Assessment and Implications of Social Avoidance in Chinese Early Adolescents

Bibliographic Data

ID11670657
AuthorsBiao Sang (East China Normal University, Shanghai, China), Xuechen Ding (0009-0005-5711-1021, Shanghai Normal University, corresponding author), Robert J Coplan (0000-0003-3696-2108, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), Junsheng Liu (0000-0002-6823-0617, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China), Tingting Pan (0000-0002-8538-4212, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China), Xingyi Feng (East China Normal University, Shanghai, China)
Year2016
Volume38
Issue4
Pages554-573
Publication date2016-12-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Early Adolescence (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0272-4316 • E-ISSN: 1552-5449
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0272431616678988
OpenAlexW2560047104
LanguageEN
Citations received30
References cited51

The goals of the present study were to (a) develop and validate a new self-report measure of social avoidance for use among early adolescents in mainland China and (b) explore the links between subtypes of social withdrawal (i.e., shyness, unsociability, and social avoidance) and indices of socio-emotional difficulties in this cultural context. Participants were 663 early adolescents (350 boys, 313 girls) attending elementary schools ([Formula: see text] = 10.25 years) and middle schools ([Formula: see text] = 12.53 years) in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Measures of social withdrawal subtypes and adjustment were collected using multi-source assessments, including self-reports, peer nominations, and teacher ratings. The results provided evidence in support of the reliability and validity of the new scale of self-reported social avoidance. Shyness, unsociability, and social avoidance were also all uniquely associated with emotion dysregulation and self-reported internalizing problems. However, only social avoidance was uniquely associated with teacher-rated emotion symptoms and peer problems (as rated by both peers and teachers). Results are discussed in terms of the reasons why social avoidance may have particularly negative implications for early adolescents in China

Anxiety · China · Context (archaeology · Developmental psychology · Mainland China · Psychiatry · Scale (ratio · Shyness · Social anxiety · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Early Childhood Education and Development · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance

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