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Background Having a disabled sibling can be a source of extremely important and enriching experiences that foster the development of social and emotional competences, as well as broadening the child’s perspective and knowledge. On the other hand, it also poses many challenges for the siblings, especially in adolescence. Thus, the aim of the proposed project is to investigate the specificity of the growing up process in young people with disabled siblings. Participants and procedure A total of 160 dyads (320 participants) – an adolescent and one of his/her parents – will take part in this cross-sectional case-control study. Participants will be assigned to four groups, having a sibling with: 1) intellectual disability, 2) motor disability, 3) chronic somatic disease, and 4) the control group – having a sibling without any disability. Both the healthy adolescent and one of the parents will fill out a set of questionnaires regarding the study variables: Questionnaire of Rela-tionships with Siblings, Parental Attitude Scale-2, KidScreen-27, Parentification Questionnaire for Youth, Teenage Rebellion Questionnaire, Child Behavior Checklist 6-18. Results The primary outcomes include investigating the healthy adolescent functioning in three environments: family, peers and school. The proposed research model focuses both on the difficulties associated with having a disabled sibling (e.g. possible occurrence of disorders) and resources (e.g. higher quality of relationships in the family, especially in the sibling subsys-tem). Conclusions The proposed comprehensive approach to the issue of disability in the family from the perspective of a healthy child will allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the process of growing up with disabled siblings.

Background: Previous cross-sectional studies have found a beneficial relationship between greenspace and children's behaviour. Nevertheless, evidence on the mechanisms underlying this association remains scant. We examined whether the availability of greenspace was related to fewer behavioural problems in Polish children and investigated potential mechanisms. Methods: Data were obtained from the case-control NeuroSmog study, in which children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were tested from October 2020 to September 2022. The analytic sample comprised 679 children aged 10–13 years. Parents reported internalizing, externalizing, and total behavioural problems using the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL), as well as information about the presence of a domestic garden and potential mediators: greenspace perception, neighbourhood social cohesion, and physical activity. Tree and grass covers were extracted in 500 m and 1 km buffers around lifelong residences. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the psychosocial pathways linking the greenspace metrics to behavioural problems. Results: Greenspace was only indirectly related to fewer behavioural problems. Specifically, tree cover was related to greater levels of physical activity which, in turn, was related to fewer internalizing and total behavioural problems. Tree cover and presence of garden were related to greenspace perception which, in turn, was associated with higher neighbourhood social cohesion which, in turn, was linked to fewer behavioural problems. The patterns of associations in children without ADHD were very similar to those in the full sample except that the associations from garden to greenspace perception and from physical activity to total behavioural problems were no longer significant. The only association persisted among girls was from neighbourhood social cohesion to behavioural problems and among boys were from tree cover to physical activity and tree cover and garden to greenspace perception. Conclusion: Trees and garden, but not grass, are linked to fewer behavioural problems through greenspace perception, neighbourhood social cohesion, and physical activity in Polish children.

This cross-sectional study conducted in Poland explored the relationship between the fear of negative appearance evaluations, eating disorders, and physical activity objectives, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale (FNAES), the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), and the Physical Activity Goals Inventory (IPAO) were administered to 644 participants (455 males with a mean age of 35.2 ± 6.2 years and 189 females with a mean age of 30.18 ± 5.7 years). This study explored the effects of gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) on FNAES, EAT-26, and IPAO scores. The results of this study demonstrated that females scored higher on fear of negative appearance, peaking at 41–50 years of age. Distinct BMI categories were associated with different negative appearance fear scores, eating attitudes, and physical activity objectives. Significant correlations were also found between the fear of negative appearance, dietary attitudes, and physical activity goals. Eating attitudes completely moderated the relationship between the fear of negative appearance and physical activity objectives. A significant interaction effect of age and body mass index on physical activity objectives was also revealed. These results highlight the relevance of considering gender, age, and body mass index when examining the associations between the fear of negative appearance, eating attitudes, and physical activity objectives.

ObjectiveTo review and meta-analyze patterns of attention deficit in primary-school-age children with ADHD measured with the neuropsychological attention network test (ANT).MethodsSix electronic databases were searched to 5.05.2022. Selection criteria included prospective cohort and intervention studies; ANT used; primary-school-age; diagnosis of ADHD/at high risk.ResultsSeven studies met inclusion criteria (N = 3,826). Compared with controls, children with ADHD had higher scores for Reaction Time (Hedges’ g = 0.433; 95% CI: 0.135–0.731), Reaction Time Variability (Hedges’ g = 0.334; 95% CI: 0.012–0.657), and Alerting Network (Hedges’ g = 0.235; 95% CI: 0.021–0.449) while children at high risk had higher Alerting Network scores (Hedges’ g = 0.176; 95% CI: 0.003–0.349) and Correctness scores (Hedges’ g = 1.956; 95% CI: 0.020–3.892).ConclusionsChildren with ADHD and at risk of ADHD had different ANT results from children without ADHD only for the alerting network. There were no significant differences for executive and orienting outcomes. Children at risk of ADHD also made more errors (commission and omission) measured with the ANT compared with children without ADHD. Reaction time was longer and reaction time variability higher in children with ADHD than in children without ADHD, and in children at risk of ADHD compared with children without ADHD.PreregistrationA protocol has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (registration number: CRD42021249768).

