Acceptance of outgroup members in schools: Developmental trends and roles of perceived norm of prejudice and teacher support

BACKGROUND

Schools around the world are increasingly diverse in ethnicity. Given the importance of peer acceptance in children's well-being and development, it is a pressing concern for educators to promote intergroup acceptance in schools.

AIMS

First, to examine the developmental trends of acceptance of outgroup members in both the ethnic minority and majority students. Second, to investigate how outgroup acceptance is subject to the interplay between perceived norm of prejudice, a risk factor in the macrosystem, and teacher support, a protective factor in the microsystem.

SAMPLE

The participants were 3,723 students (ethnic majority: 61%; boys: 51.9%; mean age: 13.7) at Grade 2, 5, 8, and 11 from 24 schools in Hong Kong.

METHODS

The students were asked to complete a battery of questionnaires regarding their willingness to accept outgroup members in schools, perceived societal norm of prejudice against ethnic minority group, and teacher support they received in schools.

RESULTS

It was found that ethnic minority students accepted outgroup members more than ethnic majority students accepted them. The difference was primarily driven by the low outgroup acceptance of ethnic majority students in Grades 2 and 5. The results of multi-level analysis revealed that outgroup acceptance was associated negatively with perceived norm of prejudice but positively with teacher support. The negative association between outgroup acceptance and perceived norm of prejudice was attenuated in schools with supportive culture.

CONCLUSIONS

The results point to the need of early intervention and the importance of cultivating school culture with strong social emotional support.

Will Victims Become Aggressors or Vice Versa? A Cross-Lagged Analysis of School Aggression

Peer aggression and victimization are ubiquitous phenomena in schools which warrant the attention of educators and researchers. The high connection between aggression and victimization behooves researchers to look into how the comorbidity of them develops over time. The present study investigated the associations between aggression and victimization over 3 years in early adolescence and whether these associations are moderated by gender and teacher support. Participants were 567 Grade 7, 8 and 9 students (49.38% girls) from 3 schools in Hong Kong. Over the course of study, they were asked to fill in a set of questionnaires that consisted of items related to peer aggression, victimization, and teacher support at 5 time points. Four models of cross-lagged relations between peer aggression and victimization were tested. The results supported a reciprocal model of peer aggression and victimization for both boys and girls although girls engaged in less peer aggression and victimization than boys. Further analyses also revealed that teacher support acted as a suppressor of the reciprocal relations. The present study sheds lights on intervention strategies that may remediate peer aggression and victimization in schools.

A comprehensive service delivery model for preschoolers with special educational needs: Its characteristics and effectiveness

BACKGROUND

The compartmentalization between early intervention services and early childhood special education programs is a worldwide phenomenon, which results in the fragmentation of services for preschoolers with special educational needs (SEN).

AIMS

To address this fragmentation of services, an intervention program in Hong Kong adopted a comprehensive service delivery model with six characteristics: 1) multidisciplinary approach, 2) integration of services across different contexts, 3) multimodal intervention with direct and indirect services, 4) capacity building for systems, 5) inclusive environment, and 6) high program intensity.

METHODS

The program evaluation was a quasi-experiment with a control group (n = 60) matched to the experimental group (n = 60).

RESULTS

At the end of the school year, the experimental group made significant improvement in most measures including cognitive skills, receptive language skills, expressive language skills, gross-motor skills, fine-motor skills, and self-direction skills. School heads in the experimental group also agreed that the program had empowered their teachers and reinforced their school systems.

CONCLUSION

Despite its exploratory nature, the study has shed light on the future directions of services for preschoolers with SEN. The comprehensive service delivery model offers a response to the fragmentation of services and reveals the importance of integration of services across different contexts with multidisciplinary approach.

Mediator or moderator? The role of mindfulness in the association between child behavior problems and parental stress

BACKGROUND

Raising a child with intellectual disability (ID) may be stressful for parents. Previous studies have suggested the mediating role of mindfulness in the association between child behavior problems and parental stress.

