Social and emotional skills

Social and emotional skills

An intervention to improve the social and emotional learning of students at risk of social exclusion (2024). Educación XX1 (Spain, Q2)
The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of the Itinerario+ program, an intervention aimed at improving different areas of competence in the social and emotional learning model (i.e., self-awareness, social awareness, self-control, interpersonal skills, and responsible decision-making) in students in basic vocational training from disadvantaged backgrounds. The sample consisted of 140 first-year students (70 in the experimental group and 70 in the control group) from four Basic Vocational Training courses taught at five educational centers in the southern district of the city of Madrid (Spain). Social and emotional learning was assessed using the Social and Emotional Learning Scale. After assigning students to the experimental or control condition of a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group, it was confirmed that both groups were equivalent in terms of control or covariate variables, and the Itinerario+ program was implemented. This intervention was integrated with school instruction, so the curriculum was developed in six cross-curricular projects, including other activities (i.e., peer mentoring, individualized tutoring, vocational and professional guidance, and internships in a professional setting), which were carried out by a team of previously trained teachers and educators. The results derived from comparisons between the experimental and control groups show statistically significant differences in favor of the experimental group in social and emotional learning. These results confirm the program's effectiveness in improving the social and emotional learning of students at risk of social exclusion, and Itinerario+ can therefore be considered an example of evidence-based practice.

Sociometric distribution in early childhood education: reasons for acceptance and rejection by peers (2024). Educación XX1 (Spain, Q2)
Peer rejection is a phenomenon that has been widely studied in secondary and primary education, given its negative present and future consequences for students. However, it has not been studied as extensively in early childhood, despite the importance of early childhood education as a stage when social relationships begin to form and have a decisive influence on subsequent socio-emotional development. This study aims to investigate sociometric distribution in the second cycle of early childhood education considering gender, grade, and whether or not students have specific educational support needs.

An automated, data-driven approach to children's social dynamics in space and time (2023). Child Development Perspectives (United Kingdom, Q1
Most children first enter social peer groups in preschool. In this context, children use movement as a social tool, resulting in distinctive patterns of spatial proximity and synchrony with others over time. However, the social implications of children's movements with their peers in space and time are difficult to determine due to the difficulty of acquiring reliable data during natural interactions. In this article, we review research demonstrating that proximity and synchrony are important indicators of affiliation among preschool-aged children and highlight challenges in this line of research. We then argue for the advantages of using wearable sensor technology and machine learning analysis to quantify social movement. This technological and analytical advancement provides unprecedented insight into the complex social interactions between preschool-aged children in natural settings and can help integrate young children's movements with others in space and time into a coherent framework of interaction.

An “integrated brain” approach to understanding antisocial behavior (2024). Trends in cognitive sciences (United Kingdom, Q1)
Antisocial behavior (ASB) generates substantial costs for the individual and society. Cognitive neuroscience has the potential to shed light on the risk of ASB development, but it cannot achieve this potential within an “essentialist” framework that focuses on the brain and cognition in isolation from the environment. Here we present the case for studying the transactional and iterative social development of brain and cognitive development in a relational context. This approach, which we call the study of the “integrated brain,” is necessary to fully understand how the risk of ASB emerges during development. Concentrated efforts are needed to develop and unify methods to achieve this approach and reap the benefits of better ASB prevention and intervention.

Negative emotional reactivity and somatic symptoms during adolescence predict health and well-being in early and middle adulthood (2024). Journal of Youth and Adolescence (United States, Q1)
There is a lack of longitudinal research on how negative emotional reactivity and somatic symptoms during adolescence lay the foundation for later health. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the intrapersonal associations between negative emotional reactivity and somatic symptoms during adolescence and their effects on health and well-being in adulthood. Participants (N = 1527; 48.3% female) were assessed annually at ages 12 to 16 and at ages 35 and 45. Adolescents with frequent somatic symptoms reported higher reactivity. Individual differences in levels and changes in somatic symptoms and reactivity were independently associated with health and well-being in adulthood decades later. The results underscore the importance of considering how individual differences change during adolescent development.

