Browsing by Author "Ku, Lisbeth"
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Item Metadata only Academic and Career Expectations of Ethnic Minority Youth in Hong Kong(Sage, 2014-10-07) Cheung, F.; Lai, Beatrice P. Y.; Wu, Anise M. S.; Ku, LisbethBased on social-cognitive career theory (SCCT), we explore how ethnic identity, parental occupation, efficacy in learning Chinese, and learning experience relate to ethnic minority adolescents’ academic and career expectations. The participants are 632 Southeast Asian adolescents in Hong Kong. In accordance with SCCT, structural equation modeling results show that ethnic identity is related to learning experience, which in turn is associated with efficacy in learning Chinese. Efficacy in learning Chinese significantly predicts the adolescents’ academic and career expectations, but parental occupation does not. Testing of alternative models also shows that ethnic identity is directly related to the two outcome expectations. We discuss the implications and limitations of the study in the context of extending SCCT to a more interdependent culture and assessing factors that contribute to outcome expectations of ethnic minority groups.Item Embargo Are higher-order life values antecedents of students' learning engagement and adaptive learning outcomes? The case of materialistic vs. intrinsic life values(Springer, 2020-06-17) Ku, Lisbeth; Bernardo, Allan B. I.; Zaroff, Charles M.Materialistic values have been shown to have a negative effect on learning. As intrinsic life values such as self-acceptance are orthogonaltomaterialisticvalues,theymaycounteracttheeffectsofmaterialismandbenefitthelearningprocessbyencouraging a focus on the actual learning task itself, as opposed to emphasizing the rewards associated with learning (e.g., school grades). Therefore, we tested the hypotheses positing these two higher order life values as antecedents of engagement with the learning process, and of important learning outcomes, including actual academic performance. A total of 345 university students of Chinese ethnicity (211 females; mean age=18.89, SD =1.35) participated in two studies that utilized a three-wave longitudinal design over a three-month period. The main variables tested were materialistic values, intrinsic life values, engagement with learning, and actual performance (in a writing task in Study 1, and in a formal assessment, i.e., final exam, in Study 2). Results showed that materialistic values were longitudinally and negatively related with exam performance, but not with engagement withlearning.Incontrast,intrinsic life valueslongitudinallypredictedengagementwithlearning,andhad apositivedirecteffect on performance on the writing task (Study 1), and a positive indirect effect on final exam performance (Study 2). The results highlight an important, if underutilized method of improving the learning process.Item Embargo Are materialistic teenagers less motivated to learn? Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from UK and Hong Kong(American Psycholgoical Association, 2012-02) Ku, Lisbeth; Dittmar, H.; Banerjee, R.Is materialism systematically related to teenagers’ learning motivation as well as actual learning outcomes? The reported research tested a theoretical model of associations among materialism, achievement goals, and exam performance among teenagers. Study 1 tested the theoretical model in 4 groups of teenagers drawn from 2 different educational stages (Year 9 and Year 12) and two societies of different cultural heritage (United Kingdom and Hong Kong). Results supported the model that materialism was associated with lower intrinsic mastery goals, and higher extrinsic performance goals in all of the 4 groups. More important, 1-year longitudinal data from Hong Kong (Study 2) showed that a materialistic value orientation at an earlier time point explained decreases in mastery goals and increases in performance goals a year later. Furthermore, earlier endorsement of materialistic values also predicted later deterioration of school performance. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.Item Open Access Childhood risks and problematic smartphone use: Dual processes of life history strategy and psychological distress.(MUNI Press, 2024-06-18) Ku, Lisbeth; Zhang, M. X.; Wu, A. M. S.Problematic smartphone use (PSU) and its negative consequences among adolescents are so commonly observed that they have become a matter of public concern. Utilizing life history (LH) theory, this study aims to examine how childhood risks (i.e., childhood harshness and unpredictability) would be associated with adolescent PSU via cognitive and emotional processes of LH strategy and psychological distress. A sample of 459 Chinese high school students aged from 14 to 18 (M= 16.90) participated in this study and voluntarily completed an anonymous survey. The results showed that childhood unpredictability and psychological distress were positively correlated with PSU, whereas childhood harshness and the two processes of LH strategy were negatively correlated with PSU. Path analysis further supported a partial mediation model, in which childhood unpredictability increased PSU, via serial mediators of the emotional process of LH strategy and psychological distress. The findings support the efficacy of LH theory in elucidating the development of behavioral addiction. However, the direct and negative association of childhood harshness with PSU was unexpected. It implicates the complexity of childhood environment on adolescent behavioral addictions and warrants further investigation.Item Embargo