Unsociability and Social Adjustment Difficulties among Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Maternal Psychological Control

• In Event: New Insights into the Processes at Play in the Adjustment of Young “At Risk” Children

Abstract

Background. Children who frequently remove themselves from the peer group (i.e., socially withdrawn children) miss out on opportunities for social skill development and relationship-building and are at increased risk for socio-emotional difficulties (Rubin et al., 2009). This may be particularly true in collectivistic societies, such as China, where interdependence and social affiliation are highly valued (Liu et al., 2015). For instance, recent studies suggest that unsociable children (who withdraw because they prefer solitary activities; Asendorpf, 1990) appear to be at increased risk for maladjustment in China (e.g., Liu et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2014). However, it is also certainly the case that not all unsociable children go on to develop problems later on. For example, there is growing research to indicate that parents play a critically important role in unsociable children’s development (e.g., Chen et al., 2013). For example, whereas a positive parenting appears to promote unsociable children’s social development, negative parenting may exacerbate adjustment difficulties for unsociable children (e.g., Chen et al., 2013). However, there remain important gaps in the extant literature. For example, much of the Chinese parenting literature has focused on links with shy/anxious withdrawn behaviors (e.g., Chen et al., 2014). Moreover, studies of unsociability and parenting have to date been conducting almost exclusively among older youth (e.g., Liu et al., 2018). Accordingly, the goal of present study was to explore the role of both maternal psychological control as moderator of the relations between child unsociability and adjustment difficulties (e.g., internalizing problems, peer exclusion, teacher-child relationship) in young Chinese children.
Method. Participants were 211 children (112 boys, 53.1%, Mage = 58.84 months, SD = 5.32) enrolled in kindergarten programs in public schools in Shanghai, China. Multiple source assessments were used, including maternal rating and teacher ratings. mothers rated their children’s shyness, unsociability and their own psychological control. Teachers rated children’s internalizing problems, peer exclusion, sociability, and teacher-child relationship.
Results. Among the results, after controlling for shyness, unsociability was uniquely and positively associated with peer exclusion and conflict teacher-child relationship, but negatively associated with sociability. In addition, the results from Johnson-Neyman (J-N) Technique (Johnson & Fay, 1950) indicated that mother’s psychological control appeared to influence different aspects of unsociable children’s adjustment outcomes. Specifically, consistent with predictions, less maternal psychological control appeared to buffer unsociable children against negative adjustment outcomes, whereas more maternal psychological control appeared to exacerbate negative school adjustment outcomes (e.g., peer exclusion, internalizing problems, and conflict teacher-child relationship).
Conclusion. This study addresses important gaps in the unsociability literature and provides valuable information about how important aspects of maternal psychological control impacted upon young unsociable children’s adjustment difficulties in China. Results will also be discussed in terms of the evolving meaning and implication of unsociability in China

Authors

• Jingjing Zhu, Shanghai Normal University
  Presenting Author

• Bowen Xiao, Carleton University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yan Li, Shanghai Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Robert J. Coplan, Carleton University
  Non-Presenting Author