Longitudinal Modeling of Adolescents' Activity Involvement, Problem Peer Associations, and Youth Smoking

Longitudinal associations among different types of organized activity involvement, problem peer associations, and cigarette smoking were examined in a sample of 1040 adolescents (mean age = 15.62 at baseline, 16.89 at 15-month assessment, 17.59 at 24 months) enriched for smoking experimentation (83% had tried smoking). A structural equation model tested longitudinal paths between three categories of involvement (team sports, school clubs and activities, and religious activities, measured at baseline and 15 months), problem peer associations (baseline and 15 months), and cigarette smoking behavior (baseline and 24 months). Multi-group analyses indicated pathways differed by type of activity and adolescent gender. Boys' baseline team sports and religious involvement predicted lower levels of smoking at 24 months via continued activity involvement at 15 months. Girls' involvement in school clubs and activities and religious activities indirectly predicted lower levels of smoking at 24 months via reduced exposure to problem peers at 15 months.     

Predicting the Onset of Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study1

In a longitudinal study, the second-year-smoking status of adolescents who were initially Nonsmokers or Triers was predicted from their Year 1 standing on three types of social psychological variables: Ajzen and Fishbein's factors (predicting smoking transitions from attitudes, normative beliefs and behavioral intentions about smoking); Jessor and Jessor's distal variables (predicting smoking transitions from more generalized personality and perceived environment factors), and smoking environment variables (predicting smoking transitions from the extent of smoking models in an adolescent's social milieu). The predictive power of these three categories of factors was compared. All three classes of social psychological variables were statistically significant predictors of smoking transition, although the Ajzen and Fishbein variables were more important for Triers while the Jessor and Jessor and smoking environment variables were more important for initial Never Smokers. Moreover, each category of variables made independent contributions to the prediction of smoking transition. Finally, there were several age and sex differences in the relative importance of predictor variables. Implications of these findings for the design of effective smoking prevention programs are discussed. Smoking prevention programs might be more effective if they were aimed at a specific high risk audience (as identified by the current study) rather than at a general adolescent population.     

Risk-Taking and Smoking Tendency Among Primarily African American School Children: Moderating Influences of Peer Susceptibility

We examined the hypothesis that peer susceptibility would moderate the association between risk-taking and tendency to smoke in adolescents who were primarily African American. Participants were 88 preadolescents recruited from a 6th grade classroom in a public elementary school. We found an interaction of risk-taking and susceptibility to peer influence on smoking tendency. Specifically, a moderator effect was found for peer influence on the association between risk-taking and smoking tendency. The importance of examining peer susceptibility on health promotion and other health behaviors in children and adolescents was supported.     

Illusions of Parental Control: Parenting and Smoking Onset in Dutch and Swedish Adolescents1

Parental control is assumed to be associated with smoking onset: Parents who exert control on their children and monitor their children's behavior are less likely to have children who start to smoke. However, the empirical evidence for this assumption is mostly from cross‐sectional studies. The present research examined the prospective associations between parental control and smoking onset among Dutch and Swedish adolescents and their parents. Findings revealed nonsignificant links between general parental control and smoking onset in both samples, and no link between smoking‐specific parental control and smoking onset in the Dutch sample, thereby questioning the assumption that parental control prevents adolescent smoking onset.     

Associations Between Peer Pressure and Adolescents’ Binge Behaviors: The Role of Basic Needs and Coping

Framed from a framework based on the integration of self-determination theory (Ryan &; Deci, 2000 Ryan, R. M., &; Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and Endler and Parker’s (1990) conception of coping strategies, the authors analyzed the relationships between peer pressure and binge behaviors (binge eating and binge drinking) in adolescence. Moreover, the authors explored the mediating role of satisfaction/frustration of basic psychological needs and coping strategies in these associations. Participants were 570 high school students (M?=?15.75 years, SD?=?1.14 years) living in Italy. The study design was cross-sectional and adolescents were administered self-report questionnaires. Path analysis showed significant and positive direct associations of peer pressure with both binge eating and binge drinking. Moreover, findings show that there is an indirect path in which peer pressure is positively associated with need frustration that is related to the use of emotion-oriented coping strategies that, on their turn, are associated with binge eating. Differently, binge drinking seems to be only directly related to peer pressure. The authors put light to the complex nature of the relationships between peer pressure and binge behaviors in adolescence, taking into account the separate contribution of need satisfaction and need frustration, as well as of coping strategies. Finally, practical implications of the study are discussed.     

