Tao Jiang

All Publications

• Peer support as moderator of association between socioeconomic status and low-grade inflammation in adolescents. Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association Jiang, T., Chen, E., Lam, P. H., Kim, J., Moon, H., Miller, G. E. 2024; 43 (3): 171-183

  Abstract

  Individuals who grow up in low-socioeconomic status (SES) families are at an increased risk of health problems across the lifespan. Although supportive social relationships are postulated to be a protective factor for the health of these individuals, the role of friend support in adolescence is not well understood. Given that low-grade inflammation is one key biological mechanism proposed to explain links between family SES and health outcomes, we examined whether adolescents' friend support buffers the association between family SES and low-grade inflammation among adolescents.277 dyads of adolescents (63.5% female; 39.4% White, 38.3% Black, and 32.1% Hispanic; Mage = 13.92 years) and one of their parents participated in this longitudinal study (two waves approximately 2 years apart). Parents reported family objective SES (i.e., income, savings, and education) and family subjective SES (i.e., subjective social status). Adolescents reported perceived friend support. Fasting antecubital blood was drawn from adolescents at both visits. Low-grade inflammatory activity was represented by a composite of inflammatory biomarkers and numbers of classical monocytes.Adolescents' friend support moderated the associations of family subjective SES with both the inflammation composite and classical monocyte counts across cross-sectional, longitudinal, and prospective change (only significant for the inflammation composite) analyses. Specifically, lower family subjective SES was associated with higher levels of low-grade inflammation only among adolescents lower, but not higher, in friend support. No moderation was observed for objective SES.Supportive peer relationships buffer the link between family subjective, but not objective, SES and low-grade inflammation in adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

  View details for DOI 10.1037/hea0001331

  View details for PubMedID 38010779

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10922557

• Compassionate goals, responsiveness, and well-being. Current opinion in psychology Jiang, T., Canevello, A., Crocker, J. 2023; 52: 101634

  Abstract

  Compassionate goals-intentions to be supportive and constructive and not harm relationship partners-predict responsiveness and well-being. However, not much is known about whether the effects of compassionate goals depend on attachment security, trust, or self-esteem. This article reviews recent studies examining this research question. These studies indicate that compassionate goals predict relationship processes (e.g., responsiveness, constructive approaches to relationship problems, self-disclosure) and well-being (e.g., growth-seeking) regardless of attachment security, trust, and self-esteem. Furthermore, compassionate goals also predict increased attachment security, trust, and self-esteem over time. These findings suggest that people with compassionate goals can cultivate responsive relationships and thrive through relationships even when they have insecurities related to low attachment security, low trust, or low self-esteem.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101634

  View details for PubMedID 37442082

• How Relationships Foster Growth: Compassionate Goals Predict Growth-Seeking Through Perceived Available Support Independent of Relationship Security. Personality & social psychology bulletin Jiang, T., Canevello, A., Crocker, J. 2023; 49 (6): 852-870

  Abstract

  Growth-seeking refers to a general tendency to pursue growth when facing challenges. The current studies examined whether and how benevolent intentions to support others and not harm them (i.e., compassionate goals in relationships) predict growth-seeking and whether this association is independent of relationship security, which may also predict growth-seeking. Two cross-sectional studies (Studies 1a and 1b, N = 1,032) and two longitudinal studies (Study 2: 3-wave weekly survey, N = 404; Study 3: 12-wave weekly survey, N = 230) showed that compassionate goals correlate with growth-seeking and predict increased growth-seeking over time through perceived available support. The results hold after controlling for participants' (Studies 1-3) and their partners' (Study 3) relationship security, which suggests that compassionate goals may foster growth-seeking through perceived available support independent of relationship security. In addition, Study 3 suggests an intrapersonal process (i.e., projected perceptions) underlying the link between compassionate goals and perceived available support.

