Silence, Solitude and Social Cognition in Adolescence: Implications for Research and Education

What are the key issues regarding silence, solitude, and social cognition in young people’s lives, and their implications for education and emotional health? To answer such questions, the current paper will explore the question: How do young teens use their ability to understand other’s minds and emotions to navigate their relationships with themselves, their peers, and during times of silences and solitude? To address this question, this paper critically examines how mentallisation may help youth to navigate their experiences of solitude and relationships. Examples from recent and ongoing cross-sectional and longitudinal research with adolescents are discussed within the context of education and developmental psychology research. Finally, I discuss how findings from developmental social cognitive research can be applied to the classroom, to help develop innovative strategies that honour, respect, and protect the silences in students’ lives and their private times spent in solitude.Cisza, samotność i poznanie społeczne w okresie dojrzewania. Implikacje dla badań i edukacjiJakie są główne zagadnienia związane z ciszą, samotnością oraz społecznym poznaniem w życiu młodych ludzi? Jakie ich implikacje dla edukacji oraz zdrowia emocjonalnego? By odpowiedzieć na te pytania, w niniejszym artykule poddano analizie następującą kwestię: jak młodzi nastolatkowie korzystają ze zdolności rozumienia umysłów i emocji innych osób, aby budować relacje z sobą oraz z rówieśnikami, szczególnie w okresach ciszy i samotności? By podjąć wskazane zagadnienie, krytycznie zbadano, jak mentalizacja może pomóc młodym ludziom w kształtowaniu doświadczeń związanych zarówno z samotnością, jak i z relacjami. Przedyskutowano przykłady z ostatnich i nadal trwających badań adolescentów, przekrojowych oraz podłużnych, ujmując je w badawczym kontekście edukacji oraz psychologii rozwojowej. Wreszcie ukazano, jak pozyskane doniesienia z badań nad rozwojem społeczno-poznawczym odnieść do klasy szkolnej, celem rozwijania innowacyjnych strategii, honorujących i chroniących ciszę w życiu uczniów oraz ich prywatny czas spędzany w samotności

Socioemotional Competence, Self-Perceptions, and Receptive Vocabulary in Shy Canadian Children * * * *

Abstract Given existing gendered stereotypic assumptions regarding shyness and children's school competencies, this study explored relations among socioemotional competencies, self-perceptions, and receptive vocabulary in shy children. Ninety-one Canadian children (52 girls, 39 boys; 5-8 years) were classified as shy (n = 26) based on teachers' behavioural ratings (n = 8), and completed selfperception and vocabulary measures. Compared to their non-shy peers, shy children reported lower levels of self-worth, and were rated by their teachers as more aggressive. Shy girls scored the lowest on the vocabulary task, and received the highest teacher emotional competence ratings. Shy boys scored the highest on the vocabulary task, and received the lowest emotionally competence ratings. Gender-role stereotypes and shyness and their educational implications are discussed

Creating Community-University Partnerships in a Teacher Education Program: A Case Study

In this study we explored a triad partnership among preservice department instructors and teacher candidates, community practitioners, and partners in a community-university research alliance (CURA). All partners were interviewed about their perceptions of their role in the partnership, the effectiveness of the collaboration, and the key lessons learned. Following content analyses of the conversations, three main themes emerged: the value of the partnership in this professional development project, required commitment and support, and challenges faced throughout the partnership. Recommendations for future partnerships in the educational context are discussed.Dans cette étude, nous nous sommes penchées sur un partenariat triadique entre des chargés de cours en pédagogie et des stagiaires, des intervenants de la communauté, et des partenaires unis dans une alliance communautaire/universitaire pour la recherche (CURA). Tous les partenaires ont été interrogés pour connaître leurs perceptions quant à leur rôle dans le partenariat, l’efficacité de la collaboration et les leçons principales qu’ils en avaient retirées. Trois thèmes majeurs se sont dégagés des analyses du contenu des conversations: la valeur du partenariat au sein du projet de développement professionnel; la nécessité d’engagement et d’appui; et les défis qu’on avait affrontés tout au long de la collaboration. Nous proposons des recommandations portant sur les partenariats qui se formeront dans un contexte éducatif à l’avenir

Advanced theory of mind in adolescence : do age, gender and friendship style play a role?

The ability to recursively infer the mental states of others to explain their complex behavior in ambiguous social situation may be called Advanced Theory of Mind (aToM). The relations between two components of aToM, cognitive and affective, measured on a behavioral level in 151 Polish 13-year-olds and 174 16-year-olds was examined. The role of age, gender and friendship style and its relations to the cognitive and affective aToM was explored. Cognitive aToM was only weakly to moderately related to affective aToM. Across both age groups females scored higher than males. Males' aToM abilities did not differ according to age, but they scored higher in the cognitive aToM than affective ToM. Also, different aspects of friendship style were significant predictors of both aToM abilities. The implications for two aToM components within a gendered social context were discussed

Field independence-dependence, self-concept and playfulness in preadolescents.

