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100 articles
001
Educational psychology for policy and practice Recorded · CC BY 4.0 Agent ready

Situated Sugarcoating: How Policy Contexts Moderate Teachers' Strategies for Motivating Student Behavior.

Madison E. Andrews; Matt S. Giani; Kaitlin Ogden

Guided by the lens of the situated expectancy-value theory, we investigate student and educator beliefs about the value of career and technical education (CTE) and industry-based certifications (IBCs). Amid the increasing prioritization of IBCs in state and federal college and career readiness policies, we sought to investigate how students describe their motivation for participating in CTE and IBCs, how educators interpret the value of these experiences and, in turn, shape students’ beliefs, and how the broader college and career readiness sociopolitical context may shape these dynamics. Interviews and focus groups with students (n = 68), educators, and administrators (n = 58) at Texas high schools (k = 7) suggest that students highly emphasize the expectancy, intrinsic, attainment, and utility values of their CTE coursework and view IBCs as a beneficial addition, especially for their perceived utility. Educators echoed students’ sentiments toward CTE but, in contrast, described truly valuable certifications as “the exception” rather than the norm. Despite this skepticism, they felt an obligation to “sugarcoat” the value of IBCs to students in order to meet college and career readiness or accountability goals. Here, we see that IBCs hold different dimensions of value for different stakeholders, such as the distinction between student-level (e.g., IBCs will help them get a better job) versus educator-level (e.g., students’ receipt of IBCs improves school accountability ratings and unlocks incentive funding) utility value. This situated sugarcoating performed by educators may be a key mechanism that links educational policies with student motivation for pursuing tasks educators may not perceive to be valuable for students, like IBCs.

2026-06-04
DOI 10.1037/e3p0000009

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002
Developmental Psychology Recorded · CC BY 4.0 Agent ready

Changes in children's well-being and mental health across the early school years: Links with academic and social competence.

Rory T. Devine; Louise Gray; Miryam Edwards; Mikeda Jess; Caoimhe Dempsey; Jean Heng; Mishika Mehrotra; Hana D’Souza; Elian Fink; Claire Hughes

The aim of the present study was to examine the relation between children’s well-being and mental health in the early years of primary school and the developmental association between well-being and mental health and children’s early social and academic skills. Two hundred fifty-two children (131 girls, Mage = 5.40 years, 80% White) and their caregivers (89.8% mothers) from the United Kingdom participated in a 1-year longitudinal study. Children completed measures of well-being, cognitive, and academic skills. Caregivers provided ratings of children’s well-being and mental health. Teachers and caregivers rated children’s social competence. Measurement models showed that well-being and mental health were distinct constructs at both time points. There were moderate levels of rank-order stability in well-being but declines in average levels of well-being with a corresponding increase in mental health difficulties. Well-being and mental health exhibited differential associations with social competence and academic performance. Initial levels of mental health predicted later academic and social competence, while gains in well-being were associated with academic skills and social competence. Public Significance Statement Drawing on children’s and caregivers’ perspectives on children’s happiness at school, this study tracked 252 5-year-old children and their caregivers over 1 year and demonstrated that happiness is distinct from the absence of mental health difficulties. Children’s and their caregivers’ ratings of children’s happiness became more aligned over time, and these ratings revealed that average levels of happiness declined in the early stages of primary school. Mental health difficulties at the start of the study predicted poorer academic and social outcomes 1 year later, while gains in happiness over time were associated with better academic and social outcomes.

2025-04-10
DOI 10.1037/dev0001962

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003
Psychological Assessment Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Identifying children with anxiety disorders using brief versions of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale for children, parents, and teachers.

