The moderating effect of dispositional mindfulness on the relationship between materialism and mental health

Perceived Parental Acceptance and Cyberbullying Perpetration among Chinese Adolescents: Moderated Mediation Models of Materialism and Insecure Attachment

Cyberbullying perpetration (CP) is a common and devastating network deviation behavior. Some parenting factors for CP have been identified, but few studies have examined the correlation between perceived maternal/paternal acceptance (PMA/PPA) and CP, and the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation are also largely unknown. Thus, by using a cross-sectional designed questionnaire survey of 4,206 adolescents (M = 16.41 years, SD = 0.77), the current study examined the relationship between PMA/PPA and CP, as well as the mediating effect of materialism and the moderating effects of father/mother-child attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance in this relation. The results showed that PMA/PPA was protective factors of CP. The moderated mediation models showed that materialism played a partial mediation role in the relationship between PMA/PPA and CP. Moreover, the direct association of PMA/PPA with CP was exacerbated by stronger father/mother-child attachment anxiety, in contrast, it was weakened by stronger father/mother-child attachment avoidance. Besides, both father/mother-child attachment anxiety and father/mother-child attachment avoidance strengthened the direct relationship between materialism and CP, and further strengthened the indirect association of PMA/PPA with CP. This study highlighted the importance of uncovering the link between perceived parental acceptance and adolescents' CP and emphasized the underlying mechanisms, which are of great significance for the prevention and intervention of adolescents' CP.

Cyberloafing at the workplace: effect of Zhong-Yong thinking on mental health and mindfulness as a moderating role

Purpose

This study aims to integrate conservation of resources theory discus the antecedents and consequences of cyberloafing as well as the boundary effect between cyberloafing and mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected 431 valid questionnaires in four months. Each questionnaire was divided into two parts that had to be distributed. The interval between the first distribution and the second distribution was 15 days.

Findings

The research study revealed that employees’ Zhong-Yong thinking and cyberloafing promote mental health, and cyberloafing has a mediating effect. Mindfulness weakens the positive impact of cyberloafing on mental health.

Originality/value

The research study’s results break the stereotype that cyberloafing is not good for organizations. When managers allow employees to engage in cyberloafing at work, this is conducive to employees’ mental health, which can ensure the company’s sustainable development.

"If You Love Me, You Must Do..." Parental Psychological Control and Cyberbullying Perpetration Among Chinese Adolescents

Considering the prevalence of cyberbullying, the current study explores the factors associated with its perpetration. Using self-determination theory, the association of parental psychological control (PPC) with cyberbullying perpetration was examined. To explore this influencing mechanism further, psychological reactance (PRt) and materialism were examined as two mediators in this relationship. Moreover, according to the diathesis-stress model and cognitive model of resilience, psychological resilience (PRl) was examined as a moderator in the direct and indirect link between PPC and cyberbullying perpetration. To test our expectations, 804 adolescents (M = 13.12, SD = 1.16) participated in the current study using a cross-sectional design and multiple questionnaires, namely, the Chinese version of the Parental Control Questionnaire, Revised Cyber Bullying Inventory, Hong Psychological Reactance Scale, Material Values Scale for Children, and Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents. Correlation analysis indicated that PPC, PRt, materialism, and cyberbullying perpetration were significantly and positively correlated, and were significantly and negatively related to PRl. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that PRt and materialism played multiple mediating roles in the relationship between PPC and cyberbullying perpetration. Multiple mediation analysis indicated that PRl weakened the direct associations of PPC, PRt, and materialism with cyberbullying perpetration, further alleviating the indirect and direct associations of PPC with cyberbullying perpetration, supporting the moderated mediation model. Specifically, adolescents high in PPC were more likely to have stronger PRt and materialistic values, which further triggered cyberbullying perpetration. PRl can protect adolescents high in PPC from cyberbullying perpetration via weakening the direct and indirect associations of PPC with cyberbullying.

The Problematic Role of Materialistic Values in the Pursuit of Sustainable Well-Being

Strong materialistic values help to maintain consumer capitalism, but they can have negative consequences for individual well-being, for social equity and for environmental sustainability. In this paper, we add to the existing literature on the adverse consequences of materialistic values by highlighting their negative association with engagement in attitudes and actions that support the achievement of sustainable well-being. To do this, we explore the links between materialistic values and attitudes towards sufficiency (consuming “just enough”) as well as mindfulness (non-judgmental awareness of the present moment) and flow (total immersion in an activity), which have all been linked to increased well-being and more sustainable behaviours. We present results from three correlational studies that examine the association between materialistic values and sufficiency attitudes (Study 1, n = 310), a multi-faceted measure of mindfulness (Study 2, n = 468) and the tendency to experience flow (Study 3, n = 2000). Results show that materialistic values were negatively associated with sufficiency attitudes, mindfulness, and flow experiences. We conclude with practical considerations and suggest next steps for tackling the problematic aspects of materialism and encouraging the development of sustainable well-being.

