Serial Mediation Research Articles

Child Abuse and Neglect and Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Traits: Effects of Attachment, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Metacognition

AbstractChild Abuse and Neglect (CAN) is extensively implicated as a risk factor preceding the development of Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Traits (OCPT). Nevertheless, the majority of individuals with a history of CAN do not go on to develop OCPT. To date, little research has investigated potential model networks that may help contribute to explaining why CAN sometimes leads to OCPT and not at other times. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether attachment-anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and metacognition have indirect effects in the association between CAN and OCPT in various network models. Undergraduate psychology students (N = 291) participated in an anonymous 30-min online survey consisting of a series of self-report questionnaires regarding child abuse and neglect, attachment, intolerance of uncertainty, metacognition, OCPT, and depression. Bootstrapped serial mediation revealed attachment-anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty had a serial-mediation effect in the association between CAN and OCPT. Serial mediation was not found for metacognition and attachment-anxiety. However, metacognition alone mediated between child emotional abuse and OCPT. These findings expand our currently limited knowledge regarding the etiology of OCPT and suggest that attachment-anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and metacognition may be important contributors for understanding the development of OCPT following CAN exposure. The potential clinical utility for both assessment and treatment are discussed.

Clustered health risk behaviors with mind wandering in young adults: serial mediation of sleep quality and emotional symptoms

Clustered health risk behaviors with mind wandering in young adults: serial mediation of sleep quality and emotional symptoms

A serial mediation model reveals the association between parental over-protection and academic entitlement among nursing students

The study aims to explore the influence of parental over-protection on academic entitlement of nursing students, and examine the mediating roles of external locus of control and psychological entitlement. The study sampled two medical universities in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, China. Participants were nursing students in grades one to four (N = 1003; mean age = 19.51 years; 81.95% female). Using a structural equation model, we examined the mediating effect of external locus of control and psychological entitlement on parental over-protection and academic entitlement. The results show that there was a significant correlation between all variables, and external locus of control and psychological entitlement played a serial mediating role between parental over-protection and academic entitlement. Our findings suggest that academic entitlement of nursing students can be reduced by adjusting parental rearing behaviors, reducing students’ psychological entitlement, and teaching them how to form a healthier attribution style.

Tourism Constraints and Subjective Well-Being for Senior: A Serial Multiple Mediation Model

ABSTRACT This study targets seniors aged 60 and above, exploring the impact of tourism constraints on their subjective well-being through the lens of Activity Theory, as well as the mediating and serial mediating roles played by constraint negotiation and tourism participation. Conducted through a questionnaire survey, the empirical research reveals that tourism constraints negatively impact the subjective well-being of seniors. Conversely, tourism constraints positively influence constraint negotiation, which in turn positively affects tourism participation. Tourism participation enhances subjective well-being. Furthermore, constraint negotiation acts as a mediator in the relationship between tourism constraints and tourism participation, while tourism participation mediates the relationship between tourism constraints and subjective well-being. Serial mediating effect is found between tourism constraints and subjective well-being through constraint negotiation and tourism participation. This paper enriches the study of outcome variables and mechanisms of elderly tourism constraints, offering targeted suggestions to improve the tourism participation of seniors, thereby enhancing their sense of achievement and well-being.

How Do Urban Nature Parks Contribute to Psychological Restoration? The Perspective of Embodied Experience

Urban nature parks, as public green spaces in cities, hold great significance in helping individuals rejuvenate their physical and mental well-being in response to the demands of daily life and work. While researchers have widely recognized the psychologically restorative effects of urban nature parks, the role of embodied experiences in the restoration process has not received adequate attention. Drawing upon the embodied theory, this study explores how embodied nature experiences contribute to and support psychological restoration, as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms. The findings indicate that embodied nature experiences in urban nature parks directly and indirectly facilitate psychological restoration by enhancing nature connectedness and social connectedness. Furthermore, nature connectedness and social connectedness serve as serial mediators between embodied nature experiences and psychological restoration. These conclusions provide empirical evidence for the future development of urban nature parks.

