1、-1-www.ivypub.org/rpr Review in Psychology Research Volume 9,2023,PP.1-6 A Study of the Impact of Personality and Social Psychology on Mental Health Xinpeng Lou Faculty of Psychology,Southwest University,Chongqing,400715,China Email: Abstract With the continuous development and progress of economy,p
2、eoples living standard and culture level have been improved,but with it,there are also various kinds of life stress,study stress and work stress,which make peoples mental health problems in life more and more prominent,and how to improve students mental health level is the main task of each educatio
3、n stage.The current psychology discipline system has been perfected,including personality psychology and social psychology,which are effectively applied in the actual mental health education or psychological guidance work,and are key disciplines to improve peoples mental health.The theoretical syste
4、m of personality and social psychology consists of three theories:the theory of planned behavior,the theory of explanatory levels,and the theory of self-determination,all of which have an irreplaceable influence on mental health.In this regard,this paper combines relevant literature and work experie
5、nce to study in depth the influence of personality and social psychology on mental health.Keywords:Personality and Social Psychology;Theory of Planned Behavior;Explanatory Level Theory;Self-Determination Theory;Mental Health;Impact Analysis 1 INTRODUCTION Mental health problems have become a problem
6、 that cannot be ignored in peoples life,study and work,because various kinds of life stress,study stress and work stress will make people have mental health problems.If mental health guidance or mental health education is not provided in time,it will not only reduce peoples physical and mental healt
7、h,but also reduce their quality of life.For example,people with mental health problems such as excessive depression and anxiety may think of ending their lives and take action.Personality and social psychology are the main components of the theoretical system of psychology,including the theory of pl
8、anned behavior,the theory of explanatory levels,and the theory of self-determination,all of which have an active role in mental health education and guidance,and many mental health educators,counselors,and psychologists attach great importance to the application of personality and social psychology.
9、Planned Behavior Theory,Explanatory Level Theory and Self-Determination Theory have different effects on mental health,among which Planned Behavior Theory is mainly used to argue the relationship between attitude and behavior;Explanatory Level Theory is mainly used to analyze social cognitive orient
10、ation.Self-determination theory is mainly used to analyze motivation and personality 1.Therefore,this paper analyzes the influence of personality and social psychology on mental health from these three aspects,and briefly discusses how social and personality psychology theories can be applied to men
11、tal health education and mental health guidance.2 CONNOTATIONS OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Personality and social psychology is essentially a discipline used to study individual and group psychosocial phenomena and belongs to the branch of psychology.From the perspective of individual psych
12、ology,personality and social psychology can be used to guide individual thoughts,situations and behaviors,and has a certain role in constraining them;from the perspective of group psychology,personality and social psychology can improve group -2-www.ivypub.org/rpr cohesion and create a good social p
13、sychological atmosphere,provide correct guidance for group decision-making,etc.Some scholars believe that personality and social psychology is a comprehensive embodiment of psychology and sociology,and is a marginal discipline between the two,influenced by both psychology and sociology.Initially,per
14、sonality and social psychology was divided into personality psychology and social psychology.However,personality and social psychology,which is a synthesis of both,can not only explain various individual psychological phenomena and social group psychological phenomena,but also provide guiding basis,
15、ready-made concepts,methods and theories for decision making related to the construction of a harmonious society and the development of Chinese culture,thus promoting the development of our society 1-2.Because personality and social psychology can understand the social background,cultural background
16、,and historical background of our people,etc.,and then creatively carry out conceptual analysis,methodological design,and theoretical construction on that basis,and finally draw conclusions that are in line with objective reality,providing richness and concepts for various social development decisio
17、ns,etc.3 THE THREE THEORIES OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY These three theories,including the theory of planned behavior,the theory of levels of explanation,and the theory of self-determination,are interactive,complementary,and mutually reinforcing.The relationship diagram is shown in Figure 1
18、.FIGURE 1 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY AND THE THREE MAJOR THEORIES OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 3.1 Theory of Planned Behavior The theory of planned behavior is essentially a psychological theory used to understand and define the relationship between attitudes and behavior,which is the core theory of p
19、ersonality and social psychology and has a positive effect on human personality,group behavioral intentions,individual health behaviors and mental health status,and can solve many mental health problems and physical health problems,reduce the occurrence of individuals own risky behaviors,such as alc
20、oholic behavior,smoking behavior,binge drinking behavior,etc.,and ultimately improve the physical and mental health of individuals or groups 2.It has been pointed out that the theory of planned behavior is a well-established theoretical system in social psychology dedicated to the study of attitude-
21、behavior relationships.The theory of planned behavior framework contains many variables,including behavioral attitudes,subjective norms,perceived behavioral control,and behavioral intentions,all of which have an irreplaceable role in influencing beliefs about planned behavior and outcomes,among othe
22、rs.The details are as follows.First,behavioral attitudes.It refers to the possible outcomes and behavioral concepts that individuals have related to -3-www.ivypub.org/rpr the behavior,and then under the influence of behavioral concepts to produce positive or negative feelings about the behavior,and
23、finally make the corresponding attitude.Second,subjective norms.It refers to the decision made by the individual in the face of social pressure,and then a series of individual behavioral decisions are made to realize the decision,and the relevant standards and requirements for regulating the decisio
24、n are determined in order to regulate their own subjectivity and reduce the negative influence of subjective factors on behavioral attitudes and behavioral decisions.Third,perceptual behavior control,refers to the behavior control methods selected to ensure the efficient implementation of behavior,a
25、nd behavior control needs to be based on subjective perception,that is,subjective perception of what behavioral results,based on these results for the expected assumptions,and finally take effective control methods to achieve effective control of behavior,so also known as perceptual behavior control
