Young Children’s cliques : a study on processes of peer acceptance and cliques aggregation

A considerable amount of research has examined the link between children’s peer acceptance, which refers to the degree of likability within the peer group, social functioning and emotional wellbeing, at a same age and in a long term perspective, pointing out to the contribution of peer acceptance for mental wellbeing. Our study proposes a sociometric methodology that, differently from many studies focused on individual classifications of social status, moves to the analysis of affiliative social networks within the class group. This study describes how individual factors such as socio-emotional competence, temperament, and linguistic skills are related to positive reciprocated nominations (=RNs) and examines the cliques generated by reciprocal nominations according to similarities (socio-emotional competence, temperament and linguistic skills) among cliques’ members. Eighty-four preschool children (M age = 62.5 months) were recruited. The Sociometric Interview to assess RNs and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - Revised (PPVT-R; Dunn & Dunn, 1981) to assess receptive language were administered; the Social Competence and Behaviour Evaluation Short Form questionnaire (SCBE-30; LaFreniere & Dumas, 1996) and the Quit Temperament Scale (Axia, 2002) were filled in by the teachers. Results showed that children with higher RNs presented higher scores in social orientation, positive emotionality, motor activity, linguistic skills and social competence (trend), and exhibited lower anxietywithdrawal. The analysis of cliques revealed that children preferred playmates with similar features: social competence, anger-aggression (trend), social orientation, positive emotionality, inhibition to novelty, attention, motor activity (trend) and linguistic skills. These findings provide insights about processes of peer affiliation, highlighting the role of socio-emotional functioning and linguistic skills.peer-reviewe

Promoting the integration of technology in teaching: An analysis of the factors that increase the intention to use technologies among Italian teachers

AbstractBackground: The rapid spread of COVID‐19 forced many countries to adopt severe containment measures, transferring all didactic activities into virtual environments. However, the integration of technology in teaching may present difficulties, especially in some countries, such as Italy. Objectives: The present study analyzed how the two main factors of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), namely perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, combined with online teaching self‐efficacy, were associated with the intention to use technology to teach. We posited a moderated moderation model in which perceived usefulness represented the main predictor, with self‐efficacy and perceived ease of use as moderators of intention to use technology to teach. Method: The model was tested through multiple regressions, using the PROCESS macro on SPSS 26 with a sample of 178 upper secondary school teachers in Italy. Results and conclusions: Regressions showed that each variable significantly predicted the intention to use technology. In addition, a moderation effect of self‐efficacy on the perceived usefulness of using technology was found for medium and high‐level of perceived ease of use of technology. Implications: The present study provides targeted implications for distance education policy and practice to promote its adoption (or the blended modality) in Italian upper schools

Moral Disengagement and Risk Prototypes in the Context of Adolescent Cyberbullying: Findings From Two Countries

Cyberbullying is associated with a wide range of mental health difficulties and behavioral problems in adolescents and research is needed to better understand psychological correlates of this behavior. The present study used a novel model that incorporated Social Cognitive Theory and the prototype/willingness model to identify the correlates of behavioral willingness to engage in cyberbullying in two countries. Adolescent students were randomly selected from secondary schools in Italy (n = 1710) and Greece (n = 355), and completed anonymous measures of moral disengagement, descriptive norms, risk prototype evaluations and behavioral willingness to engage in cyberbullying. Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that willingness to engage in cyberbullying was associated with moral disengagement, prototype evaluations and descriptive social norms in Italy, and with gender, moral disengagement and descriptive social norms in Greece. Regression-based multiple mediation modeling further showed that the association between moral disengagement and cyberbullying willingness was mediated by prototype evaluations in Italy and by descriptive norms in Greece. The implications of our findings are discussed in the context of self-regulating cyberbullying perpetration in adolescents and informing school-based policies and interventions to prevent cyberbullying behavior

Czynniki chroniące i czynniki ryzyka związane z zaangażowaniem w sprawstwo bullyingu i cyberbullyingu