AIMS

The present study examined whether this mediating role is a result of parents' self-report bias. It also explored whether mindfulness has a moderating role instead when child behavior problems are reported by teachers.

METHODS

In a questionnaire survey, 271 Chinese parents of children with ID in 6 Hong Kong special schools reported their levels of stress and mindfulness, as well as their children's behavior problems. The latter was also reported by teachers.

RESULTS

When child behavior problems were reported by parents, parental mindfulness was a mediator between child behavior problems and parental stress. In contrast, when child behavior problems were reported by teachers, parental mindfulness was a moderator between child behavior problems and parental stress.

CONCLUSION

The mediation role of mindfulness maybe an artifact of measurement. The findings provide an encouraging message that parenting a child with ID and behavior problems does not necessarily mean more stress among all parents. Parents with a high level of mindfulness may experience less stress than those with a low level of mindfulness.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

Parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) tend to report high psychological stress. Previous self-report studies have identified mindfulness as a mediator in the association between child behavior problems and parental stress. The present study differs from previous studies by including third-party's reports. It has contributed to the existing body of knowledge in two respects. First, it examined whether the mediation effect resulted from parent self-report bias. Second, it tested an alternative hypothesis of the moderation effect by using teachers' reports to measure child behavior problems. The results showed that when child behavior problems were measured by parents' reports, parental mindfulness was a mediator between child behavior problems and parental stress. The more the parents reported that their children had behavior problems, the less they reported being mindful, which in turn the more stressful they were. However, when child behavior problems were measured by teachers' reports, parental mindfulness was a moderator instead, moderating the association between child behavior problems and parental stress. The association was ameliorated when parents reported high levels of mindfulness. These findings reveal another possible role of mindfulness and shed light on the support for parents of children with ID.

The Role of Mothers' Child-Based Worth in Their Affective Responses to Children's Performance

This research examined whether American and Chinese mothers' tendencies to base their worth on children's performance contributes to their affective responses to children's performance. Study 1 used daily interviews to assess mothers' warmth (vs. hostility) and children's school performance (N = 197; M_age  = 12.81 years). In Study 2, such affect was observed in the laboratory following children's manipulated performance on cognitive problems (N = 128; M_age  = 10.21 years). The more mothers based their worth on children's performance, the more their warmth (vs. hostility) decreased when children failed in Study 1. This pattern was evident only among Chinese mothers in Study 2. In both studies, child-based worth did not contribute to mothers' affective responses to children's success.

The International School Psychology Survey

Using the International School Psychology Survey (ISPS) this study aims to advance our knowledge of the characteristics, training, roles and responsibilities, challenges and research interests of school psychologists around the world. Data are presented from five countries; Australia, China (Hong Kong), Germany, Italy and Russia. The ISPS contributes valuable information regarding the profession of school psychology in each of these countries. Building upon the ISPS data previously gathered in Albania, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece and Northern England, this study yields additional information regarding the training, roles, responsibilities and contexts of school psychologists. Information from international colleagues provides unique insights regarding similarities, differences and diversity among school psychologists in different countries.

The Changing Roles of Educational Psychologists in Hong Kong

This is a study of the roles and functions of educational psychologists in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 21 Hong Kong educational psychologists in spring 1997. The purposes of the survey were to investigate how much time Hong Kong educational psychologists use in various services and with various clients, what difficulties they encountered in their work, what skills and knowledge they perceived as important to their practices, and how frequently they work with other professionals. The results of the survey indicated that Hong Kong educational psychologists have gone beyond the traditional role of psychometricians or gatekeepers of special education. Their services ranged from remediation to prevention, case work to systems work, and direct services to indirect services. Reflecting a universal trend, Hong Kong educational psychologists function in an advanced model of service delivery which is proactive and systemsoriented. However, they are still faced with many difficulties in their work. These difficulties include lack of government planning, a poor ratio between educational psychologists and students, and poor promotion prospects in their careers. On the basis of the survey findings, implications for training and the future development of the profession are discussed.