Tessa Reardon; Susan H. Spence; Jordan Hesse; Alia Shakir; Cathy Creswell

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health disorders experienced by children and are associated with significant negative outcomes. Only a minority of affected children, however, access professional help, and a failure to identify children with anxiety disorders presents a key barrier to treatment access. Existing child anxiety questionnaire measures are long and time consuming to complete, limiting their potential for widespread use as identification tools in community settings. We developed a brief questionnaire for parents, children, and teachers using items from the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and evaluated the new measure’s psychometric properties, capacity to discriminate between a community (n = 361) and clinic-referred sample (n = 338) of children aged 7–11, and identified optimal cut-off scores for accurate identification of preadolescent children experiencing clinically significant levels of anxiety. The findings provided support for the reliability and validity of 8-item versions of the SCAS, with the brief questionnaire scores displaying comparable internal consistency, agreement among reporters, and convergent/divergent validity to the full-length SCAS scores. The brief SCAS scores also discriminated between the community and clinic-referred samples and identified children in the clinic-referred sample with a moderate-to-good level of accuracy and acceptable sensitivity and specificity. Combining reporters improved sensitivity, but at the expense of specificity, and findings suggested parent report should be prioritized. This new brief questionnaire has potential for use in community settings as a tool to improve identification of children who are experiencing clinically significant levels of anxiety and warrant further assessment and potential support. Public Significance Statement We developed and evaluated brief versions of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale for parents, children, and teachers. Results provide support for the potential application of this new brief questionnaire in community settings to improve identification of children with anxiety disorders.

2018-06-14
DOI 10.1037/pas0000570

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004
Developmental Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Prosocial behavior and childhood trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems: The role of neighborhood and school contexts.

Eirini Flouri; Zahra Sarmadi

Abstract This study investigated the role of the interaction between prosocial behavior and contextual (school and neighborhood) risk in children’s trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems at ages 3, 5, and 7. The sample was 9,850 Millennium Cohort Study families who lived in England when the cohort children were aged 3. Neighborhood context was captured by the proportion of subsidized (social rented) housing in the neighborhood and school context by school-level achievement. Even after adjustment for child- and family-level covariates, prosocial behavior was related both to lower levels of problem behavior at school entry and to its trajectory before and after. Neighborhood social housing was related to the trajectory of problem behavior, and school-level achievement to lower levels of problem behavior at school entry. The negative association between prosocial and problem behavior was stronger for children attending low-performing schools or living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The adverse “effect” of low prosocial behavior, associated with low empathy and guilt and with constricted emotionality, on internalizing and externalizing problems appears to be exacerbated in high-risk contexts. Keywords: emotional and behavioral problems, neighborhood effects, prosocial behavior, school effects

2016-02-01
DOI 10.1037/dev0000076

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005
Journal of Educational Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Teachers "Finding Peace in a Frantic World": An Experimental Study of Self-Taught and Instructor-Led Mindfulness Program Formats on Acceptability, Effectiveness, and Mechanisms.

Jesus Montero-Marin; Laura Taylor; Catherine Crane; Mark T Greenberg; Tamsin J Ford; J Mark G Williams; Javier García-Campayo; Anna Sonley; Liz Lord; Tim Dalgleish; Sarah-Jayne Blakemore; MYRIAD team; Willem Kuyken

Abstract Mindfulness training (MT) is considered appropriate for school teachers and enhances well-being. Most research has investigated the efficacy of instructor-led MT. However, little is known about the benefits of using self-taught formats, nor what the key mechanisms of change are that contribute to enhanced teacher well-being. This study compared instructor-led and self-taught MT based on a book (Williams & Penman, 2011) in a sample of secondary school teachers. We assessed expectancy, the degree to which participants believed the intervention was effective, their program engagement, well-being and psychological distress, and evaluated whether mindfulness and self-compassion skills acted as mediators of outcomes. In total, 206 teachers from 43 schools were randomized by school to an instructor-led or self-taught course—77% female, mean age 39 years (SD = 9.0). Both MT formats showed similar rates of participant expectancy and engagement, but the instructor-led arm was perceived as more credible. Using linear mixed-effects models, we found the self-taught arm showed significant pre-post improvements in self-compassion and well-being, while the instructor-led arm showed such improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, well-being, perceived stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. Changes over time significantly differed between the groups in all these outcomes, favoring the instructor-led arm. The instructor-led arm, compared with the self-taught, indirectly improved teacher outcomes by enhancing mindfulness and self-compassion as mediating factors. Mindfulness practice frequency had indirect effects on teacher outcomes through mindfulness in both self-taught and instructor-led arms. Our results suggest both formats are considered reasonable, but the instructor-led is more effective than the self-taught. Trial registration: ISRCTN18013311. Keywords: teachers, well-being, mindfulness, self-compassion, mediation Educational Impact and Implications Statement Mindfulness training enhances teachers’ well-being. This study compared two different mindfulness training formats with a sample of 206 secondary school teachers using an experimental design. Results suggested that teachers’ well-being was increased in both formats of delivery and both generated similar expectancy and engagement with the mindfulness practice; but the instructor-led format appeared to be more credible and effective and was also able to reduce teachers’ stress, anxiety, depressive symptomatology, and burnout. In contrast, the self-taught program might be useful for those teachers who cannot access or commit to an instructor-led program, provided they engage with mindfulness practice. This study suggests two forms for teachers to learn mindfulness, instructor-led and self-taught, as a way to support well-being, each with its own advantages.

