Validation of a simplified Chinese version of the 3 × 2 Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ-S).

This paper reports on the development of a shortened version of the 3 × 2 achievement goal questionnaire, a psychometrically sound, theoretically driven, self-report measure. The shortened version (AGQ-S) which contains 12 items and six subscales improves on the original version in three ways: It eliminates the redundant frequency scale, simplifies the scoring of the subscales, and reduces overlap across subscales. The reliability and validity of the AGQ-S were examined within 177 undergraduates from mainland China (46.3% females, mean age = 20.53; SD = 1.31); 158 undergraduates from Macau (61.9% females; mean age = 20.64; SD = 1.67), and 348 5th-graders from mainland China (54.0% females; mean age = 11.56; SD = 0.59), respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses showed acceptable fits of the data for the 12-item model in both studies (χ2/df ranged from 1.24 to 1.70; CFI, IFI, and TLI were all above 0.97). Thus, the scores of the Chinese version of the AGQ-S were found to be valid and reliable. The short form was deemed sufficient for psychological research contexts with extremely limited time constraints.

Predicting the Intention to Use Cybercounseling Among Chinese Adolescents: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior.

With the rapid development of Information Communication Technology, cybercounseling has become a more feasible modality to receive psychological support. However, very limited research has explored the intention to use cybercounseling. This study aimed to use an extended theory of planned behavior (E-TPB) model to predict the intention to use cybercounseling among Chinese adolescents. The moderation effect of gender in the constructs of the E-TPB model was also investigated. A total of 1,216 Chinese adolescents (602 males, mean age = 14.21, standard deviation = 1.28) completed the self-report questionnaire. Structural equation modeling and multigroup analyses were performed using AMOS 20.0. The overall E-TPB model explained 29.8 percent of the variance in the intention to use cybercounseling. Subjective norm (SN) was the strongest predictor of the intention to use cybercounseling, followed by perceived behavioral control (PBC) and attitude (ATT). Moreover, two additional variables (i.e., attitude toward Internet and computer self-efficacy) significantly predicted the ATT and PBC, respectively. Furthermore, gender was found to significantly moderate the E-TPB model. Unexpectedly, social stigma toward seeking psychological help did not show a significant effect on SN. This study showed that the E-TPB is an efficient model to explain the intention to use cybercounseling and suggested the influence of social factor (i.e., SN) on the intention to use cybercounseling among Chinese adolescents. These results would be beneficial for understanding and promoting the cybercounseling application.

Intergenerational differences in the intention to use psychological cybercounseling: A Chinese case study.

OBJECTIVE: This study applied an extended theory of planned behavior (E-TPB) model to investigate factors that contribute to the intention to use psychological cybercounseling in a Chinese sample. The moderating effects of intergenerational differences on relationships of E-TPB variables were also tested. METHODS: A total of 1494 Chinese participants Mage = 18.95 years, SD = 10.19; 49.9 % male) completed a self-report questionnaire measuring seven constructs: intention (INT), attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioral control (PBC), attitude toward the Internet (ATI), social stigma of seeking psychological help (SSSPH), and computer self-efficacy (CSE). RESULTS: Structural equation modeling showed that the E-TPB model accounted for 32.5 % of variance in INT. SN was the strongest determinant of INT, followed by PBC and ATT. Multi-group analysis revealed that intergenerational differences significantly moderated three paths: CSE → PBC, ATT → INT, and SN → INT. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated the efficacy of E-TPB in explaining the intention to use psychological cybercounseling in a Chinese sample. Several factors related to the intention to use psychological cybercounseling were identified in this sample. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The results can help promote psychological cybercounseling use in this population.

The Influence of Learning Style on English Learning Achievement Among Undergraduates in Mainland China.

Learning style is one of the main factors that determines how students learn English and has a significant influence on students' learning strategy selection, which further affects their learning outcomes (Ehrman and Oxford in Mod Lang J 74(3):311-327, 1990; Oxford in Language learning styles and strategies: an overview, 2003. http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf ). This study examines the learning style preferences of Chinese university students and whether those preferences influence their English achievements. Four hundred undergraduates from one university in eastern mainland China participated in this study. Data from 329 valid questionnaires were analysed. The results revealed that the Chinese university students preferred the visual learning style the most, followed by the auditory and kinaesthetic styles. However, no learning style preference was found to influence the students' English proficiency. Cultural reasons are discussed to explain the findings, which contradict those of previous studies of learning style theories and practices. This study recommends that Chinese scholars consider issues of English teaching and learning in China and to adopt appropriate teaching methods to effectively improve English teaching.

Social Desirability Amongst Chinese Teachers.

Research has suggested that self-reported responses on surveys can be affected by a participant's tendency toward social desirability, which would prevent them from revealing their true feelings or behaviors. Researchers should provide evidence that their results have not been affected by socially desirable responses using the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS). Past research has used the 33-item original form and 13-item short form of the MC-SDS, although a few researchers have found questionable validation of the 13 item MC-SDS in several populations. Traditional factor analysis failed to converge on a factor structure. Therefore, the current research was conducted using a Rasch dichotomous model analysis on the original 33-item MC-SDS, a 20-item MC-SDS, and the 13-item MC-SDS. Findings indicated that the 33-item MC-SDS had several overlapping items, the 20-item MC-SDS provided a somewhat meaningful measure of social desirability, and the 13-item MC-SDS did not provide sufficient item distribution or separation to produce a meaningful measure. A researcher should check on the factor structure of the MC-SDS when using it in their research, especially with different cultural populations.