The extent to which fathers and mothers adopted various childcare and parenting practices in Singapore was examined. Interviews were conducted with 530 parent–child dyads (involving 1060 participants), with parents and children (from age 10–12) responding independently and concurrently in separate rooms. Mothers were more likely than fathers to be children's main and preferred caregivers. Fathers reported using less physical punishment than mothers did, and were also perceived to be less warm and accepting by their children. These findings support the view that power assertive discipline may still be compatible with warmth in parenting at least in this culture. In Confucian societies, parenting concepts involving elements of authoritarianism may be seen as a positive sign of concern.

This study tested the situational hypothesis, by examining the perceived availability of three types of social support (emotional, informational, and instrumental) from parents and friends, with respect to occupational and interpersonal relationships issues. Participants were 257 Chinese Singaporean adolescents (120 males, 137 females) between ages 14 and 16. Results showed that males perceived greater parental than friend support, regardless of domains and types of social support. Females perceived greater parental than friend support in the occupational domain, but no significant difference was observed in the interpersonal relationship domain. Females also perceived greater emotional support from friends than parents, but more informational and instrumental support from parents than friends. These findings highlighted contextual and gender differences in the understanding of social support in adolescence. The results were also contrary to predictions according to the situational hypothesis and demonstrated the central influence of parents in the Chinese family, particularly on sons.

The validity of the Emotional Availability (EA) sensitivity scale was examined in Singapore. Participants were mainly from middle-class families of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and "Other" ethnic groups. Study 1 involved 30 mother-child dyads (children aged 4-6). Scores on EA sensitivity and the Maternal Behavior Q-set were highly correlated, suggesting convergent validity. In Study 2 (164 mother-child dyads), criterion validity was tested by the associations between EA sensitivity and children's vocabulary and likability by peers. Unlike findings from similar studies conducted in the United States, EA sensitivity was negatively correlated with children's likability by female peers, suggesting that measures developed in Western contexts may not be fully applicable locally, or that the meaning of sensitivity may vary across cultures.

Mental resilience is considered as an important factor that allows individuals to cope with stressors and setbacks, though its components may vary depending on cultural contexts.Study 1 (N = 107) validated and examined the factor structure of a widely-used resilience measure (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale; CD-RISC) in the Singaporean context, and subsequently used it to test if the longitudinal relationship between resilience and psychological distress among college students would be mediated by academic burnout (Study 2). CD-RISC was correlated with perceived stress, social support, mental health and academic burnout in the expected directions. A 5-factor model was uncovered, interpreted as Approach Coping, Self-belief, Effort, Internal/ Interpersonal Resources, and Spirituality.Results of Study 2 (N = 97) showed that all variables were significantly correlated over time, demonstrating temporal stability. Mediational analyses showed that resilience predicted lower levels of academic burnout, which in turn led to lower psychological distress approximately eight weeks later. The findings show that CD-RISC is a valid research tool in the Singaporean context, although the factors did not replicate those reported in previous studies.The findings also position resilience as a key candidate for promoting mental health among college students through interventions and programs.

The association between shyness and children's likeability by peers was examined, with pragmatic difficulty and receptive and expressive vocabularies as moderators. Participants were 164 preschoolers (72 boys, 92 girls) between 52 and 79 months old in Singapore. A cross-informant methodology was used, with peers and teachers contributing to separate peer likeability ratings. The findings highlighted a conceptual distinction between peer- and teacher-rated likeability by peers. For the latter only, a 3-way interaction involving shyness, vocabulary, and pragmatic difficulty was found, indicating that for shy children with low vocabulary scores, those who experienced less pragmatic difficulty tended to be seen by teachers as more well-liked by peers than those with more pragmatic difficulty. This suggests that pragmatic skills may serve a protective function especially for shy children with poor vocabulary skills. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Child shyness is related to poorer peer acceptance and social competence Expressive vocabulary and pragmatic competence each has a buffering effect for shy children What the present study adds? Shyness is related to poorer peer likeability as assessed by teachers Shyness is unrelated to peer likeability as assessed by same- or different-sex peers Pragmatic skills buffer the effects of teacher-rated shyness only for children with poor receptive and expressive vocabularies The buffering effect of language ability is shown in a multilingual educational context.