Significant Indirect Relationship Research Articles

Longitudinal relations between parenting practices and prosocial behaviors in recent immigrant Latino/a adolescents: Familism values and ethnic identity as mediators

IntroductionThe present study investigated the mediating roles of familism values and ethnic identity in longitudinal associations between recent immigrant U.S. Latino/a adolescents' reports of their parents' (i.e., mothers' and fathers') use of social and material rewards and prosocial behaviors.MethodsParticipants included 302 recent immigrant U.S. Latino/a adolescents (M age = 14.5 years at Time 1, range = 13–17 years, 53% male) recruited from Los Angeles and Miami. Participants self-reported on their perceptions of parents' use of social and material rewards (Time 1), familism values (Time 3), ethnic identity (Time 5), and multiple types of prosocial behaviors (Time 6).ResultsPath analyses showed that mothers' use of social rewards was indirectly related (via familism values and ethnic identity) to higher levels of everyday types of helping behaviors seen in youth, whereas mothers' use of material rewards was only directly related to motive-based helping behaviors. In contrast, we found no significant direct or indirect relations from fathers' use of social or material rewards and prosocial behaviors.DiscussionThe discussion describes the parenting and cultural assets that facilitate varied types and motives of prosocial behaviors in recent immigrant U.S. Latino/a youth. Family-based interventions, prosocial development theories, and future research on this topic can target prosocial parenting practices (e.g., social rewards) and cultural assets (e.g., familism values, ethnic identity) to facilitate helping in youth.

Flourishing Among Elderly Population: The Role of Social Support and Gratitude.

This paper sets out a framework for exploring flourishing in older age through the lens of social support and gratitude. Flourishing is a relatively new concept in positive psychology. Social support and gratitude are as potential predictors of flourishing among older individuals that considers hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of well-being. The current study evaluated the relationship between social support and gratitude associated with flourishing among elderly people. The proposed relationship was assessed among 413 elderly people from north India aged 60-90 years with a mean age of 67.94 years. The data were analysed using a two-step approach to structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that gratitude as a mediator in the relationship between social support and flourishing. Additionally, a significant indirect relationship was also found between perceived social support and flourishing via gratitude. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is one of the first studies that conceptualizes and assesses flourishing among older adults in India. The findings from the present study make important contributions to the existing literature on well-being among elderly population. It is suggested that health and social care professionals working with older adults adopt a comprehensive approach to identify and propel non-flourishing people toward flourishing in life.

The Relationship between Laissez-Faire Leadership and Cyberbullying at Work: The Role of Interpersonal Conflicts.

A person can experience cyberbullying at work when exposed to repetitive and intrusive negative acts facilitated by new information and communication technologies (ICTs). The incidence of workplace cyberbullying has rapidly increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue does not arise in isolation; leadership plays a critical role. Leaders who fail to set clear rules and provide minimal supervision may exacerbate interpersonal conflicts among subordinates. This study explores the role of laissez-faire leadership and interpersonal conflicts on workplace cyberbullying from a gender perspective. A two-wave panel study was conducted (N = 1995; 53.6% women; M age = 42.02 years old; SD = 9.23; age range: 18-74 years old). Our findings indicate no direct relationship between laissez-faire leadership and workplace cyberbullying; however, there is a significant indirect relationship. Laissez-faire leadership is associated with a higher frequency of interpersonal conflicts, which in turn are related to cyberbullying, making interpersonal conflicts a mediator. Additionally, gender moderates the relationship between interpersonal conflicts and workplace cyberbullying. Our results suggest that interpersonal conflicts may increase exposure to cyberbullying, particularly for men under laissez-faire leadership. These findings have managerial implications for introducing tailored interventions to prevent workplace cyberbullying.

The associations between EFL learners’ L2 class belongingness, emotion regulation strategies, and perceived L2 proficiency in an online learning context

ABSTRACT Although the sense of belongingness plays a major influence in fostering intrinsic motivation and psychological well-being, scant research attention has been given to English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ belongingness in relation to peers and teachers and its outcomes in L2 learning contexts. Additionally, despite the importance of emotion regulation in L2 education, little is known about its role in mediating the impact of L2 belongingness on self-assessment of L2 proficiency in online L2 learning environments. Therefore, the present study used survey data to examine the associations between learners’ sense of class belongingness, their preferred emotional regulation strategies (reappraisal vs. suppression) and self-perceived English proficiency, in a sample of 191 Turkish EFL university students. Path analysis results indicated significant direct paths between social belongingness with peers and academic belongingness with teachers, respectively, and the emotional regulation strategy of reappraisal. Further analysis indicated a significant indirect association between social belongingness with peers and perceived L2 proficiency through the measure of reappraisal emotional regulation. There was also a significant indirect relationship via reappraisal between academic belongingness with teachers and perceived L2 proficiency. The results are discussed in connection with self-determination theory and social identity theory, and implications are drawn for teaching.

