Homework Exercises Research Articles

A Randomized, Double-Blind Study on the Combined Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy and Exercise on Pain, Functional Level, and Range of Motion in Patients with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the combined effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in conjunction with an exercise program (LLLT group) compared to exercise alone (control group) on pain, functional level, and range of motion in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP).METHODS: Sixty participants with CNLBP were randomized and divided into 2 groups: laser group (30 participants) and control group (30 participants). Both groups were assigned the same homework exercises (once a day, 3 days a week for 4 weeks). The assessments were performed at baseline and 4 weeks after low-level laser therapy application 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Pain level (visual analogue scale), functional level (the Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaires Thai version) and range of motion (Schober’s test) were evaluated.RESULTS: The participants who completed the study totaled 60, with 30 in the LLLT group and 30 in the control group. Both groups showed statistically significant differences in improved pain level and functional level (p < 0.001) from baseline to the 4th week, with the exception of range of motion in the control group (p = 0.644). Outcome of mean difference across the intervention arm for group comparison analysis indicated statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group across all measures (p < 0.01, p < 0.03 and p < 0.01, respectively).CONCLUSION: Combining LLLT with exercise significantly reduced pain, improved functional ability, and increased lumbar range of motion, providing a more effective treatment for Thai patients with CNLBP compared to exercise alone. The Minimal Clinically Important Difference for Visual Analog Scale (0.211) and Oswestry Disability Index (0.216) confirmed that the improvements at week 4 were clinically significant beyond natural recovery.

So Easy to Write a Story With a Mind Map: An Experimental Study

This study aimed to determine the effect of mind mapping on story writing skills of the students. A pre-test, a post-test, and a semi-experimental research design were used in this study. The study group consisted of a total of 86 third-grade students; 33 students from the experimental group, 23 students from the control 1 group, and 30 students from the control 2 groups. Stories were written by the students in the experimental group by using the mind map method during 18 lesson hours. In the control 1 group, story topics were given to the students, and they were asked to write stories about them as homework during one lesson hour for 9 weeks. In the control 2 group, the researcher did not intervene in their lessons during the term. As a result of the research, there was an increase in the post-test writing skill scores of the experimental and control 1 groups. The mind map method and story writing with homework exercises improved students' writing skills.

Learners’ algebraic and geometric connections when solving Euclidean geometry riders

In this article, we explored Grade 11 learners’ algebraic and geometric connections when solving Euclidean geometry riders. A qualitative interpretive case study design was followed. Thirty Grade 11 learners from a non-fee-paying secondary school in the Capricorn North district of South Africa were conveniently sampled to participate in this study. Data were collected through learners’ responses to classwork, homework exercises, and task-based interviews. Data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that to solve Euclidean geometry riders successfully, learners need to establish the feature connections embedded in the given figure or diagram. The ability to make feature connections provides a point of departure in the solution process of a geometric problem.Contribution: Once the feature connection is established, other connections will subsequently emerge. In addition, the reversibility connections become a form of feature connection when solving Euclidean geometry riders. Therefore, we recommend that mathematics teachers emphasise and use mathematical connections in their daily teaching of mathematics.

Developing a Guided Web App for Postpartum Depression Symptoms: User-Centered Design Approach.

Psychological internet-based interventions have shown promise in preventing and treating perinatal depression, but their effectiveness can be hindered by low user engagement. This challenge often arises from a misalignment between technology attributes, user needs, and context. A user-centered, iterative approach involving all stakeholders is recommended. In this paper, we aimed to develop a user-friendly psychological internet-based intervention aimed at addressing the symptoms of perinatal depression through an iterative, user-centered approach. The development process followed the Center for eHealth Research and Disease Management Roadmap phases of contextual inquiry, value specification, and design. It involved a comprehensive literature review, 2 surveys, 10 focus groups, 5 usability interviews, and 1 technical pilot. The contextual inquiry revealed a demand for accessible interventions for perinatal mental health, with internet-based solutions seen as viable options. Insights from the literature influenced intervention content and features. Stakeholders' openness to the intervention became evident during this phase, along with the integration of the first set of values. Initially, we assessed the broader perinatal context to identify the optimal period for the intervention. On the basis of the findings and practical considerations, we decided to specifically target postpartum depression symptoms. The value specification phase further defined the central values and translated them into requirements. In the design phase, feedback was obtained on the user experience of an early digital prototype and on the prototype's final version. The resulting intervention, named Mamá, te entiendo ("Mom, I get you"), is a guided web app based on cognitive behavioral therapy principles, integrating elements from attachment and mentalization theories. It aims to reduce depressive symptoms in women during the first months postpartum and consists of 6 core sequential modules, along with 3 additional modules, including 5 case examples illustrating depressive symptoms and therapeutic techniques. The intervention provides homework exercises and offers users the opportunity to receive feedback from an e-coach through the web app. This study emphasizes the importance of a user-centered and iterative development process for psychological internet-based interventions. This process helps clarify user needs and provides valuable feedback on service design and quality, ultimately having the potential to enhance the utility and, presumably, the effectiveness of the intervention. The Discussion section shares valuable insights from the project, such as the value of the requirement sessions.