2021-10-18
DOI 10.1037/edu0000542

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006
Developmental Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Social comparison effects on academic self-concepts-Which peers matter most?

Malte Jansen; Zsófia Boda; Georg Lorenz

Social comparisons with peers are important sources of self-development during adolescence. Many previous studies showed that students’ academic self-concepts (ASC) form by contrasting one’s own achievement with the average of one’s class or school (the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect [BFLPE]). Based on social comparison theory, however, we would expect some peers to be more likely social comparison targets than other peers, for example, because they are more visible or students perceive them as similar to themselves. In this study, we used sociometric data to analyze which peers play the most important role for social comparison effects on ASC. We examined how the average achievement of friends, study partners, peers perceived as popular by the student, as well as same-gender and same-ethnic peers affect the general ASC and how these effects compare to the effect of the classroom’s average achievement. The study was based on a German longitudinal sample of 2,438 students (44% no recent immigrant background, 19% Turkish immigrant background, 10% Eastern European immigrant background, 27% other immigrant background) from 117 school classes that were followed from grade 9 to 10. Results from longitudinal social network analysis do not confirm substantial incremental effects of specific types of peers, while class average achievement showed a stable negative effect (confirming the BFLPE). In addition, we could provide evidence for social selection effects based on ASC. We conclude that classrooms provide a specific setting that imposes social comparisons with the “generalized peer” rather than with specific subgroups of peers.

2022-04-25
DOI 10.1037/dev0001368

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007
Journal of Family Psychology Recorded · CC BY 4.0 Agent ready

A longitudinal study of families created using egg donation: Family functioning at age 5.

Susan Imrie; Joanna Lysons; Sarah Foley; Vasanti Jadva; Kate Shaw; Jess Grimmel; Susan E. Golombok

Findings are reported from Phase 2 of a longitudinal study of family functioning in heterosexual-couple families with 5 year olds conceived using identity-release egg donation. Seventy-two egg donation families were compared to 50 in vitro fertilization (IVF) families (ethnicity: 93% White British) using standardized observational, interview, and questionnaire measures. There were no differences between family types in the quality of mother–child or father–child interaction, apart from lower structuring by fathers in egg donation families. Egg donation mothers and fathers reported higher levels of parenting stress and lower levels of confidence and competence than their IVF counterparts. Egg donation mothers reported lower social support and couple relationship quality, greater anger toward their child, and perceived their child as more angry and less happy, compared to IVF mothers. Egg donation fathers showed greater criticism and anger toward their child, less joy in parenting, and were less satisfied with the support they received, than IVF fathers. Children in egg donation families showed higher levels of externalizing problems than IVF children as rated by mothers, fathers, and teachers, whereas they were rated as having higher levels of internalizing problems by teachers only. Externalizing problems were predicted by mothers’ lower initial social support, steeper increases in parenting stress and greater concurrent criticism, whereas internalizing problems were associated with poorer initial couple relationship quality as rated by mothers. Both were predicted by fewer gains in reflective functioning. There was a moderation effect such that parenting stress was a stronger predictor of externalizing problems for egg donation than IVF families.

2023-09-14
DOI 10.1037/fam0001145

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008
Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Cognitive and Academic Skills in Two Developmental Cohorts of Different Ability Level: A Mutualistic Network Perspective.

