How is childhood maltreatment linked to benign envy/malicious envy? The mediating role of self-esteem, authentic pride and hubristic pride

Effects of Parental Childhood Maltreatment on Children's School Adaptation: An Intergenerational Perspective Based on Envy

Previous studies have examined the impact of maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) on children's school adaptation (SA), neglecting the role of fathers, and the joint influence of both parents. Based on family systems theory, this study explored the intergenerational impact of parental CM on children's SA and the mediating role of benign envy (BE) and malicious envy (ME). A total of 334 elementary school students' BE, ME, and SA statuses and their parents' CM, BE, and ME statuses were collected to construct the intergenerational transmission models of BE and ME for fathers, mothers, and parents, respectively. The results revealed that maltreated fathers or mothers individually exerted negative impacts on their children's SA, but when parents acted jointly, only fathers' CM intergenerational influence was significant. Mediation effects demonstrated that, individually, maltreated fathers indirectly affected children's SA through children's BE; maltreated mothers impacted children's SA through the "mothers' BE→children's BE" mediating chain; however, when taking combined parental action, only mothers' intergenerational transmission chain was significantly present. Identifying different intergenerational influence mechanisms of maltreated parents on offspring's school adaptation broadens our understanding of the diverse parenting roles of parents. That is, fathers foster their offspring's environmental adaptability through encouraging external exploration, while mothers enhance socialization by nurturing internal emotional development. Formulating strategies to address the emotional issues of maltreated parents, especially mothers, is crucial for mitigating the intergenerational consequences of maltreatment and enhancing the offspring's adaptability.

The bidirectional relationship between benign/malicious envy and subjective well-being in adolescents: The mediating effect of self-esteem

INTRODUCTION

Subjective well-being, an important index for measuring mental health, is presently declining among junior high school students. Envy, one of their common emotions, is inextricably linked to subjective well-being. Based on the Dual Envy Theory, our research explores the bidirectional relationship between benign-malicious envy and subjective well-being. The mediating role of self-esteem, as well as the related gender differences, is examined.

METHODS

Chinese middle school students (n = 1566, boys 50.3%, age = 13.96 ± 0.88 years old) were assessed at two time points over a 3-month interval. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal relationships among the variables.

RESULTS

(1) Cross-lagged analysis showed a positive bidirectional relationship between benign envy and subjective well-being and a negative bidirectional relationship between malicious envy and subjective well-being in the total sample. However, the path from T1 subjective well-being to T2 malicious envy in boys was not significant. (2) Self-esteem mediated the relationship between both benign and malicious envy and subjective well-being among both boys and girls. A Wald chi-square test showed that T2 self-esteem was a stronger predictor of T2 benign envy in boys than in girls.

CONCLUSION

The results reveal a virtuous cycle of benign envy and subjective well-being, and a vicious cycle of malicious envy and subjective well-being, while emphasizing the role of self-esteem in this process. Gender differences were also noted. These findings have important implications for improving the subjective well-being of secondary school students and exploring the positive effects of envy.

Childhood maltreatment, shame, and self-esteem: an exploratory analysis of influencing factors on criminal behavior in juvenile female offenders

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between childhood maltreatment, shame, and self-esteem among juvenile female offenders and to explore the potential influencing factors on their criminal behavior.

METHODS

Using a stratified cluster sampling method, 1,227 juvenile female offenders from 11 provinces in China were surveyed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and a self-developed Shame Questionnaire for Juvenile Offenders. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, chi-square tests, t-tests, and structural equation modeling with mediation analysis.

RESULTS

(1) Childhood maltreatment have a significant potential influencing factors on criminal behavior; (2) Childhood maltreatment was positively correlated with self-esteem(β = 0.351, p < 0.001); (3) shame (β = 0.042, p < 0.001) mediate the relationship between Childhood maltreatment and self-esteem (childhood maltreatment → shame → self-esteem (95% Cl: 0.033, 0.052)).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that childhood maltreatment is a significant predictor of criminal behavior among juvenile female offenders. childhood maltreatment can directly influence of self-esteem, which can also affect juvenile female offenders'self-esteem indirectly through shame. The findings suggest that shame are important variables that mediate the effect of the juvenile female offenders'childhood maltreatment on their self-esteem.

The relation between childhood maltreatment and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in emerging adults: A daily diary study

BACKGROUND

Prior research has reported that childhood maltreatment is associated with poor well-being, but few studies have examined the association between childhood maltreatment and well-being including hedonic and eudaimonic well-being using a daily diary method.

