A theoretical framework and questionnaire for wonder-full education

Many recent studies emphasize the fundamental importance of stimulating wonder in education, for example, to increase children's intrinsic motivation to learn and their emotional engagement with the lesson contents. Our study advances the research regarding wonder in education in three different ways. First, we present a theoretical framework to identify eight teaching strategies and three school policy dimensions relevant for teachers and schools to stimulate wonder in children. Second, based on this framework, we developed the multidimensional Wonder-full Education questionnaire (WEQ). The WEQ is completed by teachers and principals to quantitatively assess the degree to which primary schools and their teachers provide a wonder-stimulating environment. Third, using comprehensive psychometric analyses of the data of N = 220 teachers and N = 91 principals from 182 Dutch schools, we investigated the dimensionality, reliability and validity of the WEQ. The dimensionality analyses identified two primary dimensions of teaching strategies and confirmed the three-dimensional structure of a school policy for stimulating wonder. Overall, the results suggest that the WEQ has satisfactory psychometric properties. We conclude that the new framework and questionnaire allow research regarding wonder in education to be extended from mainly theoretical work to empirical research that can also advance educational practice.Pathways through Adolescenc

Searching for neural and behavioral parameters that predict anti-aggressive effects of chronic SSRI treatment in rats

Rationale: Only a subset of impulsive aggressive patients benefits from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment, confirming contradictory results about the association between serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and aggression. This shows the need to define behavioral characteristics within this subgroup to move towards individualized pharmacological treatment of impulsive aggression. Methods: Here we submitted an outbred strain of Long Evans rats to a crossover design treatment regimen with the SSRI citalopram, to test its anti-aggressive effect. Behavioral characteristics were baseline aggression, anxiety parameters as measured in the elevated plus maze and open field and cue responsivity as indicated by sign vs. goal tracking behavior. 5-HT1A receptor densities as measured by ex vivo [F-18]MPPF binding were determined in the dorsal raphe nucleus, dentate gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, infralimbic cortex and prelimbic cortex, because of the receptors' involvement in the therapeutic delay of SSRIs and aggression. Results: We found statistically significant increased variance in aggressive behavior after citalopram treatment. However, none of the selected parameters predicted the citalopram treatment effect. Conclusion: Since aggression after citalopram treatment decreased in a subgroup of animals and increased in the other, future research should focus on other possible predictors to support treatment strategies in aggressive patients

Psychosis risk screening in routine mental health care

Background: Routine screening for psychosis risk in mental health care is not common practice. However, a systematic screening process might allow for the identification and treatment of UHR patients to prevent or delay psychosis. Furthermore, it may aid reducing DUP of undetected patients with a psychosis. But, is it possible to apply the criteria for ultra high risk for psychosis in populations with lower a priori probability of psychosis? Method: We used a two-stage screening procedure to screen all consecutive young adults, aged 18-35 years, who were help-seeking for nonpsychotic disorders (n = 3533) at the secondary mental health services in the Hague with a 16-item version of the Prodromal Questionnaire. Results: In the general help-seeking population, a cut-off score of 6 or more positively answered items on the 16-item version of the PQ has a high true positive rate (87%) and high specificity (87%) when differentiating UHR/psychosis from those with no Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (Yung et al., 2005) diagnosis. Conclusion: Young people with attenuated psychotic symptoms can be reliably identified in a general help-seeking population. The PQ-16 is recommended as routine screening tool in mental health care settings because it is feasible to screen large help-seeking populations

Psychosis risk screening in routine mental health care

Background: Routine screening for psychosis risk in mental health care is not common practice. However, a systematic screening process might allow for the identification and treatment of UHR patients to prevent or delay psychosis. Furthermore, it may aid reducing DUP of undetected patients with a psychosis. But, is it possible to apply the criteria for ultra high risk for psychosis in populations with lower a priori probability of psychosis? Method: We used a two-stage screening procedure to screen all consecutive young adults, aged 18-35 years, who were help-seeking for nonpsychotic disorders (n = 3533) at the secondary mental health services in the Hague with a 16-item version of the Prodromal Questionnaire. Results: In the general help-seeking population, a cut-off score of 6 or more positively answered items on the 16-item version of the PQ has a high true positive rate (87%) and high specificity (87%) when differentiating UHR/psychosis from those with no Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (Yung et al., 2005) diagnosis. Conclusion: Young people with attenuated psychotic symptoms can be reliably identified in a general help-seeking population. The PQ-16 is recommended as routine screening tool in mental health care settings because it is feasible to screen large help-seeking populations