Self-reported Engagement Research Articles

Identifying a Typology of Unlisted Paid Home-Based Child Care Providers Using Latent Profile Analysis

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study provides a framework for categorizing one subset of the large and heterogeneous group of home-based child care providers, unlisted paid providers. We analyzed data on unlisted paid home-based child care providers (n = 448) from the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education conducted in the United States. We used latent profile analysis to explore how providers align into profiles based on key characteristics related to their caregiving beliefs, self-reported instructional practices, professional engagement, and family supportive practices. Findings reveal that unlisted paid home-based providers align into three profiles: Low Instruction, Low Professional Development (51.3%, n = 230); Higher Instruction (35.2%, n = 158); and Engaged with Outside Systems (13.4%, n = 60). Results suggest that there is variation in providers’ instructional practices, family supports, and professional engagement activities among profiles. Additionally, provider age, enrollment characteristics, and neighborhood urban density predicted profile membership. Practice or Policy: Results provide insight into the design and implementation of quality improvement supports for this subset of home-based child care providers. Using this typology can help match unlisted paid home-based providers with supports that align with their beliefs and practices. It also adds to the limited research base about this subset of providers that can be used to guide practices and policies related to home-based child care.

Mood, Activity Participation, and Leisure Engagement Satisfaction (MAPLES): a randomised controlled pilot feasibility trial for low mood in acquired brain injury

BackgroundAcquired brain injury (ABI) affects approximately 79.3 million individuals annually and is linked with elevated rates of depression and low mood. Existing methods for treating depression in ABI have shown mixed efficacy. Behavioural activation (BA) is a potentially promising intervention. Its premise is that individuals with low mood avoid planning and engaging in activities due to low expectations of a positive outcome. Consequently, their exposure to positive reinforcement is reduced, exacerbating low mood. BA aims to break this cycle by encouraging activity planning and engagement. It is unknown whether cognitive demands of traditional BA may undermine efficacy in ABI. Here, we assess the feasibility and acceptability of two groups designed to increase activity engagement. In the activity planning group (traditional BA), the importance of meaningful and positive activity will be discussed and participants encouraged to plan/engage in activities in everyday life. The activity engagement group (experiential BA) instead focuses on engagement in positive experiences (crafts, games, discussion) within the group. The primary aims are to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the two groups in ABI. A secondary aim is to explore relative efficacy of the groups compared to an equivalent period of waitlist controls.MethodThis study outlines a parallel-arm pilot feasibility trial for individuals with low mood and ABI that compares a traditional vs experiential BA group vs waitlist controls. Adults (≥ 18 years) will be recruited from local ABI services and randomised to condition. Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed via recruitment, retention, attendance and participant feedback. Groups will be compared (pre- and post-intervention and 1 month follow-up) by assessing self-reported activity engagement. Secondary outcomes include self-report measures of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic distress related to the ABI, motivation, participation and sense of control over one’s life.Ethics and disseminationThe trial has been approved by the Health Research Authority of the NHS in the UK (East of England—Cambridge Central, REF 18/EE/0305). Results will inform future research on interventions for mood in ABI and be disseminated broadly via peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations and social media.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03874650 pre-results. Protocol version 2.1, March 5, 2019

Meaningful Activities and Recovery (MA&R): the effect of a novel rehabilitation intervention among persons with psychiatric disabilities on activity engagement\u2014study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundEngagement in activities meaningful to the individual may support the process of recovery in those with mental illness. Persons with psychiatric disabilities may reduce their engagement in meaningful activities to various degrees with possible fluctuations over time. We hypothesized that activity engagement can be altered when opportunities and support are offered at an individual and a group peer-based level. Evidence is lacking regarding mental health interventions that enable engagement in meaningful activities, and powered effect studies are warranted.MethodsWe propose an 8-month combined individual and group peer-based intervention, Meaningful Activities and Recovery (MA&R), and a study protocol for a multicentre two-armed parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT). The trial investigates the effects of MA&R in community mental health centres in Copenhagen and municipality services in Denmark. The trial will comprise 128 participants with psychiatric disabilities who will be randomized to one of two groups: (1) MA&R in addition to standard mental healthcare or (2) standard mental healthcare alone. The primary outcome is self-reported activity engagement, measured by Profiles of Engagement in People with Severe Mental Illness. Secondary outcomes are recovery, functioning and quality of life. Data will be collected at baseline and at follow-up at the end of the intervention.DiscussionThis study adds new knowledge to a field with limited evidence, i.e. the clinical effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions among people with psychiatric disabilities, directly targeting activity engagement. The pragmatic design, regarding in- and exclusion criteria and settings, may allow assessment of the intervention’s effect under real-life conditions. The randomization, adequate power and fidelity monitoring allow testing of the intervention’s efficacy. The multicentre study design increases the potential for implementation in various mental health settings if the findings are positive. As the nature of the intervention does not permit blinding of the participants or staff, it may increase the risk of expectancy and performance bias. This must be considered when interpreting the findings.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03963245. Registered on 29 May 2019

