Unsociability and Psychological and School Adjustment in Chinese Children: The Moderating Effects of Peer Group Cultural Orientations

• In Event: Peer Relations as a Risk Factor for Negative Developmental Outcomes: Addressing High Priority Understudied Areas

Abstract

Unsociability is defined as low levels of both approach and avoidance in social settings (Asendorpf, 1990). Unsociable children are characterized as lacking a strong desire to play with others although they may not actively avoid peer interactions. Research findings concerning unsociability have been mixed, with some indicating its harmful effects on social and psychological adjustment and others showing largely non-significant effects (Coplan et al., 2021).
An important factor that may affect the adjustment outcomes of unsociability is the peer group context. From a contextual-developmental perspective (Chen,2020), peer groups exert influence on the development of children with specific behavioral characteristics through the social evaluation processes. Behaviors that are consistent with group norms may elicit positive peer evaluations and responses whereas behaviors that are inconsistent with group norms are negatively viewed and evaluated. The present study aimed to examine the moderating effects of individualistic- and collectivistic-orientations of peer groups on the relations between unsociability and psychological and school adjustment in Chinese children.
Previous cross-cultural studies have shown that unsociability is viewed as a relatively benign form of solitary behavior in individualistic cultures because it may reflect a personal choice, self-assertiveness, and autonomous act (Coplan et al., 2019). However, in group-oriented or collectivistic cultures, unsociability is considered selfish, anti-group, and abnormal, and tends to elicit more negative social evaluations and responses (Liu et al., 2015). Thus, it was reasonable to expect that unsociable children affiliated with more individualistic oriented groups tended to have better adjustment. Those who affiliated with more collectivistic oriented groups tended to have more adjustment problems.
Participants included 1092 students (527 boys, M age = 12.21 years) at the 6th grade in elementary schools. Data on individualistic and collectivistic cultural orientations, unsociability, and adjustment were obtained from multiple sources including peer nominations, teacher ratings, self-reports, and school records. Using the Social Cognitive Map method, 193 peer groups were identified. Two-level Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002) was conducted to examine the moderating effects of group individualistic and collectivistic orientation for each adjustment variable (see Figure 1). It was found that there were significant individual unsociality X group individualistic orientation interactions on peer preference (B = .515, SE = .254, t = 2.026, p < .05) and academic achievement (B = .384, SE = .149, t = 2.582, p < .05). There was a significant individual unsociality X group collectivistic orientation interaction on peer preference (B = -.725, SE = .265, t = -2.733, p < .01).
Further analyses showed that unsociability was negatively associated with peer preference and academic achievement in groups low on individualistic orientation but not in groups high on individualistic orientation. Unsociability was also negatively associated with peer preference more strongly in groups with higher scores of collectivistic orientations (see Figure 2). The results suggested that unsociable children performed better in social and academical areas in more individualistically oriented groups and less collectivistically oriented groups. The cultural context of peer groups may play a significant role in shaping social and school adjustment of unsociable children.

Authors

• Siman Zhao, University of Dayton
  Presenting Author

• Mengting Liu, University of Pennsylvania

• Xinyin Chen, University of Pennsylvania

• Dan Li, Shanghai Normal University

• Junsheng Liu, East China Normal University

• Shihong Liu