The decline of cooperation,the rise of competition: developmental effects of long‐term social change in Mexico

Using Greenfield's theory of sociocultural change and human development as a point of departure, we carried out two experimental studies exploring the implications of decades of globalised social change in Mexico for children's development of cooperation and competition. In rural San Vicente, Baja California, the baseline was 1970 and the historical comparison took place 40 years later. In Veracruz, the baseline was 1985 and the historical comparison took place 20 years later. In Veracruz, children were tested in both rural and urban settings. We hypothesized that cooperative behavior would decrease in all three settings as a result of the sociocultural transformations of the past decades in Mexico. The Madsen Marble Pull Game was used to assess cooperative and competitive behavior. As predicted by Greenfield's theory of social change and human development, the Marble Pull procedure revealed a striking decrease over time in levels of cooperative behavior, with a corresponding rise in competitive behavior, in all three settings.     

Finding theory‐ and evidence‐based alternatives to fear appeals: Intervention Mapping

Fear arousal—vividly showing people the negative health consequences of life‐endangering behaviors—is popular as a method to raise awareness of risk behaviors and to change them into health‐promoting behaviors. However, most data suggest that, under conditions of low efficacy, the resulting reaction will be defensive. Instead of applying fear appeals, health promoters should identify effective alternatives to fear arousal by carefully developing theory‐ and evidence‐based programs. The Intervention Mapping (IM) protocol helps program planners to optimize chances for effectiveness. IM describes the intervention development process in six steps: (1) assessing the problem and community capacities, (2) specifying program objectives, (3) selecting theory‐based intervention methods and practical applications, (4) designing and organizing the program, (5) planning, adoption, and implementation, and (6) developing an evaluation plan. Authors who used IM indicated that it helped in bringing the development of interventions to a higher level.     

Parents Taking Action: A Psycho‐Educational Intervention for Latino Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among Latino children, later diagnosis, limited access to bicultural specialist support, and worsened health outcomes when compared to non‐Latinos points to the need for a culturally relevant parent education intervention. This pilot study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a culturally derived intervention, Parents Taking Action, for 19 Spanish‐speaking mothers of children with ASD. This study introduces the Promotora de Salud Model of intervention delivery to the autism field. A mixed‐methods design including one group pre‐ and posttest design and focus groups was used to evaluate the outcomes of PTA. We found that the intervention was both feasible to implement and acceptable to participants. We also found significant increases in empowerment oriented outcomes for parents between pre‐ and posttest suggesting that the intervention is promising. Suggestions for future research and practice are offered.     

How contact shapes implicit and explicit preferences: attitudes toward Roma children in inclusive and non‐inclusive environment

In two studies, the authors examined the effects of intergroup contact in inclusive and non‐inclusive environments on children's explicit and implicit prejudices. In both studies, supervised contact with Roma peers, instructed by inclusive program, led to a more positive explicit evaluation of Roma and less social distance, while it had no significant impact on implicit attitudes. In contrast, implicit attitudes were related to mere exposure to Roma (Study 2). Intergroup anxiety and self‐disclosure mediated the effect of inclusiveness level on explicit, but not on implicit attitudes. The results indicate that two types of attitudes might be formed via different routes, and that mere exposure and supervised contact influence them differently. This information could help tailor future prejudice reduction programs.     

Neuropsychological predictors of conversion to probable Alzheimer disease in elderly with mild cognitive impairment

In the field of neuropsychology, it is essential to determine which neuropsychological tests predict Alzheimer's disease (AD) in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and which cut‐off points should be used to identify people at greater risk for converting to dementia. The aim of the present study was to analyse the predictive value of the cognitive tests included in a neuropsychological battery for conversion to AD among MCI participants and to analyse the influence of some sociodemographic variables – sex, age, schooling – and others, such as follow‐up time and emotional state. A total of 105 participants were assessed with a neuropsychological battery at baseline and during a 3‐year follow‐up period. For the present study, the data were analysed at baseline. During the follow‐up period, 24 participants (22.85%) converted to dementia (2.79 ± 1.14 years) and 81 (77.14%) remained as MCI. The logistic regression analysis determined that the long delay cued recall and the performance time of the Rey figure test were the best predictive tests of conversion to dementia after an MCI diagnosis. Concerning the sociodemographic factors, sex had the highest predictive power. The results reveal the relevance of the neuropsychological data obtained in the first assessment. Specifically, the data obtained in the episodic verbal memory tests and tests that assess visuospatial and executive components may help to identify people with MCI who may develop AD in an interval not longer than 4 years, with the masculine gender being an added risk factor.     

Trait emotional intelligence influences on academic achievement and school behaviour

Background. Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self‐efficacy) refers to individuals’ emotion‐related self‐perceptions ( Petrides, Furnham, & Mavroveli, 2007 ). The children's trait EI sampling domain provides comprehensive coverage of their affective personality. Preliminary evidence shows that the construct has important implications for children's psychological and behavioural adjustment. Aims. This study investigates the associations between trait EI and school outcomes, such as performance in reading, writing, and maths, peer‐rated behaviour and social competence, and self‐reported bullying behaviours in a sample of primary school children. It also examines whether trait EI scores differentiate between children with and without special educational needs (SEN). Sample. The sample comprised 565 children (274 boys and 286 girls) between the ages of 7 and 12 (M_(age)= 9.12 years, SD= 1.27 years) attending three English state primary schools. Method. Pupils completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire‐Child Form (TEIQue‐CF), the Guess Who peer assessment, the Peer‐Victimization Scale, and the Bullying Behaviour Scale. Additional data on achievement and SEN were collected from the school archives. Results. As predicted by trait EI theory, associations between trait EI and academic achievement were modest and limited to Year 3 children. Higher trait EI scores were related to more nominations from peers for prosocial behaviours and fewer nominations for antisocial behaviour as well as lower scores on self‐reported bulling behaviours. Furthermore, SEN students scored lower on trait EI compared to students without SEN. Conclusions. Trait EI holds important and multifaceted implications for the socialization of primary schoolchildren.     

Relations between different types of children's aggressive behavior and sociometric status among peers of the same and opposite gender

Croatian elementary school children in grades 4 to 6 (N= 151) reported on direct and indirect aggressive behaviors of their classmates. Acceptance and rejection by classmates were also assessed, employing the sociometric nomination technique. Correlational analyses revealed that both forms of aggression were related to peer rejection, but unrelated to peer acceptance. Girls' aggression was more strongly related to peer rejection than boys' aggression, independent of the type of aggression. Aggressive children of both genders tended to be more rejected by their same-gender classmates than by classmates of the opposite gender. Results were discussed in terms of children's attitudes towards aggression, and gender stereotyped perception of appropriateness of aggressive behavior. A need to examine developmental changes and cultural differences in relationships between aggression and peer status was emphasized.