Bullying and Social Anxiety in Chinese Children: Moderating Roles of Trait Resilience and Psychological Suzhi

Research examining the relationship between bullying victimization and social anxiety has mainly been conducted in Western countries, and little is known about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. This study explores the correlation between bullying victimization and social anxiety in a Chinese context and determines the moderating roles of psychological suzhi (a mental quality characterized by being steady, essential and implicit that affects adaptive, developmental, and creative behavior) and trait resilience among victims of bullying. Data were obtained from a stratified sample of 1903 children in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. All participants completed measures of bullying victimization, social anxiety, trait resilience, and psychological suzhi. The results indicated that, after controlling for grade, residential area, and parental marital status, bullying victimization positively predicted children’s social anxiety. In addition, multi-group analysis suggested that the association in girls was stronger relative to that observed in boys. Regarding underlying processes, trait resilience moderated the effect of bullying victimization on social anxiety only in girls. Further assessment of the latent interaction effects indicated that the protective effect of trait resilience was stronger for girls experiencing high, relative to low, levels of bullying victimization, and psychological suzhi buffered against the detrimental effects of bullying on children’s social anxiety. Most notably, unlike the moderating effect of resilience, the buffering effect of psychological suzhi against social anxiety was most prominent when bullying victimization was low. Findings underscore the importance of enhancing trait resilience and psychological suzhi in interventions designed to reduce children’s social anxiety.     

Examination preparation,anxiety and examination performance in a group of adult students

The study reported here examined the relationship between the final examination performance of adults enrolled in a university preparatory, or Access, course and (1) 29 approaches to studying; (2) 25 ways of coping; (3) trait anxiety; and (4) self‐reported examination anxiety. Eight approaches to studying and six ways of coping were significantly correlated with final examination mark. Extreme levels (high/low) of trait anxiety were significantly associated with lower final examination performance, moderate trait anxiety with higher final examination performance. Level of self‐reported examination anxiety was significantly positively correlated with level of trait anxiety but not with final examination performance. There were no significant differences in final examination performance associated with gender, age‐group or the presence/absence of recent examination experience.     

Adverse childhood experiences and health anxiety in adulthood

Childhood experiences are thought to predispose a person to the development of health anxiety later in life. However, there is a lack of research investigating the influence of specific adverse experiences (e.g., childhood abuse, household dysfunction) on this condition. The current study examined the cumulative influence of multiple types of childhood adversities on health anxiety in adulthood. Adults 18–59 years of age (N = 264) completed a battery of measures to assess adverse childhood experiences, health anxiety, and associated constructs (i.e., negative affect and trait anxiety). Significant associations were observed between adverse childhood experiences, health anxiety, and associated constructs. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicted that adverse childhood experiences were predictive of health anxiety in adulthood; however, the unique contribution of these experience were no longer significant following the inclusion of the other variables of interest. Subsequently, mediation analyses indicated that both negative affect and trait anxiety independently mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and health anxiety in adulthood. Increased exposure to adverse childhood experiences is associated with higher levels of health anxiety in adulthood; this relationship is mediated through negative affect and trait anxiety. Findings support the long-term negative impact of cumulative adverse childhood experiences and emphasize the importance of addressing negative affect and trait anxiety in efforts to prevent and treat health anxiety.     

Associations between trait personality,anxiety, self-efficacy and intentions to exercise by gender in high school physical education

Trait personality has been associated with achievement and many of its related outcomes in settings such as education, health, physical activity and sport. Scant trait personality research has been performed among school-age students in physical education, so this study investigates relations between the six-dimension (HEXACO) model of trait personality and anxiety, self-efficacy and intentions to exercise as a function of gender in 316 high school physical education students. Students completed validated measures of these constructs. Results revealed that trait personality (particularly the social self-esteem aspect of extraversion) predicted lower anxiety and higher self-efficacy and intentions to exercise in both females and males. Openness to experience was predictive of both anxiety and lowered self-efficacy in females. It appears that physical educators should consider the role of the HEXACO personality traits and sub-traits in their students and potentially differentiate instruction to better accommodate students who are more vulnerable. From this study, it appears that students who are less extraverted and females who are more open to experience may be at be more at risk for anxiety and lower self-efficacy in physical education which may compromise their intentions to exercise.     