Using Sensor-Captured Patient-Generated Data to Support Clinical Decision-making in PTSD Therapy

Today, clinicians have limited visibility into the quality of homework exercises that occur outside of the clinical context; however, understanding patient performance in these exercises is essential for guiding patient-centered care. To address this, we present the Clinician Homework Review (CHR), a unique measure and interface that displays similarity ratings calculated using sensor-captured patient-generated data (sPGD; i.e. heart rate, phone usage, ambient noise, and physical activity) for therapeutic exercises outside of the clinical setting within the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment context. Through concept testing sessions with 10 clinicians, we examine how sPGD can be leveraged to measure and investigate what contributes to patient performance in a therapeutic exercise. We also share in-depth information regarding clinician interpretation and planned use of data displayed by CHR in clinical sessions with patients. We frame our results in the context of situated objectivity and propose the notion of "perceived reference weight," which describes the significance attributed to contextualized data. In doing so, we support clinical decision-making in PTSD therapy.

Feasibility of a Cognitive-Behavioral Couple Therapy Intervention for Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder

ABSTRACT Female sexual interest/arousal disorder (SIAD) is strongly influenced by interpersonal factors; however, there are no empirically-supported, couple-based sex therapy interventions for this disorder. This pre-registered study tested the feasibility of a cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) intervention for SIAD. A sample of 19 couples in which a female partner was diagnosed with SIAD completed a 16-session CBCT intervention delivered online by therapists with PhD-level training in clinical psychology. Women with SIAD (M age = 43.47, SD = 12.76) and their partners (M age = 43.74, SD = 11.68) were in long-term relationships (M = 13.86, SD = 9.15). The CBCT sessions were video recorded and independently coded for treatment manual adherence and therapists reported on the completion of in-session and homework exercises. Participants completed measures of treatment satisfaction following the intervention as well as dyadic sexual desire (women with SIAD only) and sexual distress prior to treatment, post-treatment, and at 6 months follow-up. The therapists exhibited a high level of adherence to the treatment manual and couples had high rates of homework completion. Moreover, couples had low dropout rates, high attendance rates, and reported moderately high global treatment satisfaction and high satisfaction with virtual care. Women with SIAD reported large improvements in dyadic sexual desire and sexual distress from pre-treatment to post-treatment and pre-treatment to 6-month follow-up. Partners reported moderate and small improvements in sexual distress for post-treatment and 6-month follow-up, respectively. Results support the feasibility of an evidence-based CBCT intervention for SIAD and the need for a randomized clinical trial of the intervention.

Cognitive and immunological effects of yoga compared to memory training in older women at risk for alzheimer’s disease

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) accompanied by cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) are known to increase the risk of developing dementia. Mind-body practices such as yoga and meditation, have been recognized as safe techniques with beneficial effects on cognitive functions in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to assess the efficacy of Kundalini yoga training (KY) compared to memory enhancement training (MET) on mood and cognitive functioning in a group of older women with CVRFs and SCD (clinicaltrials.gov = NCT03503669). The KY intervention consisted of weekly, 60-min in-person classes with a certified instructor for 12 weeks, with a 12-min guided recording for daily homework practice at home. MET involved 12 weekly in-person group classes with 12-min daily homework exercises. Objective and subjective memory performance were the primary outcomes. Peripheral whole blood samples were collected at baseline, 12-weeks, and 24-weeks follow-up for RNA sequencing and cytokine/chemokine assays. A total of 79 patients (KY = 40; MET = 39) were randomized, and 63 completed the 24-week follow-up (KY = 65% completion rate; MET = 95%; χ2(1) = 10.9, p < 0.001). At 24-weeks follow-up, KY yielded a significant, large effect size improvement in subjective cognitive impairment measures compared to MET. KYOn a transcriptional level, at 12- and 24-week follow-up, KY uniquely altered aging-associated signatures, including interferon gamma and other psycho-neuro-immune pathways. Levels of chemokine eotaxin-1, an aging marker, increased over time in MET but not KY participants. These results suggest clinical and biological benefits to KY for SCD, linking changes in cognition to the anti-inflammatory effects of yoga.