Abstract The influence of sociocultural attitudes toward the body on young people’s physical activity has received increasing attention. However, there is a lack of cross-cultural research in this area. The main aim of this research was to identify the similarities and differences in the sociocultural attitudes toward the body of Polish and Chinese young people who grew up in European and Asian cultures and to analyze their effect on the motivation for physical activity. A cross-sectional research study was conducted among 18- to 30-year-old Polish (n = 259) and Chinese (n = 208) young people. The variables were measured using the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire 3 (SATAQ 3) and the Inventory of Physical Activity Objectives (IPAO). Descriptive and comparative statistics, Spearman’s rho, and the stepwise multiple regression analysis were used. The main analysis showed There are both similarities and significant differences in the performance of young Polish and Chinese men and women on the variables studied; Internalization-Athlete, Pressures, and Internalization-General are universal sociocultural predictors of motivation for physical activity among young people in Poland and China; Information is a specific sociocultural predictor of motivation for physical activity in Polish young people. The cultural nuances need to be considered in understanding young people’s Motivation for undertaking physical activity.

IntroductionParents' supportiveness and health-promoting habits significantly affect the intensity of children's physical activity (PA) and the involvement of parents in their engagement in PA; in this domain, both the hours devoted to PA and PA goals can be assessed. The family plays an important role in shaping the physical and social organization of the environment for children aged 4–6 years.MethodsA total of 680 families with 5-year-old children (330 girls, 350 boys) took part in the study. Data were collected from these participants, who were recruited from preschools and primary schools in the Pomeranian region of Poland. The aim of this study was to determine whether the involvement of parents in PA mediates the influence of parental attitudes on the ways in which their children spend their leisure time.ResultsThe results showed that not all parental attitudes had direct impact on children's leisure time in PA and outside PA. Other aspects parental attitude had no significant impact on offspring's free time. Among fathers, only four aspects of parental attitude (namely, acceptance–rejection, inconsistency, autonomy, and overprotectiveness) had an impact on PA goals. Mothers' goals were influenced by the strength of a larger number of aspects of attitude (namely, acceptance–rejection, autonomy, inconsistency, over-demandingness, and overprotectiveness). Similarly, the strength of mothers' and fathers' acceptance–rejection attitudes, attitudes of autonomy, and overprotectiveness had an impact on their PA goals but were not directly linked to their children's leisure-time engagement in PA.DiscussionNot all parental attitudes have a direct impact on children's PA or non-PA leisure time. However, the goals of PA parents have been recognized influence the leisure time of children in PA and outside PA. The most statistically significant relationship for both mothers and fathers was between parental attitudes and PA goals. Parental attitudes do not play a significant role in explaining involvement in PA or lack of it in leisure time among 5-year-old children.

ObjectiveBased on the theory of Job Demands-Resources, this study has been set out to examine how parenting demands, parenting resources affect parental burnout of primary school students’ parents.MethodsAn online survey with four scales (Parenting Stress Scale, Perceived Family Support Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale and Parental Burnout Scale) was completed by 600 parents of students from three primary schools in Central China. Structural equation models were implemented.ResultsParenting stress had a positive impact on parental burnout (β = 0.486, p

Abstract Background Obesity is considered to be one of the most important factors reducing the sense of happiness and satisfaction with life, especially among women. This belief already exists in middle childhood, as the preschool period is a crucial point in the development of attitudes towards beauty. Preschoolers can identify physically attractive individuals, and they might already form attributions regarding the looks of adults (especially women), which in turn may constitute a foundation for their future concept of beauty-related happiness. Children’s attitudes towards the body are also strongly influenced by the content of gender stereotypes that prescribe and proscribe what women and men should look like. In our study, we aimed to analyse the relationship between associations of obesity and happiness made by preschool girls and boys (5-year-olds). Methods A total of 680 families with five-year-old children (329 girls, 351 boys; M age = 5.7 years) and both parents took part in the study. Children’s associations of different types of body sizes with perceptions of happiness were measured with the Beauty & Health pictorial scale. Results Our results indicate that obese bodies were seen as unattractive, independent of gender (p

Objectives: Sensation seeking (SS) is associated with engaging in risk behaviors and it is also positively correlated with engaging in physical activity and building beneficial personality resources for coping processes. This study investigates the role of SS in building resiliency and the risk of tobacco and alcohol use.Methods: A total of 649 adolescents, who either practice or do not practice sports, took part in this study. Participants completed a set of questionnaires which verify level of: SS, resiliency, tobacco and alcohol use.Results: No statistically significant gender- or sports-related differences were observed on the tobacco and alcohol use, as well as for SS according to the ANOVA results. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that the effect of SS on tobacco and alcohol use through resiliency was significant for the female PE and the male athlete group.Conclusion: Higher influence of SS on resiliency was noted in the male athlete group, and in this case resiliency was a factor protecting against tobacco use. Engaging in sports fosters resiliency, the mechanisms underlying the development of resiliency seem to be aided by SS.

