Developmental Psychology Research Articles

Making the Invisible, Visible: An Exploration of Track-and-Field Coaches' Perspectives of Their Planning Processes.

The traditional understanding of how coaches plan for sporting performance is rooted in the assumption that coaches create periodized plans underpinned by physiological principles, thereby providing scientific credibility to their work. In contrast, there remains a paucity of literature exploring how coaches understand or think about their planning practices. The purpose of this study was to generate new knowledge regarding what information coaches actually consider within their planning processes and how they actually approach the task of planning. Using rigorous, in-depth interviews, this study examined athletics coaches' understandings of their everyday planning practices, in an attempt to contribute to narrowing the gap between academic research and real-world application. Twenty-eight highly experienced, high-performance track-and-field coaches based in England (female, n = 1; male, n = 27) were recruited. The coaches were from the throwing disciplines (n = 10) and endurance running (n = 18). Coaches were interviewed about their planning process, using a maximum of 3 semistructured interviews per coach, spaced across a full athletics season. In total, this generated 68hours of data. The analysis demonstrated that, while the participant coaches utilized the principles of periodization, their planning activities were not limited to this issue. The findings highlighted how the coaches conceptualized successful athletic performance in a holistic way; that is, planning is multifaceted in nature. This study presents a holistic picture of the complexity of coaches' planning, detailing the considerable time and attention given to planning for athletes' psychological, personal, and social development, to enhance athlete performance and development.

Revisiting Jerome Kagan and his research legacy: An introduction to a special issue of Developmental Psychology.

This special issue of Developmental Psychology is dedicated to the legacy of Jerome Kagan, whose pioneering work profoundly shaped the field of developmental psychology. Kagan's groundbreaking research on temperament, emotional development, and the role of biology in shaping human behavior provided a foundation for understanding individual differences across the lifespan. The 20 articles featured in this issue reflect the breadth and depth of Kagan's influence, spanning topics such as the biological underpinnings of temperament, the interplay between genetics and environment, and the implications of early temperament for later emotional and social outcomes. These contributions come from leading scholars who build on, critique, and reframe Kagan's work. Each article offers a unique perspective, using diverse methodologies and theoretical approaches. This special issue not only pays tribute to a luminary in the field but also seeks to contribute new insights into the fundamental processes of development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Smart and Sustainable Framework to Combat Climate Change: A Comprehensive Approach of Artificial Intelligence and Human Psychology

The core of this paper, which explores the difficulties of resource problems and climate change, is the delicate interplay between AI, human psychology, and sustainable development. As global challenges escalate, the convergence of these domains presents a unique opportunity to devise effective strategies that facilitate environmentally conscious behaviors and resilient communities. This paper explores the psychological dimensions underlying resource dilemmas and climate change, emphasizing cognition, decision-making processes, social dynamics, and the role of AI in driving sustainable development. By amalgamating insights from psychology with cutting-edge technological advancements, society can aspire to navigate the path towards ecological equilibrium and a sustainable future

Cognitive Representations of Social Relationships and their Developmental Origins.

In the human mind, what is a social relationship, and what are the developmental origins of this representation? I consider findings from infant psychology and propose that our representations of social relationships are intuitive theories built on core knowledge. I propose three central components of this intuitive theory. The purpose of the first component is to recognize whether a relationship exists, the purpose of the second is to characterize the relationship by categorizing it into a model and to compute its strength (i.e., intensity, pull, or thickness), and the purpose of the third is to understand how to change relationships through explicit or implicit communication. I propose that infants possess core knowledge on which this intuitive theory is built. This paper focuses on the second component and considers evidence that infants characterize relationships. Following Relational Models Theory (A. P. Fiske, 1992, 2004) I propose that from infancy humans recognize relationships that belong to three models: communal sharing (where people are 'one'), authority ranking (where people are ranked), and equality matching (where people are separate, but evenly balanced). I further propose that humans, and potentially infants, recognize a relationship's strength which can be thought of as a continuous representation of obligations (the extent to which certain actions are expected), and commitment (the likelihood that people will continue the relationship). These representations and the assumption that others share them allow us to form, maintain, and change social relationships throughout our lives by informing how we interpret and evaluate the actions of others and plan our own.

