"It's about wanting to disappear from the world… " - an interpretative phenomenological analysis on the meaning of music and hearing-related risks

PURPOSE

To explore the role and meaning of music in adolescents' lives and the adolescents' ways of understanding how music listening can impact hearing-health.

METHODS

Open-ended interviews and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The analysis involves both individual and more generalized investigations based on the contributions from seven participants.

FINDINGS

The findings show that music is an integrated and habitual aspect of the adolescents' daily lives, used as a tool for emotion regulation, cognitive enhancement, and creating personal space where one can be free from outside criticisms and distractions. There is a preference for music listening in headphones which creates a more intense and private experience. There are varying levels of awareness of the potential hearing-health risks, but the profound meaning of music for their well-being often overshadows any concerns.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite awareness of potential hearing-health risks, the adolescents prioritize the immediate emotional and cognitive benefits of music. Technological advancements and increased social media interactions contribute to a trend towards more personalized music listening. These insights call for more complex intervention strategies and models for health promotion which account for the positive aspects of music listening, instead of merely focusing on the potential risks of loud music.

Alterations of synaptic plasticity and brain oscillation are associated with autophagy induced synaptic pruning during adolescence

Adolescent brain development is characterized by significant anatomical and physiological alterations, but little is known whether and how these alterations impact the neural network. Here we investigated the development of functional networks by measuring synaptic plasticity and neural synchrony of local filed potentials (LFPs), and further explored the underlying mechanisms. LFPs in the hippocampus were recorded in young (21 ~ 25 days), adolescent (1.5 months) and adult (3 months) rats. Long term potentiation (LTP) and neural synchrony were analyzed. The results showed that the LTP was the lowest in adolescent rats. During development, the theta coupling strength was increased progressively but there was no significant change of gamma coupling between young rats and adolescent rats. The density of dendrite spines was decreased progressively during development. The lowest levels of NR2A, NR2B and PSD95 were detected in adolescent rats. Importantly, it was found that the expression levels of autophagy markers were the highest during adolescent compared to that in other developmental stages. Moreover, there were more co-localization of autophagosome and PSD95 in adolescent rats. It suggests that autophagy is possibly involved in synaptic elimination during adolescence, and further impacts synaptic plasticity and neural synchrony.

"The wind does not go the way the ship wants!": stress and social support in Syrian migrant adolescents

PURPOSE

Previous studies reveal the importance of proximal context and social environment in the adaptation and resilience of immigrant adolescents. Syrian immigrant youth in Turkey face stressors such as acculturation, discrimination, and economic problems. However, more qualitative research is needed to examine the unique stressors and coping processes of Syrian immigrant youth and the social networks that support them. This study aimed to uncover the relevant unique relationships.

METHOD

The study involved 24 Syrian migrant adolescents aged 12-18, with four focus group interviews conducted from April to May 2024. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

CONCLUSIONS

The themes related to sources of stress were (a) life struggle, (b) peer relationships, (c) future anxiety, (d) social barriers, and the social support mechanisms in times of stress were discovered as (a) family (b) clergy and religious rituals (c) non-governmental organizations (d) school counselors. The results of our study shed light on the fact that Syrian migrant youth experience significant socioeconomic difficulties and are forced to leave formal education and work in unequal conditions. Our study also revealed that youths have difficulties in accessing education, health, and professional psychological support services due to perceived discrimination in public institutions such as schools and hospitals.

A robot's efficient demonstration cannot reduce 5- to 6-year-old children's over-imitation

Children tend to imitate inefficient behaviors containing causally irrelevant actions-they over-imitate. Out-group members' efficient demonstration cannot reduce children's over-imitation of in-group members, due to their interpretation of irrelevant actions as norms which in-group members should follow. Children may perceive robots as culture-specific behavior transmitters since they also over-imitate robots. This study explores whether a robot's efficient demonstration can reduce 5- to 6-year-old children's over-imitation. In Experiment 1, most of 64 children imitated a human's irrelevant actions in Phase 1, then reduced over-imitation after watching an efficient demonstration modeled by a robot or a human in Phase 2, but the rate of over-imitation decreased more when the model was a human. In Experiment 2, 64 children only had one chance to imitate after watching two demonstrations (an efficient one demonstrated by a human and an inefficient one demonstrated by a robot or another human), the over-imitation occurred more when the efficient model was a robot than a human. Compared with over-imitation rate of Phase 1 in Experiment 1, that was significantly decreased only when the efficient model was a human. The results indicate that children don't perceive robots as social learning models, at least in the presence of alternative human models.

Age and body mass index are associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation in response to unhealthy food cues

Unhealthy food cues are omnipresent and promote overconsumption. Although childhood obesity rates are increasing, there is no strict regulation of the marketing of unhealthy foods towards children. This is problematic since the human brain, especially areas important for cognitive control, continues to develop into the 30s. It is not known in how far the brain response to unhealthy food cues varies with body mass index (BMI) and age. To investigate this, 168 children (10-17 y) and 182 adults (30-67 y) from the European IDEFICS cohort were scanned with the use of fMRI while viewing pictures of healthy and unhealthy foods. Children exhibited lower activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) compared to adults when exposed to unhealthy food cues. Across all age groups, individuals with higher BMI demonstrated reduced activation in the middle cingulum in response to unhealthy food stimuli. Lastly, the relation between BMI and brain activation in response to unhealthy compared with healthy food stimuli varied with development: in children, higher BMI was correlated with decreased activation in right anterior insula and right dlPFC, whereas no such relationship was observed in adults. These findings suggest that children with higher BMI may be particularly vulnerable to unhealthy food cues. In this light, the lack of regulation regarding unhealthy food marketing targeted at children is concerning, especially considering the global increase in obesity rates.

Twins and virtual twins: Comparative analysis of problem behaviors

A study of factors affecting children's problem behaviors using two unique sibships, monozygotic twins adopted together from China (MZ-CTT twins) and virtual twins (same-age unrelated siblings reared together; VTs), is presented. MZ-CTT twins share genes and environments, whereas VTs share environments only, allowing assessment of how these factors influence behavioral difficulties. Participants (MZ-CTT: n = 43 pairs; VT: n = 41 pairs) were in ongoing studies of behavioral development at the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton. Mean ages were 7.00 years (SD = 2.59) for MZ-CTT pairs and 6.24 years (SD = 2.26) for VT pairs; MZ-CTT pairs were significantly (albeit only slightly) older. Parents completed demographic surveys and the Child Behavior Checklist for each child. The greater resemblance of age- and sex-corrected t scores of MZ-CTT pairs across Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total problem behavior scales (ris = .72, .71, and .77, respectively) compared with VT pair scores (ris = .25, .40, and .63, respectively) demonstrates genetic influence on these measures. VT pairs with a biological child and an adoptee showed greater resemblance than those with two adoptees. This probably reflects the correlation of biological children's genotype with the adoptees' environment. Regression analyses revealed that for MZ-CTT pairs less variance in problem behaviors was explained by parental variables, such as maternal education, relative to VT pairs. This result may speak to the greater heterogeneity of the backgrounds of VT participants. In summary, this study of two unique kinships shows that both genetic and environmental factors influence child behavioral problems. Future studies using novel and informative kinships are warranted.

Childhood maltreatment affects posttraumatic stress symptoms, posttraumatic growth, and prosocial behavior in emerging adulthood: A developmental cascade model

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment has a significant impact on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), posttraumatic growth (PTG), and prosocial behavior in emerging adults. However, the mechanisms underlying the enduring effect and the impact of maltreatment types remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the effects of childhood abuse and neglect on PTSS, PTG, and prosocial behavior and examine the developmental cascade among them.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The sample consisted of 794 college students (51.6 % male, Mage = 19.05 ± 1.31 years) from two universities in China.

METHODS

Four waves of longitudinal data were utilized to investigate the developmental cascade linking childhood abuse and neglect to PTSS, PTG, and prosocial behavior in emerging adulthood.

RESULTS

Childhood abuse was positively associated with PTSS and prosocial behavior, while childhood neglect was negatively associated with PTSS, PTG, and prosocial behavior. Over time, PTSS and prosocial behavior exhibited a bidirectional negative lagged relationship, while prosocial behavior had a unidirectional positive lagged effect on PTG.