BackgroundObligatory exercise has been shown to have negative physical and mental effects on exercisers and is more prevalent among young people. However, there is limited research on obligatory exercise among young men. Social comparison theory offers a novel perspective to explore the relationship between sociocultural factors and obligatory exercise among young men, which offers an opportunity to understand potential factors contributing to obligatory exercise among young men across different cultures.MethodWe recruited a purposive sample of young people aged 18-30 from Poland (n=79) and China (n=194). Participants completed self-report measures including the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire3, Inventory of Physical Activity Objectives, and Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire. In the data analysis stage, we examined the strength of the relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable through multiple regression analysis, and tested the role of the mediating variables.ResultsThe main analyses revealed that Internalization-Athlete was a common direct predictor of obligatory exercise for both Polish and Chinese young men; that there were direct sociocultural predictors of obligatory exercise that were only used in relation to Polish or Chinese young men; and that social adaptation goals for motivation for physical activity mediated the development of obligatory exercise for Polish and Chinese young men, and that there were cross-cultural differences.ConclusionAttention should be paid to their attitudes towards the idea of a muscular and athletic body and socially adapted physical activity motivations when understanding young men’s obligatory exercise, while also considering cross-cultural differences.

IntroductionOur aim was to analyze the strength of the family’s influence on the internalization of the ideal of an athletic figure and, consequently, on the multifactorial image of the body, from the perspective of intercultural differencesMethodsA total of 488 healthy women aged 19–26; of Polish (154), Ukrainian (228), and Italian (106) took part in the study. The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-4) and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ 69) were used to measure athletic ideal internalization and family pressure. The body image of Ukrainian, Polish, and Italian women depends both on the degree of internalization the ideal of an athletic figure and influence of the familyResults and DiscussionThe research also suggests significant differences between the three populations, which may suggest cultural differences between young women living in Eastern, Central, and South European countries.

BackgroundDevelopmental learning disorder (DLD) belongs to neurodevelopmental disorders because it results from the developmental neurodiversity of the brain. The main causes of DLD are genetics, but environmental factors, like inadequate supply of oxygen during pregnancy or labor, are considered.MethodsOur search strategy will consist of electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) and hand searching. The observational studies including cohort and case-control studies will be included. The primary outcome will be (DLD). Screening and eligibility will be done independently by two reviewers based on pre-specified eligibility criteria. Data extraction will be based on a pre-pilot data extraction form, and conducted by two authors independently. Study quality will be assessed by two authors independently. Any discrepancies identified at any stage of the review will be resolved by discussion or/and consultation with another reviewer. We plan a narrative and tabular summary of the findings.DiscussionThis systematic review of aetiology follows the traditional approach to evidence-based healthcare. This secondary research will assess the association between hypoxia and DLD by assessing the relationship of health-related event and outcome and examining the association between them. This review can provide information for healthcare professionals and policymakers indicating whether taking into account information about hypoxia should be permanently included in the diagnostic ontogenetic interview in the process of diagnosing neurodevelopmental disorders.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO: CRD42022371387.

Abstract Background This retrospective study aimed to identify possible intensification of mental health difficulties among women seeking support in the postpartum period during the epidemic state in Poland. We assumed that the epidemic crisis, social isolation, and restrictions in hospitals which affect pregnant and postpartum women - lack of family labors, lack of the possibility to be with the newborn when he/she is hospitalized, may increase fear and reduce psychosocial resources of women, hinder their normal process of transition to motherhood and thus contribute to the intensified severity of depressive symptoms. Methods The study participants were women seeking support at the on-line platform of the project ‘Next Stop: Mum’, which is a part of the postpartum depression prevention’s program implemented by the Ministry of Health in Poland, and enables remote self-screening for the severity of the postpartum depression symptoms with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale developed by Cox and collaborators. The analyzed data in this study were obtained from 139 women: 61 filled forms from October 1 - November 10, 2019 (non-epidemic period), and 78 filled forms from February 20–March 30 (beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic), 2020. Results A statistically significant difference in the severity of postpartum depression symptoms were observed among women making a self-assessment with EPDS scale at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic in Poland (M = 15.71; SD = 6.23), compared to the pre-epidemic neutral period (M = 13.56; SD = 6.46). Conclusions The results of this study indicate that the epidemic crisis may be associated with an increased need for additional caution and support of women’s mental health in the postpartum period. We believe that recommendations for medical staff, policy, and families of women struggling with postpartum depression symptoms during crisis should be widespread as the second wave of COVID-19 disease may develop in the autumn-winter 2020 and spring 2021.

ObjectiveBody-image disturbance and eating disorders are significant physical and mental health problems in China. Attitudes toward the body are thought to work in conjunction with other established risk factors for dietary pathology, which include body dissatisfaction, dieting, and negative effects. Negative appearance evaluation may be valuable for extending our understanding of measuring factors and potential causal relationships associated with body image and eating problems. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between negative appearance evaluation and a combination of eating attitudes and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance and the mediating effect of negative appearance evaluation on the relationship between eating attitudes and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance.MethodsWe invited 339 Chinese adults to undergo the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale (FNAES), and the Sociocultural Attitudes toward Appearance (SATAQ-3) scale, and used AMOS 24.0 for model construction and mediating effects testing.ResultsThere was a significant positive correlation between EAT-26 scores and FNAES (p < 0.001) and SATAQ-3 scores (p < 0.001), and all dimensions except internalization general were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between FNAES and SATAQ-3 scores for all dimensions (p < 0. 01). There was no significant direct effect of eating attitude on sociocultural attitude toward appearance; however, there was a significant mediating effect of fear of negative appearance evaluation.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that negative appearance evaluation fully mediates the relationship between eating attitudes and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance. An individual’s attitude toward eating affects negative body perceptions and thus their perception of their own body shape. Our exploration of the specific effects of eating attitudes on body perception provides a psychological basis for guidance and developing interventions regarding attitudes toward the body.

