Preterm infants show reduced stress behaviors and activity after 5 days of massage therapy

Preterm infants residing in an NICU were randomly assigned to a massage therapy or to a control group. The preterm infants in the massage therapy group received three 15-min massages each day for 5 consecutive days, with the massages consisting of moderate pressure stroking to the head, shoulders, back, arms and legs and kinesthetic exercises consisting of flexion and extension of the limbs. Infant stress behaviors and activity were recorded on the first and last day of the study. Preterm infants receiving massage therapy showed fewer stress behaviors and less activity from the first to the last day of the study. The findings suggest that massage has pacifying or stress reducing effects on preterm infants, which is noteworthy given that they experience numerous stressors during their hospitalization.     

Helping and proactive extra-role behaviors: The influence of motives, goal orientation, and social context

We explore how two motivational orientations (communion and status striving) influence three extra-role organizational behaviors: proactive engagement, providing help, and seeking help. We propose and confirm intervening mechanisms, in the form of (a) goal orientations and (b) attitudes toward coworkers. Proactive behaviors are predicted by status striving, through the intervening mechanisms of both learning and performance proving goal orientations. Providing help is, in turn, motivated by communion striving, and the relationship is mediated by goal orientations (learning and performance avoiding) and by satisfaction with and commitment to coworkers. Finally, seeking help is a function of communion striving, which influences the outcome through learning goal orientation and satisfaction with and confidence in coworkers.     

Does Familism Lead to Increased Parental Monitoring?: Protective factors for Coping with Risky Behaviors

We examined coping with risky behaviors (cigarettes, alcohol/drugs, yelling/ hitting, and anger), familism (family proximity and parental closeness) and parental monitoring (knowledge and discipline) in a sample of 56 adolescents (11–15 years old) predominantly of Mexican descent at two time points. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that more time spent with family (proximity) at Time 1 significantly predicts higher parental monitoring at Time two. Coping with more risky behaviors at Time 1 was significantly associated with less parental monitoring at Time 2. More parental closeness Time 1, more parental monitoring Time 1, and more parental monitoring Time 2 were associated with less coping with risky behaviors at Time 2. The cultural value of familism, particularly spending time with family in positive activities, appears to increase parental monitoring which may lead to less coping with risky behaviors among Mexican descent adolescents. Future studies may investigate gendered mechanisms for how extended family may increase not only parental knowledge of youth activities, but also youth perception of supervision.     

Between- or within-culture variation?: Culture group as a moderator of the relations between individual differences and resource allocation preferences

Recent theoretical discussion of the influence of between- and within-culture factors on social behaviors suggests that both approaches may be useful. The present study was designed to investigate the joint influence of sociocultural (between-group) and individual (within-group) factors on resource allocation preferences. Brazilian (n=166) and European–American (n=99) children with ages ranging from 37 to 140 months were administered a resource allocation task, which consisted of distributing rewards to themselves or to an acquaintance. As expected, individualistic resource allocation preferences decreased with age, whereas competitive and cooperative resource allocation preferences increased with age. Culture group, the task-specific cognitive demands, and the gender of the child, however, moderated these age differences. For example, gender differences in resource allocation preferences were stronger among Brazilians as compared to European–Americans and stronger in the reduced cognitive demand condition. Models of cooperative and competitive behaviors that consider the role of culture group, gender, and cognitive development and applied implications are discussed.     

在亲／反社会情境下儿童对说谎的理解及其道德评价的研究

本研究比较了幼儿及小学儿童在亲社会与反社会情境下对说谎/说真话的理解及幼儿对其所作的道德评价上的年龄差异.结果表明自4岁开始儿童能够明确地理解说谎/说真话,并作出相应的道德判断.但3岁幼儿无论是对说谎/说真话概念的判断,还是道德评价,不能对行为与言语作明确的区别.习俗性特征对说谎概念判断的影响始于9岁.     