The role of positive and negative emotion regulation in well-being and health: the interaction between positive and negative emotion regulation capacities is linked to physical and mental health (2024). Journal of Happiness Studies (Netherlands)
Adequate emotion regulation is vital for daily functioning. Previous studies have shown that regulating negative emotions can improve health and well-being. However, the relationship between positive and negative emotion regulation and their interactions with positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and health is not well understood. Furthermore, no study has investigated the role of attention control and mindfulness trait in the regulation of positive and negative emotions. This study examined the associations between positive and negative emotion regulation abilities and health, affect, life satisfaction, attention control, and mindfulness traits. A total of 490 participants (284 women and 206 men, mean age = 25.8 ± 2.9 years, range = 20–29 years) completed questionnaires and attention measurement tasks. Multiple regression analyses revealed that negative emotion regulation ability was associated with affect, life satisfaction, and health, while positive emotion regulation ability was related to negative affect and physical and mental health. Furthermore, negative emotion regulation ability rather than positive emotion regulation ability was more strongly associated with mindfulness trait and attention control. Regulating positive emotions may benefit those who have difficulty regulating negative emotions. By focusing on the regulation of both negative and positive emotions, this study clarifies the relationship between emotion regulation ability, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, health, mindfulness, and attention control.

Social-emotional skills and socioeconomic achievement gap (2023). International Journal of Psychological Research (United States, Q3)
Empirical evidence suggests that children's social and emotional skills (an important determinant of school performance) vary according to family socioeconomic background. This study assesses the extent to which differences in social and emotional skills contribute to the performance gap between socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged children. We use data from 74 countries from the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment, which contains a comprehensive set of psychological measures, including growth mindset, self-efficacy, and work mastery. We develop three conceptual scenarios to analyze the role of social-emotional skills in learning inequality: simple accumulation, multiplicative accumulation, and compensatory accumulation. Our findings are in line with the simple accumulation scenario: socioeconomically advantaged children have somewhat higher levels of social and emotional skills than their disadvantaged peers, but the effect of these skills on academic performance is very similar in both groups. Using a counterfactual decomposition method, we show that measured social-emotional skills explain no more than 8.8 percent of the socioeconomic performance gap. Based on these findings, we argue that initiatives to promote social and emotional learning are unlikely to substantially reduce educational inequality.

Impact of resilience on the lives of young people who migrate alone (2023). Migrations (Spain, Q1)
The objective of this study is to understand the profile of young people who have migrated alone to Melilla (Spain) from African countries and to identify and analyze the behaviors or elements that favor their resilience. The study is framed within the positivist paradigm, using a questionnaire as a data collection tool. The sample consisted of 148 minors (from shelters and the streets) chosen by probability sampling. The results show that the participants have moderately high scores in terms of their level of resilience, with the most resilient being those who live on the streets, are not enrolled in school, or perceive themselves as having a partner in the future, and the least resilient were those in the “Fuerte Purísima” shelter, who are enrolled in training courses and workshops (hairdressing, bricklaying, hospitality, language immersion, etc.) or who perceive themselves as single in 10 years' time.

To assess the age-happiness relationship, look beyond statistical significance (2024). Journal of Happiness Studies (Netherlands)
The persistent contention in research on the age-happiness relationship is puzzling; it should be possible to obtain clarity and consensus on how to address the issue effectively. In this paper, I show that a key reason for the lack of clarity is an overreliance on statistical significance as a means of evaluating empirical results. The statistical significance of a quadratic specification (age plus age squared) is often taken as evidence in favor of a U-shaped relationship between age and happiness. But statistical significance alone cannot tell us whether the age-happiness relationship is U-shaped (or any other shape for that matter). On the contrary, statistical significance can mislead us in this regard: a set of quadratic age coefficients can be “significant” even when the relationship is obviously characterized by a different shape. When we are clear about how to construct the analysis so that we can “see” the underlying patterns in the data, it becomes obvious that the age-happiness relationship in European countries typically shows other patterns; the U-shape is only evident in a minority of countries.