Background The new training allowance policy has been put in the Social Insurance Institution to bring back to employment workers with health problems unfit for their previous occupation. These people, following specific vocational training, may acquire new skills and competencies to stay on the labor market. The aim of this study was to assess the role of the Social Insurance Institution in the activation of persons with health problems, which was carried out by issuing opinions about the appropriateness of vocational retraining. Material and Methods The analysis included 460 cases in which decisions on the appropriateness of vocational retraining, due to the inability to work in the current profession, were issued in 2009. Results It was found that 40.9% of the analyzed cases were not in accordance with the principles of adjudicating on the incapacity for work and applicable law. The majority of the study group (72.4%) were people with basic vocational education. No significant changes were found as regards gender, age and the place of residence between the retrained (N = 89) and not retrained subjects (N = 252). In the retrained group including 89 persons, 13 subjects started to collect pension again within 6 months; and 1 person collected pension while working. In addition, 51 (57.3%) retrained subjects were unemployed. After 12 months, the number of unemployed subjects decreased to 31. Conclusions The effectiveness of the training allowance as a tool for the activation of people with health problems, expressed as the number of retrained people who returned to the labor market, is low. More than 80% of the people fail to get retrained and some of them again submit pension applications. A large number of incorrect vocational retraining opinions, as well as the lack of cooperation between institutions conducting retraining (the Social Insurance Institution and labor offices) resulted in a limited effectiveness of the training allowance. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the training allowance, it is necessary to carry out organizational and legislative changes, with particular emphasis on expanding the knowledge of medical examiners representing the Social Insurance Institution and occupational health physicians, as well as to improve cooperation between all institutions involved in the occupational activation of people with health problems. Med Pr. 2020;71(3):309–23

Mass media and social networks portray a unified image of the perfect male body. The intensity and universality of this influence is an important element of the process of Westernization, especially in traditional cultures such as that of Poland. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the differences between Polish gay and heterosexual men in terms of the role played by self-esteem and the level of internalization of sociocultural standards of body appearance as predictors of the development of their body images. The research study was conducted by reference to 19- to 29-year-old Polish heterosexual (n = 287) and gay (n = 97) men. The variables were measured using Polish versions of the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Scale-3, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Multidimensional Body–Self Relations Questionnaire. Statistical analyses identified several variables as the main predictors of body image in both heterosexual and gay young men: self-esteem, information-seeking, perceived pressure and the internalization of sociocultural standards regarding an athletic body image drawn from mass media. The only significant difference between the two groups was the fact that self-esteem, perceived pressure and the internalization of sociocultural standards from mass media did not play a predictive role with respect to Appearance Orientation among the group of gay men.

BackgroundAttentional deficits are among the most bothersome symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To date, the neurological basis of attentional deficits has not been fully described according to the diagnostic criteria. ADHD may result from deficits in various attributes of attention. There is no specialist neuropsychological diagnostic method that allows reliable distinction between primary attention disorders in the etiology of ADHD and secondary problems that may arise due to co-morbidities. This protocol aims to systematically review the literature to evaluate patterns of attention common to school-age children either diagnosed with ADHD or at high risk of ADHD, as measured by the neuropsychological attention network test (ANT).MethodsOur search strategy will consist of electronic databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) and hand searching. Both prospective cohort studies and prospective studies of intervention effects will be included, provided they used the ANT. The primary output variable will be attention deficits. Screening and eligibility will be done independently by two reviewers based on pre-specified eligibility criteria. Data extraction will be based on a pre-pilot data extraction form and conducted by two authors independently. The risk of bias will be assessed by two authors independently. The rating of the certainty of the entire body of evidence will be evaluated using the GRADE approach. Any discrepancies identified at any stage of the review will be resolved by discussion or/and consultation with another reviewer. We plan a narrative synthesis of findings and a quantitative meta-analysis if the data allow.DiscussionThe research will identify patterns of neuropsychological ANT results characteristic of both school-age children diagnosed with ADHD and those at high risk of having ADHD. Our results could be used to check whether the pattern of a child's performance in the ANT corresponds to the characteristic pattern of the results of children with ADHD. At present, the ANT is used only in research; the results of this review will serve as a useful benchmark. Hopefully, in the future, it will be possible to use the ANT in the wider diagnosis of ADHD.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO: CRD42021249768.

The goal of this study was to investigate the role of the subjective assessment of one's body image in the relationship between objective indices of appearance and perceived stigma in young women affected by obesity and psoriasis. These are chronic diseases that decrease one's physical attractiveness and are associated with stigmas related to body defects. A total of 188 women in early adulthood took part in the study (M = 25.58; SD = 2.90), including obese women (n = 54), women suffering from psoriasis (n = 57), and a control group (n = 77). The participants completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, Perceived Stigmatisation Questionnaire, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Anthropometric data were gathered using a body composition analyzer. Objective parameters of body shape were calculated (WHR and ICO). Subjective assessment of one's body and attitudes towards one's body were found to influence perceived stigma, independently of the condition causing the stigma and of the objective appearance of the participant. This study did not support the existence of a relationship between parameters regarding body shape and sense of stigma, even when subjective body assessment acted as a moderator. At the same time, body mass was a strong predictor of levels of perceived stigma. Women affected with obesity perceived a higher level of stigma than the other groups. The severity of psoriasis did not impact the perceived stigma. Moreover, women with psoriasis assessed their health—as a part of the assessment of their bodies—the highest, which may explain the lower perceived stigma in this group.