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of bullying and cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents and to test the role of demographic (gender, age) and psychosocial variables (self-esteem, loneliness and school climate) associated with these aggressive behaviours. An anonymous questionnaire was fi lled in by 2.326 adolescents from Italian middle and high schools. Results showed that cyberbullying appeared to be less frequent as compared with traditional forms of bullying. Logistic regression analyses revealed a strong continuity between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Loneliness perceived in the relationships with parents was a very relevant predictor of both forms of bullying (traditional and cyber): i.e. the adolescents who perceived parents as distant were more involved in bullying. A negative relationship with teachers and a low self-esteem about school were other signifi cant risk factors for traditional and cyber perpetration. Besides these common predictors, some differences were found among predictors in traditional bullying and cyberbullying. In fact, males and students of high schools declared to be more involved in the role of a traditional bully than female and younger preadolescents, while gender and age had no predictive role for cyberbullying. A high perception of self-esteem in rela-tionships with peers, a low aversion to loneliness and a perception of unsafety at school triggered cyberbullying, while a high perception of self-esteem in sports activities and of a poor support at school increased the probability of becoming a traditional bully. The results have been discussed focussing on the family and school contexts as crucial relational environments to be considered for intervention programs aimed at preventing not only traditional bullying but also forms of aggression in the virtual world.Celem tego badania było określenie częstotliwości sprawstwa w zakresie bullyingu i cyberbullyingu wśród adolescentów. Badano związki tego zjawiska z cechami społeczno-demografi cznymi (płeć, wiek) oraz zmiennymi psychospołecznymi (tj. samooceną, samotnością, czy klimatem społecznym szkoły).Anonimowy kwestionariusz został wypełniony przez 2326 adolescentów z wło-skich szkół. Cyberbullying okazał się zjawiskiem rzadziej występującym niż bullying, jednak regresja logistyczna wykazała wyraźnie współwystępowanie tych zjawisk.Samotność doświadczana w relacjach z rodzicami okazała się być predykatorem obu rodzajów przemocy rówieśniczej. Podobnie niska samoocena i złe relacje z nauczycielami korelowały dodatnio z zaangażowaniem w obydwa rodzaje prze-mocy rówieśniczej.Pojawiło się także kilka mniej oczywistych zależności. Starsi nastolatkowie częściej angażowali się jako sprawcy w tradycyjny bullying (w porównaniu z młodszymi chłopcami i dziewczętami). Zmienne te okazały się bez znaczenia przy zaangażowaniu w cyberbullying. Wysoka samoocena w relacji z rówieśnikami, niskie poczucie samotności i postrzeganie szkoły jako niebezpiecznej korelowało z cyberbullyingiem. Z kolei, wysoka samoocena w zakresie kompetencji sportowych i niskie wsparcie w szkole zwiększało prawdopodobieństwo stania się sprawcą tra-dycyjnej agresji. Wyniki potwierdzają, że kluczowe środowiska – rodzina i szkoła – są istotne nie tylko dla zaangażowania w tradycyjną, ale też wirtualną agresję. Powinny one być zatem uwzględniane w programach profi laktycznych dotyczących obydwu tych zjawisk

Does early object exploration support gesture and language development in extremely preterm infants and full-term infants?

Background: An increasing body of research on typically and atypically developing infants has shown that motor skills play an important role in language development. To date, however, the role of specific object exploration skills for early gesture and vocabulary development has not been investigated in extremely low gestational age infants (ELGA, GA < 28 weeks), who are at greater risk for motor and language delays than full-term (FT) infants. Purpose: This longitudinal study examined relations between 6-month active exploratory behaviors and 12- month word comprehension, gestures and vocal production, controlling for cognitive performance and neonatal condition (ELGA vs FT). Methods: Forty infants, 20 ELGA and 20 FT, and their mothers participated in the study. Mother-infant play interaction was video-recorded at 6 and 12 months. Oral and manual object exploration at 6 months and spontaneous gestures and vocal production at 12 months were coded. Word comprehension was evaluated with the Italian version of the MacArthur-Bates CDI parent questionnaire at 12 months. Cognitive performance was examined with the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales at 6 months and the Bayley-III Scales at 12 months. Results: Regression analyses showed that after accounting for cognitive performance and neonatal condition, oral exploration was related to word comprehension, and manual exploration to gestures and vocal production in the overall sample. Conclusions: Cascading effects of specific object exploration skills on gestures and language comprehension and production in preterm infants and FT infants are discussed. Clinical implications for early assessment of and interventions involving object exploration skills, which may affect language development, are considered for the preterm population