Silvana Mareva; The CALM team; Joni Holmes

Abstract Mutualistic theories assume that the mastering of a skill, either cognitive or academic, supports and amplifies the development of other such abilities. The current study uses network science to model cross-sectional associations between cognitive and academic performance in two age-matched developmental cohorts. One cohort was a community sample drawn from the general school population, while the other included struggling learners. The community sample outperformed the struggling learners across all measures. Network models suggested that although the tasks were similarly interrelated across cohorts, there were some notable differences in association strength: Academic skills were more closely coupled in the community sample, while maths was more strongly related to cognitive skills in the struggling learners. We demonstrate the utility of network models as an analytic framework that is consistent with contemporary theories of learning difficulties and the nature of the relationship between cognitive and learning skills more broadly. Keywords: learning difficulties, cognitive skills, academic skills, mutualism, network models General Audience Summary Multiple theories attempt to explain why academic and cognitive performance are closely related. Most traditional theories assume a one-way perspective whereby specific cognitive skills constrain particular aspects of academic development. However, contemporary evidence suggests that links between cognitive skills and academic achievement are rarely specific and that the mastery of academic skills can also influence cognitive development. In this study, we use a novel statistical modelling approach consistent with the possibility that cognitive and academic skills might reciprocally influence one another, and we compare whether the same patterns of associations emerge for children drawn from the general school population and those who are struggling at school. Our modelling approach demonstrated that there are multiple direct links between cognitive and academic skills, which are broadly similar for both groups of children. Overall, we argue that researchers aiming to understand learning difficulties should consider that while cognitive skills can influence learning, the process of learning can also influence cognitive skills.

2021-11-08
DOI 10.1037/h0101870

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009
Journal of Abnormal Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Interpersonal callousness and co-occurring anxiety: Developmental validity of an adolescent taxonomy.

Alan J. Meehan; Barbara Maughan; Charlotte A. M. Cecil; Edward D. Barker

Growing evidence suggests heterogeneity within interpersonal-callous (IC) youth based on co-occurring anxiety. The developmental validity of this proposed taxonomy remains unclear however, as most previous research is cross-sectional and/or limited to adolescence. We aimed to identify low-anxiety (IC/ANX−) and high-anxiety (IC/ANX+) IC variants, and compare these groups on (a) early risk exposures, (b) psychiatric symptoms from midchildhood to early adolescence, and (c) school-based functioning. Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a prospective epidemiological birth cohort, model-based cluster analysis was performed on children with complete age-13 IC and anxiety scores (n = 6,791). Analysis of variance was used to compare resulting clusters on (a) prenatal and postnatal family adversity and maternal psychopathology, and harsh parenting; (b) developmental differences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), emotional difficulties, and low pro-social behavior at 7, 10, and 13 years; and (c) teacher-reported discipline problems, along with standardized test performance. We identified a 4-cluster solution: “typical,” “low,” “IC/ANX−”, and “IC/ANX+.” IC/ANX+ youth showed the highest prenatal and postnatal levels of family adversity and maternal psychopathology, highest levels of ADHD, CD, ODD, and emotional difficulties, greatest discipline problems, and lowest national test scores (all p < .001). IC/ANX+ also showed a distinct pattern of increasing psychopathology from age 7 to 13 years. Adolescent IC subtypes were successfully validated in ALSPAC across multiple raters using prenatal and early postnatal risk, repeated measures of psychopathology, and school-based outcomes. Greater prenatal environmental risk among IC/ANX+ youth suggests an important target for early intervention. General Scientific Summary Children who display interpersonal callousness (IC; i.e., deceitful behavior, lack of empathy/remorse) have historically been thought to show reduced anxiety or fear. This study, however, identified a subgroup of youth who show IC alongside elevated anxiety. Compared to a low-anxiety IC group, these high-anxiety IC children experienced greater prenatal and postnatal adversity, presented higher levels of co-occurring psychiatric disorders, had greater behavioral problems at school, and performed worse in national standardized school tests.

2016-12-15
DOI 10.1037/abn0000235

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010
Developmental Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

The developmental influence of primary memory capacity on working memory and academic achievement.

Debbora Hall; Christopher Jarrold; John N. Towse; Amy L. Zarandi

In this study, we investigate the development of primary memory capacity among children. Children between the ages of 5 and 8 completed 3 novel tasks (split span, interleaved lists, and a modified free-recall task) that measured primary memory by estimating the number of items in the focus of attention that could be spontaneously recalled in serial order. These tasks were calibrated against traditional measures of simple and complex span. Clear age-related changes in these primary memory estimates were observed. There were marked individual differences in primary memory capacity, but each novel measure was predictive of simple span performance. Among older children, each measure shared variance with reading and mathematics performance, whereas for younger children, the interleaved lists task was the strongest single predictor of academic ability. We argue that these novel tasks have considerable potential for the measurement of primary memory capacity and provide new, complementary ways of measuring the transient memory processes that predict academic performance. The interleaved lists task also shared features with interference control tasks, and our findings suggest that young children have a particular difficulty in resisting distraction and that variance in the ability to resist distraction is also shared with measures of educational attainment.

