Personal resources versus risk factors: From academic achievement to anxiety forms

Learning in the school context involves strong social and emotional components that have a role in academic achievement and children development (Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2007). Among individual factors that prevent or promote school success and emotional well-being at school, different risk factors and personal resources have been considered in the literature. The aim of the present dissertation is to consider the joint role of negative affect, anxiety forms and personal resources related to self-concept and resilience once the effect of cognitive abilities (i.e., working memory or intelligence) is taken into account. The relation among these different variables was addressed in three related studies that involved typically developing children. In the first Study, the interplay between general factors related to negative affect (i.e., general-anxiety and depressive symptoms), working memory and personal resources (i.e., competence and academic self-concept and ego-resilience) on mathematics and reading literacy was considered. In the second Study the relation among general and academic forms of anxiety (i.e., test-anxiety and mathematics-anxiety), and ego-resilience on mathematics and reading literacy was explored after controlling for fluid intelligence. In the third Study, the presence of different anxiety profiles and their relation with general (i.e., competence self-concept and ego-resiliency) or academic (i.e., academic self-concept and academic buoyancy) personal resources was considered. Each study will be presented starting from theoretical background and empirical evidence and then describing methodology, statistical analyses and results. General conclusions derived from the main findings of the three studies as well as clinical and educational implications will be finally highlighted

Differences in verbal and visuospatial forward and backward order recall: A review of the literature

How sequential, verbal and visuospatial stimuli are encoded and stored in memory is not clear in cognitive psychology. Studies with order recall tasks, such as the digit, and Corsi span, indicate that order of presentation is a crucial element for verbal memory, but not for visuospatial memory. This seems to be due to the different effects of forward and backward recall in verbal and visuospatial tasks. In verbal span tasks, performance is worse when recalling things in backward sequence rather than the original forward sequence. In contrast, when it comes to visuospatial tasks, performance is not always worse for a modified backward sequence. However, worse performance in backward visuospatial recall is evident in individuals with weak visuospatial abilities; such individuals perform worse in the backward version of visuospatial tasks than in the forward version. The main aim of the present review is to summarize findings on order recall in verbal and visuospatial materials by considering both cognitive and neural correlates. The results of this review will be considered in the light of the current models of WM, and will be used to make recommendations for future studie

PROTOCOL: Language interventions for improving oral language outcomes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review

This protocol presents the plan for a systematic review that will investigate the effect of oral language interventions for children with intellectual disability (ID), language disorder (LD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Down syndrome (DS), Williams syndrome (WS), and fragile X syndrome (FXS). Language development is a highly frequent area of difficulty for children within these diagnostic groups, and oral language interventions are therefore important. However, to provide better evidence‐informed practice, we need to investigate what oral language interventions are effective and for whom. The systematic review will not only investigate the effect of oral language interventions targeted at specific disorders but also identify interventions that may be yield similar improvements in different neurodevelopmental disorders.publishedVersio

Home learning environments and children’s language and literacy skills: a meta-analytic review of studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries

A robust finding from research in high-income countries is that children living in resource-poor homes are vulnerable to difficulties with language and literacy but less is known about this association in low- and middle-income (LMI) countries. We present a meta-analysis of 6,678 correlations from studies in 43 LMI countries. Overall, the results indicate a small but significant association (r = .08) between home language and literacy environment and children’s language and literacy skills. After examining a range of moderators, adult literacy practices and books at home had a significantly larger association with children’s language and literacy skills than did home tutoring. Studies using customized measures demonstrated a more marked association between home attributes and children’s outcomes (r = .14) than studies using a common measure across multiple sites (r = .06). Published studies showed significantly larger associations than unpublished studies, and countries with greater income inequality showed a larger association than relatively egalitarian societies. We conclude that the small overall association should not be taken as support for the absence of, or a vanishingly small relationship between the home learning environment and children’s language and literacy skills in LMI countries. Rather, an important factor in detecting this relationship is that assessments must better reflect the nature of homes in different cultures to capture true variation in the population. Such contextually situated measurement would lead to an inclusive conceptualization of home learning environments and can better inform intervention programs to enhance children’s educational success, a critical target for many LMI countries

