The association between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience of teenagers: an examination of the chain mediating effect

The health of young people is crucial for the future and development of a nation. It is the collective responsibility and imperative mission of society to ensure the holistic well-being, both physically and mentally, of young individuals. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly comprehend the factors that influence their health in order to expedite the exploration of effective solutions. The objective of this study is to comprehend the mechanisms that underlie the correlation between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience among teenagers, while also examining the mediating role played by social sensitivity and need to belong. So put forward the hypothesis: (1) physical exercise behavior can positively predict the psychological resilience. (2) Social sensitivity and need to belong plays a mediating role between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience. (3) Social sensitivity and need to belong plays a chain mediating role between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience. Using the cluster sampling method, a total of 1106 students (with an average age of 15.7 and a standard deviation of 0.598) who met the requirements were surveyed from Shandong Province in China. Standard scales were utilized to assess Physical Exercise Behavior, Psychological Resilience, Social Sensitivity, and Need to Belong. For data analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis and bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method were sequentially conducted. (1) The present study did not find any significant methodological bias, and the observed correlations between physical exercise behavior, psychological resilience, social sensitivity, and need to belong were all statistically significant; (2) Based on the self-determination theory, this study elucidates the relationship between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience among teenagers. The findings indicate that physical exercise behavior positively predicts the need to belong and psychological resilience, while negatively predicting social sensitivity. Similarly, social sensitivity negatively predicts the need to belong and psychological resilience. Moreover, the need to belong directly and positively predicts psychological resilience. Importantly, all hypotheses proposed in this paper were empirically supported. (3) The indirect effect of the path mediated by social sensitivity is 0.009, while the indirect effect of the path mediated by need to belong is 0.033. Additionally, the combined indirect effect of both social sensitivity and need to belong as mediating variables is 0.014. (4) The cumulative sum of all these indirect effects amounts to 0.056. Based on the self-determination theory, we propose a chain mediation model, specially, physical exercise behavior can significantly positively predict psychological resilience, among which, social sensitivity and need to belong play a significant mediating role between Physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience. In addition, the adoption of good physical exercise behavior can enhance the psychological resilience of adolescents by diminishing social sensitivity and augmenting the need to belong.

The impact of social exclusion on impulsive buying behaviour of consumers on online platforms: Samples from China

Social exclusion is a common phenomenon in modern social life that has significant negative effects on those who were excluded. The excluded may adopt strategic impulsive consumption behaviors in order to gain a sense of belonging and repair social relations, and the rapid development of online shopping platforms has intensified the occurrence of impulsive purchasing behaviors. Therefore, the internal mechanism between the two needs to be clarified. This study utilised SPSS 26.0, Mplus8.0 and HLM6.08 to analyse the data from 417 questionnaires, focused on exploring the internal mechanism between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour, and yielded the following conclusions. (1) Social exclusion is positively correlated with impulsive purchasing behaviour. (2) Relative deprivation plays a mediating role between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour. (3) The need to belong plays an intermediary role between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour. (4) Self-control plays a moderating role between social exclusion and impulsive buying behaviour. These conclusions could provide a basis for enterprises to formulate rational marketing strategies and create consumer demand.

Effect of interpersonal conflicts and the moderating effect of the dispositional need to belong on binge eating

The dispositional need to belong (dNTB) is a stable desire to connect with others and belong to groups. Recently, it has been stated that dNTB can alter immediate post-interpersonal conflict behavior. Interpersonal conflict stress is one of the triggers of binge eating. An individual's vulnerability to binge eating in response to interpersonal conflicts before it becomes a disorder has not been investigated from the perspective of the interaction between interpersonal conflict and dNTB. We conducted two studies examining the relationships between interpersonal conflicts and dNTB and the frequency of binge eating behavior in daily life. Conflicting predictions have been made about whether people with a high dNTB eat more after interpersonal conflict than those with a low dNTB. In Study 1, 199 university students answered the survey concerning their dNTB and frequency of interpersonal conflict and binge eating. The results revealed that higher dNTB is associated with more frequent binge eating when individuals face interpersonal conflict. In Study 2, 416 adults throughout Japan participated in the same survey; the results replicated those from Study 1. For exploratory purposes, mental health and other eating behaviors (restrained, emotional, and external eating) were measured in Studies 1 and 2, respectively. However, the moderation effects of dNTB on these eating behaviors were not observed. Previous studies suggested that individuals with a low dNTB ate more in response to social exclusion. This might be due to an immediate interpersonal stress reaction to social exclusion. Conversely, this study's results implicate that the modulation effects of dNTB on excessive eating habits are different from those immediately following interpersonal conflict.