Changes in risk perception and self-reported protective behaviour during the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Efforts to change behaviour are critical in minimizing the spread of highly transmissible pandemics such as COVID-19. However, it is unclear whether individuals are aware of disease risk and alter their behaviour early in the pandemic. We investigated risk perception and self-reported engagement in protective behaviours in 1591 United States-based individuals cross-sectionally and longitudinally over the first week of the pandemic. Subjects demonstrated growing awareness of risk and reported engaging in protective behaviours with increasing frequency but underestimated their risk of infection relative to the average person in the country. Social distancing and hand washing were most strongly predicted by the perceived probability of personally being infected. However, a subgroup of individuals perceived low risk and did not engage in these behaviours. Our results highlight the importance of risk perception in early interventions during large-scale pandemics.

How does moulage contribute to medical students\u2019 perceived engagement in simulation? A mixed-methods pilot study

IntroductionMoulage is used frequently in simulation, with emerging evidence for its use in fields such as paramedicine, radiography and dermatology. It is argued that moulage adds to realism in simulation, although recent work highlighted the ambiguity of moulage practice in simulation. In the absence of knowledge, this study sought to explore the impact of highly authentic moulage on engagement in simulation.MethodsWe conducted a randomised mixed-methods study exploring undergraduate medical students’ perception of engagement in relation to the authenticity moulage. Participants were randomised to one of three groups: control (no moulage, narrative only), low authenticity (LowAuth) or high authenticity (HighAuth). Measures included self-report of engagement, the Immersion Scale Reporting Instrument (ISRI), omission of treatment actions, time-to-treat and self-report of authenticity. In combination with these objective measures, we utilised the Stimulated Recall (SR) technique to conduct interviews immediately following the simulation.ResultsA total of 33 medical students participated in the study. There was no statistically significant difference between groups on the overall ISRI score. There were statistically significant results between groups on the self-reported engagement measure, and on the treatment actions, time-to-treat measures and the rating of authenticity. Four primary themes ((1) the rules of simulation, (2) believability, (3) consistency of presentation, (4) personal knowledge ) were extracted from the interview analysis, with a further 9 subthemes identified ((1) awareness of simulating, (2) making sense of the context (3) hidden agendas, (4) between two places, (5) dismissing, (6) person centredness, (7) missing information (8) level of training (9) previous experiences).ConclusionsStudents rate moulage authenticity highly in simulations. The use of high-authenticity moulage impacts on their prioritisation and task completion. Although the slower performance in the HighAuth group did not have impact on simulated treatment outcomes, highly authentic moulage may be a stronger predictor of performance. Highly authentic moulage is preferable on the basis of optimising learning conditions.

Development and preliminary testing of the Dutch version of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®)

The content of interventions targeting social behavior is sensitive to cultural differences in etiquette and societal customs. Here we describe (1) the process of linguistic and cultural adaptation of the PEERS® social skills program to the Dutch language and culture, and (2) the results from a preliminary adaptation test among 32 adolescents (12–18 years old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although some important cultural adaptations were made, the similarities in effective social behaviors across cultures were most striking. At post-test, autistic adolescents significantly improved their social skills knowledge. In addition, parent-reported and self-reported social engagement (hosted get-togethers) increased. Also, social skill impairment decreased according to parent-reports. Of the 32 adolescents who completed the program, 31% (n = 10) achieved a clinically significant change on the SRS-2 (ΔSRS-2 > 11.12). Future research examining the effectiveness of the Dutch version of PEERS® should include a larger randomized controlled trial, for which we provide several methodological considerations.