The aim of the article is to discuss the standards of clinical diagnosis in children and adolescents in the context of theoretical models and psychological practice. Contemporary clinical practice standards refer to evidence-based practice (including evidence-based psychological practice, EBPP). A correct interdisciplinary diagnosis, as in the global standards, is primarily required due to an observed increase in the prevalence of emotional problems, behavioural difficulties and mental disorders among younger and younger children. The clinical psychological diagnostic process plays a key role in this respect. It is a process that takes into account both the individual and developmental context as well as the biopsychosocial nature of difficulties experienced by the child. Inference based on the interview, observation and results of standardised psychological tools, referring to clinical research and scientific theories, is an essential part of this process. The paper discusses in detail the worldwide standards of a clinical psychological diagnostic process and the specificity of clinical diagnosis in children and adolescents. At the same time, guidelines for clinical psychological diagnosis in children and adolescents have been proposed in relation to the Polish realities of clinical practice. The authors prepared and shared a list of psychological tests for use in clinical assessment of children and adolescents. The list is divided based on the studied development period (early childhood, pre-school age, school age, adolescence) and the specificity of measuring psychological variables (diagnosis of development, intelligence, cognitive abilities, emotional and social competence and personality, language development, family context, symptoms of mental disorders). The proposed psychological test list corresponds to the contemporary approach to clinical diagnosis, taking into account both the psychological profile and the socio-cultural context of the examined person’s functioning (psychosocial diagnosis). The evidence-based practice and the proposed list of psychological tools assume that good clinical practice should be based not only on the clinician’s experience, but above all on verified, reliable data and available scientific research.

Research lacks in verifying the nature of the relationship between mass media pressure, body image, and the risk of unhealthy eating behaviors. This study aimed to investigate whether the internalization of sociocultural norms, perceived pressure or searching for information about body image promoted by the mass media directly affect restrictive and bulimic behavior toward eating, through the mediating role of body image and physical appearance variables. The research hypotheses were that (1, 2) body image, the pressure and the internalization of sociocultural norms are significant predictors of unhealthy eating behavior among women and men; and (3) the variables related to body image play the role of the mediating variable between the impact of socio-cultural standards of body image promoted by the mass media and unhealthy eating behavior. The sample comprised 514 Polish men and women, aged 16 to 63 old (men M=24.35; SD=13.53; women M=24.77; SD=7.61), with average Body Mass Index (BMI). Assessment comprised the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Scale (SATAQ-3), Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI 3), The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ-AS), and the author’s survey questionnaire. The descriptive and comparative statistics, and a path analysis (structural equations modeling) were applied. The statistical analysis showed that the variables related to body image do not play the role of intermediary variables. The pressure of sociocultural standards of body image and physical appearance had the strongest and most direct effect on the development of restrictive eating behavior and appeared to negatively affect body image in women. The search of information on body image in the mass media had the strongest and most direct impact on the development of bulimic eating behavior among women. However, only the global internalization of sociocultural standards of body image and physical appearance had a significant and direct effect on the development of bulimic eating behavior in men. Moreover, the internalization of athletic body shape standards had the strongest and most positive impact on some aspects of body image in this group. No sociocultural variables showed a direct impact on restrictive behavior among studied men. BMI had a positive and direct impact on individual body part satisfaction. These results may help improve prevention of eating disorders and dysfunctional eating behavior.

A strong sociocultural context could affect an individual’s aesthetic standards. In order to achieve a socially recognized ideal appearance, obligatory exercisers might increase dieting behavior when exercise actions are disturbed, thereby placing the individual at risk of eating disorders. The current study mainly examined the relationship between obligatory exercise and eating attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and considered the mediating role of externalized sociocultural attitudes towards appearance between the two. A total of 342 participants (175 females, 167 males) from various regions of China were invited to fill out the questionnaires including the Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire, the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire-3, and the Eating Attitudes Test. In total, 51.5% of the participants presented symptoms of an obligatory exercise behavior. Among them, males, young adults, and the participants with lower BMI had higher OEQ scores, whereas females and young adults had higher EAT-26 scores. Meanwhile, 9.4% of the participants might have had an eating disorder. The OEQ score was positively correlated with the EAT-26 total score as well as SATAQ-3 ‘Pressures’ and ‘Information’ subscales. In addition, the EAT-26 total score was positively correlated with the SATAQ-3 ‘Pressures’ and ‘Information’ subscales. Externalized sociocultural attitudes towards appearance served as a mediator between obligatory exercise behavior and eating attitudes, and the mediation effect accounted for 56.82% of the total effect. Obligatory exercise behavior may have an indirect effect on eating attitudes through sociocultural attitudes towards appearance. Given the sociocultural information and pressures, in order to maintain or pursue an ideal appearance, many people tend to keep a pathological diet. Thus, forming a positive and healthy social aesthetic orientation is beneficial in helping obligatory exercisers to develop reasonable eating habits.