PRIMED model for character formation, by Berkowitz (2024). Spanish Journal of Pedagogy (Spain, Q2)
To be or not to be, that is the question. This also applies to character education. In his pedagogical research, Marvin Berkowitz, as Shakespeare did previously in the field of literature, reduces the problem he faces to its most basic components and, in doing so, discovers the metaphysical scope of his professional work. In the case of the PRIMED model for character education, this performance is of a teaching nature and appeals, as indicated, to the most radical, which is “how to be” and “how to live” (p. 27). Indeed, throughout this work, the aim is to achieve an effective practice for “the flourishing of human goodness in schools” (p. 27), which is what gives the most meaning to human life and existence. Such goodness is seen in the spirit of this book as “the inclination and capacity to make the world a just and compassionate place for all, and to make this central to one's sense of self” (p. 55). The purpose of this publication, set out in more detail, is expressed unequivocally: “how we can build a better world by understanding, committing to, and acting on what is most effective in nurturing the flourishing of human goodness, especially in children” (p. 25). Through guidelines and concrete examples, largely implemented by leading or pioneering educators, Berkowitz elucidates the most appropriate way to achieve this goal of goodness, which must emanate from “the inner core, in other words, from our character” (p. 27).

Stress, a brief update (2022). International Journal of Psychological Research (Colombia, Q3)
Stress is essential for health and adaptation; it is an evolutionarily conserved response involving several systems of the body. The study of the stress response dates back to the late 19th century with the work of George Beard and Claude Bernard. Since then, various studies have been conducted to elucidate its neurobiology and consequences. In this theoretical review, we address the most relevant aspects of our knowledge on the study of the stress response, from the concept of stress, its neurobiology, the hormonal response during stress, as well as its regulation, the effects of acute and chronic stress, stress from a cognitive perspective, the different stress responses throughout life, and its relationship with different psychiatric disorders. Taken together, the research reviewed updates the classical perspective on stress, increasing the factors that should be taken into account in research to explore the effects of stress on health

Validation of the emotional development questionnaire for secondary education (CDE-SEC) (2024). Spanish Journal of Pedagogy (Spain, Q2)
The importance of addressing students' emotional development is increasingly recognized in the field of education, especially in secondary education. At this stage, adolescents experience a variety of changes and needs that require training and emotional support. However, in order to implement effective educational programs that promote emotional development, it is essential to know the level of emotional competence of students, and to do so, assessment tools are needed to evaluate it appropriately. This paper presents the validation of the emotional development questionnaire for secondary school students (CDE-SEC). A sample of 1,296 students in the first to fourth years of compulsory secondary education from different schools in Spain was used, although partial samples were used for specific analyses. Various studies were conducted to demonstrate the internal consistency and validity of the instrument: calculation of the reliability coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation of the CDE-SEC with recognized measures of emotional intelligence, personality, adjustment difficulties, social behavior, and self-esteem. Incremental validity was also studied using a regression study. The results indicate that the CDE-SEC is a theoretically well-founded questionnaire with good psychometric characteristics. In short, it is considered an optimal tool for assessing both the emotional competence of secondary school students and the effectiveness of educational programs aimed at promoting personal, emotional, and social development.

Contribution of music education to the development of emotional intelligence in adolescents and its effect on gender (2024). Revista Española de Pedagogía (Spain, Q2)
Emotional intelligence is a psychological variable that affects personal well-being and transcends the educational sphere. It is known that learning music brings emotional benefits to people and that emotional intelligence varies according to age and gender. Based on these principles, we propose this research with the following objectives: to measure the perceived emotional intelligence of Valencian adolescents in compulsory secondary education, to establish a comparison according to the variables musician-non-musician and gender, and to explore the effect that music has on the perceived emotional intelligence of young musicians according to the gender variable. The final sample consisted of a total of 409 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 16. The data collection tools were an ad hoc sociodemographic questionnaire and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24). The results of the statistical analyses showed significant gender differences in emotional attention; a positive correlation between age and attention, which increases as the individual enters adolescence; and a significant effect revealing greater emotional clarity in favor of musicians; this benefit occurs regardless of the subject's gender, meaning that it affects girls and boys equally.