2015-06-15
DOI 10.1037/a0039464

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011
Journal of Educational Psychology Recorded · CC BY 4.0 Agent ready

Supporting Parents to Support Children: A U.K. Randomized Controlled Trial Testing a Text Message Intervention to Cultivate the Home Learning Environment.

Fionnuala O’Reilly; Susanna Loeb; Alice Farrell; Gaia Scerif

Abstract A stimulating and supportive home learning environment helps children to be cognitively and emotionally ready to learn by age 5. Despite the growing availability of parenting resources, the attainment gap between affluent and disadvantaged families continues to widen across many developed nations. Tips by Text is a 12-month text message program originally developed in the United States to help parents integrate developmental activities into daily routines with their children. Designed for 4- to 5-year-olds, the messages aim to support language, literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills. We adapted and tested the Tips by Text program in a large-scale randomized controlled trial involving 109 schools in England from 2019 to 2021 (n = 3,649). Due to COVID-19, postintervention data collection faced approximately 70% attrition on the primary outcome measure, resulting in a final analytical sample of n = 753. Despite this, the retained sample was comparable to the original U.S. study, allowing us to proceed with analysis. In this study, we replicate the primary impact analysis conducted by the original randomized controlled trial evaluators and extend it to examine whether the intervention had differential effects on children facing various challenges, including socioeconomic disadvantage, language barriers, special educational needs, or multiple overlapping risk factors. Our analysis found no significant improvements in reading-related skills or socioemotional outcomes nor any meaningful differences in response to the program based on these subgroups. The high level of attrition limited the study’s power to detect effects, underscoring the need for further evaluation, which is currently underway. Keywords: parents, text message, home learning environment, language, socioemotional skills Educational Impact and Implications Statement The home learning environment plays a crucial role in shaping early development and may help mitigate disparities between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their more advantaged peers. Through a large-scale randomized controlled trial, we examined whether sending parents of 4- to 5-year-olds short, actionable tips via short message service could enhance their children’s reading-related skills and socioemotional well-being. This article presents secondary data analyses exploring the program’s impact on students facing additional challenges, including socioeconomic disadvantage, English as an additional language, and special educational needs. The intervention did not lead to significant improvements in reading-related skills or socioemotional outcomes, including for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, English as an additional language learners, or those with special educational needs. However, high attrition because of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the study’s power to detect effects. Further evaluation is needed and is already underway. This research contributes to our understanding of whether and how simple, regular prompts can effectively support parental engagement in early learning.

2025-08-28
DOI 10.1037/edu0000973

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012
Journal of Family Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Single mothers by choice: Parenting and child adjustment in middle childhood.

Susan Golombok; Sophie Zadeh; Tabitha Freeman; Joanna Lysons; Sarah Foley

Findings are presented of the second phase of a longitudinal study of families created by single mothers by choice. Forty-four single heterosexual mothers were compared with 37 partnered heterosexual mothers, all with a donor-conceived child aged around 8–10 years. Standardized interview, observational, and questionnaire measures of maternal wellbeing, mother-child relationships and child adjustment were administered to mothers, children, and teachers. There were no differences in maternal mental health, the quality of mother-child relationships or children’s emotional and behavioral problems between family types. However, higher levels of parenting stress and higher levels of children’s prior adjustment difficulties were each associated with children’s adjustment difficulties in middle childhood irrespective of family type. The findings suggest that the presence of two parents—or of a male parent—is not essential for children to flourish, and add to the growing body of evidence that family structure is less influential in children’s adjustment than the quality of family relationships.

2020-09-17
DOI 10.1037/fam0000797

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013
Developmental Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

A longitudinal study of families formed through reproductive donation: Parent-adolescent relationships and adolescent adjustment at age 14.

