Demographic and psychological factors for interpersonal civility in Mainland China

This study aimed to examine how interpersonal civility in Mainland China is related to both demographic and psychological factors. Forni’s Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct was adapted to create a culturally relevant civility inventory. A total of 673 participants, primarily from Shandong and Zhejiang provinces, completed a survey comprising demographic information, the adapted civility inventory, the Self-Consciousness Scale–Revised (SCS-R), and the Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI-40). Statistical analyses revealed that civility scores correlated positively with private self-consciousness (r = 0.431, p < 0.01), public self-consciousness (r = 0.517, p < 0.01), rational ability (r = 0.304, p < 0.01), rational engagement (r = 0.215, p < 0.01), and experiential ability (r = 0.330, p < 0.01). However, no significant correlations were observed with other psychological or demographic parameters, including income, age, or education level. Additionally, there were no significant differences in civility scores, self-consciousness, or experiential factors between males and females, even though males demonstrated higher rational ability and rational engagement scores. These findings suggest that self-consciousness, rational ability, and experiential ability are critical psychological dimensions influencing civility in the Chinese context, while traditional socioeconomic factors such as education and income appear less relevant. The results underscore the distinct cultural and psychological landscape of civility in Mainland China and contribute to the growing body of literature exploring civility within non-Western contexts, providing insights for enhancing interpersonal behaviour and communication in culturally diverse settings.