Detrimental Effect of Perceived Controlling Behavior from Physical Education Teachers on Students' Leisure-Time Physical Activity Intentions and Behavior: An Application of the Trans-Contextual Model.

In the present study, a trans-contextual model was applied to examine the relations between students’ perceptions of controlling behavior from teachers, frustration over their basic psychological needs, autonomous motivation toward physical activity in a physical education context, autonomous motivation toward physical activity in an out-of-school context, beliefs and intentions toward future physical activity, and actual participation in physical activity outside of school. We adopted a three-wave prospective study design in which 234 students aged 11–19 years first completed measures of perceived controlling behavior from teachers, frustration over their basic psychological needs, and autonomous motivation toward physical activity in physical education. One week later, their autonomous motivation, beliefs, and intentions toward physical activity outside of school were measured. Students’ self-reported engagement in physical activity outside of school was assessed another five weeks later. Results of the path analysis revealed a significant and negative indirect effect of perceived controlling behavior from physical education teachers on students’ intention toward physical activity outside of school via the proposed motivational sequence of the trans-contextual model. There was also a significant and negative indirect effect of perceived controlling behavior from physical education teachers on students’ self-reported engagement in physical activity outside of school, mediated by the frustration over their need for competence in physical education. Findings emphasize the importance of decreasing controlling behaviors from teachers in a physical education context so as not to inhibit students’ physical activity behavior in an out-of-school context.

Late-Life Preparedness and Its Correlates: A Behavioral Perspective on Preparation.

The present study examined the extent of late-life preparedness and its correlates. In accordance with behavior theories, we postulated that those who have prior experience with caregiving and who perceive such activities as more useful and less risky are more likely to engage in late-life preparatory activities. Because the perceived distance until aging-related life challenges become prevalent may play a role in late-life preparedness, we hypothesized that the effects of the correlates would vary depending on one's subjective remaining life expectation (SRLE). Building upon cross-sectional data including 581 German adults from 18 to 93 years, we fitted a hurdle model that separately analyzes the presence and variety of self-reported action engagement to better handle the zero-inflated count measure of preparatory activities. The results revealed that the effects of perceived utility, caregiving experience, and SRLE were significant for both the presence and variety of activities. SRLE was found to moderate the observed effects in the models: The effect of perceived utility on the presence of at least one late-life preparatory activity was larger for those with lower SRLE. In contrast, among those with higher SRLE, having provided care increased the variety of preparatory activities. Findings suggest that some of the examined psychosocial factors are similarly associated with both the presence of at least one and the variety of late-life preparatory activities, although the extent of their effects varies depending on one's subjective life stage.

A Multidimensional and Multilevel Examination of Student Engagement and Secondary School Teachers’ Use of Classroom Management Practices

Student engagement is a multidimensional construct influenced by complex student, classroom, and school factors. Although prior research has examined various dimensions of student engagement, few studies have adopted a multilevel approach to simultaneously incorporate observational measures of classroom practices with student and school factors. The current study examined the association between student self-reported affective and behavioral engagement ( n = 26,849 students) and observed instructional and behavioral classroom management practices within 401 classrooms in 54 high schools. We employed three-level hierarchical linear modeling and included student, classroom, and school variables. Results indicated that observed teacher use of positive behavior supports was positively and significantly associated with student reports of active engagement in the same classroom. Implications for improving teachers’ classroom management practices to promote student engagement are considered.

Feasibility of a Brief Intervention to Facilitate Advance Care Planning Conversations for Patients with Life-Limiting Illness in the Emergency Department.

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) conversations are an important intervention to provide care consistent with patient goals near the end of life. The emergency department (ED) could serve as an important time and location for these conversations. Objectives: To determine the feasibility of an ED-based, brief negotiated interview (BNI) to stimulate ACP conversations among seriously ill older adults. Methods: We conducted a pre/postintervention study in the ED of an urban, tertiary care, academic medical center. From November 2017 to May 2019, we prospectively enrolled adults ≥65 years of age with serious illness. Trained clinicians conducted the intervention. We measured patients' ACP engagement at baseline and follow-up (3 ± 1 weeks) and reviewed electronic medical record documentation of ACP (e.g., medical order for life-sustaining treatment [MOLST]). Results: We enrolled 51 patients (mean age = 71; SD 12), 41% were female, and 51% of patients had metastatic cancer. Median duration of the intervention was 11.8 minutes; few (6%) of the interventions were interrupted. We completed follow-up for 61% of participants. Patients' self-reported ACP engagement increased from 3.0 to 3.7 out of 5 after the intervention (p < 0.01). Electronic documentation of health care proxy forms increased (75%-94%, n = 48) as did MOLST (0%-19%, n = 48) during the six months after the ED visit. Conclusion: A novel, ED-based, BNI intervention to stimulate ACP conversations for seriously ill older adults is feasible and may improve ACP engagement and documentation.