Susan Golombok; Elena Ilioi; Lucy Blake; Gabriela Roman; Vasanti Jadva

The aim of the 6th phase of this longitudinal study was to establish whether children born through assisted reproduction involving reproductive donation were at risk for psychological problems following the transition to adolescence at age 14 and, if so, to examine the nature of these problems and the mechanisms involved. Eighty-seven families formed through reproductive donation, including 32 donor insemination families, 27 egg donation families, and 28 surrogacy families, were compared with 54 natural conception families. Standardized interviews, questionnaires, and observational assessments of the quality of parent-adolescent relationships and adolescent adjustment were administered to mothers, adolescents, and teachers. The mothers in surrogacy families showed less negative parenting and reported greater acceptance of their adolescent children and fewer problems in family relationships as a whole compared with gamete donation mothers. In addition, less positive relationships were found between mothers and adolescents in egg donation families than in donor insemination families as rated by both mothers and adolescents. There were no differences between family types for the adolescents themselves in terms of adjustment problems, psychological well-being, and self-esteem. Longitudinal analyses showed no differences between family types in negative parenting from age 7 to age 14, and a weaker association between negative parenting and adjustment difficulties for gamete donation than natural conception and surrogacy families. The findings suggest that the absence of a genetic link between mothers and their children is associated with less positive mother-adolescent relationships whereas the absence of a gestational link does not have an adverse effect.

2017-07-31
DOI 10.1037/dev0000372

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014
Journal of Educational Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Raising Early Achievement in Math With Interactive Apps: A Randomized Control Trial.

Laura A. Outhwaite; Marc Faulder; Anthea Gulliford; Nicola J. Pitchford

Improving provision and raising achievement in early math for young children is of national importance. Child-centered apps offer an opportunity to develop strong foundations in learning math as they deliver one-to-one instruction. Reported here is the first pupil-level randomized control trial in the United Kingdom of interactive math apps designed for early years education, with 389 children aged 4–5 years. The original and rigorous research design disentangled the impact of the math apps as a form of quality math instruction from additional exposure to math. It was predicted that using the apps would increase math achievement when implemented by teachers in addition to standard math activities (treatment) or instead of a regular small group-based math activity (time-equivalent treatment) compared with standard math practice only (control). After a 12-week intervention period, results showed significantly greater math learning gains for both forms of app implementation compared with standard math practice. The math apps supported targeted basic facts and concepts and generalized to higher-level math reasoning and problem solving skills. There were no significant differences between the 2 forms of math app implementation, suggesting the math apps can be implemented in a well-balanced curriculum. Features of the interactive apps, which are grounded in instructional psychology and combine aspects of direct instruction with play, may account for the observed learning gains. These novel results suggest that structured, content-rich, interactive apps can provide a vehicle for efficiently delivering high-quality math instruction for all pupils in a classroom context and can effectively raise achievement in early math. Educational Impact and Implications Statement In a pupil-level randomized control trial we evaluated the effectiveness of a new math app intervention to support young children’s early math development. The results showed children using the math apps either as a supplementary intervention or instead of a small group teacher-led math activity made significant learning gains in comparison with children receiving standard practice only. This study suggests high-quality math apps can be used as a form of quality math instruction in a well-rounded curriculum to raise achievement in early math for all children.

2018-06-25
DOI 10.1037/edu0000286

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015
Psychology and Aging Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Adolescent self-organization predicts midlife memory in a prospective birth cohort study.

Man K. Xu; Peter B. Jones; Jennifer H. Barnett; Darya Gaysina; Diana Kuh; Tim J. Croudace; Marcus Richards

Childhood and adolescent mental health have a lasting impact on adult life chances, with strong implications for subsequent health, including cognitive aging. Using the British 1946 birth cohort, the authors tested associations between adolescent conduct problems, emotional problems and aspects of self-organization, and verbal memory at 43 years and rate of decline in verbal memory from 43 to 60–64 years. After controlling for childhood intelligence, adolescent self-organization was positively associated with verbal memory at 43 years, mainly through educational attainment, although not with rate of memory decline. Associations between adolescent conduct and emotional problems and future memory were of negligible magnitude. It has been suggested that interventions to improve self-organization may save a wide range of societal costs; this study also suggests that this might also benefit cognitive function in later life.