  View details for DOI 10.1177/01461672221080949

  View details for PubMedID 35337242

• Perceived social support-giving moderates the association between social relationships and interleukin-6 levels in blood. Brain, behavior, and immunity Jiang, T., Yakin, S., Crocker, J., Way, B. M. 2022; 100: 25-28

  Abstract

  Although positive social relationships are assumed to relate to lower levels of chronic systemic inflammation, the empirical evidence on this association is mixed. This study examines whether perceived social support-giving (i.e., the belief that one can be available to give social support to others, henceforward referred to as perceived support-giving) moderates associations between social relationships and inflammation using data from the longitudinal follow-up of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the U.S. (MIDUS II). Middle-aged adults (N = 1054) completed self-report questionnaires on social integration, perceived support-availability from others, positive relations with others, perceived support-giving, socio-demographic information, and health-related information and provided blood samples for measurement of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a marker of systemic inflammation. The results showed that perceived support-giving moderated the associations between IL-6 and indicators of positive social relationships, including social integration, perceived support-availability, and positive relations with others. Indicators of positive social relationships were associated with lower IL-6 among individuals higher, but not lower, in perceived support-giving. The moderating effects of perceived support-giving held after adjusting for socio-demographic and health-related covariates. Therefore, positive social relationships are associated with lower IL-6 only for individuals who believe they can give more support in those relationships. In addition, preliminary evidence indicated that the moderating effects of perceived support-giving might be further qualified by gender, being significant only in women.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.11.002

  View details for PubMedID 34774672

• The Recursive Cycle of Perceived Mindset and Psychological Distress in College SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE Kroeper, K. M., Hildebrand, L. K., Jiang, T., Hernandez-Colmenares, A., Brown, K., Wilk, A. V., Spencer, S. J., Heckler, A. F., Fujita, K. 2024

  View details for DOI 10.1177/19485506241247384

  View details for Web of Science ID 001209773200001

• Family Disadvantage, Education, and Health Outcomes Among Black Youths Over a 20-Year Period. JAMA network open Chen, E., Yu, T., Ehrlich, K. B., Lam, P. H., Jiang, T., McDade, T. W., Miller, G. E., Brody, G. H. 2024; 7 (3): e242289

  Abstract

  Upward mobility (via educational attainment) is highly valued, but longitudinal associations with mental and physical health among Black youths are less understood.To examine associations of childhood family disadvantage and college graduation with adult mental and physical health in Black youths followed up into adulthood.This longitudinal, prospective cohort study of Black youths from the state of Georgia who were studied for 20 years (ages 11 to 31 years) was conducted between 2001 and 2022. Participants for this study were drawn from the Strong African American Healthy Adults Program. Data analysis was conducted from April 2023 to January 2024.Family economic disadvantage (measured during the adolescent years) and college graduation (indicating upward mobility).Primary outcomes included mental health, substance use, and physical health. Mental health included a composite of internalizing and disruptive problems (anxiety, depression, anger, aggressive behaviors, and emotional reactivity). Substance use included a composite of smoking, drinking, and drug use. Physical health included metabolic syndrome (MetS) and proinflammatory phenotypes (immune cells mounting exaggerated cytokine responses to bacterial challenge and being insensitive to inhibitory signals from glucocorticoids). Mental and physical health measures were taken at age 31 and during the adolescent years. Linear and logistic regression analyses, as well as mediated moderation analyses, were conducted.The study population consisted of 329 Black youths (212 women [64%]; 117 men [36%]; mean [SD] age at follow-up, 31 [1] years). Compared with those who did not graduate college, those who graduated from college had 0.14 SD fewer mental health problems (b = -1.377; 95% CI, -2.529 to -0.226; β = -0.137; P = .02) and 0.13 SD lower levels of substance use (b = -0.114; 95% CI, -0.210 to -0.018; β = -0.131; P = .02). Residualized change scores revealed that college graduates showed greater decreases from age 16 to 31 years in mental health problems (b = -1.267; 95% CI, -2.360 to -0.174; β = -0.133; P = .02) and substance use problems (b = -0.116; 95% CI, -0.211 to -0.021; β = -0.136; P = .02). For physical health, significant interactions between childhood family disadvantage and college completion emerged in association with MetS (OR, 1.495; 95% CI, 1.111-2.012; P = .008) and proinflammatory phenotype (b = 0.051; 95% CI, 0.003 to 0.099; β = 0.131; P = .04). Among youths growing up in disadvantaged households, college completion was associated with a 32.6% greater likelihood of MetS (OR, 3.947; 95% CI, 1.003-15.502; P = .049) and 0.59 SD more proinflammatory phenotype (mean difference, 0.249, 95% CI, 0.001 to 0.497; P = .049). Conversely, among those from economically advantaged backgrounds, college completion was correlated with lower MetS and less proinflammatory phenotype. Findings held after controlling for body mass index at age 19 years.In this longitudinal cohort study of Black youths, graduating from college was associated with an adult profile of better mental health but poorer physical health among those from economic disadvantage. These findings suggest that developing interventions that foster healthy outcomes across multiple life domains may be important for ensuring that striving for upward mobility is not accompanied by unintended cardiometabolic risk.