Understanding the role of social media and dynamic capabilities in innovation performance in AgTech: a serial mediation model

PurposeWe developed and tested a theoretical model that measures the importance of social media and dynamic capabilities with regard to improving innovation performance in startups from the agribusiness sector (AgTech), that is, technology-based companies with scalability potential that operate in the agribusiness sector.Design/methodology/approachThis model analyzed three dynamic capabilities: internal collaboration capacity, absorptive capacity, and organizational agility. To test this theoretical model, we employed structural equation modeling with partial least squares estimation (PLS-SEM) analyzing 237 AgTech in Brazil.FindingsOur results show that the use of social media positively affects innovation performance and contributes to internal collaboration capability (a second-order construct that encompasses commitment, communication, and trust). Internal collaboration is an antecedent of absorptive capacity and organizational agility. These two dynamic capabilities positively impact innovation performance. Our results also indicate that these dynamic capabilities serially mediate the relationship between social media and innovation performance.Practical implicationsWhile some literature describes the dark side of social media, our study sheds light on the importance of these platforms to improve internal collaboration in AgTech, a pivotal capability that is necessary to develop other relevant capabilities.Originality/valueThis study presents results from one of most large AgTech survey found in literature. Furthermore, this study also shows that there are dynamic capabilities essential to develop others relevant dynamic capabilities, indicating that innovation performance involves a sequential integration of capabilities.

Adorable interactions: investigating the influence of AI voice assistant cuteness on consumer usage intentions

In an era where user experience reigns supreme, an unexpected element is subtly influencing our interactions with technology— “Cuteness.” However, when discussing the design of digital products such as AIVAs, is cuteness merely a matter of appearance? This paper aims to unveil the complex psychological mechanisms and their impact on usage intention hidden behind the seemingly harmless allure of cuteness. Through an experimental study involving 284 participants and utilizing a moderated serial mediation model via PLS-SEM, this research reveals how aesthetic design differences influence usage intentions. The findings disclose three key insights: (1) A positive relationship between cuteness and usage intention is confirmed; (2) Social presence, performance expectancy and customer value act as serial mediations between cuteness and usage intention; (3) Perceived risk moderates the impact of cuteness on usage intentions by influencing social presence, performance expectancy, hedonic value and functional value. This contributes theoretical insights and practical guidance for the sustainable development and success of AIVAs.

Fuelling perceived employability through Leader's expert power: Role of empowerment climate and thriving

After COVID-19, pre-existing perceptions of employability have dramatically changed. Consequently, challenges of workforce sustainability prompt managers to develop non-traditional survival strategies. However, there is limited understanding of how these strategies impact employability perceptions. This study applies self-determination theory and aims to address this gap by investigating how a leader's expert power enhances followers' perceived employability through serial mediation of empowerment climate and thriving at work. Findings reveal a positive relationship between a leader's expert power and follower perceptions of employability. Empowerment climate is positively linked with thriving at work, which in turn is positively linked with perceived employability. Findings indicate that empowerment climate and thriving at work serve as mediators for the relationship between leader's expert power and followers' perceived employability. Support for serial mediation signifies that empowerment climate and thriving at work serially mediate between a leader's expert power and followers' perceived employability. These findings have significant theoretical and managerial implications. Managers should leverage expert power to foster employees' sense of employability by creating an empowering workplace. This enhances employees' thriving and subsequently improves their perceived employability.

COVID-19 Posttraumatic Effects on Perinatal Psychological Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study at the End of the Pandemic Health Emergency.

Psychological distress in pregnant and postpartum women increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the impact of the pandemic in perinatal women at the end of the health emergency has been rarely studied. This study is aimed at investigating the psychological health of pregnant and postpartum women at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, hypothesizing that the COVID-19-related fears influence perinatal psychological distress via the mediation of the COVID-19-related posttraumatic impact and loneliness. A total of 200 women in the perinatal period, of which 125 were pregnant and 75 were postpartum, participated in an online survey at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in Italy. Depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, posttraumatic impact of COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19-related fears were assessed. To test the hypotheses, robust serial mediation analyses were performed. Increased levels of COVID-19-related fears were associated with an increase in perinatal depression, anxiety and stress indirectly through the serial mediation of COVID-19 posttraumatic impact and loneliness. Loneliness played a stronger role in mediating the relationship between COVID-19-related fears and depression than anxiety and stress outcomes. This study should be considered exploratory for its methodological characteristics and nonreplicability of the pandemic condition. However, this study suggests the importance of assessing posttraumatic reactions to 'collective' crises in pregnant and postpartum women for research and clinical practice. In addition, it sustains the role of loneliness as a transversal construct that should be greatly considered in targeting psychological interventions for women in the perinatal period.

