In a sample of youth aged 10-16 years with chronic physical illness, this study examined psychometric properties of a modified Psychological Sense of School Membership (m-PSSM) scale; described longitudinal trends in perceptions over 24 months; and, identified factors associated with school belonging. Youth were recruited from a pediatric hospital in Canada. A total of 105 youth attended school in the past year and provided self-reports. The four-item m-PSSM had a unidimensional structure which was measurement invariant between youth in elementary (10-13 years) versus secondary school (14-16 years). Internal consistency was (ω > .80). There was no evidence that m-PSSM scores changed significantly over time (η = 0.05). Predictors of lower perceived school belonging were being in secondary school, having psychopathology, reporting lower quality of life in the domains of social support and school environment, experiencing peer victimization, and living in a community with higher residential instability and lower material deprivation.

The current research evaluates the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) by considering the links between measures of trait perfectionism and perfectionistic self-presentation and measures of social support, loneliness, and distress in cross-sectional research. A particular focus is on perfectionism and levels of social support as assessed by the Social Provisions Scale. The current study also uniquely evaluates levels of perfectionism and perfectionistic self-presentation in undergraduate students, medical students, and law students. The results across samples provided evidence that loneliness mediates the link between interpersonal perfectionism and distress in keeping with the predictions of the PSDM. Correlational results found robust links between loneliness and low levels of social support. Moreover, socially prescribed perfectionism and perfectionistic self-presentation were associated negatively with social support, and this was especially evident in terms of the facet tapping the nondisclosure of imperfections. Group comparisons of perfectionism yielded few significant differences in accordance with expectations. Levels of perfectionism tended to be lower among medical students. However, the links between perfectionism and distress were clearly evident among undergraduates, medical students, and law students, thus attesting to the vulnerability of perfectionistic students in general. Overall, the results further confirm the relevance of perfectionism in distress among students and applicability of the PSDM in various types of students.

In the current article, we describe the development and validation of the Social Comparison Rumination Scale. This measured was developed as a supplement to existing social comparison measures and to enable us to determine its potential relevance to perfectionism and other personality constructs. The Social Comparison Rumination Scale (SCRS) is a six-item inventory assessing the extent to which an individual is cognitively preoccupied and thinking repetitively about social comparison outcomes and information. Three studies with five samples of university students are described. Psychometric analyses established the SCRS consists of one factor assessed with high internal consistency and the measure is reliable and valid. Analyses showed that elevated levels of social comparison rumination are associated with trait perfectionism, perfectionistic automatic thoughts, perfectionistic self-presentation, ruminative brooding, burnout, depression, and fear of negative evaluation. Links were also established between social comparison rumination and both narcissism and dispositional envy. Overall, our findings support the further use of the SCRS and highlight the tendency of many people to think in deleterious ways about social comparisons long after the actual comparisons have taken place. We discuss social comparison rumination within the context of concerns about excessive social media use and young people being exposed to seemingly perfect lives that became a vexing cognitive preoccupation.

This research focuses on ego-focused self-image goals as central to understanding the vulnerability inherent in perfectionism and the link that perfectionism has with poorer health and emotional well-being. The present study expands theory and research on perfectionism from a unique motivational perspective through a longitudinal investigation of perfectionism, the pursuit of self-image goals related to self-improvement, and mental and physical health among 187 university students. Our central finding was that trait and self-presentational perfectionism were associated longitudinally with self-image goals and poorer mental and physical health. Longitudinal analyses showed that perfectionistic self-presentation predicted subsequent self-image goals, controlling for initial self-image goals. Additionally, self-image goals were associated with worse mental and physical health and greater loneliness and social anxiety. Collectively, our results illustrate the benefits of assessing problematic personal goals in perfectionism and the need to revise existing motivational accounts by recognizing the important role ego-involved goals play in guiding much of what perfectionists do and how they act in their daily lives.

Research that uses self-report measures to examine the complexity of self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic challenges for adolescents is limited. This study examined the psychometric property of the Self-Regulated Learning Profile and Self-Diagnostic (SRL-PSD) instrument and addressed the multi-components of SRL and academic challenges for adolescents. Participants were 358 adolescents from a Canadian middle school. The subscales of SRL-PSD were administered to students through LimeSurvey during a 25-min instructional session over two days. Results demonstrated the SRL-PSD was a reliable and valid self-report instrument to measure adolescents' SRL practices and academic challenges. Also, all types of SRL practices and academic challenges were significantly intercorrelated. Additionally, all types of SRL practices were positively associated with school engagement, whereas all types of academic challenges were negatively associated with school engagement. Overall, this study provides a validated self-report measure for educators and researchers to examine adolescents' SRL practices and academic challenges.

Positive psychology focuses on enhancing attitudes and behaviors that support well-being, with a key pillar being the use of psychological strengths for optimal functioning. This is linked to positive outcomes such as increased happiness and life satisfaction.

