We examined childhood social withdrawal and aggression as predictive of adolescent maladaption, c... more We examined childhood social withdrawal and aggression as predictive of adolescent maladaption, comparing and contrasting social and emotional outcomes associated with aggression and social withdrawal. We also focused on childhood social competence as a predictor of adolescent adaptation. The sample comprised 60 children for whom a complete data set was available at both ages 7 and 14 years. The predictors were aggregated measures of social withdrawal, aggression, and social competence derived from three sources—behavioral observations, peer assessments, and teacher ratings. The outcomes focused primarily on markers of internalizing and externalizing problems. The results indicated that childhood social withdrawal uniquely and significantly contributed to the prediction of adolescent loneliness, felt insecurity, and negative self-regard. Aggression predicted adolescent delinquent activity; social competence predicted felt security in the peer group and substance use in adolescence.
This study examined the stability of early adolescent best friendships across a school year. Grad... more This study examined the stability of early adolescent best friendships across a school year. Grade 7 students (N = 174) participated in group-testing sessions in the fall and spring of their school year. Participants completed peer-nomination measures, described the quality of their best friendships, their knowledge of their best friend, and their typical conflict-resolution strategies in response to peer conflicts. Approximately 50% of the reciprocated best friendships remained stable across the school year. Friendship quality and knowledge were unrelated to friendship stability. However, stability of boys’ friendships was positively correlated with minimization strategies, whereas stability of girls’ best friendships was negatively correlated with minimization strategies but positively related to greater use of negative (i.e., confrontational) strategies in response to peer conflict. Results are discussed with reference to the rules of friendship and to the conflicting demands for...
The goal of the present study was to design, implement, and evaluate a school-based programme tha... more The goal of the present study was to design, implement, and evaluate a school-based programme that aimed to increase self-esteem and positive body image among preadolescent boys and girls. Participants in grades five and six (N = 77; Mage = 10.86, 53.2% girls) from a public school in Eastern Ontario completed a battery of validated measures to assess factors related
Although psychological engagement (e.g., enjoyment, concentration) may be critical in fostering p... more Although psychological engagement (e.g., enjoyment, concentration) may be critical in fostering positive outcomes of youth activity participation, too few studies have been conducted to establish its role in development. Furthermore, an established measurement tool is lacking. In the current study, we evaluated a brief engagement measure with two Canadian samples of youth (Sample 1, N = 290, mean age = 16.9 years, 62% female; Sample 2, N = 1827, mean age = 13.1 years, 54% female). We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling to examine the hypothesized structure of the model. We also assessed the measure's validity by testing relations between engagement and both perceived outcomes and positive features of activity settings. Psychological engagement was best captured by three latent cognitive, affective, and relational/spiritual factors and a second-order latent factor. Also, as anticipated, psychological engagement was associated with features o...
The purpose of the current study was to conduct an examination of spectator (ie, parental) behavi... more The purpose of the current study was to conduct an examination of spectator (ie, parental) behavior at youth hockey games in a large Canadian city. Using naturalistic observation methods, an event sampling procedure was used to code spectators' comments. Of specific interest were the ...
Fifty-four male and 80 female Grade 11 students participated in this study of the relationship be... more Fifty-four male and 80 female Grade 11 students participated in this study of the relationship between extracurricular activities participation and self-description and general and physical self-esteem. We hypothesized that boys would have more positive physical self-perceptions than girls, but that the sexes would not differ on general self-esteem, and that greater participation in extracurricular activities would be related to greater
We examined childhood social withdrawal and aggression as predictive of adolescent maladaption, c... more We examined childhood social withdrawal and aggression as predictive of adolescent maladaption, comparing and contrasting social and emotional outcomes associated with aggression and social withdrawal. We also focused on childhood social competence as a predictor of adolescent adaptation. The sample comprised 60 children for whom a complete data set was available at both ages 7 and 14 years. The predictors were aggregated measures of social withdrawal, aggression, and social competence derived from three sources—behavioral observations, peer assessments, and teacher ratings. The outcomes focused primarily on markers of internalizing and externalizing problems. The results indicated that childhood social withdrawal uniquely and significantly contributed to the prediction of adolescent loneliness, felt insecurity, and negative self-regard. Aggression predicted adolescent delinquent activity; social competence predicted felt security in the peer group and substance use in adolescence.
This study examined the stability of early adolescent best friendships across a school year. Grad... more This study examined the stability of early adolescent best friendships across a school year. Grade 7 students (N = 174) participated in group-testing sessions in the fall and spring of their school year. Participants completed peer-nomination measures, described the quality of their best friendships, their knowledge of their best friend, and their typical conflict-resolution strategies in response to peer conflicts. Approximately 50% of the reciprocated best friendships remained stable across the school year. Friendship quality and knowledge were unrelated to friendship stability. However, stability of boys’ friendships was positively correlated with minimization strategies, whereas stability of girls’ best friendships was negatively correlated with minimization strategies but positively related to greater use of negative (i.e., confrontational) strategies in response to peer conflict. Results are discussed with reference to the rules of friendship and to the conflicting demands for...
The goal of the present study was to design, implement, and evaluate a school-based programme tha... more The goal of the present study was to design, implement, and evaluate a school-based programme that aimed to increase self-esteem and positive body image among preadolescent boys and girls. Participants in grades five and six (N = 77; Mage = 10.86, 53.2% girls) from a public school in Eastern Ontario completed a battery of validated measures to assess factors related
Although psychological engagement (e.g., enjoyment, concentration) may be critical in fostering p... more Although psychological engagement (e.g., enjoyment, concentration) may be critical in fostering positive outcomes of youth activity participation, too few studies have been conducted to establish its role in development. Furthermore, an established measurement tool is lacking. In the current study, we evaluated a brief engagement measure with two Canadian samples of youth (Sample 1, N = 290, mean age = 16.9 years, 62% female; Sample 2, N = 1827, mean age = 13.1 years, 54% female). We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling to examine the hypothesized structure of the model. We also assessed the measure's validity by testing relations between engagement and both perceived outcomes and positive features of activity settings. Psychological engagement was best captured by three latent cognitive, affective, and relational/spiritual factors and a second-order latent factor. Also, as anticipated, psychological engagement was associated with features o...
The purpose of the current study was to conduct an examination of spectator (ie, parental) behavi... more The purpose of the current study was to conduct an examination of spectator (ie, parental) behavior at youth hockey games in a large Canadian city. Using naturalistic observation methods, an event sampling procedure was used to code spectators' comments. Of specific interest were the ...
Fifty-four male and 80 female Grade 11 students participated in this study of the relationship be... more Fifty-four male and 80 female Grade 11 students participated in this study of the relationship between extracurricular activities participation and self-description and general and physical self-esteem. We hypothesized that boys would have more positive physical self-perceptions than girls, but that the sexes would not differ on general self-esteem, and that greater participation in extracurricular activities would be related to greater
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