  View details for DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.2289

  View details for PubMedID 38551566

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10980964

• Reflections on resilience. Development and psychopathology Chen, E., Jiang, T., Chen, M. A., Miller, G. E. 2024: 1-8

  Abstract

  Resilience research has long sought to understand how factors at the child, family, school, community, and societal levels shape adaptation in the face of adversities such as poverty and war. In this article we reflect on three themes that may prove to be useful for future resilience research. First is the idea that mental and physical health can sometimes diverge, even in response to the same social process. A better understanding of explanations for this divergence will have both theoretical and public health implications when it comes to efforts to promote resilience. Second is that more recent models of stress suggest that stress can accelerate aging. Thus, we suggest that research on resilience may need to also consider how resilience strategies may need to be developed in an accelerated fashion to be effective. Third, we suggest that if psychological resilience interventions can be conducted in conjunction with efforts to enact system-level changes targeted at adversities, this may synergize the impact that any single intervention can have, creating a more coordinated and effective set of approaches for promoting resilience in young people who confront adversity in life.

  View details for DOI 10.1017/S0954579424000403

  View details for PubMedID 38389301

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11341778

• Responsive parental support buffers the link between chronic stress and cardiometabolic risk among adolescents. Brain, behavior, and immunity Lam, P. H., Chen, E., Jiang, T., Moon, H., Passarelli, V., Kim, J., Miller, G. E. 2024; 116: 114-123

  Abstract

  Youth exposed to chronic stress exhibit increased cardiometabolic risk which parental social support may attenuate. Notably, theories emphasize that support should be delivered responsively for it to exert buffering effects, but this has not been thoroughly tested empirically. This study examined whether timing of support is an important but unrecognized element of responsiveness during adolescence in buffering the link between chronic stress and cardiometabolic risk. Participants were 242 adolescents aged 15 years (63 % female, 38 % Black). Adolescents completed assessments of chronic stress (Life Stress Interview), and trained personnel collected anthropometric measures and blood samples to assess cardiometabolic risk (reflected in low-grade inflammation and metabolic syndrome). Adolescents also completed an eight-day diary assessment to report daily stressor exposure and parental support. Using the diary data, responsiveness of parental support was operationalized as the within-individual difference in parental support received on stressor (vs. non-stressor) days, such that increased parental support on stressor days reflected more timely support. Results suggest that responsive parental support buffered the link between chronic stress and cardiovascular risk. Specifically, chronic stress was associated with greater risk only when parental support was not temporally aligned with stress exposure, but this association was not observed among adolescents who received timely parental support. These findings shed light on why parental support may not always exert buffering effects during adolescence, highlighting the importance of taking a developmental approach to understanding protective effects.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.11.027

  View details for PubMedID 38052410

• Social Media Use and Its Concurrent and Subsequent Relation to a Biological Marker of Inflammation: Short-Term Longitudinal Study. Journal of medical Internet research Lee, D., Jiang, T., Crocker, J., Way, B. 2023; 25: e46309

  Abstract

  Although many studies have examined the impact of social media use (SMU) on mental health, very few studies have examined the association of SMU with health-relevant biomarkers.Addressing this gap, we conducted a short-term longitudinal study examining the link between SMU and C-reactive protein (CRP), a biological marker of systemic inflammation predictive of major depression, chronic diseases, and mortality.We measured college students' weekly amount of SMU for 5 consecutive weeks objectively via the Screen Time app and collected blood samples at baseline and 5 weeks later.In separate cross-sectional analyses conducted at phase 1 (baseline) and at phase 2 (5 weeks after baseline), objective SMU had a positive, concurrent association with CRP at both time points. Critically, in a longitudinal analysis, more SMU between phase 1 and phase 2 predicted increased CRP between these time points, suggesting that increased SMU led to heightened inflammation during that period.Although more research is needed to understand why SMU led to higher inflammation, the association between objective SMU and a marker of a biological process critical to physical health presents an intriguing opportunity for future research on social media effects.