The Effects of Two Interventions between Elastic Therapeutic Taping with Exercise and Sham Taping with Exercise on Pain Intensity, Knee Disability Reduction, Leg Strength, and Functional Ability Improvement for Gonarthrosis Patients at the Moderate Level

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of elastic therapeutic taping with exercise on the pain, disability, muscle strength, and functionality of knee in patients with moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared with the sham taping technique with exercise.METHODS: Eighty patients with moderate knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade II-III) were randomized and separated into 2 groups, including an elastic therapeutic taping group and a sham taping group. Both groups received the same homework exercise. The assessments were performed at baseline, and 2 weeks and 12 weeks after the elastic therapeutic taping application. Pain level, the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scale, muscle strength, Time Up and Go and Sit-to-Stand were used for the evaluation.RESULTS: Patients that received elastic therapeutic taping and the sham taping technique with exercise demonstrated improvement in pain level, the WOMAC scale, muscle strength, Time Up and Go and Sit-to-Stand after 12 weeks of the applications, but the results showed a statistically significant difference in the outcome measurement of pain level, the WOMAC scale, and Time Up and Go between the 2 groups (p &lt; 0.01, p = 0.03 and p = 0.03 respectively).CONCLUSION: Elastic therapeutic taping with exercise can be an effective intervention for pain relief, reduced knee disability, and Time Up and Go in patients with moderate knee OA when compared with the sham taping technique with the exercise group.

A Multisite Study on the Effect of a Urinary Incontinence Self-Management Program on Community-Dwelling Older Women in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a urinary incontinence (UI) self-management program on UI symptoms, knowledge, and self-efficacy in community-dwelling older women. A 1-group pretest-posttest design. Participants were recruited from 14 primary healthcare posts (PHCPs) in South Chungcheong Province, rural South Korea. A total of 163 women participated in a 5-session UI self-management program. The UI self-management program was sequentially conducted across 14 PHCPs between May and November 2016. In each PHCP, 6 to 22 women participated in the program. The program consisted of weekly 90-minute sessions that were conducted across 5 weeks. Each session included a lecture on UI, reflective discussion, pelvic floor muscle training, and the assignment of homework (exercises and a daily bladder diary). Main outcome variables were measured using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), Urinary Incontinence Knowledge Scale (UIKS), and Geriatric Self-Efficacy Index for Urinary Incontinence (GSE-UI), which were administered before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics were computed, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests analyzed the data. The intervention resulted in a significant decrease in the ICIQ-SF scores, which was indicative of improvement in UI severity (pretest: 6.64 [SD 6.15], posttest: 4.76 [SD 5.08], P = .001), significant increases in the UIKS (pretest: 15.69 [SD 6.36], posttest: 23.14 [SD 5.54], P = .001] and GSE-UI (pretest: 75.34 [SD 31.80], [posttest: 86.20 [SD 27.06], P = .001) scores. The UI self-management program improved UI symptoms, knowledge, and self-efficacy among community-dwelling older women.

How much do you want to learn? High-school students' willingness to invest effort in valenced feedback-learning tasks

