Core Self-evaluations Research Articles

The relationship between perceived social support and social anxiety in Chongqing rural secondary school students: the chain mediating effect of core self-evaluation and shyness

BackgroundAdolescents in less economically developed areas are susceptible to social anxiety, so finding ways to effectively prevent and intervene in social anxiety could be a major step forward for poverty alleviation. However, little is known about the inner workings of social anxiety in this group. Exploring the risk and protective factors of social anxiety among adolescents in less developed rural areas is crucial for maintaining their mental health and improving their social adaptability. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships among perceived social support, core self-evaluation, shyness and social anxiety among rural secondary school students and analyze the risk and protective factors of social anxiety.MethodsA total of 626 rural secondary school students are investigated with the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Core Self-Evaluation Scale (CSES), Shyness Scale (SS) and Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS). Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the mediating effects of core self-evaluation and shyness.ResultsThe results reveal that (1) the perceived social support and core self-evaluation of rural secondary school students are significantly negatively correlated with social anxiety, whereas their shyness is significantly positively correlated with social anxiety. There are significant gender differences in perceived social support, core self-evaluation, shyness and social anxiety. (2) There is a significant chain mediating effect of core self-evaluation and shyness between perceived social support and social anxiety, and the mediation model is cross-gender consistent.ConclusionsThese results confirm that perceived social support and core self-evaluation are protective factors against social anxiety in rural secondary school students and that shyness is a risk factor for social anxiety. Moreover, perceived social support can indirectly affect social anxiety through core self-evaluation and shyness. Prevention and intervention of social anxiety can be carried out in three ways: improving the perceived ability of social support, enhancing positive self-evaluation, and reducing shyness and avoidance behaviors.

Development and Validation of Sensitivity for Needs of Elderly Scale Among Caregivers Based on Maslow’s Theory

The world currently lives in an aging society. Demand for elderly caregivers and services is rapidly rising. Elderly care encompasses not only medical care, but also the art of human care. Love and respect are usually considered the backbone of the modality of caregivers. This study aimed at developing a sensitivity for needs of elderly scale (SNES) among caregivers. Maslow’s theory of hierarchical needs, especially stage 3 (love and belongingness needs) and stage 4 (esteem needs), was used as a conceptual framework. This study consisted of four steps. The sample groups for the first two steps of item quality and exploratory factory analysis were 420 nursing students. A three-factor model emerged, which includes the sensitivity of needs for love and empathy, the sensitivity of needs for respect, and the sensitivity of needs for honor and dignity. The newly constructed measure consisted of 10 items, which explained the variance by 52.18%. The third step of confirmatory factor analysis, using a new group of 384 nursing students, indicated the model fit. In the final step, the scale was validated using 171 elderly caregivers. Moderate to strong absolute magnitudes of correlations between the new scale and psycho-moral strength, core self-evaluation, future orientation and self-control, moral disengagement, and caring behavior were found. Incremental validity was tested. Discussion and recommendations for further research and implications of the newly constructed measure were offered.

The relationship between cumulative family risk and depression in left-behind children: a moderated mediation model

BackgroundThis study proposed a moderated mediation model to examine the mediating role of core self-evaluation in the relationship between cumulative family risk and depression among left-behind children, and whether this process was moderated by school climate.MethodsA total of 415 rural left-behind children from 35 townships in Anhui Province (54.46% males; mean age = 12.53, SD = 2.27) were randomly conducted in June 2023 using convenience sampling. Data were processed and analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and PROCESS 3.3.ResultsAfter controlling for gender, age, grade, and left-behind type, cumulative family risk positively predicted depression in left-behind children (β = 0.18, p < 0.001). Core self-evaluation fully mediated the relationship between cumulative family risk and depression in left-behind children (indirect effect = 0.10, 95%CI = [0.06, 0.15]). Moreover, school climate moderated the relationship between cumulative family risk and core self-evaluation (the first half of the mediation pathway) (β =-0.13, p < 0.01). Specifically, as the school climate level increased, cumulative family risk became more predictive of core self-evaluation (Blow = − 0.001, p > 0.05; Bhigh = − 0.26, p < 0.001).ConclusionCreating a favourable family and school climate and improving core self-evaluation are beneficial to reduce depression in left behind children.

School Connectedness and Academic Burnout in Middle School Students: A Multiple Serial Mediation Model.

