Search

COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and negative psychological effects among general population. However, university students are particularly vulnerable in terms of mental health. The present study evaluated the association between mental health, quality of sleep, aggression, and physical activity in university students in Mexico after 1 year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, including a gender-sensitive analysis. Participants (935 university students) completed an online questionnaire which collected information regarding demographic data, psychological distress (IES-R scale), depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), aggressiveness Buss-Perry Aggressive Questionnaire, sleep quality (PSQI) and physical activity (IPAQ-S). Findings showed that female students showed significantly higher scores in psychological distress, anxiety, stress scores and sleep quality, as compared to male students. By contrast, male students showed significantly higher scores on aggressiveness than female students. In addition, on physical activity, females performed significantly higher MET-min/week on moderate and high levels. Finally, liner regression model accounted for approximately 73.5% of the variance in DASS-21 scores, with the body mass index, IES-R, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and IPAQ subscales, emerging as significant individual (positive) predictors. Therefore, the pandemic affected female and male students differently. Female students reported more psychological distress, anxiety, and stress while male students reported higher aggressiveness. The differences observed may be due to physiological differences, the response to stress, and differences in sensitivity to life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated texting in the classroom through written (SMS) and instant (social media) messages comparatively between adolescents without and with LD. Also, applying the Social Cognitive Theory, the role of perceived classroom climate and academic boredom in texting in the classroom was co-examined through an explanatory mediation model. Overall, 439 students (59% girls) without LD and 408 students (47% girls) with LD, who both attended randomly selected Greek junior high schools of Mainstream Education and used a mobile phone, completed self-reported scales about the variables involved with reference to the Modern Greek language course. The results showed that texting in the classroom (through written/instant messages) was above average for both student subgroups, regardless of their gender. However, within a comparative perspective, texting in the classroom through instant (social media) messages was higher for students with LD. Furthermore, in the relationship between perceived classroom climate and texting in the classroom (through written/instant messages) academic boredom proved a full mediator for students without LD and a partial mediator for students with LD. The findings imply the need for psychoeducational interventions in the context of specific school courses, to strengthen differentiated dimensions of psychosocial classroom climate for adolescents without and with LD. Thus, positive academic emotions and minimized disruptive texting in the classroom could be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine gender differences in the relationship between procrastination and subjective well-being in a sample of 1052 individuals. Including both students and non-students. The participants, 56.7% were women (Mean = 24.83, Standard Deviation = 6.01, range = 18–56) and 43.3% were men (Mean = 25.01, Standard Deviation = 6.91, range = 18–59), completed assessments covering procrastination, positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and structural equation modeling. The current findings suggest that men, compared with women, reported higher levels of procrastination, positive affect, and subjective well-being and lower levels of negative affect. The results suggest that procrastination has a greater impact on the subjective well-being of men, especially among non-student males. These findings contribute to the understanding of gender differences in the relationship between procrastination and subjective well-being, emphasizing the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study tested the one-dimensionality of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Suicidal Ideation (CES-D-SI) and its reliability among high school students in Santa Marta, Colombia. A total of 1,462 tenth and eleventh-grade students from public and private schools completed the CES-D-SI. The students were between 13 and 17 years (M = 16.0, SD = 0.8), 60.3% were female, and 55.3% were in the tenth grade. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted, and the chi-square, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), and standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) statistics were calculated. The internal consistency of the dimension was calculated using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients. The results of the CFA were as follows: chi-square = 26.51, df =2, p =.001; RMSEA =.092; 90% confidence interval =.063–.124; CFI =.983; TLI =.950; and SRMR =.019. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was.75, and McDonald's omega coefficient was.77. As conclusions, the scale exhibited a unidimensional structure similar to that in other studies and presented good reliability values. Hence, its use is recommended to screen suicidal ideation in school-aged adolescents in Santa Marta, Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to explore the construct of autistic traits through the lens of network analysis with recently introduced Bayesian methods. A conditional dependence network structure was estimated from a data set composed of 649 university students that completed an autistic traits questionnaire. The connectedness of the network is also explored, as well as sex differences among female and male subjects in regard to network connectivity. The strongest connections in the network are found between items that measure similar autistic traits. Traits related to social skills are the most interconnected items in the network. Sex differences are found between female and male subjects. The Bayesian network analysis offers new insight on the connectivity of autistic traits as well as confirms several findings in the autism literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has revealed that problematic smartphone use is a cause of procrastination. This study investigated the predictive role of problematic smartphone use on procrastination with consideration of the mediating effect of psychological flexibility. The moderating role of gender in the frequency of checking smartphones was also tested in this mediational model. Of total, 471 undergraduate students (369 female, 102 male) with a mean age of 20.65 participated in the study. The study was conducted face to face in classroom settings, and the results of the analysis revealed that psychological flexibility indeed affected the relationship between problematic smart phone use and procrastination. In addition, moderated mediation analysis suggested that female university students were significantly impacted. Finally, it was observed that psychological flexibility played a significant role amongst the female university students surveyed in the relationship between problematic smart phone use and procrastination., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) is a psychometric tool composed of 20 items used to assess depression symptoms. The aim of this work is to perform a network analysis of this scale in a large sample composed of 1090 French-speaking Belgian university students. We estimated a regularized partial correlation network and a Directed Acyclic Graph for the 20 items of the questionnaire. Node predictability (shared variance with surrounding nodes in the network) was used to assess the connectivity of items. The network comparison test was performed to compare networks from female and male students. The