Relationship between psychosocial functioning and body fat in preschool children: A longitudinal investigation.

Examined whether preschool children differed on measures of psychosocial functioning both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. 132 children who varied in levels of body fat participated in the study along with their natural parents. Results indicated that the children did not differ in levels of self-esteem and family functioning as a function of their body fat. Prospectively, physical self-esteem weakly (but significantly) correlated with body fat at ages 1 and 2 yrs, and father's perception of family functioning predicted body fat at age 1 yr only. Results suggested that childhood obesity may not develop as a result of psychosocial factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation of family functioning to violence among inner-city minority youths.

The relationship between family influences and participation in violent and nonviolent delinquent behavior was examined among a sample of 362 African American and Latino male adolescents living in the inner city. Participants were classified into three groups: (a) nonoffenders, (b) nonviolent offenders, and (c) violent offenders. Families in the violent delinquent group reported poorer discipline, less cohesion, and less involvement than the other two groups. These results were consistent across ethnic groups. However, the factor Beliefs About Family related to violence risk in opposite directions for African American and Latino families. These results highlight the need to look at ethnic group differences when constructing models of risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A preliminary examination of the relationship between exposure to community violence and academic functioning.

Provides a preliminary examination of the relationship between exposure to community violence and academic functioning in a group of 45 African American children (aged 11–14 yrs) living in an impoverished urban environment. In addition, the role of family achievement expectations and religion, 2 previously identified family compensatory factors related to academic resilience, were evaluated as moderators of the relationship between community violence and academic functioning. Ss completed questionnaires about the variables mentioned above. Results suggest that exposure to community violence had a weak relationship with academic functioning in general, but that relationship was intensified under certain circumstances. Significant interactions between exposure to community violence, and both family achievement orientation and religious emphasis suggest that exposure to community violence may alter the role of previously identified compensatory factors. Children who perceived very high achievement expectations and a very strong moral-religious emphasis were most at risk for poor academic functioning as exposure to community violence increased, although children from these types of families displayed the highest academic functioning at lower levels of community violence exposure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial dimensions of learning disabilities: external validation and relationship with age and academic functioning

This study was designed to assess the following in a group of 152 children with learning disabilities between the ages of 7 and 13 years: (a) the relationships between age and psychosocial functioning: (b) the relationships among psychosocial functioning, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement; and (c) the external validity of statistically derived psychosocial subtypes. Participants were assigned to one of seven psychosocial subtypes on the basis of a profile-matching algorithm. Overall, the findings suggested no increase in psychopathology with advancing age. In addition, clear relationships were found between academic achievement patterns and personality subtypes. Finally, the subtypes could be distinguished on the basis of a behavior problem checklist not used for the construction of the subtypes.     

The causal ordering of academic achievement and self-concept of ability during elementary school: A longitudinal study.

This article addresses the question of the causal ordering of self-concept of ability and academic achievement during elementary school. the questions were (a) do self-concept and achievement influence each other? and (b) Does it make a diffeence whether chievement is assessed by marks or by tests? The sample consisted of 697 students from 54 German elementary school classes. the descign of the study allowed 3 measurement waves from Grade 2 to Grade 4. Mathematics achievement was measured both by marks and by tests. The results of the structural equation modeling analyses show that it makes a difference whether achievement is (as usually) measured with only one indicator (either mark or test performance), of if both indicatory are integrated in the model. The latter model clearly supports the skill development model: In elementary school, prior self-concept does not significantly contribute to the prediction of subsequent achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychosocial functioning and family environment of depressed adolescents

OBJECTIVE: This study examined measures of functional impairment and family relations in a sample of 62 adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 38 normal controls with no history of psychiatric illness. METHOD: Ratings of the following domains were obtained: mother-child relations, father-child relations, spousal relations, sibling relations, peer relations, and school performance. Ratings of each domain for the 3-month period preceding the assessment were derived from information obtained using a semistructured interview administered independently to the adolescents and one of their parents. RESULTS: Adolescents with MDD were found to have severe difficulties in all areas. Ninety percent of the depressed adolescents had scores greater than 2 SD above the mean of the normal controls on one or more of the domain ratings. In addition, adolescents with difficulties in parent-child relations were more likely than those adolescents without problems in family relations to have difficulties in peer relations and school performance. CONCLUSIONS: The authors discuss the importance of systematically examining psychosocial variables in future studies of the etiology, course, and treatment of MDD in adolescents.     

Same-sex attraction, social relationships, psychosocial functioning, and school performance in early adolescence.