2013-12-01
DOI 10.1037/a0033787

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016
Psychological Review Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

A maturational frequency discrimination deficit may explain developmental language disorder.

Samuel David Jones; Hannah Jamieson Stewart; Gert Westermann

Auditory perceptual deficits are widely observed among children with developmental language disorder (DLD). Yet, the nature of these deficits and the extent to which they explain speech and language problems remain controversial. In this study, we hypothesize that disruption to the maturation of the basilar membrane may impede the optimization of the auditory pathway from brainstem to cortex, curtailing high-resolution frequency sensitivity and the efficient spectral decomposition and encoding of natural speech. A series of computational simulations involving deep convolutional neural networks that were trained to encode, recognize, and retrieve naturalistic speech are presented to demonstrate the strength of this account. These neural networks were built on top of biologically truthful inner ear models developed to model human cochlea function, which—in the key innovation of the present study—were scheduled to mature at different rates over time. Delaying cochlea maturation qualitatively replicated the linguistic behavior and neurophysiology of individuals with language learning difficulties in a number of ways, resulting in (a) delayed language acquisition profiles, (b) lower spoken word recognition accuracy, (c) word finding and retrieval difficulties, (d) “fuzzy” and intersecting speech encodings and signatures of immature neural optimization, and (e) emergent working memory and attentional deficits. These simulations illustrate many negative cascading effects that a primary maturational frequency discrimination deficit may have on early language development and generate precise and testable hypotheses for future research into the nature and cost of auditory processing deficits in children with language learning difficulties.

2023-07-27
DOI 10.1037/rev0000436

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017
Journal of Abnormal Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Inhibition of vicariously learned fear in children using positive modeling and prior exposure.

Chris Askew; Gemma Reynolds; Sarah Fielding-Smith; Andy P. Field

One of the challenges to conditioning models of fear acquisition is to explain how different individuals can experience similar learning events and only some of them subsequently develop fear. Understanding factors moderating the impact of learning events on fear acquisition is key to understanding the etiology and prevention of fear in childhood. This study investigates these moderators in the context of vicarious (observational) learning. Two experiments tested predictions that the acquisition or inhibition of fear via vicarious learning is driven by associative learning mechanisms similar to direct conditioning. In Experiment 1, 3 groups of children aged 7 to 9 years received 1 of 3 inhibitive information interventions—psychoeducation, factual information, or no information (control)—prior to taking part in a vicarious fear learning procedure. In Experiment 2, 3 groups of children aged 7 to 10 years received 1 of 3 observational learning interventions—positive modeling (immunization), observational familiarity (latent inhibition), or no prevention (control)—before vicarious fear learning. Results indicated that observationally delivered manipulations inhibited vicarious fear learning, while preventions presented via written information did not. These findings confirm that vicarious learning shares some of the characteristics of direct conditioning and can explain why not all individuals will develop fear following a vicarious learning event. They also suggest that the modality of inhibitive learning is important and should match the fear learning pathway for increased chances of inhibition. Finally, the results demonstrate that positive modeling is likely to be a particularly effective method for preventing fear-related observational learning in children. The studies demonstrate that positive modeling and prior exposure to a stimulus are effective methods to prevent vicarious fear learning in 7 to 10-year-olds. This confirms that positive modeling is a useful part of prevention programs and that associative learning mechanisms underpin its effectiveness. The findings also explain why not everyone develops fear following a negative vicarious learning event.

2015-12-14
DOI 10.1037/abn0000131

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018
Developmental Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Genetic and environmental overlap between Chinese and English reading-related skills in Chinese children.

Simpson W L Wong; Bonnie Wing-Yin Chow; Connie Suk-Han Ho; Mary M Y Waye; Dorothy V M Bishop

Abstract This twin study examined the relative contributions of genes and environment on 2nd language reading acquisition of Chinese-speaking children learning English. We examined whether specific skills—visual word recognition, receptive vocabulary, phonological awareness, phonological memory, and speech discrimination—in the 1st and 2nd languages have distinct or overlapping genetic and environmental origins. A sample of 279 Chinese twin pairs with a mean age of 6 years was tested. Univariate twin analyses were used to identify sources of individual variations in reading abilities and related cognitive–linguistic skills in Chinese and English, respectively. They were used to show both similar and distinctive patterns in these skills across Chinese and English. Bivariate Cholesky decomposition analyses indicated genetic overlaps between all parallel Chinese and English variables, as well as shared environmental overlaps in receptive vocabulary and phonological awareness. The phenotypic correlations between 1st and 2nd language skills previously observed in cross-linguistic studies could be explained by the shared genetic and environmental influences found in this twin study. Keywords: Chinese learners of English, second language reading acquisition, twins, behavioral genetics, cognitive–linguistic skills

