The reliability and validity of the brief measures of perceived childhood harshness and unpredictability: A revised Chinese version for emerging adults.

BACKGROUND: Childhood harshness and unpredictability significantly shape life history strategies, as well as downstream psychological and behavioral patterns. However, prior research involving Chinese populations has suffered from inconsistent metrics and limited measurement items. OBJECTIVE: We adapted the English version of Maranges et al.'s (2022) Harshness and Unpredictability Scale in Childhood, translating it into Chinese and assessing its reliability and validity. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Six groups of different college student samples have been collected and the Chinese version of the Harshness and Unpredictability scales has been revised in two separate studies. METHODS: We evaluated the factor structure using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, determined internal consistency, item discrimination, concurrent validity, and assessed gender measurement invariance through multiple CFAs. The test-retest reliability was subsequently established by assessing participants after a designated interval. RESULTS: Both scales passed psychometric tests, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and exhibited strong internal consistency and item discrimination. Gender invariance in the measurements was also confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the Childhood Harshness and Unpredictability Scale demonstrates high reliability and validity, making it suitable for deeper examinations into the relationship between early environments and life history strategies in Chinese contexts.

Effects of wild, local, and cultivated tobacco varieties on the performance of Spodoptera litura and its parasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis.

BACKGROUND: Plant domestication can alter plant and insect interactions and influence bottom-up and top-down effects. However, little is known about the effects of wild, local, and cultivated varieties of the same plant species in the same region on herbivores and their parasitoids. Here, six tobacco varieties were selected: wild Bishan and Badan tobaccos, local Liangqiao and Shuangguan sun-cured tobaccos, and cultivated Xiangyan 5 and Cunsanpi. We examined how wild, local, and cultivated tobacco types affect the tobacco cutworm herbivore Spodoptera litura and its parasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis. RESULTS: Levels of nicotine and trypsin protease inhibitor in leaves and the fitness of S. litura larvae varied significantly among the varieties. Wild tobacco had the highest levels of nicotine and trypsin protease inhibitor, which reduced the survival rate and prolonged the development period of S. litura. The tobacco types significantly influenced the life history parameters and host selection of M. pulchricornis. The cocoon weight, cocoon emergence rate, adult longevity, hind tibia length, and offspring fecundity of M. pulchricornis increased, whereas the development period decreased from wild to local to cultivated varieties. The parasitoids were more likely to select wild and local varieties than cultivated varieties. CONCLUSION: Domestication of tobacco resulted in reduced resistance to S. litura in cultivated tobacco. Wild tobacco varieties suppress S. litura populations, adversely affect M. pulchricornis, and may enhance bottom-up and top-down control of S. litura. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Parent-child attachment and mental health in young adolescents: a moderated mediation analysis.

Introduction: The parent-child attachment has a significant impact on adolescents' mental health. However, the influence of psychological quality and coping styles on this connection remains unknown. This study examined the relationship between parent-child attachment and adolescent mental health, by exploring the mediating role of psychological quality and the moderating role of coping styles. Methods: A total of 633 young adolescents participated in this study after signing informed consent. They anonymously completed questionnaires including the Parent and Peer Attachment Scale (Parent Attachment Section), the Coping Styles Inventory for Middle School Students, the Brief Version of the Psychological Quality Inventory for Middle School Students, and the Chinese Middle School Students'Psychological Quality Inventory. After controlling for gender, grade, left-behind category, only-child status, and family structure. Results: The moderated mediation model yielded the following findings: (a) parent-child attachment significantly and positively predicted adolescents'mental health; (b) psychological quality partially mediated the relationship between parent-child attachment and adolescents' mental health; (c) the association between psychological quality and mental health was moderated by task-focused coping. Discussion: This moderation effect was more substantial for students with low task-focused coping behaviors, which aligns with the "exclusionary hypothesis" model. Therefore, our results indicate that parent-child attachment indirectly impacts mental health, influenced by internal and external factors. These findings carry significant implications for safeguarding and promoting adolescents' mental well-being.

The relationship between future self-continuity and intention to use Internet wealth management: The mediating role of tolerance of uncertainty and trait anxiety.

This study aimed to analyze the mediating effect of tolerance of uncertainty (TU) and trait anxiety (TA) on future self-continuity (FSC) and intention to use Internet wealth management (IUIWM) systems. A questionnaire survey was distributed online and a total of 388 participants completed questionnaire, The questionnaire included the following scales: Chinese version of the FSC, Intention to Use the Internet Wealth Management, TU, and TA. Pearson correlation was used to investigate the correlation coefficient between variables while the sequential regression method was used to analyze relationship between variables. To analyze the collected data, the SPSS 26.0 was used. A two-step procedure was applied to analyze the mediation effect. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the measurement model. Afterward, the Maximum Likelihood method was used for path analysis, and the Bias-corrected Bootstrap method was used to investigate determine the estimated value and confidence interval of the mediating effect. To analyze the mediation effect, the Mplus 7.0 was used. The results showed that FSC positively predicted individuals' Internet wealth management systems. Furthermore, TU and TA played complete serial multiple mediating roles between FSC and IUIWM. The role of TA and TU have negative impact on intention to use. This study provides a theoretical basis in personality psychology that Internet financial product suppliers can use to improve the attractiveness of their products. Product managers can subdivide users according to these personality traits to provide customized products.

The Mediating Role of Chinese College Students' Control Strategies: Belief in a Just World and Life History Strategy.

The harshness and unpredictability of early life circumstances shape life history strategies for trade-offs between the resources devoted to somatic and reproductive efforts of individuals in the developmental process. This paper uses belief in a just world as a reflection of early environmental cues to predict an individual's life history strategies. Research has found that belief in a just world influences life history strategies through a sense of control. However, the relationship between a sense of control and a life history strategy is flawed because influencing life history strategies should be intrinsic to control strategies rather than a sense of control. A total of 408 Chinese undergraduate students completed the Personal Belief in a Just World Scale, Mini-K Scale, and Primary and Secondary Control Scale. Structural equation modeling suggested that belief in a just world can directly or indirectly influence life history strategies through primary and secondary control strategies, respectively; there was no statistical difference in the degree of influence between the two paths. These results deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between belief in a just world and life history strategies, which can be utilized to ensure a slow life history strategy among Chinese university students in the future.