High-school students decide in which tasks to invest their cognitive effort on a daily basis. At school, such decisions often relate to feedback-learning situations (e.g., whether or not to do homework exercises). To investigate how willing high-school students are to invest their cognitive effort in such situations, we administered in this preregistered study a feedback-learning task in combination with a cognitive effort-discounting task – a paradigm to quantify willingness to invest effort. We did so to a large sample (N = 195) from average educational backgrounds in an ecologically valid setting (a school class). We specifically tested whether high-school students discounted their effort in feedback-learning tasks, which proved to be the case, and whether this discounting was differentially affected by positive and negative feedback, which proved not to be the case. We also found that learning was unaffected by feedback valence, except that students learned better from positive than from negative feedback when high effort was required. These results imply that in a school setting, where feedback learning is common, high-school students are less willing to invest cognitive effort in more effortful tasks irrespective of feedback valence, and that positive feedback can aid learning when high effort is required. We provide several recommendations as to how our proposed combination of feedback learning and effort discounting could be used to understand and improve students' academic motivation. Educational relevance statementHigh school students sometimes struggle with motivation for learning, at least partly because of low willingness to invest their effort. By investigating high-school students' willingness to invest effort for learning within an educational context, we aim to enhance understanding of this decision-making process in high-school students. Our results indicate that in a school setting, where feedback learning is common, high-school students are less willing to invest cognitive effort in more effortful tasks irrespective of whether they receive positive or negative feedback, but that positive feedback can aid learning when learning tasks require high effort. These results imply that positive feedback may reduce the costs of learning or increase its benefits for difficult tasks.

Fireworks

Once a year, in many parts of the country, transient acoustic sources light up the sky. A fourth-of-July fireworks display provides an excellent opportunity for exploring array-based detection and direction-of-arrival determination. Multiple-boom events are difficult to process; however, less-frequent single-boom events are often sufficiently isolated in time for unambiguous interpretation. Cross-correlations between channels of a four-microphone array provide time delays for angle-of-arrival determination and measures for event detection. The distinct time-domain wave shapes and high signal-to-noise enable straightforward checks of the cross-correlation delays. In addition, a chirp sequence broadcast from a known location provides a ground-truth measurement and opportunities to implement matched filtering and envelope processing. Detection strategies can include received power, rate of change of power, normalized cross-correlation coefficient, or Fisher F-statistic. A least-squares fit by plane-wave approximation gives an estimate of the actual slowness vector, which, in turn, permits estimation of error and of local sound speed. Conversion of the slowness vector to arrival azimuth and elevation angles provides a simple exercise in 3D interpretation. The homework exercise can be as simple as determination of inter-sensor time delays or as complicated as demonstrating a scheme for automatic detection and interpretation.

R2-D2’s broken beamformer: A galactically consequential homework exercise

Identify the Imperial spy, assist the Rebellion, and save a galaxy far, far away! In “Acoustical Measurement Methods,” a Brigham Young University physics course typically taken by seniors and new graduate students, the semester’s culminating topic is beamforming. Students write their own delay-and-sum (DAS) beamformers for a uniform line array and test them experimentally by finding the direction of a loudspeaker. The topic of their technical memorandum, however, is a homework-style exercise in which they use their validated DAS codes to help R2-D2 locate the Imperial spy in the Mos Eisley cantina. With the spy’s inquiry about the Rebel base masked by a cacophony of sounds coming from different directions, and with its real-time processor on the fritz, the dependable droid needs help processing its phased-array signals to separate the sources and locate the spy. Though this exercise doesn’t follow the Star Wars® canon in the least and certain dimensional constraints are temporarily cast aside in the DAS problem creation, students do not seem to care. They engage deeply in the problem and generally produce their best-written technical memorandum of the semester in pursuit of intergalactic (though still academic) valor and fame. “Help me, [acoustics student], you're my only hope!”

Mind-Body Intervention for Dysfunctional Breathing in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Feasibility Study and Lessons Learned.

Purpose: Dysfunctional breathing behaviors are prevalent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although these behaviors contribute to dyspnea, abnormal carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, and COPD exacerbations, they are modifiable. Current dyspnea treatments for COPD are suboptimal, because they do not adequately address dysfunctional breathing behaviors and anxiety together. We developed a complementary mind-body breathlessness therapy, called capnography-assisted respiratory therapy (CART), that uses real-time CO2 biofeedback at the end of exhalation (end-tidal CO2 or ETCO2), to target dysfunctional breathing habits and improve dyspnea treatment and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) adherence in COPD. The study aim was to test the feasibility of integrating CART with a traditional, clinic-based PR program in an urban setting. Methods: We used a feasibility pre- and post-test design, with 2:1 randomization to CART+PR or control (PR-alone) groups, to test and refine CART. Multi-component CART consisted of six, 1-h weekly sessions of slow breathing and mindfulness exercises, ETCO2 biofeedback, motivational counseling, and a home program. All participants were offered twice weekly, 1-h sessions of PR over 10 weeks (up to 20 sessions). Results: Thirty-one participants with COPD were enrolled in the study. Approximately a third of participants had symptoms of psychological distress. Results showed that CART was feasible and acceptable based on 74% session completion and 91.7% homework exercise completion (n = 22). Within-group effect sizes for CART+PR were moderate to large (Cohen's d = 0.51-1.22) for reduction in resting Borg dyspnea (anticipatory anxiety) and respiratory rate, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) respiratory symptoms; and increase in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function and physical activity; all p < 0.05. Conclusions: CART is a new mind-body breathing therapy that targets eucapnic breathing, interoceptive function, and self-regulated breathing to relieve dyspnea and anxiety symptoms in COPD. Study findings supported the feasibility of CART and showed preliminary signals that CART may improve exercise tolerance, reduce dyspnea, and enhance PR completion by targeting reduced dysfunctional breathing patterns (CTR No. NCT03457103).