Childhood Trauma and Parental Burnout: The Mediating Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Reflective Functioning.

This study investigated the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation and reflective functioning in the association between childhood trauma and parental burnout. The participants included 402 mothers with children ranging in age from 1 to 6years. Mothers completed the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) the parental reflective functioning questionnaire (PRFQ), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26, and Hayes Macro in SPSS was also used to analyze the effects of mediating variables. The results show that although childhood trauma and parental burnout do not have a direct and significant relationship, there is a significant indirect relationship through difficulties in emotional regulation and the two factors of parental reflective functioning, i.e., pre-mentalization, interest and curiosity about mental states. These findings contribute to the understanding of the importance of variables such as difficulties in emotion regulation and reflective functioning, which play a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and parental burnout. This suggests that designing interventions and prevention to reduce parental burnout based on emotion regulation and reflective functioning may be beneficial.

Modeling the impact of BDA-AI on sustainable innovation ambidexterity and environmental performance

Data has evolved into one of the principal resources for contemporary businesses. Moreover, corporations have undergone digitalization; consequently, their supply chains generate substantial amounts of data. The theoretical framework of this investigation was built on novel concepts like big data analytics—artificial intelligence (BDA-AI) and supply chain ambidexterity’s (SCA) direct impacts on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and indirect impacts on sustainable innovation ambidexterity (SIA) and environmental performance (EP). This study selected employees of manufacturing industries as respondents for environmental performance, sustainable supply chain management, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and supply chain ambidexterity. The results from this study show that BDA-AI and SCA significantly affect SSCM. SSCM has significant associations with SIA and EP. Finally, SIA has a significant impact on EP. According to the results indicating the indirect impacts, BDA-AI has significant indirect relationships with SIA and EP by having SSCM as the mediating variable. Furthermore, SCA has significant indirect associations with SIA and EP, with SSCM as the mediating variable. Additionally, both BDA-AI and SCA have significant indirect associations with EP, while SIA and SSCM are mediating variables. Finally, SSCM has an indirect association with EP while having SIA as a mediating variable. The findings of this paper provide several theoretical contributions to the research in sustainability and big data analytics artificial intelligence field. Furthermore, based on the suggested framework, this study offers a number of practical implications for decision-makers to improve significantly in the supply chain and BDA-AI. For instance, this paper provides significant insight for logistics and supply chain managers, supporting them in implementing BDA-AI solutions to help SSCM and enhance EP.

Sharing is caring: The positive role of smartphone co-use in social dynamics

Smartphones are increasingly present during the exchanges we have with others in real life. Such co-present smartphone use has mainly been examined from a negative perspective, and research has insufficiently recognized the positive role these behaviors may play in social relationships. The main goal of the current study was therefore to offer insight into the processes by which smartphone co-use may be related to positive social dynamics during in-person interactions. Data were collected through two cross-sectional studies among 1) in Austria ( N = 257, Mage = 32.84, SDage = 13.97, 55.9% female) and 2) in Belgium ( N = 180, Mage = 10.79, SDage = 0.66, 54% female) in 2022. Results from Study 1 indicated a significant indirect relationship between co-use and friendship satisfaction mediated through emotional support and companionship. Only for male participants, the relationship between smartphone co-use and perceived companionship was evident. Study 2 further indicated that this relationship was mediated through increased companionship and perceived emotional support for male participants, but not for female participants. As such, the current study offers an important first step in exploring the positive role co-present smartphone use can play in social relationships among different generations.

Interplay between childhood socioeconomic status and current job insecurity: A dual-contextual approach to decent work and well-being.

Grounded in the psychology of working theory, the link between economic constraints and decent work is well established. However, previous studies did not incorporate a developmental framework when examining this relationship. Drawing on a life history perspective, this study explored how childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with well-being through decent work. We adopted a dual-contextual approach, examining the interaction between childhood SES and current job insecurity as a predictor of decent work and well-being. Using data collected from 417 workers in South Korea, we tested a moderated mediation model. The results revealed significant indirect relationships between childhood SES and job and life satisfaction through decent work, particularly among individuals with higher job insecurity. Notably, these findings remained significant even after controlling for participants' current SES. Overall, our findings suggest that in contexts where job insecurity is prevalent, an individual's childhood SES is distinctly associated with decent work and well-being, independent of their current SES. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Comprehensive assessment of multiple biomarker mechanisms in the brackish water clam Corbicula japonica exposed to polystyrene microplastics using structural equation modeling

Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we investigated multiple biomarker mechanisms in terms of biochemical and individual marker responses in the brackish water clam Corbicula japonica following acute exposure to polystyrene microplastic (PS-MP). This study is the first to comprehensively explore multiple biomarker responses in bivalves using SEM. The model revealed that PS-MP accumulation was an independent biomarker, exhibiting significant direct effects on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) among the biochemical markers. Although CAT generally interacts closely with SOD, no significant relationship was identified between them, indicating that CAT may have independently responded to PS-MP stress. Among individual markers, significant indirect effects were observed on clearance rate (CR), reflecting feeding activity and valve open rate, indicating excretion activity via SOD and CAT. Finally, the carbon-based scope for growth was significantly influenced by CR. SEM is efficient and useful for identifying significant direct and indirect pathway relationships and for uncovering uncommon relationships in unified multiple biomarker mechanisms in aquatic studies.

Linking teachers’ and students’ motivation for self-regulated learning: is there a signal and how is it transmitted?

AbstractTeachers’ motivation is a core professional competence that influences their choices in their decision-making, such as promoting self-regulated learning (SRL). Promoting SRL supports students’ SRL development and might affect students’ motivation to apply strategies. However, the link between teachers’ motivation to promote SRL and students’ motivation to apply strategies has yet to be empirically investigated. In a multilevel analysis that included 167 lower secondary teachers and their 2,785 students, we analysed the direct and indirect relationships between teachers’ self-efficacy and attainment value, the teacher- and student-reported SRL promotion and students’ self-efficacy, utility value, attainment value and cost at the class and individual level. Additionally, we investigated the contribution of teacher- and student-reported SRL promotion to find indirect relations. Teachers’ self-efficacy was related to teacher-reported SRL promotion, and student-reported SRL promotion was associated with all motivational outcomes at the class and student level except for cost. Further, we found indirect effects between teachers’ self-efficacy for SRL promotion and students’ values and self-efficacy for SRL via teachers- and students-perceived SRL promotion. No direct effects between teacher and student motivation could be found, and no significant indirect relationships were found for the cost aspect. Regarding how the signal is transmitted, the results show that including student reports of SRL promotion is especially crucial to finding indirect links. However, future studies should employ longitudinal designs and incorporate more nuanced teacher and student motivation measures in SRL to better understand the motivational links between teachers and students.

Academic leadership and job performance: the effects of organizational citizenship behavior and informal institutional leadership

PurposeGrounded on the distributed theory and the social exchange theory, the current study investigates the determinants that positively influence job performance among educators within the realm of higher education in India. It particularly assesses the impact of perceived academic leadership on performance and explores the mediating and moderating effects of organizational citizenship behavior and informal institutional leadership.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a descriptive research design, this study encompasses a broad cross-section of faculty members from various higher educational institutions across India. Data were gathered from 826 educators using a snowball sampling technique, with questionnaires administered online. Each variable was measured using prevalidated scales.FindingsThe findings from the moderated mediation model indicate a significant indirect relationship between perceived academic leadership and job performance, which is mediated by organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, informal institutional leadership demonstrates significant conditional indirect effects, enhancing the link between academic leadership and job performance up to a threshold, beyond which its influence diminishes.Originality/valueThis study pioneers the exploration of academic dynamics beyond mere titles and ranks in the Indian educational sector. It delineates both the direct and indirect roles these dynamics play in enhancing faculty performance, providing a novel insight into the complexities of academic leadership.

Big Five personality traits, BIS/BAS dimensions and meteoropathy: a mediation model

BackgroundThe main goal of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between Big Five personality traits and meteor-opathy and the role of the behavioural activation system (BAS) and the behavioural inhibition system (BIS) as mediators in this relationship.Participants and procedureThe sample consisted of 1,336 women and men gathered via the online recruitment platform from the general population. The participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 76 years (M = 29.52, SD = 11.67). The Polish version of the Ten Item Personality Inventory was used to assess Big Five personality traits. The BIS and BAS were diagnosed using the Polish version of the original BIS/BAS scales. Meteoropathy was assessed using the Polish adaptation of the METEO-Q questionnaire.ResultsMeteoropathy correlated negatively with emotional stability and positively with the BIS level and BAS Reward Responsive-ness. BIS negatively correlated with emotional stability. The correlations between meteoropathy and other personality vari-ables were nonsignificant. The analysis indicated a significant indirect relationship between emotional stability and meteor-opathy through BIS. We demonstrated the importance of neuroticism (low emotional stability) and the BIS dimension for the development of meteoropathy symptoms.ConclusionsNeuroticism and the BIS dimension were important for the development of meteoropathy symptoms. The results may be helpful in assessing the risk of developing meteoropathy in a healthy population.