Higher levels of school connectedness are associated with better study habits, but their relationship with academic burnout and the underlying mechanisms have not been revealed. We used a questionnaire to investigate the relationship between school connectedness and academic burnout and the mediating mechanisms of burnout in a sample of 394 Chinese middle school students, controlling for class, gender, and grade level. The results revealed that (1) school connectedness, autonomous motivation to learn, and core self-evaluations were significantly negatively related to academic burnout; and that (2) academic self-handicapping, core self-evaluations, and autonomous motivation to learn individually mediated the effects of school connectedness on academic burnout and mediated the effects of multiple factors. Therefore, educators should pay attention to the emotional needs of junior high school students, increase the level of school connectedness, consciously help students cultivate positive psychological factors such as autonomous motivation and core self-evaluations, reduce academic self-handicapping, increase their learning pleasure, and alleviate junior high school students' academic burnout.

The relationship between loneliness and psychological distress among Chinese college students: the mediating role of mobile phone addiction and the moderating role of core self-evaluation

ABSTRACT Previous studies showed that loneliness and psychological distress are related. However, the potential mechanisms involved in this relationship are unknown. This study examined the mediating effect of mobile phone addiction and the moderating effect of core self-evaluation on the relationship between mobile phone addiction and psychological distress. A total of 826 college students were recruited. A cross-sectional study design and an online questionnaire survey were employed to measure loneliness, mobile phone addiction, core self-evaluation, and psychological distress in college students, and used the PROCESS macro program to conduct moderated mediation analysis. Loneliness was significantly and positively associated with psychological distress, mobile phone addiction partially mediated the relation between Loneliness and college students’ psychological distress and this indirect path was moderated by core self-evaluations. Specifically, the effect of mobile phone addiction on psychological distress was stronger for college students with lower core self-evaluations than for those with higher core self-evaluations. The results are helpful to comprehend the producing mechanism of psychological distress and provide a theoretical basis for the intervention of psychological distress.

The Role of Cognitive and Emotional Factors in the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among College Students: A Network Analysis.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious mental health problem among adolescents and young adults. Childhood trauma is a distal factor for NSSI and can also lead to cognitive abnormalities and maladaptive emotion regulation during the growth and development of individuals. However, it is unclear how childhood trauma and cognitive-emotional factors interact with NSSI. This study investigated the roles of childhood trauma and cognitive-emotional factors in NSSI among Chinese college students using network analysis. A total of 999 students from a university in central China were included in this study. Network analysis was used to examine the interrelationships between the frequency of NSSI thoughts and behaviors, childhood trauma subtypes (measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form), and cognitive-emotional factors such as early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) (measured using the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form), core self-evaluation (measured using the Core Self-Evaluations Scale), and emotion regulation (ER) strategies (measured using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire). Structural equation modeling was used to further explore the role of the nodes most closely related to NSSI in the network analysis. Emotional abuse and disconnection/rejection EMS are found to be directly related to NSSI thoughts (edge weight = 0.16 and 0.08, respectively). Disconnection/rejection EMS partially mediated (28.64%) the relationship between emotional abuse and NSSI thoughts, with a higher level of expression suppression corresponding to a greater positive relationship between emotional abuse and the disconnection/rejection EMS (p < 0.01). Our findings were in line with the cognitive-emotional model of NSSI, highlighting the importance of NSSI prevention in identifying risk groups who experienced emotional abuse in childhood and tended to use expressive suppression as an ER strategy.

How Algorithmic Management Influences Gig Workers' Job Crafting.

Algorithmic management, as a digital management tool in the gig economy, has become a hotspot of concern at the intersection of theory and practice. However, there is a lack of research on the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which algorithmic management affects gig workers' job crafting. Based on the social information processing theory, this study constructed a dual-mediation model of how algorithmic management influences gig workers' job crafting through gameful experience and perceived job autonomy. Data from 687 valid samples were collected through a two-stage survey and statistically analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results demonstrate that algorithmic management increases gig workers' promotion-focused job crafting behaviors (increasing job resources and challenging job demands) by stimulating their gameful experiences and increases gig workers' prevention-focused job crafting behaviors (decreasing hindering job demands) by inhibiting their perceived job autonomy. In addition, the higher-order personality trait core self-evaluation moderates the relationship between algorithmic management and gameful experience and perceived job autonomy, as well as the indirect effects of algorithmic management on job crafting through gameful experiences and perceived job autonomy. This study advances empirical research on algorithmic management in the field of the gig economy and human resource management practices. Crucially, it provides practical insights for optimizing algorithmic systems in platform companies, potentially enhancing their efficiency and economic benefits.