Service-oriented HRP bundles and team performance: A team-level serial mediation model

Drawing on two theoretical frameworks–positive psychology theory and conservation of resources theory–the relationship and underlying mechanism between team-level service-oriented human resource practice (SO-HRP) bundles and team performance were explored by constructing a team-level serial mediation model. Survey data were collected from 424 employees at 80 branches of five financial holding companies in Northern Taiwan. The team-level serial-mediated model and hypotheses were examined using SPSS version 24 and the PROCESS macro for SPSS. The results indicate that team psychological capital (PsyCap) and team work engagement serially mediated the relationship between SO-HRP bundles and team performance. These results imply that managers should plan and implement SO-HRP bundles in detail, reinforce team PsyCap, and increase engagement within their financial service teams to enhance team performance.

Unmasking the narcissism and workaholism dilemma: A parallel and sequential mediation dance of perfectionism and paranoia in diverse organizational environments

Narcissistic workaholics are preoccupied with establishing themselves as authoritative figures in order to hold status. The need to achieve the highest status can become obsessive for certain people, driving them to continuously test their limitations. The same can be said about the mind when it comes to any kind of addiction and work life-stressor. Those who suffer from perfectionism have unrealistically high standards for themselves. In this mental state, paranoia might develop. The purpose of this paper was to investigate these concerns. So far, we hypothesized that, according to the Whole Trait Theory, narcissist suffering from perfectionism and paranoid personality disorder positively linked with workaholism Using multi-source data of 450 responses from leaders-subordinates' dyads working in 20 Pakistanis Industries (which include Information Technology, Banking and finance, and healthcare). The data was analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results showed that narcissism is positively linked with workaholism, while perfectionism and paranoia first parallel mediates this relationship, and in comparative view, the complex sequential serial mediation model mediated first through paranoid personality disorder and then perfectionism. Employee mental health should be prioritized, and positive workaholism should be encouraged.

Exploring the Role of Perceived Supervisor Support: A Serial Mediation of Approach Job Crafting and Thriving at Work in Enhancing Job Satisfaction

The purposeof this study is to explore the underlying mechanism of approach job crafting and thriving at work that explain the relationship between perceived supervisor support and job satisfaction amongpublic sector employees. Drawing on job demand and resource model and organization support theory, the study aims to investigate the proposed serial mediation in public sector employees in Pakistan. By examining the sequential relationships among perceived supervisor support, approach job crafting, thriving at work, and ultimately job satisfaction, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics within public sector organizations and offer insights for enhancing employee satisfaction. Based on cross sectional data from 369 public sector employees,Smart PLS 4andstructural equation modeling (SEM) wereemployedto analyze the data and study the serial mediation effect. Strong empirical evidence was found for all the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicated that stronger perceptions of supervisor support are associated with higher levels of job satisfaction among employees. Furthermore, approach job crafting and thriving at work mediate this relationship, highlighting theemployee behavior to actively shape theirroles and experiences at work. The findings show a path for public sector employees to capitalize on the antecedents to employee job satisfaction. Furthermore, it is suggested that public sector organizations should encourage active supervisor support to promote employee job satisfaction. In doing so, it is important to ensure that the employees are provided a workplace that pursues and encourages approach job crafting for enhanced levels of job satisfaction through thriving at work. This study expands theresearch on approach job crafting and sheds light on important conditions under which perceived supervisor support promotes job satisfaction in public sector employees in Pakistan. The study holds importance for public sector employees, supervisors and the public sector departments at large.

