Longitudinal Invariance Analysis of the Short Grit Scale in Chinese Young Adults

The impact of community services usage on geriatric depression: a ten-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND

This study explores whether the impact of environmental factors (community services usage, CSU) on geriatric depression is mediated by psychological resilience and moderated by the COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) gene val158met polymorphism.

METHODS

The data consists of 13,512 entries from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) collected in the years 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018. The study employed a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) to examine the relationship between CSU and geriatric depression, including the mediating effect of psychological resilience and the moderating role of the comt gene val158met gene polymorphism in this relationship.

RESULTS

Lower CSU at earlier assessments were significantly associated with more severe geriatric depression in subsequent evaluations.Psychological resilience was found to partially mediate the relationship between CSU and depression.Differential impacts were observed among various gene genotypes; specifically, the val genotype demonstrated a significantly greater influence of CSU on subsequent psychological resilience and on subsequent depression compared to the met genotype.

CONCLUSION

Enhancement in CSU can predict subsequent geriatric depression. The relationship between the CSU and depression can be mediated by psychological resilience, with genetics modulating the pathway from CSU through psychological resilience to depression. Multidisciplinary interventions focused on enhancing community service quality, boosting psychological resilience, and mitigating depression are likely to benefit the older adults's emotional and psychological well-being.

Construct Validity, Longitudinal Measurement Invariance, Incremental Validity, and Predictive Validity of the Original Grit Scale in Chinese Young Adults

Although many studies have attempted to validate grit scales because of the construct's popularity, most have considered the shorter rather than the longer Original Grit Scale (Grit-O). We examined the Grit-O's construct validity, longitudinal measurement invariance, incremental validity for academic performance, and longitudinal predictive validity for subjective well-being among young Chinese. We used a cross-sectional sample of 3,322 college students and a longitudinal sample of 1,884 college students, tested twice over 10 months. The first-order factor model fit the data better than other models and showed partial configural and metric measurement invariance over time. Grit and its two facets longitudinally predicted subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, happiness, positive affect, negative affect, and depression) but had negligible incremental validity for two semesters' grades after controlling for conscientiousness. So, while the Grit-O could be a useful construct for young adults, its predictive value overlaps with a better-established construct, conscientiousness.

Psychological endurance: how grit, resilience, and related factors contribute to sustained effort despite adversity

Many concepts describe how individuals sustain effort despite challenging circumstances. For example, scholars and practitioners may incorporate discussions of grit, hardiness, self-control, and resilience into their ideas of performance under adversity. Although there are nuanced points underlying each construct capable of generating empirically sound propositions, the shared attributes make them difficult to differentiate. As a result, substantial confusion arises when debating how these related factors concomitantly contribute to success, especially when practitioners attempt to communicate these ideas in applied settings. The model proposed here-psychological endurance-is a unified theory to explore how multiple concepts contribute to sustained goal-directed behaviors and individual success. Central to this model is the metaphor of a psychological battery, which potentiates and sustains optimal performance despite adversity. Grit and hardiness are associated with the maximum charge of the psychological battery, or how long an individual could sustain effort. Self-control modulates energy management that augments effort required to sustain endurance, whereas resilience represents the ability to recharge. These factors are constrained by both psychological and physiological stressors in the environment that drain the psychology battery. Taken together, these ideas form a novel framework to discuss related psychological concepts, and ideally, optimize intervention to enhance psychological endurance.

Developmental Trajectories of Adolescents' Math Motivation: The Role of Mindset and Perceptions of Informal STEM Learning Site Inclusivity