Instrumental practice for character building: educational possibilities from an artisanal perspective of music (2024). Revista Española de Pedagogía (Spain, Q2)
Music has been present in education for centuries, with diverse expressions in societies of different times and places, among which classical Greece stands out. Some of its philosophers and educators highlighted the positive impact that musical training has on the human character. The aim of this article is to show the educational potential of music, as well as the relationship between instrumental training and character education. Based on an analysis of two key works from Aristotle's corpus, Politics and Nicomachean Ethics, a possible virtue ethics centered on craftsmanship is developed. Richard Sennett's idea of the craftsman serves as a guide to finding a way of practicing music in which instrumental mastery is at the core of learning and the educational process. It is shown how music education in general, and instrumental training in particular, share a goal with character education: the integral formation of the human being. Music learning has the capacity to influence character and to create and reinforce habits and virtues with a view to excellence and human flourishing. Through a craft-based conception of musical practice, music and education can intersect to positively influence the individual. In this way, it is possible to reorient certain practices and behaviors in music education that are present in the Western tradition. Although there are many ways to experience music, instrumental practice is considered the primary one due to the organological nature of music. Since Aristotle's practical philosophy emphasizes praxis and music is, in essence, a human activity, it can be concluded that music education through instrumental practice influences the formation of the multiple dimensions of the individual and the construction of a community that shares an ultimate goal: flourishing.

Self-perceived victimization by bullying in preadolescent schoolchildren with ADHD (2023). Psicotema (Spain, Q1)
Background: Bullying is highly prevalent among children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study investigates self-perceived victimization by bullying and related sociodemographic, psychopathological, cognitive, and academic characteristics in pre-adolescents with ADHD compared to controls. Method: Participants were 424 preadolescents, 138 of whom had ADHD. Victimization by bullying was assessed using the Bullying and School Violence questionnaire. This study is part of a larger two-phase epidemiological cross-sectional study. Results: A total of 35% of preadolescents with ADHD reported having been bullied. The combined presentation of ADHD showed the highest prevalence of concurrent self-perceived bullying victimization. After controlling for the effects of socioeconomic status, gender, place of birth, IQ, and autism, we found that having ADHD increased the likelihood of self-perceived bullying victimization by almost 3 times. Having ADHD and self-perceived victimization by bullying were significantly associated with higher rates of coexisting internalized and externalized psychological problems. Comorbidity with ASD was higher in cases of ADHD + bullying. Pre-adolescents with ADHD had lower cognitive scores and poorer academic outcomes, regardless of whether they were being bullied or not. Conclusions: In bullying prevention and intervention, special attention should be paid to ADHD as a vulnerability factor for self-perceived victimization, with negative consequences for emotional well-being and behavior.

Network analysis of passive and active suicidal ideation in adolescents (2024). Journal of Clinical Psychology with Children and Adolescents (Spain, Q2)
Suicidal ideation is a complex and ambivalent psychological problem that fluctuates between passive and active thoughts about one's own death. Adolescence is an important stage of development for physical and psychological well-being; however, the presence of psychological problems can affect health and survival. The objective of the study was to analyze the association between passive and active suicidal ideation in Peruvian adolescents from the general population. A total of 1,444 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19 (56.6% female; mean age = 14.03; SD = 1.54) participated and responded to a questionnaire on suicidal ideation. A Gaussian network model was estimated, examining its global and local properties and comparing them by sex. The results indicated that wishes not to exist, believing that one did not deserve to live, and thoughts of suicide were the most central nodes. Passive suicidal ideation (wishes not to exist and believing that one did not deserve to live) was related to active suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide and self-harm). In addition, for both women and men, the desire not to exist had the highest centrality, although men were more associated with thoughts of suicide than women. In conclusion, the assessment of passive and active suicidal ideation, as a whole and not emphasizing only one type, is a recommended practice for assessing suicide risk in the adolescent population. At this stage, it is appropriate to consider gender differences in the severity of suicidal ideation in psychological interviews and psychotherapeutic activities.