The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and public service motivation: Roles of sleep duration and urban-rural status.

Abstract

Objective: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are widely recognized for their impact on an individual's prosocial behaviors. However, the specific relationship between ACEs and public service motivation (PSM)-a form of prosocial behavior within the public domain-remains insufficiently understood. Considering the crucial role PSM plays in psychological and social development, this study aimed to investigate the association between ACEs and PSM, with a particular focus on the mediating effect of sleep duration. Furthermore, in the context of urban-rural disparities in China, the present study will explore the moderating influence of urban-rural status on this relationship.

Method: This study used cross-sectional data from a 2023 nationwide survey conducted in China, involving 30,054 participants (female 50.1%). This study used modified Poisson regression with robust variance to examine the association between exposure to seven types of ACEs and the risk of low PSM. The study also explored the mediating role of sleep duration and the moderating role of urban-rural status in the relationship between ACEs and PSM.

Results: Exposure to all seven different types of ACE was significantly associated with an increased risk of low PSM. In addition, ACE scores negatively predicted PSM outcomes (B = -0.41, p ≤ 0.001), and the effect of ACEs on PSM scores was mediated by sleep duration.

Conclusions: All seven types of ACEs increased the risk of low PSM to some extent. ACEs negatively predicted PSM indirectly through sleep duration, while urban-rural status moderated the relationships among ACEs, sleep duration, and PSM. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).