Continuing Professional Development in School Psychology

A questionnaire survey was conducted in Hong Kong to investigate the types, frequency, popularity and quality of continuing professional development (CPD) in school psychology. The results indicated that 60 percent of the 32 respondents received regular supervision, however, the majority met their supervisors less than once a month. The characteristics of their supervisors also suggested that the supervision tended to be administrative instead of professional in nature. The most popular CPD activities were attending conferences/seminars, self-study and individual supervision. Large variation was found among the school psychologists from different work settings. The few school psychologists in private practice reported the least amount of CPD activities. The results are discussed with reference to the need to establish regulatory systems with mandatory CPD.

Understanding and measuring student engagement in school: the results of an international study from 12 countries

The objective of the present study was to develop a scale that is appropriate for use internationally to measure affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of student engagement. Psychometric properties of this scale were examined with data of 3,420 students (7th, 8th, and 9th grade) from 12 countries (Austria, Canada, China, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States). The intraclass correlation of the full-scale scores of student engagement between countries revealed that it was appropriate to aggregate the data from the 12 countries for further analyses. Coefficient alphas revealed good internal consistency. Test-retest reliability coefficients were also acceptable. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the data fit well to a second-order model with affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement as the first-order factors and student engagement as the second-order factor. The results support the use of this scale to measure student engagement as a metaconstruct. Furthermore, the significant correlations of the scale with instructional practices, teacher support, peer support, parent support, emotions, academic performance, and school conduct indicated good concurrent validity of the scale. Considerations and implications regarding the international use of this student engagement in school measure are discussed.

Understanding response patterns in dyadic conflict: An interactive approach combining self-construal and opponent's dominance-submissiveness

Previous works on the effect of self-construal in interpersonal behaviours tend to adopt a main effect approach. The present research proposes an interactive approach in understanding two response patterns in dyadic conflict by combining self-construal and the stance of the opponent. Independent self-construal was hypothesised to be associated with a self-centred pattern of conflict response, which is characterised by taking contending responses regardless of whether the stance of the opponent is dominant or submissive. Relational self-construal was hypothesised to be associated with a tuning-in pattern of conflict response, which is characterised by showing contending responses when the opponent is submissive but yielding responses when the opponent is dominant. With trait self-construal measured and opponent's stance manipulated, Study 1 provided initial support for the hypotheses. Study 2 showed a three-way interaction effect between trait self-construal, manipulated self-construal and the opponent's stance on actual conflict responses during discussion of a scenario. The effect of self-construal manipulation was only observed among people who were low in trait independent self-construal and average in trait relational self-construal. The results pinpoint the importance of considering personal and opponent factors simultaneously in understanding the dynamics of dyadic conflict processes.

A latent class growth analysis of school bullying and its social context: the self-determination theory perspective

The contribution of social context to school bullying was examined from the self-determination theory perspective in this longitudinal study of 536 adolescents from 3 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Latent class growth analysis of the student-reported data at 5 time points from grade 7 to grade 9 identified 4 groups of students: bullies (9.8%), victims (3.0%), bully-victims (9.4%), and typical students (77.8%). There was a significant association between academic tracking and group membership. Students from the school with the lowest academic performance had a greater chance of being victims and bully-victims. Longitudinal data showed that all 4 groups tended to report less victimization over the years. The victims and the typical students also had a tendency to report less bullying over the years, but this tendency was reversed for bullies and bully-victims. Perceived support from teachers for relatedness significantly predicted membership of the groups of bullies and victims. Students with higher perceived support for relatedness from their teachers had a significantly lower likelihood of being bullies or victims. The findings have implications for the theory and practice of preventive interventions in school bullying.

