Middle School Boys Research Articles

Relative age effect on the physical activity and sedentary behavior in children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 years old: a cross-sectional study in Japan

BackgroundFew studies have shown that relatively younger children and adolescents (those born later in the same school year) were less likely to engage in physical activity in a phenomenon termed the relative age effect. Although these studies mainly targeted elementary and middle school students, no study has reported on the relative age effect on physical activity in ordinary high school students. Moreover, the relative age effect on sedentary behavior might show an opposite association with physical activity. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the relative age effects on physical activity and sedentary behavior across different school stages in Japanese children and adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 21,491 children and adolescents (elementary, middle, and high school students aged 10–18 years) in various Japanese regions from January 2018 to July 2019. Overall, 18,281 children and adolescents (10,299 boys and 7,982 girls) were finally included in our analysis. Data on the birth month, frequency and duration of their physical activity (vigorous, moderate, and moderate-to-vigorous intensity), and sedentary behavior (weekday and weekend total sedentary time, television viewing, playing video games, and Internet use) were obtained. We utilized two-part model regression analyses. Statistically significant association with birth month indicated that a relative age effect was observed.ResultsThe relatively younger individuals were less likely to engage in physical activity (especially vigorous physical activity (VPA)); this association was observed in middle and high school students. Conversely, the relatively younger boys spent more time during weekends with sedentary behaviors and Internet use. Based on school stage, the relative age effect on VPA time was observed in middle school boys (average margin effect (AME) = -0.74, p < 0.01) and high school students (boys: AME = -0.69, p < 0.01; girls: AME = -0.53, p < 0.05). The relative age effect on sedentary behavior was observed during weekends with sedentary behaviors (AME = 3.55, p < 0.01), playing video games (AME = 0.72, p < 0.05) and Internet use (AME = 2.46, p < 0.01) for male high school students and on television viewing (AME = 1.12, p < 0.05) for female middle school students.ConclusionThe relative age effect on physical activity can persist after middle school, and the relatively younger individuals are more likely to replace physical activity with sedentary behavior.

Action Research on the Improvement of Junior High School Boys Pull-up Ability Based on Circuit Training-- Taking Dinghu Yishe as an Example

This study examines circuit training for improving pull-up abilities in middle school boys at Dinghu Yishe. It finds that while circuit training moderately enhances pull-up performance, effective, scientifically designed methods are essential for fully developing students abilities. Emphasis is on group-based, progressive training to optimize achievement and overall physical fitness.

Longitudinal Analysis of Physical Activity Levels and Characteristics Among Boys and Girls in Middle School During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2019, 2020, 2021)

PURPOSE This study conducted a longitudinal analysis of physical activity levels and characteristics of middle-school boys and girls over a three-year period before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS This study used a sequential mixed-methods research design. In the quantitative study; three-dimensional accelerometers were used to measure weekly physical activity and sedentary time over three years (2019, 2020, and 2021) among 33 middle-school boys and girls, and the data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. In the qualitative study, data were collected and analyzed through focus group interviews with five participants.RESULTS The quantitative study indicated a significant increase in sedentary behavior and significant decrease in low-intensity activity and MVPA during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second year of the pandemic, no significant difference was observed in sedentary behavior, low-intensity activity, and MVPA compared to the data collected in the first year. During the pandemic’s first year, qualitative study identified the following physical activity problems: “lockdowns,” “sedentarization of leisure,” and “reduced structured physical activity.” The following reasons were identified for the lack of improvement in physical activity during the second year: “intensified sedentary lifestyle habits,” “weak social networks,” and “lack of energy to exercise.”CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant decrease in physical activity and a significant increase in sedentary behavior among middle-school students in South Korea, and even as the environments for physical activity have recovered, the physical activity problems of the early stages of the pandemic have not improved.

