enhance conscientiousness and relationship virtues and how to reduce the vitality virtue.

Who overuses Smartphones? Roles of virtues and parenting style in Smartphone addiction among Chinese college students

Several empirical studies have linked negative parenting style (i.e., parental rejection and overprotection) with a higher degree of Smartphone addiction. However, few studies have analyzed the potential protective factors (e.g., virtues) that may prevent addiction and promote effective Smartphone addiction interventions. Therefore, we examined if virtues (i.e., relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness) mediated the association between parenting style and Smartphone addiction among college students. Moreover, we examined whether these relationships were moderated by gender. Chinese college students (N = 742) ages 16–25 years completed the: 1) short-Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran-Chinese measure of parenting style, 2) 96-item Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, and the 3) Mobile Phone Addiction Index of Smartphone addiction. The results showed that negative parenting style significantly influenced college students' Smartphone addiction. Furthermore, virtues acted as a cognitive mechanism that mediated the association between negative parenting style and Smartphone addiction. Moreover, male virtues may be more sensitive to negative parenting style than female virtues. Relevant suggestions for college administrators, educators, parents, and future researchers are offered.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Simplified Chinese Version of Flourishing Scale

Objectives: The Flourishing Scale (FS) was developed to measure psychological well-being from the eudaimonic perspective, highlighting the flourishing of human functioning. This article evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the simplified Chinese version of FS among a Chinese community population. Method: A total of 433 participants from 17 different communities in southwest China completed a questionnaire package that included FS, Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, and Brief Symptom Inventory-18. Results: The results demonstrated excellent internal consistency, solid one-factor structure, strong convergent and discriminant validity, and incremental validity. Flourishing was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between total virtue and psychological distress. Conclusions: FS was proved to be appropriate for use in assessing psychological well-being among a Chinese community population, which may be recognized as a promising tool to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for evidence-based social work practice.

Role of Character Strengths and Stress in Psychological Symptoms among Chinese Secondary Vocational School Students

Background: Character strengths are important psychology resources, which affect the academic and social development of students at secondary vocational schools. Purpose: We aimed to clarify the relationship between character strengths, psychological stress, and psychological symptoms among these students from a positive psychological perspective. By focusing on virtues and strengths, we suggest improvements to school education and family upbringing. Sample: A total of 282 secondary vocational school students were recruited. Design and Method: Students were asked to complete the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, Life Stress Rating Scale, and Symptom Checklist-90. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 19.0. Results: Regression analyses indicated that the interaction between relationship strengths and family stress explained 45% of the variance in psychological symptoms. This study clarified the positive role of character strengths in stressful situations. Thus, helping secondary vocational school students recognize and use their strengths is conducive to improving their health. Conclusion: Our results should also help teachers and parents adopt a strengths perspective, which might encourage students to explore and develop their strengths.

Relationships among Trait Resilience, Virtues, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Post-traumatic Growth.

The present study aims to examine the relationship between trait resilience and virtues in the context of trauma. A total of 537 participants who attended the preliminary investigation and completed the Life Events Checklist were screened. Of these participants, 142 suffered from personal traumatic experiences in the past year; these individuals were qualified and invited to respond to online questionnaires to assess trait resilience, virtues (i.e., Conscientiousness, Vitality, and Relationship), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and post-traumatic growth (PTG). The following questionnaires were used: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-Revised, Chinese Virtues Questionnaire, PTSD Checklist-Specific, and Post-traumatic Growth Inventory-Chinese. Only 95 participants who manifested self-reported PTSD symptoms and PTG were involved in the current analyses. Trauma was positively and significantly correlated with PTSD in the current sample. Results indicated that trait resilience was positively associated with virtues and PTG; by contrast, PTSD scores were negatively but not significantly related to most of these factors. The three virtues contributed to PTG to a greater extent than trait resilience in non-PTSD and PTSD groups. However, trait resilience remained a significant predictor in the PTSD group even when the three virtues were controlled. The relationship between trait resilience and PTG was moderated by PTSD type (non-PTSD group vs. PTSD group). Our results further suggested that trait resilience and virtues were conceptually related but functionally different constructs. Trait resilience and virtues are positively related; thus, these factors contributed variances to PTG in the context of trauma; however, trait resilience is only manifested when virtues are controlled and when individuals are diagnosed as PTSD. Furthermore, implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Association between virtues and posttraumatic growth: preliminary evidence from a Chinese community sample after earthquakes.