network composed of items from the SDS is overall positively connected, although node connectivity varies. Item 11 ("My mind is as clear as it used to be") is the most interconnected item. Networks from female and male students did not differ. DAG reported directed edges among items. Network analysis is a useful tool to explore depression symptoms and offers new insight as to how they interact. Further studies may endeavor to replicate our findings in different samples, including clinical samples to replicate the network structures and determine possible viable targets for clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators are becoming increasingly concerned about the high rates of burnout among their students. Although the solution may appear to be reducing the stress their students experience, simply reducing stress is a temporary solution and does not help students when they enter the workforce and encounter increased stressors. A better option may be to consider the ways in which students can increase stress resilience in ways that will help them long after they leave the classroom. With this idea in mind, we tested for relationships between two individual difference variables, stress mindset and self-connection, and burnout and life satisfaction among business students. The results showed there was a positive relationship between viewing stress as debilitating and prevalence of both personal and school-related burnout. Additionally, self-connection was negatively related to personal burnout and greater life satisfaction. Stress mindset and self-connection also interacted to predict both personal and school burnout. The results suggest that promoting adaptive views of stress and becoming more self-connected may lead to a better student experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that teachers' theories of intelligence (incremental vs. entity) are likely to affect their teaching practices, and some teachers hold lower expectations for students with learning disabilities. This study explored the relationships between college instructors' theories of intelligence and the feedback they provided based on a student's writing sample under two conditions: the student's dyslexia was mentioned versus not mentioned. One hundred and one college instructors completed a survey. Results of path analysis indicated the instructors who endorsed the incremental theory of intelligence gave significantly more encouraging comments than those who endorsed the entity theory. Instructors' theories of intelligence did not predict the grade assigned, the number of weaknesses pointed out, and the number of suggestions provided. The instructors informed of the student's dyslexia gave significantly higher grades than those not informed, but the instructors' feedback did not differ. No significant interaction between instructors' theories of intelligence and awareness of student dyslexia was found., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The present study validated the bifactor model of the Material Values Scale (MVS) and examined the association between materialism and subjective well-being (SWB). Study 1 utilized a material values questionnaire that 1673 college students completed. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the bifactor model of the MVS had a better fit than other models. Likewise, the findings were replicated in Study 2 using a larger sample size ( N = 2627). Through structural equation modeling, only the general and specific factors of success were found to be negative predictors of SWB. Our study both provides a methodological reference for measuring the MVS and compensates for the limitations of MVS measurement results., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The aim of this study is to explore network structures of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale in a large sample of 1925 French-speaking Belgian university students and compare results with previous studies from different samples and tools to identify potential targets for clinical intervention. We estimated network models for the 20 items of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and for its three domains difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking. We explored item connectivity through node predictability (shared variance with other network components). We performed an exploratory graph analysis to explore the dimensionality of our data set and compare results with the original three-factor model; because a different model was proposed, we estimated an additional network structure on the new structure. Items from the Toronto Alexithymia Scale connect both within and between domains. The three-domain network identifies difficulty describing feelings as the most connected domain. The exploratory graph analysis reported that three items from externally oriented thinking form a new domain, distraction. In the new four-domain network, difficulty describing feelings remains the most interconnected domain; however, two negative connections are found. Our findings support the relative importance of identifying and describing feelings as a meaningful target for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to know which subjects in the curriculum best predict school satisfaction and boredom as well as the student's academic grade. The sample was of 680 adolescents of physical education (339 males, 341 females) with age between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.83; SD = 1.45). We used a questionnaire composed of the satisfaction scales with the subjects, intrinsic satisfaction in the school and related to academic grades. Descriptive analyses, correlations, and structural regression models were performed. The high levels of satisfaction and academic performance in physical education stand out. In the structural model, English is the subject that most predicts academic grades, while language predicts satisfaction at school and physical education boredom at it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents the findings of a comparative study of mathematical competence among 130 students ( M = 54.08 months; SD = 2.57) from vulnerable school contexts in Chile and the Spanish public school system. The study analyses a set of general and specific domain precursors for which evidence of socioeconomic background exists. Using multivariate regression and discriminant analysis techniques, we calculated similarities and differences between groups by comparing these precursors. Significant differences were found between the Spanish and Chilean groups ( p < .05); however, no differences were observed in non-symbolic comparison and receptive vocabulary. Possible reasons for the existence and extent of these differences are discussed in terms of socio-cultural and educational contexts., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The present study aimed to examine whether the level of strength-based parenting a student receives during remote learning affects their levels of academic motivation once returning to school. Additionally, the study sought to explore whether school belonging mediated the association between strength-based parenting and academic motivation and whether student strength use moderated this mediating relationship. The sample comprised of secondary school students who had recently returned back to campus, following a period of COVID-19 enforced remote learning ( n = 404; age range: 11 to 18 years; M = 14.75, SD = 1.59; 50.2% female, and 3% non-/other gendered or declined to answer). Strength-based parenting had a significant predictive effect on student academic motivation with school belonging mediating the association between strength-based parenting and academic motivation. The mediating effect of school belonging on the association between strength-based parenting and academic motivation was moderated by strength use during remote learning. The results of the study are discussed using a positive education lens with implications for improving skills and strategies to foster positive student functioning in times of remote learning and crisis.