Oral language interventions can improve language outcomes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Young people who fail to develop language as expected face significant challenges in all aspects of life. Unfortunately, language disorders are common, either as a distinct condition (e.g., Developmental Language Disorder) or as a part of another neurodevelopmental condition (e.g., autism). Finding ways to attenuate language problems through intervention has the potential to yield great benefits not only for the individual but also for society as a whole. Objectives This meta-analytic review examined the effect of oral language interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Search Methods The last electronic search was conducted in April 2022. Selection Criteria Intervention studies had to target language skills for children from 2 to 18 years of age with Developmental Language Disorder, autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and Williams syndrome in randomised controlled trials or quasi-experimental designs. Control groups had to include business-as-usual, waiting list, passive or active conditions. However, we excluded studies in which the active control group received a different type, delivery, or dosage of another language intervention. Eligible interventions implemented explicit and structured activities (i.e., explicit instruction of vocabulary, narrative structure or grammatical rules) and/or implicit and broad activities (i.e., shared book reading, general language stimulation). The intervention studies had to assess language skills in receptive and/or expressive modalities. Data Collection and Analysis The search provided 8195 records after deduplication. Records were screened by title and abstract, leading to full-text examinations of 448 records. We performed Correlated and Hierarchical Effects models and ran a retrospective power analysis via simulation. Publication bias was assessed via p-curve and precision-effect estimate. Main Results We examined 38 studies, with 46 group comparisons and 108 effects comparing pre-/post-tests and eight studies, with 12 group comparisons and 21 effects at follow-up. The results showed a mean effect size of d = 0.27 at the post-test and d = 0.18 at follow-up. However, there was evidence of publication bias and overestimation of the mean effects. Effects from the meta-analysis were significantly related to these elements: (1) receptive vocabulary and omnibus receptive measures showed smaller effect sizes relative to expressive vocabulary, grammar, expressive and receptive discourse, and omnibus expressive tests; and (2) the length of the intervention, where longer sessions conducted over a longer period of time were more beneficial than brief sessions and short-term interventions. Neither moderators concerning participants’ characteristics (children's diagnosis, diagnostic status, age, sex, and non-verbal cognitive ability and severity of language impairment), nor those regarding of the treatment components and implementation of the language interventions (intervention content, setting, delivery agent, session structure of the intervention or total number of sessions) reached significance. The same occurred to indicators of study quality. The risk of bias assessment showed that reporting quality for the studies examined in the review was poor. Authors’ Conclusions In sum, the current evidence base is promising but inconclusive. Pre-registration and replication of more robust and adequately powered trials, which include a wider range of diagnostic conditions, together with more long-term follow-up comparisons, are needed to drive evidence-based practice and policy.publishedVersio

Anxiety profiles and protective factors: A latent profile analysis in children

The current study investigated the presence of different anxiety profiles in schoolchildren in order to understand whether Mathematics and Test Anxiety are a manifestation of a general form of anxiety, or the expression of specific forms of anxiety. Moreover, we also examined the influence of personal protective factors. The results of a latent profile analysis, conducted on 664 children attending grades 3 to 6, clearly identified three different profiles distinguished on the basis of the level of general, test and mathematics anxiety. Protective factors, such as self-concept and resilience, were differently related to anxiety: the former was clearly lower when the risk profile was higher, whereas students were able to maintain a certain level of resilience up to an average risk of developing forms of anxiety. The implications of these findings may lead to the development of specific intervention programs aimed at reducing students’ anxiety and fostering self-concept and resilience. © 2017 Elsevier Lt

Personal resources versus risk factors: From academic achievement to anxiety forms