Motivation is a key factor in engagement, achievement, and career choices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While existing research has focused on student motivation toward math in formal school programs, new work is needed that focuses on motivation for those involved in informal STEM programs. Specifically, the role of math mindset and perceived inclusivity of informal STEM sites (to those of varying gender and ethnic backgrounds) on longitudinal trajectories of adolescents' math motivation has not been explored. This study investigates longitudinal changes in math expectancy, interest, and utility values and the effects of math fixed mindset, math growth mindset, and perceptions of the inclusivity of informal STEM learning sites on these changes for adolescents participating in STEM programs at these informal sites in the United Kingdom and the United States (n = 249, MT1age = 15.2, SD = 1.59). Three latent growth curve models were tested. The data suggest that math expectancy, interest, and utility values declined over three years. Growth mindset positively predicted changes in utility, while fixed mindset negatively predicted changes in utility. Inclusivity positively influenced the initial levels of utility. Girls reported lower initial expectancy than boys. Age influenced both the initial levels and rate of change for expectancy. Older adolescents had lower levels of expectancy compared to their younger counterparts; however, they had a less steep decline in expectancy over three years. These findings suggest that designing inclusive learning environments and promoting growth mindset may encourage math motivation.

Validation of a Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale: Dimensionality and factorial invariance

For a multi-dimensional measure of positive youth development (PYD), its factor structure should be invariant across groups and over time. This study examined the factorial validity of the 44-item short form of the "Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale" (CPYDS-SF) that assesses 15 dimensions of PYD attributes. Using two waves of longitudinal data with a one-year interval in between, this study examined the factor structure of the scale and whether the structure is invariant between gender groups and across time. The data were collected from 3,328 adolescents at Wave 1 and 3,638 adolescents at Wave 2, with a matched sample of 2,905 adolescents (mean age = 12.57 ± 0.72 at Wave 1; 49.54% girls). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 15-factor structure fitted the data well. The findings of invariance tests further supported this structure's invariance across gender and time, indicating a stable factor structure of CPYDS-SF among Chinese adolescents. These findings suggest that CPYDS-SF can be used to examine gender differences and the longitudinal development of PYD qualities among Chinese adolescents.

Examination of the validity of the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS) scale in male professional football players: A worldwide study of 29 professional teams

Perceived confidence is an important dimension of an athlete's psychological readiness to return-to-play. However, there is no established and validated tool to evaluate confidence in professional football. This study aimed to provide preliminary evaluation of the internal structure of the Injury-Psychological Readiness to Return-to-Sport scale (I-PRRS) in a cohort of injured male professional footballers. Over an 18-month period, 29 teams from 17 leagues participated. Players sustaining injuries eliciting ≥ 3 weeks' time-loss were recruited. Cross culturally adapted to 4 further languages, the I-PRRS was administered on two occasions: 1) day before returning-to-training and 2) day before returning-to-match-play. In total, 113 injuries were recorded with 96 completed I-PRRS data sets collected. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the I-PRRS was a unidimensional scale, with all items measuring the same construct. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency (ω = .88). When examining longitudinal invariance of the I-PRRS across administration time-points, indices of model fit supported scalar invariance. There was preliminary evidence of good internal structure for the I-PRRS in professional male footballers. However, before further research involving the I-PRRS can be endorsed, efforts to confirm or refute empirical developments pertaining to psychological readiness are necessary.

The influence of grit on nurse job satisfaction: Mediating effects of perceived stress and moderating effects of optimism

Introduction

Nurse job satisfaction, defined as the positive emotional state experienced by nurses regarding their profession, factors related to job performance and outcomes, can affect their career planning and development. Grit, defined as an individual's relentless effort and enduring enthusiasm for long-term goals, is essential for developing nurses' competence, increasing job satisfaction, and reducing the willingness to leave the profession. The present study aims to explore the correlation between grit and job satisfaction, whether perceived stress could act as a mediator of the relationship and whether optimism moderated the mediating effect among nurses working in hospitals in southwest China.

Methods

The cross-sectional study utilized self-reported data gathered from 709 nurses in southwest China. To analyze mediating and moderating effects, bootstrapping regressions were conducted.

Results

Perceived pressure mediated the relationship between grit and job satisfaction (indirect effect = 0.195, 95%CI [0.145,0.250]). Furthermore, moderated mediated analysis revealed that optimism moderated grit's impact on perceived stress (moderating effect = 0.036, 95% CI [0.010, 0.061]).

Discussion

Low levels of grit might reduce nurses' job satisfaction as their perceived stress levels increase. However, optimism among nurses could diminish this negative effect. Nursing managers should actively seek to improve the grit and optimism of hospital nurses while reducing their perceived pressure, thereby improving job satisfaction.