Compared to other groups, relatively less research has specifically addressed the retention of Latinx students in STEM disciplines. These students face many negative stereotypes about their group, especially related to their academic success, yet there is limited research regarding how microaggressions, subtle or ambiguous discriminatory behaviors, targeting Latinx students in engineering education settings impact their experience in those programs. Guided by Sue's definitions and taxonomy of microaggressions, Critical Race Theory and Latino Critical Theory, the purpose of the current study was to answer the following research questions: 1) What microaggressions do Latinx engineering undergraduates experience in an engineering education environment? and 2) How do these microaggressions impact Latinx engineering undergraduates' academic well-being, as defined by their academic self-efficacy and academic performance?

Both smartphone addiction and phubbing are emerging behavioral problems. The present study investigates potential risk and protective factors of smartphone addiction and phubbing behavior, including demographic factors, personal factors, and interpersonal factors among Chinese college students. A total of 866 college students (M age = 21.01, SD = 1.60) completed self-reported questionnaires in classroom settings. Collected data were analyzed by using Pearson's correlation and hierarchical linear regression analyses. The risk factors for smartphone addiction were phubbing behavior, depression, and social anxiety, while the protective factors were self-control and sense of security. In addition, the risk factors for phubbing behavior included female sex and smartphone addiction, while the protective factors included sense of security and interpersonal adaptability. Our findings help to enhance understanding of the general and specific risks and protective factors for smartphone addiction and phubbing behavior, which can benefit intervention development for related behavior prevention and reduction.

