scholarly journals Maternal Psychological Distress and Children’s Internalizing/Externalizing Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role Played by Hypermentalization

Author(s):  
Federica Bianco ◽  
Annalisa Levante ◽  
Serena Petrocchi ◽  
Flavia Lecciso ◽  
Ilaria Castelli

In order to explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the caregiver–child relationship, we investigated the interplay among COVID-19 exposure and children’s internalizing/externalizing problems during the Italian lockdown, hypothesizing a mediation effect played by maternal distress. Additionally, we included maternal reflective functioning (i.e., hypermentalization) as a moderator factor among this interplay. A total of 305 Italian mothers of children aged 6–13 years (M = 10.3; SD = 2.4) filled in an online survey. Findings revealed an indirect effect of maternal COVID-19 exposure on children’s anxious/depressed (k2 = 0.46) and attention problems (k2 = 0.32) via maternal distress. Hypermentalization moderated the impact of maternal COVID-19 exposure on children’s anxious/depressed problems (β = −1.08, p = 0.04). Hypermentalization moderated both the relation between maternal distress and children’s aggressive behaviors (β = 12.226; p < 0.001) and between maternal distress and children’s attention problems (β = 5.617, p < 0.001). We found pivotal significant effects of maternal hypermentalization on children’s anxious/depressed and attention problems, indicating that the higher the mother’s hypermentalization was, the higher the children’s problems were. Our results broaden what we knew on the role of maternal reflective and emotional functioning on children’s emotional/behavioral adjustment during stressful situations.

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Petrocchi ◽  
Annalisa Levante ◽  
Federica Bianco ◽  
Ilaria Castelli ◽  
Flavia Lecciso

The present study focused on the psychological impact that the lockdown due to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) had on families in Italy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian government imposed a strict lockdown for all citizens. People were forced to stay at home, and the length of the lockdown was uncertain. Previous studies analyzed the impact of social distance measures on individuals' mental health, whereas few studies have examined the interplay between the adults' functioning, as parents, during this period and the association with the child's adjustment. The present study tested if maternal distress/coping predicts children's behaviors during the COVID-19 lockdown, hypothesizing a mediation effect via children's emotional experience. Participants were 144 mothers (Mage = 39.3, 25–52, SD = 5.6) with children aged 5–10 years (Mage = 7.54, SD = 1.6, 82 boys); mothers answered to an online survey. Results indicated that mothers with higher exposure to COVID-19 showed higher levels of distress and higher display of coping attitudes, even if in the structural equation modeling model, the COVID-19 exposure was not a predictor of mothers' distress. Compared with mothers with good coping skills, mothers with higher stress levels were more likely to attribute negative emotions to their children at the expense of their positive emotions. Moreover, children's emotions acted as mediators between maternal distress/coping and children's adaptive/maladaptive behaviors. In conclusion, it is important to support parents during pandemic emergence, by providing them with adequate information to manage the relationship with their children, to reduce their level of distress and to enhance their coping abilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 2732-2749
Author(s):  
Anaf Abdulkarem ◽  
Wenhua Hou

With the rapid technological developments, cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) as a sector is also expanding rapidly. In the past couple of decades, China has become a major force in promoting and developing CBEC and, therefore, it was needed to explore the various antecedents and outcomes of Chinese CBEC to expand the understanding and existing CBEC scholarship. Ample studies have been conducted to understand the antecedents and outcomes of CBEC. However, limited studies have explored such variables which can mitigate the adoption of CBEC. With this background, this empirical study was focused on addressing this gap by studying the moderating role of environmental context between organizational context and the four levels of CBEC adoption with the help of a technology-organization-environment framework. SMEs operating in China were targeted for data collection, where data were collected through an online survey. A final sample size of 208 was recorded. It was found that the organizational context has a direct and positive impact on all four levels of CBEC adoption. Furthermore, the moderating role of environmental context on Level 1 and 2 was not supported. Finally, the moderating role of environmental context on Level 3 and 4 was supported by the data. It was concluded that the organizational context plays a significant role in shaping CBEC at all four levels, whereas the environmental context has the potential to mitigate the relationships between organizational context and CBEC Level 3 and 4.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Jang Heon Han ◽  
Jin Suk Lee

We investigated the impact of employee experience on customer loyalty in the hospitality industry, focusing in particular on the serial mediating effects of perceived authenticity and relational commitment, and the moderating role of customer age. To test the proposed conceptual model, we conducted an online survey with 649 participants who had used restaurant services in the past month. Results showed that employee experience exerted a positive impact on customer loyalty. In addition, the relationship between employee experience and customer loyalty was sequentially mediated by perceived authenticity and relational commitment, and the older the customer age, the stronger were the serial mediating effects. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and suggestions provided for improving hospitality services.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lujun Su ◽  
Jin Cheng ◽  
Scott Swanson

