Middle School Sample Research Articles

Examining the Psychometric Properties of the SRSS-IE With the Nominal Response Model Within a Middle School Sample

This study examined the item and category response option functioning of items on the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors (SRSS-IE), using item response theory (IRT) methods with a sample of 2,122 middle school students. The SRSS-IE is a screening instrument used to identify students who are potentially at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Utilizing the nominal response and generalized partial credit models of IRT, items from the SRSS-IE were evaluated in terms of the degree to which the response options for each item functioned as intended and how well those response options discriminated among students who exhibited varying levels of EBD risk. Results indicate that the four-response option configuration used in this study may not adequately discriminate regarding the frequency of externalizing and internalizing behaviors demonstrated by middle school students. Recommendations for revising the response options and scoring procedures are discussed.

The assessment of bystander intervention in bullying: Examining measurement invariance across gender

Research on bystander intervention in bullying has indicated that prosocial helping behavior is not consistent across gender, with girls engaging in more bystander intervention; however, a search of the literature does not reveal any studies that have examined the validity of bystander intervention measurement across subpopulations. The purpose of the current study was to investigate measurement invariance across gender in both the elementary and middle school versions of the Bystander Intervention Model in Bullying measure among a sample of 682 fourth to eighth grade students (46% girls, 47% low income, 87% White). Results suggest evidence of measurement equivalence of the five-step bystander intervention model across gender in the elementary and middle school samples. Given this, there is evidence that the measure can be used for research and practical purposes in these grade levels and that comparisons between boys and girls are appropriate.

Examining the Concurrent Criterion-Related Validity of Direct Behavior Rating–Single Item Scales With Students With Social Competence Deficits

A line of research has supported the development and validation of Direct Behavior Rating–Single Item Scales (DBR-SIS) for use in progress monitoring. Yet, this research was largely conducted within the general education setting with typically developing children. It is unknown whether the tool may be defensibly used with students exhibiting more substantial concerns, including students with social competence difficulties. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the concurrent validity of DBR-SIS in a middle school sample of students exhibiting substantial social competence concerns ( n = 58). Students were assessed using both DBR-SIS and systematic direct observation (SDO) across three target behaviors. Each student was enrolled in one of two interventions: the Social Competence Intervention or a business-as-usual control condition. Students were assessed across three time points, including baseline, mid-intervention, and postintervention. A review of across-time correlations indicated small to moderate correlations between DBR-SIS and SDO data ( r = .25–.45). Results further suggested that the relationships between DBR-SIS and SDO targets were small to large at baseline. Correlations attenuated over time, though differences across time points were not statistically significant. This was with the exception of academic engagement correlations, which remained moderate–high across all time points.

Adolescent Back Pain and Associated Backpack Loading, Locker Use, and Online Textbook Alternatives

Background: The incidence of childhood back pain is well established. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between adolescent back pain and characteristics of load carrying, and behaviors such as locker and online textbook use. Methods:Data was collected from adolescents at three different schools. Students and their backpacks were weighed to determine backpack weight relative to body weight (RBW). Students completed a written survey designed by the authors; the survey gathered details of backpack wear and usage including carry time, activity level, locker use, and potentially associated back pain. Results: A majority (66.7%) of students (N = 78) reported back pain. Discriminant function analysis revealed RBW does not predict reported frequency of back pain (P = 0.96), nor did the percent of online textbooks (P = 0.23). However, a crosstab analysis showed that adolescents who carried a loaded backpack more frequently between classes reported greater frequency of back pain (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Back pain is a noted complaint amongst adolescents. The results of this study challenge the literature highlighting RBW as responsible for back pain in adolescents and asserts, instead, that longer wear time attributed to infrequent locker use for storage is responsible for back pain in this middle school sample of adolescents. Students should be encouraged to use lockers between classes to decrease carrying time of loaded backpacks.