Challenge or Threat? Proposing and Testing a Career Shock Coping Model

Career shocks can significantly impact individuals’ career development. We propose that how a career shock affects career development depends on how people appraise it. Specifically, our Career Shock Coping (CSC) model proposes that, dependent on personal characteristics, individuals differ in the extent to which they appraise career shocks as challenging and/or threatening. Challenge and threat appraisals inspire approach- and avoidance-oriented career behaviors, respectively, which differentially relate to career-related outcomes. A two-wave study was conducted among medical students ( N = 279) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a career shock. Supporting our CSC model, core self-evaluation (CSE) related negatively to threat appraisal and threat appraisal related positively to avoidance-oriented career behavior. Avoidance-oriented career behavior related positively to career decision-making stress. The relations between CSE, challenge appraisal, approach-oriented career behavior, and career decision-making stress were not significant. The findings have implications for career shocks research and career counseling practice.

Associations between parental rearing style and amygdala and hippocampal subfield abnormalities in drug-naive females with anorexia nervosa

BackgroundAltered volumes in the hippocampus and amygdala have been linked to anorexia nervosa (AN). This study aimed to investigate amygdala and hippocampal subfields volume abnormalities in AN patients, and their associations with parental rearing practices and clinical psychological characteristics.MethodsThis study included twenty-nine drug-naive females with AN from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, China, and fifty-nine age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) recruited through advertisement. All participants underwent T1-weighted imaging. Amygdala and hippocampal subfields volume was calculated using FreeSurfer 7.0. The Core Self-Evaluation Scale (CSES) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used to assess the psychological characteristics of AN patients. The Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (EMBU) was employed to evaluate parental rearing practices. Group differences in brain volumes were analyzed with covariates like age and total intracranial volume (TIV). Partial correlation analysis explored the correlations between brain region volumes and clinical psychological characteristics.ResultsAN patients exhibited lower RSES and CSES scores, and more adverse parental rearing style than healthy norms. After adjusting for covariates, AN patients showed decreased gray matter volume (GMV) in the left medial (Me) and cortical (Co) nucleus, as well as in the right hippocampal-amygdala transition area (HATA). GMV in the left Me was correlated with years of education among HCs but not among AN patients. GMV in the right HATA was positively correlated with paternal penalty and severity, as well as maternal overinterference.ConclusionThis study supports structure abnormalities in amygdala and hippocampus in AN patients and suggests that parental rearing practices may be associated with hippocampal abnormalities, potentially contributing to the pathophysiology of AN. Addressing appropriate parental rearing styles may offer a positive impact on AN.

When does newcomer get feedback? Relationship between supervisor perceived organizational support and supervisor developmental feedback

PurposeUsing social exchange theory, this paper explores the relationship between supervisor perceived organizational support and supervisor developmental feedback. It verifies the mediating role of supervisor felt obligation to organization and the moderating role of supervisor core self-evaluation in this relationship.Design/methodology/approachA two-wave survey sampling method was applied to collect 247 pieces of paired data (supervisors-new employees) in organizations in China.FindingsThe results show that supervisor felt obligation to organization mediates the relationship between supervisor perceived organizational support and supervisor developmental feedback. The findings suggest that a high level of supervisor core self-evaluation strengthens the relationship between supervisor perceived organizational support and supervisor felt obligation to organization and then facilitates supervisor developmental feedback.Originality/valueThis study combines two perspectives, organizational factor and supervisor trait, to reveal the occurrence mechanism of supervisor developmental feedback and complements the research on the influencing factors of supervisor developmental feedback. In addition, it provides some theoretical guidance and practical insights into how organizations can motivate supervisors to provide developmental feedback to new employees.

Understanding the impact of expertise on compassion fatigue in counseling via core self-evaluation and resilience.

Compassion fatigue is a prevalent challenge experienced by helping professionals, influencing both their personal well-being and the quality of services they deliver. While the beneficial impact of expertise in counseling on alleviating compassion fatigue has been established, limited research has investigated this association specifically among mental health counselors within the cultural context of China. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined whether expertise in counseling can reduce compassion fatigue and whether this relationship is mediated by core self-evaluation and resilience. A cross-sectional survey of 109 mental health counselors revealed that expertise negatively predicted compassion fatigue both directly and indirectly through enhanced core self-evaluation. However, resilience only exhibited a negative correlation with compassion fatigue and a positive correlation with core self-evaluation, its mediating effect between expertise and compassion fatigue was not supported. This study highlights the crucial role of expertise and core self-evaluation as mediating factors in alleviating compassion fatigue.

The effect of parental and teacher autonomy support and core self-evaluations: a three-wave longitudinal study of middle students' career adaptability.