Parental Influence on Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: I. Relationships Between Parent Behaviors and Child Peer Status

We examined associations between children’s peer relationships and (a) their parents’ social competence as well as (b) their parents’ behaviors during the children’s peer interactions. Participants were families of 124 children ages 6–10 (68% male), 62 with ADHD and 62 age- and sex-matched comparison youth. Children’s peer relationships were assessed via parent and teacher report, and sociometric nominations in a lab-based playgroup. Parental characteristics were assessed via parent self-report and observations of behavior during their child’s playgroup. After statistical control of relevant covariates, parents of children with ADHD reported poorer social skills of their own, arranged fewer playdates for their children, and displayed more criticism during their child’s peer interaction than did parents of comparison youth. Parents’ socialization with other parents and facilitation of the child’s peer interactions predicted their children having good peer relationships as reported by teachers and peers, whereas parental corrective feedback to the child and praise predicted poor peer relationships. Parents’ ratings of their child’s social skills were positively associated with ratings of their own social skills, but negatively associated with criticism and facilitation of the child’s peer interactions. Relationships between parental behaviors and peer relationships were stronger for youth with ADHD than for comparison youth. The relevance of findings to interventions is discussed.     

Attitudinal and Social Factors in Adolescent Smoking: In Search of Peer Group Influence1

The smoking attitudes and behavior of two samples of British 15-year-olds (N = 278) were studied by questionnaire. “Smokers” (anyone who had smoked at all within the previous week) held less negative attitudes about smoking, were more likely to have a father who smoked, and anticipated less parental disapproval of their smoking. When asked to name their five best friends among their classmates, smokers were more likely to name other smokers than were nonsmokers. On the basis of these results, we argue that the notion of “peer group influence” should be reconceptualized in terms of intergroup processes and social identity concerns within the peer group.     

Self-Determination,Perception of Peer Pressure,and Drinking Among College Students1

Based on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985b), the present research tested a model that incorporated motivational orientation, extrinsic reasons for drinking, and perceptions of peer pressure as predictors of drinking among college students. In a sample of undergraduates, support was found for a path model in which global motivation predicted extrinsic reasons for drinking, which predicted perceptions of peer pressure, which in turn predicted alcohol consumption. In addition, the relation between peer pressure and drinking was stronger for those who were oriented toward feeling controlled. Support was found for a similar model in a sample of fraternity students. Results support previous research on self-determination and health.     

Little Children with Big Worries: Addressing the Needs of Young,Anxious Children and the Problem of Parent Engagement

Anxiety disorders in preschool-age children represent an important clinical problem due to high prevalence, substantial impairment, persistence, and associated risk for later emotional problems. Early intervention may mitigate these problems by capitalizing on a strategic developmental period. Elevated neuroplasticity, availability of screening tools, and the potential to modify parenting practices position anxiety as a good candidate for early intervention and preventive efforts. While some novel interventions show promise, the broad success of such programs will largely depend on parent engagement. Since parents are less likely to identify and seek help for anxiety problems compared to other childhood behavior problems, especially in a preventive manner, methods for understanding parents’ decisions to participate and enhancing levels of engagement are central to the success of early childhood anxiety prevention and intervention. Understanding these processes is particularly important for families characterized by sociodemographic adversity, which have been underrepresented in anxiety treatment research. This review summarizes the developmental phenomenology of early emerging anxiety symptoms, the rationale for early intervention, and the current state of research on interventions for young, anxious children. The roles of parent engagement and help-seeking processes are emphasized, especially among economically disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities who are acutely at risk. Evidence-based strategies to enhance parent engagement to facilitate the development and dissemination of efficacious programs are offered.     

同伴团体对儿童青少年学业成就和社会功能关系的影响

运用同伴评价、教师评估和学校记录等多种渠道收集关于同伴团体、社会功能、同伴接纳以及学业成就的资料,旨在考察同伴团体与儿童青少年学业成就和社会功能的关系。研究发现：绝大多数儿童青少年都有自己的同伴团体。这些同伴团体在学业成就上有很高的同质性。学业成就与社会适应无论在团体内的个体水平还是在团体水平上都密切相关。而且,团体的学业表现是个体学业成就和社会适应间的重要调节因素,表明团体学业规范对个体水平上学业成就与社会功能的关系有增强或是减弱的作用。这项研究再一次证明同伴团体在儿童个体发展中的重要意义。     

Women's Reactions to Miscarriage: The Role of Attributions,Coping Styles,and Knowledge1