  View details for DOI 10.2196/46309

  View details for PubMedID 38064253

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10746962

• Resilience in children with chronic illness: Tests of the shift-and-persist and skin-deep resilience theories. Development and psychopathology Chen, E., Jiang, T., Chen, M. A., Chiu, R. Y., Miller, G. E. 2023; 35 (5): 2264-2274

  Abstract

  This study investigated, and discusses the integration of, the shift-and-persist (SAP) and skin-deep resilience (SDR) theories. The SAP theory states that the combination of shifting (adjusting oneself to stressful situations through strategies like emotion regulation) and persisting (enduring adversity with strength by finding meaning and maintaining optimism) will be beneficial to physical health in children experiencing adversity. The SDR theory states that high striving/self-control will be beneficial to mental health but detrimental to physical health among those confronting adversity. This study investigated 308 children ages 8-17 experiencing the adversity of a chronic illness (asthma). SAP and SDR (striving/self-control) were assessed via questionnaires, and physical health (asthma symptoms, inflammatory profiles), mental health (anxiety/depression, emotional functioning), and behavioral (medication adherence, activity limitations, collaborative relationships with providers) outcomes were measured cross-sectionally. SAP was associated with better physical health, whereas SDR was associated with worse physical health. Both were associated with better mental health. Only SDR was associated with better behavioral outcomes. Implications of findings and discussion of how to integrate these theories are provided. We suggest that future interventions might seek to cultivate both SAP and SDR to promote overall better health and well-being across multiple domains in children experiencing adversity.

  View details for DOI 10.1017/S0954579423000603

  View details for PubMedID 37340834

• Lay theories of diversity initiatives: Theory and measurement of zero-sum and win-win beliefs GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS Ballinger, T., Jiang, T., Crocker, J. 2024; 27 (4): 859-881

  View details for DOI 10.1177/13684302231193320

  View details for Web of Science ID 001060704500001

• Can inflammation predict social media use? Linking a biological marker of systemic inflammation with social media use among college students and middle-aged adults. Brain, behavior, and immunity Lee, D. S., Jiang, T., Crocker, J., Way, B. M. 2023; 112: 1-10

  Abstract

  Drawing on recent evidence that inflammation may promote social affiliative motivation, the present research proposes a novel perspective that inflammation may be associated with more social media use. In a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample, Study 1 (N = 863) found a positive association between C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of systemic inflammation, and the amount of social media use by middle-aged adults. Study 2 (N = 228) showed that among college students CRP was prospectively associated with more social media use 6 weeks later. Providing stronger evidence of the directionality of this effect, Study 3 (N = 171) showed that in college students CRP predicted increased social media use in the subsequent week even after controlling for current week's use. Additionally, in exploratory analyses of CRP and different types of social media use in the same week, CRP was only associated with using social media for social interaction and not for other purposes (e.g., entertainment). The present research sheds light on the social effects of inflammation and highlights potential benefits of using social media as a context for studying the impact of inflammation on social motivation and behavior.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.05.010

  View details for PubMedID 37224891

• Prosocial orientation and COVID-19 vaccine willingness in the US SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS Canevello, A., Jiang, T., Magid, K., Perry, J., Crocker, J. 2023; 17 (9)

  View details for DOI 10.1111/spc3.12809

  View details for Web of Science ID 001004000700001

• Self-disclosure of concealable stigmatized identities: A dyadic longitudinal investigation guided by the contact hypothesis JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES Ballinger, T., Canevello, A., Crocker, J., Jiang, T., Quinn, D. M. 2023; 79 (1): 147-160

