Social Self-Efficacy Predicts Chinese College Students’ First-Year Transition

Abstract

This study investigated the facilitative role of adult social self-efficacy in Chinese college students' first-year transition. We proposed and tested a process model in which perceived social support was hypothesized as a mediator between social self-efficacy and college freshmen adjustment. Participants were 474 college freshmen enrolled at a large university located in an east coast city in the People's Republic of China. These college freshmen completed four waves of self-report surveys over a 10-month period, at 1, 4, 7, and 10 months post-entry, respectively. Participants' first-year cumulative grade point average (GPA) was obtained from the University Registrar. Results based on structural equation modeling provided support for the hypothesized process model. Specifically, social self-efficacy (Month 1) positively related to perceived social support (Month 4), which in turn positively related to academic and social adjustment, but negatively related to depression (Month 7). Perceived social support was found to mediate the above relationships. Academic adjustment positively related to, whereas depression negatively related to, first-year GPA (Month 10). The relationship between social adjustment and first-year GPA was complex, with a negative direct link and a positive indirect link through academic adjustment. In addition, academic and social adjustment positively related to subjective well-being (SWB; Month 10), whereas depression negatively related to SWB. Implications for research and practice were discussed.

The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Perceived Parental Involvement, Self-Efficacy Beliefs, and Subjective Well-Being: A Multiple Mediator Model

“…Despite some past studies (e.g., Meng et al 2014;Suldo and Shaffer 2007;Vecchio et al 2007;Wright and Perrone 2010) indicating positive contributions of social selfefficacy to adolescent LS, this study did not find support for social self-efficacy as a unique mediator in the relationship between parental involvement and adolescent LS. Joint consideration of this result and the significant mediation role of social self-efficacy in the relationship between parental involvement and adolescent PA suggests that perceived competency in peer relations may contribute to adolescents' pleasant emotions but may not necessarily affect overall LS like perceived competency in the academic domain.…”

“…Fundamentally, social connectedness and positive interactions contribute to one's PA (Hawkley et al 2003(Hawkley et al , 2007IngersollDayton et al 1997;Newsom et al 2003;Rook 2001). Extant literature corroborates the positive relationship between social self-efficacy and PA in adolescents (e.g., Caprara et al 2006;Meng et al 2014). Further, adolescent peer relations have been shown to be associated with higher PA (e.g., Proctor et al 2010).…”

“…Self-efficacy enhances the quality of human functioning via cognitive, affective, motivational, and decisional processes (Bandura 2012). Self-efficacy in different domains such as academic, social, emotional, regulating stress, and anger, has been shown to have significant relationships with components of SWB in adolescents (Lackaye et al 2006;Lightsey et al 2013;Meng et al 2014;Putwain et al 2013;Steca et al 2011;Suldo and Shaffer 2007;Vecchio et al 2007). To date, evidence has begun to accumulate on the links between parental involvement, self-efficacy beliefs, and the components of SWB in adolescents (Di Maggio and Zappulla 2013;Schwartz 2007, 2010;Weiser and Riggio 2010).…”

The Role of Sustainable Service Innovation in Crafting the Vision of the Hospitality Industry

“…Scholars have advocated for broader perspectives in cross-cultural research to better examine the generalizability for both Western and Eastern cultures [90][91][92][93]. In addressing this limitation, future research that collects samples on the basis of individualistic societies (e.g., Europe and North America) and that provides more evidence of sustainability in service innovation is recommended.…”

Expert Concepts of Sustainable Service Innovation in Restaurants in Taiwan

“…Researchers have advocated for broader perspectives in cross-cultural research to better investigate the generalizability for both Western and Eastern cultures [79][80][81][82]. The second limitation refers to the fact that we carried out a content analysis based on interview results from 15 experts: 7 industry experts, 5 government experts and 3 academic scholars.…”