This study examined 72 women's retrospectively reported reactions to miscarriage, including depression, stress, and anxiety. The buffering role of women's attributional explanations for the event, the significance of the loss of the baby, coping strategies, and women's knowledge of miscarriage were also assessed. Correlational analyses revealed that women's attributions were tied to their reactions, in that the more women blamed their own character or doctor, the more severely they reacted. Coping strategies accounted for a large portion of the variance (64%), whereby women who used cognitive restructuring as a strategy suffered less adverse reactions than did those who used social withdrawal or wishrul thinking. Women's knowledge before miscarriage, rather than after, accounted for 6% of the variance in their reactions. Examining the interrelations of these variables revealed that the amount of women's knowledge before miscarriage was related to less wishful thinking, and their knowledge after the event was related to less problem avoidance. Women's attributions were also related to their coping strategies: Blaming one's character, behavior, or doctor were positively related to self-criticism and social withdrawal, and negatively related to support from doctors and significant others. The implications of these findings for interventions to facilitate adjustment to miscarriage and future research are discussed.     

Fundamental Movement Skills and Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Peer Comparisons and Stimulant Effects

The purpose of this study was to compare the fundamental movement skills of 22 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), from 6 to 12 years of age, to gender- and age-matched peers without ADHD and assess the effects of stimulant medication on the movement skill performance of the children with ADHD. Repeated measures analyses revealed significant skill differences between children with and without ADHD (p ≤ 0.001). Results from the stimulant medication trials indicated no significant effect of medication on the movement skill patterns of children with ADHD. It is concluded that children with ADHD may be at risk for developmental delays in movement skill performance. Potential factors underlying the movement skill difficulties are discussed, with suggestions for future research.     

Peer Difficulties in Children with Epilepsy: Association with Seizure,Neuropsychological, Academic,and Behavioral Variables

Purpose/Objective: A developmental psychopathology framework was used to examine variables associated with peer problems in children with epilepsy (CWE). Variables commonly associated with peer difficulties in typically developing children, such as inattentive behavior, anxious behavior, and academic achievement were investigated. Neuropsychological functioning, age at epilepsy onset, and seizure status were also examined.

Research Method/Design: Participants were 173 CWE, ages 8–15. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine which variables predicted peer problems in CWE and to test hypothesized interrelations among variables.

Results: The SEM revealed that anxious behavior mediated relations between neuropsychological functioning and peer difficulties and seizure status and peer difficulties. Inattentive behavior mediated the association between neuropsychological functioning and peer difficulties. Neuropsychological functioning mediated the relation between age at epilepsy onset and inattentive behavior, anxious behavior, and academic achievement.

Conclusions/Implications: As seen with typically developing children, inattentive and anxious behaviors are related to peer difficulties in CWE. Neuropsychological functioning, age at epilepsy onset, and seizure status are indirectly associated with peer difficulties; therefore, these variables are important to examine in CWE who are experiencing peer problems.     

Cigarette Smoking in Young Adults: Childhood and Adolescent Personality,Familial, and Peer Antecedents

Three models (independent, interdependent, and mediational) were hypothesized in this study, to examine the interrelation of personality, family, and peer determinants and their effects on tobacco use by young adults. Mothers were first interviewed about their children when they were between the ages of 1 and 10 years old. Three subsequent interviews were conducted with the children when they reached adolescence and young adulthood. Results show support for the mediational model. In accordance with family interactional framework conceptions, there was a sequence in patterning: from parenting during early adolescence; to personality and peer factors, extending to smoking in late adolescence; and culminating in smoking in adulthood. With a developmental approach, a number of psychosocial measures were related in both younger and older children. Nevertheless, some interesting developmental differences emerged. The findings suggest at least four possible targets for therapeutic or preventive intervention: the parent, the child, the adolescent, and the peer group.     

The Relation of Emotion Knowledge to Coping in European American and Chinese Immigrant Children

Emotion knowledge contributes to emotion regulation and coping among adults, but few studies have investigated its role in children’s coping development, especially in a cross-cultural context. We examine relations between children’s emotion knowledge and coping in European American and Chinese immigrant families. One hundred and three 7- to 10-year-old children and their mothers from European American and Chinese cultural background participated in this study. Children's emotion knowledge was assessed using emotion-situation knowledge production task. This task examines their understanding of situational antecedents o discrete emotions. Children’s use of coping strategies was reported by mothers using the Children’s Coping Strategies Checklist. Results showed that Chinese immigrant children had greater emotion knowledge of fear and pride but were reported using less variety of coping strategies than European American children. The relationship between children’s knowledge of self-conscious emotions and their use of distraction coping strategies was moderated by culture, whereby knowledge of self-conscious emotions was negatively associated with the parent-reported distraction strategies only for European American children but not for Chinese immigrant children. The importance of culture in both theory and practice related to emotion knowledge and coping is discussed. Findings in this study suggest that family intervention and children’s emotion training programs may need to consider children’s cultural background.     