How Grit-S Items Work in Measuring Growth: Focusing on Item Discrimination and Sensitivity to Change

This study investigates how sensitively the current grit measure (Grit-S) is able to reflect the differences between individuals (i.e. item discrimination) and change within individuals (i.e. sensitivity to change of items) using longitudinal data. Data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Study 2018 of elementary (fourth grade) and middle school (seventh grade) cohorts were analyzed. We compared a series of longitudinal factor models of change with an initial trait and a change in grit represented by latent traits. Results showed that the models hypothesizing two latent traits with respect to the two elements of grit (interest and effort) best fit the data. In the elementary school cohort, sensitivity to change was different from discriminating between-person differences at baseline. Meanwhile, in the middle school cohort, sensitivity to change was identical to discriminating between-person differences at baseline. The items having low discrimination and low sensitivity to change resulted in syntactical complexity and did not accurately reflect the trait that was intended to be measured. Despite the Grit-S being widely used for many years, it is suggested that researchers and educators should administer this measure at taking an individual’s change and school-level difference into account.

The impact of implicit theories on resilience among Chinese nurses: The chain mediating effect of grit and meaning in life

Implicit theories refer to assumptions people hold about different domains, also known as mindsets. There are two implicit theories on the malleability of one’s ability: entity theory and incremental theory. They constrain and regulate people’s understanding and responses to an individual’s behavior, leading to different social cognitive patterns and behavioral responses. Resilience is a positive adaptation in highly stressful situations that represents mechanisms for coping with and transcending difficult experiences, i.e., a person’s ability to successfully adapt to change, resist the adverse effects of stressors, avoid significant dysfunction, and be chronically affected by considered a protective factor for mental health. Although previous studies showed that individuals’ implicit theories are associated with resilience, this relationship has received little attention in the nursing population. It is unclear which variables may contribute to explaining the relationship between implicit theories and resilience. Therefore, the current study aims to deeply explore the relationship between implicit theories and the resilience of Chinese nurses. In addition, we also seek to demonstrate the chain mediating effects of grit and meaning in life on this relationship. We surveyed 709 Chinese nurses through online questionnaires using the self-made demographic questionnaire, the Implicit Theories Scale, the Short Grit Scale, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. After controlling for demographic variables such as age, gender, educational background, marital status, professional title, and working years, the results reveal positive associations between Chinese nurses’ implicit theories and their resilience, and grit and meaning in life play a partial mediating role in this relationship, respectively. Furthermore, grit and meaning in life play a chain mediating role between implicit theories and resilience. These findings contribute to understanding the psychological impact mechanism of implicit theories on nurses’ resilience and provide a theoretical basis for nursing managers to formulate strategies to improve nurses’ psychological resilience.

Sleep Quality Partially Mediate the Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Function in Older Chinese: A Longitudinal Study Across 10 Years

Objective

This study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive function and depressive symptoms and to explore the mediating role of sleep quality in the cognition-depression relationship in Chinese older adults (OAs).

Methods

Data came from a nationally representative sample of 16,209 Chinese OAs (aged 65+) from 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). A random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) combined with mediation analysis was adopted to determine the relationship between cognitive function and depressive symptoms and the mediating effect of sleep quality on the ascertained cognition-depression relationship.

Results

Poorer cognitive function at prior assessment points were significantly associated with severe depressive symptoms at subsequent assessments, and vice versa. Sleep quality partially mediated the prospective relationship of cognition on depressive symptoms, which accounted for 3.92% of the total effect of cognition on depression.

Discussion

Cognitive decline may predict subsequent depressive symptoms, and vice versa. The impact of cognition on depression is partially explained by its influence on sleep quality. Multidisciplinary interventions aimed at reducing depression and cognitive decline per se as well as improving sleep quality would be beneficial for emotional well-being and cognitive health in OAs.

Factor structure of the Chinese CES-D and invariance analyses across gender and over time among Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

Research findings on the factor structure and invariance of the Center for the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) are inconclusive. Besides, very few studies have examined factorial invariance of the scale over time. Related studies based on Chinese adolescents are also sparse. This study attempted to examine the factor structure of the CES-D and its invariance across gender and time over a one-year period among adolescents in mainland China.