两岁儿童情绪调节策略与其问题行为

本研究在实验室中对148名2岁儿童在紧张情境中的情绪调节策略进行观察,通过聚类分析,根据儿童情绪调节策略使用的特点将儿童分为积极活动型,中间型和安慰型.同时,父母报告儿童问题行为.结果发现,在外显问题行为上,三组儿童之间的差异不显著,而在内向性问题行为上各类型儿童之间的差异显著,具体来说,安慰型儿童的内隐性问题行为得分显著高于其它类型儿童.     

家庭社会经济地位、父母教养行为与大学生职业生涯探索的关系

该研究以676名大学生为被试,采用问卷法考察了家庭社会经济地位、父母教养行为与大学生职业生涯探索的关系。结果表明:(1)家庭社会经济地位与自我探索、环境探索、自我-环境匹配度探索、探索意向间显著正相关;(2)父母教养行为显著预测大学生的职业生涯探索。其中,父亲和母亲情感温暖和理解、母亲监控与保护、父亲监控维度为正向预测,而父亲惩罚严厉维度是负向预测;(3)家庭社会经济地位不仅对大学生的职业生涯探索有独立的预测作用,还通过母亲情感温暖和理解、母亲监控与保护的中介作用正向预测这一变量。     

追求快乐还是追求意义?青少年幸福倾向及其对学习行为的影响

研究使用问卷调查法,以2828名中学生为对象,考察了幸福倾向对其学习目标、学习毅力、学习策略、学习投入等学习行为的影响。结果表明:(1)青少年的意义倾向对其成就目标中的掌握目标和表现趋近维度、学习毅力、学习策略和学习投入都有显著的正向预测作用,对成就目标中的表现回避维度具有显著的负向预测作用;(2)青少年的快乐倾向对掌握目标、学习毅力、学习策略和学习投入都有显著的负向预测作用,对表现趋近和表现回避有显著的正向预测作用;(3)通过意义倾向和快乐倾向两个维度可以将青少年分为四类,双高组和单高意义组的青少年在学习行为表现上最积极,双低组的青少年学习行为表现最为消极。总体来说,追求快乐还是意义会影响到青少年学习行为这一重要的发展指标,意义比快乐更能促进青少年的积极健康发展。     

皮质醇日常节律与儿童问题行为及心理社会因素的关系

HPA轴(下丘脑?垂体?肾上腺皮质轴, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis)是人体应对压力的重要神经内分泌系统, 其终产物皮质醇常作为测量压力的生物学指标。目前的研究多通过皮质醇日常节律表示静息状态下HPA轴的活动, 而日常节律因其较高的稳定性和可靠性成为儿童生理健康评估的最佳指标。儿童期迅速发育的神经内分泌系统与儿童的行为相互作用, 并受到多种心理社会因素的影响。以往研究主要关注皮质醇日常节律与儿童问题行为及心理社会因素的关系, 未来研究应讨论逆境条件下影响儿童成长的危险性因素和保护性因素, 并探索环境对儿童行为影响可能存在的内分泌机制。     

Examining pathways linking maternal depressive symptoms in infancy to children’s behavior problems: The role of maternal unresponsiveness and negative behaviors

The extent to which maternal depressive symptoms in the first 6 months of life is linked with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in childhood through specific insensitive maternal behaviors (unresponsive and overtly negative behaviors) was examined in a sample of 259 mother-infant dyads. In addition, the extent to which these paths were moderated by infant negative emotionality was also examined. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed prenatally and when infants were 6 months and 2 years old. Maternal unresponsive and overtly negative behaviors and infant negative emotionality were observed when infants were 6 months old. Mothers reported on infant’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors when infants were 2 years old. Maternal depressive symptoms were directly associated with higher internalizing behaviors; this path was not mediated by maternal behaviors. Depressive symptoms were unrelated to externalizing symptoms. Infant negative emotionality did not moderate these effects, but was related positively to overtly negative maternal behaviors, and temperament interacted with maternal depressive symptoms to predict unresponsive maternal behaviors. Results suggest that early maternal depressive symptoms, infant negative emotionality, and negative maternal behavior pose risk for infants’ later internalizing behaviors, but the proposed moderated mediation model was not supported.