Cambodian youth face many unique challenges, such as high instances of poverty and intergenerational trauma. Grit, a person-level trait defined as having "perseverance and passion for long-term goals", may be particularly important in helping Cambodian youth to succeed despite the extreme challenges they face. To date, the Original Grit Scale (Grit-O) has not been translated in Khmer or validated for a sample of Cambodian youth.

Eighty Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement protocols from 40 test administrators were examined to determine the types and frequencies of administration and scoring errors made. Non-critical errors (e.g., failure to record verbatim) were found on every protocol ( = 37.2). Critical (e.g., standard score, start point) errors were found on 98.8% of protocols ( = 15.3). Additionally, a series of paired samples t-test were conducted to determine differences in total, critical, and non-critical errors pre- and during-COVID-19. No statistic differences were found. Our findings add to a growing body of research that suggests that errors on norm-referenced tests of achievement are pervasive. However, the frequency of errors did not appear to be affected by COVID-19 stressors or social distancing requirements. Implications of these findings for training and practice are discussed. Suggestions for future research are also provided.

A review of clinical records was conducted for children with developmental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties who were assessed with both the Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-third edition (WPPSI-III; Wechsler, 2004) and the Leiter international performance scale-revised (Leiter-R; Roid & Miller, 1997) within the same psychological evaluation. Forty children, ages 3-7, were included in this study. Pearson correlations showed that the IQ scores of the two instruments are strongly related ( > .70; < .001). However, paired t-tests showed that overall Leiter-R scores ( = 99.03) were significantly higher than WPPSI-III scores (PIQ; = 82.28, FSIQ; = 75.24) ( < .001). The discrepancies between the instrument's scores were clinically important as the use of only one of the two instruments could result in misclassification of child intellectual ability. These results should prompt professionals working with this clinical population to be cautious when using results from a single instrument in a child's intellectual evaluation.

Research on adults indicates other-oriented perfectionism (requiring perfection from others) is associated with various consequential outcomes independent of self-oriented perfectionism (requiring perfection of the self) and socially prescribed perfectionism (believing others require perfection of the self). However, historically, the most widely used and researched measure of trait perfectionism in children, the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), has omitted other-oriented perfectionism. In the present study, we address this by reporting on the multisource development and validation of the first self-report measure of other-oriented perfectionism specifically intended for youths: the Other-Oriented Perfectionism Subscale-Junior Form (OOPjr). Children ( = 107; Mage = 11.5, SD = 1.7) completed the OOPjr, CAPS, and measures of perfectionistic self-presentation, narcissism, social disconnection, depressive symptoms, and parental psychological control. Parents provided ratings of children's self-oriented, socially prescribed, and other-oriented perfectionism. Psychometric analyses indicated the OOPjr is a homogenous and internally reliable scale that, when factor analyzed alongside the CAPS, displays measurement invariance across gender and replicates the three-factor solution found in adults. Furthermore, parent ratings of other-oriented perfectionism showed unique positive relationships with OOPjr scores, but not CAPS scores. Likewise, other-oriented perfectionism had independent positive relationships with narcissistic superiority and achievement-oriented parental psychological control, after controlling for self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism. Overall, our findings provide preliminary support for the use of the OOPjr as a measure of other-oriented perfectionism in youths.

This study explored the underlying latent structure of items on the Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) tool, explore whether subgroups of students exist based on the latent structure of MAP items, and test whether subgroups were differentiated on standardized measures of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and word reading. Participants included 431 fourth grade students. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a three-factor model provided the most parsimonious fit to the data. Results of exploratory finite mixture model analysis with auxiliary regression suggested five classes of students with the students categorized as Growth Mindset - High Effort profile, having the highest, observed reading comprehension ( = 451.98, SD = 38.88) and vocabulary ( = 454.37, SD = 34.74) scores. By contrast, students categorized as Fixed Mindset - Higher Effort had the lowest observed reading comprehension and vocabulary scores. Limitations and directions for future research, and implications for using MAP assessment to inform intervention are discussed.

Timely identification of children with disabilities is required by federal special education law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400, 2004). During COVID-19, school psychologists have been faced with the challenge of completing valid, comprehensive, and diagnostic assessments when traditional methods are not an option. Traditional methods of testing have become nearly impossible due to social distancing requirements; therefore, alternate methods need to be considered. These alternate methods may be unfamiliar to the practitioner and/or lack validation to use with confidence. This study offers a prospective guide to help practitioners make safe and valid test selection and interpretation decisions during a pandemic. Examples of assessments analyzed using this guide are provided for the reader. In addition, a case study is provided as an example.

