Social Comparison And Social Withdrawal:A Moderated Mediation Model

Objective: To investigate the relationship between social comparison,self-concept clarity,relational self-construction,and social withdrawal through two studies,the intermediary role of self-concept clarity and the moderating role of relational self-construction.Methods: Study 1 translated and back-translated "Social withdrawal subtype and social isolation scale" separately compiled by Nelson or Bowker.It adopted a convenience sampling to collect data at university in Kunming,and used factor analysis to explore the reliability and validity.Then,to select the most appropriate scale between them.Study 2 used four scales,including social comparison,self-concept clarity,relational self-construction,and Nelson's Chinese version of the social withdrawal scale to collect data from university.Results:(1)Both Nelson and Bowker versions have good reliability(?> 0.8).(2)The exploratory factor analysis showed that factors of Nelson's Chinese version were consistent with the English version's dimension.The confirmatory factor analysis showed that this version had good structural validity.But,Bowker Chinese version's results were all not satisfactory.This result showed that Nelson's Chinese version was the reliable scale than Bowker's.(3)Social comparison was significantly positively related to shyness and unsociable,but negatively related to avoidance.To be more specific,abilities' comparison was significantly positively correlated with shyness;opinions' comparison was significantly positively correlated with unsociable and negatively correlated with avoidance.(4)Both abilities' comparison and opinions' comparison were significantly negatively correlated with self-concept clarity.And self-concept clarity was significantly negatively correlated with shyness,unsociable and avoidance.(5)Self-concept clarity played an intermediary role between abilities' comparison and shyness.And it played intermediary role between opinions' comparison and unsociable or avoidance.(6)The first half path that the opinions' comparison influenced social withdrawal through the self-concept clarity,which was regulated by relational self-construction.(7)The latter half path that social comparison influenced social avoidance through the self-concept clarity,which was regulated by relational self-construction.