Counseling Self-Efficacy and its Relationship to Anxiety and Problem-Solving in United Arab Emirates

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among counseling self-efficacy, problem-solving, and state and trait anxiety. A total sample of one hundred thirteen males and females (females = 105; males = 8) enrolled in the psychology department at the UAE University voluntarily participated in this study. The Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE), Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to collect data from participants. Findings revealed significantly moderate correlations between counseling self-efficacy and both problem-solving and State and trait Anxiety. Findings are discussed within the context of UAE culture and directions for future research are provided.     

师范类大学生自尊与特质焦虑的关系研究

目的：师范类大学生自尊与特质焦虑的关系。方法：随机选取540名大学生,采用自尊量表（SES）以及特制焦虑量表（STAI）进行调查。结果：师范学生总体的特质焦虑分布为43.97±7.579,自尊分布为28.94±4.194,师范生特质焦虑与自尊在性别与生源上没有显著的差异,在年级维度存在显著差异;师范生特质焦虑与自尊水平间存在中等程度负相关,相关性显著,特质焦虑为自变量可解释自尊变化中的34.1%。结论：师范生特质焦虑在不同年级间存在一定的波动,自尊水平会随之产生相应的变化;师范生特质焦虑作为一种人格特质对其自尊水平显著的预测作用。     

Experiencing more mathematics anxiety than expected? Contrasting trait and state anxiety in high achieving students

This study examined mathematics anxiety among high and low achieving students (N = 237, grades 9 and 10) by contrasting trait (habitual) and state (momentary) assessments of anxiety. Previous studies have found that trait anxiety measures are typically rated higher than state measures. Furthermore, the academic self-concept has been identified to play a moderating role in the trait-state discrepancy, with higher academic self-concept leading to a lower discrepancy (i.e. less overestimation of trait anxiety if state assessments reflect actual experience). Therefore, we assumed that high achievers who were expected to have high academic self-concepts would exhibit a smaller trait-state discrepancy than low achievers. Results confirmed these assumptions and revealed that high achievers even underestimated their trait anxiety. Implications are discussed.     

Potential school violence: Relationship between teacher anxiety and warning‐sign identification

This study examined the relationship between teacher anxiety and their identification of warning signs of student violence. Fifty‐six public school teachers, 22 male and 34 female, between the ages of 23 and 60 participated. Participants identified warning signs in five fictional student case files created for this study and completed the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory and a demographic survey. The case files included positive and negative information, and high‐ and low‐severity warning signs. Neither state (r = .02) nor trait (r = .04) anxiety was significantly correlated with high‐severity warning‐signs identification. Low‐severity warning‐signs identification was positively correlated with state anxiety (r = .28, p < .05) but not trait anxiety (r = .18, p > .05). False positive identification was not significantly related to state anxiety (r = .07) or trait anxiety (r = .06). The findings indicate that teachers who experience higher levels of state anxiety when confronted with warning signs of potential violence are better able to identify low‐severity warning signs than do their less anxious counterparts, without over‐identifying nonthreatening information as potential warning signs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 623–635, 2005.     

跆拳道运动员运动认知特质焦虑情况研究

运用心理测量法、数理统计法等方法,对沈阳体育学院竞技体校跆拳道队40名运动员的运动认知特质焦虑情况进行对比研究.研究表明:沈阳体育学院竞技体校跆拳道运动员的性别、文化程度、运动年限与运动员的赛前运动认知特质焦虑有着密切的关系.     

状态和特质焦虑对情绪刺激时长估计的影响

影响时间知觉的情绪因素可以概括为情绪刺激因素和被试因素两个方面。以55名大学生为被试,估计哭、笑和中性表情面孔刺激呈现时长,并采用状态—特质焦虑量表测查其状态和特质焦虑,研究个体焦虑情绪对于时长估计的影响。结果发现,相对于中性表情刺激条件,在哭、笑表情刺激条件下,参加实验时的状态焦虑分数低于特质焦虑分数者(低常组),体现出高估时长的特点,达到或接近统计学显著水平;而参加实验时的状态焦虑分数高于平时测定的特质焦虑分数者(高常组),表现出未达到统计学显著水平的低估时长的趋势。结果提示我们:低常组高估时距可能是源于生理唤醒效应,而高常组低估时距可能是源于认知注意唤醒效应。     