OBJECTIVE

The present study investigated the association between childhood maltreatment and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, and explored the mediating effects of social support and self-esteem.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data were collected applying a 14-day daily diary method in two samples. A total of 120 Chinese emerging adults (100 female; M_age = 20.48 years, age range = 18-24 years) and 229 Chinese emerging adults (187 female; M_age = 20.43 years, age range = 18-27 years) comprised the discovery sample and the replication sample, respectively.

METHODS

Multilevel regression analysis and multilevel mediation analysis were conducted, while controlling for sex, age, and socioeconomic status.

RESULTS

In the discovery sample, the multilevel regression analysis showed that childhood maltreatment had an equal effect on predicting the two types of well-being. Additionally, the multilevel mediation analysis demonstrated that social support and self-esteem acted as independent and equally important mediators of the associations between childhood maltreatment and the two types of well-being. Moreover, the total indirect effect on the childhood maltreatment-hedonic well-being link had no significant difference from that on the childhood maltreatment-eudaimonic well-being link. The replication sample reconfirmed the results of the discovery sample, which provides greater credibility to our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Social support and self-esteem might help to improve the well-being of emerging adults who have suffered childhood maltreatment, and might therefore be important intervention targets.

The effect of i-deals on employees’ unethical behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of hubristic pride and grandiose narcissism

The COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous challenges for organizations and employees. Due to the effectiveness of idiosyncratic deals (i-deals for short) in management practices, more and more organizations use this human resource management tool to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, whether there are potential risks or negative effects of i-deals in the COVID-19 pandemic environment is not very clear. Drawing upon social cognitive theory, we proposed that i-deals may foment focal employees’ unethical behavior by triggering their hubristic pride, and such process may be moderated by their trait of grandiose narcissism. We conducted a survey during the COVID-19 outbreak and tested our hypotheses with 492 samples from Shandong Province, China. Consistent with predictions, we found a positive relationship between i-deals and hubristic pride, which, in turn, increased their unethical behavior. And the relationship between i-deals and unethical behavior was mediated by hubristic pride. Furthermore, grandiose narcissism strengthened the positive relationship between i-deals and hubristic pride, as well as the indirect effect of i-deals on unethical behavior via hubristic pride. Our findings contributed to the literature on i-deals and provided guidance for organizations to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How the Big Five personality traits related to aggression from perspectives of the benign and malicious envy

BACKGROUND

Prior studies have indicated the link between the Big Five personality traits and aggression. Based on the general aggression model, the purpose of this study is to reveal the formation mechanism of aggression from the people's internal emotional perspective. Envy is a typical negative emotion that can be divided into benign/malicious envy. Therefore, we aim to explore the intrinsic role of benign/malicious envy within the Big Five personality traits in its connection to aggression.

METHODS

We recruited 839 participants [229 men (27.29%) and 610 women (72.71%); mean age ± SD = 19.45 ± 2.39] who we tested with the NEO Personality Inventory, the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale, and the Aggression Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results of suggested that neuroticism was significantly and positively associated with aggression, while agreeableness was negatively related to aggression. Moreover, mediation analysis revealed that malicious envy works both in the relationship of neuroticism-aggression and agreeableness-aggression.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study advanced knowledge of the general aggression model. Most importantly, it reveals that malicious envy, as a type of envy, plays an important mediating role between neuroticism, agreeableness and aggression. Meanwhile, the cross-gender path analysis supports the stability of the mediating role of malicious envy. This finding provides new insights into the intervention of aggression from the perspective of envy.

Effects of maltreatment during childhood on benign and malicious envy in adulthood: Psychological resilience as a moderator

We explored the effect of two forms of maltreatment of children (emotional and physical) on two kinds of envy in adulthood (benign and malicious), and the moderating role of psychological resilience in these associations. Participants were 676 Chinese undergraduates who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The results indicate that of the two types of childhood maltreatment, only emotional maltreatment negatively predicted benign envy and positively predicted malicious envy. Psychological resilience played a moderating role in the childhood emotional maltreatment–benign/malicious envy link and childhood physical maltreatment–malicious envy link. These results reveal the direct relationships between different types of childhood maltreatment and benign/malicious envy and the moderating effect of psychological resilience in these associations. Our findings have theoretical and practical implications for cultivating psychological resilience to inhibit malicious envy and promote benign envy in adults.