The authors examined whether 13- to 15-year-old adolescents who experience feelings of same-sex attraction (SSA) differ from those without such feelings in the quality of relationships with parents, peers, and class mentors and in psychosocial functioning (health status and school performance). The authors also assessed whether differences in psychosocial functioning resulted from differences in the quality of social relationships. Data were collected from 866 Dutch high school students (mean age 13.61 years) by means of a computer-based questionnaire. Of the participants, 74 (8.5%) reported having feelings of SSA. The participants with SSA rated the quality of their relationships with their fathers and their peers lower than did those without SSA. Participants with SSA also had poorer mental health (higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem) and lower school performance. A mediation analysis revealed that differences in psychosocial functioning resulted from differences in the quality of the same-sex attracted youths' social relationships, especially with fathers and peers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer victimization and academic achievement in a multiethnic sample: The role of perceived academic self-efficacy.

This study examines the link between perceived peer victimization and academic adjustment in an ethnically diverse sample of 1,895 Grade 6 students nested within 108 school classes. It was hypothesized that students' academic self-efficacy mediates the (negative) link between victimization experiences and academic achievement outcomes. Multilevel analyses were used to test this hypothesis and to explore whether there are differences between ethnic minority and majority group children. Results indicated that peer victimization was negatively associated with both relative class-based, and absolute test-based measures of academic achievement. These associations were similar across different school classes. As expected, the link between victimization and achievement was mediated by perceived academic self-efficacy, suggesting that victimized students did less well academically because they considered themselves to be less competent. The lower perceived self-efficacy of victimized children could be partly attributed to lower global self-esteem and depressed affect. Results were largely similar for ethnic minority and majority group children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Academic and emotional functioning in early adolescence: longitudinal relations, patterns, and prediction by experience in middle school

Adopting a motivational perspective on adolescent development, these two companion studies examined the longitudinal relations between early adolescents' school motivation (competence beliefs and values), achievement, emotional functioning (depressive symptoms and anger), and middle school perceptions using both variable- and person-centered analytic techniques. Data were collected from 1041 adolescents and their parents at the beginning of seventh and the end of eight grade in middle school. Controlling for demographic factors, regression analyses in Study 1 showed reciprocal relations between school motivation and positive emotional functioning over time. Furthermore, adolescents' perceptions of the middle school learning environment (support for competence and autonomy, quality of relationships with teachers) predicted their eighth grade motivation, achievement, and emotional functioning after accounting for demographic and prior adjustment measures. Cluster analyses in Study 2 revealed several different patterns of school functioning and emotional functioning during seventh grade that were stable over 2 years and that were predictably related to adolescents' reports of their middle school environment. Discussion focuses on the developmental significance of schooling for multiple adjustment outcomes during adolescence.     

The effects of depression and chronic pain on psychosocial and physical functioning

Ray tracing with a personal computer allows realistic simulation of optical properties of the human eye. Patterns of point sources are used as objects. The path of light rays is calculated between the point source and the retina for a Gullstrand eye model with improved parameters; the normal eye model has a resolution limit close to the natural resolution limit of the human eye. The image formed on the retina is projected back to a screen at the distance of the object so as to simulate image interpretation by the brain. Refractive errors are modeled by a change in eye parameters and corrected by eyeglasses or/and contact lenses or by an artificial intraocular lens. For optic correction the parameters of seeing aids can be fitted automatically by a least-squares routine. The effect of faulty eye correction on image quality is visualized by using a photograph of a realistic scene as an object.     

Depression and delinquency covariation in an accelerated longitudinal sample of adolescents.

Objectives: The current study tested opposing predictions stemming from the failure and acting out theories of depression–delinquency covariation. Method: Participants included a nationwide longitudinal sample of adolescents (N = 3,604) ages 12 to 17. Competing models were tested with cohort-sequential latent growth curve modeling to determine whether depressive symptoms at age 12 (baseline) predicted concurrent and age-related changes in delinquent behavior, whether the opposite pattern was apparent (delinquency predicting depression), and whether initial levels of depression predict changes in delinquency significantly better than vice versa. Results: Early depressive symptoms predicted age-related changes in delinquent behavior significantly better than early delinquency predicted changes in depressive symptoms. In addition, the impact of gender on age-related changes in delinquent symptoms was mediated by gender differences in depressive symptom changes, indicating that depressive symptoms are a particularly salient risk factor for delinquent behavior in girls. Conclusion: Early depressive symptoms represent a significant risk factor for later delinquent behavior—especially for girls—and appear to be a better predictor of later delinquency than early delinquency is of later depression. These findings provide support for the acting out theory and contradict failure theory predictions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship of hope in the future and perceived school climate to school completion.

This study examined the impact of hope in the future and school climate as protective factors in school dropouts and graduates. Participants consisted of 97 students (males and females, aged 14-21 yrs) at risk for not completing school in an urban area. At-risk status was determined by student assignment to a continuation high school, a special placement for students who had had numerous infractions at regular high schools. Retrospectively, dropouts rated perceived school climate significantly lower than graduates, and graduates rated the importance of attending college significantly higher than dropouts. Dropouts and graduates who left school after the study was conducted did not report differences on the risk factors measured, nor did they differ on perceived school climate or the importance of attending college. However, hope in the future significantly predicted dropout versus graduate status for these participants. Results are discussed as describing differences in retrospective versus prospective reports, and as evidence of the utility of the risk/resilience paradigm in school completion research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural equation modeling of the relationship between caregiver psychosocial variables and functioning of individuals with stroke.

