The Moderating Role of Interpersonal Harmony on Nonattachment and Well‐Being Among Chinese Junior High School Students
Ximiao Tang, Lu Ran Zhang, Wei‐Wen ChenABSTRACT
Introduction
Rooted in Buddhist thought, nonattachment refers to the ability to let go of rigid desires and fixed self‐concepts, fostering a balanced and flexible engagement with one's experiences. The present study examined whether interpersonal harmony moderated the association between nonattachment and general well‐being among Chinese junior high school students. Interpersonal harmony was conceptualized as comprising two facets: harmony enhancement (a proactive motivation to cultivate warm and supportive relationships) and disintegration avoidance (a defensive motivation to suppress conflict to maintain surface harmony).
Methods
A sample of 652 Chinese junior high school students completed the nonattachment scale (NAS), harmony scale, and general well‐being scale (GWB). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted with grade and family structure controlled.
Results
The results indicated that nonattachment was positively related to general well‐being. Both harmony enhancement and disintegration avoidance showed statistically significant but small moderating effects (Δ R 2 = 0.01). Specifically, the positive relationship between nonattachment and well‐being was stronger at lower levels of harmony enhancement and disintegration avoidance and weaker at higher levels.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that nonattachment serves as a particularly important intrapersonal resource for adolescents experiencing limited relational harmony. Consistent with a person × context interaction framework, the psychological benefits of nonattachment appear to vary as a function of adolescents' culturally rooted relational tendencies.