Unsociability and socio‐emotional functioning in young Chinese children: A short‐term longitudinal study

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine longitudinal associations among unsociability and indices of socio‐emotional functioning in a sample of young Chinese children. Participants were N = 360 children (Mage = 4.72 years, SD = .67) recruited from kindergarten classes in an urban area of China. Assessments of unsociability and adjustment were obtained at 2 time points (separated by 1 year) using multiple source assessments (maternal reports, child interviews, teacher ratings). Among the results, unsociability was concurrently (but not longitudinally) associated with teacher‐rated anxiety‐withdrawal at school. Some evidence of gender differences was also evident, with Time 1 peer preference more strongly associated with lower unsociability at Time 2 among girls than among boys. Results are discussed in terms of the meaning and implications of unsociability among young children in China. Highlights This study explored associations among young children's unsociability and socio‐emotional functioning in China. Unsociability was associated with anxiety‐withdrawal at Time 1 but did not predict emotional or social difficulties 1 year later. Results suggest that unsociable behaviour may not as problematic for young Chinese children.

Social Avoidance and Social Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation and Emotion Lability/Negativity Among Chinese Preschool Children

“…Teachers also completed the Chinese version of Child Behavior Scale (CBS; Ladd and Profilet, 1996 ; Zhu et al, 2018 ). Of particular interest were subscales assessing asocial behavior (six items, e.g., “likes to be alone, withdraws from peer activities”; ɑ = 0.87), and peer exclusion (seven items, e.g., “not welcomed by other children”; ɑ = 0.86).…”

“…Items were rated on a three-point scale (from 1 = “doesn’t apply” to 3 = “certainly applies”). The CBS has been shown to be reliable and valid in young Chinese children ( Zhu et al, 2018 ).…”

Chinese child unsociability, maternal maladaptive parenting, and peer exclusion among preschoolers: A cross‐lagged model

“…Presently, there are few longitudinal studies on unsociability in China, especially with respect to those that explore the preschool stage, which is a critical period for individual development (Xiao et al, 2021; Zhu, Baldwin, et al, 2018; Zhu, Wang, & Li, 2018). Accordingly, this study explores the extent to which unsociability predicts incremental changes in maladaptive parenting and peer exclusion over time in a sample of preschool‐aged children from urban Mainland China.…”

“…Accordingly, this study explores the extent to which unsociability predicts incremental changes in maladaptive parenting and peer exclusion over time in a sample of preschool‐aged children from urban Mainland China. Moreover, only a few studies have looked at the relationship between unsociability and adjustment outcomes in Chinese preschoolers and found no gender difference (Li et al, 2016; Zhu, Baldwin, et al, 2018; Zhu, Wang, & Li, 2018). Although it is not the primary focus of the current study, we investigated potential gender differences.…”

Unsociability, peer relations, and psychological maladjustment among children: A moderated‐mediated model

“…Therefore, intentionally removing oneself from the peer group is perceived as anti‐collective, selfish, and abnormal (Chen, 2009). Research on unsociability among Chinese children has revealed that unsociability is associated with a host of social and psychological issues, some of which are more pronounced in boys as compared to girls (Coplan et al, 2016; Liu et al, 2014, 2015, 2017; Zhang & Eggum‐Wilkens, 2018a; Zhu, Baldwin, Li, Xie, & Coplan, 2018). For example, Zhang and Eggum‐Wilkens (2018b) found that unsociable Chinese early adolescents experienced high levels of peer exclusion.…”