METHOD

A total of 3,010 adolescents (mean age = 13.16 years, 1,730 boys) completed a questionnaire including the CES-D at Wave 1 and 2,648 of them completed the same survey one year later. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to examine the factor structure of the CES-D. Factorial invariance of the resultant factor structure was tested using cross-sectional multi-group CFA (girls vs. boys) at Wave 1 and Wave 2 and longitudinal CFA (Wave 1 vs. Wave 2).

RESULTS

EFA and CFA revealed a three-factor model of the CES-D, including "somatic complaints," "depressed affect," and "positive affect." Additionally, findings supported the factorial invariance across gender and over time for the three-factor model.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations of the present study included a lack of adolescents from different areas in mainland China (particularly rural areas) and only a one-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This pioneering study suggests that there are three stable dimensions of the CES-D in Chinese adolescents in mainland China which are invariant across gender and over time.

Passion and Persistence: Investigating the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Grit in College Students in China

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to have deleterious effects on individuals across the life span, but less is known about how they affect grit, a strong predictor of achievements and well-being. This study seeks to investigate the effect of ACEs on grit in a sample of Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 1,871 students across 12 universities in China. Findings indicated a significant effect of ACEs on grit, particularly abuse and neglect dimensions of ACE. Since grit is particularly important for professional success, those who have experienced abuse and neglect victimization may struggle throughout their education, and subsequently, in their careers. This calls for interventions to buffer the effects of ACEs on grit.

COVID-19 Infection Risk and Depressive Symptoms Among Young Adults During Quarantine: The Moderating Role of Grit and Social Support

Prior research has demonstrated that the adverse consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may go beyond its economic hardships and physical health concerns, having a significant influence on psychological distress for individuals under quarantine. Nevertheless, relatively little attention has been paid to exploring the risk and protective factors in the link between COVID-19 infection risk and psychological distress among young adults. Following a socioecological framework, the current study examines the moderating role of grit (perseverance and consistency) and social support in the association between COVID-19 infection risk and depressive symptoms. A sample of 1,251 young adults under home quarantine (62.6% female; M age = 20.92 years, SD = 1.47; age ranged from 18 to 25 years) was involved in this study, and they were asked to complete a set of self-reported questionnaires online. Results of a linear regression analysis exhibited that COVID-19 infection risk was positively associated with depressive symptoms in young adults in quarantine. Moreover, moderation analyses showed that this association was moderated by perseverance and social support. To be specific, for those reporting higher levels of social support, this linkage was not significantly positive; in contrast, for those reporting lower levels of social support, perseverance was a significant protective factor for depressive symptoms when young adults were exposed to a high infection risk of COVID-19. The current study suggests that greater social support is essential to helping young adults deal with possible negative emotions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, university-based counseling services should pay specific attention to those young adults with relatively insufficient social support resources and low levels of perseverance.

Uncovering the Moderating Role of Grit and Gender in the Association between Teacher Autonomy Support and Social Competence among Chinese Undergraduate Students

Does teacher autonomy support significantly facilitate the social competence of undergraduate students in a collective cultural context? Does this study association vary by individual characteristics, such as grit and students’ gender? To answer these research questions, we examine the association between teacher autonomy support and social competence. Moreover, we ascertain whether two dimensions of grit (perseverance and consistency) and/or gender may moderate this association. A convenience sample of 1009 Chinese undergraduate students (M_age = 20.66; SD = 1.30, 47.4% female) was involved in this study, and they were asked to complete a set of self-report questionnaires online. Results of linear regression analyses revealed that (a) teacher autonomy support was positively associated with social competence, and (b) when reporting higher levels of consistency, this association was significantly positive for both males and females; by contrast, when reporting lower levels of consistency, this association was only significant for males but not for females. The current study indicates the beneficial role of teacher autonomy support in undergraduate students’ social competence in a collective cultural context. Furthermore, university-based intervention or prevention programs should focus on facilitating teacher autonomy support for all students; it is noteworthy that, for female students, enhancing consistency should also be incorporated into these programs.