Picture perfect: Exploring the relationship between problematic TikTok use, physical appearance perfectionism, and upward physical appearance comparison on body appreciation

Physical appearance perfectionism and upward physical appearance comparisons have a potential role in explaining how the use of popular social networking sites can negatively impact a person's body image. Although there is considerable research on the relationship between body image and problematic Instagram usage, there is little reported on TikTok use. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the mediating relationship of physical appearance perfectionism and upward physical appearance comparison between problematic TikTok use and body appreciation. The sample included 185 TikTok users. Serial mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect negative relationship between problematic TikTok use and body appreciation through physical appearance perfectionism, but not upward physical appearance comparison, or physical appearance perfectionism and upward physical appearance comparison in serial. Thus, with the rapid growth of TikTok, this study highlights the importance of identifying the individuals who may be more vulnerable to the effects of the app. We suggest possible practice implications such as the implementation of screening strategies to identify those high in physical appearance perfectionism, and the development of workshops aimed at promoting positive body image in the face of SNS use.

Undergraduates’ reactions to errors mediates the association between growth mindset and study strategies

BackgroundStudents employ a variety of study strategies to learn and master content in their courses. Strategies vary widely in their effectiveness for promoting deep, long-term learning, yet most students use ineffective strategies frequently. Efforts to educate students about effective study strategies have revealed that knowledge about effective strategies is by itself insufficient for encouraging widespread and lasting changes. An important next step is to uncover factors that influence the decisions students make about study strategy use. We explored the association between beliefs about intelligence (mindset, universality, and brilliance) and study strategies. The most effective study strategies are error-prone, and beliefs about intelligence carry implications for whether errors are a normal and even beneficial part of the learning process (e.g., growth mindset) or signs of insufficient intelligence (e.g., fixed mindset). Therefore, we hypothesized that beliefs about and reactions to errors would mediate a relationship between beliefs about intelligence and study strategies. We tested this hypothesis by surveying 345 undergraduates enrolled in an introductory biology class at a public, research-active university in northwestern United States.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis indicated that the internal structure of all measures functioned as expected in our sample. We fit a structural equation model to evaluate our hypothesized model. We found that mindset, but not universality nor brilliance, predicts variance in both beliefs about errors and reactions to errors. In turn, adaptive reactions to errors (but not beliefs about errors) are associated with the use of highly effective study strategies and spacing study sessions. There was a significant indirect relationship between growth mindset and spacing of study sessions.ConclusionsOur results provide evidence for a mechanism explaining the association between students’ mindset beliefs and academic outcomes: believing that intelligence is improvable is associated with more adaptive reactions to making errors, which correlates with choosing more error-prone and therefore more effective study strategies. Future interventions aimed at improving students’ study strategies may be more effective if they simultaneously target reacting adaptively to errors and emphasize that intelligence is improvable.

How peer relationships affect academic achievement among junior high school students: The chain mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement.

Despite the recognition of the impact of peer relationships, learning motivation, and learning engagement on academic achievement, there is still a gap in understanding the specific mechanisms through which peer relationships impact academic achievement via learning motivation and learning engagement. This study aims to investigate how peer relationships affect junior high school students' academic achievement through the chain mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement, employing the self-system model of motivational development as the theoretical framework. In January 2024, 717 participants were selected from two middle schools in eastern China (mean age = 13.49 years, SD = 0.5). The data analysis in this study was performed using the structural equation model (SEM) in AMOS 24.0 and SPSS 24.0. The results showed that peer relationships were directly and significantly related to junior high school students' academic achievement, and that peer relationships were indirectly and positively related to junior high school students' academic achievement via learning motivation and learning engagement respectively. The results also revealed a significant indirect and positive relationship between peer relationships and junior high school students' academic achievement, mediated by the sequential mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement. Moreover, the path "peer relationship→learning motivation→academic achievement" has the strongest indirect effect. For junior high school students to achieve academic success, the appropriate interventions should be implemented to improve peer relationships, learning motivation, and learning engagement.