Preference for Solitude and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress and Moderating Role of Mindfulness

Background: With the increasing incidence of mobile phone addiction, the potential risk factors of mobile phone addiction have attracted more and more researchers' attention. Although various personality trait factors have been proven to be significant predictors of mobile phone addiction, limited attention has been paid to preference for solitude. Considering the adverse impacts of preference for solitude in the context of collectivistic societies and its possible negative effect on mobile phone addiction, this study was designed to examine the relationship between preference for solitude and mobile phone addiction, and to test the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of mindfulness in this relationship. Methods: Data were collected through convenience sampling from a comprehensive university in China. A total of 927 Chinese college students (371 males and 556 females), aged from 16 to 24 (M age = 19.89 years, SD = 1.22), participated in this study. Their preference for solitude, psychological distress, mindfulness, and mobile phone addiction were measured using well-validated self-report questionnaires. Results: Correlational analyses, sobel test, SPSS macro PROCESS (Model 8) and simple slopes analyses were used for major data analysis. Results showed that preference for solitude was significantly and positively associated with mobile phone addiction, and this link could be mediated by psychological distress. Moreover, the indirect effect of psychological distress in this link was moderated by mindfulness, with this effect being stronger for college students with lower levels of mindfulness. However, mindfulness can not moderate the direct relation between preference for solitude and mobile phone addiction. Conclusion: The present study broadened our knowledge of how and when (or for whom) preference for solitude is related to mobile phone addiction. Education professionals and parents should pay special attention to the psychological distress and mobile phone addiction of college students with high levels of preference for solitude, particularly for those with lower levels of mindfulness.

A balanced view of mindfulness at work

Mindfulness has grown from an obscure subject to an immensely popular topic that is associated with numerous performance, health, and well-being benefits in organizations. However, this growth in popularity has generated a number of criticisms of mindfulness and a rather piecemeal approach to organizational research and practice on the subject. To advance both investigation and application, the present paper applies The Balance Framework to serve as an integrative scaffolding for considering mindfulness in organizations, helping to address some of the criticisms leveled against it. The Balance Framework specifies five forms of balance: 1) balance as tempered view, 2) balance as mid-range, 3) balance as complementarity, 4) balance as contextual sensitivity, and 5) balance among different levels of consciousness. Each form is applied to mindfulness at work with a discussion of relevant conceptual issues in addition to implications for research and practice.

Plain Language Summary

In order to appreciate the value of mindfulness at work researchers and practitioners might want to consider both the benefits and potential drawbacks of mindfulness. This paper presents a discussion of both the advantages and possible disadvantages of mindfulness at work organized in terms of the five dimensions of an organizing structure called The Balance Framework.

Selflessness, Depression, and Neuroticism: An Interactionist Perspective on the Effects of Self-Transcendence, Perspective-Taking, and Materialism

Dominant theories of depression position self-concept as a central determinant of psychological functioning, but the relationship between the structure of self-concept and depression has not been extensively explored. The present study investigates the relationship between the structure of the self and psychopathological outcomes (depressive symptoms and neuroticism) with two methodological approaches. Using an established framework that draws insight from Buddhist psychology, the structure of the self is conceptualized in terms of selflessness and self-centeredness. Specifically, selflessness is construed as a multidimensional concept characterized by interdependence, outsider phenomenology, and impermanence. The three dimensions of the self were assessed at age 26 with inventories of self-transcendence, perspective-taking, and materialism, respectively (N = 814). First, a variable-centered approach was used to investigate potential interactions between the dimensions of selflessness. Self-transcendence negatively predicted depressive symptoms and neuroticism, whereas perspective-taking and materialism were positively associated with the outcomes. Self-transcendence moderated the relationship between perspective-taking and depressive symptoms. Perspective-taking was not statistically related to depressive symptoms for participants who exhibited higher levels of self-transcendence. The results clarify ambiguous associations between perspective-taking and depression found in previous research. Second, person-centered analyses were used to identify five profiles of self-structure: (1) Selfless, (2) Selfless Materialist, (3) Interdependent Insider, (4) Self-centered Non-materialist, and (5) Self-centered. As hypothesized, the Selfless cluster was associated with low levels of depressive symptoms and neuroticism, whereas the Self-centered cluster was associated with high levels. The profiles demonstrate the manifestation of several combinations of features of the self, which contributes to overall understanding of selflessness by complicating the traditional dichotomy between selflessness and self-centeredness.

Relationship between cognitive behavioral variables and mental health status among university students: A meta-analysis

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for improving mental health problems among university students. However, intervention components have different effects on mental health problems. This paper is a meta-analysis of the data concerning the relationship between cognitive behavioral variables and mental health status among university students. A total of five electronic databases were reviewed, and 876 articles met the initial selection criteria. Reviewers applied standardized coding schemes to extract the correlational relationship between cognitive behavioral variables and mental health status. A total of 55 articles were included in the meta-analysis. Correlations were found for three cognitive behavioral variables (attention, thought, and behavior) across nine mental health domains (negative affect, positive affect, happiness, social function, stress response, psychological symptom, quality of life, well-being, and general health). Across each cognitive behavioral process and all mental health domains, the estimated mean correlation was medium (r = .32 - .46), and varied by the domain of mental health.

How are smartphones associated with adolescent materialism?

This study examined whether smartphone addiction predicted adolescent materialism and whether self-esteem mediated the relation between smartphone addiction and adolescent materialism. Moreover, this study tested whether this mediating process was moderated by student–student relationship. Our theoretical model was tested among 748 middle school students in China (mean age = 16.80, standard deviation = .73). The results indicated that smartphone addiction was positively related to adolescent materialism. Mediation analysis showed that self-esteem mediated this relation. Moderated mediation test further revealed that the mediated path was moderated by student–student relationship.