View in EDS

Concern for Mianzi and Social-Behavioral and School Adjustment among Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Social Preference

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Concern for Mianzi and Social-Behavioral and School Adjustment among Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Social Preference
Language: English
Authors: Long Hei, Xinyin Chen (ORCID 0000-0002-0952-8659), Dan Li (ORCID 0000-0002-8952-7794), Junsheng Liu (ORCID 0000-0002-6823-0617), Minghao Zhang, Shujie Zheng, Tong Zhou (ORCID 0000-0001-7902-933X), Rui Fu (ORCID 0000-0002-8194-4665)
Source: Journal of Adolescence. 2026 98(4):1053-1063.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Adolescents, Social Influences, Reputation, Junior High School Students, Prosocial Behavior, Aggression, Behavior Problems, Learning Problems, Predictor Variables, Peer Relationship, Preferences, Gender Differences, Self Concept, Foreign Countries, Student Attitudes
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1002/jad.70116
ISSN: 0140-1971
1095-9254
Abstract: Introduction: Seeking social approval and recognition is a major driving force for adolescents to engage in social interactions. Mianzi ("面子" in Chinese) is an indigenous concept related to the social perception of one's prestige or admiration. The goal of this 2-year longitudinal study was to examine the moderating role of social preference in the relations between self-reported concern for mianzi and adjustment in Chinese adolescents. Methods: Participants in this study included junior high school students (N = 938; 461 boys) initially in seventh grade (Mage = 12.41 years) in urban and rural areas of China. Students completed a self-report measure of concern for mianzi, peer assessments of social preference, prosociality, and aggression. Head teachers in each classroom rated each student in the class on their behavioral problems and learning problems. Results & Conclusions: Adolescents' concern for mianzi was found to negatively predict later aggression, behavioral problems, and learning problems for students who had high initial social preference. Concern for mianzi also positively predicted later aggression for students, particularly boys, who had low initial social preference. The results suggested that concern for mianzi might be a sensitivity factor in adolescents' social-behavioral and school adjustment and highlighted the role of context in shaping the relations.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1507879
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1507879
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Concern for Mianzi and Social-Behavioral and School Adjustment among Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Social Preference
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Long+Hei%22">Long Hei</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xinyin+Chen%22">Xinyin Chen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0952-8659">0000-0002-0952-8659</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dan+Li%22">Dan Li</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8952-7794">0000-0002-8952-7794</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Junsheng+Liu%22">Junsheng Liu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6823-0617">0000-0002-6823-0617</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Minghao+Zhang%22">Minghao Zhang</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shujie+Zheng%22">Shujie Zheng</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tong+Zhou%22">Tong Zhou</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7902-933X">0000-0001-7902-933X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rui+Fu%22">Rui Fu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8194-4665">0000-0002-8194-4665</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Adolescence%22"><i>Journal of Adolescence</i></searchLink>. 2026 98(4):1053-1063.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 11
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescents%22">Adolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Influences%22">Social Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reputation%22">Reputation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Junior+High+School+Students%22">Junior High School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prosocial+Behavior%22">Prosocial Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Aggression%22">Aggression</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Behavior+Problems%22">Behavior Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Problems%22">Learning Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Predictor+Variables%22">Predictor Variables</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Peer+Relationship%22">Peer Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preferences%22">Preferences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1002/jad.70116
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0140-1971<br />1095-9254
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Introduction: Seeking social approval and recognition is a major driving force for adolescents to engage in social interactions. Mianzi ("面子" in Chinese) is an indigenous concept related to the social perception of one's prestige or admiration. The goal of this 2-year longitudinal study was to examine the moderating role of social preference in the relations between self-reported concern for mianzi and adjustment in Chinese adolescents. Methods: Participants in this study included junior high school students (N = 938; 461 boys) initially in seventh grade (Mage = 12.41 years) in urban and rural areas of China. Students completed a self-report measure of concern for mianzi, peer assessments of social preference, prosociality, and aggression. Head teachers in each classroom rated each student in the class on their behavioral problems and learning problems. Results & Conclusions: Adolescents' concern for mianzi was found to negatively predict later aggression, behavioral problems, and learning problems for students who had high initial social preference. Concern for mianzi also positively predicted later aggression for students, particularly boys, who had low initial social preference. The results suggested that concern for mianzi might be a sensitivity factor in adolescents' social-behavioral and school adjustment and highlighted the role of context in shaping the relations.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1507879
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1507879
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/jad.70116
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 1053
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Adolescents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reputation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Junior High School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prosocial Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Aggression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Behavior Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Predictor Variables
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Peer Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preferences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Concept
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Concern for Mianzi and Social-Behavioral and School Adjustment among Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Social Preference
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Long Hei
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Xinyin Chen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Dan Li
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Junsheng Liu
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Minghao Zhang
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Shujie Zheng
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Tong Zhou
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Rui Fu
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0140-1971
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1095-9254
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 98
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Adolescence
              Type: main
ResultId 1