The Mental Health Implications of People-Pleasing: Psychometric Properties and Latent Profiles of the Chinese People-Pleasing Questionnaire

Abstract

This study explores the mental health implications of people-pleasing behaviors by validating the 24-item Chinese People-Pleasing (CPP) questionnaire with a sample of 2203 Chinese university students. A three-factor structure—comprising thought, behavior, and feeling dimensions—was confirmed after the removal of 11 items. The revised 13-item CPP demonstrated good model fit, strong internal consistency, and satisfactory construct validity. Measurement invariance analysis revealed consistent results across gender, academic disciplines, and birthplace, as well as strong longitudinal invariance. These findings provide support for the validity and reliability of the 13-item CPP as an assessment tool within the Chinese cultural context. Furthermore, latent profile analysis revealed four distinct profiles of people-pleasing tendencies, which varied from mild to severe. Notably, higher people-pleasing tendencies were significantly associated with lower levels of mental well-being, highlighting its potential impact on students' psychological health. These insights emphasize the potential clinical utility of CPP in addressing mental health concerns associated with people-pleasing behaviors, particularly in the Chinese cultural context.

Keywords

construct validity / latent profile analysis / measurement invariance / mental health / people-pleasing

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