Resilience and mental and physical health of higher and lower educated youth during COVID-19

Abstract Background COVID-19 had a considerable impact on the mental and physical health of youth. To limit the impact of this crisis on their health, resilience was required. This study aims to discover how resilient, in terms of mastery, emotional reactivity and social support, groups of youth with different SES were during COVID-19, and what risk and protective factors they experienced. Methods Two qualitative datasets were analyzed. One dataset included 10 interviews of university students during April-May 2020, and the other dataset included 8 interviews with pre-vocational secondary education adolescents during October 2021 to March 2022. Interviews were held in person or online. Data were analyzed with thematic analysis in Atlas.ti. Results In general, university students displayed resilience despite the tumultuous beginning of the pandemic, and their mental and physical health was positive. Protective factors that helped them during COVID-19 were spending time with friends and family, being healthy and having a healthy lifestyle, and being able to avoid stressful situations. Risk factors that impacted their resilience were loneliness, COVID-19 anxiety, and missing stability and routine. Adolescents receiving pre-vocational secondary education showed mixed resilience later in the COVID-19 period, and they made negative observations about their health. Protective factors that helped them were achieving good results in school, hobbies, and avoiding stressful situations. Risk factors they experienced were lack of motivation and having difficulties at school. They experienced worry about school progress during COVID-19. Conclusions University students and lower educated adolescents seemed to have differing resilience during the impactful stages of COVID-19, possibly due to differences in their psychological development. To protect their well-being, it is important that policy makers consider the protective and risk factors that impact the health of youth during crises. Key messages • Resilience differs among the two different age groups and education levels. • Policy makers should consider the protective and risk factors that impact the health of youth during crises.

Portrait Of The Impact Of Broken Homes On Children's Psychology

This study aims to examine the impact of broken home families on changes in children's personality. Because broken homes have an impact that can be an obstacle for children, especially in carrying out their daily lives. The method used in this research is through literature review. The results of the research found include explaining that basically the family has a big role in fostering and developing children's potential. However, when the family does not carry out its functions as it should, especially in broken home families, it greatly affects the mental and development of children, because broken home children are often alone and lack interaction.

Beginning Teachers Navigating Identity Development Transitions: Identity Motives and Commitment to Teaching

Beginning teachers (preservice and novice) must develop a resilient professional identity, yet high early attrition rates indicate the need for additional support in this process. Many attrition studies focus on external factors; few address teacher identity. According to developmental psychologists, identity commitments are concretized in a stepwise process, first by tentatively making them, and then by evaluating them. Most preservice and novice teachers are in a transitional stage, as they explore whether tentative commitments fit their sense of self. Our research tests the proposition that such exploration is often focused on determining whether a teaching career will satisfy their identity motives. We interviewed and collected self-reported written stories from 154 interns and novice teachers. Participants discussed their career choice in an initial interview and in a questionnaire focusing on recent, identity-relevant significant events administered at three points in time over a year. These career choice and written, field-based significant event stories underwent content analysis for the presence of identity motives, guided by a codebook developed for this research. This paper describes two central and innovative findings. First, identity motives are, indeed, present and highly salient in teachers’ career deliberations. Secondly, we found that beginning teachers express motives differentially, vary in the salience they accord the motives, and explore motives differently according to situational context. This differentiation in focus may indicate important shifting priorities and challenges as participants navigate the transition to the field. Taken together, these findings suggest that understanding and addressing identity motives in teacher development may enable more personalized and responsive tools that support teacher retention.

Much of developmental psychology is not worth doing

Much of developmental psychology is not worth doing

Predictors of social withdrawal among early adolescents in Korea: a latent growth class analysis

Abstract Background This study examines the trajectory of social withdrawal from the fourth grade of elementary school to the first grade of middle school in Korea. By classifying them, we identify individual differences such as individual, family, and school factors. Methods This study uses data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYCPS) conducted by the Korea Youth Policy Research Institute, which includes data from the 1st-4th waves of KYCPS 2018, with a total of 2,607 participants (1,313 boys and 1,294 girls). A latent class growth analysis verifies the trajectory of youth social withdrawal, classifies latent classes, and identifies predictive. SPSS 24.0 was used to analyze the main variables’ characteristics, descriptive analysis, and reliability. Mplus 8.9 was used to test the research model. Results First, results indicated that three was the optimum number of latent classes. We identified three latent classes ‘high level of withdrawal continued (HL)’, ‘medium level of withdrawal increased (ML)’, and ‘low level of withdrawal increased (LL)’. Second, when compared the ‘LL’ and ‘HL’ groups, the higher the self-esteem, the higher the friendship, and the higher the dependence on smartphones, the more likely it was to be in the ‘HL’ group. Third, when comparing ‘LL’ and ‘ML’ groups, the more negative the parenting attitude, the more likely it was to be in the ‘ML’ group. On the other hand, higher self-esteem and more positive friend and teacher relationships were associated with a higher likelihood of being in the ‘LL’ group. Conclusions It is necessary to seek differentiated interventions to prevent social withdrawal among early adolescents. Parental education to understand the adolescent period and practical approaches to intervene in the negative psycho-emotional aspects of adolescents continuously are needed to enhance the healthy psychological development of early adolescents. Key messages • The higher the self-esteem, the higher the friendship, and the higher the dependence on smartphones, the more likely it was to be in the ‘high level of withdrawal continued’ group. • Higher self-esteem and more positive friend and teacher relationships were associated with a higher likelihood of being in the ‘low level of withdrawal increased’ group.

