Child Negative Emotionality and Caregiver Sensitivity Across Context: Links with Children's Kindergarten Behaviour Problems

Behavioural adjustment is critical for children's school readiness. This study used data from a nationally representative sample of children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort. We examined the effects of interactions between children's negative emotionality, maternal sensitivity and preschool teacher sensitivity on children's kindergarten internalizing and externalizing behaviours. Parent report of children's negative emotionality and observations of maternal sensitivity were obtained at age 2 years, teacher sensitivity was observed in preschool and teacher report of children's behaviour problems was obtained in kindergarten. Negative emotionality moderated links between maternal sensitivity, teacher sensitivity and children's internalizing behaviours. For children high in negativity, maternal sensitivity was positively associated with internalizing behaviour in the context of low teacher sensitivity, whereas for children low in negativity, maternal sensitivity was negatively associated with internalizing behaviour. For children high or low in negativity, internalizing behaviour was comparable when teacher sensitivity was high regardless of maternal sensitivity. Maternal sensitivity and teacher sensitivity interacted to predict externalizing behaviour regardless of child negativity. Children who experienced high teacher sensitivity displayed comparable externalizing behaviour regardless of maternal sensitivity. When children experienced low teacher sensitivity, maternal sensitivity was negatively associated with externalizing behaviour. Interactions between child characteristics and caregiving across developmental contexts are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中美高校教师教学风格差异与大学生课堂学习行为的关系研究

本研究通过学生的评价对中美高校教师的教学风格进行测量和比较,并对两个教师群体在教学风格上的差异能否部分地解释中美大学生存在的课堂学习行为差异进行了检验。研究采用相关量表对185名中国大学生和120名美国大学生施测,要求他们对教师的教学风格和自己在课堂上的行为表现进行评价。数据分析结果表明,学生所感知的中美教师在执行型、保守型和整体型风格上存在显著差异;中美大学生在课堂学习行为的课堂活动参与、提出问题、对师生关系的独立性等维度上存在显著差异;学生所感知的教师教学风格的各维度均与学生的课堂行为表现显著相关;教师教学风格中的保守型和整体型能够部分地解释中美学生之间存在的课堂学习行为差异。     

How Preschoolers' Social–Emotional Learning Predicts Their Early School Success: Developing Theory‐Promoting,Competency‐Based Assessments

Starting on positive trajectories at school entry is important for children's later academic success. Using partial least squares, we sought to specify interrelations among all theory‐based components of social–emotional learning (SEL), and their ability to predict later classroom adjustment and academic readiness in a modelling context. Consequently, self‐regulation, emotion knowledge, social problem solving, and social–emotional behaviour were assessed via direct assessment and observation for 101 preschoolers; teachers provided information on classroom adjustment through kindergarten and academic readiness in kindergarten. Our final outer (measurement) model showed robust latent variables for SEL components. Regarding the inner (structural) model, latent variables showed expected predictive relations among SEL components, and with later classroom adjustment and academic readiness: preschoolers' executive control predicted aspects of their social cognition (i.e., emotion knowledge and social problem solving) and emotionally negative/aggressive behaviour, and emotion knowledge predicted their emotionally regulated/prosocial behaviour. Further, most SEL components directly and/or indirectly predicted teachers' evaluations of later classroom adjustment and kindergarten academic readiness. Our findings extend our understanding of SEL during preschool, suggesting that early assessment and monitoring is possible using these instruments, and potentially aiding the development of programmes to maximize children's SEL in the service of early school success. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

E‐Mailed Standardized Cognitive Behavioural Treatment of Work‐Related Stress: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a 7‐week standardized cognitive behavioural treatment of work‐related stress conducted via e‐mail. A total of 342 people applied for treatment in reaction to a newspaper article. Initial screening reduced the sample to a heterogeneous (sub)clinical group of 239 participants. Participants were assigned randomly to a waiting list condition (n = 62), or to immediate treatment (n = 177). A follow‐up was conducted 3 years after inception of the treatment. The outcome measures used were the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS‐42) and the Emotional Exhaustion scale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI‐GS). Fifty participants (21%) dropped out. Both groups showed statistically significant improvements. Intention‐to‐treat analysis of covariance (ANCOVAs) revealed that participants in the treatment condition improved significantly more than those in the waiting control condition (0.001<p?0.025). In the treatment group, the effects were large to moderate (0.9 (stress)?d?0.5 (anxiety)). The between‐group effects ranged from d = 0.6 (stress) to d = 0.1 (anxiety). At follow‐up, the effects were more pronounced, but this result requires replication in view of high attrition at follow‐up. The results warrant further research on Internet‐driven standardized cognitive behavioural therapy for work‐related stress. Such research should include the direct comparison of this treatment with face‐to‐face treatment, and should address the optimal level of therapist contact in Internet‐driven treatment.     