Autofluorescence imaging can identify preinvasive or clinically occult lesions in fallopian tube epithelium: a promising step towards screening and early detection

BACKGROUND

Optical imaging systems are robust, portable, relatively inexpensive, and have proven utility in detecting precancerous lesions in the lung, esophagus, colon, oral cavity and cervix. We describe the use of light-induced endogenous fluorescence (autofluorescence) in identifying preinvasive and occult carcinomas in ex vivo samples of human fallopian tube (FT) epithelium.

METHODS

Women undergoing surgery for an i) ovarian mass, ii) a history suggestive of hereditary breast-ovarian cancer, or iii) known serous ovarian cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) were approached for informed consent. Immediately following surgery, FT's were photographed in reflectance and fluorescence at high resolution. Images included: (1) white-light reflectance of luminal/epithelial surface; (2) narrow-band green reflectance (570 nm) (3) green autofluorescence (405/436 nm excitation); and (4) blue autofluorescence (405 nm excitation). Areas revealing a loss of natural tissue fluorescence or marked increase in tissue microvasculature were recorded and compared to final histopathologic diagnosis (SEE-FIM protocol).

RESULTS

Fifty-six cases involving one or both fallopian tubes underwent reflectance and fluorescence visualization. Nine cases were excluded, either secondary to non-ovarian primary pathology (7) or excessive trauma (2) rendering tissue interpretation impossible. Of the 47 cases remaining, there were 11 high grade serous (HGS) and 9 non-serous ovarian carcinomas undergoing primary debulking surgery, 5 serous carcinomas having received NAC, 8 benign ovarian tumors, and 14 women undergoing risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRBSO). Methodology was feasible, efficient, and reproducible. TIC or carcinoma was identified in 7/11 HGS, 3/5 NAC, and 1/14 RRBSO. Optical images were reviewed to determine test positive or negative based on standardized criteria. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for the entire cohort (73%; 83%; 57%; 91%) and in a subgroup that excluded non-serous histology (87.5%; 92%; 78%; 96%).

CONCLUSIONS

Abnormal FT lesions can be identified using ex vivo optical imaging technologies. With this platform, we will move towards genomic interrogation of identified lesions, and developing in vivo screening modalities via falloposcopy.

How parents perceive and feel about participation in community activities. The comparison between parents of preschoolers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders

The present study compared how parents of preschoolers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) perceived and felt about participation in community activities. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 380 Hong Kong parents of preschoolers with ASD and 214 Hong Kong parents of preschoolers without ASD. The two groups were not different in their willingness and frequency of participation in community activities. However, the psychological processes underneath their willingness were very different. Among the parents of preschoolers with ASD, their willingness was associated with how they perceived the difficulty and importance of the participation and what emotions they experienced during the activities. This pattern of association was not evident among the parents of preschoolers without ASD.

European American and Chinese parents' responses to children's success and failure: Implications for children's responses

The authors examined cultural differences in parents' responses to their children's performance. In Study 1 (N = 421), Chinese 5th graders reported that their parents de-emphasized their academic success and emphasized their academic failure, whereas their American counterparts reported that their parents did the opposite. This partially accounted for Chinese (vs. American) children responding less positively to success and more negatively to failure. In Study 2 (N = 128), Chinese and American mothers' responses to their 4th and 5th graders' performance were observed in the laboratory. The cultural differences in children's reports of parents' responses documented in Study 1 were replicated; mothers' responses were also associated with children's subsequent performance. In addition, Chinese mothers were more involved than were American mothers, but their affect was similar. Taken together, the results suggest that parents' responses to children's performance may be a channel for cultural transmission and perpetuation of responses to performance.

