Psychological and Sociocultural Adaptation of Children Adopted from Russia and their Associations with Pre-Adoption Risk Factors and Parenting

We investigated academic and behavioral outcomes of internationally adopted children and the associations between these outcomes and age at adoption, time spent in the adoptive family, and parenting. At two time points (T1 and T2, ~15 months apart), we examined early academic skills (school readiness), and parent-reported behavioral adjustment (internalizing and externalizing behavior) and adaptive functioning of a sample of 75 children (45.9% boys, mean age?=?5.17 years) adopted from Russia into US families. We also collected parents’ self-assessments of their parenting at T1. Children who were adopted at a younger age showed higher levels of early academic skills. Correlations between age at adoption and other outcomes were overall small and mostly non-significant. However, adoptees’ academic and behavioral progress differed notably in several respects. Specifically, adoptees improved in early academic skills over time, whereas, as a group, their adaptive functioning and behavioral adjustment remained stable within the normal range. Early academic skills were not related to behavioral adjustment at each time point and over time. The time spent in the adoptive family was positively related to early academic skills at T2. Whereas outcomes showed little to no relation to parenting as reported by mother and father separately, higher discrepancies between mothers' and fathers' reports of positive parenting were related to higher levels of behavioral symptoms and lower levels of adaptive skills at T2. These differential results may be explained in part by drawing upon the notion of dissociated domains of psychological and sociocultural adaptation and acculturation, outlined in the immigration literature. These results also bring to light the possible importance of between-parent consistency in parenting for adoptees’ behavioral outcomes.     

Developmental changes in anger expression and attention focus: learning to wait

Being able to wait is an essential part of self-regulation. In the present study, the authors examined the developmental course of changes in the latency to and duration of target-waiting behaviors by following 65 boys and 55 girls from rural and semirural economically strained homes from ages 18 months to 48 months. Age-related changes in latency to and duration of children's anger expressions and attention focus (e.g., self-initiated distraction) during an 8-min wait for a gift were found. On average, at 18 and 24 months of age, children were quick to react angrily and slower to shift attention away from the desired object than they were at later ages. Over time, children were quicker to distract themselves. By 36 months, distractions occurred before children expressed anger, and anger expressions were briefer. At 48 months, children typically made a quick bid to their mothers about having to wait before distracting themselves; on average, they did not appear angry until the latter half of the wait. Unexpectedly, children bid to their mothers as much at age 48 months as they had at 18 months; however, bids became less angry as children got older. Developmental changes in distraction and bidding predicted age-related changes in the latency to anger. Findings are discussed in terms of the neurocognitive control of attention around age 30 months, the limitations of children's self-regulatory efforts at age 48 months, and the importance of fostering children's ability to forestall, as well as modulate, anger.     

Psychometric properties of the Padua Inventory in Chinese college samples

The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Padua Inventory in Chinese college samples. Three different samples (N1 = 1,939, N2 = 1,341, and N3 = 298) of Chinese college students were recruited. Exploratory factor analyses yielded a four-factor structure which was similar to that found in previous studies. Further, present results showed good internal consistency as well as convergent and divergent validity with the subscales of the Symptom Checklist-90 and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Although no sex difference was found on total score, women had significantly higher scores on Factor 2 (Urges and worries of losing control over motor behaviors) and Factor 4 (Checking), while men had significantly higher scores on Factor 3 (Contamination). Implications of ter the results and directions for research are discussed.     

Developmental Trajectories of Maladaptive Perfectionism in Middle Childhood

The developmental trajectories of maladaptive perfectionism, along with their consequences and origins, were examined in middle childhood. A sample of Singaporean children and their parents (N = 302) were recruited for a longitudinal study when the children were 7 years old. Subsequent follow‐up assessments were made at ages 8, 9, and 11. A multimethod approach was adopted where parent reports, child reports, and observational data on a dyadic interaction task were obtained. Using latent class growth modeling, four distinct classes were obtained for critical self‐oriented perfectionism (SOP‐C), whereas two classes emerged for socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP). Children with high and/or increasing SOP‐C and SPP trajectories constituted 60% and 78% of the sample, respectively. For both SOP‐C and SPP, trajectories with high initial status were associated with higher internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Parental intrusiveness and negative parenting predicted high and/or increasing SOP‐C trajectories, whereas the child temperament dimension of surgency predicted high SPP trajectory. Both SOP‐C and SPP trajectories tended to co‐occur, suggesting a mutually reinforcing process. This study yields important findings that help advance current understanding of the emergence and developmental pathways of maladaptive perfectionism in children.     