대학생의 외로움과 소비자행복과의 관계에서 공동체의식과 관계적 소비의 매개효과

Consumer happiness is the ultimate goal pursued by consumers, and it is important to understand the variables related to it. This study analyzed the mediating effects of sense of community and relational consumption to study the relationship between loneliness and consumer happiness. For the study, 288 university students were randomly sampled and an online survey was conducted from May 4 to May 31, 2023. For data analysis, serial mediation analysis was performed using Hayes' SPSS Process Macro (version 3.5.2) model 6, and Bootstrapping was performed to verify the significance of indirect effects. The results of the analysis are as follows: First, in the relationship between loneliness and consumer happiness among students, the sequential mediating effect of sense of community and relational consumption was statistically significant. Second, it was found that the level of loneliness of students seeking financial support has a negative effect on relational consumption, and relational consumption has a positive effect on consumer happiness. Third, when seeking psycho-emotional support, loneliness has a positive effect on a sense of community, a sense of community has a positive effect on relational consumption, and relational consumption has a positive effect on consumer happiness.

A Study on Anomie and Neoliberalism: The Role of Social Disconnection on Well-Being

This study analyses whether the levels of anomie and social disconnection as consequences of the perceived implementation of neoliberal economic measures have a negative influence on the well-being of individuals. The study sample consisted of 334 Spanish participants residing in the city and province of Malaga, Spain (201 women and 133 men). The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 80 years (M = 33.22, SD = 15.35). The results obtained in our research showed that anomie and social disconnection exert a serial mediation on the relationship between perceived neoliberalism and well-being. It was obtained that perceived neoliberalism had a positive effect on anomie and that anomie had a positive effect on social disengagement, while pointing to social disengagement having a negative effect on well-being. The results are interpreted from the perspective of social identity, assuming that a society as being in a state of anomie fails to satisfy important psychological needs. This anomie causes individuals to perceive themselves as more disconnected, and as such not benefiting from the potential positive effects of group membership and social identification.

The Serial Mediating Role of Acidity Content and total Soluble Solids in Linking Peel Thickness to Vitamin C Content in Some Accessions of Citrus limon (L.) Burm

This study aimed to examine whether the association between PT and VC content is influenced by the levels of TSS and AT content. More Specifically, the experimental analytical investigation involved 24 lemon Accession (Citrus limon (L.) Burm.), with a focus on the VC content in the fruits. Serial mediation analyses were conducted using Model 6 of Hayes’ PROCESS macro (version 4.2), with controls for weight, FL, number of seeds per fruits, and percentage of juice. The mediation analysis indicated that PT had a total effect of 31.74 (95% CI, 9.04-54.45) on VC content. This effect was divided into a direct effect of 7.13(95% CI, -14.15-28.40) and an indirect effect of 24.61 (95% CI, 12.16-37.93), with an estimated proportion of 77.54% being mediated by levels of TSS and AT. Additionally, TSS and AT were identified as independent factors contributing to the increase in VC content, serving as significant mediators in the relationship between PT and VC content. In summary, our findings suggest that levels of TSS and AT play crucial roles as mediators in linking PT to VC content. These findings have practical implications for optimizing vitamin C levels in citrus fruits

The mediation effect of Systemic Immunity Inflammation Index between urinary metals and TOFAT among adults in the NHANES dataset

Systemic Immune Inflammatory Index (SII) is a novel indicator of inflammation. However, no studies have reported the effect of SII on the association between metals and total fat (TOFAT). We aim to investigate the mediated effect of SII on the relationship between urinary metals and TOFAT in a US adult population. This cross-sectional study was conducted among adults with complete information on SII, urine metal concentrations, and TOFAT from the 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multifactorial logistic regression and restricted cubic splines were used to explore the association between urine metal levels and TOFAT. Furthermore, serial mediation analyses were used to investigate the mediating effect of SII on metals and TOFAT. A total of 3324 subjects were included in this study. After adjusting for confounders, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), cesium (Cs), inorganic mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), and thallium(Tl) had negative decreased trends of odds ratios for TOFAT (all P for trend < 0.05). In the total population, we found that Cd, Co, and Tu were positively associated with SII (β = 29.70, 79.37, and 31.08), whereas As and Hg had a negative association with SII. The mediation analysis showed that SII mediated the association of Co with TOFAT, with the β of the mediating effect being 0.9% (95%CI: 0.3%, 1.6%). Our findings suggested that exposure to As, Cd, and Hg would directly decrease the level of TOFAT. However, Co would increase TOFAT, completely mediated by SII, mainly exerted in females rather than males.