The aim of this paper is to identify psychological factors which are culture specific or common predictors for restrictive and bulimic behaviors towards eating for young women raised in different cultures. The study included 661 young women from Poland (n = 233) and Vietnam (n = 428). Subjects filled-in the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI-3) and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS), and body measurements were collected to calculate anthropometric indices. Women form Vietnam were less satisfied with their appearance than were their Polish peers, but Vietnamese showed a lower level of preoccupation with being overweight and fear of obesity. Intercultural differences indicate that Vietnamese women show greater intensities for psychological variables, connected with restrictive and bulimic eating behaviors, verified in the research model: low self-esteem, personal alienation, interpersonal insecurity, interpersonal alienation, emotional dysregulation, interoceptive deficits, perfectionism and asceticism, and anxiety.

Background During childhood, parents are the first and most important individuals who form the base of the content of gender stereotypes in children. A parent’s expectations about the extent a child’s behaviour should be line with gender stereotypes also depends on the intensity of a parent’s sexism. A parent’s sexism may be exhibited in parental attitudes. Hence, in our study we analysed the relationship between parental ambivalent sexism and parental attitudes within dyads of mothers and fathers with a special focus on the role of the gender of both parents and children. Participants and procedure Two hundred and ninety-four couples of parents of five-year-olds (153 girls, 141 boys) participated. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) was used to measure levels of sexism, and the Parental Attitudes Scale (SPR) was used to assess parental attitudes. Results In terms of the profile of parental attitudes, regardless of the child’s sex, mothers and fathers scored highest for inconsequent and demanding attitudes, and lowest for overprotective and autonomy attitudes. The child’s sex is also not important for the overall levels of parents’ sexism – fathers exhibit higher levels of hostile sexism in comparison to mothers. Only the mothers’ education level is important for levels of sexism – women with higher education exhibited the lowest levels of hostile sexism. The child’s sex moderates relationships between parents’ sexism and parental attitudes. In the case of mothers of sons, the intensity of benevolent sexism is negatively related to overprotective and demanding attitudes. The more educated the mothers of sons, the more demanding they were. For fathers of sons, the inconsequence attitude increases under the influence of both hostile and benevolent sexism. Among fathers of daughters, hostile sexism strengthens the overprotective attitude, while levels of both benevolent and hostile sexism as well as education influence the autonomy attitude. Conclusions The gender of both the parents and the child moderates the relationship between sexism and parental attitudes. The role of sexism in shaping the attitude of mothers towards sons is the most prominent – it seems that it guards the ‘manliness’ of young boys.

Background We attempted to assess whether students identified by their teachers as gifted in the domain of science are characterised by significantly higher levels of intelligence and creativity than other students. We investigated the features of their personalities that are indicators of their exhibited creative or reproductive attitude in the cognitive and the motivational domains. As a consequence, criteria will be developed for identifying gifted students. Participants and procedure Ninety-seven students, aged 13-17, took part in the study. The students were previously identified by their teachers as gifted. Levels of intellectual functioning were assessed using a battery of tests for diagnosing intelligence (APIS-P) and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM). Creativity was estimated using the Test for Creative Thinking – Drawing Production (TCT-DP), and creative attitude was assessed using the KANH questionnaire. Results Analysis of the results revealed that students nominated by their teachers scored significantly higher than their peers in general intelligence and creativity tests. Moreover, they were characterised by a more frequent choice of heuristic behaviours in the cognitive domain and nonconformity in the motivational domain. Additionally, there was a statistical trend a general creative attitude among the nominated students. Conclusions We found that gifted students scored high on general intelligence and creativity tests. Consistency between the teachers’ nominations and our results indicates that the criteria for identifying gifted students are appropriate. Moreover, instructing teachers about a creative attitude helped them to also identify gifted students with higher levels of nonconformity and who create their own heuristics for behaviour. These characteristics are valuable for innovative activity, which is what programmes for gifted students try to encourage.

The growing number of women, who are characterized by restrictive and bulimic behaviours towards their own body is observed especially in countries influenced by Westernalization. However, there is a lack of cross-cultural studies in this area. The main aim of the present study was to examine the psychological and socio-cultural risk factors for eating disorders in Polish and Japanese women. A cross-sectional research study was conducted among 18- to 29-year old Polish (n = 89) and Japanese (n = 97) women. The variables were measured using the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale SATAQ-3, and the Eating Disorders Inventory EDI-3. The descriptive and comparative statistics, Spearman’s rho, and the stepwise regression analysis were used. The global internalization of socio-cultural standards of body image proved to be a significant predictor of Body Dissatisfaction among Polish and Japanese women. The main analysis showed a significant relation between the Drive for Thinness and Interoceptive Deficits in the group of Japanese women, as well as a correlation between Drive for Thinness and Asceticism in the group of Polish women. The obtained results could improve the prevention aimed the dysfunctional eating behaviours. However, the cultural nuances need to be considered in understanding the risk factors for eating disorders.