Individual Differences in Middle School and College Students’ Texting

The present study surveyed a sample of middle school students on their technology habits, with a primary focus on texting behaviors. A secondary sample of college students was surveyed as a comparison group to examine individual differences in texting behaviors. Results indicate that college students text more frequently than middle schoolers; however, college students’ texting behaviors decrease in frequency as they get older, whereas middle schoolers’ texting behaviors increase in frequency. Females also generally reported texting more frequently than males. Extraversion was found to be predictive of texting in the middle school sample, but both Extraversion and Neuroticism were found to be predictive of texting in the college sample. Results are discussed in the context of previous research and with respect to human factors and developmental psychology, such that the study of technology use could offer insight into the social development of adolescents and young adults.

Development and validation of Future Time Perspective Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults

Future time perspective is a personality trait that involves people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions related to their futures. However, no multidimensional measures of future time perspective have been developed within Chinese cultural context. This study examined the structure of future time perspective by developing and validating a Future Time Perspective Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults in middle school and college student samples. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a final measure that included 28 items loading onto six factors: Future-negative, future-positive, future-confusion, future-perseverant, future-perspicuity, and future-planning. The six-factor structure with high reliability and strong patterns of validity estimates was established. Future Time Perspective Scale for Adolescents and Young Adults will be useful in studies testing adolescents’ and young adults’ future time perspective. Future directions for the study of future time perspective in adolescents and young adults and limitations of the current study were discussed.

Psychometric defensibility of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) Teacher Rating Scale and multiple gating procedure within elementary and middle school samples

The primary purposes of this investigation were to (a) continue a line of research examining the psychometric defensibility of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener — Teacher Rating Scale (SAEBRS-TRS), and (b) develop and preliminarily evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a novel multiple gating procedure based on teacher nomination and the SAEBRS-TRS. Two studies were conducted with elementary and middle school student samples across two separate geographic locations. Study 1 (n=864 students) results supported SAEBRS-TRS defensibility, revealing acceptable to optimal levels of internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity, and diagnostic accuracy. Findings were promising for a combined multiple gating procedure, which demonstrated acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity. Study 2 (n=1534 students), which replicated Study 1 procedures, further supported the SAEBRS-TRS' psychometric defensibility in terms of reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy. Despite the incorporation of revisions intended to promote sensitivity levels, the combined multiple gating procedure's diagnostic accuracy was similar to that found in Study 1. Taken together, results build upon prior research in support of the applied use of the SAEBRS-TRS, as well as justify future research regarding a SAEBRS-based multiple gating procedure. Implications for practice and study limitations are discussed.

Using the Cognitive Pretesting Method to Gain Insight Into Participants’ Experiences

Quantitative researchers traditionally use cognitive pretesting methods such as think-alouds to determine whether participants are interpreting close-ended survey items as intended. I applied this method to evaluate the score validity of quantitative survey instruments with a middle school and high school sample of students. Through these applications, the cognitive pretesting method also revealed to be a useful tool for cueing participants’ reflection on their experiences related to the phenomenon of interest. Qualitative researchers traditionally use more open-ended interviews guided by general “how” and “why” questions, which might not serve as sufficient prompts to elicit participants’ reflection on their experiences, especially younger participants. To date, there are no illustrative examples focused on how having participants think-aloud as they complete a quantitative survey can inform qualitative-focused or mixed research questions. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to illustrate how the cognitive pretesting method, where participants think-aloud as they complete a survey, can be used as an additional technique to gain insight into their experiences of a phenomenon. The phenomenon in this illustration was defined as the participants’ experiences with the science content that they were learning in school. Limitations and methodological challenges and recommendations for overcoming these barriers are also discussed.