Attachment and need to belong as moderators of the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation

BACKGROUND

In the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, thwarted belongingness is presented as a main predictor for suicidal ideation. Studies only partially support this prediction. The aim of this study was to examine whether the heterogenous results are due to moderating effects of attachment and the need to belong on the association between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation.

METHODS

Four hundred forty-five participants (75% female) from a community sample aged 18 to 73 (M = 29.90, SD = 11.64) filled out online questionnaires about romantic attachment, their need to belong, thwarted belongingness, and suicidal ideation cross-sectionally. Correlations and moderated regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

The need to belong significantly moderated the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation and was associated with higher levels of anxious attachment and avoidant attachment. Both attachment dimensions were significant moderators of the relationship between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSION

Anxious and avoidant attachment as well as a high need to belong are risk factors for suicidal ideation in people with thwarted belongingness. Therefore, attachment style and need to belong should both be considered in suicide risk assessment and therapy.

Attachment security schemas to attenuate the appeal of benevolent sexism: The effect of the need to belong and relationship security

Previous research has repeatedly shown a positive association between the need for relationship security and the appeal of benevolent sexism. Possibly, no studies to date had investigated the role of the need to belong with respect to a preference for the ideal partner to endorse benevolently sexist attitudes. Attachment security is considered to attenuate the need for relationship security and to divert the focus from the need to belong. Study 1 therefore investigated potential associations among attachment anxiety, the need to belong, and the appeal of benevolent sexism. It also examined whether the association between the need to belong and a preference for the ideal partner to hold benevolently sexist attitudes is moderated by attachment anxiety. In Study 2, we used a causal design to confirm the findings from Study 1 through the activation of attachment security schema. A moderated regression analysis showed significant interactive effects between the need to belong and attachment anxiety-that is, a positive association between the need to belong and the appeal of benevolent sexism was found only among people high in attachment anxiety. Secure-base scripts attenuated the need to belong as well as the appeal of benevolent sexism. The present findings suggest the importance of attachment schemas in influencing preference for specific partner attitudes through the need to belong and relationship security.

The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale Validity in a Romanian Sample Using Item Response Theory and Network Analysis

The validation of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) in different cultural contexts is contributory in adding to the extant research body on psychometric qualities of the scale. The main purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the BSMAS, based on classical test theory and advanced psychometric testing, namely item response theory (IRT) and network analysis in a Romanian sample of 705 participants (39% males, aged 18-54 years, M = 30.24, SD ± 9.15). Composite reliability and McDonald's omega proved the very good internal consistency of the BSMAS-RO. The CFA highlighted the unifactorial model fitted well and measurement invariance across gender was revealed. Females obtained significantly higher scores on social media addiction (SMA) than males. As for concurrent validity, SMA correlated with social media intensity use, anxious attachment, social anxiety, need to belong, self-esteem, and happiness. IRT analysis proved adequate discrimination and difficulty parameters for all items. The highest discrimination was registered by salience criterion and the highest difficulty by conflict, withdrawal, and mood modification criteria. Relapse criterion had the lowest values of both parameters. Network analysis revealed that salience and withdrawal criteria had the highest indicators of centrality and relapse the lowest. Our findings revealed that the most relevant criteria to the diagnosis of SMA in Romanian people are salience, conflict, withdrawal, and mood modification. The robust psychometric properties of the BSMAS-RO provide health professionals a valid instrument for assessing SMA. Programs to prevent SMA must focus on dispositional traits as AATT, social anxiety, respectively unsatisfied need to belong, and promoting the ability to initiate and maintain rewarding social relationships.