Pyrene is metabolized to bound residues by Penicillium janthinellum SFU403

We have previously shown that the filamentous fungus, Penicillium janthinellum SFU403 (SFU403) oxidizes pyrene to pyrene 1,6- and 1,8-quinones and that the level of pyrenequinones (PQs) subsequently declines suggesting that PQs are not terminal metabolites. The purpose of this study was to determine the fate of PQs in SFU403. First, we compared the fate of 14C-pyrene in SFU403 and a non-pyrene-oxidizing fungus, a Paecilomyces sp.. After 7 days of incubation, more than 80% of the radioactivity was cell-associated in both fungi; however, while 90% of the 14C could be extracted from the Paecilomyces sp. as unmetabolized pyrene, 65-80% of the bound radioactivity remained inextractable from SFU403. Further evidence that pyrene oxidation to PQs was required for irreversible binding was obtained by comparing the extent of 14C bound to SFU403 when it was grown for 21 days under conditions that resulted in differing amounts of 14C-pyrene oxidation. The results showed that approximately 40% of the inextractable products were bound residues derived from pyrene metabolites. The balance (60%) could be attributed to strong sorption of unreacted pyrene. We used electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and oxygen consumption studies to demonstrate that both NADPH and glutathione can reduce PQs by one electron to their corresponding semiquinone anion radicals in vitro. These studies demonstrate that PQs are metabolized by SFU403 to bound residues, possibly via semiquinone intermediates.

Radioimmunoassay of salivary cyclosporine with use of 125I-labeled cyclosporine

We prepared 125I-labeled cyclosporine (125I-CS) by modifying the procedure of Mahoney and Orf (Clin Chem 1985;31:459) and characterized it with regards to maximal immunoreactivity (greater than 90%), trichloroacetic acid precipitability (greater than 90%), and stability (90% immunoreactive after five half-lives of 125I). For a particular preparation of 125I-CS, we estimated its immunoreaction concentration (50 pmol/L) and the equilibrium constant for its reaction with Sandoz polyclonal antiserum (K = 3.9 X 10(9) L/mol). By substituting 125I-CS as tracer in the Sandoz radioimmunoassay and by modifying other aspects of the assay, we developed a procedure that is sufficiently sensitive (0.34 micrograms/L) to allow measurement of "trough" (lowest inter-dose) cyclosporine concentrations in parotid saliva. Of 38 kidney-transplant patients, 35 had measurable concentrations in saliva (mean 8.3, SD 5.2 micrograms/L), and these correlated moderately with paired serum concentrations (r = 0.68, P less than 0.001). We believe that measurement of salivary cyclosporine may offer a simple way of estimating the free fraction of the drug in serum or plasma.

Radioimmunoassay of salivary cyclosporine with use of 125I-labeled cyclosporine

We prepared 125I-labeled cyclosporine (125I-CS) by modifying the procedure of Mahoney and Orf (Clin Chem 1985;31:459) and characterized it with regards to maximal immunoreactivity (greater than 90%), trichloroacetic acid precipitability (greater than 90%), and stability (90% immunoreactive after five half-lives of 125I). For a particular preparation of 125I-CS, we estimated its immunoreaction concentration (50 pmol/L) and the equilibrium constant for its reaction with Sandoz polyclonal antiserum (K = 3.9 X 10(9) L/mol). By substituting 125I-CS as tracer in the Sandoz radioimmunoassay and by modifying other aspects of the assay, we developed a procedure that is sufficiently sensitive (0.34 micrograms/L) to allow measurement of "trough" (lowest inter-dose) cyclosporine concentrations in parotid saliva. Of 38 kidney-transplant patients, 35 had measurable concentrations in saliva (mean 8.3, SD 5.2 micrograms/L), and these correlated moderately with paired serum concentrations (r = 0.68, P less than 0.001). We believe that measurement of salivary cyclosporine may offer a simple way of estimating the free fraction of the drug in serum or plasma.

Long-term follow-up of children with femoral neck fractures

Of 92 children reviewed three to five years after treatment for fractured neck of femur (Lam 1976), we have been able to reassess 41, both clinically and radiographically, at 13 to 23 years after injury. The earlier clinical results had been excellent, despite a high incidence of complications; but the new, later review shows an 83% incidence of radiographic abnormality while 24% of the patients have pain, a limp or leg shortening. We present a recommended policy for management of this rare but potentially serious childhood injury.