CONCLUSION

Childhood abuse and neglect generally exert negative effects on PTSS, PTG and prosocial behavior. These impacts can engender a vicious cycle through the mutual predictive effect among PTSS, PTG, and prosocial behavior.

Decision Making in Moral Judgment Context is Modulated by Individual Metacognition

Metacognition refers to the human capacity to access and monitor one's own mental states. Recent research suggests that this capacity expands to the social world, e.g., when individuals explicitly share their cognitive processes with others. Additionally, metacognition is also linked to cognitive flexibility, and the latter to ideologically radical behaviors. Indeed, the absence of control over one's own mental activity could be at the base of different phenomena linked to social cognition. We investigate the metacognitive capacity of individuals in relation to the radicality with which they make a moral choice (utilitarian vs. deontological). For this purpose, 76 participants were submitted to 24 hypothetical situations, with the aim of evaluating the consistency (i.e., the radicality) of their moral choices. Then, in an independent experimental session, we evaluated the participants' metacognitive efficiency. We managed to demonstrate that individual metacognition scores are correlated with the radicality of a moral choice. We discussed the impact and relevance of metacognition in ecological contexts, particularly where subjective evaluation of the environment involves individual choices with social consequences.

Unpacking the link between hormonal fluctuations and risk-taking: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Previous studies have suggested that hormonal fluctuations, specifically in testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol, may impact reward-related brain functioning and risk-taking behaviors. However, findings in this area have been inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. The current study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of both endogenous and exogenous testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol on risk-taking behaviors, as well as identify potential moderators of these effects. This meta-analysis systematically reviewed studies published up to February 20, 2025, encompassing both correlational and experimental designs. After screening 2544 records, 98 studies met inclusion criteria, yielding 162 effect sizes involving 8676 participants for testosterone, 55 effect sizes from 2510 participants for estradiol, and 66 effect sizes from 3933 participants for cortisol. Using the random-effects Bayesian meta-analytic models, our results showed that both testosterone and estradiol had a significant, albeit modest, effect on increasing risk-taking behaviors (testosterone: Hedge's g = 0.22; 95 % CrI [0.14, 0.30]; estradiol: Hedge's g = 0.20; 95 % CrI [0.03, 0.37]). However, cortisol was not associated with changes in risk-taking (Hedge's g = -0.04; 95 % CrI [-0.17, 0.09]). Further analysis indicated that the effects of testosterone were moderated by the study design (experimental vs. correlational), the behavior type (sensation seeking vs. risk-taking vs. impulsivity), the measurement type of risky behavior (self-report vs. behavioral) and the measurement type of hormone (saliva vs. serum), but these moderators had no significant impact on the estradiol effect. Despite the potential for publication bias, no evidence of selective reporting (e.g. p-hacking) was found in the p-curve analysis. In summary, testosterone and estradiol may influence risk-taking behaviors, although further randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm these findings.

In one ear and out the other: Verbal reminders do not improve young children's prospective memory performance on a virtual task

Prospective memory (PM), or remembering to carry out future intentions, is an ability with which young children often struggle. Thus, it is crucial to determine how to best support the development of their PM skills. Reminders are often used to support PM, and previous research has found that reminders referencing both the PM cue and intended action can improve children's and adults' PM. To date, no studies have investigated the effect of verbal cue and action reminders on preschool children's PM performance, a gap the current study intended to fill. A total of 88 North American children aged 3 to 6 years completed a PM task virtually. The PM task required children to interrupt a card-sorting task to wave at specific cards (those depicting elephants). Children were randomly assigned to receive one of the following: (a) three cue-action reminders, which referenced the PM cue (the elephants) and the intended action (waving); (b) three cue-only reminders, which referenced only the PM cue; (c) three action-only reminders, which referenced only the intended action; or (d) three irrelevant control reminders. The only significant predictor of PM performance was age, which became nonsignificant when the interaction terms were added in the model. Reminders did not have an effect on children's PM. We consider how these findings may lend support to theories of PM development and discuss the implications of using verbal reminders to support children's PM in everyday contexts.

Spatial language development in preterm and full-term infants: The role of object exploration and parents' spatial input

Infants learn object features and relations among objects by exploring them. Object exploration and parents' verbal input related to these spatial characteristics may lead to cascades for the development of spatial language. This longitudinal study examined whether infant object exploration and parents' spatial input at Time 1 (Mage = 13.7 months) predicted spatial language of preterm infants (mean gestational age = 30 weeks) and full-term infants (mean gestational age = 38.9 weeks) at Time 2 (Mage = 26 months). The object exploration and parents' spatial input at Time 1 were coded from the semi-structured free play sessions, and infant spatial language was assessed via a parental report at Time 2. Our results showed no differences between preterm and full-term groups on object exploration. However, parents' spatial input differed based on neonatal condition, in which preterm infants received less input than full-term infants. Parents' spatial input co-occurred with 44% of the object exploration events, with a significant difference between groups (preterm: M = 36.1%; full-term: M = 52.1%). Importantly, the interaction between object exploration and parents' spatial input at Time 1 predicted children's spatial language knowledge at Time 2 regardless of children's neonatal status. Infants who explored objects for longer periods and received greater spatial input from their parents at Time 1 knew more spatial words at Time 2 than infants who explored objects less and received less input at Time 1. These findings suggest that early object exploration and parents' spatial input together can lead to a cascading effect on later spatial language development for both preterm and full-term infants.

Ginsenoside Rg3 alleviates brain damage caused by chlorpyrifos exposure by targeting and regulating the microbial-gut-brain axis

INTRODUCTION

The utilization of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) has been demonstrated to exert a substantial positive influence on crop yield enhancement. However, due to the multitude of exposure routes and the persistence of these compounds, humans are routinely exposed to pesticides on a daily basis through dermal contact, inhalation, and ingestion. This has serious consequences for the health of living organisms. The existing research on the effects of organophosphorus pesticides on organisms primarily encompasses the impact on vital organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart, various blood parameters, and potential neurotoxicity, teratogenicity, carcinogenicity, and mutagenic effects. However, there is a paucity of research addressing the alleviation of brain tissue damage in OP pesticide poisoning through the microbial-intestinal-brain axis.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the present study is to illuminate the biological activity and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg3 in addressing brain injury induced by chlorpyrifos, employing both in vivo and in vitro models. This investigation will elucidate the role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and the polarization of macrophages in this process.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Ginsenoside Rg3 is characterized by notable antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. The results showed that Rg3 improved the cognitive and learning memory impairment after chlorpyrifos (CPF) exposure in C57 mice, alleviated macrophage infiltration in the hippocampus, repaired synaptic ultrastructural damage and restored the absence of synapse-related proteins (BDNF, SYP, and PSD-95) through behavioral assays, ameliorated neuronal apoptosis and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) disorders, and mediated the development of MPA axis disorders, while mediating M1/M2 macrophage polarization and attenuating apoptosis in brain tissue. In intestinal tissues, Rg3 improved the intestinal flora of mice, significantly reduced macrophage infiltration, and down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), while concurrently augmenting the levels of short-chain fatty acids. And the therapeutic role of Rg3 in ameliorating the brain damage induced by chlorpyrifos exposure was substantiated by protein imprinting through the NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β signaling pathway. Meanwhile, the results of in vitro experiments demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg3 could attenuate CPF-induced inflammatory responses in BV-2 microglia by modulating M1/M2 macrophage polarization.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study confirmed that ginsenoside Rg3 can be utilized as a promising therapeutic strategy to mitigate brain tissue damage resulting from OP-type pesticide poisoning. These findings suggest that Rg3 has the potential to serve as a promising clinical drug for the treatment of organs affected by organophosphorus pesticide poisoning. This study offers novel insights into the application of Rg3 in the context of the microbial-gut-brain axis, providing a theoretical foundation for the development of ginsenoside Rg3 in clinical settings and the future development of novel drugs.

Potential roles for microglia in drug addiction: Adolescent neurodevelopment and beyond

Adolescence is a sensitive period for development of addiction-relevant brain circuits, and it is also when people typically start experimenting with drugs. Unfortunately, such substance use may cause lasting impacts on the brain, and might increase vulnerability to later-life addictions. Microglia are the brain's immune cells, but their roles in shaping neural connectivity and synaptic plasticity, especially in developmental sensitive periods like adolescence, may also contribute to addiction-related phenomena. Here, we overview how drugs of abuse impact microglia, and propose that they may play poorly-understood, but important roles in addiction vulnerability and progression.