自尊和同伴压力对关联性错误记忆的影响

目的:探索不同自尊水平的初中生在无同伴压力或有同伴压力下完成记忆任务时,产生的关联性错误记忆情况.方法:使用自尊量表(SES)从78名中学生中挑出高自尊和低自尊学生42人,采用错误记忆研究的DRM范式,探讨自尊、同伴压力对关联性错误记忆的影响.结论:(1)关键诱饵的错误再认率高于有关项目和无关项目,有关项目的错误再认率高于无关项目；(2)自尊和同伴压力对关联性错误记忆会产生影响,高自尊和低自尊被试在有无同伴压力条件下对三种未学习词的错误再认率有所不同；在有同伴压力条件下,三种未学习词的错误再认率在高自尊被试和低自尊被试间都不存在显著差异,产生了记忆一致性效应.     

The Effects of Children on Parents: Adoptee Genetic Dispositions and Adoptive Parent Psychopathology

The purposes of this experiment were to investigate the effects of age, item type, and culture on the mental-real distinction made by children. A sample of 42 children (21 affluent and 21 deprived) in three age ranges (3- and 4-year-olds, 5-and 6-year-olds, and 7- and 8-year-olds) participated. Nine items were used. The behavioral-sensory and public-existence criteria (Wellman &; Estes, 1986) were used to gauge the children's ability to make the distinction. Contrary to previous research findings, the 3- and 4-year-olds in this study were unable to make the mental-real distinction. An age-related improvement in making this distinction was observed, and item type affected the mental-real distinction. The affluent children consistently outperformed their deprived counterparts. This finding was partly construed as evidence for the influence of culture on the ability to make this distinction in these age groups.     

应对方式在流动儿童歧视知觉与孤独情绪关系上的调节作用

采用整群取样方法对选自北京市的1164名流动儿童进行问卷调查,考察应对方式在歧视知觉与孤独情绪关系上的调节作用。结果表明,75.5%的流动儿童报告受到过歧视,但所报告的被歧视的体验并不强烈;受歧视儿童的孤独得分显著高于未受歧视儿童;受歧视程度越高,流动儿童越孤独;消极应对对是否遭受歧视与孤独情绪之间的关系具有增强作用;积极应对对受歧视儿童的歧视程度与孤独情绪之间的关系具有增强作用。     

The Impact of Social Influences in the Context of Attitude,Self-Efficacy,Intention, and Previous Behavior as Predictors of Smoking Onset1

Three different constructs for measuring social influence were utilized in the present study to explain adolescents' present and future smoking behavior at 6 (T2), 12 (T3), and 18 months (T4) after the first test. Social influence was assessed by measuring the social norms, perceived smoking behavior, and direct pressure. The impact of the social influence constructs was also assessed in the context of broader models, including attitudes and self-efficacy expectations, intention, and previous behavior. The three social influence measures correlated significantly with intention and behavior. Stepwise regression analyses showed that perceived behavior and pressure made significant contributions, after entering social norms, in explaining actual and future adolescent smoking behavior. Adding attitudes and self-efficacy increased the predictive power of the model significantly. In agreement with the theory of Fishbein & Ajzen (1975), intention was the most powerful predictor in explaining present and future smoking behavior. Attitudes, self-efficacy, and the social influences also made small unique contributions improving the explanatory power by approximately 5%. Previous behavior, however, had a substantial unique contribution in predicting future behavior after attitudes, social influences, self-efficacy, and intention were entered in the equations. Since social influences may exert their impact via different routes, it is recommended that smoking prevention programs discuss not only overt pressures such as direct pressure from peers, parents, and media, but also address the more covert social pressures such as modeling and the adolescents' ability to cope with these covert influences. Furthermore, norms on nonsmoking should be made explicit.     

认知情绪调节对流动儿童同伴依恋和孤独感的调节作用

考察流动儿童同伴依恋与孤独感的特点,以及认知情绪调节在两者关系之间的调节作用.采用整群取样方法对595名流动儿童和本地城市儿童进行问卷调查.结果表明:(1)流动儿童的孤独感显著高于本地儿童;(2)流动儿童的同伴依恋得分及其信任、沟通维度得分显著低于本地儿童;(3)流动儿童的孤独感和同伴依恋显著负相关;(4)较高的积极认知情绪调节得分对同伴依恋和孤独感的关系具有减弱作用.因此,积极认知情绪调节策略可以作为流动儿童应对不良环境的弹性力量.