The Need to Belong: a Deep Dive into the Origins, Implications, and Future of a Foundational Construct

The need to belong in human motivation is relevant for all academic disciplines that study human behavior, with immense importance to educational psychology. The presence of belonging, specifically school belonging, has powerful long- and short-term implications for students’ positive psychological and academic outcomes. This article presents a brief review of belonging research with specific relevance to educational psychology. Following this is an interview with Emeritus Professors Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary, foundational pioneers in belonging research which reflects upon their influential 1995 paper, “The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation,” to explore the value and relevance of belonging for understanding human behavior and promoting well-being.

Why do children essentialize social groups?

The tendency to essentialize social groups is universal, and arises early in development. This tendency is associated with negative intergroup attitudes and behaviors, and has thus encouraged the search for remedies for the emergence of essentialism. In this vein, great attention has been devoted to uncovering the cognitive foundations of essentialism. In this chapter, I suggest that attention should also be turned toward the motivational foundations of essentialism. I propose that considerations of power and group identity, but especially a "need to belong," may encourage children's essentialization of social groups. Namely, from a young age, children are keen to feel members of a group, and that their membership is secure and exclusive. Essentialism is the conceptual gadget that satisfies these feelings. And to the extent that groups are defined by what they do, this motivated essentialism also impels children to be adamant about the maintenance of unique group behaviors.

Threats to Belonging, Immune Function, and Eating Behavior: an Examination of Sex and Gender Differences

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The first goal of this review is to discuss the evidence linking belonging threats to immune function and food intake. The second goal is to evaluate whether the links among belonging threats, immune function, and eating behavior differ based on gender.

RECENT FINDINGS

Threats to belonging are linked to elevated herpesvirus antibody titers, dysregulated appetite-relevant hormones, and increased food consumption. Furthermore, these relationships are largely consistent for both men and women. Threats to belonging are also linked to elevated inflammation. However, some studies showed that these effects were stronger among women, others demonstrated that they were stronger among men, and others determined that the links were consistent for men and women. Understanding why belonging threats are inconsistently linked to inflammation across men and women is an important next step. We conclude the review with four concrete recommendations for researchers studying belonging threats, immune function, and eating behavior.

Why narcissists are at risk for developing Facebook addiction: The need to be admired and the need to belong

Building upon previous research establishing a positive association between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism and problematic social networking use, the present study tests a model that explains how grandiose and vulnerable narcissists might develop Facebook (Fb) addiction symptoms through the need for admiration and the need to belong. A sample of 535 undergraduates (50.08% F; mean age 22.70±2.76years) completed measures of grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, Fb addiction symptoms, and two brief scales measuring the need for admiration and the need to belong. Results from structural equation modelling show that the association between grandiose narcissism and Fb addiction levels was completely mediated by the need for admiration and the need to belong. On the other hand, vulnerable narcissism was not found to be associated either directly or indirectly with Fb addiction levels. The variables in the model accounted for 30% of the variance in Fb addiction levels. The present study represents a step toward a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying the link between grandiose narcissism and problematic Fb use.

The moderating effect of the need to belong and classroom composition on belongingness seeking of minority adolescents

This study aimed to elucidate whether the interaction of classroom composition and the need to belong influences belongingness seeking and, if so, to investigate how upward comparison mediates the effects. The analyses were conducted with a cross-sectional sample of 383 Taiwanese aboriginal adolescents (39.7% male) recruited from schools with mixed-sex/ethnicity (n = 113), single-sex (n = 122), and minority-only (n = 148) classrooms. After controlling for socioeconomic status, the moderation analyses indicated that participants with a chronic need to belong in classes with diversity (mixed sex/ethnicity) perceived higher social acceptance, while those with a chronic need to belong in homogeneous classes (single-sex and minority-only) reported greater feelings of rejection. Upward comparison for differentiation was found to influence the indirect effects of the need to belong on feelings of rejection and depression in single-sex and minority-only classes. In particular, the mediating effect of upward comparison was stronger in minority-only classes.

The need to belong motivates demand for authentic objects

The present studies examine how demand for certain types of authentic objects is related to a more fundamental need to form social connections with others. Specifically, Experiment 1 demonstrates that manipulating the need to belong leads to greater valuation of celebrity memorabilia. Experiment 2 provides converging evidence by demonstrating that individual differences in the need to belong moderate the relationship between beliefs in essence transfer (i.e., contagion) and valuation. This paper lends insight into the underlying motives behind demand for authentic objects and, more broadly, reinforces the compensatory role of consumption in satisfying core psychological needs.

Are adolescents with high self-esteem protected from psychosomatic symptomatology?

This study investigated the role of self-esteem, social (need to belong, loneliness, competitiveness, and shyness), and health (smoking, drinking) behaviors in Hungarian adolescents' psychosomatic symptoms. Our sample of 490 students (ages 14-19 years) from Debrecen (Hungary) completed the questionnaires. Besides descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analyses were applied to test interrelationships. Frequency analysis revealed that fatigue was the most commonly experienced psychosomatic symptom in this sample, followed by sleeping problems and (lower) back pain. Girls reported experiencing more symptoms. Multiple regression analyses suggested that (1) need to belong, shyness, and competitiveness may serve as social behavioral risk factors for adolescents' psychosomatic symptomatology, whereas (2) self-esteem may play a protective role. The role of social and health behaviors was modified when analyzed by gender: the psychosomatic index score was positively related to smoking and shyness among girls, and need to belong among boys. Self-esteem provided protection for both sexes.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that problems with social relationships (namely, unmet need to belong, competitiveness, and shyness) may lead to psychosomatic health complaints, whereas self-esteem may serve as a protection. Findings suggest that social skills training and strengthening self-esteem should be an important part of children's health promotion programs in schools to improve their psychosomatic health and well-being.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Despite being free of serious physical illness, many adolescents often report subjective health complaints, such as psychosomatic symptoms • As children in this life stage develop independence and autonomy, new types of social relationships, and identity, their social needs and skills also change What is new: • Need to belong, shyness, and competitiveness may serve as social behavioral risk factors for adolescents' psychosomatic symptomatology, whereas self-esteem may play a protective role • The role of social and health behaviors may vary by gender.

Satisfying needs through Social Networking Sites: A pathway towards problematic Internet use for socially anxious people?

Introduction

Following the theoretical frameworks of the dual-factor model of Facebook use and the Self Determination Theory, the present study hypothesizes that the satisfaction of unmet needs through Social Networking Sites (SNSs) may represent a pathway towards problematic use of Internet communicative services (GPIU) for socially anxious people.

Methods

Four hundred undergraduate students (females = 51.8%; mean age = 22.45 + 2.09) completed three brief scales measuring the satisfaction via SNSs of the need to belong, the need for self-presentation and the need for assertiveness, the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. Structural equation modeling was performed separately for males and females.

Results

A direct effect of social anxiety on GPIU was found among both genders. Socially anxious males and females tend to use SNSs for self-presentation purposes, as well as for the opportunity to be more assertive. The association between social anxiety and GPIU was partially mediated by the need for self-presentation only among males.

Conclusions

The present results extend our understanding of the development of problematic use of Internet communicative services, based on the framework of the dual factor model of Facebook use and the Self Determination Theory. The fulfillment of an unmet need for self-presentation (i.e. the desire to create a positive impression of one's self in others) through SNSs could be one of the possible pathways to GPIU for socially anxious males.

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We evaluated a possible pathway from social anxiety to GPIU among undergraduates.

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Social anxiety had a direct effect of on GPIU levels among both genders.

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Socially anxious people use SNSs to self-present positively and to be assertive.

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The need for self-presentation could be a pathway to GPIU for socially anxious males.