Development of materialism in adolescence: The longitudinal role of life satisfaction among Chinese youths(Springer, 2014-10-16) Ku, LisbethThe present research tests the longitudinal role of life satisfaction on materialism among Chinese adolescents, and provides empirical evidence to support the theorisation that materialism develops as compensation for dissatisfaction with life. Study 1 establishes that the negative relationship between life satisfaction and materialism is present and similar among the younger (N = 516; M = 12.94 years) and the older adolescents (N = 531; M = 16.57 years). A two-wave survey (Study 2) finds no longitudinal effect of materialism on life satisfaction, but life satisfaction has a negative lagged effect on materialism among the younger adolescents (N = 123; M = 13.81 years). For the older adolescents (N = 106; M = 16.38 years), however, there are cross-lagged effects of materialism on life satisfaction, and vice versa. Age and social economical status (SES) both have important roles in materialism, with the adolescents from lower SES backgrounds in general, and the younger ones in particular, reporting higher levels of materialism than their more well-off counterparts.Item Open Access Effects of social and outcome expectancies on hazardous drinking among Chinese university students: The mediating role of drinking motivations(Taylor & Francis, 2019-09-02) Zhang, Meng Xuan; Ku, Lisbeth; Wu, Anise M. S.; Yu, Shu M.; Pesigan, Ivan J. A.Background and Objectives: Based on the theory of reasoned action, the present study investigated the relative effects of drinking outcome expectancies and parental norms, as well as the mediating effect of drinking motivations, on hazardous drinking in Chinese university students. Method: A sample of Chinese university students in Hong Kong and Macao (N = 973, M=19.82, SD=1.57, 48.9% males), who reported drinking in the past 3 months, voluntarily completed an anonymous questionnaire. Path analysis was used to test the effects of the variables on hazardous drinking. Results: All the psychosocial variables showed positive correlations with hazardous drinking. In the path model, controlling for sex, parental norms had both direct and indirect effects on hazardous drinking through social and enhancement motivations. Courage had the strongest indirect effect on drinking behavior through social, enhancement, and coping motivations, whereas the relationship between tension reduction and hazardous drinking was mediated by enhancement and coping motivations. Sociality and sexuality only had indirect effect through social and coping motivations respectively. Negative outcome expectancies had no direct nor indirect effects on hazardous drinking. Conclusions: Perceived approval from parents and positive alcohol outcome expectancies may enhance individuals’ tendency to engage in hazardous drinking by increasing their motivation to drink to be social, for enjoyment, and to cope with problems. Parents should explicitly show their disapproval of their children’s drinking, and education efforts should focus on decreasing positive outcome expectancies and associated motivations for drinking among Chinese university students.Item Open Access Has the COVID‐19 pandemic made us more materialistic? The effect of COVID‐19 and lockdown restrictions on the endorsement of materialism(Wiley, 2022-01) Moldes, Olaya; Dineva, Denitsa; Ku, LisbethThe COVID‐19 pandemic has led to an increase in the factors that typically facilitate the endorsement of materialistic values (e.g., higher media consump tion, stress and anxiety, loneliness, death anxiety, and lower moods). In this paper, we examine how contextual changes affecting the antecedents of ma terialism influence its advocacy with a mixed‐method approach. First, a correlational study (Study 1) suggests that increases in media consumption and stress and anxiety during the pandemic predicted current levels of materialism, however, these effects were limited. Second, contrary to our expectations, a longitudinal study (Study 2) shows that people's focus on money decreased during the pandemic. Last, a social media content analysis (Study 3) reveals a downward trend in users’ online discourses about consumption‐related behaviors, but an upward trend in brands promoting spending as a way to attain well‐being. The observed effects could fuel deeper societal change in the labor market and in consumer behavior, and have further implications for individual and societal well‐being in a post‐pandemic world. We recommend future interventions aimed at diminishing materialistic attitudes to examine the effects of decreasing media consumption and to explore how other factors introduced by the pandemic (e.g., a health or well‐being focus) might moderate its advocacy.Item Embargo How far is your money from your mouth? The effects of intrinsic relative to extrinsic values on willingness to pay and protect the environment(Elsevier, 2014-11-04) Ku, Lisbeth; Zaroff, C.The present research hypothesized that individuals placing a higher relative importance on intrinsic values such as affiliation and community feeling, as opposed to extrinsic and materialistic values such as the procurement of monies and prestige, would be more willing to protect the environment. In both 169 university students (M = 21.11, SD = 1.10) and 347 adults (M = 31.65, SD =14.48) of Chinese ethnicity, the higher endorsement of intrinsic relative to extrinsic values was indeed related to a higher willingness to pay to protect the environment (Studies 1 and 2), and to self-reported pro-environmental behaviours (Study 2). In Study 3, intrinsic (n = 54) or extrinsic values (n = 53) were experimentally primed. Relative to a control group (n = 50), intrinsically primed participants donated significantly higher percentage of their hypothetical earnings, while extrinsically primed participants donated significantly lower percentage, to pro-environmental causes. The theoretical and practical implications of the relationship between intrinsic relative to extrinsic values and environmental conservation are discussed.Item Open Access Indirect effect of hopelessness on depression symptoms through perceived burdensomeness(SAGE, 2018-07-24) Nalipay, M. J. N.; Ku, LisbethHopelessness theory of depression posits that hopelessness due to negative inferences may serve as a proximal and sufficient cause of depression, while interpersonal theories suggest that interpersonal stress resulting from relationship problems and social rejection may lead to symptoms of depression. We propose that the two perspectives can be integrated by examining a model in which hopelessness predicts depression symptoms through two specific interpersonal stress constructs, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, in a sample of university students from Macau (N¼350). Results of mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of hopelessness on depression symptoms through perceived burdensomeness (indirect effect¼.45; 95% confidence interval¼.28 to .65), but not thwarted belongingness (indirect effect¼.06; 95% confidence interval¼ .05 to .18). Alternative models were also tested. When each interpersonal construct was treated as a separate mediator without controlling for the other, significant indirect effects of both perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were found. Moreover, when hopelessness was assigned as the mediator and interpersonal constructs as independent variables, significant indirect effects were likewise found for perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Findings suggest that the two different yet compatible views about depression—hopelessness and interpersonal theories— may be integrated to provide a better understanding of the process of how depression symptoms occur. It also reinforces the importance of considering interpersonal factors in the study of depression, especially in societies where interpersonal relationships are highly valued.Item Embargo The influence of culture-specific personality traits on the development of delinquency in at-risk youth(Sage, 2014-11-12) Tong, T. S.; Ku, Lisbeth; Zaroff, C.The association between culture-specific personality variables and family factors, and juvenile delinquency, was assessed in a sample of 402 adolescents of Chinese ethnicity between 12 and 17 years of age (M = 15.13, SD = 1.41; 135 girls), a subgroup of whom were considered at risk for juvenile delinquency owing to addictive behavior tendencies. Culture-specific personality variables were assessed using the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory–Adolescent version Interpersonal Relatedness factor. The General Function subscale of the Chinese version of the Family Assessment Device was utilized to assess the influence of perceived levels of family functioning. Both culture-specific personality variables and non-culture-specific familial factors were significantly and negatively associated with self-reported juvenile delinquency (p < .001). However, in a sample of at-risk adolescents, only a culture-specific variable measuring orientation toward the family was able to predict self-reported juvenile delinquency (p < .001). Implications of the current results are discussed.Item Embargo Interpersonal stress, not depression or hopelessness, predicts suicidality in university students in Macao(Sage, 2014-03-11) Zaroff, C.; Wong, Hon Lam; Ku, Lisbeth; Van Schalkwyk, G.Objectives: Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, which states that an individual will desire death when they perceive themselves to be a burden to others, and experience social isolation, has received much support, but has not been directly assessed in non-Eurocentric individuals. Methods: Joiner’s Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (measuring both perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) and measures of depression, hopelessness, gender, relationship status and region of residence were evaluated as risk factors for suicidality after controlling for response biases. Participants were 273 undergraduate university students of Chinese ethnicity between the ages of 17 and 23 years in Macao. Results: The predictors in sum distinguished between the presence and absence of suicidality (χ2 = 62.759, p < .01). Perceived burdensomeness (p < .01) and relationship status (p < .01) made significant contributions to the presence of suicidality. Low internal consistency prevented thwarted belongingness from being assessed as a risk factor. Conclusions: Interpersonal variables may account for the seemingly disparate risk factors for suicide.Item Metadata only Item Open Access Materialistic cues make us miserable: A meta‐analysis of the experimental evidence for the effects of materialism on individual and societal well‐being(Wiley, 2020-06-21) Ku, Lisbeth; Moldes, OlayaConsumer‐oriented societies are awash with materialistic messages that link happiness and success to wealth and consumption. However, despite extensive research evidence that dispositional materialistic orientations are correlated with lower well‐being, the effects of materialistic cues on the well‐being of individuals and social groups have