Kätlin Peets

Hostile attributions and behavioral strategies in children: does relationship type matter?

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that childrens hostile attributions and behavioral strategies in response to peer provocation and rebuff situations will depend on the relationship with the target peer (i.e., friend, enemy, neutral). The sample consisted of 144 fourth graders (75 boys and 69 girls; mean age=10.47 years, SD=0.55 years). The participants were randomly selected from a pool of 442 children who completed a measure of social adjustment in Grade 3. In Grade 4, children participated in the individual interviews in which they were verbally presented with 6 hypothetical situations. The target peers were identified on the basis of the relationship descriptions. The results clearly demonstrate that children do indeed differentiate between relationship types in regard to hostile attributions and hostile strategies, with more hostility attributed and more hostile responses proposed toward enemies than toward other peers (ps<.05). In addition, this relationship effect holds even when the social and behavioral reputation of the target peers is accounted for (ps<.05).

Affect‐Congruent Social‐Cognitive Evaluations and Behaviors

This study examined whether the affect children feel toward peers would influence childrens social-cognitive evaluations and behaviors. The sample consisted of 209 fifth-grade children (11- to 12-year-olds; 119 boys and 90 girls). For each child, 3 target peers (liked, disliked, and neutral) were identified via a sociometric nomination procedure. The names of the targets were then inserted into hypothetical vignettes in which the target peers behavior had a negative consequence for the child. After each vignette, questions about intent, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy beliefs were asked. In addition, self-reports regarding relationship-specific proactive and reactive aggression and regarding victimization were collected. The results demonstrate that children social-cognitively differentiate between the relationship types and that relationship-specific evaluations are associated with relationship-specific behaviors.

The role of individual and contextual factors in the development of maths skills

In this study, we examined the development of maths skills in 269 Estonian primary school children (119 boys and 150 girls; 20 classes). Testing was carried out over a three‐year period (Grade 1–Grade 3). Before the last testing session, children’s verbal skills and motivational orientations were also tested. In addition, teachers evaluated children’s learning behaviour and provided information about their own teaching methods. The data were analysed using multilevel growth curve modelling. We found that children with higher levels of pre‐maths skills developed at a faster rate. At the individual level, pre‐maths skills and verbal ability were positively associated with maths achievement in Grade 3, and avoidance orientations (self‐reported) and task‐avoidant behaviour (teacher‐reported) were negatively associated with maths achievement in Grade 3. At the classroom level, formalist teaching methods and teacher experience had a positive effect on students’ maths performance.

Cognitive Correlates of Math Skills in Third-Grade Students.

Math achievement is not a unidimensional construct but includes different skills that require different cognitive abilities. The focus of this study was to examine associations between a number of cognitive abilities and three domains of math skills (knowing, applying and problem solving) simultaneously in a multivariate framework. Participants were 723 third-grade children (mean age = 9.07) from 28 elementary schools. Confirmatory factor analyses with binary indicators showed that a four-factor model of math skills (Knowing-Recalling, Knowing-Computing, Applying and Problem Solving) and a nine-factor model of cognitive abilities (Nonverbal and Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Concepts, Planning, Visuo-Spatial Working Memory (WM), two types of Verbal WM, Phonological Awareness and Phonological WM) fit the data well. Results from structural equation modelling showed that verbal reasoning and verbal concepts were most consistently associated with math knowing and problem solving domains. Verbal concepts contributed also to the math applying domain. In addition, simultaneous processing of verbal WM predicted problem solving skills in math. The results can be used in supporting the learning process of students with difficulties in math.

Forgiveness and its determinants depending on the interpersonal context of hurt

Children and adolescents encounter different hurtful experiences in school settings. How these events are processed (e.g., whether they think that the transgressor was hostile) is likely to depend on the relationship with the transgressor. In this study, we examined how adolescents (58 girls and 35 boys, mean age=14.03 years, SD=0.60) dealt with the hurt caused by someone they liked or disliked. Our findings show that the hurt caused by a disliked transgressor is likely to lead to more negative cognitive (e.g., hostile attributions), affective (e.g., feelings of anger), and motivational (e.g., avoidance/revenge) outcomes than the hurt caused by a liked peer. In addition, we found that associations between cognitive processes and avoidance/revenge were mediated by feelings of anger, but only when the transgression occurred in the context of disliking. These results highlight the importance of studying how adolescents process hurtful experiences in different relational contexts.

Socialization Values and Parenting Practices as Predictors of Parental Involvement in Their Children's Educational Process

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between parental socialization values (including inconsistency in values), parenting practices, and parental involvement in their childrens education. Altogether 242 Estonian mothers and fathers of first-grade children participated in the study. We found that mothers were overall more involved in their childrens education than fathers. Whereas emphasis on social values at home was related to paternal and (marginally) to maternal home-based academic involvement, emphasis on self-direction values at home among mothers was related to their home-based general involvement. Also, inconsistency in family socialization values had a negative impact on paternal involvement. Finally, positive practices were most consistently related to all types of involvement among mothers and fathers. Practice or Policy: The findings of the present study emphasize the importance of concordance in mother-father values. For teachers, it emphasizes the need to cooperate with both spouses and to discuss broader topics, including their values and practices. The results additionally indicate the importance of finding ways to enhance collaboration with less-educated parents. The results have practical implications for teachers who can potentially help parents to become more involved in their childrens education.

Relationship specificity of aggressogenic thought-behavior processes.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship specificity of aggressogenic thought-behavior processes and to investigate the role of self-esteem in translating or inhibiting aggressogenic thought into aggression toward personally liked and disliked targets. Participants (186 Finnish boys and girls; 11-12 years old at Time 1) completed measures twice over a 1-year interval. We assessed childrens attributions of hostility, relational goals, expectations of anger, and self-efficacy at Time 1 as well as aggression, at both time points, toward their previously identified liked and disliked peers. Our results mostly supported our hypothesis that cognitions guide behavior mainly within the relationship context. Moreover, high self-esteem potentiated cognition-behavior links toward childrens own liked peer but inhibited the actualization of aggressogenic thought toward childrens disliked peer. These findings highlight the importance of taking a Person × Situation approach when studying cognition-behavior processes.

Learning motivation from a cross-cultural perspective: a moving target?

This paper investigates the relationship between educational achievement and the motivation to learn. We used the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that contains representative samples from 55 nations. A strong negative correlation between educational achievement and motivation toward science learning emerged at the national level. We found that differences in the socioeconomic levels of nations are associated with this unexpected negative correlation. Children from developed societies achieve higher educational results but may tend to be rather critical in describing their learning motivation, and vice versa, students from developing countries do not attain very high educational outcomes, but their motivation, as stated on the self-report questionnaires, is high. We offer different explanations for this phenomenon. The motivation to learn in relation to the level of development of countries is a moving target, and this should be taken into account at all levels of education policymaking, from schools to national governments.