Kyongboon Kwon

Family involvement for children with disruptive behaviors: The role of parenting stress and motivational beliefs

Children with disruptive behaviors are at risk for adverse outcomes. Family involvement is a significant predictor of positive child behavior outcomes; however, little research has investigated parent psychological variables that influence family involvement for children with disruptive behaviors. This study investigated the role of parental motivational beliefs (i.e., role construction and efficacy) as a potential mechanism by which parenting stress impacts family involvement for families of children with disruptive behaviors. Results indicated that parent role construction mediated the relation between parenting stress and all aspects of family involvement examined (i.e., home-based involvement, school-based involvement, and home-school communication). Parent efficacy mediated the relation between parenting stress and home-based involvement only. Parents of children with disruptive behaviors reporting stress may experience negative beliefs about their role and efficacy to support their childs education, which may thereby negatively influence their actual involvement. Therefore, parent motivational beliefs may serve as an important point for intervention to support involvement of families of children with disruptive behavior.

A Contextual Approach to Social Skills Assessment in the Peer Group: Who Is the Best Judge?

Using a contextual approach to social skills assessment in the peer group, this study examined the criterion-related validity of contextually relevant social skills and the incremental validity of peers and teachers as judges of childrens social skills. Study participants included 342 (180 male and 162 female) students and their classroom teachers (N = 22) from rural communities. As expected, contextually relevant social skills were significantly related to a variety of social status indicators (i.e., likability, peer- and teacher-assessed popularity, reciprocated friendships, clique centrality) and positive school functioning (i.e., school liking and academic competence). Peer-assessed social skills, not teacher-assessed social skills, demonstrated consistent incremental validity in predicting various indicators of social status outcomes; peer- and teacher-assessed social skills alike showed incremental validity in predicting positive school functioning. The relation between contextually relevant social skills and study outcomes did not vary by child gender. Findings are discussed in terms of the significance of peers in the assessment of childrens social skills in the peer group as well as the usefulness of a contextual approach to social skills assessment.

Congruence in Parent-Teacher Communication: Implications for the Efficacy of CBC for Students with Behavioral Concerns.

Abstract. The present study examined parent–teacher congruent communication within conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC). Specifically, the study purpose was to determine the extent to which congruence in parent–teacher communication (i.e., the degree to which parents and teachers view their communication in a similar fashion) moderated CBCs effects on childrens social skills. Drawn from a large randomized trial investigating the efficacy of CBC, the participants were 166 children and their parents and 74 teachers. The findings suggested that CBCs effects on teacher-reported childrens social skills depend on congruent parent–teacher communication. Specifically, for students whose parents and teachers have these communication conditions, social skills are expected to increase only in the context of the CBC intervention. Implications for CBC research and school-based consultation are discussed.

Children’s Social Identification With a Friendship Group: A Moderating Effect on Intent to Conform to Norms

This study examined third- through fifth-grade children’s social identification (i.e., positive affects and emotions) with their friendship group as a process by which friendship group norms might affect children’s behaviors. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional model of social identification. Reciprocated friendship group nomination was positively associated with social identification; fifth graders reported a higher level of social identification than third graders. Sex and perceived popularity were not related to social identification. The authors hypothesized that the effect of friendship group norms on children’s intent to conform to those norms would be greater when they strongly identify with their group. This hypothesis was supported with regard to trend and misbehavior norms but not academic norms.

Emotional expressivity and emotion regulation: Relation to academic functioning among elementary school children.

We examined emotional expressivity (i.e., happiness, sadness, and anger) and emotion regulation (regulation of exuberance, sadness, and anger) as they relate to academic functioning (motivation, engagement, and achievement). Also, we tested the premise that emotional expressivity and emotion regulation are indirectly associated with achievement through academic motivation and engagement. Participants included 417 elementary school students (Mage = 10 years; 52% female; 60% Black) and their teachers from a Midwestern metropolitan area. We used child and teacher questionnaires, and data were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Regarding emotionality, happiness was positively associated with multiple aspects of academic functioning whereas an inverse association was found for anger; sadness was not associated with academic functioning. Also, happiness and anger were indirectly related to achievement through academic engagement. Emotion regulation was positively associated with multiple aspects of academic functioning; it was also indirectly associated with achievement through engagement. Implications are discussed regarding how social and emotional learning programs in schools can further benefit from research on children’s emotions.

Perceived influence of close friends, well-liked peers, and popular peers Reputational or personal influence?

This study examined two types of influence (reputational and personal) children perceive from different sources (i.e., close friends, well-liked peers, and popular peers). Participants included 455 third through fifth grade students. A quadratic assignment procedure was used wherein children’s peer nominations of the source of influence were correlated with their nominations of the type of influence. Findings suggested that children perceive personal influence more so than reputational influence from close friends and well-liked peers. In contrast, children perceive reputational influence more so than personal influence from popular peers. The degree to which children perceive personal influence from the three sources differed by behavioral domains (i.e., academic and trend-following behaviors). Implications for peer influence research and intervention are discussed.

A Multicountry Study of Cross-Cultural Differences in Psychological Wellness of Adolescents.

Relative to positive psychology, a focus on increasing psychological well-being has been recently supported. Positive psychology is the study of influences and processes that contribute to the successful and optimal functioning of individuals. Nurturing and encouraging wellness competencies creates a buffer against mental illness and fosters intensification of adaptive coping skills. The purpose of this study was to highlight results from a descriptive study of a large-scale sample of Asian youth (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) who responded to the Child and Adolescent Wellness Scale (CAWS) and compare them with a sample from the United States. The CAWS items reflect characteristics and cognitions of psychologically healthy and resilient children. As predicted, students generally perceived themselves as psychologically well, with all scores being above the theoretical midpoint score of 2.5. The average total CAWS score for the sample was 2.85 (on a 4-point Likert scale). Japanese students scored the lowest in most of the 10 dimensions. There were significant differences in each of the dimensions. The utilization of CAWS for practice with adolescents within a cross-cultural context and future studies is also discussed.

Peer-Assessed Emotional Expressivity: Unique Association With Status in the Peer Group:

We examined the association between peer-assessed emotional expressivity and children’s status in the peer group after controlling for social behavior. Participants were 417 elementary school children ( X ¯ age = 10 years) from a Midwestern urban community and their teachers. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used. After controlling for gender, race, and other emotionality, happiness was positively associated with likability and popularity. Sadness was positively associated with disliking and unpopularity, and negatively associated with popularity. Anger was positively associated with disliking and popularity. Overall, emotional expressivity uniquely predicted status after controlling for social behavior. Regarding gender and race effects, girls were perceived as happier than boys and an inverse pattern was found for anger; White children were perceived as happier than Black children. The association between emotionality and status did not differ by gender. Findings expand the literature on predictability of peer-assessed emotions regarding different dimensions of status in the peer group.