Suicidal ideation among youth: Examining the intersections of multiple social positions and bias-based bullying

OBJECTIVE

Suicidal ideation is prevalent among minoritized youth. This study identified disparities in suicidal ideation across youth with intersecting social positions-including race and ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, gender, and sexual orientation-and examined the role of bias-based bullying (based on race and ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation) related to these disparities.

METHOD

Data for this study were drawn from the 2017-2019 California Healthy Kids Survey, with a sample of 458,963 students in grades 9 through 12. Around half of the participants identified as Latina/x/o (50.4 %), 49 % were assigned female at birth, 93.7 % identified as cisgender, and 81.9 % identified as straight. Exhaustive Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection was used to analyze how rates of suicidal ideation vary among youth with intersecting social positions and multiple forms of bias-based bullying experiences.

RESULTS

Youth with intersecting minoritized social positions, particularly those with both minoritized sexual and gender identities, reported the highest rates of suicidal ideation in the past year (43.9 % to 63.3 %), three to four times higher than the overall sample rate (16.5 %). Furthermore, all youth in the highest prevalence groups of suicidal ideation experienced at least one form of bias-based bullying. Suicidal ideation rates were 26.3 % to 59.0 % higher among youth who experienced bias-based bullying compared to those with the same social positions who did not experience bullying.

CONCLUSION

Suicidal ideation is especially prevalent among youth with intersecting minoritized social positions who have also experienced multiple forms of bias-based bullying.

Adaptive changes in infant emotion regulation persist three months following birthing parent receipt of cognitive behavioral therapy for postpartum depression

BACKGROUND

Infants exposed to postpartum depression (PPD) exhibit more emotion regulatory (ER) difficulties than infants who are not. While treatments for PPD that include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may adaptively alter infant ER immediately following treatment, it is unclear if these improvements persist.

METHODS

This study examined if adaptive changes in infant ER persisted three months after their birthing parent completed 9-weeks of CBT for PPD. We used data from n = 35 case infants (of birthing parents diagnosed with a postpartum major depressive disorder), and n = 33 healthy control infants (born to non-depressed birthing parents and matched to case infants on age, sex and family SES). A multimethod assessment of infant ER included resting-state frontal EEG asymmetry (FA), high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), and birthing parent- and partner-reported temperamental positive affect (PA). Infant ER was examined at three study visits (V1 occurred before CBT/at baseline for control infants, V2 took place immediately after CBT (9-weeks later), and V3 was three months after V2).

RESULTS

Three months after birthing parent CBT (V3), infants continued to exhibit greater left FA relative to pre-treatment [∆meanV1 to V3 = 0.19, [SE = 0.082], p = 0.02]-the pre-to-post treatment shift from right to left FA remained statistically significant at V3). HF-HRV at V3 also increased relative to pre-treatment [∆mV1 to V3 = 0.81, [0.19], p < 0.001], as did PA reported by birthing parents [∆mV1 to V3 = 0.64, [0.16], p < 0.001] and their partners [∆mV1 to V3 = 0.54, [0.18], p = 0.004]. No ER measures differed between case and control infants at the three-month visit.

CONCLUSIONS

Treating PPD may set infants on a persistent adaptive ER trajectory.

Exploring Emotional Dysregulation and Avoidance with Caregivers as the Mechanisms Linking Social Communication Understanding and Aggressive Behaviours

Many autistic adolescents and young adults present with aggressive behaviours, which can be challenging for caregivers. The present study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms between social communication understanding and aggressive behaviours in autistic and non-autistic adolescents, specifically the role of emotional dysregulation and its impact on avoidance with caregivers. Caregivers of autistic (n = 275) and non-autistic adolescents (n = 123) completed standardised caregiver-report questionnaires measuring social communication understanding, emotional dysregulation, avoidance between the adolescent and caregiver and aggressive behaviours. A serial mediation analysis indicated that levels of social communication understanding were indirectly associated with aggressive behaviours. This occurred through increased emotional dysregulation, which may have led to increased avoidance between the autistic and non-autistic adolescents and their caregivers. These findings support a sequential process by which adolescents with low social communication understanding are more likely to behave aggressively through being emotionally dysregulated and the impact of this on the increased avoidance within the caregiver-adolescent dyad. This process was found within autistic and non-autistic adolescents, suggesting a mechanism across individuals with aggression. These findings indicate that interventions based on improving emotion regulation ability and responses between adolescents and their caregivers may aid in reducing aggressive behaviours in adolescents and young adults with lower social communication understanding.

Exploring Unexpected Bilingualism in Autism: Enhanced Sensitivity to Non-Adjacent Dependencies

Statistical learning refers to the ability to detect regularities from sensory input, including speech. Statistical learning plays a key role in language acquisition, particularly for complex structures, such as nonadjacent dependencies, that are ubiquitous in natural language syntax. This study investigates nonadjacent dependency learning in autistic children who acquire English through screen exposure, a phenomenon known as Unexpected Bilingualism (UB). Unlike their non-autistic peers, autistic-UB children acquire foreign languages with little interactional support. We hypothesize that this intensive experience with linguistic input should be associated in autistic-UB children with enhanced sensitivity to nonadjacent dependencies. An artificial language learning experiment confirmed that both non-autistic and autistic children with close to typical language ranges can learn non-adjacent dependencies from passive exposure to unfamiliar linguistic input. Crucially, autistic-UB exhibited significantly faster learning as compared to their autistic and non-autistic peers. This study documents that UB in autism is associated with distinct cognitive abilities.

Deconstructing Temporal Stages of Prosocial and Antisocial Risky Decision-making in Adolescence

Risk-taking is a prominent aspect of adolescent behavior. A recent neurodevelopmental model suggests that this trait could influence prosocial and antisocial decision-making, proposing a new category known as prosocial and antisocial risk-taking. The primary objective of this study was to examine the electrophysiological underpinnings of prosocial and antisocial risk-taking in adolescence, a developmental period characterized by elevated risky, prosocial, and antisocial decisions. To this end, 32 adolescents aged 13-19 years completed a modified dictator game to choose between three options, representing prosocial and antisocial risk-taking constructs and a risk-free fair one. At the behavioral level, adolescents favored antisocial risky decisions over prosocial risky ones. ERP results at the electrophysiological level in the response selection stage demonstrated that decision preceding negativity was more negative-going before making prosocial risky decisions than other decisions. During the feedback evaluation stage, feedback-related negativity was the least negative after selecting the antisocial risky option and receiving successful feedback. However, choosing the fair option and receiving neutral feedback resulted in the most negative feedback-related negativity. Moreover, P300 showed the most positive mean amplitude following the selection of the antisocial risky option and facing successful feedback, with the lowest positive amplitude observed after choosing the fair option and encountering neutral feedback. These results underscore the distinct electrophysiological underpinnings associated with prosocial and antisocial decisions involving risks.

Mnemonic brain state engagement is diminished in healthy aging

Healthy older adults typically show impaired episodic memory - memory for when and where an event occurred. This selective episodic memory deficit may arise from differential engagement in the retrieval state, a brain state in which attention is focused internally in an attempt to access prior knowledge, and the encoding state, a brain state which supports the formation of new memories and that trades off with the retrieval state. We hypothesize that older adults are biased toward a retrieval state. We recorded scalp electroencephalography while young, middle-aged and older adults performed a memory task in which they were explicitly directed to either encode or retrieve on a given trial. We used multivariate pattern analysis of spectral activity to decode retrieval vs. encoding state engagement. We find that whereas all age groups can follow task demands to selectively engage in encoding or retrieval, mnemonic brain state engagement is diminished for older adults relative to young and middle-aged adults. These findings suggest that differential mnemonic state engagement may underlie age-related memory changes.