You’re offended, I’m offended! An empirical study of the proclivity to be offended and what it says about employees’ attitudes and behaviors

For all the news stories devoted to individuals taking offense to various issues, little is known about these individuals or their work-related habits. To address this important gap in organizational and societal knowledge, the reported research draws on cognitive interference theory to define and measure the proclivity to be offended (PTBO). This measure was hypothesized to serve as an off-task stimuli, and results of a time-separated multi-source study found PTBO negatively relates to employees’ task performance and citizenship behavior, and positively relates to counterproductive behavior, as rated by one’s supervisor. PTBO also had implications for employees’ self-reported job satisfaction and workplace engagement. Building on the idea that PTBO may also influence the way employees view their organization’s actions, overall organizational justice was hypothesized and found to mediate the relationship between PTBO and both employees’ behavior and attitudes. Implications for managers and organizations concerned with modern societal movements are discussed.

Bystander Intervention in Bullying: Differences Across Latent Profiles

The current study used latent profile analysis to find subgroups of youth based on bullying participant roles and then compared subgroups on the five bystander intervention steps (Notice, Interpret as an emergency, Accept Responsibility, Know how to Intervene, and Act). The sample included 641 fourth–eighth grade students (44.6% boys) who completed two self-report measures of their bullying role involvement and engagement in the five steps of the bystander intervention model. A four-class solution emerged in the latent profile analysis: Victimized Defenders (VD, 46% of the sample, high scores on victim and defender roles), Moderate Involvement (MI, 46% of the sample, involved in all five bullying roles), Bully-Victim-Defenders (BVD, 6%, high scores on bully, victim, and defender), and High Involvement (HI, 2%, high levels of involvement in all roles). These four classes were compared in terms of self-reported engagement in the bystander intervention process. A notable finding is that Victimized Defenders had the lowest level of all bystander steps. A discussion of the findings and directions for future research is provided.

Testing a structural model for study demands and resources, study engagement and well-being of first-year university students

This study investigated the relationships between study demands, study resources, engagement, and subjective well-being (including social-, emotional- and psychological well-being) for first-year university students. The students (n = 773; females = 65.7%; black = 60.7%; mean age = 20.24, SD = 2.71) completed the following measures: the Student-Stress Questionnaire (SSQ), an adapted version of the Questionnaire on the Experience and Assessment of Work (QEAW), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Survey (UWES-S) and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). Structural equation modelling analysis of the data showed students who perceived higher academic demands also self-reported a lower sense of engagement with their studies. Those who perceived to be supported by lecturers and with a high sense of autonomy, self-reported higher engagement with their studies. Students who self-perceived personal relationship problems or high personal relationship demands also self-reported lower social, emotional, and psychological well-being. Students who perceived social support from friends and family and who self-reported high levels of autonomy, had psychological well-being. Engagement mediated the relationship between study demands, study resources and well-being. Perceived study demands and study resources by students are important to student counselling and development services to assist students’ quality of life at university.

Can a brief behavioural change intervention encourage hospital patients with low physical activity levels to engage and initiate a change in physical activity behaviour?