  View details for DOI 10.1111/josi.12543

  View details for Web of Science ID 000837170400001

• Compassionate goals predict COVID-19 health behaviors during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. PloS one Ospina, J., Jiang, T., Hoying, K., Crocker, J., Ballinger, T. 2021; 16 (8): e0255592

  Abstract

  We predicted that people with compassionate goals to support others and not harm them practiced more COVID-19 health behaviors during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to protect both themselves and others from infection. Three studies (N = 1,143 American adults) supported these predictions and ruled out several alternative explanations. Compassionate goals unrelated to the health context predicted COVID-19 health behaviors better than the general motivation to be healthy (Studies 2 and 3). In contrast, general health motivation predicted general health behaviors better than did compassionate goals. Compassionate goals and political ideology each explained unique variance in COVID-19 health behaviors (Studies 1-3). Compassionate goals predict unique variance in COVID-19 health behaviors beyond empathic concern, communal orientation, and relational self-construal (Study 3), supporting the unique contribution of compassionate goals to understanding health behaviors. Our results suggest that ecosystem motivation is an important predictor of health behaviors, particularly in the context of a highly contagious disease.

  View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0255592

  View details for PubMedID 34358256

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8345887

• Compassionate goals predict greater and clearer dissent expression to ingroups through collectively oriented motives in Japan and the U.S JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY Niiya, Y., Jiang, T., Yakin, S. 2021; 90

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jrp.2020.104057

  View details for Web of Science ID 000615925800007

• Motivational underpinnings of successful support giving: Compassionate goals promote matching support provision PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS Lee, D. S., Jiang, T., Canevello, A., Crocker, J. 2021; 28 (2): 276-296

  View details for DOI 10.1111/pere.12363

  View details for Web of Science ID 000598993000001

• Easy Statistical Mediation Analysis With Distinguishable Dyadic Data JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION Coutts, J. J., Hayes, A. F., Jiang, T. 2019; 69 (6): 612-649

  View details for DOI 10.1093/joc/jqz034

  View details for Web of Science ID 000509536300005

• The Association between Compassionate Goals and Relational-Interdependent Self-Construal. Self and identity : the journal of the International Society for Self and Identity Jiang, T., Canevello, A., Gore, J. S., Hahn, J. H., Crocker, J. 2017; 16 (2): 143-170

  Abstract

  Although research has examined the consequences of relational self-construal, little is known about what psychological factors predict it. Four studies examined the association between compassionate goals and relational self-construal. Study 1 showed that compassionate goals are positively associated with relational self-construal in college students. Study 2 replicated this association among adults in romantic relationships. Studies 3 and 4 showed that compassionate goals predict increased relational self-construals over time in college roommates. Moreover, Studies 2-4 showed that responsiveness to relationship partners statistically mediated the association between compassionate goals and self-construal. These studies suggested that people with compassionate goals have highly relational self-construals and that they also develop higher levels of relational self-construals by being responsive to relationship partners.

  View details for DOI 10.1080/15298868.2016.1238406

  View details for PubMedID 29200979

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5704777

• The implicit sociometer effect and the moderating role of relational self-construal. Scandinavian journal of psychology Jiang, T., Geng, L., Tang, Y., Ye, L. 2016; 57 (6): 601-606

  Abstract

  The present study examined how negative feedback influenced implicit self-evaluations and how individuals' level of relational self-construal (RelSC) moderated these relationships. One hundred Chinese university students completed the relational-interdependent self-construal scale and were randomly assigned into one of three conditions (social exclusion, personal failure, or control). After receiving the manipulation, participants completed two Brief Implicit Association Tests (BIATs) that measured their implicit self-liking and self-competence. The results indicated that people with a highly RelSC typically had higher implicit self-liking, but they decreased their implicit self-liking more than those with a low RelSC after experiencing social exclusion. However, RelSC did not influence the effect of personal failure on implicit self-liking. In addition, RelSC was not associated with implicit self-competence in any situation.

  View details for DOI 10.1111/sjop.12330

  View details for PubMedID 27717136

• The relationship between autonomous motivation and goal pursuit: A cross-cultural perspective ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Jiang, T., Gore, J. S. 2016; 19 (2): 101-111

  View details for DOI 10.1111/ajsp.12115

  View details for Web of Science ID 000373002800003