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Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a parent training program in improving parenting practices, parents' feeling of self-efficacy and parents' perception of their child's behavior, implemented in a child protection service, with trained professionals from the agency acting as facilitators. Method: Thirty-five parents monitored in a child protection service for child neglecting behaviors participated either in the intervention group (n = 26) or were on the waiting list (n = 9). The program implemented (Incredible Years) lasted 16 weeks, was in a group format, and aimed: (1) to develop a harmonious parent-child relationship; (2) to support parents in learning and consistently applying effective practices; (3) to improve problem solving and communication skills within families and with teachers. A repeated measures design was used to test the program's effects on parenting practices, parents' feeling of self-efficacy, parents' perception of their child's behavior, and parents' satisfaction. Parents were tested twice, during a 19-week interval, before and after the parent training program. Results: Analyses of variance comparing Intervention and Control groups with repeated measures (pre- and post-test measures) revealed that the program has a positive impact on parenting practices (harsh discipline, physical punishment, praise/incentive, appropriate discipline and positive verbal discipline) and parents' perception of their child's behavior (frequency of behavioral problems and number of problematic behaviors). No change on clear expectations from parents, or on parents' self-efficacy was observed. Conclusion: Though the implementation of an evidence-based parent training program by professionals in a child protection service presents specific challenges, results suggest that it can contribute to improvements in parenting practices and in parents' perception of their child's behavior. (Contains 4 tables.)

This study has explored the parents' regulation strategies that were more likely to support children's self-regulation in learning situations with computers. These strategies have been analysed by means of new grids involving seven categories of behaviour: cognitive strategies relating to identification of objective, exploration of means, attention and evaluation; motivational strategies; and socio-communicative strategies such as joint attention and request. 62 7-year-old children from Quebec families were examined with their mothers and fathers. The children were asked to complete two learning tasks that involved using LOGO software to draw a picture. Results indicated that parents' regulation varied depending on their gender; a higher directivity was observed in mothers, more specifically through some specific strategies. Analysis of variance on repeated measures showed that, during the session, there was a decrease in the specification of the objective, the initiation of joint attention and of behaviour regulation in parents; and an improvement of the identification of the objective, planning and self-evaluation in children. Correlations between parental regulation and children's self-regulation strategies indicated positive links concerning strategies relating to joint attention and to motivation; and negative links concerning strategies relating to the exploration of means and evaluation. A good adjustment of the parents' regulation and the children's self-regulation correlated positively with success in the task. Methodological implications are proposed for research and psycho-educative intervention. (Contains 5 tables.)

Cognitive levels of 48 university students enrolled in humanities were assessed by Piagetian tasks. Three formal abilities were measured: combinatory, probability, control of variables. Results were analyzed according to school training effect and content of tasks. (Author/MLW)

A model of school achievement that included intellectual ability, preschool behavior, and cognitive self-control was tested through structural equation modeling with 291 kindergarten children. Children who were less aggressive or more prosocial exerted better cognitive self-control over their school tasks, and cognitive self-control was positively related to school achievement at the end of the first grade. (SLD)

The development of children's understanding of causal attributions for academic situations was investigated. Causal attributions are part of the metacognitiveknowledgechildren have aboutthemselves as problem-solvers. Children (7, 9, 11 years old) were asked to explain the failure or success outcomes of familiar academic situations that they could experience. They rated these causes along the dimensions of locus of causality, controllability, stability,andglobality.Results show thatchildrenformulatedspontaneouslya diversity of attributions to explain academic performance. Some age differences were observed in the use of causal attributions: 11-year-old childrenweremorelikelytoexplaintheirperformancebytheirfamiliaritywith the task, but less likely to mention external factors. Age differences were also observed in children's perception of causal dimensions for attributions to effort and strategy but not to familiarity. With increasing age children perceivedthesecausalattributionstobemoreinternal,morecontrollable,and less stable. Finally, children perceived attributions to be more controllable, internal, and stable in success than in failure situations. Theoretical and methodological aspects for studying the development of attributions and causal dimensions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventy-one families from a low socio-economic background, each with a son at risk of developing psychosocial problems at the onset of the study, were observed three times over a six-year period while solving a combinatorial task presented on a microcomputer. The permutations task was used to gather information with regard to cognitive functioning and cognitive self-regulation of the families, which were observed as a developmental unit. Cognitive functioning was assessed according to three variables: cognitive strategies, performance, and completion of the task. Six self-regulatory activities were assessed: task definition, planning, supervision, evaluation, parental support, and sharing of responsibilities. Although inefficient strategies were mainly used across the six years, the cognitive level of functioning improved over the years. Cognitive self-regulatory activities most often used across time were supervision and parental support. Differences were observed in the three time periods for supervision, task definition, parental support, and individual involvement. Results indicated a link between cognitive strategies used by the families to solve the task and their self-regulatory activities. Results are interpreted within both the Piagetian and Vygotskian perspectives. Families' cognitive self-regulatory activities observed in this study are an example of parental disengagement and children's growing involvement in a joint activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes children's conception of health within the context of their daily life. Participants were boys and girls (n = 1,674) from three age groups (5–6, 8–9, and 11–12 years old) from different socio-economic living environments in urban and rural areas. In general, the results indicate that children's conception of health is multidimensional and is rooted in their daily-life experiences. Essentially, it is organized around three main dimensions, functionality, adherence to good lifestyle health habits, and mental health. Variations by age and living environment differences suggest that children's conception of health may reflect differences in their organization of information into schemata on the basis of their experience as well as structural changes in cognitive development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]