Depressive symptoms among medical students

Abstract Background Adolescence is a period of psychological development which is associated with an increased risk of developing mental health disorders. Medical students have a higher prevalence of depression compared to the general population, but they are given low priority in the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of clinically significant scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and factors associated with clinically significant scores. Methods The research was conducted through a cross-sectional study among fifth-year medical students, using a 95-item questionnaire anonymously filled out. The questionnaire examined: socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the students; students’ lifestyles (including alcohol consumption, binge drinking, smoking cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, use any of other tobacco products); Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ); Zung’s Anxiety Scale; and Problematic Internet Use Scale. Based on the score on PHQ-9, the participants were classified in two groups: with clinically significant scores (score ≥10) and without clinically significant scores (score <10). Results The study included 461 medical students who completed the PHQ-9. Average score on PHQ-9 scale was 5.25±4.53 and total of 66 students (14.3%) had the PHQ-9 indicative of clinically significant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥10). The clinically significant depression was associated with smoking of any tobacco product (OR:3.02, 95% CI: 1.37-6.63), score on social support scale (0.94, 95% CI: 0.90-0.98), age (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.06-1.90) and score on Zung anxiety scale (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.16-1.34). Conclusions Considering that medical students, are at higher risk of developing clinically significant symptoms of depression, it is crucial to form psychological and social support programs. Key messages • Monitoring the mental health of young individuals holds significant importance. • It is crucial to detect risk factors in time and develop prevention programs.

Indeterminacy and the Role of the Archive: The Eight Extensions of Piaget’s Sociological Studies

What a text means in translation is accepted, canonically, to be indeterminate. Authors can provide additional constraints to interpretation by taking care to explain some of the original context. But this requires making judgments about what counts, and readers can’t generally do that of sources except in retrospect. So the solution to the problem is taken to be “to become bilingual,” and basically do the translation work oneself. This means immersing in that foreign culture for long enough that its ways of being, and ways of meaning, become one’s own. When the subject of one’s interest is the undiscovered country, however, this goal remains forever inaccessible. That’s just not somewhere you can go and report back from. The true meanings of deceased authors are therefore forever inscrutable. Except, of course, in cases where historical traces can stand in their stead. Interactions with archival sources are thus offered as a new solution to the problems of indeterminacy and inscrutability: archives provide anchors to stabilize the received meaning of historical texts by offering evidence of what those involved in their production intended them to mean. Here, that is demonstrated with reference to (1) the difficulty of translating Jean Piaget’s (1896–1980) collection of essays entitled Sociological Studies and (2) the broader misunderstanding of Piaget’s sociality in relation to the popularity of its critique by Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934). We then find, in the process, new ways to consider a consistently thorny question: what is the means by which one attains truth? Here, we therefore articulate and illustrate the “Interpretation Game” by providing access to a curated selection of archival texts drawn from several collections never before considered in relation to the question of the meaning of “Piaget” as a holophrastic utterance. The result is then also a new look at Cold War-era developmental psychology, social psychology, educational theory, and genetic epistemology (the study of the construction of knowledge).

Benefits of Pet Therapy for Children and Young Adults

Abstract: With the development of psychology, the mental health of children is paid more attention than before. Reducing attachment to parents and anxiety are common mental issues in children. People need to focus on the mental health of the children. There have been several studies about the function of pets and how they positively or negatively support adults' mental condition. With the increasing number of pets owned, pets play an important role in several families. Pets play an essential role in affecting children's mental health. Pet therapy is an example of how pets impact the mental condition of children. This research focuses on how pets can work in pet therapy to help children reduce mental stress and how pets in their daily lives can help young adults and children perform better social development. The research reviews several previous study papers about pets' influence on children's mental and social development. The research finds that pet therapy can help children with physical health and disabled children reduce their mental stress from the environment and society. In their daily lives, children in families with pets benefit from socio-emotional development and get social support from pets.

