{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T07:25:04Z","timestamp":1779175504375,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]],"date-time":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737417600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"General Project of Chongqing Natural Science Foundation","award":["4322400175"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["4322400175"]}]},{"name":"General Project of Chongqing Natural Science Foundation","award":["2022PY78"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022PY78"]}]},{"name":"General Project of Chongqing Natural Science Foundation","award":["K23YB3040020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K23YB3040020"]}]},{"name":"General Project of Chongqing Natural Science Foundation","award":["2022JSY032"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022JSY032"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Social Science Planning Cultivation Project","award":["4322400175"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["4322400175"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Social Science Planning Cultivation Project","award":["2022PY78"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022PY78"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Social Science Planning Cultivation Project","award":["K23YB3040020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K23YB3040020"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Social Science Planning Cultivation Project","award":["2022JSY032"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022JSY032"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Education Science \u201814th Five-Year Plan\u2019 Key Project","award":["4322400175"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["4322400175"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Education Science \u201814th Five-Year Plan\u2019 Key Project","award":["2022PY78"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022PY78"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Education Science \u201814th Five-Year Plan\u2019 Key Project","award":["K23YB3040020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K23YB3040020"]}]},{"name":"Chongqing Education Science \u201814th Five-Year Plan\u2019 Key Project","award":["2022JSY032"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022JSY032"]}]},{"name":"Teacher Education Reform and Development Research Program of Shaanxi Province","award":["4322400175"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["4322400175"]}]},{"name":"Teacher Education Reform and Development Research Program of Shaanxi Province","award":["2022PY78"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022PY78"]}]},{"name":"Teacher Education Reform and Development Research Program of Shaanxi Province","award":["K23YB3040020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K23YB3040020"]}]},{"name":"Teacher Education Reform and Development Research Program of Shaanxi Province","award":["2022JSY032"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022JSY032"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Limited research has explored the connection between stress and value conflicts, particularly the influence of self-construal and self-concept clarity. This study surveyed a sample of 752 Chinese college students using the Depression\u2013Anxiety-Stress Scale, Self-Construal Scale, Self-Concept Clarity Scale, and Portrait Values Questionnaire. The findings demonstrated that stress levels among participants were significantly associated with conflicts between self-transcendence and self-enhancement values, but no significant relationship was observed with openness vs. conservation conflicts. Mediation analysis revealed that self-concept clarity partially mediated this relationship. Additionally, moderated mediation analysis showed that the association between value conflict and self-concept clarity was stronger in students with high levels of independent self-construal. These results offer a deeper understanding of how value conflicts contribute to stress, highlighting potential pathways for targeted mental health interventions. Future studies should address the limitations of the current research and explore these relationships in more diverse contexts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15020104","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]],"date-time":"2025-01-21T04:19:51Z","timestamp":1737433191000},"page":"104","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The Effects of Value Conflicts on Stress in Chinese College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Xiaoxiao","family":"Ren","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710062, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hao","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Preschool Education Department, Chongqing Preschool Education College, Chongqing 404047, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tong","family":"Yue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7879-4301","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tong","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710062, China"},{"name":"Shaanxi Teacher Development Institute, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710062, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1423","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.83.6.1423","article-title":"The self-importance of moral identity","volume":"83","author":"Aquino","year":"2002","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"102120","article-title":"Value conflicts and mental health: A cognitive-behavioral perspective","volume":"93","author":"Arens","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clinical Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"348","DOI":"10.1086\/344429","article-title":"Materialism and well-being: A conflicting values perspective","volume":"29","author":"Burroughs","year":"2002","journal-title":"Journal of Consumer Research"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1599","DOI":"10.3724\/SP.J.1042.2020.01599","article-title":"The psychological change of the Chinese people over the past half century: A literature review","volume":"28","author":"Cai","year":"2020","journal-title":"Advances in Psychological Science"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.70.1.141","article-title":"Self-concept clarity: Measurement, personality correlates, and cultural boundaries","volume":"70","author":"Campbell","year":"1996","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1080\/10508422.2021.2004891","article-title":"Multilevel dynamics of moral identity conflict: Professional and personal values in ethically-charged situations","volume":"33","author":"Carminati","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ethical Behavior"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"930","DOI":"10.1177\/0146167206287539","article-title":"Self-verification and contextualized self-views","volume":"32","author":"Chen","year":"2006","journal-title":"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1508","DOI":"10.1177\/014616702237578","article-title":"Culture and self-concept flexibility","volume":"28","author":"Choi","year":"2002","journal-title":"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.93.3.415","article-title":"Bridging the partisan divide: Self-affirmation reduces ideological closed-mindedness and inflexibility in negotiation","volume":"93","author":"Cohen","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"123","article-title":"A path model of meaning in life among university students: The roles of gratitude, self-concept clarity, and self-construal","volume":"17","author":"Demir","year":"2022","journal-title":"Applied Research in Quality of Life"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"316","DOI":"10.1080\/00031305.1990.10475751","article-title":"A suggestion for using powerful and informative tests of normality","volume":"44","author":"Belanger","year":"1990","journal-title":"The American Statistician"},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"748","article-title":"The role of self-construal in conflict resolution: Implications for relationship functioning","volume":"27","author":"Donato","year":"2020","journal-title":"Personal Relationships"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"478","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.93.3.478","article-title":"Culture and self-concept stability: Consistency across and within contexts among Asian Americans and European Americans","volume":"93","author":"English","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1002\/mar.21285","article-title":"Being green in a materialistic world: Consequences for subjective well-being","volume":"37","author":"Furchheim","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychology & Marketing"},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"1684","article-title":"The Chinese version of the portrait values questionnaire (PVQ-21): Modification and application among college students","volume":"24","author":"Gao","year":"2016","journal-title":"China Journal of Health Psychology"},{"key":"ref_16","first-page":"443","article-title":"Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the depression anxiety stress scale-21 in Chinese college students","volume":"18","author":"Gong","year":"2010","journal-title":"Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology"},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach, The Guilford Press."