Social Behavior and Personality

Exploring healthy green practices that influence customers’ green engagement value in restaurants

Fuqiang Tan — 2025-06-04

Since research on customer participation value in green enterprise environments is still in its infancy, we explored how this value is generated in the catering industry, focusing on environment-related factors such as healthy green practices and customer feelings for a brand. Participants were customers of a restaurant in Taiwan called Wang Steak, which is noted for its green activities. We used convenience sampling and collected 412 valid survey responses for analysis. The results showed that healthy green practices had a positive association with green brand liking, which, in turn, had a positive association with customer green participation value. Furthermore, green brand liking played a mediating role in the relationship between healthy green practices and customer green participation value. Owners, managers, and staff at restaurants should engage in healthy green practices to provide pleasant experiences for customers.

Electronic service quality and Chinese consumers’ perceived risk, purchase intention, and confidence in live-streaming of fresh agricultural products

Jingnan Ju — 2025-06-04

We delved into the dynamics of China’s burgeoning live streaming landscape, focusing on electronic service quality within the domain of fresh agricultural products and its implications in regard to consumers’ perceived risk, subsequently shaping their purchase intention. We also examined the moderating effect of consumer confidence on the link between perception of risk and purchase intention. Survey results (N = 407) revealed a significant negative correlation between electronic service quality and consumers’ perceived risk, which further reduced purchase intention. However, the moderating influence of consumer confidence was nonsignificant. Underscoring pivotal determinants in consumer decision making pertaining to live streaming of fresh agricultural products, our findings highlight the importance of enhancing electronic service quality standards and deploying effective risk mitigation measures to ensure the sector’s enduring viability. We call for further investigations to embrace a holistic approach, enriching collective comprehension of this industry’s landscape.

Paternal coparenting and preadolescent life satisfaction: Mediating roles of parent–adolescent attachment and externalizing problems

Fu-Wei Li — 2025-06-04

Drawing on family systems theory and the biosocial–cognitive model, this study examined whether paternal coparenting predicted life satisfaction (LS) directly and indirectly through (a) adolescent attachment to parents (father–adolescent attachment and mother–adolescent attachment) and (b) externalizing problems (EPs) among preadolescents. We conducted structural equation modeling using Amos 22.0 to analyze data from 667 father–mother–child triads during early adolescence in China. The results revealed that paternal coparenting had an indirect but not a direct relationship with preadolescent LS. Adolescent attachment to fathers and EPs played a serial mediating role in the association between paternal coparenting and adolescent LS. The indirect effect of paternal coparenting on preadolescent LS acted mainly through EPs, while that of maternal coparenting on preadolescent LS acted mainly through maternal attachment. Thus, preadolescents’ global LS is shaped not only by specific subsystems within a family environment but also by individual behavior systems.

The relationship between college students’ voluntary participation motivation and social responsibility

Hong Ma — 2025-06-04

We explored the relationship between college students’ voluntary participation motivation and social responsibility, and the mediating roles of volunteer service participation and self-worth. We tested 644 college students using the Volunteer Participation Motivation Scale, the Volunteer Service Participation Scale, the Self-Worth Scale, and the Social Responsibility Scale. The results showed that there was a significant direct predictive effect of volunteer participation motivation on sense of social responsibility. Further, volunteer service participation played a mediating role between the volunteer participation motivation and social responsibility of college students. Sense of self-worth also had a mediating effect on the link between volunteer participation motivation and social responsibility, although the chain mediating effect of volunteer service participation and sense of self-worth on the link between volunteer participation and sense of self-worth was not significant. Thus, motivation for volunteering not only directly predicted students’ sense of social responsibility, but also indirectly predicted their sense of social responsibility by predicting the frequency of their volunteering participation and self-worth.

Influence of employees’ perception of differential organizational climate on knowledge hiding: Moderating effect of task interdependence

Xiaoqi Li — 2025-06-04

As relational ties strengthen, the hierarchical pattern that is rooted in the relational structure of Chinese society has exerted profound effects on the daily operation and management of indigenous Chinese enterprises. In this study we drew on social information processing theory to examine the impact of employees’ perception of differential organizational climate on knowledge hiding. We analyzed data obtained from 406 employees in seven Chinese enterprises. The results showed that perception of differential organizational climate positively influenced employee knowledge hiding, with relative deprivation mediating this relationship. Furthermore, task interdependence negatively moderated both the positive relationship between relative deprivation and knowledge hiding, and the mediating effect of relative deprivation between employees’ differential organizational climate perception and knowledge hiding. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms and behavioral patterns of employees in the context of indigenous Chinese management.

