Emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in Chinese university students: The mediating role of self-esteem and social support

This study examined both the mediation effects of social support and self-esteem for the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in late adolescence. The participants were 489 Chinese college students with an age range of 17–23 years. Data were collected by using the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Path analysis showed that social support and self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between trait EI and life satisfaction in late adolescence. Moreover, a multi-group analysis indicated that the males with high social support are more likely to gain greater life satisfaction than the female counterparts. Implications for future research and limitations of the present findings are discussed.     

Cognitions as mediators in the relationship between self-compassion and affect

Previous studies suggest that self-compassion is related to numerous facets of mental health, but the role of cognitions in this relationship remains unknown. To examine the mediating role of cognitions in the relationship between self-compassion and anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction when controlling for self-esteem in Japanese people, we conducted two studies. Study 1 (N = 231) examined the relationship between self-compassion and affect by modeling negative automatic thoughts as a mediator; Study 2 (N = 233) tested whether positive and negative automatic thoughts meditate this relationship. Results suggested that both self-compassion and self-esteem increased positive automatic thoughts and decreased trait anxiety, whereas only self-esteem increased life satisfaction and decreased depression directly. Positive automatic thoughts increased life satisfaction and decreased depression and trait anxiety, and positive automatic thoughts mediated the relationship between self-compassion and negative affect. These findings suggest that both positive and negative automatic thoughts mediate the relationship between self-compassion and affect in Japanese people.     

Relational self-construal moderates the effect of social support on life satisfaction

While social support is associated with a host of important physical and psychological benefits, these effects are not always straightforward. Still, the moderating factors that might underlie individual differences in reactions to social support are not well-understood. In the current studies, we examined individual differences in relational self-construal in the typically positive relationship between social support and life satisfaction. In Study 1 (N = 79) relational self-construal moderated the relationship between social support and life satisfaction such that social support was especially beneficial for those with high relational self-construal. We replicated this effect in Study 2 (N = 284), and also found that social support was especially important for individuals with high relational self-construal in the context of high feelings of stress. These studies suggest that social support has differently gauged effects on life satisfaction depending on an individual’s relational self-construal.     

Locus-of-hope and life satisfaction: The mediating roles of personal self-esteem and relational self-esteem

Research has demonstrated that hope is linked to better psychological well-being; however, little research has been conducted to examine the mechanisms underlying the link between hope and psychological well-being. The current study examined whether two types of self-esteem (personal and relational) would mediate the relationship between four loci-of-hope (internal, family, peers, and spiritual) and life satisfaction among Hong Kong and Macau college students (n = 1008). Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses. Consistent with the hypotheses, both personal self-esteem and relational self-esteem partially mediated the effects of internal hope on life satisfaction. Moreover, relational self-esteem mediated the effect of external-family locus-of-hope on life satisfaction. Interestingly, a suppressing effect of personal self-esteem on the relationship between external-peers locus-of-hope and life satisfaction was found. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Two tests of the social cognitive model of well-being in Portuguese college students

A social cognitive model of well-being (Lent & Brown, 2006, 2008) was tested in two studies (one cross-sectional, one longitudinal) with Portuguese college students. Participants in Study 1 (N = 366) completed measures of academic self-efficacy, environmental support, goal progress, academic satisfaction and stress, trait positive affect, and overall life satisfaction at a single assessment. Those in Study 2 (N = 158) took the same measures at each of two time points, 15 weeks apart. A modified version of the model improved the fit to the data in Study 1. Optimal fit in Study 2 was achieved with a bidirectional version that modeled reciprocal relations of positive affect to both self-efficacy and support. The predictors in both studies accounted for substantial portions of the variance in academic domain satisfaction, academic stress, and life satisfaction. Implications for future research on the social cognitive model in educational and work settings are considered.     

