Through the Cultural Prism: The Influence of a Distinctive Chinese Personality-Junzi Personality-On Psychosocial Adjustment in China.

Grounded in a Chinese indigenous cultural perspective, this study examines how Junzi personality-a culturally grounded personality construct rooted in Confucian philosophy-relates to the psychosocial adjustment of Chinese individuals. It further examines the mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of cultural confidence. Three substudies collected data from 2259 Chinese participants. Study 1 used longitudinal data (n = 205) to examine the effects of Junzi personality on psychosocial adjustment as both a state and a process. Study 2 employed cross-sectional data (n = 1589) to examine whether the associations among Junzi personality, self-control and psychosocial adjustment were consistent with the proposed pathway. Study 3 used longitudinal data (n = 465) to validate the overall model and examine the moderating effect of cultural confidence. The results show that Junzi personality is associated with better psychosocial adjustment; longitudinal evidence further supports the mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of cultural confidence. These findings highlight Junzi personality as a culturally grounded resource for psychosocial adjustment and clarify a multilevel pathway from culture to individual adjustment. By integrating contemporary psychological theories with Eastern Confucian thought, this study offers an indigenous cultural perspective for future research on personality and adjustment.