While there is a general consensus on the biological implications of health-related behaviors, there is little research on the implications of health-related behaviors on body-esteem in a nonclinical population of men. This study aimed to examine, using a multidimensional measure of health-related behaviors and controlling for body mass index (BMI), whether body-esteem in men can be predicted by health-related behaviors. Five hundred and sixty-one men between the ages of 30 and 45 years ( M = 35.42, SD = 4.41) completed the Body-Esteem Scale (BES), the Health Behaviour Inventory (HBI), and a questionnaire covering anthropometric measures including height and weight. Multiple regression analyses revealed that health-related behaviors (including positive nutrition habits, positive attitude, and healthy practices) significantly predicted body-esteem, R 2 adj = 0.05, F (5, 540) = 6.91, p < .001. The results are discussed in relation to healthy lifestyle promotion interventions targeting men.

When a foreign language (FL) acquisition begins in preschool, at which time young learners are particularly linguistically sensitive, it allows for a higher FL competence in future. Moreover, a second language learning depends on a learner’s aptitude. The aim of our study was to assess the early predictors of learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Polish pre-school students who had not yet started formal literacy instruction, and to characterize the level of their oral receptive and active skills in English. 30 children aged between 3 years 5 months and 5 years 10 months who attended two private and one state kindergarten, participated in the study. All were native speakers of Polish, and apart from English classes, communicated in their first language at kindergarten and in their everyday life. Non-verbal intelligence, emerging literacy, phonological awareness in Polish, and knowledge of English were assessed. We found that in Polish pre-school children emerging letter identification from their first language alphabet, phonological awareness in their first language, and non-verbal intelligence were related to the achievements in learning EFL, despite the differences in transparency between the two languages. Moreover, the children’s passive color vocabulary was larger than their active vocabulary, and they were used to repetition tasks. The participants in our study attempted to communicate in English during the assessment, which suggests that even at a pre-school age they were able to differentiate between first language and FL discourse. We also identified some problems possibly stemming from linguistic transfer, like articles omissions. Therefore, teachers should pay more emphasis to the differences between the first and the second language, in terms of: syntax, morphology, phonetics, phonology, and orthography, to prevent later consolidation of early errors. The automatisation of correct linguistic habits in young learners would equip them with skills for their later FL educational success.

W nawiązaniu do komentarza Pracowni Testów Psychologicznych Polskiego Towarzystwa Psychologicznego (Matczak i Stańczak, 2019) pragniemy podkreślić, że istotą artykułu opublikowanego w „Psychiatrii i Psychologii Klinicznej” w nrze 1/2019 (Sitnik-Wachulska et al., 2019) nie jest przegląd ani szczegółowy opis dostępnych metod diagnostycznych czy zasad budowy narzędzi psychologicznych, a tym bardziej – ich promocja albo recenzja. Artykuł ma na celu zwrócenie uwagi na specyfikę klinicznej diagnozy psychologicznej, w tym jej odmienność od innych rodzajów diagnozy psychologicznej, a także diagnozy medycznej. Ideą jest pokazanie złożonego procesu diagnostycznego, w którym dobór konkretnych narzędzi stanowi jeden z elementów, konsekwencję sformułowanych hipotez, nie zaś istotę sprawy. Chcielibyśmy zaznaczyć, że kliniczna diagnoza psychologiczna to całościowy proces wnioskowania, niedający się sprowadzić do wyniku w danym teście psychologicznym.

Background Physical attractiveness plays an important part in one’s social functioning. The interest in one’s own appearance have been documented as widespread among the female population, but over the recent years it is more and more often emphasized that concentrating on body appearance concerns men as well. Franzoi and Shields (1984) created the Body Esteem Scale which allows to qualify the subject’s attitude towards his or her own body. The aim of the study was to create a Polish version of the Body Esteem Scale along with the norms for age and sex clusters. Participants and procedure The normalization sample consisted of 4298 participants: 1865 women aged 16 to 80 (M = 29.92; SD = 12.85) and 2433 men aged 16 to 78 (M = 28.74; SD = 11.50). Education levels among the participants were also controlled for. In order to create a Polish version of the Body Esteem Scale, translation was adopted as the adaptation strategy. Like the original one, the Polish scale comprises 35 items grouped into three gender specific subscales. The subscales for women include Sexual Attractiveness, Weight Concern, and Physical Condition, whereas the body esteem of is examined with regards to Physical Attractiveness, Upper Body Strength, and Physical Condition. Results Reliability of subscales was high both for females (Cronbach’s alpha from 0.80 to 0.89) and males (Cronbach’s alpha from 0.85 to 0.88). The given coefficients of reliability cover the original division into subscales adopted by the authors of BES. Conclusions We confirmed high reliability of the Polish version of the Body Esteem Scale, thus we recommend it as a diagnostic tool. Created norms allowed to refer results obtained in the course of research carried out on people with various disorders (e.g. eating disorders or body dysmorphic disorder) with population data for corresponding age brackets.

Research indicates that life satisfaction declines with age, and cognitive abilities are gradually reduced—mainly attentional functioning and cognitive processing speed. Therefore, scientists seek to find protective factors and test possible intervention programs; moderately intensive physical activity stands out as particularly promising. In this context, we evaluated the influence of Nordic Walking training supported by vitamin D supplementation (as this nutrient is especially deficient in older people in Poland) on the cognitive and psychological functioning of elderly women. A total of 52 healthy elderly women took part in a Nordic Walking training program complemented by vitamin D supplementation. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Trail Making Test and the D2 Test of Attention. Quality of life and severity of depressive symptoms were measured with the Short Form Health Survey and the Beck Depression Inventory 2. Significant improvements in all aspects of cognitive functioning was observed (p = 0.01−0.47). The study also showed a decrease in depressive symptoms (p = 0.026). Physical activity and adequate levels of vitamin D can be the key factors in maintaining self-reliance in old age. Involvement in Nordic Walking training, supported by vitamin D supplementation, can strengthen the cognitive functioning of older people—reflected in higher attentional capabilities, better executive functions, and improved cognitive processing speed.