Learning in the school context involves strong social and emotional components that have a role in academic achievement and children development (Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2007). Among individual factors that prevent or promote school success and emotional well-being at school, different risk factors and personal resources have been considered in the literature. The aim of the present dissertation is to consider the joint role of negative affect, anxiety forms and personal resources related to self-concept and resilience once the effect of cognitive abilities (i.e., working memory or intelligence) is taken into account. The relation among these different variables was addressed in three related studies that involved typically developing children. In the first Study, the interplay between general factors related to negative affect (i.e., general-anxiety and depressive symptoms), working memory and personal resources (i.e., competence and academic self-concept and ego-resilience) on mathematics and reading literacy was considered. In the second Study the relation among general and academic forms of anxiety (i.e., test-anxiety and mathematics-anxiety), and ego-resilience on mathematics and reading literacy was explored after controlling for fluid intelligence. In the third Study, the presence of different anxiety profiles and their relation with general (i.e., competence self-concept and ego-resiliency) or academic (i.e., academic self-concept and academic buoyancy) personal resources was considered. Each study will be presented starting from theoretical background and empirical evidence and then describing methodology, statistical analyses and results. General conclusions derived from the main findings of the three studies as well as clinical and educational implications will be finally highlighted.L'apprendimento nel contesto scolastico è legato a forti componenti sociali ed emotive che hanno un ruolo nel rendimento accademico e nello sviluppo dei bambini (Zins, Weissberg, Wang e Walberg, 2007). Tra i fattori individuali che impediscono o promuovono il successo scolastico e il benessere emotivo a scuola, in letteratura sono stati identificati diversi fattori di rischio e risorse personali. La presente tesi di Dottorato si propone di indagare il ruolo congiunto dell’ansia generale e dei sintomi depressivi, così come delle diverse forme di ansia e delle risorse personali legate all’autostima e all’ego-resilienza una volta considerato l'effetto delle abilità cognitive (es. memoria di lavoro o intelligenza). La relazione tra queste diverse variabili è stata affrontata in tre studi che hanno coinvolto bambini a sviluppo tipico. Nel primo studio è stata considerata la relazione tra fattori generali legati al negative affect (ansia generale e sintomi depressivi), alla memoria di lavoro e alle risorse personali (autostima di controllo sull’ambiente e autostima scolastica ed ego-resilienza) in relazione alle prestazioni scolastiche in matematica e italiano. Nel secondo studio è stata esplorata la relazione tra ansia generale e le forme d’ansia scolastica (ansia da valutazione e ansia per la matematica) e l’ego-resilienza in relazione a prove di matematica e italiano, dopo aver controllato per l'intelligenza fluida. Nel terzo studio, sono stati presi in considerazione diversi profili di ansia e la loro interazione con le risorse personali generali (autostima di controllo sull’ambiente e l’ego-resilienza) o accademiche (l’autostima scolastica e l’ottimismo scolastico). Ogni studio sarà presentato a partire dal contesto teorico e dalle evidenze empiriche, descrivendo successivamente la metodologia considerata, le analisi svolte e i risultati ottenuti. Saranno infine evidenziate le conclusioni generali derivate dai risultati principali dei tre studi così come le implicazioni cliniche ed educative

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Working memory, negative affect and personal assets: How do they relate to mathematics and reading literacy?

Introduction Research has recently focused on the relationships between working memory, negative affect (e.g., general anxiety, depressive symptoms) and personal assets (e.g., self-concept, academic and competence dimensions, and ego-resiliency), and their influence on mathematics and reading literacy. Although these variables have been amply explored, previous research has usually considered each of these aspects in isolation. Method In the present study, 143 schoolchildren in sixth to eighth grade were tested on general anxiety, depressive symptoms, working memory, self-concept (academic and competence scales), ego-resiliency, and mathematics and reading literacy. Results Variance partitioning showed that all predictors, i.e., working memory, negative affect (i.e., general anxiety and depressive symptoms), and personal assets (i.e., self-concept, academic and competence dimensions, and ego-resiliency) explained a unique and shared portion of the variance in mathematics and reading literacy. Conclusions Our findings point to the importance of investigating the relationship between these factors. Underlying implications and directions for future research are discussed

In Emotion and Reading Motivation, Children With a Diagnosis of Dyslexia Are Not Just the End of a Continuum

Background: Children with dyslexia often report poor psychological well-being. We examined i) whether anxiety, self-concept, and reading motivation in children with dyslexia differed from those of controls (case-control design, Study 1a), and ii) whether these differences mirrored the linear relationships that these variables present with reading ability in children without dyslexia (dimensional approach, Study 1b). Methods: In Study 1a, 34 “Children with Dyslexia” (CwD) were compared with 191 “Typically Developing Children” (TDC) in grades 4–8 on anxiety, self-concept, reading motivation, and reading strategy using self-reports (controlling for sex, intelligence, and math ability scores). In Study 1b, the differences that emerged in Study 1a were compared with the results obtained from a simulation procedure that generated dyslexia observations under the assumptions of a dimensional hypothesis. Results: The CwD group presented small-to-moderate difficulties, which partially mirrored the predictions in the TDC group. However, violations of predictions based on the population without dyslexia were found for reading self-concept, social anxiety, and reading competitiveness. Conclusions: Children’s diagnoses affect their self-perception as readers and social anxiety in a way that cannot be inferred from linear relationships. Children with dyslexia need support to preserve an adequate image of themselves as readers and to cope with social anxiety