Exploring the Links between Unsociability, Parenting Behaviors, and Socio-Emotional Functioning in Young Children in Suburban China

Zhu, Jingjing; Ooi, Laura L.; Wu, Min; Li, Yan; Coplan, Robert J.; Cao, Yingying

doi:10.1080/10409289.2020.1821538

Cited by 17 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Maladaptive parenting is already known to exacerbate links between child unsociability and adjustment difficulties (e.g., peer exclusion and internalizing problems) (Chang et al, 2003; Lim & Loo, 2003; Zhu et al, 2020). Specifically, parents who perceive their children as unsociable tend to engage in controlling behaviour and punishment, which may further exacerbate children's adjustment difficulties.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A composite variable was created by calculating the average score across all items. This measure has demonstrated evidence of reliability and validity among samples of young Chinese children (Li et al, 2016; Zhu et al, 2020). In the present sample, this measure demonstrated high internal reliability at both time points ( α = 0.79 at T1, α = 0.80 at T2).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Xiao et al (2021) found that maladaptive parenting could predict child depression, anxiety, and loneliness in Chinese culture. In addition, Zhu et al (2020) demonstrated that, the higher the levels of maladaptive parenting, the more intense the association between unsociability and adjustment difficulties.…”

Section: Unsociability and Maladaptive Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Chinese child unsociability, maternal maladaptive parenting, and peer exclusion among preschoolers: A cross‐lagged model

Xiao

Weng

Wang

et al. 2022

Infant and Child Development

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Previous research has consistently found that unsociability is linked to adjustment difficulties in Chinese children. However, far less attention has been paid to how parents and peers react when confronted with unsociable children. In this study, we explored the longitudinal linkages among Chinese preschoolers' unsociability, maladaptive parenting, and peer exclusion. Participants were mothers and teachers of N = 391 (M age = 4.4 years, SD = 0.91 years; 54.5% boys) preschoolers attending eight kindergartens in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, followed over 8 months. Multisource assessments were employed. Mothers rated children's unsociability and their maladaptive (physical hostility, verbal hostility, punishment) parenting practices, and teachers rated children's peer exclusion at each time point. Our results indicated that child unsociability contributed to later increases in both maladaptive parenting and peer exclusion. However, maladaptive parenting and peer exclusion could not predict later increases in unsociability. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of unsociability among Chinese children.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Unsociability and Maladaptive Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Chinese child unsociability, maternal maladaptive parenting, and peer exclusion among preschoolers: A cross‐lagged model

Xiao

Weng

Wang

et al. 2022

Infant and Child Development

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“…This indicated that the implications of shyness may vary across individuals’ developmental periods. As for young children in suburban areas, a recent study with a preschooler sample indicated that unsociability, which is also a social withdrawal phenomenon, but different from shyness in its underlying drive, was positively associated with peer exclusion, asocial behavior, and anxious–fearful behavior [ 43 ], which indicated the maladjustment of unsociability in a suburban preschooler sample. However, as unsociability is different from shyness in nature, whether these findings applied to shyness should be examined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shyness and School Engagement in Chinese Suburban Preschoolers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Teacher–Child Closeness and Child Gender

Fang

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Shyness is associated with poorer preschool engagement, but few studies have evaluated the underlying mechanisms in Chinese preschoolers. This study explored the mediating role of teacher–child closeness and the moderating role of child gender in the association between shyness and school engagement to fill this gap. With the cluster sampling method, a total of 532 young children (240 girls; Mage = 4.29 years, SD = 0.65 years) were recruited from 15 suburban kindergartens in East China. Mothers rated children’s shyness, and teachers evaluated children’s school engagement and teacher–child closeness five months later. The results reveal the following: (1) Shyness was related to higher cooperative participation and lower school avoidance; (2) Teacher–child closeness mediated the relationships between shyness and school engagement. Specifically, shyness negatively predicted teacher–child closeness, and teacher–child closeness positively predicted cooperative and independent participations and school liking, and negatively predicted school avoidance; (3) Child gender moderated the relationship between shyness and school engagement, and specifically, for boys but not girls, shyness was significantly linked with lower school avoidance; for girls but not boys, shyness was significantly related to higher cooperative participation and lower independent participation. These findings have implications for the school engagement of preschoolers.

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“…Indeed, recent studies in China found that shyness has changed from a positive trait to a negative trait in urban cities, which was revealed to be associated with adjustment difficulties (e.g., peer difficulties and internalizing problems) [ 24 , 25 ]. Furthermore, unsociability was related to many adjustment problems, such as peer difficulties, learning difficulties, and psychological disorders (i.e., depression and loneliness) [ 25 , 26 ]. Moreover, social avoidance is the subtype at the most risk of social adjustment [ 9 , 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Avoidance and Social Adjustment in Chinese Preschool Migrant Children: The Moderating Role of Household Chaos and Gender

Zhu

Yin

Wang³

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The present study explored the moderating role of household chaos and gender in the relation between social avoidance and social adjustment among Chinese preschool migrant children. Participants were 148 children (82 boys, Mage = 62.63 months, SD = 0.05) from two kindergartens, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Multi-source assessments included: (1) mother ratings of children’s social avoidance; (2) mother ratings of families’ household chaos; (3) teacher ratings of children’s prosocial behavior, peer exclusion, interpersonal skills, and internalizing problems. Results showed that social avoidance significantly predicted peer exclusion among Chinese migrant preschoolers. Moreover, household chaos moderated the relationship between social avoidance and social adjustment. Specifically, at higher levels of household chaos, social avoidance was negatively associated with interpersonal skills. In contrast, social avoidance was not associated with interpersonal skills at a lower level of household chaos. In addition, social avoidance was positively associated with peer exclusion among boys but not girls. The current findings inform us of the importance of reducing household chaos to buffer the negative adjustment among socially avoidant young children who migrated from rural to urban China. The findings also highlight the need to pay particular attention to migrant socially avoidant boys’ development in early childhood and the importance of considering the meaning and implication of social avoidance for migrant preschoolers in Chinese culture.

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Exploring the Links between Unsociability, Parenting Behaviors, and Socio-Emotional Functioning in Young Children in Suburban China

Cited by 17 publications

References 59 publications

Chinese child unsociability, maternal maladaptive parenting, and peer exclusion among preschoolers: A cross‐lagged model

Chinese child unsociability, maternal maladaptive parenting, and peer exclusion among preschoolers: A cross‐lagged model

Shyness and School Engagement in Chinese Suburban Preschoolers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Teacher–Child Closeness and Child Gender

Social Avoidance and Social Adjustment in Chinese Preschool Migrant Children: The Moderating Role of Household Chaos and Gender

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