BackgroundRegular physical activity (PA) reduces risk factors for chronic disease. This novel study evaluates self-reported engagement with PA in recently discharged patients, identified as having low PA levels, who agreed to participate in an in-patient behaviour change intervention. MethodThis exploratory study invited hospital in-patients, who were classified as ‘moderately inactive’ or ‘inactive’, to participate in a brief individual physiotherapy-led motivational interviewing (MI) behavioural change intervention. Patients were encouraged to set individual exercise and activity goals, and an appropriate programme referral was identified and agreed upon. ResultsThree hundred and forty-two of 526 patients, who were screened between January 2017 and March 2018, were classified ‘inactive’ or ‘moderately inactive’. Seventy-seven percent of patients consented to participate in the brief MI intervention (n=58 ‘moderately active’, n=206 ‘inactive’). One hundred percent participants who received the brief intervention agreed to attend a PA programme. At telephone follow-up, 66% self-reported engagement in community exercise or independent PA initiatives. ConclusionThis exploratory study demonstrates that a brief, MI-facilitated, behaviour change intervention is feasible and has the potential to aid PA engagement for hospital patients with low PA levels upon discharge from hospital. Considering that the ‘first-step’ with engagement in PA is often the biggest challenge for patients, this initiative has promise to improve PA behaviour and could be rolled out across the National Health Service (NHS).

Self-reported health behaviors and longitudinal cognitive performance in late middle age: Results from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention.

BackgroundStudies have suggested associations between self-reported engagement in health behaviors and reduced risk of cognitive decline. Most studies explore these relationships using one health behavior, often cross-sectionally or with dementia as the outcome. In this study, we explored whether several individual self-reported health behaviors were associated with cognitive decline when considered simultaneously, using data from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), an Alzheimer’s disease risk-enriched cohort who were non-demented and in late midlife at baseline.MethodWe analyzed longitudinal cognitive data from 828 participants in WRAP, with a mean age at baseline cognitive assessment of 57 (range = 36–78, sd = 6.8) and an average of 6.3 years (standard deviation = 1.9, range = 2–10) of follow-up. The primary outcome was a multi-domain cognitive composite, and secondary outcomes were immediate/delayed memory and executive function composites. Predictors of interest were self-reported measures of physical activity, cognitive activity, adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (MIND), and interactions with each other and age. We conducted linear mixed effects analyses within an Information-theoretic (IT) model averaging (MA) approach on a set of models including covariates and combinations of these 2- and 3-way interactions. The IT approach was selected due to the large number of interactions of interest and to avoid pitfalls of traditional model selection approaches.ResultsModel-averaged results identified no significant self-reported health behavior*age interactions in relationship to the primary composite outcome. In secondary outcomes, higher MIND diet scores associated with slower decline in executive function. Men showed faster decline than women on delayed memory, independent of health behaviors. There were no other significant interactions among any other health behaviors and cognitive trajectories.ConclusionsWhen multiple covariates and health behaviors were considered simultaneously, there were limited weak associations with cognitive decline in this age range. These results may be explained alone or in combination by three alternative explanations: 1) the range of cognitive decline is in middle age is too small to observe relationships with health behaviors, 2) the putative associations of these health behaviors on cognition may not be robust in this age range, or 3) the self-reported measures of the health behaviors may not be optimal for predicting cognitive decline. More study may be needed that incorporates sensitive measures of health behaviors, AD biomarker profiles, and/or other disease comorbidities.

Deceptive Actions to Improve the Attribution of Rationality to Playing Robotic Agents

Play is a common activity providing not only pleasure but also physical and cognitive development. In the quest for new playing experiences, there is an increasing tendency to develop robots playing with people. Making believable playing robots able to keep human players engaged and satisfied by the playing experience is the main challenge. In this work, we investigate the possibilities of a playful interaction between a human player and a mobile robot. In particular, this paper focuses on the applicability of deception as a means to support engagement and the attribution of rationality to playing robotic agents. By analyzing the interaction situation between the human and robot players, by identifying the need for deception, and by deciding whether and how to deceive, we aim at increasing self-reported engagement and fun, which are also related to the perception of the robotic opponent as smart enough to compete at an appropriate level. Experiments were conducted on a sample of 78 subjects facing two different deceptive behaviors and a basic behavior without any deception. All participants responded to a post-interaction questionnaire from which it was possible to observe a positive acceptance of the perception of the robot as a rational agent aimed at winning. In general, deception was perceived by most of the players as one of the robot’s abilities, when actuated, and contributed to the reported fun.

Patterns of Physical Activity and Self-rated Health Among Adult Populations in South Asia.