Testing an Adapted Model of Social Cognitive Career Theory: Findings and Implications for a Self-Selected, Diverse Middle-School Sample

We tested an adapted version of social-cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994, 2000) with a self-selected, diverse sample of middle-school students attending a Saturday STEM Academy asking, “Is SCCT valid for examining career choice goal-intentions among a sample of students already expressing interest in math and science-related subjects and careers?” According to SCCT, choosing a STEM-related career involves the complex interplay of personal and contextual factors, many of which become increasingly salient during the middle-school years. There is reason to believe that SCCT may function differently for students who are self-selected, such as those found in the present sample. Main findings in the full regression model showed that math/science motivation (T1), family support for engineering (T1), outcome expectancies (T2), and interest (T2) were significant predictors of (T2) goal intentions; whereas self-efficacy was non-significant as has been shown in much previous research. Relatedly, we found several measurement issues with the SCCT variables among this sample, thus partially answering the larger research question. Implications of the present findings and suggestions for future research are discussed in the context of the career-choice literature, theoretical and practical implications of SCCT, and relatedly, possible measurement issues arising from using SCCT with self-selected, middle-school samples.

Association Between Smoking and Suicidal Behaviors Among Adolescents in the Republic of Korea.

Smoking and suicidal behaviors are significant health problems in adolescence. To address these two important health problems in youth, it is critical to understand the associations between them. Thus, this study aimed to explore the relationships between smoking and suicidal behaviors in adolescence. This study analyzed secondary data obtained from a national survey of Korean adolescents (i.e., the 7th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey). Respondents were divided into two samples (38,474 middle school students and 37,169 high school students). In each sample, sample characteristics, smoking behaviors, and suicidal behaviors were examined using descriptive statistics (means and frequencies). The associations between smoking and suicidal behaviors were investigated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. To obtain more accurate findings, the complex sampling design employed in the national survey was incorporated in the analyses. Lifetime smokers and daily smokers made up 20% and 13% of the middle school sample and 32% and 29% of the high school sample, respectively. In both samples, of the three suicidal behaviors, the proportion of suicidal ideation was the greatest (20%), followed by suicide plans (6%-8%) and suicide attempts (4%-5%). This study revealed statistically significant associations between smoking and suicidal behaviors. Furthermore, most analyses revealed noncausal dose-related associations between these behaviors. On the basis of the study findings, health professionals should implement concurrent strategies targeting both smoking and suicidal behaviors rather than focus on them separately to address related health problems.

TEACHING BEHAVIOR QUESTIONNAIRE: VERIFYING FACTOR STRUCTURE AND INVESTIGATING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CATHOLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS

Teaching behavior impacts student psychopathology. This study explored the associations between teaching behavior types and depressive symptoms in students. The Teaching Behavior Questionnaire (TBQ) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were completed by 763 middle and 976 high school students from private Catholic schools. In the middle school sample, a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four-factor structure of the TBQ previously found in public high schools. As predicted, a two-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis with the high school sample found that only the Negative Teaching Behavior scale of the TBQ was positively related to CES-D scores, (p < .05). A separate two-level HLM analysis with middle school students found the Instructional Behavior scale was negatively related to CES-D scores (p < .05) and the Organizational Behavior scale was positively related to the CES-D scores (p < .01). Implications of the findings for school personnel are discussed.

Prevalence and correlates of sipping alcohol in a prospective middle school sample.

Research documents an association between early use of alcohol and adverse outcomes. Most studies on drinking initiation exclude sipping or confound sips with consumption of a full drink. However, even a few sips of alcohol can constitute a meaningful experience for naïve drinkers. Prior research with this project indicated that sipping before middle school predicted subsequent adverse outcomes (at high-school entry), even controlling for child externalizing and sensation seeking and parent alcohol use. The present study extends our prior work by examining the correlates of early sipping and sipping onset. The sample was comprised of 1,023 6th, 7th, and 8th graders (52% female; 24% non-White, and 12% Hispanic). Participants completed Web-based surveys on 5 occasions over the course of 2 years. The prevalence of sipping at Wave 1 was 37%, with 29% of never-sippers initiating sipping within 2 years. Sipping was associated with stronger alcohol-related cognitions and low school engagement as well as contextual influences in the peer, sibling, and parent domains. Sipping onset among never-sippers was prospectively predicted by sensation seeking and problem behavior as well as parental and sibling influences. More important, mere availability of alcohol was a strong correlate both concurrently and prospectively. Further analyses demonstrated that youth who sipped alcohol with parental permission had a lower profile of risk and healthier relationships with parents as compared with youth who reported unsanctioned sipping. Findings point to the importance of considering fine-grained early drinking behavior and call for further attention to sipping in research on initiation of alcohol use.