INCREASING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT USING ‘MEME BASED’ EXERCISE INNOVATION

ABSTRACT The practice of “memes” – taking an image from pop culture and adding humorous or inspiring text to it – are an opportunity for marketing practice. We posit that memes also provide an innovative technique to help students become more engaged in marketing classes. We propose requiring students to submit one or more graded homework exercises using a meme (instead of the traditional slide deck or typed document file). Moreover, to create even more engagement and connection, we propose requiring the students to use a picture of the instructor teaching (from posted media choices by the instructor) as the background photo for the meme. Results of test usage in classes occurring in 2020 and 2021 indicate that this technique is helpful in students becoming more engaged in critical thinking toward class learning topics and class structure topics, this was especially evident when the meme course exercises leveraged competitive aspects such as student voting on them and prizes. Discussion of relevant technology adoption elements to consider in setting up exercise parameters are outlined.

Precis of Conjoining Meanings

Precis of Conjoining Meanings

A 3-Pronged Approach for Teaching Psychology Students to Understand and Avoid Plagiarism

Background Because plagiarism is such a common form of academic dishonesty, many instructors are seeking ways to effectively teach students to avoid plagiarism. Objective The current study tested the effectiveness of a 3-pronged intervention to teach students in an upper-level psychology course to better understand plagiarism. Method The intervention involved three different assignments across the first part of the semester: an online plagiarism tutorial, an in-class lecture over a plagiarism handout, and a follow-up homework exercise that helped students apply what they learned from the tutorial and handout. Results Study 1 showed that students in the intervention class scored higher on an end-of-semester plagiarism test compared to a control group of classes that did not use the intervention. Study 2 replicated these results and ruled out the possibility of preexisting differences in plagiarism knowledge by comparing plagiarism test scores on a beginning-of-semester pretest and an end-of-semester posttest in both the intervention and control classes. Conclusion The results of this naturalistic, quasi-experimental study suggest that multiple exposures to anti-plagiarism instruction in different formats can be effective. Teaching Implications Psychology instructors can improve students’ understanding of plagiarism and how to avoid it by using this 3-pronged approach in their courses.

Targeting the link between social media and eating disorder risk: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a self-criticism intervention addressing the link between appearance-motivated social media use and eating disorder risk. Another condition, designed to help users curate their social media feed to reduce negative impacts on wellbeing, was also trialed as an active and credible comparison. University students aged 17-25 (N=170) were screened and randomized (n=130) to the self-criticism intervention, social media curation, or waitlist control group. The intervention comprised self-guided cognitive behavior therapy delivered in four modules over 1 week. Primary outcomes were feasibility and acceptability. Secondary outcomes were appearance motivations for social media use, appearance comparison, self-criticism, body image flexibility, and disordered eating (at baseline, one-week postrandomization, and two-weeks postrandomization). ACTRN12621000353897. Participants completed an average of 82% of the intervention modules and 77% of the homework exercises within the week allocated. The intervention was well-accepted; participants reported a range of positive aspects, alongside suggested modifications to the intervention and study design to improve acceptability. Group by time interactions suggested groups changed at a different rate on three secondary outcomes; between-groups effect sizes suggested this was due to greater improvements in the self-criticism group than waitlist control. This was the first study to evaluate an intervention for the link between appearance-related social media use and eating disorder risk for young adults. Positive findings relating to feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy suggest a larger randomized controlled trial, with modifications to the intervention and study design, is warranted. Appearance-related social media use has been linked to poorer body image and disordered eating, necessitating treatments that can disrupt this relationship. The self-criticism intervention evaluated in this study shows promise as a strategy to address this need. It is the first intervention focused on appearance-related social media use to be designed for and tested in young adults, who are at heightened risk of developing an eating disorder.