Stressful experiences are abundant in university and students with a history of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) may be hyper-reactive to stress. While brief mindfulness inductions have been proposed as a buffer against acute stress, whether they function differently in students with a history of NSSI remains in question. This study sought to explore the impact of an online mindfulness induction on (a) two facets of state mindfulness (i.e., mind and body) and (b) state stress, following a stress induction task, in university students with versus without a history of NSSI. Participants were Canadian university students with ( n = 82; M age = 21.30 years, SD = 2.92; 87.8% female) and without ( n = 82; M = 3.18; 87.8% female) a history of NSSI, matched on gender, age, and faculty, who completed baseline (T1) measures of state stress and state mindfulness. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a mindfulness induction or an active control task. All participants then underwent a stress induction, and again completed measures of state stress and state mindfulness (T2). Results from three-way mixed ANOVAs revealed that state stress increased from T1 to T2 for all participants, regardless of group or condition. Among those assigned to the control condition, state mindfulness of the body was lower at T2 for participants with a history of NSSI compared to those without such a history. However, participants with a history of NSSI who completed the mindfulness induction reported greater state mindfulness of the body at T2 than students with a history of NSSI who completed an active control task. Findings highlight the unique response of university students with a history of NSSI to a brief mindfulness induction. Implications are discussed in the context of future research and clinical applications.age = 21.71 years, SD = 3.18; 87.8% female) a history of NSSI, matched on gender, age, and faculty, who completed baseline (T1) measures of state stress and state mindfulness. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a mindfulness induction or an active control task. All participants then underwent a stress induction, and again completed measures of state stress and state mindfulness (T2). Results from three-way mixed ANOVAs revealed that state stress increased from T1 to T2 for all participants, regardless of group or condition. Among those assigned to the control condition, state mindfulness of the body was lower at T2 for participants with a history of NSSI compared to those without such a history. However, participants with a history of NSSI who completed the mindfulness induction reported greater state mindfulness of the body at T2 than students with a history of NSSI who completed an active control task. Findings highlight the unique response of university students with a history of NSSI to a brief mindfulness induction. Implications are discussed in the context of future research and clinical applications.

The prevalence of social appearance anxiety among adolescents has increased in recent years. It can be said that one of the reasons for this situation is appearance-oriented social media applications. Attachment styles in adolescents may play a role in social appearance anxiety, as in many types of anxiety. However, adolescents' positive youth development levels may have a protective role against social appearance anxiety. Therefore, this study investigated the serial mediator roles of Instagram addiction and positive youth development in the relationship between anxious-avoidant attachment style and social appearance anxiety in adolescents. The research was carried out with 508 high school students. As a result of the research, it was determined that anxious-avoidant attachment and Instagram addiction predicted social appearance anxiety positively. It was determined that positive youth development predicted social appearance anxiety negatively. In addition, mediating roles in the relationship between positive youth development and Instagram addiction, anxious-avoidant attachment and social appearance anxiety were found significant in the study.

This study aimed to test the multilevel mediating effect of intrinsic motivation on the relationship between burned-out classroom climate and academic engagement and theoretically investigate the unresolved issues in the Job Demands-Resources model. Data were collected from 1015 high school students from 43 classes. Multilevel structural equation modeling indicated that a high level of burned-out classroom climate was related to a low level of academic engagement. In addition, intrinsic motivation mediated the path from burned-out classroom climate to academic engagement. Practical implications to improve classroom climate and academic engagement are discussed.

Abnormal child behavior is a complex entity including among others disorders such as ADHD, a neuropsychiatric disorder interfering with the normal development of the child, and combining many comorbidities. There are no specific tools designed to assess abnormal child behavior, although well-known ADHD screening tools such as the CTRS-R:S go beyond the disorder itself and cover the wider construct. This can be understood as the complex system of mutually influencing entities, that is why the aim of this study was to investigate the items of the CTRS-R:S as a psychological network. We analyzed a data set of 525 children in French-speaking primary schools from Belgium, and estimated a Bayesian Gaussian Graphical Model with a Bayes Factor of 30. We identified highly connected nodes from each community of the CTRS-R:S to build an additional network of communities. In the domain network, Oppositional and Cognitive skills share the strongest connection in the network. The 28-item network was overall positively connected albeit the presence of some negative connections. The spinglass algorithm identified eight domains in the CTRS-R:S network that causally influence each other. The network approach is a useful framework to investigate the domains of abnormal child behavior as well as the interplay between individual symptoms.

