Chau-kiu Cheung

Validating an American Scale in Hong Kong: The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)

The construct validity of a Chinese-language version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) was tested on a sample of 138 Hong Kong Chinese married couples. Confirmatory factor analysis identified 2 factors: (a) depressive symptom factors and (b) interpersonal problem factors. Those factors attained convergent, discriminant, and structural validity when evaluated against social desirability. The CES-D also manifested nomological validity in terms of its significant relationships with measures of life satisfaction and stressful life events.

Social-cognitive factors of donating money to charity, with special attention to an international relief organization

Abstract Because international relief organizations (IROs) play an important role of helping poor people across national boundaries, planning for raising funds for them is an essential but yet uncharted area for research. A theoretical guide for the planning is the framework of social cognitive theory and associated theories which propose that beliefs about self-efficacy, outcome efficacy, moral obligation, need, and attribution are crucial determinants of donation or intention to donate. To examine the contribution of such a framework, the present study used a telephone survey to randomly select and interview 277 people in Hong Kong. Results support the causal model in that; (1) self-efficacy, outcome efficacy, trust in the IRO, moral obligation, need for donation, awareness of the IRO, and past donation showed significantly positive effects on intention, (2) self-efficacy appeared to stem from trust in the IRO and income, and (3) individualist explanation exerted significantly negative effects on intention to donate to the IRO and self-efficacy.

Resilience as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review

The concept of resilience is reviewed from a range of disciplinary perspectives in this paper. Both broad and narrow definitions of resilience are highlighted and a working definition of resilience is proposed to inform research, policy and practice. Different psychological, social and ecological protective factors, particularly competence, optimism, and bonding to family and cultural beliefs are highlighted. Theoretical relationships between resilience and positive youth development are examined with an attempt to erase misunderstandings. Finally, how schools can promote resilience among students is discussed.

Discriminatory attitudes to people with intellectual disability or mental health difficulty

The integration of people with intellectual disability and mental health difficulty in the community is an issue in Hong Kong because it has encountered public resistance. Understanding the public’s discrimination against them is of theoretical and practical concern. This survey of 822 residents in Hong Kong examined associations of the public’s personal interaction, education, age and sex with its discriminatory attitudes.

Selection of favourite idols and models among Chinese young people: A comparative study in Hong Kong and Nanjing

This paper examines the conceptual differences between an idol and a model among a sample of young people in China. A questionnaire was specifically designed to measure young people’s criteria for idol worship and model learning using three pairs of contrasting constructs: idealism versus realism, romanticism versus rationalism, absolutism versus relativism. The questionnaire also asks each respondent to nominate up to three favourite idols and models in life. Atotal of 826 high school students and university students in Hong Kong and Nanjing completed the questionnaire. The results provide convergent support for the hypothesised conceptual differences between an idol and a model. Idealism, romanticism, and absolutism were more important in idol selection whereas realism, rationalism, and relativism were more important in model selection. Hong Kong young people selected significantly more idealism-romanticism-absolutism oriented celebrities whereas Nanjing young people selected significantly more realism-rationalism-relativism oriented celebrities.

Job satisfaction, work values, and sex differences in Taiwan's organizations

This study of 927 employees in Taiwan is an attempt to explain job satisfaction and sex differences with reference to work values. Initially, the results confirmed that both job satisfaction and work values consisted of 4 common dimensions pertaining to the task, team, reward, and status. Subsequent analyses showed that male employees had higher rank and higher task, team, and status satisfaction than did female employees. The sex difference was not attributable to differences in work values. Placing higher values on the task and team dimensions and a lower value on the reward dimension seemed to lead to greater job satisfaction.

Predictors of the Likelihood of Delinquency: A Study of Marginal Youth in Hong Kong, China.

Different theories offer different factors, each of which partially explain delinquency in young people. An integrated framework incorporating these theories would provide a more complete explanation. Theories that need to be built into such a framework include social control, social learning, strain, and cognitive development theories. Data were collected from 229 marginal youth recruited through outreaching social work teams in Hong Kong. The results indicate that theories of cognitive development, social control, and social learning are important in predicting the likelihood of delinquency among marginal youth. They highlight the influences of the young people’s own theorizing about social problems, attachment to work, moral belief, and friends’ approval of delinquency. Moreover, their frustration and perceived social inequality were predictive of a lower likelihood of delinquency. The findings carry implications for the prevention of crime and delinquency.

Peer victimization and depression among Hong Kong adolescents.

The present study examined the gender differences in the relationship between victimization and depression, as well as in the buffering effect of social support, in Hong Kong adolescents. Based on social role theory, we predicted (a) that victimization would be associated with higher depression in boys than in girls, and (b) that social support would have a stronger buffering effect in boys than in girls. Results showed that boys reported more victimizations than girls, and victimization was slightly more strongly associated with depressive symptoms in boys than in girls. Parental support had a direct effect on depression, but no buffering effect. A buffering effect was found for friend support, but only in boys; high support from friends was associated with fewer depressive symptoms at high levels of victimization.

Activities and Academic Achievement Among College Students

According to self-regulated learning theory, the activities of studying and using learning strategies, which reflect self-regulated learning, promote academic achievement. In contrast, a students participation in other activities may not produce positive effects. In the present study, structural equation modeling was used to test these hypotheses in a sample of 593 full-time, 1st-year undergraduates in Hong Kong. The results indicated that studying and using elaborative learning strategy were positively related to the students self-assessed learning. Studying was also related positively to the expected grade point average. These results provide some support for self-regulated learning theory. Relationships between other activities and self-assessed learning were negative and nonsignificant; relationships between other activities and expected GPA were mixed.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Moral Stage Structure in Hong Kong Chinese, English, and Americans

The hierarchical structure of Kohlbergs stages of moral judgment development was tested by conducting unidimensional unfolding on the stage scores generated by the rating responses to Rests Defining Issues Test. The sample consisted of 620 Chinese subjects in Hong Kong, 100 English subjects in London, and 353 American subjects in the United States. The results supported the hierarchical structure, provided that a reduced Stage 4 score was constructed by deleting a few Stage 4 issue statements. Results also indicated that there were obvious cultural differences in perception of the Stage 4 issue statements. The Chinese tended to regard the Stage 4 statements as more similar to those of Stages 5 and 6, whereas the English and Americans tended to regard the Stage 4 statements as more similar to those of Stages 2 and 3. This finding is interpreted in terms of a cultural difference in the perspectives on social order, norm, and law.