According to career construction theory, middle school students are in a critical phase of growth and exploration that requires self-reflection on their interests, values, and aspirations. Career adaptability is a key indicator of career development for middle school students and a crucial ability for achieving career success. Research indicates that many Chinese middle school students face significant hurdles in their career development, including a lack of motivation, limited self-awareness, and unclear career trajectories. To address these challenges, it is imperative to explore the factors influencing career adaptability, with a particular focus on the role of parental and teacher autonomy support within the framework of self-determination theory. This study aims to explore the correlation between parental autonomy support (PAS), teacher autonomy support (TAS), core self-evaluations (CSE), and career adaptability (CA) among middle school students. The longitudinal data for this study were collected from two middle schools in the Anhui province. Middle school students were recruited as research participants through a cluster sampling method. A total of 482 students were surveyed in three stages during a 1-year period, and a cross-lag model was employed to analyze the data. (1) From T1 to T2, T1PAS predicted T2CS, T1CSE predicted T2CA, and T1CA predicted T2TA; (2) from T2 to T3, T2PAS predicted T3CS, T2CSE predicted T3CA, and T2TAS predicted T3PAS; (3) TAS did not predict CSE and CA over time; (4) T2CSE mediated the relationship between T1PAS and T3CA. These findings suggest that autonomy support has a consistently positive influence on the career development of early adolescents. Valuing children's autonomy is beneficial for fostering positive self-evaluations and shaping their career trajectories. Autonomy support plays a pivotal role in enhancing middle school students' career adaptability and promoting career development by strengthening self-evaluations. Additionally, the effect of parental autonomy support is more stable than that of teacher autonomy support.

Core self-evaluation:an empirical study in the in the Colombian context

core self-evaluation (CSE) refers to the essential judgments individuals make regarding their self-performance. This study aims to empi-rically examine the correlation between employee’s CSE and key organizational variables, encompassing happiness, motivation, job satisfaction,work commitment, and person-job fit. Through a cross-sectional self-administered instrument, the research delves into the perspectives of 241employees within four retail industry companies in northeastern Colombia. Employing a partial least squares-structural equation model, theanalysis explores the relationships among these variables. The results identify a lack of full reciprocity in the examined associations. When treating CSE as the dependent variable, the study validates only the hypotheses proposing job satisfaction and motivation as independent variables.Nevertheless, a significant association emerges between CSE, and all examined organizational variables when applying a supplemental analysiswith inverted hypotheses. These findings emphasize the importance of adopting a multifaceted approach to enhance organizational outcomes for employees in a business setting. Furthermore, they suggest that, beyond conventional knowledge, CSR could function as a significant catalyst for various organizational behaviors, thereby advocating for its exploration and application in similar studies.

Factors Influencing Work-Life Balance: Mediating Role of Telecommuting

This study explores the role of telecommuting on work-life balance (WLB) in the IT sector at Bank Rakyat. The objective is to examine the effects of workload (WL), work flexibility (WF), and core self-evaluation (CSE) on WLB, with telecommuting as a mediating factor. It acknowledges the challenges of increased workloads during the shift to remote work in IT and the importance of understanding the relationship between workload and WLB for effective telecommuting policies. The study highlights potential downsides of higher workloads and the need for customized telecommuting guidelines to ensure WLB. Grounded in the Job Demand Resources Model, data were collected from 181 junior IT executives at Bank Rakyat's headquarters using purposive sampling. A two-stage structural equation approach assessed the validity, reliability, and impact of variables. Results show telecommuting positively influences WLB by enhancing work flexibility and CSE, while workload does not significantly affect WLB among IT staff at Bank Rakyat. This research provides insight into the relationships between WL, WF, CSE, and WLB, and offers an understanding of how telecommuting helps junior executives at Bank Rakyat balance work and personal life.

The reciprocal relationships between core self-evaluation, academic burnout and deviant peer affiliation in adolescence

The reciprocal relationships between core self-evaluation, academic burnout and deviant peer affiliation in adolescence

Core self-evaluations and perceived classmate support: Independent predictors of psychological adjustment.

The main aim of this research was to explore the contribution of both core self-evaluations (CSE) and classmate support as unique predictors of positive and negative psychological adjustment among adolescents. In a cross-sectional study, 2,293 Spanish adolescents (Mage = 14.07) completed the Core Self-Evaluations Scale, the Classmate Support subscale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales and the Frequency of Suicidal Ideation Inventory. Pearson correlations among assessed variables were examined, and three hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictive role of CSE and classmate support on life satisfaction, depressive symptomatology, and suicidal ideation. Both CSE and classmate support were positively related to life satisfaction and negatively related to depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Hierarchical regression analyses identified CSE and classmate support as independent predictors of both positive and negative psychological outcomes in this sample. These results indicated support for a comprehensive model involving CSE and classmate support as additive predictors of both positive and negative outcomes among adolescents. These findings underscore the unique and additive role of both individual (i.e., CSE) and, to a lower degree, social factors (i.e., classmate support) to augment the prediction model of positive and negative psychological adjustment among adolescents. Practical implications are discussed, focusing on preventive programs that include strategies to increase positive self-appraisals and create a supportive classroom climate.