Unfamiliar familiarity: A scoping review on the role of familiarity in consumer acceptance of cultivated meat

The potential introduction of cultivated meat products to the market, framed as sustainable alternative to conventional animal-source foods, underscores the need to examine psychological barriers and predisposing factors influencing consumer acceptance. Familiarity is often considered a facilitating factor, based on the premise that higher familiarity with cultivated meat is associated with greater acceptance. However, evidence remains contradictory and poorly integrated. This review examines and organizes the literature on familiarity with cultivated meat and its influence on consumer acceptance. A scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature was conducted on June 7, 2024, following PRISMA-ScR and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. Comprehensive searches across Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycInfo included no restrictions on participant type, geographic location, social and cultural contexts, language, or publication time. 63 articles were analyzed to examine (i) definitions of familiarity, (ii) methodologies measuring familiarity with cultivated meat, and (iii) evidence regarding its influence on consumer acceptance of cultivated meat. Results indicate that current research on familiarity is largely based on non-representative samples, with data recency limitations, and inconsistent operationalization. Familiarity is often conflated with the related yet distinct constructs of awareness and knowledge, revealing a lack of clarity in literature. The review also identified various approaches for assessing familiarity, all lacking psychometric rigor, hindering replicability and comparability of findings. This review highlights the need for further research to clarify the theoretical and operational definition of familiarity and its role in consumer acceptance of cultivated meat.

Cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the seven item general anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7) in college students of six countries of Latin American

OBJECTIVE

To identify cross-cultural validity evidence for the Spanish version of the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) in a sample of university students from six Latin American countries.

METHOD

This study employed a descriptive, psychometric, and cross-sectional design to examine the factorial validity of the GAD-7, its measurement equivalence across nationalities, and item-level discrimination and difficulty parameters.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample consisted of 2278 university students from six Latin American countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Paraguay) with a mean age of 21.9 years (SD = 5.41, range = 16-59). The sample was composed of 37.4 % men (n = 851) and 62.6 % women (n = 1427).

RESULTS

The findings confirmed the unidimensional structure of the GAD-7, along with measurement equivalence across nationalities from the six countries. The instrument demonstrated excellent internal consistency, and the discrimination and difficulty parameters for the items were found to be appropriate.

CONCLUSIONS

The GAD-7 is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing generalised anxiety in university students from Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Paraguay. Nationality does not introduce variability in the measure, supporting its cross-cultural applicability.

It's Safe to Look: Maternal Touch Affects Infants' Fear Bias

Touch is an extraordinary sensory, communicative, and affective experience that has cascading positive effects on infants' socio-emotional development and neurobiological functioning. This study aims to explore whether maternal touch can influence infants' well-known attentional biases toward fearful facial expressions. Visual behaviour of 7-month-old infants was measured through an eye-tracker while they were presented with an overlap task in which a central emotional face (happy, neutral, and fearful) was followed by a peripheral distractor. During the task, infants were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. In one group, the mother kept the hand on the infant's lap (Touch group, N = 24), while in another group, the mother was present but not in tactile contact with the infant (No-Touch condition, N = 24). Also, the frequency of spontaneous maternal touch was assessed during mother-infant free-play interaction. Results showed an overall increase in the proportion of looking times (PTs) toward the fear stimulus compared to the other emotional stimuli. Further, only the group of infants that were in tactile contact with their mothers showed slower disengagement times (DTs) from fearful faces compared to happy and neutral emotions. Finally, in the No-Touch condition, infants who experienced more regulatory touch (massages and caresses) when interacting with their mother showed increased attention toward threatening (Fearful faces) and ambiguous (Neutral faces) emotional signals. Vice versa, increased frequency with other forms of touch (i.e., dynamic and static) during the interaction was associated with decreased attention toward the negative and neutral facial expressions. Our findings suggest that maternal touch provides a relevant communicative signal to the infant that indicates that it is safe to process fearful stimuli, favoring infants' knowledge and learning of their social world.

Mediation of executive functions in the relationship between motor skills and psychosocial health in preschool children

Purpose

Early motor skills develop alongside executive functions and psychosocial health. However, the interaction between these elements in early childhood is not well-studied. This study aimed to examine whether executive functions mediate the relationship between motor skills and psychosocial health.

Methods

A total of 452 children (mean age = 6.14 ± 0.29 years, 48.9 % female) were included in this cross-sectional study. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2) was used to assess motor skills. Executive functions were measured using the Go/No-Go Test, Dimensional Change Card Sort Test, and List Sorting Working Memory Test from the Early Years Toolbox (ages 3-7). Social skills and problem behaviors were assessed using the preschool version of the Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scale (SSIS-RS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation was employed to examine the mediating role of executive functions.

Results

Gross motor skills were positively associated with inhibition (β = 0.41, p < 0.01), shifting (β = 0.20, p < 0.01), working memory (β = 0.30, p < 0.01), social skills (β = 0.50, p < 0.05), and negatively associated with problem behaviors (β = -0.23, p < 0.05). Inhibition (β = 0.107, p < 0.001) and shifting (β = -0.018, p < 0.05) mediated the relationship between gross motor skills and social skills. Additionally, inhibition (β = -0.086, p < 0.001) and shifting (β = 0.019, p < 0.05) mediated the relationship between gross motor skills and problem behaviors. Fine motor skills were positively associated with inhibition (β = 0.35, p < 0.01), shifting (β = 0.16, p < 0.01), and working memory (β = 0.21, p < 0.01), but not significantly related to social skills (β = 0.08, p > 0.05) or problem behaviors (β = 0, p > 0.05). Inhibition (β = 0.144, p = 0.001) mediated the relationship between fine motor skills and social skills, while both inhibition (β = -0.102, p = 0.001) and shifting (β = 0.014, p = 0.041) mediated the relationship between fine motor skills and problem behaviors.

Conclusion

Executive functions significantly mediate the association between motor skills and psychosocial health in preschool children. Future experimental studies are required to examine causality in young children.

Children's Neural Processing of the Misfortunes and Fortunes of Prosocial and Antisocial Individuals

Behavioral studies have found that children are less likely to share the feelings of antisocial individuals than those of prosocial individuals. However, the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. To address this gap, the current study utilized electroencephalogram (EEG) to examine the neural responses of 4- to 12-year-old children to the misfortunes and fortunes of prosocial and antisocial individuals (N = 73). When observing the experiences of prosocial individuals, children exhibited a greater amplitude of parietal P3, an indicator of top-down allocated attention, to misfortunes compared to fortunes. This difference disappeared when observing the experiences of antisocial individuals. Additionally, children displayed stronger mu suppression, indicating neural mirroring, toward prosocial individuals than antisocial individuals while observing their experiences. The current findings suggest that children allocate more attention resources to the experiences, especially misfortunes, of prosocial individuals than antisocial individuals. These findings deepened our understanding of how children react to others' experiences based on others' moral behaviors from a neural perspective.

Evaluating the factor structure and measurement invariance of the 20-item short version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale across multiple countries, languages, and gender identities

The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Model and the various psychometric instruments developed and validated based on this model are well established in clinical and research settings. However, evidence regarding the psychometric validity, reliability, and equivalence across multiple countries of residence, languages, or gender identities, including gender-diverse individuals, is lacking to date. Using data from the International Sex Survey (N = 82,243), confirmatory factor analyses and measurement invariance analyses were performed on the preestablished five-factor structure of the 20-item short version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale to examine whether (a) psychometric validity and reliability and (b) psychometric equivalence hold across 34 country-of-residence-related, 22 language-related, and three gender-identity-related groups. The results of the present study extend the latter psychometric instrument's well-established relevance to 26 countries, 13 languages, and three gender identities. Most notably, psychometric validity and reliability were evidenced across nine novel translations included in the present study (i.e., Croatian, English, German, Hebrew, Korean, Macedonian, Polish, Portuguese-Portugal, and Spanish-Latin American) and psychometric equivalence was evidenced across all three gender identities included in the present study (i.e., women, men, and gender-diverse individuals).

Estimating Age-Related Change in Infants' Linguistic and Cognitive Development Using (Meta-)Meta-Analysis

Developmental psychology focuses on how psychological constructs change with age. In cognitive development research, however, the specifics of this emergence is often underspecified. Researchers often provisionally assume linear growth by including chronological age as a predictor in regression models. In this work, we aim to evaluate this assumption by examining the functional form of age trajectories across 25 phenomena in early linguistic and cognitive development by combining the results of multiple meta-analyses in Metalab, an open database. Surprisingly, for most meta-analyses, the effect size for the phenomenon did not change meaningfully across age. We investigated four possible hypotheses explaining this pattern: (1) age-related selection bias against younger infants; (2) methodological adaptation for older infants; (3) change in only a subset of conditions; and (4) positive growth only after infancy. None of these explained the lack of age-related growth in most datasets. Our work challenges the assumption of linear growth in early cognitive development and suggests the importance of uniform measurement across children of different ages.

