Carry-over effect between diet and physical activity: the bottom-up and top-down hypotheses of hierarchical self-efficacy

Healthy diet and physical activity have consistently been found to be positively correlated; however, most health behavior theories are focused on regulation of changes in single, rather than multiple, behaviors. Thus, this study explored the mechanism of the carry-over effect between diet and physical activity by conducting a longitudinal study with 706 participants to test the bottom-up and top-down hypotheses of hierarchical self-efficacy (SE). At Time 1 (baseline) and Time 3 (4 weeks after baseline), dietary behavior, physical activity, and self-efficacies of these behaviors (at the contextual level) were measured, while at Time 2 (2 weeks after baseline), general SE (at the general level) was assessed. Mediation analysis and structural equation models supported both the bottom-up and top-down hypotheses for different levels of self-efficacies, suggesting that hierarchical SE is an important factor underlying the carry-over mechanism between diet and physical activity.     

Coping self-efficacy and psychosocial well-being of marginalised South African youth

The aim of this study was to investigate coping self-efficacy and aspects of psychosocial well-being amongst youth from marginalised backgrounds. A total of 794 black South African marginalised youth (males = 54%, females = 46%, age range between 18 and 30 years) voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study. The participants completed surveys of coping self-efficacy, mental health, and mood disorder. Structural equation modelling was applied to construct an explanatory model for coping self-efficacy and psychosocial well-being among the marginalised youth. The resulting structural model showed that coping self-efficacy significantly and positively predicted the emotional and psychological dimensions of psychosocial well-being among the youth. Psychosocial well-being was associated with of a lower risk for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in these marginalised young people.     

The psychological coping,learning potential and career preferences profiles of operational force military candidates

The aim of this study was to profile the psychological coping, learning potential and career-related interests of 251 candidates for operational force military selection for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) – 26 of whom were successful in the selection. Data on their sense of meaning, learning potential and career-related interest were gathered using standardised measures supplemented with open-ended responses. The data were analysed to compare the profiles of the successful candidates against those not selected. The selected group showed significantly higher mean scores on meaningfulness and learning potential, and lower scores for career-related interest in law and medicine. Findings suggest that psychological coping, learning potential and career-related preference information can be used to refine the selection of operational force military candidates.     

Acute effects of exercise on women with pre-existing body image concerns: A test of potential mediators

The primary purpose of this study was to propose and test a mediation model of changes in physical self-efficacy, physical self-perceptions, and affect as mediators by which a single bout of exercise improves state body image. A secondary purpose was to identify how long improvements in state body image are sustained post-exercise. Sixty university-aged women (19.57 ± 1.37 y) with pre-existing body image concerns, and who exercised regularly, were randomized to perform 30 min of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise or quiet reading. State body image, physical self-efficacy, physical self-perceptions and affect were assessed. Mediational analyses revealed self-perceptions of body fatness (95% CI [0.03, 0.44], κ² = 0.13, ab_ps = 0.20) and strength (95% CI [0.15, 0.60], κ² = 0.23, ab_ps = 0.33) mediated improvements in state body image which were sustained at least 20 min post-exercise. These results contribute to the development of a model explaining the effects of exercise on body image and practical recommendations for the use of exercise to improve body image.     

正念父母心:正念教养理论、机制及干预

父母教养及其对孩子的影响一直是发展心理学的一个重要主题,而正念教养(mindful parenting)则是关注如何帮助父母进行有效教养。正念教养是将一般的正念应用于亲子互动中,指父母对孩子和教养行为的有意的、此时此刻的和不评判的注意和觉知。正念教养对父母自身、孩子和亲子关系都具有积极的作用。研究者发展了两个正念教养的干预项目并通过实证研究检验这两个项目的干预效果。未来的研究可以采用更加严谨的设计并采用不同的评估方法来评估正念教养的干预效果。正念教养的作用机制也是未来研究有待进一步探讨的问题。     

二胎家庭的父母养育

随着我国全面二胎政策的实施,关于二胎家庭父母养育的问题越来越受到社会的广泛关注。但是,在我国这方面的研究极度稀缺。本文就二胎家庭父母养育的表现形式、影响因素及作用机制进行论述。二胎家庭父母养育的表现形式包括父母差别对待、协调同胞关系等。二胎家庭父母养育的影响因素包括父母养育第一胎的经验、婚姻质量、协同养育、儿童特点等。二胎父母养育的作用机制包括父母差别对待造成的儿童心理发展问题,以及父母在协调同胞关系中的作用。此外,本文结合已有文献,提出了一个"二胎家庭父母养育的过程机制"模型,揭示在二胎家庭情境下,各种因素是如何影响父母的养育模式,又通过哪些作用机制对家中的两个孩子产生影响。最后,强调未来我国的研究者应该重视本土化,关注社会变迁中二胎父母养育的特点。     

Links between relational aggression,parenting and personality among adolescents

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the mediating role of behavioral inhibition system, referring to the inhibition of behavior, and behavioral activation system (BAS), related to impulsivity, in the association between perceived parenting behaviors and relational aggression. It simultaneously investigated the moderating effects of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in this association in a sample of 261 (127 girls) Greek junior high school students who completed a self-report questionnaire. Results of the mediation analyses revealed that BAS was a partial mediator in the relationship between low parental psychological autonomy and relational aggression, as well as between low parental behavioral control and relational aggression. The effect of low parental psychological autonomy on relationally aggressive behavior was also significantly stronger when CU traits were present (moderator). The results emphasize that both individual and interpersonal factors should be taken into consideration when studying relational aggression.     

Emotional self-efficacy,conduct problems,and academic attainment: Developmental cascade effects in early adolescence

The study is amongst the first of its kind to utilise developmental cascade modelling in order to examine the inter-relations between emotional self-efficacy, conduct problems, and attainment in a large, nationally representative sample of English adolescents (n = 2414, aged 11 years). Using a 3-wave, longitudinal, cross lagged-design, we tested three cascading hypotheses: adjustment erosion, adjustment fortification, and academic incompetence. A fourth hypothesis considered the role of shared risk. Results supported small effects consistent with the cascade hypotheses, and a small but significant effect was found for shared risk. Strengths and limits of the study are considered alongside a discussion of the implications for these findings.