Factors influencing continuance intention of customers aged 50 years and over for self-service banking technology: A future time perspective

Ming Du — 2025-06-04

In the banking industry, people aged 50 years and over have a low adoption rate for the self-service technology that is gradually replacing traditional manual services. We based our study on socioemotional selectivity theory and analyzed the continued use intentions of people aged 50 years and over for self-service technology from a future time perspective. We collected 200 valid survey forms from people in this age group who had experience with self-service banking. The results showed that the perceived benefits and perceived sacrifices played essential roles in mediating the relationship between the respondents’ future time perspective and their intention to continue to use the technology. The results of this study provide new research perspectives on technology adoption among people aged 50 plus; for banks or other businesses introducing self-service technology, our findings will help them to improve the service experience and increase the adoption rate of self-service technology among their older customers.

Mechanisms influencing consumer purchase intention: Cultural and creative products in museums

Cun Shang — 2025-06-04

Focusing on cultural sustainability, this study used structural equation modeling to develop and validate an extended model comprising the theory of reasoned action and the stimulus–organism–response framework, in order to investigate how cultural, social, emotional, and functional attributes influence consumers’ intention to purchase cultural and creative products in museums. Respondents were 503 online consumers in China. We found that cultural, social, and emotional attributes were significantly related to consumers’ perceived value and behavioral attitudes, whereas functional attributes were primarily associated with behavioral attitudes. Perceived value accounted for 21.1% of the variance in purchase intention and indirectly accounted for 31.5% of the variance through the mediator of behavioral attitudes. This research extends the applicability of the theory of reasoned action and the stimulus–organism–response model to cultural and creative products and offers practical guidance for museums in designing and marketing products that promote cultural heritage and foster sustainable development.

Validation of the Personal Relative Deprivation Scale in Chinese college students

Junxiao Gui — 2025-06-04

We assessed the reliability and validity of the Personal Relative Deprivation Scale (PRDS) when translated and tested with a sample of Chinese college students. The discriminability of all items in the PRDS–Chinese was high. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the one-dimensional structure of the scale. The internal consistency coefficient, test–retest reliability, and split-half reliability results demonstrated excellent reliability for the PRDS–Chinese. Furthermore, we examined the correlations between PRDS scores and general relative deprivation, economic relative deprivation, anxiety, pressure, depression, and aggressiveness. The findings revealed moderate-to-high correlations, suggesting good construct validity. On the basis of these findings, the PRDS–Chinese can be used as an effective assessment tool for measuring relative deprivation among the Chinese population.

What was causing what? Adolescents’ social networking site use and body dissatisfaction

Mingdong Liu — 2025-06-04

To investigate the relationship between Chinese adolescents’ use of social networking sites and body dissatisfaction, we conducted a survey with 605 students at two time points spaced 8 months apart. Participants completed the Social Networking Site Use Intensity Questionnaire and the body areas satisfaction subscale of the Multidimensional Body–Self Relations Questionnaire. The results revealed that social networking site use was significantly associated with body dissatisfaction at both time points. Further, the cross-lagged effect of social networking site use on body dissatisfaction was significant, and vice versa. Finally, the cross-lagged effect of social networking site use and body dissatisfaction did not differ significantly by gender. Our findings not only provide a reference for the relationship between Chinese adolescents’ social networking site use and body dissatisfaction but also provide substantial evidence for standardizing adolescents’ social networking site use and reducing body dissatisfaction.

Understanding the omnichannel shopping intention of offline-focused consumers

Mengjia Gao — 2025-06-04

While digital transformation and omnichannel retailing are becoming prominent in the retail industry, consumers are still oriented toward physical stores. Therefore, we examined offline-focused consumers’ omnichannel shopping intention by incorporating channel fluency and personalization into the theory of planned behavior. Furthermore, we examined whether the effects of channel fluency and perceived personalization on attitude consistency and perceived behavioral control were moderated by offline channel usage frequency. We surveyed 2,163 Uniqlo consumers and analyzed their responses using structural equation modeling. The results showed that channel fluency and perceived personalization predicted attitude consistency and perceived behavioral control. Attitude consistency, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted offline-focused consumers’ omnichannel shopping intention. Further, offline channel usage frequency positively moderated the effect of channel fluency on perceived behavioral control, and negatively moderated the effect of personalization on perceived behavioral control. Implications are discussed for theory and practice.