Interpersonal Relationship Between Parents and Its Impact on Mental Health of Children

The family plays an important role in the development of a person as an active participant in the life of society. When a child is born and grows up in a family, the system of relationships in the family that has been developing for years has an impact on the child's psychology. They are influenced by the interpersonal relationships of adults in the family with each other and with their children, i.e. communication, behavior, and attitude toward the child. This effect ultimately affects the child's way of understanding the world, his attitude toward the environment, and even his way of thinking. It would be wrong to consider this effect as negative or positive in the same direction. Because under certain conditions, a child's susceptibility to family influence can have different results depending on how he reacts to these influences. If the educational influence exerted by adults can be compared with existing social norms, the child will most likely follow the model that is considered positive for him. But life experience and observations show that the educational power of the family, especially in the child's preschool age, is high, and during this period the influence of adults in the family on the child can be of primary importance. Therefore, we have sufficient grounds to speak about a direct connection between personality traits and even the formation of a way of thinking and methods of educational influence in the family. Keywords: interpersonal relationship, parents, mental health of children, development

Why Can’t My Child Play Too? Current Challenges of Public Playgrounds for Children with Disabilities.

Current Australian legislation promotes playground inclusion for all children, and playgrounds serve as local, safe, and vital spaces for children of all ages to play. The World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children and Youth Version states that play is a key activity to engage children with disability in various areas of their lives, and there is no doubt that playgrounds can promote community and social engagement for all children. Consequently, accessible playgrounds are important because they can offer motor, psychological, and social skill development in a fun-filled environment. Nonetheless, some children encounter challenges in playground settings. Surprisingly, very little research has been conducted in Australia on the experiences of children with disabilities in public playgrounds. According to the National Autism Strategy announced by the Australian Government in 2022, there is a growing number of Australians on the autism spectrum. For many individuals with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), life outcomes in education, health, and family functioning are worse than they should be. Consequently, while this paper addresses a general perspective of inclusive playground experience for children with disabilities, there is also a focus on the experiences of children with ASD in playgrounds. As a result, this literature review begins with an introduction to the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorder and its associated characteristics. It presents existing research on play, examining various playground factors that impact the experiences of children with disabilities, including ASD. In addition, the role of parents/carers in influencing the outdoor experiences of children with disability is also explored. In conclusion, this paper summarises key findings and proposes relevant research questions to address these gaps.

Our grief matters – loss, grief, and mourning in Black vertically infected HIV-positive adolescents

Within the South African context, psychoanalysis as praxis and research has not located itself outside of the country’s long, violent, and oppressive socio-political past. A major area in which psychoanalysis continues to demonstrate a deficit is in its lack of attention to race as constitutive of psychological development and a site of intense psychological pain. A further area that is often overlooked in both the theory and praxis of psychoanalysis in South Africa is the diseased body as a site of socio-political violence and oppression, and the subsequent impact of this trauma on intrapsychic development. This situation is particularly applicable in the development of Black children who are vertically infected with HIV. The focus of this article, the fourth in a series of five articles, is on the process of grief and mourning in three vertically infected HIV-positive adolescents. Findings indicate that children who are vertically infected with HIV suffer multiple losses leaving them with intense unprocessed grief despite having access to individual therapy. In addition, their raced subjectivities add to experiences of non-being leading to grief which remains minimised and overlooked within the psychoanalytic canon, keeping the mourning process hidden in historically oppressive systems as melancholia.

Factors associated with readmissions in psychiatric inpatient care: a prospective cohort study based on hospital registers

BackgroundReadmissions in psychiatric inpatient care may reflect problems in the provision of care, but the underlying factors are not well known. We examined the associations of patient characteristics (sociodemographic factors, diagnoses), treatment (duration, previous episodes, neuromodulation) and ward overload with psychiatric inpatient readmissions and multiple readmissions in Finland.MethodsWe used a routinely collected data pool from one hospital district and followed all 2052 hospitalizations that started in 2018. The outcomes were readmission within 30 days and one year, and among those with readmission, the number of readmissions.ResultsOf the patients, 11% had readmission within 30 days and 33% had readmission within one year. Women, those with previous hospitalizations, those with an ICD-10 diagnosis from the ‘behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors / disorders of adult personality and behaviour’ group, those with a diagnosis from the ‘neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders’ group, those with psychotic disorders, and those who received neuromodulation treatment were more likely to have readmissions. Having a diagnosis of ‘disorders of psychological development’ or ‘behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence’ was associated with a lower likelihood of readmission. The duration of treatment and ward overload during the index period were not associated with readmission.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest possible risk factors for readmission and can be used to plan psychiatric care. To some degree, the risk factors varied between different readmission types. It is important to examine whether there are unmet treatment needs in psychiatric inpatient care for children and adolescents.

