Jiwen Chen¹, Jiahui Wu¹, Xuehua Yu¹, Shuangshuang Cai¹, Shun Peng², Xiangyue Yun^1,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 631-641, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.077893 - 31 August 2026

Abstract This study examined the role of self-esteem mediates and rejection sensitivity in the relationship between social exclusion and mobile phone dependence. A sample of 715 Chinese college students (females = 60.1%, mean age = 19.06, SD = 1.34 years) completed self-report measures of social exclusion, self-esteem, rejection sensitivity, and mobile phone dependence. Results following regression analysis indicate social exclusion is related to higher mobile phone dependence. Self-esteem plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between social exclusion and mobile phone dependence, higher levels of social exclusion are associated with lower levels of self-esteem, and… More >

Teng Zhang^1,2, Kunpeng Wang^3,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 621-630, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.077584 - 31 August 2026

Abstract Given the increasing emphasis on holistic development in arts education, understanding how individual psychological factors shape aesthetic perception has become a critical area of inquiry. This study examined the relationship between self-concept and aesthetic experience, focusing on the sequential mediating roles of creativity and spirituality in young adults. A total of 744 art students (aged 17–25 years) completed measures of self-concept, creativity, spirituality, and aesthetic experience. The results of the sequential mediation model showed that: higher self-concept is associated with higher aesthetic experience. Creativity plays a mediating role between self-concept and aesthetic experience to be… More >

Xiaolong Zhang^1,#, Shan Huang^1,2,#, Jing Chen³, Ziyi Zhang¹, Kexiang Yang^1,4, Weijie Gao¹, Hyun-Chul Jeong^1,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 555-563, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.077432 - 31 August 2026

Abstract This study explored the relationship between physical exercise (PE) and depression among college students, focusing on the independent and sequential mediating roles of regulatory emotional self-efficacy (RESE) and mobile phone addiction (MPA). A total of 2021 college students (36.86% male; mean age = 19.02 years, SD = 1.38 years) completed self-report questionnaires assessing PE, depression, RESE, and MPA. The mediation analysis indicated a significant negative association between PE and depression. RESE and MPA each presented significant indirect effects in the separate mediation pathways. The sequential indirect pathway through RESE and MPA was also statistically significant. More >

Siyao Yan, Ruiqian Li^*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 601-609, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.076574 - 31 August 2026

Abstract This study investigated the roles of maternal depression and children’s problem behaviors in the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children’s environmental adaptation by the heterogeneity of maternal stress profiles. Data from 204 Chinese mothers who completed the Parenting Stress Questionnaire, Depression Scale, Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire, and Preschooler Kindergarten Adaptation Assessment Scale were analyzed in mother-child dyads. Results from structural equation modeling, Bayesian comparison, and latent profile analysis, yielded two significant parallel mediation pathways: behavioral and emotional. The behavioral pathway (via children’s problem behaviors) was 2.63 times stronger than the emotional pathway (via maternal More >

Saviour Ayertey Nubuor^1,*, Theresa Esi Bosomtwe^1,2, Kwasi Dartey-Baah³

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 589-599, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.076334 - 31 August 2026

Abstract This mixed-methods study examined the mediating roles of psychological safety and trust in the relationships between transformational leadership (TFL), authentic leadership (AL), and workplace flourishing (WPF) among personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). An explanatory sequential design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 292 military personnel (male = 65.5%, female = 34.5%, age range = 18–49 years, mean = 32.59 years, SD = 6.79 years) using structured questionnaires. Hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modelling and bootstrapping. Subsequently, 18 semi-structured interviews (male = 66.67%, female = 33.33%, mean = 33.5 years, SD =… More >

Shuai Zhang¹, Wenxi Wu², Jiheng Wu³, Ge Chen⁴, Rui Zhao¹, Binyan Xu^1,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 575-587, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.076330 - 31 August 2026

Abstract Social-emotional skills (SES) are foundational to academic success and well-being, yet limited research has examined how these skills are structurally organized as an interconnected system across cultural contexts. Drawing on data from the 2023 OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES; 48.97% females, mean age = 13.09, SD = 2.21 years). Results from Gaussian Graphical Models (GGM) identify optimism and curiosity as universal hub nodes across both cultural contexts. Culturally, the Chinese SES network exhibits higher connectivity and integration, with the Emotional Regulation domain serving as a primary organizational anchor. In contrast, the Finnish… More >

Siyi Zhang, Di Guan, Yaqing Mao^*, Jin Tian

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 545-554, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.074539 - 31 August 2026

Abstract Teacher burnout has become a widespread concern in high-pressure educational systems, particularly in China, where teachers face increasing instructional demands and emotional labor. Although teachers’ social-emotional competence has been recognized as an important personal resource, the mechanisms through which it alleviates job burnout remain insufficiently understood. Grounded in the Conservation of Resources theory, this study explored the mediating roles of teacher-student relationship and teaching efficacy in the association between teachers’ social-emotional competence and job burnout. The participants were 807 Chinese teachers (female = 81.7%; male = 18.3%; mean teaching ages = 3.57 years; SD =… More >

Ting Wang^1,#, Yixin Yuan^1,#, Minxuan Zhang^1,#, Sanrong Xiao^2,*, Xiangyang Zhang^3,4,5,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 479-488, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.073403 - 31 August 2026

Abstract Schizophrenia is associated with a substantially elevated lifetime risk of suicide. Although cognitive impairment has been widely recognized as a core clinical feature of this disorder, the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and suicidal ideation (SI) remains inadequately understood. The present study investigated the prevalence of cognitive impairment and explored its associated risk factors among patients with schizophrenia who reported SI. A total of 812 participants were enrolled in the study. Suicidal ideation was evaluated using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), while cognitive functioning was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the… More >

Zhong Li¹, Chicheng Wang¹, Liyao Wang¹, Xixi Chu^2,*

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 489-495, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.073364 - 31 August 2026

Abstract This study investigates the psychological mechanisms through which AI literacy is associated with reduced employment anxiety in university students. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources Theory and the Career Construction Theory, we tested a model where career adaptability mediates the relationship between AI literacy and employment anxiety. Data were collected from 424 Chinese university students (mean age = 22.2 years; 73.82% female; 58.96% undergraduates; and 44.95% studying humanities and social sciences) through a two-wave survey. The results showed that AI literacy was negatively associated with employment anxiety. Furthermore, career adaptability significantly mediated this relationship. The More >

Ismael Salamah Albursan¹, Mohammad Farhan Al. Qudah¹, Eqbal Z. Darandari¹, Salaheldin Farah Bakhiet^2,*, Mohammed Ateik Al-Khadher¹

Journal of Psychology in Africa, Vol.36, No.4, pp. 651-658, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpa.2026.070232 - 31 August 2026

Abstract The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 3rd version (WISC-III) is a widely used assessment tool for children’s intellectual functioning, including in non-Western settings. Yet, the evidence is scarce of possible gender differences among Sudanese students. This study examined possible gender differences in the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 3rd version (WISC-III) scores among Sudanese students by exploring Differential Item Functioning (DIF) across five subtests: picture completion, information, similarities, picture arrangement, and object assembly. The study sample comprised 455 boys and 525 girls aged 6 to 16. The results following a Likelihood-Ratio Test within Item Response More >