Yanhui Xiang

Amid globalization and rapid technological change, societal competition has intensified (Wahida et al., 2023), increasing stress and uncertainty. Fierce competition for educational and job opportun...

While evidence indicates a connection between bullying involvement (perpetration and victimization) and peer relationships, the direction of this relationship remains debated. It is unclear whether peer relationships are a consequence or a precursor to bullying, and whether such association varies by gender. To address these gaps and capture fluctuations in daily school life, the present study employed a weekly diary method to examine the bidirectional relationships between bullying perpetration/victimization and peer relationships, as well as potential gender differences. A total of 452 adolescents (285 boys, M _age = 12.90, SD _age = 0.48) completed the 7‐week diary survey. Multilevel modelling revealed that weekly bullying/victimization significantly predicted subsequent decreases in peer relationships, while peer relationships did not predict later bullying or victimization, indicating a unidirectional pathway. Gender analyses showed that gender did not moderate these links but did differentiate bullying patterns: stratified analyses further revealed the unidirectional pathway only in boys, where verbal and relational perpetration/victimization predicted later declines in peer relationships. These findings not only theoretically expand our understanding of the dynamic interplay between bullying and peer relationships, unveiling unique cultural and social mechanisms of psychological bullying among boys, but also provide empirical evidence for developing targeted anti‐bullying interventions for adolescent boys.

Aggressive behavior remains a significant issue affecting children’s development (Li et al. 2020) and is prevalent worldwide (Hollister-Wagner, Foshee, and Jackson 2001). It exerts widespread adver...

Objective: This meta‐analysis examined the relationships between different dimensions of narcissism and mental health, with a specific focus on internalizing forms of psychopathology. Method: A systematic search identified 229 empirical studies ( N = 185,137; k = 735 effect sizes) from four international databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, OATD) and two Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang Data). Because most studies relied on self‐report measures, the findings primarily reflect self‐reported associations. Random‐effects models were used to estimate overall effects, and moderation analyses tested the roles of demographic, methodological, and construct‐related variables. Results: Grandiose narcissism was positively associated with positive mental health ( r = 0.19, p < 0.001) and showed no significant association with negative mental health ( r = 0.02, p = 0.26). Vulnerable narcissism was negatively associated with positive mental health ( r = −0.25, p < 0.001) and positively associated with negative mental health ( r = 0.39, p < 0.001). Findings based on the Admiration–Rivalry model and the three‐factor model provided additional clarity regarding these associations. Significant moderators included age, measurement instruments, and construct specificity. Conclusions: These results clarify dimension‐specific links between narcissism and mental health and provide a more nuanced understanding of narcissism's psychological correlates. Trial Registration: PROSPERO: Registration No. CRD420251016464

The mother’s love is vital for adolescent development, yet there is a lack of specific tools to measure its psychological absence. This study aimed to develop the Mother-Love Absence Scale (MLAS) by revising the Father-Love Absence Scale (FLAS) and verify its reliability and validity among adolescents. Study 1 included 2700 junior and senior high school adolescents. The junior and senior high school samples were each randomly split into two subsamples. One subsample was used for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while the other was used for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), internal consistency reliability tests, and cross-gender measurement invariance tests. The results indicated that the factor structure of the MLAS was consistent with that of the FLAS, both comprising four factors: emotional absence, cognitive absence, behavioral absence, and volitional absence. Furthermore, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis verified the gender invariance of the scale. In Study 2, 193 adolescents were surveyed to conduct a CFA and a criterion-related validity analysis. The results of the CFA again demonstrated a good model fit for the four-factor structure. The criterion-related validity analysis indicated that the mother-love absence was negatively connected with parent–child interaction and positively correlated with parental phubbing. Therefore, the revised MLAS has well reliability and validity and can be a reliable instrument for measuring mother-love absence in adolescents.

Self-esteem has always been one of the most central elements of psychological research. So, what exactly is the role of self-esteem in the social-emotional development and maladaptive behavior formation among children and adolescents? Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory perspective, this study explored the primordial role of self-esteem in human development based on 3-year, 3-wave longitudinal follow-up data from 208 upper elementary and 246 middle school students. Results of cross-lagged network analysis revealed that self-esteem was the strongest predictor of social-emotional and maladaptive behaviors in elementary school grades 4→5, 5→6, and middle school grades 7→8. In grades 8→9, although loneliness was the strongest predictor, self-esteem remained one of the most stable predictors. This study reveals for the first time the foundational role of self-esteem in social-emotional and maladaptive behaviors based on a cross-lagged network analysis approach, providing important theoretical implications for understanding the prominence of self-esteem in an individual’s physical and mental development. At the same time, it also offers important practical foundations for promoting the physical and mental health of individuals from the perspective of self-esteem intervention.