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"315","article-title":"Mechanisms of identity conflict: Uncertainty, anxiety, and the behavioral inhibition system","volume":"42","author":"Hirsh","year":"2016","journal-title":"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.2307\/1519843","article-title":"Values as the core of personal identity: Drawing links between two theories of self","volume":"66","author":"Hitlin","year":"2003","journal-title":"Social Psychology Quarterly"},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture\u2019s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations, Sage Publications."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"Hong, J. J. (2005). Social values and self-construal in the expression of social anxiety: A cross-cultural comparison. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of British Columbia]."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huang, L., Doole, R., Wu, C., and Huang, H. W. (2019). Culture-related and individual differences in regional brain volumes: A cross-cultural voxel-based morphometry study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2019.00313"},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"65","article-title":"Value priorities among chinese university students in social transition","volume":"24","author":"Li","year":"2008","journal-title":"Psychological Development and Education"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lovibond, S. H., and Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the depression anxiety stress scales, Psychology Foundation of Australia.","DOI":"10.1037\/t01004-000"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1080\/14330237.2023.2195708","article-title":"Mindfulness and meaning in life: The mediating effect of self-concept clarity and coping self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"33","author":"Mai","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Psychology in Africa"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.98.2.224","article-title":"Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation","volume":"98","author":"Markus","year":"1991","journal-title":"Psychological Review"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23675","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-024-06138-7","article-title":"Resilience and psychological distress in the transition to university: The mediating role of emotion regulation","volume":"43","author":"Mastrokoukou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Current Psychology"},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Nie, J., and Gan, Y. (2017). Self-concept clarity and its relation to mental health among Chinese adults. Behavioural Sciences, 13."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"432","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-013-9202-5","article-title":"Self-construal as a mediator between identity structure and subjective well-being","volume":"33","author":"Pilarska","year":"2014","journal-title":"Current Psychology"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-9010.88.5.879","article-title":"Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies","volume":"88","author":"Podsakoff","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Psychology"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1080\/15298868.2015.1117524","article-title":"Coping with identity conflict: Perceptions of self as flexible versus fixed moderate the effect of identity conflict on well-being","volume":"15","author":"Rabinovich","year":"2016","journal-title":"Self and Identity"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1099-0992(200003\/04)30:2<177::AID-EJSP982>3.0.CO;2-Z","article-title":"Value priorities and subjective well-being: Direct relations and congruity effects","volume":"30","author":"Sagiv","year":"2000","journal-title":"European Journal of Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/S0065-2601(08)60281-6","article-title":"Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries","volume":"25","author":"Schwartz","year":"1992","journal-title":"Advances in Experimental Social Psychology"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Schwartz, S. H. (2017). The refined theory of basic values. Values and behavior: Taking a cross-cultural perspective, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-56352-7_3"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"519","DOI":"10.1177\/0022022101032005001","article-title":"Extending the cross-cultural validity of the theory of basic human values with a different method of measurement","volume":"32","author":"Schwartz","year":"2001","journal-title":"Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"580","DOI":"10.1177\/0146167294205014","article-title":"The measurement of independent and interdependent self-construals","volume":"20","author":"Singelis","year":"1994","journal-title":"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"296","DOI":"10.1177\/1088868310362982","article-title":"Cultural differences in expectations of change and tolerance for contradiction: A decade of empirical research","volume":"14","author":"Williams","year":"2010","journal-title":"Personality and Social Psychology Review"},{"key":"ref_38","unstructured":"Tabachnick, B. G., and Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics, Pearson Education. [6th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_39","unstructured":"Petty, R. E., and Krosnick, J. A. (1995). Let\u2019s not be indifferent about (attitudinal) ambivalence. Attitude strength: Antecedents and consequences, Erlbaum."},{"key":"ref_40","first-page":"1","article-title":"Conflicting or compatible? Evaluating teachers\u2019 self-transcendence versus self-enhancement values from a multilevel perspective","volume":"40","author":"Wang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Current Psychology"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1037\/a0031204","article-title":"Social and emotional parenting: Mothering in a changing Chinese society","volume":"4","author":"Way","year":"2013","journal-title":"Asian American Journal of Psychology"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27232","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-022-03861-x","article-title":"Latent profile analysis of personal values among Chinese college students: Associations with mental health disorders and life satisfaction","volume":"42","author":"Xie","year":"2022","journal-title":"Current Psychology"},{"key":"ref_43","first-page":"36","article-title":"The interdecadal variation of independent self-construals and interdependent self-construals of Chinese","volume":"25","author":"Xu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Advances in Psychology"},{"key":"ref_44","unstructured":"Bond, M. H. (1996). The psychological transformation of the Chinese people as a result of societal modernization. Handbook of Chinese psychology, Oxford University Press."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7290","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-020-01320-z","article-title":"The rank of a value in the importance hierarchy of values affects its relationship to self-concept: A SC-IAT study","volume":"41","author":"Yue","year":"2021","journal-title":"Current Psychology"}],"container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/15\/2\/104\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,8]],"date-time":"2025-10-08T10:32:37Z","timestamp":1759919557000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/15\/2\/104"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2]]}},"alternative-id":["bs15020104"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bs15020104","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-328X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-328X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]]}}}