Belief in a just world mediates the relationship between institutional trust and life satisfaction among the elderly in China

This study investigated the relationship between institutional trust and life satisfaction, and the mediating role of belief in a just world (BJW) among the elderly. The General Belief in a Just World Scale (GBJW) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were employed. A self-developed Institutional Trust questionnaire was used to measure participant’ levels of trust in eight institutions. The aggregate score for all eight items represented the level of institutional trust. The questionnaires were completed by 19,352 retirees ranging in age from 50 to 99 (M = 69.7, SD = 8.0). The results showed the following: (1) overall, the retirees tended to report high institutional trust and high life satisfaction; (2) institutional trust was positively associated with life satisfaction; and (3) more importantly, the relationships between institutional trust and life satisfaction were partially mediated by GBJW. This finding provides a new insight into the psychological mechanisms by which institutional trust relates to individual happiness. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings, as well as the study’s limitations, are discussed.     

Examining the within-person effect of affect on daily satisfaction

Assessments of global life satisfaction capture beliefs about overall well-being; state satisfaction assessments focus on short-term or “in-the-moment” appraisals of current life circumstances. Prior research has examined how trait measures of life satisfaction and affect are related at between-person and within-person levels of analysis. At the state level, however, a lack of clarity exists about the nature and magnitude of the association between satisfaction and affect. In a diary study involving assessments of both affect and satisfaction at the daily level (N = 350 with 6024 assessments), we found a consequential effect of affect on state satisfaction due to greater within-person variance over time.     

Weight stigmatization and disordered eating in obese women: The mediating effects of self-esteem and fear of negative appearance evaluation

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine whether self-esteem and fear of negative appearance evaluation are significant mediators in the association between weight-related self-devaluation and disordered eating.MethodA sample of obese Canadian women (N = 111, M age = 40.9, SD = 10.2) completed the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale (FNAES), and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q).ResultsSelf-esteem mediated the relationship between weight-related self-devaluation and restraint and weight concerns, whereas fear of negative appearance evaluation mediated the relationship with weight, shape and eating concerns.ConclusionSince, for obese women, self-esteem and fear of negative appearance evaluation are likely to maintain disordered eating, they should be more frequently taken into consideration by researchers, health professionals and public policy stakeholders.     

Relationships between general self-efficacy,planning for the future,and life satisfaction

In this study we investigated relationships between general self-efficacy, the propensity to plan for the future, the consideration of future consequences, and overall life satisfaction. The sample consisted of 242 university students, with ages ranging from 16 to 31 (M = 18.5, SD = 1.7). Participants completed the New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSES), the Continuous Planning Scale (CPS), the Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Analyses demonstrated that all variables were significantly intercorrelated, with general self-efficacy being most strongly related to the SWLS, followed by the CFCS and the CPS. Implications are discussed.     

Développement d’une échelle de mesure des conditions de l’estime de soi auprès d’adolescents francophones – ÉMCESA

This article presents the findings of three studies aiming to develop and validate a French-language scale of adolescents’ self-esteem conditions, the Adolescents’ Self-Esteem Conditions Scale (ASECS). Designed for young people from the beginning to the end of adolescence, the 30-item scale measures to which extent youths base their self-esteem on positive and negative events related to their social acceptance, physical appearance, sportive and athletic performance, body weight and academic achievement. In the first study, the ASECS was administered to a sample of 431 francophone students from grade 7th to grade 11th. Seven weeks later, 372 of these students were invited to answer the questionnaire once more. Exploratory factor analysis yielded five factors with high internal consistency and strong test-retest reliability. In the second study, the five-factor model was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis on data from 1523 francophone 7th–11th graders. Finally, finding from the third study (n = 344) demonstrated the instrument's convergent validity. The results from the three studies establish the ASECS’ strong psychometric properties. The discussion focuses on its usefulness in research and intervention among adolescents.     