The knowledge, attitude, and intention to use internet-based mental health services: A serial mediation model

ObjectiveInternet-based mental health services (i-MHS) have been widely provided to the public during the pandemic. However, people's engagement with i-MHS remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the Chinese population's knowledge, attitudes, and use intentions regarding i-MHS and determine their relations by serial mediation models. MethodsThe public's knowledge, attitudes, intention to use i-MHS and psychological impact of the pandemic were assessed. An online survey was administered to respondents from mainland China (N = 2543). ResultsOf the participants, 53.9 % exhibited some familiarity with i-MHS, while 62.4 % perceived these services as somewhat or very helpful, and 53.2 % were willing or very willing to use them. Serial mediation analyses indicated that the psychological impact of the pandemic indirectly related to the intention to use i-MHS. Knowledge and attitudes toward i-MHS sequentially mediated this relation [χ2(61) = 179.359, P < .001; χ2/df = 2.940; CFI = 0.996; RMSEA = 0.028]. ConclusionsThis study underscores the critical role of knowledge in shaping positive attitudes and intentions to use i-MHS, emphasizing the need for robust mental healthcare promotion strategies to raise knowledge and maximize the benefits of i-MHS.

An Organizational System Approach to Internal Retaliation Behavior within Chinese SMEs: The Serial Multiple Mediation Model and Moderating Role of Workplace Incivility

An Organizational System Approach to Internal Retaliation Behavior within Chinese SMEs: The Serial Multiple Mediation Model and Moderating Role of Workplace Incivility

Early Parental Knowledge and Parent-Child Conversations Promote Preschool Language Skills: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectiveThis randomized controlled trial examined the long-term impact of the 3Ts-HV intervention on preschool-aged children’s language skills through promoting parental knowledge and parent-child conversational turns during toddlerhood among families from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds, controlling for parental education level, parental language skills, and child’s age. MethodsNinety two parent-toddler dyads of low socioeconomic status were randomized to receive either the 3Ts-HV intervention (n = 46) or Healthy Lifestyle control (n = 46) curriculum from 14 to 20 months. Parental language skills were assessed at 14 months; parental knowledge was assessed at 14 and 26 months; parent-child conversational turn count was assessed at 14 and 38 months; children’s language skills were assessed at 50 months. ResultsA significant serial mediation effect (β = 0.05, 95% CI [0.002; 0.13]) revealed that the 3Ts-HV intervention increased parental knowledge at 26 months, contributed to more frequent parent-child conversational turns at 38 months, and in turn promoted children’s language skills at 50 months. ConclusionsThe present study provides empirical evidence illustrating the underlying longitudinal processes from increasing parental knowledge and enriching parent-child linguistic interactions during toddlerhood, to promoting children’s language development at preschool age. These findings point to a significant path to supporting families who face socioeconomic challenges early in life to promote equity in children’s early language experiences and narrow disparities in children’s developmental outcomes.

From Spiritual Climate to Social Workers’ Job Performance: A Serial Mediation Model of Organisational Commitment and Work Engagement

Abstract The significance of the spiritual climate in enhancing job performance is acknowledged, yet there exists a notable lack of empirical understanding regarding mechanisms, particularly in the social work profession. This study aims to address this gap by examining the serial mediation effect of organisational commitment and work engagement in delineating the relationship between spiritual climate and job performance. A sample of 1,023 social workers from H City, China, was procured using a multistage cluster random sampling approach. The results of the serial mediation analyses show a direct positive effect of spiritual climate on job performance (b = 0.130, p &amp;lt; 0.001) and significant indirect effects through organisational commitment (b = 0.640, p &amp;lt; 0.001) and work engagement (b = 0.516, p &amp;lt; 0.001), underscoring the crucial roles these variables play in mediating spiritual climate’s influence on job performance. Findings reveal a sequential mediating pathway from organisational commitment to work engagement, operating between spiritual climate and job performance. This research clarifies the complex mechanisms linking spiritual climate and job performance, augmenting the limited empirical knowledge within the social work profession. Additionally, it offers practical implications for meeting social workers’ spiritual needs at work.