Alcohol and Aquatic Activity: Young Males' Perceptions of Risk and Social Identity Through the Lived Experience

INTRODUCTION

This research explored the lived experiences, risk perceptions and social identity beliefs related to alcohol consumption around water among young Australian males.

METHODS

Purposive sampling was used to recruit 23 Australian males aged 18-30 who had previously consumed alcohol around water. An online survey collected demographics, eligibility and swimming ability, followed by qualitative telephone interviews. An interview guide developed based on extant literature and team member expertise gathered data on lived experience of alcohol consumption around water, risk perception and social identity. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a reflexive hybrid thematic approach in NVivo.

RESULTS

With respect to lived experience, participants described consuming alcohol around water primarily as a social and unplanned activity, often occurring with friends and family and in locations lacking formal safety measures. In terms of risk perception, despite recognising the dangers of consuming alcohol around water, many underestimated personal risks and overestimated their risk assessment abilities. Concerning social identity, participants identified typical individuals engaging in these activities as young, predominantly male and sensation-seeking, often viewed as socially undesirable and reckless. However, many did not see themselves as fitting this description, instead describing their behaviour as more cautious and responsible.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable insights into how lived experiences, risk perceptions and social identities influence young Australian males' decisions to consume alcohol around water. So what?: The findings underscore the need for targeted public safety campaigns and interventions that leverage lived experiences and psychological insights to effectively reduce alcohol-related risks in aquatic environments.

Predicting Social Competence in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children: Effects of Prosody and the Amount of Speech Input

PURPOSE

Autistic individuals often face challenges perceiving and expressing emotions, potentially stemming from differences in speech prosody. Here we explore how autism diagnoses between groups, and measures of social competence within groups may be related to, first, children's speech characteristics (both prosodic features and amount of spontaneous speech), and second, to these two factors in mothers' speech to their children.

METHODS

Autistic (n = 21) and non-autistic (n = 18) children, aged 7-12 years, participated in a Lego-building task with their mothers, while conversational speech was recorded. Mean F0, pitch range, pitch variability, and amount of spontaneous speech were calculated for each child and their mother.

RESULTS

The results indicated no differences in speech characteristics across autistic and non-autistic children, or across their mothers, suggesting that conversational context may have large effects on whether differences between autistic and non-autistic populations are found. However, variability in social competence within the group of non-autistic children (but not within autistic children) was predictive of children's mean F0, pitch range and pitch variability. The amount of spontaneous speech produced by mothers (but not their prosody) predicted their autistic children's social competence, which may suggest a heightened impact of scaffolding for mothers of autistic children.

CONCLUSION

Together, results suggest complex interactions between context, social competence, and adaptive parenting strategies in driving prosodic differences in children's speech.

Executive functioning is linked to feeding practices and food insecurity in Head Start mothers

Lower executive functioning is associated with more reactive, coercive general parenting practices. Parents who experience poverty, a chronic stressor, may have compromised executive functioning that impacts parenting practices, but less is known about the impact on parent feeding practices. This study examined associations between maternal executive functioning and feeding practices among families living in low-income contexts. Participants included 137 mothers of children enrolled in Head Start who completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version, Child Feeding Questionnaire, Feeding to Manage Child Behavior Questionnaire, and the USDA Food Security Module. Hierarchical linear regression examined the effect of maternal executive function on maternal feeding practices (monitoring of child food intake, food to soothe, and food as a reward) after adjusting for covariates. The moderating effect of food security on this association was also explored. Mothers were white (90%), non-Hispanic (96%), about half had a high school diploma or less (55%), and a third of households experienced food insecurity (35%). Maternal executive functioning explained 9% of the variance for monitoring of child food intake (β = 0.03, p = 0.0006) and 17% of the variance for food to soothe (β = -0.03, p < 0.0001), over and above the variance explained by food security status, employment status, and child BMI z-score. Lower maternal executive functioning was associated with lower odds of household food security (OR: 0.95, CI: 0.92, 0.99). Targeting maternal executive functioning or its environmental supports may be an effective intervention strategy to promote monitoring and less food to soothe, especially among families who experience stressors related to poverty. Longitudinal research is needed to replicate these findings, and to understand the relationship between parent executive function and child weight outcomes.

The longitudinal (in)stability and cognitive underpinnings of children's cheating behavior

There has been a long-standing debate about whether cheating is a stable behavior across various situations. However, there is a notable gap in our understanding about whether children's cheating behavior could exhibit stability over time. Moreover, research on the cognitive correlates of children's cheating is limited, yet exploring these cognitive factors is essential for understanding how children make (dis)honest decisions. This study aimed to test the longitudinal stability in children's cheating tendency and frequency and to explore the cognitive underpinnings of cheating behavior (theory of mind, inhibitory control, and free will belief). The study involved 100 children aged 3 to 6 years who were initially tested at Time 1, and 89 of these participants were retested at Time 2 approximately 1 year later. Cheating behavior was measured using a die-rolling game over Zoom, and three different cognitive abilities were measured. The results indicated that children's cheating tendency was stable over a year-long interval, whereas cheating frequency did not show longitudinal stability. Moreover, the study found that free will belief was related to cheating behavior, whereas theory of mind and inhibitory control were not. Specifically, children's belief in the free will to inhibit their desires, rather than their actual ability to inhibit the desires, was associated with a reduced frequency and likelihood of cheating. The findings can provide insight into the developmental origin of children's decisions to refrain from cheating.

Positive and negative risk-taking behaviors in adolescents: Distinct characteristics, interrelationships, and influencing factors

Adolescence is a crucial period marked by significant developmental changes, during which risk-taking behaviors can be both a normative part of development and a potential source of concern. However, prior research has focused predominantly on the adverse aspects of risk-taking (i.e., negative risk-taking), overlooked the positive counterpart (i.e., positive risk-taking), and lacked a detailed examination of both. This study aims to elucidate the distinct characteristics and interrelationships of positive and negative risk-taking behaviors among adolescents and to identify the key factors that influence these behaviors. Through a comprehensive synthesis of theoretical and empirical literature, we explore the multifaceted nature of risk-taking, highlighting its complex influencing factors, including individual traits, family dynamics, peer influence, school environment, and broader community contexts. By identifying the shared and unique factors contributing to positive and negative risk-taking behaviors, we can enable adolescents to navigate this complex stage of life and design targeted interventions. Future research directions include the application of person-centered approaches, the implementation of longitudinal tracking and the interactive effects of influencing factors, among other aspects.

Burden, stress and depression in caregivers of cirrhosis patients before and after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Family caregivers of cirrhosis patients (CPs) often experience burden, stress, and depression. Investigating whether these conditions improve following the patient undergoing liver transplantation (LT) is crucial, as it would elucidate the comprehensive benefits of the procedure and demonstrate the positive impacts not only on the patients but also on their caregivers and society.

AIM

To compare the levels of burden, stress and depression among family caregivers of cirrhotic and liver transplant patients.

METHODS

This cross-sectional observational study evaluated caregivers of CPs and LT recipients at a quaternary Brazilian hospital. Instruments included identification cards, interview scripts, the caregiver burden scale Inventory, Lipp’s Stress Symptom Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition. Psychometric analyses involved confirmatory factor analysis and calculation of McDonald’s omega and composite reliability. Factor scores were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test, with effect size as the rank-biserial correlation coefficient (r). Statistical analysis was performed with R software (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

Seventy-seven CP caregivers and 65 LT recipient caregivers were included. Most were female (CP: 85.7% vs LT: 84.6%) and the patients’ spouses (76.6% vs 63.1%). The median age and caregiving duration were 55.4 (23.3-76.3) vs 54.6 (25.7-82.1) and 3.9 (1-20) vs 8 (1.5-24) years, respectively (P = 0.001). LT caregivers were less likely to be at risk of overload (21.5% vs 49.4%), to be under stress (33.8% vs 36.4%) and to show symptoms of depression (15.4% vs 35.1%). Compared with LT caregivers, CP caregivers had greater median factor scores for burden (general tension, P = 0.012; isolation, P = 0.014; disappointment, P = 0.004), depression (P = 0.008), and stress (P = 0.047), with small to moderate effect sizes. The disappointment (r = 0.240) and depression (r = 0.225) dimensions had the largest effect sizes.

