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Aim: This study adopted a three‐wave random intercept cross‐lagged panel model to explore the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between (a) the teacher–student relationship (TSR) quality and (b) the parent–child relationship (PCR) quality and positive affect among Chinese primary school students. Samples: Two primary school student samples, including 3505 and 2505 students, were tracked with their perceived relationship quality with math teachers and parents and their positive affect levels in mathematics learning over three academic years. Results: The results demonstrated that more closeness with parents could significantly predict students' subsequent higher level of positive affect in mathematics learning. However, more closeness with their math teachers did not show significant prediction. Meanwhile, more conflict with math teachers and parents could significantly predict their subsequent lower degree of perceived positive affect in mathematics learning. That is, a reciprocal association lines in the PCR quality and positive affect, whereas only a unidirectional association exists between the TSR and positive affect. The predictions of the experienced positive affect on their perceived interpersonal relationships with math teachers and parents were stronger than those in the reverse association. Conclusions: This study identifies that while the effects of closeness with math teachers and parents on positive affect in students' math learning differ, conflict with math teachers and parents indeed harms students' experienced positive affect in math learning. More attention should also be paid to fostering positive affect in math learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Eating patterns such as breakfast consumption and fruit and vegetable intake have been associated with academic achievement and cognitive function. METHOD: The purpose of this study was to learn more about psychological (emotion‐driven eating) and behavioral (over‐eating) eating patterns and motives, and the roles of body image, academic achievement (reading and math), and social supports (peer acceptance and school attachment), among 378 fourth‐grade students (55% boys) from 14 classrooms across 6 schools within a large Midwestern urban area. RESULTS: Results were analyzed through a 2‐group (male and female) path analysis. Boys' overeating (R2 = 9%) was not significantly predicted. Their emotional eating (R2 = 22.2%) was negatively, significantly predicted by peer acceptance and interaction of peer acceptance and school attachment. Girls' overeating (R2 = 13.6%) was negatively, significantly predicted by positive body image. Girls' emotional eating (R2 = 24.1%) was negatively significantly predicted by positive body image, math scores, and peer acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: Boys' and girls' eating patterns are differentially affected by their school experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity is characterized by limited access to adequate food due to a lack of money or resources (eg, lack of transportation to obtain food). School aged children who are experiencing food insecurity are at greater risk for poor academic outcomes, but previous studies have not examined the effects of food insecurity on specific academic outcomes over time. METHOD: This study examined food insecurity as a risk factor for subsequent academic skills, enablers, and achievement. As part of a larger longitudinal study, middle school students (N = 112; meanage = 12.14, SD = 0.41; 50% female; 68% black/African American, 14% white, 13% Hispanic or Latino, 5% other) reported on food insecurity at baseline, while teachers reported on students' academic skills and enablers at both baseline and 12 months later at 1 year follow up. Math and English/Language Arts grades were obtained from the schools at each wave. FINDINGS: Food insecurity predicted lower academic skills over time but was unrelated to academic enablers and grades. IMPLICATIONS: Considering a whole school, whole community, whole child (WSCC) framework, this study will also discuss the important role schools and communities have in reducing food insecurity in middle school students. CONCLUSIONS: These results support negative long‐term effects of food insecurity on academic skills in early adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This daily diary study examined how adolescents' institutional and teacher-specific trust predicted classroom behavioral engagement the day after being disciplined by that teacher. Within mathematics classrooms, adolescents (N = 190; Mage  = 14 years) reported institutional and teacher-specific trust and then completed a 15-day diary assessing teacher discipline and behavioral engagement. The results indicated that, among adolescents with low teacher trust, discipline was unrelated to next-day behavior. Contrastingly, adolescents with high teacher but low institutional trust became less engaged following discipline, whereas those with high teacher and institutional trust became more engaged. These findings suggest that adolescents interpret discipline within the social context of trust, and adolescents' trust in the institution and teacher are important for discipline to improve behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report results from two studies testing the Mediation Model of Research Experiences, which posits that science (or engineering) self‐efficacy and identity as a scientist (or engineer) mediate the association between support programs and students' commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Study 1 included 502 matriculated and recently graduated undergraduate STEM students. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that research experience, instrumental mentoring, and involvement in a community of scientists were associated with commitment to a STEM career, mediated through science/engineering self‐efficacy and identity as a scientist/engineer. There were few interactions with ethnicity and none with gender. In Study 2, 63 undergraduate students in science/engineering support programs were surveyed with a similar instrument at the beginning and end of their programs. Pre–post analyses indicated that increases over time in community involvement were associated with increases in science/engineering self‐efficacy, and increases over time in science/engineering identity were associated with increased commitment to a STEM career. Taken together, these two studies show the importance of psychological processes such as identity and self‐efficacy in understanding the specific ways in which science/engineering support programs lead to enhanced commitment to a career in STEM among White and underrepresented minority undergraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habituation is a decrease in responding to a repeated stimulus. Operant responding and salivation measure habituation in eating behaviour research. Stress may increase eating by acting as a distractor, yielding spontaneous recovery and prolonging responding for food. Our research tested differences in the ability of cognitive and interpersonal stressors to recover responding for food. We also tested heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure of habituation. Twenty women worked for portions of macaroni and cheese for 15 trials on three separate laboratory visits. Between the 12th and 13th trial, one of three different stressor types (speech, stroop and subtraction) was presented during each visit. HRV was measured continuously throughout the laboratory visits. Responding for food declined across the 12 trials with no difference in rate of habituation by visit (p > 0.8) There was no difference between stressor type in the magnitude of spontaneous recovery after each stressor (p > 0.8). Rates of habituation of HRV variables correlated (p < 0.02) with the rate of operant responding habituation. Cognitive and interpersonal stressors do not differ in their ability to recover reduced responding for food. HRV variables may measure habituation to food similar to operant responding. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how an adult's descriptions of a situation could influence children's appraisal, feelings, and subsequent psychological functions. After baseline measures, 81 middle-class Singaporean kindergarten children (Mage  = 5.6 years, SD = 0.6) were exposed to an ambiguous accident and provided with positive, negative, or no descriptions of the accident. Children's appraisal of the experience, feelings of pleasantness, motivation to play a new game, confidence in playing the new game well, and performance on the new game were measured. The results revealed that the descriptions of the accident influenced children's appraisal, feelings of pleasantness, motivation to play a new game, confidence in playing the new game well, and performance on the new game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]