In recent years, the study of perfectionistic automatic thoughts (PAT) has increased given its maladaptive nature since it is link to numerous psychological disorders. From our knowledge, no previous research has addressed the relationship between PAT and the four components of aggressive behavior (anger, hostility, verbal aggression, and physical aggression). This study had a double goal. The first aim was to identify distinct profiles of PAT in a sample of 3060 Ecuadorian undergraduates ( M age = 22.7, SD = 2.46). The second aim of this study was to determine whether or not statistically significant differences exist between these profiles, based on the four components of aggressive behavior. The Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI) and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) were used. Five profiles with different intensities in the dimensions of perfectionistic automatic thoughts were identified by Latent Class Analysis ((1) No-Perfectionistic Automatic Thoughts, (2) Low Perfectionistic Automatic Thoughts, (3) High Perfectionistic Demands, (4) Moderate Perfectionistic Automatic Thoughts, and (5) High Perfectionistic Automatic Thoughts). The moderate and high perfectionistic automatic thoughts profiles obtained the highest mean scores for all components of aggressive behavior (i.e., the four factors that make up AQ: Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility), while the No-perfectionistic automatic thoughts and Low perfectionistic automatic thoughts profiles had the lowest mean scores. These results provide new knowledge about the prevalence of PAT in the context of Ecuador. Also, they suggest further research on the topic given the positive relationship of PAT and aggressive behavior.

Perceived coping and its two subprocesses, trauma-focused coping (finding meaning in the details and memory of a potential trauma or stressor) and forward-focused coping (focusing on planning for the future) have been shown to be important in the context of potentially traumatic events. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated stressors have negatively impacted population mental health, and preliminary investigations have demonstrated the importance of perceived abilities to cope during the pandemic. The current study sought to examine the potentially moderating role of each subprocess on the relationship between stress and anxiety symptoms in a low-income student sample during COVID-19 ( N = 2364). We computed two hierarchical multiple linear regressions to assess for significant interactions between stress and perceived coping subprocess scores on anxiety outcomes. Our results demonstrated that both trauma-focused coping and forward-focused coping served as effect modifiers in the relationship between COVID-19related stress and anxiety. Such findings highlight the importance of interventions that incorporate both forms of coping for low-income students during a chronic stressor.

Despite the availability of disability support services, college students with disabilities continue to face poorer academic outcomes than their peers without disabilities. The majority of eligible college students with disabilities do not register with their campus disability service to receive accommodations or supports. Among those who do utilize disability services, findings have been mixed regarding the relation between service use and students' academic outcomes. Further, few studies have measured the use of disability services over time. The current study used secondary data to examine the relation between accommodation use and academic outcomes of undergraduate students with disabilities ( N = 1980) who registered with the campus disability service during a 4-year study period. Descriptive findings for academic and accommodation use patterns are discussed with regard to gender, race/ethnicity, and disability type. Regression analyses showed that earlier registration with the disability service and longer duration of service use predicted more positive student outcomes, as measured by cumulative GPA and time to graduation. Continued accommodation use also positively predicted within-subject changes in students' semester GPAs across the study period. However, services appear to be under-utilized, with 25% of participants only using accommodations for a single semester across the study period. This work has implications for improving service delivery within university disability offices to ensure students with disabilities can access needed supports in college.