Purpose/Objective: Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Informal caregivers are essential in the survival of most individuals with stroke and may even aid in their recovery. Yet caregivers experience high levels of burnout, depression, burden, and physical illness. Research Method/Design: With structural equation modeling and canonical correlation analysis, links were identified between caregiver psychosocial variables and specific aspects of the functioning of individuals with stroke in 135 care recipient-caregiver dyads. Results: Initial analyses uncovered a medium-sized correlation between caregiver variables and care recipients' functioning. Follow-up analyses pinpointed specific links between caregivers' sense of coherence and care recipients' basic engagement with life and between caregivers' levels of burden and depression and care recipients' cognitive deficits and depression. Conclusions/Implications: On the basis of these findings, the authors propose a feedback loop wherein caregivers' psychosocial functioning, their quality of caregiving, and stroke severity and recovery are causally interconnected. Findings are consistent with the use of cognitive-behavioral interventions for caregivers, which may improve caregivers' sense of coherence, reducing their levels of burden and depression and leading to improved informal care and better recovery from stroke. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Symptoms versus a diagnosis of depression: Differences in psychosocial functioning.

In studies of clinical depression, individuals who demonstrate elevated levels of symptoms but do not meet interview-based diagnostic criteria are typically labeled as false positive and eliminated from further consideration. However, the implicit assumption that false-positive participants differ in important ways from true-positive (i.e., diagnosed) participants has not been tested systematically. This study compared the functioning of true-positive, false-positive, and true-negative adolescents on clinical and psychosocial functioning. Although the false-positive participants manifested higher levels of current and future psychopathology than did the true-negative participants, they did not differ significantly from the true-positive participants on most of the measures of psychosocial dysfunction. "False positive," therefore, is not a benign condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of goal orientation during expatriation: A cross-sectional and longitudinal investigation.

Using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from expatriates in China, the authors investigated the roles of general, work, and interaction adjustment, as well as work stress, as mediators between the antecedents (learning, proving, and avoiding goal orientations, and perceived organizational support) and expatriate outcome (job performance and premature return intention) relationships. Results indicated that goal orientations toward overseas assignments had differential relationships with expatriate job performance and premature return intention. In addition, it was found that these relationships were partially mediated by expatriate adjustment facets. Implications for expatriate adjustment research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When science and politics listen to each other: good prospects from a new school breakfast program in Peru

This article provides an overview of a school breakfast program implemented in 1993 in the Peruvian Andes. The program, designed by the Instituto de Investigación Nutricional in Lima and supported by the government of Peru, constitutes a clear departure from previous school feeding programs, which were heavily politicized and poorly documented. From the program's inception, nutritionists, managers, and social scientists have collaborated to produce a sound nutritional design, efficient distribution mechanisms, and effective evaluation methods. During the program's first year, controlled evaluations conducted in several Andean regions documented improved dietary intake and a significant decline in the prevalence of anemia. An educational evaluation also found improved verbal skills, higher school attendance, and lower dropout rates among recipients of the school breakfast. The results have prompted the Peruvian government to continue supporting the program, thus setting a new standard for the effective management of social expenditure in the context of economic adjustment.     

Social functioning and adjustment in Chinese children: A longitudinal study.

A sample of Chinese children in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, initially 8 and 10 years of age, participated in a 2-year longitudinal project. Information on social behavior and indexes of social and school adjustment was collected from multiple sources. Consistent with Western literature, sociability-leadership was associated with and predictive of indexes of adjustment. Aggression was associated with and predictive of indexes of maladjustment. Finally, inconsistent with the Western literature (e.g., K. H. Rubin & J. Asendorpf, 1993), shyness-sensitivity was positively and concurrently associated with peer acceptance, teacher-assessed competence, leadership, and academic achievement at ages 8 and 10 years in the Chinese children. However, as in the Western literature, shyness-sensitivity was positively correlated with peer rejection at age 12 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship of ego functioning and intelligence to social status and social mobility.

Ratings of coping and defense mechanisms were made on the basis of intensive interviews of 99 adult men and women in a longitudinal study. Childhood and adult social status ratings were also available. The results showed that childhood social status had little effect on adult ego functioning, that adult status and mobility were positively related to adult coping functions and to selected adolescent personality variables. Impulse regulation in the coping sense was related to upward mobility for both sexes, but the men controlled and modulated impulse, whereas the women expressed impulse. Certain kinds of defensiveness were negatively related to mobility for men but were independent of the mobility of the women. Although intelligence was moderately predictive of social mobility for the females, it was independent of mobility for the males. (20 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)