Describing communication profiles of low-risk preterm and full-term late talkers

Introduction: Late talkers represent a heterogeneous population. We aimed to describe communication profiles of low-risk preterm and full-term late talkers according to their receptive and expressive vocabulary size, considering communicative, linguistic, cognitive, and motor skills, as well as biological and environmental risk factors. Methods: Sixty-eight late talkers (33 born low-risk preterm and 35 full-term) were identified through a language screening at 30 months. Parents filled out the Italian Short Forms of the MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories and the Socio Conversational Skills Rating Scales. Children were assessed with the Picture Naming Game test and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Results: A two-step cluster analysis identified three distinct profiles among late talkers according to their receptive and expressive vocabulary size. Severe late talkers (25%) showed less frequent use of pointing, limited verbal imitation, receptive vocabulary size, lexical and sentence production, responsiveness and assertiveness, and lower cognitive scores than mild late talkers (40%). Moderate late talkers (35%) showed less frequent verbal imitation, limited lexical and sentence production and lower cognitive scores than mild late talkers. Male gender was significantly more represented in the severe late profile, whereas other biological and environmental factors did not differ among the three profiles. Conclusions: Findings highlighted the relevance of assessing communicative, lexical, grammar, pragmatic, and cognitive skills to describe late talkers’ profiles. A deeper investigation of phonological skills might also contribute to a further understanding of interindividual variability in this population

Neurodevelopmental Correlates of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities in Extremely Low-birth-weight Infants

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between impaired brain growth and structural brain abnormalities at term-equivalent age (TEA) and neurodevelopment in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants over the first 2&nbsp;years. Methods: ELBW infants born from 2009 through 2018 and undergoing brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at TEA were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. MRI scans were reviewed using a validated quali-quantitative score, including several white and gray matter items. Neurodevelopment was assessed at 6, 12, 18, and 24&nbsp;months using the Griffiths scales. The independent associations between MRI subscores and the trajectories of general and specific neurodevelopmental functions were analyzed by generalized estimating equations. Results: One hundred-nine ELBW infants were included. White matter volume reduction and delayed myelination were associated with worse general development (b = -2.33, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.040; b = -6.88, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.049 respectively), social skills (b = -3.13, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.019; b = -4.79, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.049), and eye-hand coordination (b = -3.48, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.009; b = -7.21, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.045). Cystic white matter lesions were associated with poorer motor outcomes (b = -4.99, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.027), while white matter signal abnormalities and corpus callosum thinning were associated with worse nonverbal cognitive performances (b = -6.42, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.010; b = -6.72, P&nbsp;=&nbsp;.021, respectively). Deep gray matter volume reduction correlated with worse developmental trajectories. Conclusions: Distinctive MRI abnormalities correlate with specific later developmental skills. This finding may suggest that TEA brain MRI may assist with neurodevelopmental prediction, counseling of families, and development of targeted supportive interventions to improve neurodevelopment in ELBW neonates

Internet Use and Perceived Parental Involvement among Adolescents from Lower Socioeconomic Groups in Europe: An Exploration

Internet usage is a salient developmental factor in adolescents’ lives. Although relevant correlates of Internet use have been documented earlier, there is a lack of information on lower socioeconomic status groups. This is important, as these adolescents have increased risk of negative online experiences. The current survey aimed to explore Internet use and parental involvement amongst adolescents from areas of socio-economic disadvantage in 30 urban schools across five European countries. A total of 2594 students participated, of whom 90% were 14–16 years. Virtually all adolescents of socioeconomic disadvantage had Internet access, with 88.5% reporting spending more than two hours per day online, often on apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Almost one-third of adolescents did not talk with their parents about their Internet use and almost two-thirds indicated that their parents were only a little or not interested in their Internet use. A consistent finding across countries was that girls more often talked with their parents about their Internet use and more often reported that their parents were interested in their Internet use than boys. The results suggest that parents have an important task in explicitly showing interest in their adolescents’ Internet use, with special attention needed for boys