The primary purpose of this paper was to investigate the relationships between field independence-dependence (FI-FD), self-concept and playfulness in preadolescent girls and boys. Sixty-three sixth-grade students (33 girls, 30 boys) from four classes in three schools in Southwestern Ontario participated in the study, with each student completing the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT; Witkin, Oltman & Raskin, 1971) and The Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI; Coopersmith, 1967). The students\u27 current teachers (2 female, 2 male) and those from the previous year (2 female, 3 male) completed the Playfulness-NonPlayfulness Scale (PF-NonPF; Lieberman, 1977a). Contrary to prediction, no significant gender differences or correlations were found between the total scores of the three main variables. The hypothesis that field independence is negatively associated with self-concept and playfulness among girls was supported by significant negative correlations found between field independence and self-concept, and field independence and playfulness. In contrast, the hypothesis that field independence would be positively associated with self-concept and playfulness among boys was only partially supported by significant positive correlations found between field independence and self-concept whereas field independence and playfulness were not found to be related. The hypotheses were further supported by subsequent analyses which demonstrated a trend for FI girls and FD boys to report lower feelings of self-worth and to be rated as less playful by their teachers as compared to FD girls and FI boys respectively. The pedagological implications of the results were reviewed followed by the main conclusion that gender differences in preadolescence regarding cognitive style, self-concept and playfulness are largely due to socializing pressures from parents, teachers, peers and the media to conform to socio-cultural gender-role stereotypes. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1995 .B67. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 34-02, page: 0502. Adviser: Wilf Innerd. Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1995

The moderating role of spirituality and gender in Canadian and Iranian emerging adolescents’ theory of mind and prosocial behavior

IntroductionWhile research has found a link between ToM and prosociality in terms of caring and helping others which may also vary across cultures, the moderating role of spirituality and culture of this association in emerging adolescence has received little attention.MethodsThe current study empirically “examined” the role of spirituality and gender in relation to ToM and prosocial behavior in Canadian and Iranian emerging adolescents. A total of 300 (153 girls) emerging adolescents (M = 11.502, SD = 2.228) were recruited from Montreal, Canada and Karaj, Iran. A series of double moderation analysis and ANOVA was conducted.Results and discussionResults indicated the difference between direct and indirect influences of ToM and its interactions with culture, gender, and spirituality on prosocial behavior. This implies an emerging complex framework which suggests the dynamic nonlinear interactions between these factors. Implications for youth’s social-emotional understanding will be discussed

Elementary School Teachers’ Reflections on Shy Children in the Classroom

This study explored teachers’ perceptions of shy children in the classroom during the elementary school grades. Seven teachers (1 male, 6 female) from elementary schools located in geographically diverse areas of Canada participated in semistructured telephone interviews that explored their perceptions of and experiences with shy children in the classroom. Transcripts were analyzed for emerging themes about teachers’ conceptions of shy children and teacher-shy child interactions. Findings suggest that shyness and social communication may influence elementary schoolteachers’ classroom practices and the teacher-child relationship. Teachers’ roles in shy children’s socio-emotional functioning and academic success are discussed.Cette recherche a étudié les perceptions qu’ont les enseignants au primaire des enfants qui sont gênés. Sept enseignants (1 homme, 6 femmes) d’écoles primaires situées dans des zones géographiquement diverses au Canada ont participé à des entrevues téléphoniques semi-structurées portant sur leurs perceptions des enfants gênés et leurs expériences avec eux en salle de classe. Nous avons analysé les transcriptions pour en dégager des thèmes sur les conceptions qu’ont les enseignants d’enfants gênés et les interactions entre les enseignants et les enfants gênés. Les résultats indiquent que la gêne et la communication sociale pourraient influencer les pratiques des enseignants au primaire et leur rapport avec leurs élèves. Nous discutons des rôles des enseignants dans le fonctionnement socio-émotionnel des enfants et dans la réussite académique

Social Cognition, Self-Perceptions, and Social Withdrawal in Adolescents

This study explored individual differences in emotion recognition within the context of social orientations and self-perceptions. One hundred and forty-four Canadian adolescents (88 girls, 11–14 years), with a mean age of 13.4 years completed emotion recognition, perceived self-competencies, social preferences (shyness, unsociability, and regulated withdrawal), and social (dis)satisfaction measures. The highest scores were related to epistemic or neutral emotions, followed by negative and finally positive emotions. Furthermore, there were relationships between high levels of emotion recognition (negative emotions) and low levels of physical and global self-worth. Positive correlations were found between high levels of shyness and the ability to recognise negative and epistemic emotions, and experience feelings of low self-worth, with girls scoring higher than boys in recognising positive emotions. Adolescents characterised by high shyness and high social satisfaction (i.e., conflicted shyness) scored the highest on emotion recognition and feelings of low self-worth. Implications for the refinement of theory and research on social withdrawal and social cognition are discussed.Poznanie społeczne, postrzeganie siebie i wycofanie się z życia społecznego u młodzieży Niniejsze studium stanowi analizę różnic indywidualnych w rozpoznawaniu emocji, osadzoną w kontekście orientacji społecznych i postrzegania siebie. Stu czterdziestu czterech kanadyjskich nastolatków (88 dziewcząt, 11–14 lat) w wieku średnio 13,4 roku, pozyskało zdolność rozpoznawania emocji, postrzegania własnych kompetencji, preferencji społecznych (nieśmiałość, nietowarzyskość i regulowane wycofywanie się) oraz środków (dys)satysfakcji społecznej. Najwyższe wyniki dotyczyły emocji epistemicznych lub neutralnych, w dalszej kolejności – negatywnych i wreszcie pozytywnych. Ponadto istniał związek pomiędzy wysokim poziomem rozpoznawania emocji (negatywnych) a niskim poziomem poczucia własnej wartości, fizycznej i globalnej. Stwierdzono pozytywne korelacje między wysokim poziomem nieśmiałości a umiejętnością rozpoznawania negatywnych i epistemicznych emocji oraz doświadczeniem niskiej samooceny, przy czym dziewczęta uzyskiwały wyższe oceny w rozpoznawaniu pozytywnych emocji niż chłopcy. Młodzież charakteryzująca się istotną nieśmiałością i istotną satysfakcją społeczną (tj. nieśmiałością konfliktową) uzyskała najwyższe wyniki w zakresie rozpoznawania emocji i niskiej samooceny. W artykule omówiono implikacje dla udoskonalenia teorii i badań nad społecznym wycofaniem i społecznym poznaniem