English proficiency and subjective well-being in China: Demographic moderators

Huiqin Li — 2025-06-04

As globalization intensifies, English has come to play a crucial role in education, career development, and cultural understanding. This study examined the impact of English proficiency on the subjective well-being of Chinese people, and the moderating effect of the demographic factors of gender, household background, and age. Using data from the 2021 China General Social Survey, this study employed ordered probit models and ensured robustness through regression and heterogeneity analysis. The results showed that higher English proficiency positively predicted well-being, with more pronounced effects occurring among men, nonagricultural households, and those born before 1980. Social class and income also significantly predicted well-being. These findings offer practical insights for educational policies and well-being strategies.

Hindrance or motivation? How shame affects creativity

Tongtong Ye — 2025-06-04

The impact of the negative emotion of shame on creativity and its underlying psychological mechanisms are still unclear to researchers. In this study we explored the effects of shame on creativity within the Chinese cultural context, basing our research on the theory of cognitive adaptation and the process model of emotion regulation. We constructed a serial mediation model to examine the relationships among shame, self-forgiveness, meaning in life, and creativity. Analysis of surveys completed by 419 Chinese college students showed that shame was positively correlated with creativity, self-forgiveness mediated the effect of shame on creativity, and shame influenced creativity through the serial mediators of self-forgiveness and meaning in life. These findings offer valuable insights into the impact of shame on creativity within the context of Chinese culture, and enhance understanding of the underlying psychological mechanisms, particularly the serial mediating roles of self-forgiveness and meaning in life.

Professional identity and burnout among college teachers under China’s up-or-out policy: The role of psychological safety climate

Baoqin Gong — 2025-06-04

While existing studies have focused on the influence of professional identity on teacher burnout, they have paid less attention to elucidating the underlying mechanisms between these two constructs. The implementation of a tenure-track system has raised significant concerns and instigated career anxiety among college teachers in China. As such, we sought to deepen understanding of the interplay between teachers’ professional identity and burnout under an up-or-out policy by investigating the moderating role of psychological safety climate. A sample of 193 college teachers from China participated in this research. The results revealed a higher prevalence of burnout among female teachers compared to their male counterparts, with psychological safety climate augmenting the negative association between teachers’ professional identity and burnout. Thus, educational institutions should facilitate the cultivation of professional identity among teachers and establish a psychologically safe climate.

Mitigating the impact of negative emotions on retaliation responses to injustice: The spillover effect of state forgiveness

Xia Li — 2025-06-04

We investigated the spillover effect of state forgiveness from one instance of injustice on forgiving offenders in another instance. The sample comprised 210 undergraduates at a university in China, who completed an experiment concerning justice in evaluation for awarding scholarships. We assessed the mediating effect of both positive and negative emotions and the moderating effect of state forgiveness induced in advance on the relationship between justice perception and retaliatory tendencies. The results indicated that negative, rather than positive, emotions mediated the impact of justice perception on the propensity for retaliation. Although preemptive state forgiveness did not directly influence emotional responses to injustice, it significantly mitigated the impact of negative emotions on retaliatory tendencies. These findings underscore the efficacy of state forgiveness, when manipulated by being induced in advance, as an intervention for alleviating retaliatory responses to subsequent injustices, particularly in scenarios where offenders are unlikely to apologize.

Goal conflict influences impulsive consumption behavior among Chinese customers: A moderated mediation model

Zhiwei Li — 2025-06-04

When goal conflict arises in consumer activities as priorities shift to one goal at the expense of others, do consumer purchasing behaviors tend toward greater rationality or impulsiveness? In this study we investigated the underlying interaction mechanism between goal conflict and impulsive consumption by analyzing 372 survey responses using Mplus version 7.4. The key finding was that there was a negative correlation between goal conflict and impulsive consumption, with need for cognitive closure and construal level playing mediating roles in this relationship, and uncertainty avoidance having a moderating influence on this relationship. These findings not only enrich the theoretical framework of consumer behavior research but also offer practical insights for curbing irrational impulse purchases.

Egoistic value and proenvironmental purchasing: Mediating effects of attitude and willingness to pay

Joowon Jung — 2025-06-04

This study explored the roles of proenvironmental attitude and willingness to pay as mediators of the relationship between egoistic value and proenvironmental purchasing behavior. I conducted an online survey with 421 Korean adults aged 20–49 years. The results showed that both proenvironmental attitude and willingness to pay mediated the relationship between egoistic value and proenvironmental purchasing behavior. Furthermore, proenvironmental attitude and willingness to pay played a chain mediating role in this relationship. Thus, egoistic value can predict consumers’ proenvironmental purchasing behavior both directly and indirectly through proenvironmental attitude and willingness to pay. The findings of this study provide theoretical insights and offer practical management strategies for promoting consumers’ proenvironmental purchasing behavior.