2014-09-15
DOI 10.1037/a0037836

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019
Law and human behavior Recorded · CC BY 4.0 Agent ready

Dynamic prediction of reoffending in individuals given community sentences: Development and validation of a novel risk monitoring assessment tool (oxMore).

Denis Yukhnenko; Nigel Blackwood; Paul Lichtenstein; Seena Fazel

Abstract Objective This study aimed to develop and validate a dynamic risk assessment tool for individuals serving community sentences that accounts for the effects of acute adverse events and desistance from crime. Hypotheses Dynamic risk prediction models that incorporate updated data on mental health relapses, incidents of victimization, and desistance from crime will produce more accurate risk stratification for reoffending than models lacking dynamic measurement of risk factors. Method We analyzed a national cohort of 59,676 individuals given community sentences in Sweden, of whom 23,879 (45%) had prior psychiatric diagnoses and 18,546 (31%) had substance use disorder diagnoses. Model development tested prespecified criminal history, sociodemographic, and clinical risk factors. Employing landmarking methods for time-to-event data, we modeled the effects of new health care episodes during community supervision, changes in a supervised individual’s circumstances, and the impact of crime desistance. We validated the model in a geographically distinct population. Results During follow up, 18,307 (31%) were reconvicted, 4,416 (7%) committed a violent offense, and 5,381 (9%) were hospitalized with a psychiatric diagnosis. The model demonstrated strong calibration and discrimination performance (c-index = 0.74 for violent reoffending, c-index = 0.69 for general reoffending). It also outperformed comparison models that did not incorporate dynamic data. The final model was translated into an online risk calculator (OxMore). Conclusions Implementation of dynamic models could lead to more accurate risk stratification for individuals under community supervision, including those with psychiatric and substance use disorders, potentially improving resource allocation, and linkage to interventions that reduce recidivism rates. Keywords: probation, dynamic risk assessment, psychiatric disorders, community supervision, reoffending prediction

2025-12-04
DOI 10.1037/lhb0000641

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Journal of Abnormal Psychology Recorded · CC BY 3.0 Agent ready

Higher-order dimensions of psychopathology in a neurodevelopmental transdiagnostic sample.

Joni Holmes; Silvana Mareva; Marc P. Bennett; Melissa J. Black; Jacalyn Guy

Hierarchical dimensional models of psychopathology derived for adult and child community populations offer more informative and efficient methods for assessing and treating symptoms of mental ill health than traditional diagnostic approaches. It is not yet clear how many dimensions should be included in models for youth with neurodevelopmental conditions. The aim of this study was to delineate the hierarchical dimensional structure of psychopathology in a transdiagnostic sample of children and adolescents with learning-related problems, and to test the concurrent predictive value of the model for clinically, socially, and educationally relevant outcomes. A sample of N = 403 participants from the Centre for Attention Learning and Memory (CALM) cohort were included. Hierarchical factor analysis delineated dimensions of psychopathology from ratings on the Conner’s Parent Rating Short Form, the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A hierarchical structure with a general p factor at the apex, broad internalizing and broad externalizing spectra below, and three more specific factors (specific internalizing, social maladjustment, and neurodevelopmental) emerged. The p factor predicted all concurrently measured social, clinical, and educational outcomes, but the other dimensions provided incremental predictive value. The neurodevelopmental dimension, which captured symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and executive function and emerged from the higher-order externalizing factor, was the strongest predictor of learning. This suggests that in struggling learners, cognitive and affective behaviors may interact to influence learning outcomes. General Scientific Summary This study identifies dimensions of psychopathology in a sample of children with neurodevelopmental difficulties who are at increased risk for mental health problems. Dimensions capturing neurodevelopmental concerns were the strongest predictors of the children’s current learning outcomes.

2021-11-01
DOI 10.1037/abn0000710

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