26、.Fourth,behavioral intention.In fact,the individual wants to or will develop a particular behavior of the propensity to act.Behavioral disposition can be used as the main basis for the expected outcome of an individuals behavior,perceived behavioral control and behavioral attitude 2-3.3.2 Explanatio
27、n Level Theory Explanation level theory is also the main content of personality and social psychology,which is the most representative social cognitive psychology theory.In most cases,peoples level of explanation depends on their pure cognitive orientation,and the higher their cognitive orientation,
28、the higher their level of explanation,and the broader and more correct their cognitive orientation,the higher their level of explanation,which is why the level of explanation theory is also called pure cognitive orientation social psychology theory 3.The explanation level is also affected by many va
29、riables,including psychological distance,behavioral attitudes,behavioral space-time and behavioral perceptions,etc.Among them,psychological distance has the greatest influence and is an important variable affecting the explanation level,which is based on the principle that individuals take their cur
30、rent state as a reference point and then perceive the distance of an event or behavior in space-time It is based on the principle that individuals take their current state as a reference point and then perceive the spatial and temporal proximity of an event or behavior and the possibility of its occ
31、urrence.Psychological distance is positively correlated with the level of abstraction of explanation,i.e.,the greater the psychological distance,the more abstract the level of explanation,and vice versa,the simpler the level of explanation,so the level of explanation can be changed by influencing th
32、e psychological distance to improve the individuals perception and judgment of decisions and other behaviors 4.3.3 Self-Determination Theory Self-determination theory is the most influential motivation-personality theory in recent years,and many personal mental health problem-solving strategies,ment
33、al health education programs,and mental illness treatment programs rely on self-determination theory.Many individual mental health problem solving strategies,mental health education programs,and mental illness treatment programs rely on self-determination theory.The self-determination theory is a st
34、udy of the psychological motivation of mental health problems,self-regulation,basic psychological needs,and individual psychological development,which allows us to quickly identify the causes and solutions of mental health problems and to understand the state of mental health of individuals and impr
35、ove their mental health 5.Basic psychological needs are the main variables of self-determination theory,including three basic psychological needs,such as sense of autonomy,sense of competence,and sense of belonging,among which autonomy is the subjective consciousness and perception ability formed by
36、 individuals themselves,while sense of competence and sense of belonging can be cultivated later.Therefore,after understanding the psychological needs of individuals,effective mental health education can be implemented to help individuals establish the correct three views,improve their sense of comp
37、etence and sense of belonging,and ultimately promote their healthy physical and mental development 6.4 IMPACT OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY ON MENTAL HEALTH Because the main theories of personality and social psychology are the theory of planned behavior,the theory of levels of explanation an
38、d the theory of self-determination,this paper analyzes the impact of personality and social psychology on mental health from these three aspects,as follows.4.1 The Impact of Theory of Planned Behavior on Mental Health -4-www.ivypub.org/rpr The researchers found that many depressed patients tend not
39、to actively seek professional help,and that attitudes in the theory of planned behavior can largely explain depressed patients willingness to seek help,and that in order to motivate these patients to actively seek mental health professional counseling,patients help-seeking behavior can be influenced
40、 by changing their attitudes.Using the theory of planned behavior to explore the psychosocial variables that influence young peoples social network use,the results indicate that attitudes and subjective norms significantly predict social network use and have a significant impact on the addictive ten
41、dency of their use,which is an important guide for developing strategies aimed at changing young peoples addiction to social network use 7.4.2 Explanation of the Impact of Level Theory on Mental Health Many scholars say that the explanation level theory can not only provide a theoretical basis for m
42、ental health and health behavior research,but also provide a comprehensive understanding of individual cognitive processing level,the relationship between mental distance and behavior change,health behavior generation,mental health status,etc.,which can provide a basis for mental health education,me
43、ntal illness treatment and mental health consultation,etc.8.It can also lay the foundation for mental health education,mental illness treatment and mental health counseling 8.This theory can also be used to understand the individuals heart through surface and abstract level representations,and then
44、analyze the individuals level of interpretation on this basis,and finally achieve accurate judgment of the individuals mental health and decision-making behavior.The level of explanation theory can also inspire mental health research,which will lead to higher and higher levels of mental health resea
45、rch and better theories,ultimately contributing to the long-term development of the mental health research field,the mental health education field,and the medical field of mental illness 9.As far as individuals are concerned,the improvement of the level of explanation can also strengthen the self-co
46、ntrol and self-control behavior of individuals,so that their self-control ability,mental health status and self-coordination can be improved,thus promoting the development of individual physical and mental health.Taking mental health education for college students in an institution as an example,the
47、 institution formed a professional mental health education faculty in 2020 and randomly selected 240 college students to participate in the mental health education experiment for 1 year(January 2020-January 2021).Among them,120 college students were included in the regular group,which only carried o
48、ut regular mental health counseling;the other 120 college students were included in the experimental group,which carried out mental health education in self-management,self-cognition,and self-regulation based on regular psychological counseling and explanation level theory.The following indicators w
49、ere observed:explanation level,mental health level,self-control ability and self-psychological regulation ability,and all indicators were scored on a 100-point scale,the higher the score,the better.Statistical methods:SPSS23.0 software was selected to conduct statistical analysis of the count(expres
50、sed by x2 test and%)and measurement data(expressed by t test and sx)were statistically analyzed,and comparability and statistical significance were expressed as P 0.05.TABLE 1 COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS OF MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THE CONVENTIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS IN AN