A59: The Influence of Chinese Junior Middle School Students' Expectancy-Value on Their Attitude Towards Physical Education Class

Purpose: Physical education is an important way to improve the sports skills and physical health level of Chinese junior middle school students, help students master sports health knowledge, and cultivate students' sports behavior. It is of great significance to improve the teaching quality of physical education class and solve the practical problem that students like physical education but don't enjoy having physical education class by improving students' expectancy-value of physical education class and correcting students' attitude toward PE (physical education) class. Therefore, to explore the differences between the expectancy-value and attitude of different types of students participating in physical education class, and to clarify the impact of the expectancy-value of different types of students on their attitude toward PE class, can provide a reference for the classified optimization of the expectancy-value and attitude of junior high school students in physical education. Methods: A questionnaire was collected from 2809 Chinese junior middle school students, with an average age of 13.37 years. Among them, 1397 boys and 1412 girls; There are 1010 students in urban schools and 1799 students in rural schools. The contents of the survey include students' age, gender, grade, school type (urban or rural) and other demographic variables, as well as students' expectancy-value and attitude towards PE. The expected value was measured by the Expectancy Value Questionnaire, which includes two dimensions: expectancy beliefs for success and perceived task values (attainment value, intrinsic/interest value, utility value). The construct validity of the questionnaire exceeds 0.90. The attitude toward PE class was measured by the Attitude toward Physical Education Questionnaire for Middle School Students, which includes two dimensions: affective component (α=. 89) and cognitive component (α= .86). Using SPSS 25.0 software, using ANOVA, correlation analysis and regression analysis and other statistical analysis methods, this paper analyzes the differences and effects of different types of junior high school students' expectancy-value on their attitude towards PE class, as well as the moderating effects of demographic variables. Results: (1) The total score of expectancy-value (F=82.45, p &lt; 0.001), total score of attitude toward PE class (F=93.43, p &lt; 0.001) and scores of each dimension of junior middle school boys were significantly higher than those of girls; (2) The scores of rural students' expectancy beliefs for success (F=4.84, p &lt; 0.05), perceived task values (F=7.01, p &lt; 0.01), and affective component of attitude toward PE class (F=5.05, p &lt; 0.05) were significantly higher than those of urban students; (3) There are significant differences in the total score of the expectancy-value (F=8.24, p &lt; 0.001), the score of the expectancy beliefs for success (F=13.74, p &lt; 0.001), the score of the perceived task values (F=8.35, p &lt; 0.001), the total score of the attitude towards PE class (F=5.64, p &lt; 0.01), and the score of the affective component (F=8.04, p &lt;0.001) of the students in Grade one, Grade two, and Grade three. (4) The expectancy-value of physical education of junior high school students can significantly predict their attitudes towards PE class, which is mainly reflected in the predictive effect of perceived task values on the affective component and cognitive component of attitude toward PE class and are moderated by school type (B=0.11, p &lt; 0.01) and grade (B=0.09, p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: (1) The expectancy-value and attitude toward PE class of junior middle school boys are better than that of girls, the expectancy-value and attitude toward PE class of rural school students are better than those of urban school students, and the expectancy-value and attitude toward PE class of students in grade three are better than those in grade one and grade two; (2) The perceived task values of junior high school students has a predictive effect on the affective and cognitive component of the attitude towards PE class, and are positively moderated by the school type and grade.

Prediction of blood pressure based on anthropometric measurements in adolescents

Background Recently, an important health issue in children is obesity, leading to hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine association of blood pressure with anthropometric variables in adolescents. Methods In this study, 1992 adolescents aged 11–18 years old between 2000 and 2007 were included. Cut point of anthropometric indices of waist circumference (WC), waist-to-stature ratio (WSR) and body mass index (BMI) was identified using Youden’s index. Results Cut point of BMI for identification of hypertension was 19.69, 25.5, 20.65 and 24.13 for boys at middle and high school, girls at middle and high school, respectively. This measure for WSR was 0.44, 0.50, 0.45 and 0.517 for boys at middle and high school, girls at middle and high school, respectively. Regarding WC, it was 69.50, 96.5, 65.5 and 77.5 for boys at middle and high school, girls at middle and high school, respectively. Conclusions In middle school boys, WSR, WC and BMI are associated with DBP but by increasing age, only BMI and weight are associated with DBP. BMI is the consistent anthropometric determinant of DBP. We also observed the relationship between WSR and SBP in boys, which could be applied as a predictive measure.