Parental Involvement Strategies and Challenges in Development of Pupils’ Literacy Skills in the Implementation of Competency Based Curriculum in Early Years Education in Kenya

Parents are the first teachers of a child and can greatly influence a child’s performance in school. This paper is a report of a study that was carried out in the year 2021on parental involvement strategies and challenges in the development of pupils’ literacy skills in the implementation of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) in Early Years Education (EYE) in Kenya. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology and a descriptive research design. This study was anchored on Epstein’s theory on parental involvement in education. The target population consisted of teachers and parents in Early Years Education level in private and public schools in Kapseret Sub-County, Uasin-Gishu County in Kenya. Stratified and simple random sampling methods were used to select six private schools and six public schools to participate in the study. One parent in every school was selected through convenience sampling method. A total of twelve teachers and six parents participated in the study. Data was collected using interviews. The study found out that teachers were involving parents in the development of pupils’ literacy skills through reading and writing activities, home-work exercises, acquisition of reading and writing materials, and use of story-telling and singing pre-reading activities. From the findings, the most serious challenges experienced were lack of cooperation and limitations of time by some parents; limitations of reading and writing materials especially in the public schools; and limited knowledge and skills by teachers and parents on CBC philosophy and principles. The public schools were more challenged on parental engagement compared to the private schools. The study recommended that the government should escalate capacity building seminars for teachers; schools should organize parental awareness seminars; the government should provide adequate reading and writing materials in public schools; and parents be sensitized to create more time for their children’s education. This study is significant as it informs the implementation of the CBC for Kenya and elsewhere and enhancement of parent-teacher relationships in children’s literacy development.

Participation in After-School Extracurricular Activities and Cognitive Ability Among Early Adolescents in China: Moderating Effects of Gender and Family Economic Status.

Although theories and research suggest that participation in extracurricular activities plays an important role in adolescents’ cognitive development, few studies have addressed this issue among early adolescents in China. Based on the responses of 9,830 Chinese junior high school students (Mage = 14.54 years, SD = 0.70 years), we investigated the relationships between different types of extracurricular activities and cognitive ability among junior high school students and the moderating effects of gender and family economic status. Using multi-level multiple regression analyses, results indicated that while time spent completing homework and physical exercise was positively associated with students’ cognitive ability, time spent on extracurricular tutoring, interest classes, watching TV, and surfing online and playing games was negatively related to students’ cognitive ability. The observed relationships were also moderated by gender and family economic status. Specifically, time spent on completing homework had a stronger positive relationship with boys’ cognitive ability, whereas time spent attending extracurricular tutoring on weekdays had a stronger negative relationship with girls’ cognitive ability, and time spent on physical exercise was more strongly related to girls’ cognitive ability in a positive manner. Besides, time spent attending interest classes on weekdays had a stronger negative relationship with cognitive ability among students from wealthy families, and time spent watching TV and physical exercise had stronger negative and positive effects on the cognitive ability among students from economically disadvantaged families, respectively. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings regarding the role of extra-curricular activities on adolescent development are discussed.

An intervention study examining the effectiveness of loving kindness meditation in reducing depressive symptoms: Compassionate coping as a mediator?

Aim: We are interested in whether the LKM intervention has the potential to decrease depression and increase self-compassion. Self-compassionate coping was examined as a mediating variable. Methods: A sample of 57 university students underwent a pretest-posttest design. Self-compassion was measured with the Self-Compassion Scale, depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9, and self-compassionate coping was assessed using the Self-Compassionate Coping Measure. Participants completed all measures at both pre and posttest. Between both measurement moments there were 12 days in which participants followed either the LKM or a control exercise daily. Repeated measures ANOVAs and a simple mediation analysis were performed. Results: Over time, both groups decreased in their depression and increased in their self-compassion scores. Assignment to the LKM condition did not result in significantly higher self-compassion scores compared to control. We found a significant effect of LKM for depressive symptoms only when controlling for successfully completed homework exercises. Self-Compassionate coping did not emerge as significant mediator in our statistical analysis. Conclusion: The results indicate a mixed picture regarding the efficacy of LKM in reducing depression and increasing self-compassion. Both conditions were possibly too similar and involved helpful elements. Further research into the antidepressant utility of LKM is warranted to understand the exact mechanisms of action.