Machiavellianism and sexual behavior: Motivations,deception and infidelity

The current study investigated the influence of Machiavellianism, a personality trait characterized by a manipulative interpersonal style and willingness to exploit others (Christie & Geis, 1970), on three areas of sexual behavior. Men (N = 90) and women (N = 192) aged 18–81 years (M = 25.82, SD = 9.85) completed the Mach IV (Christie & Geis, 1970), YSEX Questionnaire (Meston & Buss, 2007), Sexual Deception Scale (Marelich, Lundquist, Painter, & Mechanic, 2008) and Intentions Towards Infidelity Scale (Jones, Olderbak, & Figueredo, 2011). Those with high levels of Machiavellianism were more likely to engage in sexual behavior for physical reasons, goal attainment and insecurity. In particular, Machiavellian men and women endorsed stress reduction, experience seeking, resources, social status, revenge, utilitarian reasons, boosting self-esteem, duty/pressure, and mate guarding as motivations for sexual behavior. Machiavellianism was also a significant predictor of each form of sexual deception investigated (blatant lying, self-serving and avoiding confrontation) and intentions to engage in infidelity. Sex did not moderate the influence of Machiavellianism on sexual behavior.     

The development of metacognitive ability in adolescence

Introspection, or metacognition, is the capacity to reflect on our own thoughts and behaviours. Here, we investigated how one specific metacognitive ability (the relationship between task performance and confidence) develops in adolescence, a period of life associated with the emergence of self-concept and enhanced self-awareness. We employed a task that dissociates objective performance on a visual task from metacognitive ability in a group of 56 participants aged between 11 and 41 years. Metacognitive ability improved significantly with age during adolescence, was highest in late adolescence and plateaued going into adulthood. Our results suggest that awareness of one’s own perceptual decisions shows a prolonged developmental trajectory during adolescence.     

Past and present,day by day: Communication with former romantic partners,relationship-contingent self-esteem,and current relationship outcomes

In an effort to illuminate factors delineating when communication with former romantic partners can be beneficial versus detrimental, this work examines how communication affects both the current and former relationships, and whether these associations vary as a function of one’s self-worth being tied to the relationship (i.e., relationship-contingent self-esteem, RCSE). Over three weeks, undergraduates in relationships who regularly communicated with a former partner (N = 46) completed nightly measures of former partner communication and satisfaction with current and former relationships. Results indicated that among those higher in RCSE, communication with former partners undermined current relationship satisfaction and bolstered former relationship satisfaction, patterns not evident among those lower in RCSE. For some, communication with former partners can be problematic for the current relationship.     

The relationship between adult attachment and depression in Korean mothers during the first 2 years postpartum: A moderated mediation model of self-esteem and maternal efficacy

This study examined a possible pathway to better understand the relationships between attachment schema and maternal depression through self-esteem and maternal self-efficacy. Questionnaires regarding attachment style, self-esteem, maternal self-efficacy, and depression were completed by 176 mothers who visited paediatrics centres. The results showed that self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between preoccupied attachment and maternal depression and partially mediated the association between fearful attachment and maternal depression. The mediating effects of self-esteem in the relationship between insecure attachments (preoccupied and fearful types) were moderated by the mother’s parenting efficacy. More specifically, mothers with high maternal efficacy (scores ⩾ 32, upper 10th percentile) were protected from the detrimental impact of attachment insecurity and low self-esteem on maternal depression, compared with mothers with low parenting-efficacy. Maternal depression benefits from intervention targeting the mother’s parenting efficacy.     

Long-term Consequences of Childhood Bullying in Adults who Stutter: Social Anxiety,Fear of Negative Evaluation,Self-esteem,and Satisfaction with Life

Purpose: Psychosocial disorders have been reported in adults who stutter, especially social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety has been linked to childhood victimization. It is possible that recalled childhood victimization could be linked to psychosocial problems reported in some adults who stutter.Method: Participants were 36 adults who stutter and 36 adults who do not stutter (mean age = 21.9 years). The Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire was completed for primary school, secondary school and university environments for physical, verbal, relational and cyber bullying. Participants were categorized into one of five groups (bully, victim, bully-victim, bystander and uninvolved) based ontheir responses. Participants completed four psychosocial scales: social interaction anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, self-esteem and satisfaction with life scales.Results: The two groups differed with adults who stutter having higher social interaction anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and satisfaction with life. Analyses of variance revealed that victims had the highest scores among both groups on all four scales.Conclusion: Adults who recalled being victimized during childhood were more likely, regardless of whether they stutter or did not stutter, to have poorer psychosocial scale scores. These results show the lingering effects of childhood victimization, common in some children who stutter, may contribute to the reported psychosocial problems in adulthood. The need for early intervention for children who are bullied and future research with larger samples is warranted.     