청주지역 남자중학생의 교복 착용 및 세탁관리 실태 조사

Background/Objectives: Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of school days for students decreased, accompanied by online classes were at home, and there were many changes in students' clothing. This study investigates the actual condition of wearing school uniforms based on item and dissatisfaction factors for male middle school boys who a period of rapid growth and a pandemic, and suggests a direction for improvement. It how school uniforms are washed at home, compares the differences with the suggested care label's laundry management method, and offers a reasonable laundry management technique. Methods: This study surveyed 200 middle school boys in the Cheongju area before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, and examined how the wearing of school uniforms and laundry management at home changed. Results: The items with changes in wearing frequency before and after the COVID-19 outbreak were pants, shirt, vest uniform, and comfortable uniform. As for the dissatisfaction factors by item, “activity” was the biggest dissatisfaction factor for jacket, pants, and shirt;, “fabric” for vest;, and “design” for gym uniform and comfortable uniform. The major difference between the method of washing school uniforms at home and that suggested on the care label was whether to use a washing machine or dryer. Regarding the washing method recommended on the care label, there were no school uniform items that could be washed in a dryer, but pants, gym uniform, and comfortable uniform could be washed in a washing machine. Conclusion/Implications: In this study, the proportion of using a washing machine and dryer for all items was not small. This study is expected to identify the school uniform needs of middle school boys who experienced the COVID-19 era for more than a year and to contribute to the basic data for design, material, and pattern development for wearer-centered school uniform production.

Are anthropometric characteristics powerful markers to predict the Cooper Run Test? Actual Caucasian data.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a powerful marker of cardiovascular health, especially in youth. Several field tests can provide accurate measurement of CRF, the Cooper Run Test (CRT) is generally preferred by physical education (PE) teachers and trainers. The CRT performance in adolescents has been compared to reference distance values, gender and age but the differences among the anthropometric characteristics of youth has not been evaluated. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to develop reference standards for CRT and evaluate possible correlations between biometric measurements and athletic performance. This cross-sectional study involved a total of 9,477 children (4,615 girls) aged 11-14 years, freely recruited from North Italian middle schools. Mass, height and CRT performances were assessed in the morning during PE classes as scheduled (mornings-Monday to Friday). The anthropometric measures were collected at least 20 min before the CRT run test. We found a better CRT result in boys (p < 0.001), however a smaller SD in girls suggested a more homogeneous aerobic performance for girls (i.e., 371.12 m vs 282.00 m). In addition, the Shapiro-Wilk test showed a low p-value (p < 0.001) but the effect size (0.031 for boys and 0.022 for girls) was small enough that the correction on this parameter allows a practical assumption of normality for the distributions. A visual homoskedastic distribution in both sexes is evident for both body mass index (BMI), mass and VO2 peak with respect to CRT results. In addition, there were low linear correlation coefficients for both BMI, mass and VO2 peak compared to the CRT results, with a R2 < 0.5 for every covariate. The only visual heteroskedastic distribution was observed in regression between distance in CRT and age at peak high velocity. Our findings suggested that anthropometric characteristics are not powerful markers to predict Cooper Run Test results in a well-mixed, unpolarized and unbiased pool of middle school boys and girls. PE teachers and trainers should prefer endurance tests over the use of indirect formulas to predict performance.

