Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country in which multiple languages are prominently spoken, including English and Mandarin Chinese. As psychological science continues to develop within Malaysia, there is a need for psychometrically sound instruments that measure psychological phenomena in multiple languages. For example, assessment tools for measuring social desirability could be a useful addition in psychological assessments and research studies in a Malaysian context. This study examined the psychometric performance of the English and Mandarin Chinese versions of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale when used in Malaysia. Two hundred and eighty-three students (64% female; 83% Chinese, 9% Indian) from two college campuses completed the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale in their language of choice (i.e., English or Mandarin Chinese). Proposed factor structures were compared with confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple indicators-multiple causes models were used to examine measurement invariance across language and sex. Factor analyses supported a two-factor structure (i.e., Attribution and Denial) for the measure. Invariance tests revealed the scale was invariant by sex, indicating that social desirability can be interpreted similarly across sex. The scale was partially invariant by language version, with some non-invariance observed within the Denial factor. Non-invariance may be related to differences in the English and Mandarin Chinese languages, as well as cultural differences. Directions for further research include examining the measurement of social desirability in other contexts where both English and Mandarin Chinese are spoken (i.e., China) and further examining the causes of non-invariance on specific items.
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the impact of job demands on health and work outcomes among Malaysian workers. We hypothesized that job demands (i.e., emotional demands and physical demands) would predict future work-related burnout and work engagement, in turn affecting sleep problems and job performance (in-role, extra-role). A longitudinal two-wave survey was conducted among Malaysian workers and valid data from 345 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that work-related burnout predicts sleep problems while work engagement increased employees' job performance over time. Overall, the current study highlights the importance of specific job demands (i.e., emotional demands and physical demands) that specifically affect health-related behavior and work-related behavior among workers.
With a leader being able to possess different types of leadership styles, there is a lack of literature investigating which leadership style best facilitates supervisory coaching behavior. The current study aimed to investigate which leadership style would exhibit supervisory coaching behavior, and if supervisory coaching behavior would mediate the relationship between leadership styles and job performance. The study compared the effects of three leadership styles-transformational, transactional, and empowering leadership-on supervisory coaching behavior, which has been reported to influence job performance. A multilevel approach was adopted in this study using 500 employees from 65 organizations within Malaysia. The study found that only empowering and transactional leadership styles exhibited supervisory coaching behavior, which in turn mediated their relationships with job performance. Overall, the findings suggest the importance of leadership styles that prioritize employee development, as these would lead to improved job performance in employees.
At present, a limited amount of information exists on the association between cognitive reserve and cognitive impairment in stroke populations. To determine predictors of cognitive reserve among stroke patients, 80 stroke patients attending the neurological and rehabilitation clinic in two different Malaysian general hospitals participated in this study. The Malay Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq-M), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales-Short Form (DASS-21), WHO Quality of Life assessment BREF-21 (WHO-QOL BREF-21), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were used as instruments in this study. The study found that cognitive reserve (CRIq-M) is positively correlated with cognitive function (MoCA), r = 0.529, p
This study examined the perceptions of parental bonding, depressive experiences of self-criticism and dependency, and the current level of depressive symptomology among 212 college students from Sabah, Malaysia. The participants completed the brief version of the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Reconstructed Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, and the Patient Health Questionnaire. The results showed significant direct effects of maternal care, maternal overprotection, paternal care, self-criticism, and dependency on depressive symptomology. In contrast, the indirect effects of self-criticism and dependency on the relationship between parental bonding and depressive symptomology were not significant. These findings were in line with previous studies that have highlighted the significance of parent-child bonding, self-criticism, and dependency in the development of depressive symptomology. However, they contradicted previous results on the significant indirect effects of self-criticism and dependency. This study highlights the importance of parental care and overprotection, as they can predict the manifestation of depressive symptomology at a later stage in life.
Studies have found that extraversion enhances happiness indirectly through social support. However, it is unclear how social support may be connected to happiness. On the basis of a literature review, we hypothesize that individual hope may play an important role in the relationship between social support and happiness. Using a serial mediation model, the present study attempted to investigate the hypothetical mediating role of hope in the relationship between extraversion and happiness and between social support and happiness. Analysis of responses of 360 undergraduate students showed that extraversion, social support, and hope were significantly linked with happiness. Moreover, hope was found to mediate the linkage of extraversion and happiness and of social support and happiness. The results also supported the view that extraversion enhances happiness through social support and then hope (serial mediating effect). Lastly, the serial mediating effect was found to be significantly lower than the other two indirect effects. The findings offer insights into the effect of social support on happiness and extend the understanding of the relationship between extraversion and happiness.
Insufficient attention has been given to the integration of the mediating effect of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) symptoms on loneliness and four components of aggression-physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility-in the Malaysian context. In the present study, 410 participants with (a) at least 1 year of Internet gaming experience and (b) between ages 20- to 39 years were recruited using the probability proportional to size sampling method. Participants were undergraduate students and working adults. Self-reported questionnaires (the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale, University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire) were used. The present study found that loneliness positively predicted four components of aggression (i.e., anger, hostility, physical aggression, and verbal aggression) and symptoms of IGD. Relationships between loneliness and the four components of aggression were partially mediated by IGD symptoms. The present study enriches and consolidates existing empirical evidence, particularly in the Malaysian context. If the mediating effect is not emphasized, it may lead to spurious conclusions that can significantly diminish the effectiveness of interventions that are meant to manage aggression.
This research aimed to explore the interplay between the central and peripheral aspects of gaming and their correlation with internet gaming disorder (IGD) in predicting indicators of psychological distress. The study proposed that the core and peripheral characteristics of gaming serve as confounding variables affecting the direct relationship between IGD and psychological distress. Employing a longitudinal design spanning two distinct timeframes, the research involved 100 esports players from Malaysia, all of whom had participated in at least one official tournament. The outcomes revealed that both the core and peripheral attributes of gaming significantly predicted stress, anxiety, and depression. However, IGD exhibited a significant predictive association only with stress. Notably, the study also detected the confounding effects of core and peripheral characteristics in the direct link between IGD and stress. These results imply that core and peripheral gaming traits should be interpreted as individual differences that amplify susceptibility to IGD and its associated psychological distress indicators. Moreover, the findings suggested that IGD might not be a prominent concern for esports players, potentially due to their training in performance management as athletes. The paper explores further implications stemming from these findings.