Teasing and Internet Harassment among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Envy and the Moderating Role of the Zhong-Yong Thinking Style

Extant research studies have documented that teen victims of traditional bullying are more likely to be perpetrators of Internet harassment. Teasing is a typical form of verbal bullying, but, unfortunately, its link with Internet harassment perpetration has rarely been investigated to date. Therefore, this study constructed two moderated mediation models to explore the relation between weight-related/competency-related teasing (the two main types of teasing) and Internet harassment, and whether these associations are mediated by envy and moderated by the Zhong-Yong thinking style. A total of 1811 Chinese adolescents (M_age = 13.22 years, SD = 0.97) were investigated to examine the two models. The results clarified that: (1) weight-related/competency-related teasing was positively predictive of adolescent Internet harassment; (2) envy acted a partially mediating role in the associations between weight-related/competency-related teasing and Internet harassment; (3) the Zhong-Yong thinking style not only moderated the link between weight-related/competency-related teasing and envy, with the effect being more profound for a high-level Zhong-Yong thinking style possessed by adolescents, but also moderated the direct link between competency-related teasing and Internet harassment, with the relation being more potent when the level of Zhong-Yong thinking style was low. Nevertheless, the direct link between weight-related teasing and Internet harassment was not moderated by the Zhong-Yong thinking style. These findings are important to comprehend the psychological mechanisms linking weight-related/competency-related teasing to Internet harassment, and provide some enlightenment for preventing and intervening in adolescent Internet harassment perpetration.

How does mindfulness relate to benign/malicious envy? The mediating role of resilience, internal locus of control and self-esteem

The present study aimed to explore the roles of resilience, internal locus of control, and self-esteem in the link between mindfulness and benign/malicious envy (BE/ME). Nine hundred ninety-one participants (299 males, 692 females; mean age = 19.05 ± 1.54) completed a survey that assessed mindfulness, internal locus of control, resilience, self-esteem, and BE/ME. The results suggest that resilience, internal locus of control, and self-esteem independently mediate the relationship between mindfulness and BE/ME. Additionally, "internal locus of control → resilience" and "self-esteem → resilience" play chain mediating roles in the relationship between mindfulness and BE/ME. Namely, mindfulness is positively associated with resilience via improving internal control and self-esteem, thereby inhibiting malicious envy and promoting benign envy. The present study advances our knowledge of the mindfulness reperceiving theory, and thus provides a new explanation for the inhibition of negative emotions from the perspective of resilience, internal locus of control, and self-esteem.

Childhood maltreatment affects depression and anxiety: The mediating role of benign envy and malicious envy

The influence of childhood maltreatment on depression and anxiety has been reported in many studies, and the mechanism of this influence has been described from different perspectives. However, few research has explored the influence of child maltreatment on depression and anxiety from the perspective of benign/malicious envy. Given that, based on social comparison theory, this study explored the mediating effect of benign envy/malicious envy on child maltreatment, depression, and anxiety. The sample of this study consisted of 2,691 Chinese adolescents. The results showed that benign and malicious envy both played a significant role in mediating the relation between childhood maltreatment and depression and anxiety. Interestingly, we found that there were different mechanisms of benign and malicious envy in this relationship, namely, malicious envy promoted the effects of childhood maltreatment on depression and anxiety, whereas benign envy inhibited the effects of childhood maltreatment on depression and anxiety. These findings not only reveal the different mechanisms between the two socially comparable emotions of benign/malicious envy in the early adverse environment and depression and anxiety, but also provide a specific reference for individuals to regulate the depression and anxiety caused by childhood maltreatment and envy.

How child maltreatment impacts internalized/externalized aggression among Chinese adolescents from perspectives of social comparison and the general aggression model

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment is believed to have a tight correlation with adolescent problem behaviors, and one of them is aggression. According to different attack targets, aggression can be divided into internalized aggression (attack oneself) and externalized aggression (attack others), both of which are negatively influenced by child maltreatment. However, little is known about the potential mechanisms of the effect from child maltreatment to internalized/externalized aggression.

OBJECTIVE

Based on the perspectives of social comparison and the general aggression model, the present study examined the mediating effects of benign envy, malicious envy and self-control between child maltreatment and internalized/externalized aggression.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

1951 adolescents (49 % girls, M_age = 12.93 years, SD = 2.54) from mainland China were recruited.

METHODS

Based on the retrospective self-reporting of five questionnaires, structural equation modeling and bootstrap estimation procedure were adopted to identify the mediating effects of benign envy, malicious envy and self-control.

RESULTS

The structural model fitted well [χ² (178, 1951) = 1601.176, p < .001; RMSEA = 0.064; SRMR = 0.076; CFI = 0.913]. Benign envy (95 % CI [0.013, 0.002], [-0.040, -0.079]), malicious envy (95 % CI [0.044, 0.024], [0.363, 0.241]) and self-control (95 % CI [0.025, 0.005], [0.264, 0.166]) played a significant mediating role between child maltreatment and internalized/externalized aggression.

CONCLUSION

Benign envy, malicious envy and self-control played an important mediating role between child maltreatment and internalized/externalized aggression, which may provide a theoretical basis for future interventions to reduce adolescent problem behaviors, paying more attention to the improvement of emotion regulation and self-control.