Beyond binary: K‐12 student use of gender‐inclusive language in a scientific context

AbstractStudies suggest that the lack of diversity in the science workforce may be partially attributed to implicit bias. Collectively, implicit biases are ingrained among youth from their upbringing, culture, and media, which are subsequently reflected in their language choices. Reform efforts made in post‐secondary science education have targeted implicit bias by challenging the use of gendered language (he, she) and modeling gender inclusive language. However, the impact of such reforms are unexplored among K‐12 aged learners. Utilizing the theoretical lens of implicit cognition, student‐produced text within 288 primary (n = 47) and secondary (n = 241) Draw a Scientist Tests (DASTs) were analyzed using critical discourse analysis to explore how gender‐exclusive language (GEL) and gender‐inclusive language (GIL) was used by students when describing scientists. Findings suggest that middle school boys were most likely to use GIL, whereas high school girls were the least likely to use GIL. However, when specifying gender, elementary boys were most likely to use male‐exclusive language, and high school girls were the most likely to use female‐exclusive language. Further analyses suggest that students' implicit perceptions of scientists (character traits, academic behaviors, the field of study) were influenced by their gender, grade level, and the scientist's perceived gender or gender neutrality.

중학생들의 학교 공간별 색채 선호도 분석

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the color preference of middle school students by school space.&#x0D; Methods This study analyzed 275 middle school students' color preferences for school spaces such as classrooms, corridors, toilets, restaurants, auditoriums, and special rooms. χ2 of the SPSS program and frequency analysis were used as data processing methods. Frequency analysis is to understand color preference by school space, and cross-analysis is to understand whether there is a difference between male and female students in color preference.&#x0D; Results Middle school boys and girls preferred white color as the basic preferred color for most school spaces such as classrooms, corridors, toilets, cafeterias, math rooms, English rooms, art rooms, music rooms, libraries, auditoriums, and exterior walls. However, as a basic preferred color for the science room space, male students preferred blue color the most, but female students preferred white color the most.&#x0D; Conclusions White color is the basis for each school space, but efforts are required to apply another color that matches white color in harmony.

성교육 프로그램의 국내 연구 동향 분석

Objectives This study selected and analyzed the development and progress of sex education programs from 2001 to 2021, when sex education research was introduced. Methods Using RISS and DBpia, a total of 65 journals were selected by year (2001-2021), parents, children (non-disabled), infants, elementary school students (middle and high school), college students (youth), college students, and programs (media wash &amp; multi-disciplinary instructional guidelines, school/multi-disciplinary instructional guidelines, N-graphic guidelines, integratedIt was categorized into proficiency, sexual ethics, and sexual autonomy. The measurement tool was analyzed for frequency analysis and multiple responses using the SPSS Win 21.0 Program. Results The analysis results of this study are summarized as follows. From 2001 to 2021, sex education programs have been steadily developed and carried out with an average of 11.12%, and the most developed programs were 7 (10.8%) in 2020. The subjects of the study were 442.6% of all cases, the highest at 54.5% (45.9% for middle school boys and 44.3% for female students), compared to 4.5% for infants and toddlers. Research by program consisted of lectures, discussions, video viewing, role plays, scenarios, group presentations, VTRs, and case studies, and the use of lecture-style classes using school guidelines was the most common. The program effectiveness measurement tool was 172.3% of the total cases, 1.5% of sexual autonomy and sexual communication measurements, and 72.3% of sexual knowledge effect measurements accounted for the largest proportion. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, it is intended to be presented as basic data to supplement the deficiencies in the development and progress of sex education programs.

