The current study examined normative beliefs about aggression as a mediator between narcissistic exploitativeness and cyberbullying using two Asian adolescent samples from Singapore and Malaysia. Narcissistic exploitativeness was significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying and normative beliefs about aggression and normative beliefs about aggression were significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying. Normative beliefs about aggression were a significant partial mediator in both samples; these beliefs about aggression served as one possible mechanism of action by which narcissistic exploitativeness could exert its influence on cyberbullying. Findings extended previous empirical research by showing that such beliefs can be the mechanism of action not only in offline but also in online contexts and across cultures. Cyberbullying prevention and intervention efforts should include modification of norms and beliefs supportive of the legitimacy and acceptability of cyberbullying.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study examined the cyber-psychological correlates of depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidality among public university students in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Design and Methods: Participants were randomly selected using multi-stage sampling methods from three public universities in the study location.

Our findings provide additional evidence that educational lecture on mental illness, coupled with either face-to-face contact or video-based contact, is predictive of positive outcomes in anti-stigma programs targeting future healthcare providers.

a b s t r a c tBased on the theories of uses and gratifications, and self-determination, we examined a model linking computer-mediated communication (CMC) attributes to psychological need satisfaction in online friendships and to life satisfaction in a sample of school-aged adolescents (N = 1572). Our findings suggest direct links between media orientations (i.e., attitude toward online relationship formation and Internet habit strength) and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. We also reported direct links between online communication, online self-disclosure and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships, and also a direct link between psychological need satisfaction in online friendships and life satisfaction. Despite these direct links, online communication and online self-disclosure significantly mediated the link between attitude toward online relationship formation and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. In this pattern of links, both mediators were equally strong. Online communication and online self-disclosure also significantly mediated the link between Internet habit strength and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. For this pattern of links, both mediators differed significantly in strength. Online communication emerged as a stronger mediator than online self-disclosure. Our findings suggest that CMC attributes may serve as a new social milieu for adolescent subjective well-being.

BackgroundThe first 2 years of life is a critical period of rapid growth and brain development. During this period, nutrition and environmental factors play important roles in growth and cognitive development of a child. This report describes the study protocol of early nutrition, growth and cognitive development of infants from birth to 2 years of age.Methods/DesignThis is a prospective cohort study of mothers and infants recruited from government health clinics in Seremban district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Infants are followed-up at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age. Pre-natal factors that include mother’s pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, blood glucose and blood pressure during pregnancy, infant’s gestational age, birth weight and head circumference at birth are obtained from patient card. Post-natal factors assessed at each follow-up are feeding practices, dietary intake, anthropometric measurements and cognitive development of infants. Iron status is assessed at 6 months, while infant temperament and home environment are assessed at 12 months. Maternal intelligence is assessed at 18 months.DiscussionEarly life nutritional programming is of current interest as many longitudinal studies are actively being conducted in developed countries to investigate this concept. The concept however is relatively new in developing countries such as Malaysia. This study will provide useful information on early nutrition and infant development in the first two years of life which can be further followed up to identify factors that track into childhood and contribute to growth and cognitive deviations.