This study aims to confirm the existence of profiles according to the combinations of anxiety, depression, and stress, and looks to examine the differences between profiles according to the mean scores obtained in school anxiety.A total of 1,234 Spanish students at the secondary education level with an age range of 13–16 years old (M = 14.52; SD = 1.24) participated in the study by completing the abbreviated version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the School Anxiety Inventory.The results showed positive, statistically significant, and moderate-sized correlations between all the variables analyzed. The Latent Profile Analysis identified four distinct profiles of depression, anxiety, and stress: Low DAS, Moderate DAS, High DAS, and Very High DAS. The results of the MANOVA showed statistically significant differences between these profiles regarding the school anxiety dimensions, with the profiles Very High DAS and Low DAS being the ones that reported, respectively, the highest and lowest levels in all the school anxiety components. Post hoc analyses revealed significant differences for the large part of profile comparisons, with there being large and moderate differences observed in the majority of cases (d = .30 and 1.66).The results show the importance of considering social anxiety as a construct that is strongly associated with emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress when developing effective actions to detect them and intervene with adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Little is known about the consequences of adolescent social media use. The current study estimated the association between the amount of time adoles- cents spend on social media and the risk of episodic heavy drinking. Methods: A school-based self-report cross-sectional study including 851 Norwegian middle and high school students (46.1% boys). Measures: frequency and quantity of social media use. Frequency of drinking four or six (girls and boys, respectively) alcoholic drinks during a single day (episodic heavy drinking). The MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale -- Brief, the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items for Adolescents, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Peer Relationship problems scale, gender, and school grade. Results: Greater amount of time spent on social media was associated with greater likelihood of episodic heavy drinking among adolescents (OR=1.12, 95% CI (1.05, 1.19), p=0.001), even after adjusting for school grade, impulsivity, sensation seeking, symptoms of depression, and peer relationship problems. Conclusion: The results from the current study indicate that more time spent on social media is related to greater likelihood of episodic heavy drinking among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aims to confirm the existence of profiles according to the combinations of anxiety, depression, and stress, and looks to examine the differences between profiles according to the mean scores obtained in school anxiety., Methods: A total of 1,234 Spanish students at the secondary education level with an age range of 13-16 years old ( M = 14.52; SD = 1.24) participated in the study by completing the abbreviated version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the School Anxiety Inventory., Results: The results showed positive, statistically significant, and moderate-sized correlations between all the variables analyzed. The Latent Profile Analysis identified four distinct profiles of depression, anxiety, and stress: Low DAS, Moderate DAS, High DAS, and Very High DAS. The results of the MANOVA showed statistically significant differences between these profiles regarding the school anxiety dimensions, with the profiles Very High DAS and Low DAS being the ones that reported, respectively, the highest and lowest levels in all the school anxiety components. Post hoc analyses revealed significant differences for the large part of profile comparisons, with there being large and moderate differences observed in the majority of cases ( d = .30 and 1.66)., Conclusions: The results show the importance of considering social anxiety as a construct that is strongly associated with emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress when developing effective actions to detect them and intervene with adolescents.

Recent studies have shown an association between excessive smartphone use and health problems. Along with such mounting concerns, health risk information on excessive smartphone use has been presented through various media. Such information is usually aimed at making smartphone users understand the associated health risks, thereby preventing excessive use or reducing current use. However, according to self-affirmation theory, such information may pose a threat to heavy smartphone users because it implies that they are engaging in maladaptive behavior. Therefore, to defend themselves, they may not accept the information and may not be highly motivated to reduce their usage. According to self-affirmation theory, such maladaptive defensive responses can be reduced through the affirmation of important values. We examined whether self-affirmation prior to reading health risk information increased heavy users' motivation to reduce smartphone usage. Participants (142 undergraduate students aged 18-22 years) reported their mean daily smartphone use. They then completed a writing task that affirmed/did not affirm an important personal value. Next, they read an article on the health risks of smartphone overuse and reported their motivation to reduce smartphone use. As a result, when heavy users did not self-affirm, they were significantly less motivated to reduce use than light users. However, when heavy users self-affirmed, their motivation was significantly higher than when they did not self-affirm. This effect of self-affirmation was not shown in light users. These results suggest that health risk information combined with self-affirmation is effective in reducing smartphone usage by heavy users.

In this study, we used a longitudinal survey of two time-points to investigate the relationship between motivation instability and type of motivation level toward university learning using a cross-lagged panel model. We measured four types of motivation level based on self-determination theory. A total of 127 Japanese students from two universities participated in two longitudinal surveys; their data were used in the analysis. We investigated the relationship between motivation instability and motivation level by employing the cross-lagged panel model, and found that intrinsic regulation at Time 1 was positively related to the instability of motivation at Time 2, while identified regulation at Time 1 was negatively related to instability of motivation at Time 2. These results indicate that two processes may exist: one where instability of motivation increases depending on the level of motivation, and one where it decreases. Moreover, instability of motivation at Time 1 was positively related to the identified regulation and introjected regulation at Time 2, although the values of the path coefficients were very small. Finally, instability of motivation at Time 1 was positively related to the instability of motivation at Time 2. Based on the results of this study, we discuss the relationship between motivation level and instability in university learning.