The aim of the above research was to identify the temperamental profile differentiating children with diagnosed ADHD from their friends who are not affected by developmental deficiency. Moreover, the objective was to examine whether the temperamental profile of hyperactive children can be characterized by the same specific configuration of traits. Material and method: The experimental group comprised 63 children with diagnosed ADHD (32 girls and 31 boys). The control group consisted of children without any diagnosed developmental deficiency (37 girls and 30 boys) in the age adequate to the research group (control group aged M=11.5; SD=0.9; ADHD children aged M=11.6; SD=0.4). Temperamental profile was evaluated by means of Buss and Plomin EAS-C Temperament Questionnaire, Polish version adapted by Oniszczenko (1997) and evaluated by parents and teachers. The severity of symptoms criterial for ADHD was described with the use of Wolańczyk and Kołakowski Questionnaire for diagnosing ADHD and behavioural disorders (2005). Results: Correlates were found between the severity of ADHD symptoms and the child’s specific temperamental profile. In case of hyperactive children, teachers ranked shyness significantly higher (t=-5.2; p=0.000), whereas parents ranked emotionality higher (t=5.1; p=0.000). In both examined groups the activity level was estimated as average and high (6-7 sten). It appeared that the trait differentiating the temperamental profile of children from both groups was emotionality – a higher level of this trait was indicated both by parents (t=8.6; p=0.000) and teachers (t=6.4; p=0.000). As far as the relation between particular temperamental traits and criterial ADHD dimensions is concerned, a correlation was found between emotionality and impulsivity (r=3.4; p=0.008) and hyperactivity (r=3.5; p=0.007) in parents’ evaluation and impulsivity (r=3.6; p=0.004) in teachers’ perception. Moreover, the teachers also emphasised the correlation between sociability and inattention (r=4.3; p=0.001). Conclusions: There is a correlation between the severity of hyperactivity symptoms and the configuration of temperamental features in children. Hyperactive children exhibit a specific temperamental profile.

Zespół nadpobudliwości psychoruchowej z deficytem uwagi (ADHD) i dysleksja rozwojowa (RD) należą do najczę- ściej diagnozowanych zaburzeń rozwojowych dzieci w wieku szkolnym. Dane dotyczące częstości występowania obu tych zaburzeń wskazują, że ponad 10% uczniów dotkniętych jest przynajmniej jednym z nich, 25-40% osób z ADHD ma również symptomy dysleksji, a 15-40% osób z dysleksją rozwojową przejawia zachowania diagnostyczne charakterystyczne dla nadpobudliwości psychoruchowej. Istnieje wiele konkurencyjnych hipotez tłumaczących współwystępowanie zaburzeń. Najpopularniejsze koncepcje współwystępowania tych zaburzeń to: koncepcja objawów fenotypowych, nielosowego doboru, poznawczego podtypu ADHD oraz zbliżonej etiologii. Jako że w obu zaburzeniach niezwykle istotną rolę odgrywają czynniki genetyczne, stosunkowo często obserwowane ich współwystępowanie można tłumaczyć po części także wspólnym podłożem genetycznym. Przesłankami poszukiwania wspólnych wpływów genetycznych są też liczne badania wskazujące na występowanie podobnych deficytów neuropoznawczych w obu zaburzeniach. Wyniki badań bliźniąt potwierdzają tę koncepcję, niemniej stopień, w jakim wpływy genetyczne warunkujące oba deficyty rozwojowe się pokrywają, pozostaje sprawą dyskusyjną. Ustalenie konkretnych wariantów genetycznego ryzyka jest o tyle trudne, że dla obu zaburzeń zasadniczo przyjmuje się model dziedziczenia poligenowego. Jak dotąd dwa regiony chromosomalne: 6p i 15q dostarczają najwięcej obiecujących danych w badaniach genetycznych podstaw współwystępowania dysleksji i ADHD.

Body weight and age constitute main determinants of body image in women. We analyzed the role of narcissism as a moderator of body image in young women representing various extremes of body weight.The study included 325 women between 18 and 35 years, qualified into three BMI categories: obese women (BMI > 30.0, n = 72), severely underweight women who did not satisfy the remaining criteria of anorexia (BMI < 17.5, n = 85), and women with normal body weight (21.7 < "ideal BMI" > 22.7, n = 168). Satisfaction with body image was determined with Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire and Body Esteem Scale, while narcissism was measured with Narcissistic Personality Inventory.We revealed that narcissism has significant impact on the body image of women who are extremely underweight or obese. Vanity and Leadership were narcissism dimensions which played significant role in slim women, as compared to Vanity and Self-Sufficiency in obese women.The role of narcissism as a modulator of self-satisfaction with one's body varies depending on BMI level: extremely underweight women and obese individuals constitute groups in which narcissism has the strongest impact on the self-satisfaction with body.