Designing for Trust: A Case of Value-Sensitive Design

In this paper, we consider the meaning, roles, and uses of trust in the economic and public domain, focusing on the task of designing systems for trust in information technology. We analyze this task by means of a survey of what trust means in the economic and public domain, using the model proposed by Lewicki and Bunker, and using the emerging paradigm of value-sensitive design. We explore the difficulties developers face when designing information technology for trust and show how our analysis in conjunction with existing engineering design methods provides means to address these difficulties. Our main case concerns a concrete problem in the economic domain, namely the transfer of control from customs agencies to companies. Control of individual items is increasingly untenable and is replaced by control on the level of companies aimed at determining whether companies can be trusted to be in control of their business and to be in compliance with applicable regulations. This transfer sets the task for companies to establish this trust by means of information technology systems. We argue that this trust can be achieved by taking into account philosophical analyses of trust and by including both parties in the trust relationship as clients for whom the information technology systems are to be designed.     

中学生的班级环境、学业自我与学业求助的关系

为考察中学生的班级环境、学业自我和学业求助三者之间的关系,采用问卷法对415名初高中生进行了调查研究,结果发现:1)知觉到的班级环境为团结向上型的学生在学习中易倾向为工具性求助而较少执行性和回避性求助;2)中学生在学业自我总分上得分越高,他们越倾向于工具性求助而较少执行性和回避性求助;3)中学生对班级环境的知觉会影响其学业自我发展,同时班级环境中的师生关系会通过学业自我影响其学业求助行为。     

唐僧两怀素综考

唐僧有两位法号"怀素"的僧人,对此,陈垣先生早已辨正。然此真知识,至今仍为一些学者忽视。兹参考前贤研究成果,从生卒年、俗姓、籍贯;主要事迹、行踪;主要著述、作品;师学传承、门人弟子等四个方面,对唐僧两怀素予以综述考辨。     

从底线伦理到终极价值的转换和实现——兼以社会主义核心价值认同为视角

底线伦理与终极价值既有区别又相互联系。从底线伦理到终极价值的转换和实现是道德建设中的难题。社会主义核心价值体系的提出为破解这一难题开拓了一条有效途径。在社会主义核心价值体系中底线伦理与终极价值实现了辩证统一。从道德发展层次来看,道德价值的培育是二者转换与实现的中介与桥梁。因此,加强核心价值认知教育是二者转换与实现的思想前提;努力实践核心价值是二者转换与实现的基本途径;营造认同核心价值伦理生态环境是二者转换与实现的重要条件。     

攻击性儿童与亲社会儿童社会信息加工特点比较及研究展望

攻击性儿童和亲社会儿童的社会信息加工过程(SIP)存在不同：攻击性儿童具有敌意的归因倾向、破坏关系的目标定向和对攻击性反应做积极评价的特点;而亲社会儿童则表现出友善的归因倾向、加强关系的目标定向和对亲社会行为做积极评价的特点。进一步的研究应该注意分离情绪、人格、年龄、性别等因素的效应;扩展SIP模型的研究领域以探讨儿童社会适应与其社会信息加工过程的关系;提高研究的生态效度。     

许逊的传说

一、许逊济贫相传东晋初年,江西洪都郡城里,许逊之母因吞食了凤凰嘴衔的宝珠,而生下了许逊。许逊少年时勤奋好学,熟读四书五经,又喜欢舞刀弄剑,骑马射猎。有一天,他在郊外跑马射箭,失误射死一只小鹿,只见那母鹿回过头来,舔着小鹿身上的血迹,哀鸣不止。许逊见了,非常后悔和伤感,