<b>The Effects of Values Conflict on Stress in Chinese College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model</b>

There has been little research to date on the connections between stress and values conflict, or on the potential contributions of self-construal and self-concept clarity. A self-construal scale, depression-anxiety-stress scale, self-concept clarity scale, and portrait values questionnaire were used to survey a sample of 752 Chinese college students. The findings indicate that stress in Chinese college students was strongly correlated with the self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values conflict, but not with the openness vs. conservation values conflict. Subsequent studies indicated that self-concept clarity acted as a partial mediating factor in this linkage. Additionally, moderated mediation analysis revealed that, in students with high levels of independent self-construal, there was a stronger relationship between values conflict and self-concept clarity than in those with low levels. These findings increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underpinning the links between value conflicts and stress. This study’s limits and potential directions for future research are examined.

迄今为止，鲜有研究探讨压力与价值观冲突之间的关联，亦鲜有研究关注自我构念（self-construal）与自我概念清晰度（self-concept clarity）的潜在作用。本研究采用自我构念量表（self-construal scale）、抑郁-焦虑-压力量表（depression-anxiety-stress scale）、自我概念清晰度量表（self-concept clarity scale）以及肖像价值观问卷（portrait values questionnaire），对752名中国大学生组成的样本开展了问卷调查。研究结果显示，中国大学生的压力水平与自我超越-自我提升（self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement）型价值观冲突呈显著相关，而与开放性-保守性（openness vs. conservation）型价值观冲突无显著关联。后续分析表明，自我概念清晰度在该关联中发挥部分中介变量的作用。此外，有调节的中介分析（moderated mediation analysis）显示，在独立型自我构念（independent self-construal）水平较高的学生中，价值观冲突与自我概念清晰度之间的关联强度显著高于独立型自我构念水平较低的学生。上述发现加深了我们对价值观冲突与压力之间关联背后核心机制的理解。本研究还探讨了其局限性以及未来研究的潜在方向。