学业焦虑与学习成绩关系的元分析——基于中国中学生研究数据

学业焦虑是学生在学业情境中较为常见的消极情绪状态。本文运用元分析方法探究中国中学生学业焦虑与学习成绩的关系状态及其影响因素。研究发现，学业焦虑与学习成绩之间的关系显著，学习成绩获取途径和学科类型对二者之间的关系有显著的调节作用。主效应显著的研究发现支持学业情绪控制价值理论和认知动机理论的核心观点，同时提示教育工作者不能忽视学业焦虑对学生学习成绩的负面影响，建议通过培养学生的健康人格、指导家庭教育方式、改革成绩排名方式、建立同辈互助小组等举措帮助学生减少学业焦虑。学习成绩获取途径的调节效应显著，提示教育研究者在开展相关研究时，最好根据学生成绩单上报告的学习成绩进行科学计算；学科类型的调节效应显著，提示教育工作者在开展中学生学业焦虑干预时，应该重点关注英语和数学两门学科。     

Career Indecision in Adult Children of Alcoholics

This study investigated potential differences in career indecision for adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and adult children of non-alcoholics (non-ACOAs) attending college. Using a sample of community college students, the relationships among irrational thinking, anxiety and career indecision were compared between ACOAs and non-ACOAs. ACOAs received significantly higher scores than non-ACOAs on state anxiety, p < .01, trait anxiety, p < .001. (as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; Speilberger, Gorsuch, and Lushene, 1983.) Although both groups were similar in their overall levels of career indecision, there were significant relationships among irrational thinking, trait anxiety and career identity for ACOAs that were less present for non-ACOAs. Results of this study suggest career indecision may be more chronic and problematic for ACOAs than for non-ACOAs.     

Test anxiety and GCSE performance: the effect of gender and socio‐economic background

Despite a well established body of international literature describing the effect of test anxiety on student performance in a range of assessments, there has been little work conducted on samples of students from the UK. The purpose of this exploratory study is two‐fold. First, to establish the relationship between test anxiety and assessment performance in a group of students in their final year of compulsory secondary schooling, in the politicised educational context of the UK. Second, to establish if this relationship is moderated by gender and socio‐economic background. Data were gathered on trait test anxiety, GSCE examination performance in Mathematics, English Language and Science, gender and socio‐economic background from 557 mixed ability Year 11 students drawn from three secondary schools in the UK. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to establish the moderating influence of gender and socio‐economic background. Results suggest a small, but significant inverse relationship between test anxiety scores and mean examination performance and that the cognitive component of test anxiety accounts for 7% of variance in examination performance. A differential test anxiety–assessment performance relationship was reported for socio‐economic background but not gender. Although the data reported for the test anxiety–assessment performance relationship are similar to those reported in numerous other studies, it is hypothesised that contextualised features associated with secondary education in the UK, particularly efforts to raise attainment, may have influenced these results.     

Psychological Correlates of Fear of Falling in the Elderly

Fear of falling (FOF) is widely found in the elderly population and, regardless of its complex nature as a multicomponent construct, its related psychological variables have been overlooked as primary research topics. This article aims to examine the relationship between FOF, falls self efficacy, anxiety, balance, and perceived control over falling in a sample of older adults. A total of 100 subjects aged 60+ were asked about the presence of FOF, falls history, health, and functional status; they also completed the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), the Perceived Control Over Falling Scale (PCOF), and the Performance-Oriented Assessment of Mobility and Balance (POMA-I). FOF was found to be associated with low falls self efficacy, low perceived control over falling, and reduced balance but not with anxiety. Conversely, a statistically significant association was found between GAI and FES, PCOF and POMA-I, and 47.1% of FOF was explained by two items from FES and GAI. FOF is influenced by variables that, though being commonly considered equivalent to FOF, do not fully explain it. A critical thought on the instruments used to evaluate FOF, is needed as well as additional studies to clarify the role of specific psychological variables.     