A multimethod examination of hope and adolescent STEM career expectancies.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are growing rapidly and understanding adolescent's interest and hope for pursuing a STEM career is essential for additional growth and opportunity collectively and individually. Hope is a cognitive-motivational construct that includes three components: hopeful future expectations (HFEs), intentional self-regulation (ISR), and connection, and is associated with academic achievement and career pursuit; it has not been examined in relation to STEM. This study fills a gap in the literature by taking a multimethod approach to understanding the association between adolescents' hope and STEM career interests. Participants were 639 middle- and high-school adolescents in the southwestern United States who quantitatively reported their hope and STEM career interests and provided qualitative descriptions of reasons for wanting to pursue a STEM career. Quantitatively, HFEs significantly and positively predicted STEM career interest. Relations were examined by gender and school level. For middle-school girls, ISR significantly predicted STEM career interest, for middle-school boys and high-school girls, HFEs positively significantly predicted STEM career interest, but results of high-school boys were nonsignificant. Qualitatively, adolescents mentioned reasons aligning with HFEs and ISR as motivations for pursuing a STEM career, as well as prosocial motivations. Additionally, they discussed their interest in a STEM career as a way to pursue other goals such as financial stability. Findings highlight the possibility of hope as a malleable motivation for STEM career pursuit. Our findings support the components of hope as a salient associate of early STEM career interest, with adolescents who have high HFEs and ISR being particularly apt to say they would like to pursue a STEM career. Our results support the active development of hope among USadolescents as a catalyst toward personal and global success.

Application of Kohonen Neural Network in Sports Cluster

People’s physical fitness is directly linked to the national physique of a country. It is an important analysis indicator of the country’s comprehensive national strength and economic level. Moreover, students’ physical and mental health is in a stage of rapid development. Their physical health is not only directly related to their study and life at this stage but it will also have a profound impact on the physical level, health status, and work ability of adults. Starting from the cluster analysis of sports, this article explores the communication effects of sports, communication strategies, and the relationship between sports and the development of users’ healthy habits by defining concepts and types and combining quantitative and qualitative analysis. Study the relationship and then analyze whether sports applications bring people the effect of promoting healthy behavior. This article retrieved documents about the application of Kohonen neural network in sports cluster analysis in domestic literature databases such as Weipu, Wanfang data, and CNKI. A total of 144 documents were retrieved from the database, and the retrieved documents were collected for sports activities. The study of class analysis can avoid human subjective factors and obtain clustering results quickly and objectively, thus providing an ideal clustering method for comprehensive evaluation of sports. The experiment proves the cluster analysis of the impact of sports on people’s physical fitness, the heterogeneity test results are 0% (boys) and 3% (girls), it is believed that there is no statistical heterogeneity in the physical fitness of middle school boys in each study, and P &lt; 0.001 , indicating that the influence of sports on people’s physical fitness is significantly different between the experimental group and the control group. This shows that the application of Kohonen neural network clustering analysis method has great practical value for comprehensively evaluating people’s physical functions and physical fitness. It is an objective, reasonable, effective, and rapid quantitative evaluation method.

Social and emotional learning for underserved children through a sports-based youth development program grounded in teaching personal and social responsibility

ABSTRACTBackgroundIt has been widely accepted that Sports-based Youth Development (SBYD) programs are potentially ideal contexts to develop children socially and emotionally. However, there is a limited empirical examination on how validated models-based practices could be harnessed in SBYD programs to promote children’s social and emotional development. This study was conducted in an SBYD program collaborated by a local soccer foundation and a church within a city in the mid-south of the US.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the children’s experiences of social and emotional learning (SEL) in an SBYD program grounded in the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model.MethodsThe study adopted a case study design (Stake, R. E. 2006. Multiple case study analysis. New York, NY: Guilford.). Data were collected over 30 weeks, including individual interviews, focus group interviews, and field notes. Seventeen middle school boys (n = 17) from low-income families participated in this study. Inductive analysis and constant comparison were utilized for data analysis (Miles, M. B., A. M. Huberman, and J. Saldana. 2014. Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. London: Sage.).FindingsFour main themes were drawn from the interviews with the children regarding their experiences of SEL in the current program: love this program, support and teamwork, helps me understand, and when I go back to school.ConclusionFindings from this study provided additional evidence that TPSR is an effective pedagogical practice that promotes children’s SEL in SBYD programs. This study recommends more SBYD programs grounded in TPSR should be organized and provided for children during this uncertain and challenging time. This study calls for joint efforts between programs, schools, and families to create a consistent environment for children to practice and experience SEL.