Indirect Associations Between PTSD Symptoms and Cannabis Problems in Young Adults: The Unique Roles of Cannabis Coping Motives and Medicinal Use Orientation

Background: Cannabis use in young adulthood has been associated with exposure to traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Coping motives for cannabis use represent one mechanism linking PTSD with cannabis problems, yet some individuals with PTSD consider their cannabis use to be medicinal in nature. While a medicinal orientation to cannabis overlaps conceptually with coping motives, it could be associated with unique cannabis outcomes. Objectives: This study examined trauma-related coping motives and medicinal cannabis orientation as mediators of the association between PTSD symptoms and cannabis outcomes in young adults. Method: Data came from an online survey of 212 university students (M age = 19.41; 70.3% Women; 43.4% White) who used cannabis in the past month and endorsed a traumatic life event. Path analyses examined associations of PTSD symptoms with past month cannabis frequency and problems through medicinal cannabis orientation (i.e., number of mental health symptoms that cannabis is used to manage) and trauma-related coping motives. Results: PTSD symptoms were associated with trauma-related coping motives but not with medicinal cannabis orientation. Both trauma-related coping motives and medicinal cannabis orientation were uniquely associated with greater cannabis use frequency, but only trauma-related coping motives were associated with greater cannabis problems. There were significant indirect relationships from PTSD symptoms to cannabis use frequency and problems through trauma-related coping motives but not through medicinal cannabis orientation. Conclusions: Results support unique contributions of trauma-related coping motives and medicinal cannabis orientation to cannabis outcomes and suggest that trauma-related coping motives are specifically implicated in the link between PTSD and cannabis problems.

The role of testosterone and estradiol levels in seminal plasma in the ejaculate microbiota in men

The role of testosterone and estradiol levels in seminal plasma in the ejaculate microbiota in men

Analysis of Malnutrition among Children under Five Years across Contrasting Agroecosystems of Northwest Ethiopia: Application of Structural Equation Modeling.

Child malnutrition remains a public health challenge in developing countries, but a comprehensive understanding of its burden and its determinants in specific local contexts is generally lacking. This study examined the prevalence of malnutrition and its determinants among children aged <5 years across contrasting agroecosystems in northwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study involving 400 respondents was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and anthropometric measurements, complemented with focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The direct and indirect effects of the determinants of malnutrition were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The overall prevalence of child malnutrition, measured using the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure, was 49%, with notable variation across agroecosystems (from 36.1% [midland with red soil] to 59% [lowland and valley fragmented]). Disease experience had significant positive direct effects on malnutrition. Dietary intake had negative and significant total (direct and indirect) effects on malnutrition, partially mediated through disease experience. Serial mediation in SEM analysis revealed significant indirect relationships between malnutrition and food security, feeding and care practices, household environment, health services, maternal diet, maternal empowerment, household wealth, and nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices. In conclusion, child malnutrition was highly prevalent and higher among children in the lowland and valley fragmented agroecosystem, characterized by unfavorable agro-climatic conditions, lower wealth status, poor health services access, and higher disease (particularly malaria) exposure. This study demonstrates the dynamics and multifaceted nature of malnutrition, highlighting the importance of considering geographical differences when planning interventions for childhood malnutrition and its determinants.

Network Building Capabilities for a Sustainable and Circular Economy

This research introduces a novel integrated model that affiliates the innovative capacity of circular start-ups, as seen through their network-building capabilities, with the influential attribute of top management support as outlined in the T-O-E theory. The investigation employs a quantitative research methodology based on a random sampling technique for the entire research population. The structural equation model, utilizing SMARTPLS, is used on a dataset comprising 231 manufacturing-based circular start-ups and their franchises in India. The findings reveal significant direct and indirect relationships between network-building capabilities and the innovation function of circular start-ups. The study highlights the pivotal role of top management support, following the T-O-E framework, as a complete mediator between network-building capabilities and organizational innovativeness. This inquiry establishes that effective networking and other factors confer a competitive edge upon firms. Furthermore, it contributes to the literature on the circular economy within emerging markets, offering insights applicable across various sectors like IT, hospitality, aviation, pharmaceuticals, and more. The study's implications extend to future researchers and policymakers, advocating for adopting a multi-level perspective to foster and ensure the innovativeness of circular start-ups in diverse industries.

What is the Role of Motives for Smartphone Use in Elementary School Students? Problematic Smartphone Use, Family Satisfaction, Loneliness, and Academic Performance

The cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationships between motives for smartphone use, family satisfaction, loneliness, grade point average (GPA), and problematic smartphone use (PSU). It included 519 elementary school students aged 12–16 years ( M = 13.87, SD = 1.01). The authors used the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Smartphone Usage Motivation Scale, the Illinois Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire, and the Satisfaction With Family Life Scale. For girls, the study revealed a significant indirect relationship between loneliness and GPA via social interactions. There was also a significant indirect relationship between loneliness and PSU via relaxing entertainment. For boys, there were significant indirect relationships between loneliness and PSU via escapism and between age and PSU via loneliness. The results may serve as a basis for therapeutic interventions and prevention programs against PSU.