Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40723633›Full record

ArticleBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Do College Freshmen Who Engage More in Online Social Comparison Tend to Be More Confused About Themselves? The Roles of Rumination and Self-Compassion.

Sujie Kang, Qian Gu, Wen Qin, Sanming Liu, Yukang Xue, Qishan Zheng, Chuanhua Gu, Yuqi Cao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sujie KangKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China.
Qian GuSchool of Educational Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China.
Wen QinKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China.
Sanming LiuMental Health Education Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
Yukang XueDepartment of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, SUNY 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6127-4836
Qishan ZhengKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China.
Chuanhua GuKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China.
Yuqi CaoKey Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China.

Funding

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities CCNU25ZZ156Open Project of Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior Central China Normal University,2019B07Project of Promoting Methods of Adolescents ' Self-development and Mental Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Online social comparisons play a vital role in adolescents and young adults' self-development. This study extended research on the influence of online social comparisons on self-concept clarity among college freshmen. This study investigated the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between online social comparisons and self-concept clarity among college freshmen and further examined the moderating effect of self-compassion on this mediational pathway. A sample of 975 Chinese university freshmen were recruited to complete the Online Social Comparisons Scale, Self-Concept Clarity Scale, Rumination Scale and Self-Compassion Scale. The results indicated that among college freshmen, online social comparisons can negatively impact self-concept clarity both directly and indirectly through rumination. Self-compassion moderated the effect of rumination on self-concept clarity. Compared to college freshmen with high self-compassion, those with low self-compassion showed a steeper decline in self-concept clarity as rumination increased. This study not only uncovers the psychological mechanisms through which online social comparison damages self-concept clarity but also provides empirical support for universities to develop targeted psychological health intervention programs based on self-compassion.

Indexed as

college freshmenonline social comparisonsruminationself-compassionself-concept clarity

Identifiers

PMID40723633
PMCPMC12292234

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.