Purpose In an adventure tourism context (i.e. sky diving, bungee jumping) the effect of the absence or presence of a travel companion; companion relative ability (i.e. perception of a companion’s possessed resources useful for the achievement of travel goals); and tourist gender on the impact of companion relative ability on tourists’ satisfaction and subjective well-being is examined. This paper aims to investigate the mediating role of satisfaction that combines companion relative ability, tourist gender, tourist satisfaction and subjective well-being. Design/methodology/approach This research uses three situational experiments. A one-factor between-subjects experimental design was used for Study 1. Studies 2 and 3 used a one-factor between-subjects and a 2 × 3 factorial between-subjects design. Participants included tourists visiting a national park in China assigned to scenarios using an anonymous intercept approach and an online survey. Findings Having a companion with greater/comparable relative ability produces a greater effect on tourist satisfaction and subjective well-being than having a companion with lower relative ability. Furthermore, the perceived relative ability of a travel companion results in a stronger positive effect on tourist satisfaction and subjective well-being for female tourists. Meanwhile, satisfaction fully mediates the impact of the interaction between companion relative ability and tourist gender on subjective well-being. Originality/value The current research validates the companion effect on adventure tourists’ satisfaction and subjective well-being. An additional contribution is an investigation into the effect of companion relative ability. The study is the only one the authors are aware of that examines the moderating role of tourist gender on the effect of companion relative ability on tourist satisfaction and subjective well-being and identifies the mechanism that combines companion relative ability, tourist gender, tourist satisfaction and subjective well-being.


2021 ◽  
pp. 232948842110190
Author(s):  
Haleema Majeed ◽  
Umar Nawaz Kayani ◽  
Syed Arslan Haider

The present study aims to investigate the impact of project communication on project success with the mediating role of trust and the moderating role of authentic leadership. The sample is drawn using a convenient sampling technique. The data is collected through the online survey method due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from project-based construction companies of Pakistan ( n = 245). The analyses are established using SPSS v.25 and AMOS v.23 software to test hypotheses. The results indicate that project communication is positively associated with project success; trust mediates the relationship between project communication and project success. Similarly, results also confirm that the moderating role of authentic leadership is strengthening the relationship between project communication and trust. This research is beneficial for project managers, site supervisors, and leaders, since project managers need to develop communication and trust between the employees as communication, leads to the successful completion of projects and achievement of goals. Managers should connect the employees so that the workflow does not get disturbed. Lack of communication can badly affect the success of the project and lead it toward failure. The manager or work supervisor needs to keep all the employees bound together so that they perform effectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 382-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quyen Phu Thi Phan ◽  
Michal Pilík

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) has paid attention to the phenomenon of marketing strategy because of the power of online comments to behavioural consequences. The key challenge for scholars and practitioners is to explore why consumers would like to give positive reviews of products and service. However, little empirical research has been conducted on the effect of website design on eWOM intention. The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of website design (aesthetic and usability) on eWOM intention, which is based on the adoption of the stimulus – organism – response model. To test the hypotheses, the study uses the Partial Least Squares (PLS) to test a total of 290 respondents collected from Taiwanese customers via an online survey. The outcomes show the impact of the website’s design on the attitude toward it, which would lead to positive eWOM. The study also provides empirical evidence on the moderating role of online purchasing experience and the mediating effect of attitude toward a website on eWOM intention. Finally, the discussions also show implications and managerial insight for both scholars and marketers.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Lew ◽  
Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽  
Yanzheng Liu ◽  
Mansor Abu Talib ◽  
Olga Mitina ◽  
...  

Abstract. Background: According to the strain theory of suicide, strains, resulting from conflicting and competing pressures in an individual's life, are hypothesized to precede suicide. But social support is an important factor that can mitigate strains and lessen their input in suicidal behavior. Aims: This study was designed to assess the moderating role of social support in the relation between strain and suicidality. Methods: A sample of 1,051 employees were recruited in Beijing, the capital of China, through an online survey. Moderation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and strains were assessed with the Psychological Strains Scale. Results: Psychological strains are a good predictor of suicidality, and social support, a basic need for each human being, moderates and decreases the effects of psychological strains on suicidality. Limitations: The cross-sectional survey limited the extent to which conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn. Furthermore, the results may not be generalized to the whole of China because of its diversity. Conclusion: Social support has a tendency to mitigate the effects of psychological strains on suicidality.


2019 ◽  
pp. 39-54
Author(s):  
Marco Ieva ◽  
Cristina Ziliani

Customer Experience develops through a journey of touchpoints. However, little is known on the role of touchpoints in contributing to customer loyalty, which is the final aim of Customer Experience Management. This study provides an examination of the relative and moderating role of frequency and positivity of exposure to more than twenty touchpoints and their interplay in contributing to customer loyalty. An online survey on more than three thousand consumers is run with reference to retail banking. Results show that only a small number of touchpoints is significantly related to customer loyalty. Findings point companies' attention to invest their efforts in managing both the frequency and positivity of specific touchpoints.


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