not been examined. The present research meta‐analytically reviews the experimental evidence for the causal effects of materialism on two dimensions of well‐being: (a) individual and (b) societal. We included 27 independent studies that met the inclusion criteria of priming materialism and measuring well‐being (N = 3,649), containing a total of 62 effect sizes. Multilevel modeling revealed that materialism has an effect on both individual (δ = −0.39) and societal well‐being (δ = −0.41), suggesting that materialistic cues cause lower well‐being. Moderation effects suggested that materialistic cues might have a higher effect on interpersonal well‐being than on self‐evaluation indicators. We discuss the limitations of the current evidence, highlight the research gaps and underdeveloped areas, and provide recommendations such as minimum sample size for future experimental work, since the advancement of this area will help us to gain a better understanding of the impact of consumer‐oriented societies on the well‐being of individuals and social groups.Item Metadata only The neuropsychological basis of emotion and social cognition in men(Springer, 2015) Zaroff, C.; Ku, LisbethItem Open Access Predictors of Upcycling in the Highly IndustrialisedWest: A Survey across Three Continents of Australia, Europe, and North America(MDPI, 2023-01-12) Sung, Kyungeun; Ku, Lisbeth; Yoon, JungKyoon; Kim, ChajoongUpcycling, as a way to reutilise resources, offers a promising alternative to production and consumption based on virgin materials. Despite the growing academic and industrial interest in recent years, there is a lack of large-scale cross-country or cross-regional studies that systematically investigate influencing factors for consumer upcycling behaviour. By drawing on social psychological theories of interpersonal behaviour and planned behaviour, this study investigated predictors of upcycling behaviour in five highly industrialised countries of three continents: Australia, Canada, Germany, UK, and USA. Results showed that intention and perceived behavioural control (confidence in abilities) were the most important factors for upcycling. Theoretical and practical implications from this study are discussed in the context of efforts to scale up global upcycling.Item Embargo Psychological needs, purpose in life, and problem video game playing among Chinese young adults(Wiley, 2012-04-16) Wu, Anise M. S.; Lei, Lamis L. M.; Ku, LisbethThe negative impacts of excessive and problematic video game playing on both children and adults are attracting increasing concern. Based on self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000), this study hypothesized that the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are positively associated with purpose in life, which in turn acts as a protective factor against problem video game playing among Chinese young adult players. Through a questionnaire survey with a sample of 165 Chinese adults aged between 18 and 30 years (mean age ¼ 22.7 years), we found that perceived autonomy, competence, relatedness, and purpose in life were all negatively correlated with problem game playing. The demographic and psychological factors explained 38% of the variances of problem game playing. Specifically, gender, perceived relatedness, and purpose in life emerged as the three most salient predictors of problem game playing among the Chinese young adults. The mediating role of purpose in life was evidenced and it was found that purpose in life mediated the influences of the psychological needs proposed by SDT on problem game playing. Moreover, young men were significantly more susceptible to problem game playing than their female counterparts. To conclude, psychological needs and purpose in life influenced Chinese young adults’ vulnerability to problem game playing directly or indirectly. Intervention programs that encourage social involvement and voluntary work, as well as counseling service that helps clients to search for life purpose, are suggested for intervening in problem game playing among Chinese young adults.Item Embargo Psychological risk factors of addiction to social networking site among Chinese smart phone users(Akadémiai Kiadó, 2013-04-12) Wu, Anise M. S.; Cheung, Vivi I.; Ku, Lisbeth; Hung, Eva P. W.Background and aims: Smartphones allow users to access social networking sites (SNSs) whenever and wherever they want. Such easy availability and accessibility may increase their vulnerability to addiction. Based on the social cognitive theory (SCT), we examined the impacts of outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, and impulsivity on young Chinese smartphone users’ addictive tendencies toward SNSs. Methods: Two hundred seventy-seven Macau young smartphone users (116 males and 161 females; mean age = 26.62) filled out an online Chinese questionnaire concerning their usage of social networking sites via smartphones, addiction tendencies toward SNSs, impulsivity trait, outcome expectancies toward the use, and Internet self-efficacy. Results: The findings revealed that those who spent more time on SNSs also reported higher addictive tendencies. Addictive tendencies were positively correlated with both outcome expectancies and impulsivity, but negatively associated with Internet self-efficacy. These three psychological variables explained 23% of the variance in addictive tendencies. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that, compared to demographics, psychological factors provide a better account for addictive tendencies towards SNSs among Chinese smartphone users in Macau. The three psychological risk factors were low Internet self-efficacy, favorable outcome expectancies, and high impulsivity trait. Educational campaigns with screening procedures for high-risk groups are recommended for effective prevention and treatment.Item Open Access Service Design for the Intercultural Adaptation Experience of Chinese Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Students in the UK(Cumulus, 2024-05-15) Zhong, Yi; Sung, Kyungeun; Ku, LisbethChinese postgraduate taught (PGT) students experience various psychological and physical challenges during their intercultural adaptation process in the UK. Existing studies have proposed some theoretical or conceptual intervention guidelines to support international students' intercultural adaptation. However, very little research has been considered to help service providers, i.e. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), to effectively apply the theoretical guidance in their practical service design regarding Chinese PGT students' intercultural adaptation experience in the UK. Service design research also rarely explores the design context of intercultural adaptation. This study aims to explore the comprehensive adaptation experiences of Chinese PGT students, identify their difficulties and needs, then proposes practical service design implications for HEIs. Semi-structured interviews with 24 Chinese PGT students were used to explore in detail their adaptation experiences and service needs from psychological, socio-cultural and academic perspectives. The results show that Chinese PGT students experienced psychological challenges throughout their adaptation process, particularly in the first few weeks in the UK. These were related to unfamiliarity with the new environment, poor communication experiences, and confusion with academic values or systems (especially in the first academic term). Some implications for service design within HEIs were then developed, such as pre departure training, more support services in the first few weeks, extending language support services, more explanation and guidance on the academic values of the host country. This study provides insights for HEIs in supporting Chinese PGT students' adaptation experience and reduce their psychological stress. As the service design approach is at the core of this research, the main knowledge contribution will be in the field of service design.Item Metadata only Sexual arousal and sexual fantasy: The influence of gender, and the measurement of antecedents and emotional consequences in Macau and the United States.(Taylor and Francis, 2015-12-15) Wu, Yan; Ku, Lisbeth; Zaroff, C.Cross-cultural studies have the potential to elucidate the relative influences of culture and biology on human sexuality. In study 1, 353 male and female undergraduate university students from the United States and Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, completed self-report measures assessing aspects of sexual fantasy and sexual arousal. There were clear gender-related differences, with males reporting an earlier age of initial sexual fantasy and sexual arousal. Cultural influences were evident in that females and males from Macau tended to experience a later age of initial sexual fantasy/arousal, and less frequent fantasy and arousal, relative to their counterparts in the United States. A subset of females in Macau reported infrequent or no sexual fantasy/arousal, and negative emotions from such sexual variables. In study 2, 160 female university students from Macau completed self-report measures and implicit measures assessing attitudes towards sexual fantasy and perceptions of the self (i.e., sexual versus friendly in nature). Self-report measures correlated with implicit measures in revealing predominantly friendly views of the self, as opposed to sexual, and in an association of sexual fantasy with negative emotions. Implications of the current results, in terms of human sexuality, and the biological and cultural factors involved, are discussed.Item Open Access Slow Fashion Is Positively Linked to Consumers’ Well-Being: Evidence from an Online Questionnaire Study in China(MDPI, 2022-10-27) Ku, Lisbeth; Liu, An; Baines, E.The environmental price of fashion has been heavily scrutinised in recent years. Slow fashion, with its emphasis on quality, design, sustainability, ethicality and local craft heritage, represents an alternative to the harmful environmental and social impact of fast fashion. Equally important,some initial evidence from qualitative research suggests that slow fashion could enhance consumers’ well-being. The present study aims to quantitatively evaluate the relationships that fast and slow fashion may have with different domains of well-being, utilising Seligmen’s influential PERMA model from positive psychology. In addition, it explores characteristics from slow fashion that may enhance garment lifetimes. An online questionnaire successfully surveyed 763 urban Chinese consumers. Results showed that consumption of slow fashion, in particular ‘customised/bespoke clothing’ that allows consumers to be actively involved in the creation process, positively predicted three well being domains—engagement, meaning and achievement. Fast fashion, on the other hand, negatively predicted these domains. Classic/timeless design, ease of maintenance and ease of matching with other clothes emerged as the three most important characteristics that may encourage consumers’ long-term use of fashion items. Implications of the findings are discussed in the context of promoting slow fashion to enhance sustainability.