Development of conscientiousness in childhood and adolescence: Typical trajectories and associations with academic,health, and relationship changes

Conscientiousness is related to a range of important life outcomes, so it is important to understand its development early in life. We examined how conscientiousness changes from late childhood through middle adolescence and what other psychosocial changes it co-occurs with. We developed and validated a conscientiousness scale for use in existing data. Then in a longitudinal study of participants at ages 10, 13, and 16 (N = 90 at Time 1) we used growth curve modeling to examine how conscientiousness co-develops with academic, health, and relationship functioning. Mean levels of conscientiousness decreased from 10 to 13 and then increased to age 16. The later increase was stronger among females. Changes in conscientiousness were associated with adaptive changes in other variables.     

The relation between memories of childhood psychological maltreatment and Machiavellianism

Machiavellianism is a hot topic in several branches of psychology. Using Life-History Theory several studies identified Machiavellianism as a fast life strategy. According to this idea, Machiavellianism should be related to childhood adversities. Using a sample of adults we investigated the relationship between Machiavellianism and self-reported memories of childhood psychological maltreatment. Participants (247 individuals, 141 female, 32.38 ± 5.43 years of age on average) completed the Mach-IV Scale and the Childhood Abuse and Trauma Scale. Results showed a relationship between neglect and Machiavellianism in general, Machiavellian tactics, and Machiavellian world view. There was also a marginally significant link between punishment and Machiavellian tactics. Results are discussed from a moral developmental perspective and through the alexithymia hypothesis of Machiavellianism.     

Body talk and body-related co-rumination: Associations with body image,eating attitudes,and psychological adjustment

Talk about physical appearance and body image is common among young women. We investigated how body talk (negative, positive/self-accepting, and co-ruminative) is related to body image, body-related cognitive distortions, disordered eating, psychological adjustment, and friendship quality via hierarchical regression analyses (controlling for social desirability and body mass index). In a sample of young adult women (N = 203), negative body talk was, as predicted, negatively related to body satisfaction and self-esteem and positively related to appearance investment, body-related cognitive distortions, disordered eating, and depression, but not friendship quality. Self-accepting/positive body talk was negatively related to body-related cognitive distortions and positively related to body satisfaction, self-esteem, and friendship quality. Body-related co-rumination demonstrated adjustment trade-offs, being related to body-related cognitive distortions, disordered eating, and higher friendship quality. Results indicated no advantage to negative body talk, both individual and relationship benefits from positive/self-accepting body talk, and mixed outcomes for body-related co-rumination     

Dispositional gratitude mediates the relationship between a past-positive temporal frame and well-being

Both past-positive temporal frame, which involves dwelling on positive memories of the past, and dispositional gratitude are associated with positive life outcomes, including greater life satisfaction. A past-positive temporal frame may provide a foundation for the development of dispositional gratitude. The present study examined a model positing that gratitude mediates the relationship between past-positive temporal frame and well-being. Two hundred and thirty-three participants (mean age = 34.10 years; SD = 14.21) completed measures of characteristic past-positive temporal frame, dispositional gratitude, and several indices of well-being. Higher levels of a past positive temporal frame were associated with greater gratitude and indices of well-being. Higher levels of gratitude were associated with indices of well-being. Gratitude mediated the relationship between past-positive temporal frame and well-being. These results provide information regarding a possible process through which past-positive temporal frames have beneficial effects.