Sleep time and depression symptoms are important factors affecting cognitive development in adolescents. Based on the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) database, this study used a two-wave cross-lagged model to examine the bidirectional relationship between sleep time, depression symptoms, and cognitive development. Descriptive statistics showed that Chinese adolescents' cognitive development increased significantly from 7th to 8th grade in junior high school, but unfortunately, their depression level and average sleep time per night demonstrated a slightly deteriorating trend. Correlation analysis showed that there was a relatively stable negative correlation between cognitive development, sleep time, and depression symptoms. Moreover, the cross-lagged model revealed that there was a bidirectional relationship between cognitive development and sleep time, a bidirectional relationship between depression symptoms and sleep time, and a unidirectional relationship between depression symptoms and cognitive development. Male adolescents in the subgroup were consistent with the total sample. Among female adolescents, only cognitive development and sleep time have a bidirectional relationship, while depression symptoms and cognitive development, and depression symptoms and sleep time have a unidirectional relationship. Therefore, it is of significance to take targeted action to promote cognitive development and healthy growth in adolescents worldwide.

Research on monetary decisions and behaviors in dating relationships is very limited. The purpose of this study was to examine college students' current practice and expectations for date payment for first and subsequent romantic dates in the framework of gender role theory. A sample of 552 heterosexual college students took an online survey that included questions about their actual and expected payment for their first and subsequent dates. Participants also completed several measures regarding their gender roles. The findings indicated that traditional gender norms in dating continue to be popular in the new millennium because in actual practice, men almost always paid the whole bill of the first dates and paid more for subsequent dates. When asked who should pay for the dates, participants also expected men to pay more for first and subsequent dates. Women did show some willingness to share date expenses, although nowhere close to be completely even. The findings also indicated that gender role attitudes played little role in actual practice but had a stronger role in date payment expectations, showing that individuals subscribing to traditional gender inequality views tended to believe that men should pay more for dates.

Student-teacher interpersonal relationships contribute significantly to the academic trajectory and achievement of children and adolescents. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) is one of the most widely applied measures for assessing students' perceptions about the teachers' interpersonal behaviour. QTI comprises eight subscales that are assumed to follow a circumplex model. Prior studies on QTI's psychometric properties are inconclusive and report mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to examine the applicability of QTI in the Greek cultural context, by testing its circumplex structure and levels of reliability. QTI was administered to 1669 secondary education students, from 85 different classrooms. A cross-validation approach and a variety of statistical techniques were employed. Subscales' internal consistency and their ability to discriminate among classes were satisfactory. Exploratory statistical techniques provided initial support of the circular pattern. Application of a specifically designed package for testing the circumplex structure of an instrument, showed that a model in which the eight QTI subscales are placed on the circumference of a circle with equal distances form the centre was tenable. However, the assumption of equal distances was not confirmed. Deviation from the theoretical position of the subscales was mainly due to students' difficulty to discriminate teachers' proximity behaviour, a finding reported in various studies and across different cultural contexts. Suggestions for improving the psychometric properties of the QTI are discussed.

Emerging adulthood is often recognized as a time of uncertainty, confusion, pressure, and stress. This time period also coincides in the Western world with attending college. Many emerging adults arrive at this developmental stage feeling the pressure and obligation for success, but lack the interpersonal resources needed to make required choices. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the psychological and mental state of this particular group by focusing on mechanisms of self-awareness and its connection to psychological health. The present study examines whether an indirect path could explain the relationships between mindfulness, positive thinking, and positive affect. Path analysis was used to test whether decentering fosters positive thinking and positive affect. Participants were surveyed for dispositional mindfulness, frequency of positive and negative feelings, positive thinking, and rumination. Results show decentering mediates between mindfulness and positive affect but does not mediate between mindfulness and positive thinking. Rumination counteracts the effects of mindfulness and predicts negative affect.