Study on the Relationship between Online Social Support and Online Interpersonal Trust of Urban Left-Behind Children with Internet Addiction

This study intends to explore the status quo and relationship between online social support and online interpersonal trust of urban left-behind children with internet addiction. First, 217 urban left-behind children with internet addiction were selected from 3264 urban left-behind Chinese children using the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale (APIUS), and then the Adolescent Online Social Support Questionnaire and the Adolescent Online Interpersonal Trust Questionnaire were used to collect data respectively. The results show that: 1) Compared with normal urban left-behind children, urban left-behind children with internet addiction have higher online social support and online interpersonal trust. 2) Among the urban left-behind children with internet addiction, the emotional support, instrumental support and emotional trust factors of girls are higher than those of boys. The total score and instrumental trust factor of online interpersonal trust of middle school girls and primary school boys are higher than those of middle school boys. 3) The regression effect of online social support on online interpersonal trust is significant, and the former can positively predict and affect the latter.

The effects of Soccer Club Activities as Part of School Sports on the Health-Related Fitness, Dopamine, and Cortisol of Boys in Middle School

본 연구의 목적은 12주간 학교 스포츠 축구클럽 활동이 남자 중학생의 건강 체력, 도파민 및 코티졸에 미치는 영향을구명하는 데 있다. 13~16세 남자 중학생 20명을 대상으로 운동군 10명, 대조군 10명으로 구성하였고 운동군은 12주간 주 3회 45분간 전술훈련, 50분간의 축구리그 경기를 포함한 학교 스포츠 축구클럽에 참가하였다. 최대심박수(HRmax)와 운동 자각도(RPE)를 전술훈련과 리그 경기는 60~80%HRmax(RPE 12-15), 70~90%HRmax(RPE 14-17)을 각각 적용하였다. 그 결과, 건강 체력에서 %BF가 그룹×시기 간 상호작용 효과가 나타났고(p<.01) 12주후 운동군에서 %BF가 유의하게 감소하였다(p<.01). 또한, 근지구력에서 그룹×시기 간 상호작용 효과가 나타났으며(p<.05) 운동군에서 12주 후 유의한 증가를 보였다(p<.01). 심폐지구력에서도 그룹×시기 간 상호작용 효과가 나타났으며(p<.001) 운동군에서 유의한 증가를 보였고(p<.001) 유연성에서 그룹×시기 간 상호작용 효과가 나타났다(p<.05). 도파민은 12주 후 운동군에서는 유의한 증가가 나타났고(p<.05) 대조군에서는 유의한 감소가 나타났다(p<.05). 또한, 코티졸(p<.05)과 도파민(p<.001) 모두 그룹×시기 간 상호작용 효과가 나타났다. 결론적으로, 지속적인 학교 축구클럽 활동은 남자 중학생들의 건강 체력, 도파민 및 코티졸에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다.

Smartphone Addiction and Depression among Low-Income Boys since COVID-19: The Moderating Effect of Being an Only Child.

Even though boys’ depression has become important, and their smartphone use has increased since COVID-19, little is known about low-income middle and high school boys’ depression in the context of whether they have siblings. Thus, this study investigates the relationship between smartphone addiction and depression as well as the moderating effect of being an only child on the relationship. Participants were limited to middle and high school students whose families were regarded as having a low-income. A total of 129 low-income boys were selected for the final sample. The PROCESS macro 3.4 for Statistical Product and Service Solutions was used to identify the moderating effect. Smartphone addiction was positively related to depression among low-income male students. Being an only child significantly moderated the relationship between smartphone addiction and depression. This study contributes to understanding the importance of examining mental health problems among middle school boys since COVID-19, particularly among low-income boys. It is necessary to provide tailored mental health services for middle school boys in low-income families. Alternative activities and social programs should be provided for adolescent boys who are only children to safely socialize with friends and peers without a smartphone.

