The assessment of effortful control in childhood: Questionnaires and the Test of Everyday Attention for Children compared

A community sample ages 8–17 years completed questionnaire measures of effortful control (EC), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) and measures of psychopathology. EC questionnaires showed sufficient construct validity and were significantly associated with TEA-Ch performance, the latter albeit only in younger children and for parent-reports of EC. EC questionnaires were stronger and more consistent predictors of psychopathology than TEA-Ch performance, especially for externalizing problems. EC questionnaires seemed to be more appropriate for use in broader age ranges than the TEA-Ch, due to the ceiling effects in the latter among older children and adolescents. Future studies should examine the concurrent validity of EC questionnaires using other performance-based tasks which differentiate well in older age groups.     

Sport participation and stress among women and men

ObjectivesIn-depth analysis of the relationship between sports participation and stress among adult women and men.Design644 women and 783 men, 20–65 years, from the SPAH Flemish-Policy-Research-Centre, reported data on participation in favourite sports and mental health.MethodGender-specific multiple MANOVAs with stress appraisal and the stress response of emotional distress as dependent variables, and participation in 15 different types of sports as independent variables, including effect sizes (Cohen’s d) per sport-type.ResultsVery little difference in perceived-stress and emotional-distress existed in women and men who participated in different sport-types, suggesting that “one-activity-fits-all recommendations” are likely inappropriate. Different sports are suitable for different individuals, and it is important that one finds the sport that suits one best. Conversely, significant associations between participation in walking and in meditation sports manifested with both stress appraisal and emotional distress among women, and significant associations between participation in ball games and in water sports manifested with emotional distress among men.ConclusionsThe paper gathered substantial comprehensive insight and connected its quantitative data to existing qualitative data, presenting stimulating theoretical arguments. Sport-type related variations in the physical activity – mental health relationship were analyzed, based on the theory of mindful movement and the complexity paradigm identifying 3 coordinates on which the physical activity – mental health complexity unravels, based on: activity domains, mental health dimensions, and individual characteristics. The mindful movement theory proposes an underlying mechanism that could explain the positive physical activity – mental health relationship, and the complexity paradigm provides basis for creating a workable definition for ther concept of mindful physical activity.     

Failures to induce implicit evaluations by means of approach-avoid training

Woud, Becker, and Rinck (2008) asked participants to repeatedly push pictures of certain faces away and to pull pictures of other faces towards them using a joystick. Performance in a subsequent affective priming task showed that previously pulled faces evoked more positive implicit evaluations then previously pushed faces. We report five studies in which we failed to find consistent evidence for the effect of approach-avoid training on implicit evaluations. We also failed to reproduce the effect reported by Woud et al. when reanalysing their data. An overall analysis that included our data, the data of Woud et al. and additional data provided by Woud and colleagues also did not reveal a significant effect of approach-avoid training on implicit evaluations. We conclude that the impact of approach-avoid training on implicit evaluations is subject to subtle boundary conditions.     

Identification of fragmented object outlines: A dynamic interplay between different component processes

The speed of fragmented picture identification depends on a large number of factors whose effects might change in time during an identification attempt. Using survival analysis and fixed fragmentation levels, previous research has shown that effects of complexity, fragment curvature, and time interact. Here, we study the effects of presentation duration and dynamic fragmentation levels. Fragmented object outlines were presented repetitively every 2.25 s, and at each presentation longer fragments were shown (possibly until closure). We recorded the lowest presentation number (minimum 1, maximum 10) that resulted in correct naming by the participants (N=84). Survival analysis was employed to investigate whether and when different factors like presentation duration, complexity, object category (natural vs. artifactual), symmetry, proximity, and fragment curvature influence correct identification. The results confirm and extend previous findings, and are interpreted within a dynamic, interactive processing framework.     

Adult Learners’ Informal Learning Experiences in Formal Education Setting

Schools typically ignore an enormous part of students’ learning, i.e. informal learning. Such informal processes include intentional, incidental, and tacit learning and tend to be unnoticed because of their taken-for-granted nature. By conducting in-depth interviews with 15 students, two teachers, and two program coordinators of an adult education program, this study examines informal learning outcomes, processes, and personal informal learning experiences within formal education. The study aimed to reveal the interaction between formal and informal learning as well as the respondents’ experiences in this matter. Respondents report a diverse array of informal learning results. Respondents describe informal learning to occur through self-directed learning projects, daily conversations and experiences, and the program’s informal and hidden curriculum. According to respondents, informal learning has the potential to enrich and complement formal learning. Moreover, the findings point to potential personal, educational, and societal benefits of revealing informal learning within formal education. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.