Dissemination of Therapist-Assisted Internet Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Development and Open Pilot Study of a Workshop

There is considerable research suggesting that therapist-assisted Internet cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) is efficacious in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Given this research, there is a growing interest in training students in therapist-assisted ICBT in order to assist with the dissemination of this emerging modality into routine clinical practice. In this study, we developed, delivered, and evaluated a therapist-assisted ICBT workshop for clinical psychology graduate students (n = 20). The workshop provided both research evidence and practical information related to the delivery of therapist-assisted ICBT. The workshop also incorporated an experiential component with students working on and discussing responses to client e-mails. Before and after the workshop, we measured knowledge of therapist-assisted ICBT research and professional practice issues, as well as attitudes towards and confidence in delivering therapist-assisted ICBT. Statistically significant changes were observed in all areas. Eighty-five per cent of students are now offering therapist-assisted ICBT under supervision. We conclude by discussing future research directions related to disseminating therapist-assisted ICBT.     

Beyond the Individual: Sources of Attitudes Towards Rule Violation in Sport

Today, certain rule-violating behaviours, such as doping, are considered to be an issue of concern for the sport community. This paper underlines and examines the affective dimensions involved in moral responses to, and attitudes towards, rule-violating behaviours in sport. The key role played by affective processes underlying individual-level moral judgement has already been implicated by recent developments in moral psychological theories, and by neurophysiological studies. However, we propose and discuss the possibility of affective processes operating on a social level which may influence athletes' individual-level attitudes. We conclude that one-sided focus on individual rule-violating behaviour and individual sanctions may prove to be ineffective in coming to terms with the issue. In this regard we recommend a twofold approach by addressing underlying social dimensions, along with preventive measures through affect-oriented education.     

Empathy as a buffer: How empathy moderates the emotional effects on Preschoolers’ sharing

This study experimentally investigated how empathy moderated the influence of external emotional stimuli on preschoolers’ subsequent sharing behaviour. Children aged 4–6 (N = 218) were randomly presented with one of the video clips that elicited sad, happy, or neutral emotion, and were then asked to play a dictator game with puppet partners. Results revealed that compared to the neutral condition, children with higher empathy increased sharing after induced happiness but did not change sharing after induced sadness; by contrast, children with lower empathy decreased sharing after induced sadness. It appears that empathy may enhance the positive effect of happiness while reducing the negative effect of sadness on sharing behaviour. These findings provide experimental evidence in early childhood to support approaches that emphasize the role of immediate emotions in moral decision-making; critically, such emotional effects vary with individual differences in dispositional empathy.     

羞怯对小学中高年级学生学业求助的影响：有调节的中介

采用问卷调查法,以936名小学生为被试,探究了羞怯对小学生学业求助的影响机制。结果发现：（1）羞怯显著正向预测小学生的执行性求助和回避性求助,显著负向预测工具性求助（老师/同学）;（2）自尊在羞怯与小学生学业求助各维度的关系中都起到了中介作用;（3）班级环境在羞怯和自尊,自尊和工具性求助（老师）的关系中起着调节作用。研究结果揭示了羞怯影响学业求助的作用机制,对教育者引导学生形成适应性学业求助具有启示意义。     

Temporal Relations in Daily-Reported Maternal Mood and Disruptive Child Behavior

Examined temporal relations between maternal mood and disruptive child behaviour using daily assessments of 30 mother-child dyads carried out over 8 consecutive weeks (623 pooled observations). Pooled time-series analyses showed synchronous fluctuation in child behaviour and maternal distress. Time-lagged models showed temporal relations between maternal and child outcomes that changed according to the type of maternal mood and child behaviour being reported. Controlling for cross-sectional relations, maternal anger and fatigue were related to previous child inattentive/impulsive/overactive behaviour (IO) and maternal confusion related to previous child oppositional/defiant behaviour (OD). However, maternal depression, low vigour, anger, and anxiety each predicted subsequent child IO and maternal confusion and anxiety each predicted subsequent child OD. Mutual influences on maternal and child functioning were interpreted in the context of interpersonal mechanisms that mediate psychological problems within families and their implications for treatment.     

Improving academic performance and mental health through a stress management intervention: outcomes and mediators of change

Two hundred and nine pupils were randomly allocated to either a cognitive behaviourally based stress management intervention (SMI) group, or a non-intervention control group. Mood and motivation measures were administered pre and post intervention. Standardized examinations were taken 8-10 weeks later. As hypothesized, results indicated that an increase in the functionality of pupils' cognitions served as the mechanism by which mental health improved in the SMI group. In contrast, the control group demonstrated no such improvements. Also, as predicted, an increase in motivation accounted for the SMI group's significantly better performance on the standardized, academic assessments that comprise the United Kingdom's General Certificate of Secondary Education. Indeed, the magnitude of this enhanced performance was, on average, one-letter grade. Discussion focuses on the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.