CONCLUSION

Family caregivers of LT recipients are less likely to exhibit symptoms of burden, stress, and depression, suggesting that the benefits of LT extend to the patients’ family members.

The Mismeasure of Culture: Why Measurement Invariance Is Rarely Appropriate for Comparative Research in Psychology

Despite growing recognition of the need for cross-national or cross-cultural validation of measures in social psychological research, a tension persists between proponents of measurement invariance and practitioners frustrated with stringent standards and ambiguous recommendations. This article critiques common applications of measurement invariance standards and proposes an alternative method for establishing cross-group validity. We highlight how measurement invariance emerged from concerns about fairness in high-stakes individual selections and is based on meta-theoretical assumptions usually irrelevant for drawing cross-societal comparisons. Using the General System Justification Scale as an example, we demonstrate how reliance on a nomological network can ensure meaningful group differences without meeting invariance criteria and show how non-invariance is preferable to approximate (or partial) invariance. We recommend that psychologists interested in cross-group comparisons isolate construct-relevant factors from method bias. Doing so requires defining a priori the goal of scale use and what is "societal" or "cultural" about what is being measured.

Examining students' current academic motivation in relation to peer interactions and social environment in the classroom using the Experience Sampling Method

INTRODUCTION

Current academic motivation is affected by personal and situational factors. This highlights the dynamic nature of academic motivation, which is shaped by its social contexts, particularly by peers at school.

AIMS

We investigated the relationships between peer interactions and three aspects of students' current academic motivation (positive activation, enjoyment of learning and concentration) in real learning situations in the classroom. We also examined whether and to what extent aspects of the social environment within the class (social classroom climate, the perceptions of peers and teachers as motivators) affected current motivation.

SAMPLE

The study involved NL2 = 145 fifth graders in secondary schools, who completed a total of NL1 = 3099 (M = 21.4 per student) short questionnaires on tablet computers during class in one school week.

METHOD

The Experience Sampling Method was used to simultaneously measure students' aspects of current motivation and their peer interactions in class. In addition, the students reported on their social classroom climate and their perceptions of peers and teachers as motivators using a conventional questionnaire. Multilevel structural equation models were specified.

RESULTS

Results revealed considerable variability in aspects of current motivation. Students showed higher levels of current academic motivation when they interacted with peers compared to learning situations in which they did not interact with peers (i.e. when they studied alone), when they perceived a positive social classroom climate and when they perceived their peers as supportive.

DISCUSSION

The study underscores the situational dependence of students' current academic motivation and the central role of peers in aspects of current academic motivation.

Do children have insights into their performance in an inhibitory control task?: An explorative study with 9- and 11-year-olds

Accurate self-evaluation of one's performance is a key metacognitive skill that supports self-regulated learning and academic success, yet it develops gradually throughout childhood. This study examined the performance and self-evaluations of performance of 3rd grade (9 years) and 5th grade (11 years) children on an inhibitory control task. An adaptation of the Hearts and Flowers task was used, in which children first solved a congruent (Hearts) block, followed by three incongruent (Flowers) blocks, providing self-evaluation ratings after each Flowers block. We asked 1) whether children's self-evaluations of their performance align with their performance, 2) whether this alignment varies with age, and 3) whether this alignment improves with repeated practice and self-evaluation. Results showed 1) significant prediction of self-evaluations by accuracy, indicating that children's self-evaluations of their performance align with their performance, 2) the strength of this prediction to be greater in 5th graders than 3rd graders across blocks, indicating that this alignment may vary with age, and 3) the strength of this prediction to be greater in the third block compared to the previous blocks for both grades, indicating that this alignment improved with repeated practice. These findings highlight developmental differences in metacognitive abilities, with older children showing stronger performance monitoring. Moreover, these results suggest that structured opportunities for practice and self-evaluation could enhance metacognitive development and inhibitory control performance in 9- and 11-year-old children.

Executive functioning in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

While deficits in 'cold' executive functioning (EF) have been linked to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), no study has systematically examined whether specific EF domains are disproportionately impaired. Addressing this gap is crucial for clarifying the role of EF in the persistence of anxiety and cognitive inefficiencies associated with GAD. This systematic review and meta-analytic investigation synthesized data from 13,084 participants across 32 studies to provide a comprehensive neuropsychological profile of GAD across youths and adults. Studies exploring GAD diagnosis and GAD symptoms/severity revealed similar patterns, such that, GAD was associated with poorer cognitive flexibility and working memory, but not inhibitory control. Effect sizes were similar across youths and young/middle-aged adults; however, studies involving older adults yielded no association between GAD and any EF domain. Furthermore, effect sizes were notably stronger for clinical samples compared to non-clinical samples, and for self-report measures of EF compared to accuracy- and reaction time-based indices. Further exploration revealed that GAD was linked to slower reaction times on working memory tasks and poorer accuracy on both cognitive flexibility and working memory tasks, challenging attentional control theory which suggests that anxiety impacts cognitive performance efficiency (reaction time)-not accuracy. An updated framework specific to GAD is therefore needed to clarify the underlying cognitive mechanisms underlying this condition. These findings have critical implications for treatment, as targeted interventions designed to strengthen impaired EF domains could enhance anxiety management and improve overall cognitive functioning and well-being for individuals with GAD.

Semantic-to-autobiographical memory priming: Priming from thoughts and imagined activities

Research has shown that the activation of semantic memories leads to the activation of autobiographical memories. Known as semantic-to-autobiographical memory priming, this form of priming has been demonstrated to prime involuntary autobiographical memories with a wide variety of different stimuli (e.g., words, pictures, sentences, sounds, tactile stimuli, etc.). Our goal in the current study was to extend semantic-to-autobiographical priming to two unexplored processes, activities and thoughts. In Experiment 1, we explored priming from activities and thoughts by having participants imagine activities (e.g., imagine yourself exercising) and think about topics (e.g., think about holidays). These priming sessions occurred in between vigilance task trials. The vigilance task measures involuntary autobiographical memories by presenting participants with slides that contain lines and word phrases. Participants are instructed to note when slides contain vertical lines, as well as note if they experience spontaneous thoughts or memories. The slides used in our study contained phrases that were both related and unrelated to the primes. In Experiment 2, the priming phase and the vigilance task phase were separated by several minutes. The results of both experiments showed that primed participants produced more involuntary memories related to the content of the imagined activity and thought primes than control participants, who received imagined activity and thought primes that were unrelated to the vigilance task cues. The results support the idea that activities and thoughts can influence the production of involuntary autobiographical memories in everyday life. The results also support the idea that semantic-to-autobiographical priming is diverse.

Predictors of Environmental Sensitivity in Syrian refugee children

BACKGROUND

Although more prone to psychopathology on average, refugee children differ in their response to adversity. Growing evidence attributes some of these individual differences to varying levels of Environmental Sensitivity - the extent to which children perceive and process contextual influences. However, there is limited knowledge of how Environmental Sensitivity is developmentally influenced, particularly in the refugee setting.

METHODS

Here, we investigated whether individual-, family- and community-level predictors (psychosocial and genetic) were associated with self-reported Environmental Sensitivity and its subscales (measured using the 12-item Highly Sensitive Child Scale). Participants were a subsample (n = 1,409) from a cohort of Syrian refugee children and their biological mothers, recruited from informal tented settlements in Lebanon. Multivariate adaptive regression spline models were fitted to identify the best selection from over 40 available predictors.

RESULTS

Twelve predictors of Environmental Sensitivity emerged, with the five most commonly selected being maternal behavioural control, human insecurity, positive home experiences, maternal anxiety and child-reported child abuse, the latter three of which were also suggested to predict changes in sensitivity over a 12-month period. Some predictors such as maternal PTSD, war exposure and bullying showed a non-linear, V-shape relationship with sensitivity. All effect sizes, however, were small.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that both highly supportive and highly adverse contextual factors associate with greater childhood Environmental Sensitivity, in line with current theorising. Despite previous suggestive evidence, we did not find that polygenic scores for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder predicted sensitivity. Further research into predictors of Environmental Sensitivity is encouraged, as this may help with improved assessment of the trait in children.

