Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
Affinity for solitude in Chinese children and adolescents: Relations with social, school, and psychological
Xinyin Chen1, Jiaxi Zhou1, Dan Li2
1Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania.
Abstract:
This study examined relations of affinity for solitude with social-behavioral, academic, and psychological adjustment in Chinese children and adolescents. The participants included 3,417 students (1,714 boys) in fourth, sixth, and eighth grades (Mages = 10, 12, and 14 years, respectively) in China. Data on affinity for solitude were collected from students' self-reports and data on adjustment were collected from multiple sources. The results showed that whereas affinity for solitude was negatively associated with social competence and academic achievement and positively associated with behavioral problems in Grade 4, the associations were weaker or nonsignificant in Grade 6. Moreover, affinity for solitude was positively associated with academic achievement and negatively associated with behavioral problems in Grade 8. Affinity for solitude was negatively associated with psychological adjustment in general, but the associations were weaker in higher grades. The results indicate that the functional meaning of affinity for solitude may differ across developmental periods. Parents, teachers, and professionals should be aware of the different implications of affinity for solitude in childhood and adolescence and use different strategies to support children and adolescents who display affinity for solitude. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Adler's Individual Psychology
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence

