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Psychometric characteristics were investigated of an Implicit Association Test to assess implicit endorsement of the sexual double standard (SDS-IAT) in emerging adults. The reliability of the SDS-IAT was investigated focusing on internal consistency across different phases of the test. Convergent validity of the SDS-IAT was evaluated against the Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards in Youth, an explicit measure of SDS, and against gender investment. Divergent validity was evaluated against the personality characteristics of extraversion, neuroticism, and social desirability proneness. Gendered patterns were examined. Attenuation-corrected alphas demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with alphas ranging for .65–.70. A modest level of explicit SDS endorsement was found in both female and male participants. In line with their explicit SDS level, a modest level of implicit SDS endorsement was found in male participants, whereas a reverse implicit SDS was found among young women. In agreement with our theoretical expectations, we found low convergent validity in multitrait-multimethod analysis of the SDS-IAT with a measure of explicit SDS endorsement, and with general level of investment in gender ideals. Similarly, divergent validity analysis revealed absence of significant correlations with the conceptually unrelated concepts of extraversion, neuroticism, and social desirability proneness, except for extraversion in female participants. The present findings suggest that implicit SDS endorsement can be assessed using the SDS-IAT. The finding that explicit and implicit SDS approvals differ in young female participants, while they align in young male participants, warrants further research.

IntroductionVaginal progesterone and a cervical pessary are both interventions that are investigated for the prevention of preterm birth (PTB). Thus far, beneficial or harmful effects of these interventions on long-term child health and development are described, but evidence is not robust enough to draw firm conclusions. With this follow-up study, we intent to investigate if progesterone or a pessary is superior for the prevention of PTB considering the child’s health at 4–6 years of corrected age.Methods and analysisThis study is a follow-up study of the Quadruple-P trial; a multicentre, randomised clinical trial (NL42926.018.13, Eudractnumber 2013-002884-24) which randomises women with an asymptomatic midtrimester short cervix to daily progesterone or a pessary for the prevention of PTB. All children born to mothers who participated in the Quadruple-P study (n=628 singletons and n=332 multiples) will be eligible for follow-up at 4–6 years of corrected age. Children will be assessed using parental questionnaires. Main outcomes are child (neuro)development and behaviour. Other outcomes include child mortality, growth and general health. A composite of adverse child outcomes will be compared between the progesterone and pessary groups reporting OR and the corresponding 95% CI. Analyses will be performed separately for singletons and multiples and using the intention-to-treat approach.Ethics and disseminationThe Medical Research Ethics Committee from Amsterdam UMC confirmed that de Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) did not apply to our study (W20_481 #20.531). Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and shared with stakeholders and participants. This protocol is published before analysis of the results.Trial registration numberDutch Trial Register (NL9646).

Although several studies have examined outgroup empathy, the link between trait empathy and outgroup attitudes has been underinvestigated. In the present study this link was investigated among two samples of ethnic Dutch preadolescents (N = 335, Mage = 10.83 years, SD = 0.94; 53% girls; N = 326; Mage = 10.53 years, SD = 1.03; 48% girls). It examined children’s parallel empathy in relation to their ethnic attitudes, and the moderating role of perceived peer norms. Results (partly) support the hypotheses that empathy is associated with more outgroup positivity and less ingroup bias (ingroup minus outgroup attitude). The negative link between empathyand outgroup bias was stronger when peers were perceived to be more biased against the outgroup.

This research explored both social context and personal characteristics in relation to being saddened by sad music when in a sad mood. Overall, 1686 respondents (aged 12–16 years; 44% female; 68% vocational training) answered questions about their background, social context (family climate, bullying issues), personal characteristics (depressive mood, self-esteem, social comparison style), and the degree to which they were saddened by listening to sad music. About 17% of the participants reported saddened mood as a consequence of listening to sad music when sad. Multivariate linear regression results revealed that female respondents and those who reported elevated levels of depressive mood and negative social comparison to peers were more likely to feel saddened. These young people further showed strained peer relations, as indicated by being bullied on social network sites and the Internet. Harsh family climate and low self-esteem correlated with the saddened mood-inducing effect of sad music, although they were not significant in multivariate analysis. This pattern of person and context relations with saddened mood was identical for girls and boys. Adolescents generally seek music that is mood-congruent; however, this research questioned whether adolescents with problems should dwell on music that reflects their unhappy state, as this may worsen their mood.

Contains fulltext : 231937.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Introduction: This study aimed at differentiating normative developmental turmoil from prodromal depressive symptoms in adolescence. Method: Negative and positive mood (daily) in different contexts (friends, home, school), and (subsequent) depressive symptoms were assessed in Dutch adolescents. Results & conclusion: Mixture modeling on one cross-sectional study, using a newly developed questionnaire (CSEQ; subsample 1a; n = 571; girls 55.9%; Mage = 14.17) and two longitudinal datasets with Experience Sampling Methods data (subsample 1b: n = 241; Mage = 13.81; 62.2% girls, sample 2: n = 286; 59.7% girls; Mage = 14.19) revealed three mood profiles: 18–24% "happy", 43–53% "typically developing", and 27–38% "at-risk". Of the "at-risk" profile between 12.5% and 25% of the adolescents scored above the clinical cut-off for depression. These mood profiles predicted later depressive symptoms, while controlling for earlier symptoms. In subsample 1b, parents were not always aware of the mental health status of their adolescent. 11 p.

This research longitudinally explored adolescent pornography (porn) consumption and its association with sexual development in early and middle adolescence. A four-wave design with half-year intervals investigated pornography consumption and different (sexual) activities, such as masturbation, French kissing, petting, giving/receiving manual and oral sex, and intercourse, among 630 respondents (47.9% female, mean age 13.7 years; SD = 0.48) years at T1). A latent growth mixture analysis of pornography consumption revealed two groups with relatively low pornography (LP; 51.8% of the boys, 91.4% of the girls) versus high pornography (HP; 48.2% of the boys; 8.6% of the girls) consumption across time. At T1, HP boys on average watched pornography less than once a month, but more than once a year at T1. At T4, their average pornography use had increased to almost one to two times a week. LP boys never watched pornography at T1. At T4, their average pornography use was still less than once a year. At T1, HP girls never watched pornography, but consumption increased to almost one to three times a month at T4. Across waves of the study, LP girls (almost) never watched pornography. A discrete-time survival mixture analysis of sexual developmental patterning indicated that, compared to their LP peers, both girls and boys in the HP groups showed accelerated development of masturbation, petting, and receiving manual sex. Girls in the HP group were also more inclined to receive oral sex, whereas boys in the HP group also showed earlier and more frequent manual sex and intercourse. Thus, whereas the HP group of boys was substantially larger compared to that of girls, pornography consumption was related to accelerated development of sexual activities for both genders across early and middle adolescence. The discussion deliberates on pornography as a driving force in adolescent sexual development versus pornography as a medium of choice for sexually advanced adolescents.

In the present study we investigated the reliability and validity of an Implicit Association Test of sexual assertiveness (the SA-IAT) in a sample of young adults (n = 159). The D600 algorithm was used to calculate implicit sexual assertiveness scores. Explicit sexual assertiveness was measured using a selection of items from the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness. Personality traits were assessed using the revised, short version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The internal consistency of the SA-IAT was evaluated based on split-half reliability, and found acceptable with α = 0.61 for the practice trials, and α = 0.70 for the test trials, after correction for attenuation. Convergent and divergent validity were evaluated using correlation analysis. Correlation with explicit sexual assertiveness was found to be low, as expected. Divergent validity of the SA-IAT was evaluated against the personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism, and social desirability. Except for a significant correlation of implicit sexual assertiveness with extraversion in the full sample and the female subsample, implicit sexual assertiveness and personality traits were not found to share variance, as expected.

In the original publication of the article, the author noticed an error in the figure. Figure 1 contains shaded regions that are not visible in the online publication. The corrected Fig. 1 is presented with this erratum. The original article has been corrected. (Figure presented.).

Identification with Goth youth culture has been related to elevated levels of depression, self-harm and suicide ideation. However, this identification may be difficult to assess as Goth is stigmatized and adolescents may hesitate to self-identify. Conversely, adolescents readily respond to questions on their music preferences. This study addresses the potential link between liking Goth music and depressive symptoms in a four-year study among 10 to 15-year-olds (N = 940, M age = 12.4 at T1, 49% female). In this study, it was found that Goth music is only liked by a small minority of adolescents (4 to 11%). Both girls and boys who liked Goth music reported increased levels of depressive symptoms as they grew older. The findings of this study suggest that a preference for Goth music emerges as an early, sensitive marker of dormant or developing depressive symptoms in adolescents. The mechanisms through which music preferences can translate into or sustain depressive symptoms are discussed.

The Dynamic Overlapping Waves Model (DOWM) can model strategy use in problem-solving tasks for strategies that can be construed as developmentally and hierarchically ordered (Boom, 2015). We observed children’s (Mage = 11 years, SD = 6 months) strategy use during a task in which they had to find the rotation direction of the last gear in a series of connected gear chains, given the rotation direction of the first gear. Using DOWM, we found that strategy use was ordered as expected, from unskilled sensorimotor strategies to abstract strategies, and from less to more efficient in terms of speed and accuracy. This order aligns with the idea that perceptual learning is central to the emergence of abstract conceptual knowledge. Moreover, the current study shows that the DOWM does not preclude forward and backward transitions and even occasional transitions that skip certain strategies in the ordering. The DOWM seems a promising tool to developmentally capture the breadth of behavioral repertoire children display when they adopt new strategies for various problem-solving tasks.

Background: Smoking cessation during pregnancy and preventing relapse postpartum is a pivotal public health priority. Objectives: This study examined the risk and protective indicators of women who (a) smoke before pregnancy, (b) smoke during the entire pregnancy, (c) successfully quit smoking during pregnancy, and (d) relapse postpartum. Method: This paper reports secondary analyses of the Dutch population-based Monitor on Substance Use and Pregnancy (2016). A representative sample of mothers of young children (n = 1,858) completed questionnaires at youth health care centers. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Main results showed that women’s smoking around pregnancy was strongly associated with the partner’s smoking status before pregnancy, partner’s change in smoking during pregnancy, and partner’s change in smoking postpartum. Women’s educational level and cannabis use before pregnancy were also related with women’s smoking before and during pregnancy. Women’s intensity of alcohol use before pregnancy was ambiguously related with women’s smoking before and during pregnancy. Conclusions: One of the key findings of this study suggests that it is essential that partners quit smoking before pregnancy and do not smoke during pregnancy. If partners continue smoking during pregnancy, they should quit smoking postpartum. Health care professionals can play an important role in addressing partners’ smoking and giving them evidence-based cessation support before, during, and after pregnancy.

Adolescent preferences for non-mainstream types of rock music can be markers of adolescent problem behaviors, but no study has ever investigated whether this relationship continues into adulthood. In a six-wave study, 900 Dutch adolescents were followed from ages 12 to 21 (Mage T1 12.4, 51.1% girls), while reporting on depressive symptoms, mental well-being, aggression and drug use. A latent class growth analysis on their preferences for specific types of rock music revealed four fan groups. When these fan groups were compared to one another, in adolescence, the all-out rock fans displayed the highest peak in depressive symptoms and the lowest dip in well-being and the rock/metal fans reported the most aggression. And for both these groups, drug use increased at the onset of adulthood. Pop fans displayed a profile characterized by low depressive symptoms and aggression, and high in mental well-being. Finally, the popular rock fans held an in-between position between pop fans, on one side, and the all-out rock fans and rock/metal fans, on the other side. Thus, music preferences can be markers of problems, not only in adolescence but also in young adulthood. Still, music can enhance mood, helps to cope with problems, and peers in fan groups can provide support. This research focuses on the relationship between music and problem behaviors, specifically among members of the all-out rock fans and rock/metal fans, but many of these young people might have had more personal problems if they had not had their music and their fan-group peers.

Motivated by recent time use studies in criminology, this study examined whether time diaries are suitable for measuring short and rare activities such as offending. The study compared time diary data collected among 843 adolescents from the conurbation of The Hague (the Netherlands) with stylized questionnaire data from the same respondents, and with stylized questionnaire data from another sample that is representative for Dutch adolescents (N = 1849). Based on the reported offenses in the diaries (N = 101), findings indicate that time diaries may underestimate population offense rates and may not capture offenses committed by low-frequent offenders. On the other hand, time diaries seem able to measure changes in individuals' involvement in offending over time and to capture most of the situational conditions under which offenses occur. The study concludes with suggestions for dealing with the problems associated with measuring short and rare activities.

Although substantial research has provided support for the association between parental practices and adolescent gambling, less is known about the role of adolescent attitudes in this relationship. The primary purpose of this study was to test an integrative model linking perceived parental knowledge (children's perceptions of their parents' knowledge of their whereabouts and companions) with adolescent gambling while evaluating the mediating effects of adolescents' own gambling approval, risk perception of gambling, and descriptive norms on gambling shared with friends. The data were drawn from the ESPAD® Italia 2012 (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) study, which is based on a nationally representative sample of Italian adolescent students aged 15-19. The analysis was carried out on a subsample of 19,573 subjects (average age 17.11, 54 % girls). Self-completed questionnaires were administered in the classroom setting. The results revealed that adolescents who perceived higher levels of parental knowledge were more likely to disapprove of gambling and show higher awareness of its harmfulness, which were in turn negatively related to gambling frequency. They were also less likely to perceive their friends as gamblers, which was also negatively related to gambling frequency. These findings suggest that gambling prevention efforts should consider perceived parental knowledge and gambling-oriented attitudes (self-approval, risk perception, and descriptive norms) as factors that may buffer adolescent gambling behavior in various situations.

BackgroundThe current field experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of nudging to promote healthy food choices.MethodsThree types of nudges were implemented at a take-away food vendor: 1) an accessibility nudge that placed fruits at the front counter; 2) a salience nudge that presented healthy bread rolls to be more visually attractive; and 3) a social proof nudge that conveyed yoghurt as a popular choice. We additionally assessed whether nudging effects would remain robust when a disclosure message was included. The field experiment was conducted over a seven-week period. The measured outcome was the sales of the targeted healthy food products.ResultsThe accessibility nudge significantly increased the sales of the fresh fruits. The impact of the salience nudge was limited presumably due to existing preferences or habits that typically facilitate bread purchases. As the sales of the yoghurt shakes remained consistently low over the seven-week period the impact of the social proof nudge remained unexamined. Critically, disclosing the purpose of the nudges did not interfere with effects.ConclusionsCurrent findings suggest nudging as an effective strategy for healthy food promotion, and offer implications for topical debate regarding the ethics of nudges.

This study explored 19 themes embedded in the lyrics of 1,040 U.S. top-40 songs from 1960 through 2010, using R strucchange software to identify trends and breaks in trends. Findings reveal both continuity and change. As in 1960, the predominant topic of pop music remains romantic and sexual relationships. However, whereas the proportion of lyrics referring to relationships in romantic terms remained stable, the proportion including reference to sex-related aspects of relationships increased sharply. References to lifestyle issues such as dancing, alcohol and drugs, and status/wealth increased substantially, particularly in the 2000s. Other themes were far less frequent: Social/political issues, religion/God, race/ethnicity, personal identity, family, friends showed a modest occurrence in top-40 music throughout the studied period and showed no dramatic changes. Violence and death occurred in a small number of songs, and both increased, particularly since the 1990s. References to hate/hostility, suicide, and occult matters were very rare. Results are examined in the context of cultural changes in the social position of adolescents, and more specifically in light of the increased popularity of rap/hip-hop music, which may explain the increases in references to sex, partying, dancing, drug use, and wealth.

In line with a Dynamic Self-Regulatory Processing Model of narcissism (Morf & Rhodewalt, 2001), the present study adopted a motivated self-construction perspective to examine longitudinal associations from adolescent narcissism to youth's social media disclosures, problematic social media use, and smartphone stress, respectively. Adolescents' attention-seeking motives were examined as a mediator of these over-time associations. In line with this model's account of self-image failure, we also expected that narcissistic youth's attention-seeking should increase following experiences of ego threat, such as social rejection. These hypotheses were tested with two waves of self-report data, spaced one year apart, among 307 adolescents aged 12–15 at T1 (Mage = 12.87, SD = 0.75). In line with predictions, earlier adolescent narcissism predicted later social media disclosure, problematic use, and smartphone stress, via increased attention-seeking. Furthermore, a significant interaction between narcissism and perceived social rejection at T1 predicted adolescents' outcomes at T2, via attention-seeking; Participants with a combination of higher narcissism and higher rejection at T1 reported higher levels of attention-seeking at T2. These longitudinal results suggest that narcissistic adolescents' attention-seeking on social media, particularly as a way to recover from social rejection, might backfire and ultimately contribute to an ongoing pattern of self-defeating behavior.

The popularity of social media use among adolescents has raised concerns about the potentially harmful effects of social media use on adolescents’ sleep. Since longitudinal research considering this relationship is scarce, the present two-wave longitudinal study of 2021 secondary school students (Mage = 13.86, SD = 1.25) examined whether frequency of social media use and problematic social media use predicted adolescents’ bedtime and quality of sleep. Moreover, the protective role of parental rules regarding Internet and smartphone use one hour before sleep was examined. The findings indicated that strict parental rules about Internet and smartphone use before sleep might prevent negative consequences of social media use on bedtime and sleep quality, but only among less engaged social media users. Once adolescents are highly engaged social media users, strict parental rules do not seem to prevent negative media influences on sleep. This implies that limiting Internet accessibility before bedtime can help prevent adolescents’ sleep problems, but that regulation is less effective for adolescents who are already highly involved in social media use.

Contains fulltext : 142446.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the unique associations between electronic media communication (EMC) with friends and adolescent substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis), over and beyond the associations of face-to-face (FTF) interactions with friends and the average level of classroom substance use. METHODS: Drawn from the cross-national 2009/2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in The Netherlands, 5,642 Dutch adolescents (Mage = 14.29) reported on their substance use, EMC, and FTF interactions. Two-level multilevel analyses (participants nested within classrooms) were run. RESULTS: Electronic media communication was positively associated with adolescent substance use, though significantly more strongly with alcohol (β = 0.15, SEβ = 0.02) than with tobacco (β = 0.05, SEβ = 0.02, t (5,180) = 3.33, p < 0.001) or cannabis use (β = 0.06, SEβ = 0.02, t (5,160) = 2.79, p < 0.01). Further, EMC strengthened several positive associations of FTF interactions and average classroom substance use with adolescent substance use. CONCLUSIONS: Electronic media communication was uniquely associated with substance use, predominantly with alcohol use. Thus, adolescents' EMC and other online behaviors should not be left unnoticed in substance use research and prevention programs. 11 p.

Sexual gender norms promoting sexual prowess for men, but sexual modesty for women have been shown to negatively affect sexual and mental health in both men and women. Knowledge about the relationship between gender norms and sexual cognitions and emotions might further the understanding of continued gender-norm conformity. In the present study, we investigated whether and how gendered sexual attitudes are related to (positive and negative) sex-related emotions, via sexual cognitions (autonomy, body esteem, and approach/avoidance motives for sex). A survey was submitted to 293 heterosexually identified, sexually active, Dutch (central and southern regions) 18–25 year-olds. Results from a moderated mediation model (using structural equation modeling) revealed that women, but not men, who more strongly endorsed traditional gender-related sexual attitudes experienced significantly less positive and more negative emotions, as a result of decreased sexual autonomy and sexual body esteem as well as increased avoidance motives for sex. We conclude that, as a result of negative cognitions associated with the endorsement of traditional gender norms, women in particular are at risk of experiencing negative emotional outcomes in the sexual context. We argue that sexual cognitions and emotions deserve explicit attention in sex-positive and gender-transformative sexuality education, which has been proven to be a vital resource for achieving increased gender-equity in sexual and romantic relationships. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11199-016-0616-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

De seksuele dubbele standaard (SDS) is een patroon van verwachtingen dat (jonge) vrouwen seksuele terughoudendheid voorschrijft, terwijl het (jonge) mannen seksuele activiteit dicteert. Het onderschrijven van deze SDS is geassocieerd met negatieve consequenties voor de seksuele en mentale gezondheid, welke vooral voor vrouwen sterk naar voren komen. Het huidige overzichtsartikel bespreekt vier studies, onderdeel van het proefschrift van Emmerink (2017), waarin de SDS onder heteroseksuele jongeren in Nederland verkend werd. In Studie 1 lag de focus op de ontwikkeling van een nieuwe vragenlijst voor het meten van de SDS ten aanzien van het gedrag van jonge mannen en vrouwen (de “Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards among Youth” (SASSY)). Er werd een goede psychometrische kwaliteit van het instrument vastgesteld. In Studie 2 werden de scores op de SASSY vragenlijst (welke bewuste denkbeelden meet) vergeleken met die op een indirecte meting, een Implicit Association Test (IAT, welke onbewuste denkbeelden meet). Mannen lieten op zowel de SASSY vragenlijst als op de IAT een denkbeeld zien in lijn met de SDS. Vrouwen lieten op de SASSY vragenlijst een denkbeeld zien in lijn met de SDS, maar op de IAT juist niet. Het lijkt erop dat de SDS op verschillende cognitieve niveaus werkt. In Studie 3 werd de relatie tussen het aanhangen van de SDS (de SASSY vragenlijst) met psychoseksuele correlaten bekeken. Mannen en religieuze jongeren blijken de SDS relatief sterker aan te hangen. Dit was tevens het geval voor mannen en vrouwen die sterker belang hechten aan hun eigen mannelijkheid/vrouwelijkheid. Voor alleen mannen was ook een sterker gevoel recht te hebben om seksueel seksueel plezier te ontvangen van de partner geassocieerd met het sterker aanhangen van de SDS. In Studie 4 werd de relatie tussen het aanhangen van de SDS en seksuele cognities en emoties bekeken. Hieruit bleek dat alleen voor vrouwen het sterker aanhangen van de SDS gerelateerd was aan een lagere seksuele autonomie en het ervaren van meer negatieve emoties rondom seks. Ondanks dat de resultaten van de studies er op wijzen dat de SDS in Nederland geen dominant denkbeeld is (de gemiddelde scores waren steeds laag), lijkt het er op dat sommige groepen de SDS wel sterker aanhangen dan anderen. Een voortdurende aandacht voor de mogelijke effecten van de SDS op de seksualiteit van jongeren blijft daarom wenselijk. Het strekt tot aanbeveling zich in toekomstig onderzoek enerzijds te richten op de beïnvloedingsprocessen die ten grondslag liggen aan persoonlijke attituden in lijn met de SDS en anderzijds op de persoonlijke belevingswereld van seksualiteit en seksuele autonomie, het laatste met name bij meisjes en jonge vrouwen.

Even though music is widely used as a source of solace, the question as to how and why music offers consolation remains largely unexplored. The aims of the present study are as follows: (a) to compare listening to music versus other self-soothing behaviors, (b) to explore when music is used as a means for solace, (c) to identify aspects of music that are important for providing solace, and (d) to explore behavior while listening to consoling music. Participants completed an internet survey distributed through the websites of Dutch National Radio 2 and Radio 4 ( N = 445). The survey consisted of the Geneva Emotion and Music Scale (GEMS), the solace-scale from the Music in Mood Regulation questionnaire (MMR), questions concerning means of solace, situations requiring comfort, song aspects, and feelings and activities during music listening. The main findings indicate that: (1) music is the most important source of consolation compared with other soothing behaviors, (2) situations in which people have experienced loss and sadness are the primary situations in which music offers solace, (3) consoling music induces a feeling of being moved and a mixture of both positive and sad emotions; the most important aspects of a song for soothing purposes are the music itself and the lyrics, and (4) music for comfort is listened to predominately in solitude, as the sole activity. On the basis of these findings, a characterization of listening to consoling music is compiled. Behavior and song aspects are discussed in terms of how and why they are helpful in providing solace.

AimTo extend the scholarly debate on (a) whether or not the compulsive use of games and social media should be regarded as behavioral addictions (Kardefelt-Winther et al., 2017) and (b) whether the nine DSM-5 criteria for Internet gaming disorder (IGD; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) are appropriate to distinguish highly engaged, non-disordered users of games and social media from disordered users, this study investigated the impact of engaged and disordered use of games and social media on the psychosocial well-being and school performances of adolescents.MethodsAs part of the Digital Youth Project of the University of Utrecht, a three-wave longitudinal sample of 12- to 15-year-old adolescents (N = 538) was utilized. Three annual online measurements were administered in the classroom setting, including IGD, social media disorder, life satisfaction, and perceived social competence. Schools provided information on students’ grade point average.ResultsThe symptoms of disordered use of games and social media showed to have a negative effect on adolescent’s life satisfaction, and the symptoms of disordered gaming showed a negative impact on adolescents’ perceived social competence. On the other hand, heavy use of games and social media predicted positive effects on adolescents’ perceived social competence. However, the heavy use of social media also predicted a decrease in school performances. Several gender differences in these outcomes are discussed.ConclusionThe findings propose that symptoms of disordered use of games and social media predict a decrease in the psychosocial well-being and school performances of adolescents, thereby meeting one of the core criteria of behavioral addictions.

Adolescents tend to alter their attitudes and behaviors to match those of others; a peer influence process named peer conformity. This study investigated to what extent peer conformity depended on the status (popularity and likeability) of the influencer and the influencee. The study consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, 810 12- to 15-year-old adolescents participated in an experiment to measure peer conformity to one of four hypothetical peer groups designed to vary in levels of popularity and likeability. In Phase 2, a subsample of 269 12- to 13-year-old adolescents participated in three additional experiments in which peer conformity to actual classmates was measured. Results showed that participants were more likely to conform to high status peers than to low status peers, that influencer's level of popularity was stronger associated with peer conformity than their likeability, and that influencee's status (either popularity or likeability) played a lesser role in these effects than initially expected. Further, peer status as a mechanism of peer influence did not operate in the same way for boys and girls. Conclusions from the experiments regarding the degree and direction of peer conformity were discussed.