Prevalence and contributing factors of executive cognitive dysfunction symptoms in university students

The importance of executive cognition should not be overlooked in the private and academic lives of university students. It includes important constituents of the human mind, including but not limited to, organizing, directing, solving problems, and controlling oneself and these processes are central to surviving the rigors of higher education. Good executive function enables the students to perform complex tasks, such as fighting deadlines, understanding the course structure, and participating in many other activities. Further, it assists in arriving at resolutions and managing tensions as one transitions into adulthood, both of which are critical. In other words, executive cognitive deficits are correlated with problems in academic progression, time management, and overall adjustment to the possible social and emotional stressors of university experience. This cross-sectional study, involving 1,204 students, used the validated Arabic version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) to measure executive cognitive function, along with demographic and lifestyle data. The results showed significant associations between executive cognition dysfunction and certain lifestyle factors common among generation Z, such as hours spent on smartphones or electronic devices (p < 0.0001), social media platform use (p = 0.0484), weekly fast food consumption (p < 0.0001), and daily hours on social media (p < 0.0001). Additional factors included weak family relationships (p = 0.0018), gender (p = 0.029), family income (p = 0.0164), urban residence (p = 0.0176), prior mental health consultations (p < 0.0001), and parental separation (p < 0.0375). Conversely, regular sports participation and exercise were linked to lower dysfunction scores (p = 0.0327), suggesting a protective effect. These findings underscore the impact of lifestyle and personal circumstances on cognitive functioning, highlighting the need for balanced technology use, healthy diets, strong family and social networks, and physical activity. Early psychological support for at-risk students may further enhance cognitive resilience and overall well-being.

A matter of time: Developmental cascades for developmental science

The pace and breadth of infant development is remarkable-by their third birthday, infants acquire an impressive range of skills across multiple domains. Studying the complexities of cross-domain development, however, poses a challenge for a field of researchers with traditionally siloed expertise. The developmental cascades framework-the conceptual view that disparate domains are interconnected and reciprocally influential-offers researchers a flexible approach to identify and describe infant development. Over the past quarter century, cascades have surged in popularity among infancy researchers. In this review, we provide a history of developmental cascades research and highlight its contributions to the science of infant behavior and development. We discuss contemporary themes and challenges cascades researchers face (e.g., how to clear the high bar needed to establish causality among links in a cascading chain of events) and make recommendations for future research. Specifically, we propose that adopting a cascades approach encourages researchers to: (1) consider the 'whole child' by charting connections across different domains; (2) examine multiple timescales by linking moment-to-moment interactions to broader changes across development; (3) embrace complexity and foster interdisciplinary collaboration; and (4) gather evidence for causal pathways by combining the rigor of lab experiments with the richness of natural observations. Finally, we consider future directions for the next quarter century of cascades research-for developmental science, applied psychology, and clinical intervention.

Parental psychological control and depressive symptomatology in Chinese junior middle school students: a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

This study examines the mechanisms linking parental psychological control and depressive symptomatology among Chinese junior middle school students, focusing on the mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating role of school climate.

METHOD

A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1991 middle school students using a depressive symptomatology scale, the psychological control sub-questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Perceived School Climate Scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and tests of the moderated mediation model.

RESULTS

(1) parental psychological control positively predicts depressive symptomatology (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), with psychological resilience mediating this relationship (β = 0.02, 95% Bootstrap CI= [0.01, 0.04]); (2) in the mediation model, school climate moderates the first and second half pathways (βparental psychological control× school climate = -0.03, 95% Bootstrap CI= [-0.07, -0.00]; βpsychological resilience × school climate = -0.08, 95% Bootstrap CI= [-0.11, -0.05]) and the mediating effect. Specifically, under a high-level school climate, the effect of parental psychological control on psychological resilience, and the effect of psychological resilience on depressive symptomatology were significantly stronger than those in a low-level school climate. The indirect effect of psychological resilience was also stronger in a high-level than a low-level school climate (Contrast high minus low level = 0.03, 95% CI [0.01, 0.05]. Psychological resilience could not moderate the psychological control-depressive symptomatology relationship.

CONCLUSION

Parental psychological control indirectly affects depressive symptomatology through psychological resilience, with school climate moderating the mediating effect. The findings show how family and school environments, along with individual traits, collectively influence adolescents' depressive symptomatology. The study has the following application implications. Interventions such as the resilience-building program and the mindfulness program could improve parents' educational styles and students' psychological resilience respectively. Educators can strengthen school climate through learning guidance and game activities and so on. Courses such as teacher training should incorporate methods of family-school collaboration. Further longitudinal studies could explore the development of the relationships between the main variables. Objective measurements could also be incorporated for more accurate measurement.

The relationship between executive functions and the perspective-taking skill of theory of mind: Insights from deaf and hard of hearing children with cochlear implants

Previous research in hearing children has consistently found theory of mind (ToM) is positively associated with executive functions (EF). However, this question has been far less examined in deaf and hard of hearing children (DHH) with cochlear implants. This may be because of the heterogeneity of developmental contexts and especially related to language that DHH children experience. The purpose of the study was to explore developmental differences in the perspective-taking skill of ToM and EF by using cluster analysis to compare groups of DHH adolescents who are CI users with typically developing hearing adolescents, aiming to identify subgroups with similar cognitive and processing profiles. Participants were 88 adolescents (12-16 years old) of which 34 were DHH with cochlear implants. The results showed that in the hearing group EF scores correlated positively with perspective-taking performance but not in the DHH group. The analysis of the hearing children's results revealed there were three clusters based on clear performance levels. In the DHH group, there was much variability and more complex relationships between both abilities. We conclude that DHH children's variable experience with early communication and access to language disrupts the typical coupling of ToM and EF.

Longitudinal associations between birth-to-six cortical growth and childhood neurocognitive function

The human cortex undergoes immense change in the first years of life, doubling in thickness within the first year and evidencing the greatest change within the first 5 y. While substantial research has identified the early postnatal period as a sensitive period in cortical development, research to date lacks the temporal resolution necessary to identify which aspects of cortical change predict later neural and cognitive function. This study leveraged a rich longitudinal dataset of cortical thickness in 50 children who were scanned up to 11 times between birth and 6 y. We used nonlinear multilevel modeling to explore patterns of cortical change across the brain during this period and distinguish whether different phases of change would predict performance and brain activation during a working memory task children completed at approximately 9 y. Cortical thickness across the brain showed a large increase from birth through 12 mo, a decrease from 12 to 18 mo, and a small increase from 18 mo to 6 y, mirroring patterns of early neural proliferation, pruning, and sustained growth. Performance and neural activation during the working memory task were associated with smaller peak (i.e., 12 mo) thickness and a marginally less steep 12 to 18-mo decline in thickness in the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) of the frontal lobe, in line with evidence demonstrating concurrent links between frontal lobe structure and working memory. These findings validate theories of cortical growth developed in preclinical models using human data and demonstrate that prefrontal cortex development in infancy uniquely predicts neurocognitive function 9 y later.

Dimensions of Depressive Symptoms in Young Children: Factor Analysis of the Preschool Feelings Checklist-Scale

The current study is an investigation of the dimensionality of the Preschool Feelings Checklist-Scale (PFC-S), a caregiver-report questionnaire of early childhood depressive symptom severity. Caregivers of 450 young children, ages 3-8 years (M = 5.62, SD = 0.95; 49% female; 7% Hispanic; 66% White), completed the PFC-S and questionnaires on child emotion regulation and expression and self-reported depressive symptomatology. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a one-factor structure did not adequately fit the current PFC-S data. Using exploratory factor analysis, a three-factor structure emerged as interpretable and structurally sound, yielding reliable factors related to social and behavioral anhedonia, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and excessive guilt and sadness. This factor structure showed configural and scalar invariance across preschool-aged and early middle childhood-aged children as well as children assigned male and female sex at birth. Correlations between the three factors and constructs related to depression suggested preliminary construct validity. The current study provides initial evidence for a multidimensional structure of the PFC-S and improves our understanding of early childhood depressive symptoms.