大学生网络成瘾与焦虑形态的关系研究

笔者抽取800名大学生进行问卷调查，以了解其网络成瘾状况的分布特征及网络成瘾与焦虑水平的关系。结果表明：（1）大学生IAD者占8．12％，二项检验显示，男生显著高于总体比例，女生和文科生显著低于总体比例，其他类别与总体比例无显著差异。（2）不同成瘾程度大学生在状态焦虑和特质焦虑得分上均有极其显著差异，且焦虑程度随成瘾程度的增加而增加。（3）蒙族大学生IAD者在特质焦虑上显著高于汉族IAD者；农牧区来源的IAD者在状态焦虑上显著高于城市来源的IAD者；四年级IAD者在特质焦虑上显著高于二年级IAD者。（4）上网持续时间对焦虑水平有显著影响，在状态焦虑上，上网次数与上网时间交互作用的主效应非常显著。     

Temperamental Shyness,Frontal EEG Theta/Beta Ratio,and Social Anxiety in Children

The authors examined how children’s frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) theta/beta ratio—an index of neurocognitive control—changed from baseline to a social stressor, and whether these EEG changes moderated the relation between temperament and anxiety. Children (N = 152; M_age = 7.82 years, 52% male, 81% White) had their EEG recorded during a baseline and speech anticipation condition. Children’s frontal theta/beta ratio decreased from baseline to speech anticipation, and this baseline-to-task change moderated the relation between temperamental shyness and social anxiety. Temperamental shyness was related to higher state and trait social anxiety only among children with large baseline-to-task decreases in theta/beta ratio. Findings are consistent with theoretical models hypothesizing that temperamentally shy children with heightened neurocognitive control may be at greater risk for anxiety.     

THE ROLE OF LONELINESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CLINICAL AND SCHOOL‐BASED YOUTH

Identifying mechanisms that explain the relationship between anxiety and depression are needed. The Tripartite Model is one model that has been proposed to help explain the association between these two problems, positing a shared component called negative affect. The objective of the present study was to examine the role of loneliness in relation to anxiety and depression. A total of 10,891 school‐based youth (Grades 2–12) and 254 clinical children and adolescents receiving residential treatment (Grades 2–12) completed measures of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and negative affect. The relationships among loneliness, anxiety, depression, and negative affect were examined, including whether loneliness was a significant intervening variable. Various mediational tests converged showing that loneliness was a significant mediator in the relationship between anxiety and depression. This effect was found across children (Grades 2–6) and adolescent (Grades 7–12) school‐based youth. In the clinical sample, loneliness was found to be a significant mediator between anxiety and depression, even after introducing negative affect based on the Tripartite Model. Results supported loneliness as a significant risk factor in youths' lives that may result from anxiety and place youth at risk for subsequent depression. Implications related to intervention and prevention in school settings are also discussed.     

Trait anxiety and final degree performance at the University of Oxford

A questionnaire was administered to 1,929 applicants to Oxford University, including measures of trait anxiety, behavioural response to examinations and to breakdown in relationships. 635 of these applicants were admitted to the university and of these, 383 also responded to a questionnaire administered 4 years later, just before their final examinations. The classification (first, upper and lower second, third class) and marks in the final examinations were obtained and the relationship between the personality measures and academic performance were calculated. Women showed higher anxiety scores than men at both times of testing. Women who obtained the best (first class) degrees scored significantly higher on anxiety than those who performed less well. In contrast, there was no such difference in men. Explanations for anxiety having a facilitatory effect on academic performance of women at Oxford University are proposed.     

Differential stability of individual differences in state and trait test anxiety

The differential stability of state and trait test anxiety was investigated in two content areas (Psychology, n = 154; Method, n = 133). The structural model supported the hypothesis regarding differential stability of individual differences for state and trait test anxiety over a three-month interval, with trait test anxiety being more stable than state test anxiety. Contrary to the invariant stability of trait test anxiety across content, the stability of state test anxiety was significantly low in Psychology as compared to that in Method, indicating that more individuals in the Psychology group reported fluctuant state test anxiety over time. Although the stability of individual differences in state test anxiety was low, the factor structures of state test anxiety at two occasions were invariant, supporting the contention that even when the factorial structures are stable over time and the test-retest stability is high, individual state test anxiety may be unstable across time.     

Reduction in State Anxiety Scores of Freshmen through a Course in Career Decision

A total of 112 Taiwanese junior college freshmen, assigned to an experimental group (N=59) and a control group (N=62), responded to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. After they had participated in a career education course the experimental group scores on state anxiety decreased. An analysis of variance of the state anxiety scores yielded two main significant effects (group and trait anxiety) and a two-way interaction was found with trait anxiety and group. There was clear support for the importance of the career education course. The results and implications for continuing research are discussed.