System opieki nad małym dzieckiem w Danii z perspektywy osób rozważających emigrację

The purpose of this article is to present the Danish childcare system before starting school, to analyze the types of care available and its provision in the context of children’s developmental needs. The text describes types and terms of care and the care facilities. It also indicates the principles of the pedagogical plan, what values it reflects and what aspects of care and upbringing are paid attention to in Denmark. The system is described in the context of the assumptions of developmental psychology, and so the basis of the assumptions for caring for children and supporting their development is defi- ned. The developmental effects of implementing the pedagogical plan are analyzed.

Assessing the Relationship between College Student Leadership and Participation in Extra Curricular Sports Activities

This study explored the connection between participation in extracurricular sports activities and the development of leadership skills. By doing, it seeks to benefit students, educators, and the wider educational community by fostering personal growth, creating a positive environment and advancing knowledge in this field The results shows Extracurricular sports have a substantial impact on college students' academic and psychological development Individuals who participate in extracurricular sports activities are more likely to develop leadership skills. The frequency and duration of participation teamwork and collaboration in extracurricular sports have a significant impact on the development of quality leadership skills. Consistent involvement and active participation are key to developing leadership skills.

Social Anxiety in Adolescents: An Analysis of the Psychological Influence Mechanism of Social Media Use

With the rapid progress of Internet technology, social media has become an indispensable part of the daily life of contemporary teenagers, which has a profound impact on their social habits, information acquisition methods and psychological development tracks. This paper explores the psychological mechanism of social anxiety in adolescents using social media, aiming to reveal how social media exerts a profound influence on social behavior, psychological cognition and emotional state of adolescents through various complex ways.The features of social media, such as convenience, interaction, anonymity and visualization, together constitute the basic environment for teenagers to use social media. They have many impacts on teenagers, including positive aspects such as the expansion of social circle, the convenience of information acquisition and the realization of self-expression, and may also bring negative impacts, especially social anxiety. This paper makes an in-depth analysis from multiple dimensions. On the one hand, the phenomenon of social comparison on social media is widespread, and teenagers are prone to inappropriate self-evaluation and feelings of inferiority when browsing the life fragments carefully selected and displayed by others, which will trigger social anxiety. On the other hand, there is also the ever-present threat of cyberbullying and harassment, and these negative experiences pose a serious threat to adolescents' mental health and exacerbate their symptoms of social anxiety. In addition, the increase of information overload and cognitive burden, addiction and dependence on social media are also important factors leading to social anxiety among adolescents. From the family, school and social level, it is necessary to strengthen the education and guidance of young people, help them establish the correct concept of social media use, set a reasonable time to use, encourage physical social activities, and cultivate self-esteem and self-confidence. At the same time, for adolescents with social anxiety symptoms, professional psychological help should be sought in time to alleviate their anxiety and promote their mental health development.

Bibliometric Insights into Anger and Aggression Research

Background: Anger and aggression are central constructs in psychology, sociology, and behavioral sciences, affecting mental health and social interactions. Despite extensive research, there is a need to map the trends and focal points of studies in this area, particularly to understand how themes like mental health disorders, developmental psychology, and social dynamics interconnect with aggression. Objective: This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of global research on anger and aggression, identifying key trends, influential authors, leading research areas, and interdisciplinary approaches. The goal is to provide insights into the trajectory and focus of scholarly work in this field. Methods: Using bibliometric techniques, including co-occurrence mapping and citation analysis, data from relevant research articles were extracted and analyzed through VOSviewer. Key terms, authorship networks, and publication patterns were examined to uncover thematic clusters and research trajectories. Findings: The analysis highlights several prominent themes in the literature on anger and aggression, including their links to psychological disorders (e.g., depression, stress), behavioral development in children and adolescents, and the influence of family and social environments. The co-occurrence analysis also points to growing interest in therapeutic interventions, cognitive and neurological underpinnings of aggression, and biological factors, such as brain injury. Authors such as Richard Tremblay, David Farrington, and Manuel Eisner have emerged as influential figures in this research domain. Conclusion: This bibliometric study reveals that research on anger and aggression is characterized by interdisciplinary approaches, integrating psychology, neuroscience, and social sciences. The focus on mental health and therapeutic interventions highlights the practical applications of this research in clinical settings. The increasing interest in the neurological and biological dimensions of aggression also suggests a broadening of the research agenda. Novelty: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the intellectual landscape of anger and aggression research through a bibliometric lens, offering new insights into the evolving trends, collaboration networks, and thematic directions in the field. It is one of the first studies to integrate a co-occurrence analysis with citation data to map both psychological and biological dimensions of aggression research.