The associations between self‐consciousness and internalizing/externalizing problems among Chinese adolescents. Issue 5 (8th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nie, Yan‐Gang; Li, Jian‐Bin; Dou, Kai; Situ, Qiao‐Min
• Is Part Of: Journal of adolescence. Volume 37:Issue 5(2014)
• Page Start: 505
• Page End: 514
• Publication Date: 2014-05-08
• Subjects: Self‐consciousness -- Internalizing problems -- Externalizing problems -- Preventive factor -- Adolescents; Adolescent psychiatry -- Periodicals; Adolescent psychology -- Periodicals; Adolescence -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 305.23505
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.04.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-1971

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Self‐consciousness is considered as a multifaceted and hierarchical construct that includes self‐evaluation, self‐experience, and self‐control. This study assumes that self‐consciousness is a preventative factor of internalizing and externalizing problems among Chinese adolescents. 1202 Chinese adolescents from grade 7 to grade 12 participated in this study by completing a battery of questionnaires that assessed self‐consciousness and internalizing/externalizing problems. The results showed that, after controlling demographic variables, some lower‐order factors (i.e., sense of satisfaction, sense of anxiety, social self, self‐restraint, self‐esteem, and self‐monitoring ) and higher‐order subscales (i.e., self‐evaluation and self‐experience ) of self‐consciousness significantly predicted internalizing problems, while externalizing problems were predicted by several lower‐order factors (i.e., self‐restraint, sense of satisfaction, and self‐monitoring ) and higher‐order subscales (i.e., self‐control and self‐experience ). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Chinese adolescents' internalizing and externalizing problems are related with different aspects of self‐consciousness, which sheds light on the prevention into adolescents' problem behaviors.