Is intolerance of uncertainty a necessary condition for anxiety symptoms in adolescents? A necessary condition analysis study

BACKGROUND

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a well-established risk factor for anxiety disorders, as higher levels of IU increase the likelihood of future maladaptive outcomes. However, the presence of low levels of IU does not imply that maladaptive outcomes will not occur, as other risk factors can still lead to the onset of anxiety symptoms. Currently, it is unknown whether IU also serves as a necessary cause for anxiety symptoms, meaning that its absence would ensure the absence of these symptoms.

METHODS

A sample of 186 adolescents (58.6 % boys) between 14 and 18 years of age (M = 16.58 ± 1.01) was followed for six months, with evaluations every three months. Several self-reports were administered to measure IU and general anxiety problems, derived from the Youth Self Report 11-18, and anxiety-specific symptoms, derived from the Self-Administered Psychiatric Scales for Children and Adolescents. The Necessary Condition Analysis approach was applied to determine the extent to which IU is a necessary condition for anxiety.

FINDINGS

The analyses revealed that IU is a necessary condition for anxiety problems (d =.23 -.24), generalized anxiety disorder symptoms (d =.18 -.19), social anxiety disorder symptoms (d =.19 -.29), and school-related anxiety symptoms (d =.19 -.23) after three and six months. However, IU was not a statistically significant necessary condition for separation anxiety disorder symptoms. At baseline, between 29 % and 70 % of the sample exhibited the necessary levels of IU to potentially experience subclinical anxiety symptoms at subsequent follow-ups.

DISCUSSION

IU is a necessary condition for the potential development of anxiety symptoms during adolescence. Recognizing necessary conditions for anxiety symptoms and mental disorders, in general, could lead to substantial progress, given its impact on enhancing our theoretical understanding and improving prevention strategies and clinical treatments.

Attention control in the peripartum period: a longitudinal study

PURPOSE

Given research inconsistency, this study aimed to assess whether attention control changes from pregnancy to postpartum, focusing on the moderating role of maternal objective and subjective sleep. Our second objective was to evaluate attention control's role in predicting psychological outcomes in peripartum women.

METHOD

A cohort of 224 pregnant women completed the Antisaccade task, a measure of attention control, during the third trimester and again four months post-delivery. Objective and subjective sleep were measured using actigraphy and sleep diaries. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, emotion regulation, and maternal perceptions of the mother-infant relationship.

RESULTS

Attention control improved significantly from late pregnancy to postpartum (β = 0.91, p < .001). While objective sleep was not linked to attention control, poorer between-person subjective sleep was associated with better postpartum attention control (β = - 0.84, p < .001). Better within-person subjective sleep was associated with higher attention control during pregnancy (β = 0.87, p < .001), but a negative interaction with time (β = -1.5, p = .001) suggests a reverse trend postpartum. Attention control did not predict postpartum psychological outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Cognitive recovery may occur by four months postpartum, although the observed improvement could reflect practice effect. The novel finding of a negative association between subjective sleep and postpartum attention control may indicate better adaptation to perceived poor sleep or heightened attunement to sleep fluctuations in women with higher attention control. Attention control did not predict psychological outcomes, suggesting other factors may be more critical for maternal coping postpartum.

Young children's metacognition in problem-solving through question-asking

The current study examined how young children's metacognition-specifically monitoring, control, and metacognitive knowledge-manifests in and contributes to their ultimate problem-solving through question-asking. A total of 101 children (4-6 years of age) participated in a 20-questions-style task in which they were asked to discover the contents of a box by asking questions. Their confidence monitoring regarding their answers, the frequency of different types of questions (i.e., constraint-seeking, confirmation, and ineffective questions), and metacognitive knowledge regarding the question game were measured. The number of correct answers was also recorded. The results indicated that older children exhibited a greater increase in confidence based on the amount of information gained and that their confidence monitoring was more accurate than that of younger children. Older children demonstrated more effective control behaviors, asking more constraint-seeking questions and fewer ineffective questions. The 4-year-olds possessed notable metacognitive knowledge regarding the game, which became more refined with age. In addition to the close relationships among confidence monitoring, control behavior, and metacognitive knowledge, children's sensitive confidence monitoring and use of effective questions predicted the number of correct answers even when age and expressive language were controlled. These findings highlight the development of young children's metacognition and its role in their inquiries and problem-solving abilities.

Early life exposure to fine particulate matter and fine motor function, attentional function, and working memory among Spanish school-aged children

Background

Evidence of the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and child neuropsychological function is equivocal. We examined early life PM2.5 exposure in relation to fine motor function, attention, and working memory in early childhood.

Methods

We used data from the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project, 2003-2008. Exposure to PM2.5 (μg/m3) was assessed using spatiotemporal land-use random forest models and assigned based on residential address histories. Around age six, children completed the finger tapping test, attentional network test (ANT), and n-back task to evaluate fine motor speed, attention, and working memory, respectively. A total of 1,310 children had data from at least one neuropsychological assessment. General linear models were applied to assess associations between average prenatal and postnatal PM2.5 with each outcome. Distributed lag nonlinear models were used to explore refined periods of susceptibility to PM2.5. We reported β estimates and 99% credible intervals (CrI) representing the change in each outcome per 5-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5.

Results

Prenatal PM2.5 exposure was associated with decreased mean hit reaction time (HRT) (β = -21.82; 99% CrI = -64.1, 20.4) and HRT-standard error (β = -9.7; 99% CrI = -30.3, 10.9) on the ANT but estimates were imprecise. Postnatal PM2.5 was associated with reduced mean HRT on the n-back task (β = -39.4; 99% CrI = -115.1, 26.3). We observed sensitive periods of exposure in the postnatal period associated with both better and worse performance on the finger-tapping test and ANT.

Conclusions

We found limited evidence to support an association between PM2.5 exposure and fine motor function, attentional function, or working memory in school-aged children.

Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality and Parenting Stress Across More Than Two Decades: The Mediating Role of Depressive Symptoms

Parenting stress is associated with negative outcomes for both parents and their children, and it may be influenced by the quality of relationships that parents had with their own parents. To enhance understanding of this intergenerational relation, the present study examined whether stability and change in depressive symptoms mediated the association between parent-adolescent relationship quality during adolescence and subsequent parenting stress almost 25 years later. Using data from all five waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) restricted dataset from the United States, the study included adolescents who were between 12 and18 years old at Wave 1 and had at least one child at Wave 5 (2016-2018; N = 4890; Mage at Wave 1 = 15.67, SDage at Wave 1 = 1.50). A modified version of the random intercept cross-lagged model was used to account for both within- and between-person levels of depressive symptoms. Findings indicated that high levels of parent-adolescent relationship quality (with both mothers and fathers) were related to low levels of depressive symptoms that were stable over the almost 25 years of the study (between-person individual differences). In turn, low levels of depressive symptoms that were stable over time were associated with low levels of parenting stress in parenthood. Results underscore the potential long-term value of interventions that enhance parent-adolescent relationship quality in adolescence, as these could reduce enduring depressive symptoms and parenting stress in future generations.

Constructing the "Family Personality": Can Family Functioning Be Linked to Parent-Child Interpersonal Neural Synchronization?

INTRODUCTION

Early child development occurs within an interactive environment, initially dominated by parents or caregivers, and is heavily influenced by the dynamics of this social context. The current study probed the neurobiology of "family personality", or family functioning, in the context of parent-child dyadic interaction using a two-person neuroimaging modality.

METHODS

One hundred and five parent-child dyads (child mean age 5 years 4 months) were recruited. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning was employed to measure neural synchrony while dyads completed a mildly stressful interactive task. Family functioning was measured through the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES-IV).

RESULTS

Synchrony during stress was significantly greater than synchrony during both baseline and recovery conditions for all dyads. A significant interaction between neural synchrony in each task condition and familial balanced flexibility was found, such that higher levels of balanced flexibility were associated with greater changes in frontal cortex neural synchrony as dyads progressed through the three task conditions.

DISCUSSION

Parent-child dyads from families who display heightened levels of balanced flexibility are also more flexible in their engagement of neural synchrony when shifting between social conditions. This is one of the first studies to utilize a two-person imaging modality to explore the links between family functioning and interbrain synchrony between parents and their children.