Bad Guys Finish First? A Moral Emotional Perspective of Job Performance Outcomes for Abusive Supervisors

Do abusive supervisors benefit from their own harmful behaviors, or do they experience the same repercussions as their victims do? This article extends a growing stream of research that aims to understand how bad actors process their own negative actions, when they are most impacted by their adverse behaviors, and how their job performance is influenced as a result. We ground this research in a moral emotions perspective to suggest that enacted abusive supervision elicits prominent moral responses (i.e., shame or guilt), which subsequently influence the supervisor’s own work conduct. Specifically, we suggest that feelings of guilt will prompt an abusive boss to compensate for their negative behaviors by increasing performance efforts, whereas supervisors with feelings of shame will withdraw and exhibit lower work performance. Multiple mediation results from Study 1 revealed that abusive supervisors predominantly experience shame and, in turn, reduced performance. In Study 2, we expand on these findings by considering the moderating role of supervisor core self-evaluations (CSE). We find that the negative relationship between enacted abuse and supervisor performance (through shame) is exacerbated when managers possess a fragile sense of self (i.e., low CSE). Overall, the current article adds to the argument that abusive supervisors do not profit from their own negative behaviors and that they, too, suffer performance setbacks.

Adult attachment and love psychological stress among college students: the mediating role of core self-evaluation and the moderating role of meaning in life

BackgroundWith college students going into dating relationships, dating partners become their new attachment figures. We aimed to investigate the relationship between adult attachment, and love psychological stress among college students, which also explored the roles of core self-evaluation and meaning in life.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire survey on 813 college students using the adult attachment scale, core self-evaluation scale, meaning in life scale, and love psychological stress scale. We constructed a moderated mediation model to analyze the relationship between adult attachment and love psychological stress, as well as the mediating effect of core self-evaluation and the moderating effect of meaning in life.ResultsThe results showed that after controlling for single parent or not, adult attachment significantly negatively predicted love psychological stress of college students. Core self-evaluation partially mediated the relationship between adult attachment and love psychological stress of college students. The second half of the mediation model was moderated by meaning in life, that is, with the increase of meaning in life, the negative predictive effect of core self-evaluation on love psychological stress of college students gradually strengthened. The findings of this study demonstrate the detrimental impact of adult attachment on love psychological stress of college students, as well as the mediating core self-evaluation and the moderating role of meaning in life.ConclusionsThe mediating and moderating effect of adult attachment between love psychological stress, as well as the mediating effect of core self-evaluation and the moderating effect of meaning in life were confirmed. Overall, promoting the healthy development of adult attachment and helping them shape a positive meaning in life can enhance individuals’ core self-evaluation, thus alleviating love psychological stress among college students. It can also provide references for mental health education in colleges and universities.

Sustainability and software development projects: leadership, core self-evaluation and empowerment as critical success factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to integrate job demands–resources theory with core self-evaluation theory to examine how and when sustainable project leadership stimulates sustainable project performance. Psychological empowerment is used as a mechanism between sustainable project leadership and sustainable project performance, whereas core self-evaluation acts as a moderator between sustainable project leadership and psychological empowerment. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a time-lagged two-phase approach to collecting data from 257 software engineers working in medium-sized and large companies in the Polish financial sector. Findings This study reveals the direct and indirect (through psychological empowerment) effects of sustainable project leadership on sustainable project performance. It also confirms that the “sustainable project leadership–psychological empowerment” relationship strengthens with increasing level of project team members’ core self-evaluation. Originality/value This article explores a unique research framework. It significantly enriches the literature on sustainable project management, increasing the understanding of effective leadership practices that address the needs of software engineering teams to support sustainable project performance.

The effect of peer relationships on loneliness: A moderated mediation model

I examined the effect of peer relationships and core self-evaluation on loneliness, and explored the moderating role of migrant status in this context by surveying 389 junior high school students using a questionnaire method. The results showed that core self-evaluation partially mediated the relationship between peer relationships and loneliness. In addition, migrant status had a significant moderating effect on the first half pathway of the mediating process. These findings deepen understanding of the mechanisms affecting loneliness in adolescents, especially migrant adolescents. The findings could help researchers develop more effective interventions to reduce loneliness among adolescents, focusing on the mental health problems of migrant children to provide them with more comprehensive support.