Supplemental Material for Prevalence and Correlates of Sipping Alcohol in a Prospective Middle School Sample

Supplemental Material for Prevalence and Correlates of Sipping Alcohol in a Prospective Middle School Sample

Normative and intraindividual changes in physical education motivation across the transition to middle school: A multilevel growth analysis.

According to self-determination theory, motivation is multidimensional, with motivation regulations lying along a continuum of self-determination (Ryan & Deci, 2007). Motivation regulations associate with important affective and behavioral outcomes both within and outside of physical activity settings such as physical education. However, there is little longitudinal data examining changes in motivation regulations, especially during the entry into and through middle school. This study used multilevel modeling (MLM) to identify changes in motivation regulations and predictors of change for students into and across the transition to middle school. Students (N 353) in physical education classes completed questionnaires of psychological need variables, mastery climate, teacher support, and motivation regulations during the spring semester for three consecutive years starting in either fifth or sixth grade. Results demonstrate normative decreases in perceptions of competence ( 0.06, p .01), relatedness ( 0.08, p .05), mastery climate ( 0.28, p .01), teacher support, ( 0.18, p .01), intrinsic motivation ( 0.09, p .01) and identified regulation ( 0.09, p .01) and increases in external regulation ( 0.10, p .01). Demographic and theoretical predictors were tested to explain between-student variability in intercepts and linear change. Psychological need satisfaction, mastery climate, and teacher support predicted (p .05) motivation regulation change consistent with theory and/or research. Adaptive social contextual perceptions and perceptions of competence and relatedness are linked with adaptive motivational trajectories in a U.S. middle school sample.

Concurrent and Predictive Validity of the Student Engagement Instrument

The Student Engagement Instrument (SEI) is a self-report measure of cognitive and affective engagement with school. Prior SEI validation studies have focused primarily on construct validity through analyses of internal consistency, factor analysis, and measurement invariance. Results are presented here from a two-pronged study of the criterion validity of SEI scores. Using a middle school sample ( N = 35,900), concurrent validity was assessed through analyses of group differences in SEI scores across student subgroups expected to differ in cognitive and affective engagement levels: behaviorally disengaged versus non-disengaged, high-risk versus low-risk disability status, and high versus low academic achievement. Next, through multiple logistic regression analyses, the 4-year predictive validity of SEI scores for on-time graduation and dropout was assessed in a cohort of first-time ninth graders ( N = 11,588). Nearly all SEI factors demonstrated directionally consistent associations with each criterion, including considerable long-term predictive associations with both dropout and on-time graduation.

The Relationship between Mental Health, Acculturative Stress, and Academic Performance in a Latino Middle School Sample

This study evaluated the relationship between acculturative stress, symptoms of internalizing mental health problems, and academic performance in a sample of 94 Latino middle school students. Students reported on symptoms indicative of depression and anxiety related problems and acculturative stress. Teachers reported on students’ academic behavior and performance. Acculturative stress and symptoms of internalizing mental health problems were found to have a significant inverse association with students’ academic performance. Implications for the development of culturally responsive interventions that address mental health problems and acculturative stress are discussed.

Self-efficacy and achievement goals as motivational links between perceived contexts and achievement

The purposes of the present study were to investigate (a) how the subjectively perceived achievement goals of significant others would predict the academic self-efficacy and achievement goals of Korean adolescents and (b) how those self-efficacy and achievement goals in turn predicted their achievement. We also compared these predictive relationships between 339 elementary and 507 middle school students. The perceived achievement goals of teachers, peers and parents made unique contributions to students’ self-efficacy and achievement goals in mathematics. The perceived achievement goals of teachers demonstrated stronger relationships with students’ motivation in the elementary school than middle school samples, whereas those of peers and parents showed comparable relationships across the two samples. The perceived performance goals of peers and parents displayed particularly strong links to students’ motivation. Among the motivation variables, self-efficacy again emerged as the most consistent and powerful predictor of achievement. Our results confirmed perceived contexts and motivation as critical contributors to students’ achievement in school.

