The paramenstruum and negative moods in normal young women

The Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS) in Africa and New Zealand

The present study investigates the Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS) which is purported to measure six academic self-concept dynamic factors evident in children. Although previous analyses of PASS among New Zealand children have suggested only Penmanship/Neatness subscale did not yield a significant effect, corresponding analyses among non-Western children have not yet been undertaken in any satisfactory manner. To this end, the present article, reports the treatment by two-way analyses of variance for the PASS on an African sample of 204 Form 2 or Grade 6 students enrolled in various elementary schools. The results suggest the scale does not appear to have a ceiling effect which prevents differentiation of normally-achieving and learning-disabled groups from those of gifted ones. The results also indicate that in comparison with normally-achieving children, the learning-disabled (LD) children are characterized by significantly more negative perceptions of ability and negative academic self-concept, along with tendencies towards learned helplessness and lower achievement expectations for future success in school. The Perception ofAbility Scale for Students is not only a new addition to the field of academic selfconcept measurement, but also a major breakthrough for assessing children's cognitive-motivational variables without the difficulties associated with self-report questionnaires. Nevertheless, the degree of variation across both studies and samples suggests that further refinement of the PASS is required in order to improve its reliability and robustness.

Relational spirituality and depression in adolescent girls

This study examines the possibility that relational spirituality may be inversely associated with the relatively higher rates of adolescent depression found in girls as compared with boys. Subjects were 615 adolescents, representing a diverse range of religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall spirituality and depression were measured using The Brief-Multidimensional Measure of Religiosity/Spirituality and the Beck Depression Inventory, respectively. Overall, both level of depression and level of relational spirituality were higher in girls as compared with boys. Regression analyses conducted independently for boys and girls revealed that daily spiritual experiences, forgiveness, and religious coping were associated with less-depressive symptomatology exclusively in girls. This pattern in the findings suggests that uniquely in girls, depression may be associated with disruptions in a relational form of spirituality.

Religiosity, depression, and physical maturation in adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of physical maturation on the protective qualities of religiosity against depression in adolescent girls.

METHOD

Subjects were 3,356 adolescent girls (mean age 16.0, SD = 1.8) interviewed in 1995 as part of the Wave I In-Home Version of the North Carolina Adolescent Health Study. Maturation was assessed on the basis of self-report of secondary sexual characteristics and age at onset of menstruation. Religiosity was assessed on the basis of personal devotion, personal conservatism, institutional conservatism, and participation in religious community. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with each variable of religiosity used to predict depression, controlling for age and ethnicity.

RESULTS

Personal devotion and participation in religious community were associated with a 19% to 26% decreased likelihood of depression in non-highly mature girls and a relatively more robust 32% to 43% decreased likelihood of depression in highly mature girls. Personal conservatism and institutional conservatism were associated with a 17% to 24% decreased likelihood of depression among non-highly mature girls, but were not associated with depression in highly mature girls.

CONCLUSION

Physical maturation may be associated with the protective qualities of religiosity against depression in adolescent girls.

Aerobic exercise, mood states and menstrual cycle symptoms

This study examined the effects of regular, moderate exercise on mood states and menstrual cycle symptoms. A group of female regular exercisers (N = 97), and a second group of female nonexercisers (N = 159), completed the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Differential Emotions Scale (DES-IV) premenstrually, menstrually and intermenstrually. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) revealed significant effects for exercise on negative mood states and physical symptoms, and significant effects on all measures across menstrual cycle phase. The regular exercisers obtained significantly lower scores on impaired concentration, negative affect, behaviour change and pain. No differences were found between groups on positive affect and other physical symptoms.