Boys, science and literacy: place-based masculinities, reading practices and the ‘science literate boy’

ABSTRACT The fields of science and literacy education continue to be shaped by pervasive gender inequality. Previous research has documented how the formation of a ‘science identity’ is contingent on access to science capital while research in literacy education continues to highlight how boys struggle in their literacy acquisition. Despite a robust scholarship on gendered literacy practices and gender in STEM subjects, to date, there has been little investigation of the relationships between boys’ science identity/ies and their literacy practices. We draw on a case study of 24 middle school boys living and learning in two different regions (e.g. metropolitan, rural) where we focus on how boys conceive of themselves as learners in two curriculum areas: science and literacy. Bridging multiple areas of scholarship (e.g., science literacy, science identity, boys in schooling), we concentrate on the participants’ self-belief in science and self-belief as readers and consider the way they inform each other in reference to place. The implications of our study concern how the science literate boy comes to be in reference to the construction of discursive performances of science masculinities and how they are maintained alongside literate identities.

Teacher's Emotional Support and Math Performance: The Chain Mediating Effect of Academic Self-Efficacy and Math Behavioral Engagement.

Positive teacher-student interaction can exert a positive influence on student engagement and math performance. As an important part of teacher-student interaction, emotional support of a teacher plays an indispensable role in the math performance of junior middle school and elementary school students. This study aimed to explore the effects of teacher's emotional support on math performance, and examine the mediating role of academic self-efficacy and math behavioral engagement. A total of 1,294 students in grades 3–5 and 7–8 from 14 junior middle and primary schools in China took part in the web-based survey. Results showed the following: (1) academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese primary and middle school boys and girls; math behavioral engagement mediated the relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese primary and middle school boys and girls; (2) The relationship between teacher's emotional support and math performance of Chinese junior middle school boys and girls was mediated by the chain of academic self-efficacy and math behavioral engagement.

False accusation of online games: Internet gaming can enhance the cognitive flexibility of adolescents

Adolescents commonly exhibit high stress and emotional reactivity, and are prone to addictive behaviors including online gaming. Despite the negative impact, online gaming has recently been reported to improve cognitive function. This study examines differences in event-related potentials (ERP) during task switching according to the level of gaming addiction. High-risk, potential-risk, and general groups were recruited according to their Internet Addiction Scale results and total forty-five middle school boys aged 13–15 years participated in the study. The participants were asked to perform switching tasks consisting of size, value, and shape stimuli. The ERP analysis revealed greater N200 amplitudes in the high-risk and potential-risk groups compared with the general user group, suggesting that the participants with a greater involvement in Internet gaming have higher cognitive flexibility in resolving response-related cognitive interference during task-switching. In the analyses of P300, the potential-risk group exhibited higher amplitudes compared with the high-risk and general user groups at F3 region, and during the shape task, separately, which reflects enhanced cognitive flexibility of the potential-risk group to process the stimulus-related interference. The findings of this study suggest that moderate use of online games can enhance response inhibition and stimulus processing. The practical use of online games as an auxiliary means to support cognitive flexibility of adolescents struggling with stress and emotion processing should be explored in future research.

An Investigation of the Correspondence between Results of Contingency Space Analysis and Intervention Effects for Addressing Interfering Behavior of Middle-School Youth

The literature provides various tools for identifying successful interventions for interfering behavior of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, yet less literature is available pertaining to students who do not have cognitive impairments. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the correspondence between the results of contingency space analyses (CSA) and interventions for four middle-school boys who engaged in interfering behavior. Researchers directly observed natural interactions between each student, his teacher, and peers during three baseline sessions. The students' teacher then implemented three intervention conditions. Using direct observation data, researchers conducted a CSA of the baseline data and determined the natural contingencies between student behavior and social consequences. The results of the CSAs were then compared to the effects of the intervention conditions. For three students, results of the CSA were consistent with results of the intervention analysis. Results provide preliminary support for the CSA as a tool for identifying hypothesis-based interventions.