Effects of parental origins and length of residency on adiposity measures andnutrition in urban middle school students: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe prevalence of obesity in U.S. has been rising at an alarming rate, particularly among Hispanic, African, and Asian minority groups. This trend is due in part to excessive calorie consumption and sedentary lifestyle. We sought to investigate whether parental origins influence eating behaviors in healthy urban middle school students.MethodsA multiethnic/racial population of students (N = 182) enrolled in the ROAD (Reduce Obesity and Diabetes) Study, a school-based trial to assess clinical, behavioral, and biochemical risk factors for adiposity and its co-morbidities completed questionnaires regarding parental origins, length of US residency, and food behaviors and preferences. The primary behavioral questionnaire outcome variables were nutrition knowledge, attitude, intention and behavior, which were then related to anthropometric measures of waist circumference, BMI z-scores, and percent body fat. Two-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate the joint effects of number of parents born in the U.S. and ethnicity on food preference and knowledge score. The Tukey-Kramer method was used to compute pairwise comparisons to determine where differences lie. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the joint effects of number of parents born in the US and student ethnicity, along with the interaction term, on each adiposity measure outcome. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationships between maternal and paternal length of residency in the US with measures of adiposity, food preference and food knowledge.ResultsAfrican Americans had significantly higher BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Neither ethnicity/race nor parental origins had an impact on nutrition behavior. Mothers’ length of US residency positively correlated with students’ nutrition knowledge, but not food attitude, intention or behavior.ConclusionsAdiposity measures in children differ according to ethnicity and race. In contrast, food behaviors in this middle school sample were not influenced by parental origins. Longer maternal US residency benefited offspring in terms of nutrition knowledge only. We suggest that interventions to prevent obesity begin in early childhood.

Point and Click, Carefully

This study investigated inconsistent responding to survey items by participants involved in longitudinal, web-based substance use research. We also examined cross-sectional and prospective predictors of inconsistent responding. Middle school (N = 1,023) and college students (N = 995) from multiple sites in the United States responded to online surveys assessing substance use and related variables in three waves of data collection. We applied a procedure for creating an index of inconsistent responding at each wave that involved identifying pairs of items with considerable redundancy and calculating discrepancies in responses to these items. Inconsistent responding was generally low in the Middle School sample and moderate in the College sample, with individuals showing only modest stability in inconsistent responding over time. Multiple regression analyses identified several baseline variables-including demographic, personality, and behavioral variables-that were uniquely associated with inconsistent responding both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Alcohol and substance involvement showed some bivariate associations with inconsistent responding, but these associations largely were accounted for by other factors. The results suggest that high levels of carelessness or inconsistency do not appear to characterize participants' responses to longitudinal web-based surveys of substance use and support the use of inconsistency indices as a tool for identifying potentially problematic responders.

Young and restless: validation of the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) reveals disruptive impact of mind-wandering for youth.

Mind-wandering is the focus of extensive investigation, yet until recently there has been no validated scale to directly measure trait levels of task-unrelated thought. Scales commonly used to assess mind-wandering lack face validity, measuring related constructs such as daydreaming or behavioral errors. Here we report four studies validating a Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) across college, high school, and middle school samples. The 5-item scale showed high internal consistency, as well as convergent validity with existing measures of mind-wandering and related constructs. Trait levels of mind-wandering, as measured by the MWQ, were correlated with task-unrelated thought measured by thought sampling during a test of reading comprehension. In both middle school and high school samples, mind-wandering during testing was associated with worse reading comprehension. By contrast, elevated trait levels of mind-wandering predicted worse mood, less life-satisfaction, greater stress, and lower self-esteem. By extending the use of thought sampling to measure mind-wandering among adolescents, our findings also validate the use of this methodology with younger populations. Both the MWQ and thought sampling indicate that mind-wandering is a pervasive—and problematic—influence on the performance and well-being of adolescents.