Introduction:Although South Asians are considered to be at high risk for cardiovascular diseases, research evidence on the health impacts of physical activity (PA) remains very limited. In this study we aimed to explore the patterns of PA and to investigate whether engaging in regular PA is associated with better Self-Rated Health (SRH) among South Asians.Methods:Cross-sectional data on population health were drawn from the World Health Survey of WHO. Subjects were 28,020 male and female South Asians (from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) aged 18 years and above. Data were analysed using descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses.Results:The proportion of the sample population reported good SRH was 44.3%, 58.7%, 37.7%, and 73.7% in Bangladeshis, Indians, Nepalese, and Sri Lankans, respectively. Regular engagement in moderate PA was highest in Nepal (69.7%) and lowest in Bangladesh (37.4%). Vigorous PA was highest in India (29.9%) and lowest in Bangladesh (17.9%). In Bangladesh, compared to those never engaged in MPA, those who engaged for 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, or 7 days a week were 30% [AOR=1.306; 95%CI 1.085-1.572], 33% [AOR=1.326; 95%CI 1.093-1.609], 39% [AOR=1.389; 95%CI 1.125-1.716], and 46% [AOR=1.459; 95%CI 1.249-1.705] more likely to report being in good health, respectively.Conclusions:We found that self-reported engagement in physical activities varies in South Asian countries. Since engaging in PA may help improve subjective and objective health status, health policy makers need to focus on designing exercise-friendly neighbourhoods in an attempt to promote population health.

Teacher emotional labour, instructional strategies, and students’ academic engagement: a multilevel analysis

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to explore links between teachers’ emotional labour, class-perceived instructional strategies and their students’ self-reported academic engagement. Data on emotional labour from N = 95 high-school teachers and their students’ (N = 2,111) perceptions of instructional strategies and self-reported academic engagement were analysed through doubly latent multilevel SEM. The results indicated systematic links between teachers’ emotional labour strategies and class-perceived instructional strategies and student self-reported engagement. The more frequently teachers reported to hide or suppress their feelings in class, the lower was the instructional strategies as perceived by the students. Teachers’ faking emotions were found to be positively linked with class-level engagement. The obtained results imply that interventions fostering teachers’ emotion-regulation strategies can be very promising, as they likely are beneficial both for teacher well-being and for teaching performance.

Late-Life Physical and Cognitive Activities Independently Contribute to Brain and Cognitive Resilience.

Active lifestyles are related to better cognitive aging outcomes, yet the unique role of different types of activity are unknown. To examine the independent contributions of physical (PA) versus cognitive (CA) leisure activities to brain and cognitive aging. Independent samples of non-demented older adults from University of California, San Francisco Hillblom Aging Network (UCSF; n = 344 typically aging) and University of California, Davis Diversity cohort (UCD; n = 485 normal to MCI) completed: 1) self-reported engagement in current PA and CA (UCSF: Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly and Cognitive Activity Scale; UCD: Life Experiences Assessment Form); 2) neuropsychological batteries; and 3) neuroimaging total gray matter volume, white matter hyperintensities, and/or global fractional anisotropy. PA and CA were simultaneously entered into multivariable linear regression models, adjusting for demographic characteristics and functional impairment severity. Brain outcomes: In UCSF, only PA was positively associated with gray matter volume and attenuated the relationship between age and fractional anisotropy. In UCD, only CA was associated with less white matter hyperintensities and attenuated the relationship between age and gray matter volume. Cognitive outcomes: In both cohorts, greater CA, but not PA, related to better cognition, independent of age and brain structure. In UCSF, CA attenuated the relationship between fractional anisotropy and cognition. In UCD, PA attenuated the association between white matter hyperintensities and cognition. Although their specificity was not easily teased apart, both PA and CA are clearly related to better brain and cognitive resilience markers across cohorts with differing educational, racial, and disease statuses. PA and CA may independently contribute to converging neuroprotective pathways for brain and cognitive aging.

Does student enthusiasm equal learning? The mismatch between observed and self-reported student engagement and environmental literacy outcomes in a residential setting

ABSTRACT In this study, we explore the influence of student engagement on middle school students’ environmental literacy outcomes at a residential environmental education (EE) program. We observed 80 lessons and 17 educators, observing six measures related to engagement. We also administered immediate post-experience surveys measuring students’ self-reported levels of engagement and environmental literacy outcomes. Only self-reported student engagement was significantly associated with more positive outcomes. As such, observations of engaged or enthusiastic EE participants may not necessarily be indicative of achieving desired learning outcomes. The study reveals the importance of systematic evaluation over simplistic observations for gauging participant learning.