Objective. Relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness are three fundamental virtues that have been recently identified as important individual differences to health, well being, and positive development. This cross-sectional study attempted to explore the relationship between the three constructs and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in three directions, including indirect trauma samples without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), direct trauma samples without PTSD, and direct trauma samples with PTSD.Methods. A total of 340 community participants from Sichuan Province, Mainland China involved in the study, most of which experienced Wenchuan and Lushan Earthquake. Participants were required to complete the self-reported questionnaire packages at one time point for obtaining their scores on virtues (Chinese Virtues Questionnaire), PTSD (PTSD Checklist-Specific), and PTG (Post-traumatic Growth Inventory-Chinese).Results. Significant and positive correlations between the three virtues and PTG were identified (r = .39–.56; p < .01). Further regression analysis by stepwise method reveled that: in the indirect trauma samples, vitality explained 32% variance of PTG. In reference to the direct trauma sample without PTSD, both relationship and conscientiousness explained 32% variance of PTG, whereas in the direct trauma sample with PTSD, only conscientiousness accounted for 31% the variance in PTG.Conclusion.This cross-sectional investigation partly revealed the roles of different virtues in trauma context. Findings suggest important implications for strengths-based treatment.

Can virtues enhance the benefits of expressive writing among healthy Chinese? A pilot study

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between virtues and self-disclosure via a cross-sectional study and an intervention study among Chinese.Methods: In study one, 144 healthy individuals completed the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire (CVQ) and the short version of Jourard Self-Disclosure Questionnaire. In study two, 41 undergraduates voluntarily attended a nine-week intervention. Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was adopted as the well-being indicator. They were asked to complete the vitality sub-scale of CVQ and SWLS at week one for obtaining the virtue scores and baseline scores of well-being. After an eight-week intervention, SWLS was completed again to examine the intervention efficacy.Results: Among the three virtues, only vitality had the significant and positive relation with self-disclosure. After eight weeks, the high-vitality group obtained the significant growth of satisfaction with life. The change degree of satisfaction among high vitality individuals was significantly higher than the low vitality group.Conclusion: Prescreening of individual vitality may be helpful for identifying the sensitive targets of expressive writing intervention. However, considering that this is a preliminary study, more rigorous randomized controlled trials will be helpful to test this conclusion in future.

A preliminary investigation on the relationship between virtues and pathological internet use among Chinese adolescents.

BackgroundPathological Internet Use (PIU) has become a global issue associated with the increasing number of Internet users. Previous studies concerned both the interpersonal and intrapersonal vulnerable factors and the corresponding models. However, a limited amount of research has explored the relationship between positive factors and PIU.ObjectiveThe current investigation attempted to clarify the relationship between virtues and PIU among Chinese adolescents; it also sought to explore the specific contributions of the three virtues. Virtue was the core concept in positive psychology and the Values in Action Classification. A recent study demonstrated that there might be three universal virtues (relationship, vitality, and conscientiousness).MethodsA cross-sectional sample of adolescents aged 12-17 years were recruited in 2013. A total of 674 adolescents (males = 302, females = 372; junior high school = 296, senior high school = 378) from eight junior and senior high schools in four provinces of Mainland China completed a package of psychological inventories, including the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire (CVQ) and the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale (APIUS). The mean age of the current sample was 15.10 years (SD = 1.81) with an average of 5.31 years’ length (SD = 2.09) of Internet use.ResultsA total of 9.50% participants exhibited significant symptoms of PIU. Male students (Mmale = 2.50) had significantly higher scores on PIU than female students (Mfemale = 2.25). Relationship (β = -.24) and conscientiousness (β = -.21) negatively predicted PIU, whereas vitality (β = .25) positively predicted PIU. Dominance analysis further revealed that relationship and conscientiousness could explain 81% variance of PIU, and vitality only accounted for another 19%.ConclusionsRelationship and conscientiousness were possible protective factors of pathological Internet users, while vitality was vulnerable. The results could be helpful in screening “at-risk” Internet users (low relationship and conscientiousness as well as high vitality). Future intervention strategies could focus on how to enhance relationship and conscientiousness and on how to reduce vitality.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire

Objectives: The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire (CVQ). The reliability, factor structure, construct validity, and temporal stability of the inventory were examined. Method: A university student sample ( n = 878) and a working adult sample ( n = 153) were recruited. Participants were asked to complete the paper-and-pencil CVQ and a set of questionnaires to measure both their positive and negative psychological status. Results: The results supported the three-factor structure of the CVQ established earlier. Factorial invariants were found in different subsamples (students vs. workers; male vs. female). Each factor (interpersonal, vitality, and cautiousness) demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (α = .87 to .92), test–retest reliability ( r = .70 to .76), convergent validity, discriminant validity, incremental validity, temporal stability, and theoretical significance. Conclusions: The questionnaire with good psychometric characteristics and solid cultural foundations can facilitate positive social work assessment and intervention.