In 2017, the National Association of School Psychologists described tele-assessment as the least researched area of telehealth. This became problematic in 2020 when COVID-19 curtailed the administration of face-to-face assessments. Publishers began to offer computer-adapted tele-assessment methods for tests that had only previously been administered in person. Recommendations for adapted tele-assessment practice had to be developed with little empirical data. The current study analyzed recommendations from entities including professional organizations, test publishers, and governmental offices. The samples for each were small, but the findings were noteworthy. Test publishers were unanimous in recommending the use of their face-to-face assessments through adapted tele-assessment methods (either with or without caution). Governmental agencies were more likely to recommend not using adapted tele-assessment methods or to use these methods with caution. Finally, professional organizations were almost unanimous in their recommendations to use adapted tele-assessment but to do so with caution. In addition to deviations in the types of recommendations provided, entities varied in how the information was distributed. About one-fifth (23.5%) of all entities surveyed provided no recommendations at all. About 45% of the remaining entities provided recommendations on their Web sites. The rest provided information through shared documents, online toolkits, peer-reviewed journals, and emails. Implications for the field of psychology's future crisis management planning are discussed in response to these findings.

Parents completed the while their children (94 boys, 61 girls; =11 years-11 months) were given tests. Evidence-based profiles of multiple test scores and history (emergence and persistence) were used to assign to groups without specific learning disabilities in written language (SLDs-WL) (= 42 control) or with SLDs-WL: (=29 dysgraphia, =65 dyslexia, or =19 oral and written language learning disability [OWL LD]). Parent ratings fell in the clinical or at risk ranges for some individuals in all groups, but mean ratings showed nine significant main effects for group (n=4): Behavioral Symptoms Index, Internalizing Problems Composite, Adaptive Skills Composite, two Clinical Scales (Atypicality and Attention Problems), and four Adaptive Scales (Adaptability, Activities of Daily Living, Leadership, and Functional Communication). Each SLDs-WL group differed significantly from the control group on these nine ratings, except dysgraphia on Atypicality and dyslexia on Adaptive Composite, Adaptability, and Leadership; and each correlated with one or more hallmark impairments associated with a specific SLD-WL. In an fMRI study (without OWL LD), the dysgraphia and dyslexia groups, but not control group, showed connectivity with amygdala; Internalizing Problems Composite (internal stress) correlated with amygdala connectivity from two cortical regions involved in written word processing and production for all groups (N=40). Applications to assessing emotional and behavioral correlates of SLDs-WL for educational services and future research are discussed.

We investigated the classification accuracy of learning disability (LD) identification methods premised on the identification of an intraindividual pattern of processing strengths and weaknesses (PSW) method using multiple indicators for all latent constructs. Known LD status was derived from latent scores; values at the observed level identified LD status for individual cases according to the concordance/discordance method. Agreement with latent status was evaluated using (a) a single indicator, (b) two indicators as part of a test-retest "confirmation" model, and (c) a mean score. Specificity and negative predictive value (NPV) were generally high for single indicators (median specificity = 98.8%, range = 93.4%-99.7%; median NPV = 94.2%, range = 85.6%-98.7%), but low for sensitivity (median sensitivity = 49.1%, range = 20.3%-77.1%) and positive predictive value (PPV; median PPV = 48.8%, range = 23.5%-69.6%). A test-retest procedure produced inconsistent and small improvements in classification accuracy, primarily in "not LD" decisions. Use of a mean score produced small improvements in classifications (mean improvement = 2.0%, range = 0.3%-2.8%). The modest gains in agreement do not justify the additional testing burdens associated with incorporating multiple tests of all constructs.

Several methods of assessing executive function (EF), self-regulation, language development, and social development in young children have been developed over previous decades. Yet new technologies make available methods of assessment not previously considered. In resolving conceptual and pragmatic limitations of existing tools, the Early Years Toolbox (EYT) offers substantial advantages for early assessment of language, EF, self-regulation, and social development. In the current study, results of our large-scale administration of this toolbox to 1,764 preschool and early primary school students indicated very good reliability, convergent validity with existing measures, and developmental sensitivity. Results were also suggestive of better capture of children's emerging abilities relative to comparison measures. Preliminary norms are presented, showing a clear developmental trajectory across half-year age groups. The accessibility of the EYT, as well as its advantages over existing measures, offers considerably enhanced opportunities for objective measurement of young children's abilities to enable research and educational applications.

Typically developing writers in fifth ( = 110, = 10 years 8 months) or seventh ( = 97, = 12 years 7 months) grade wrote informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive essays for which the content was held constant-two mountains with a history of volcanic eruption. Relevant background knowledge was provided by reading text and showing colorful illustrations to the students before writing each genre. Results showed considerable variability between genre pairs within and across individual writers in content quality, organization quality, and length. Results, which support multiple expository genres, are consistent with prior research showing multiple genres (narrative vs. expository or even within narrative). Results are discussed in reference to the importance of assessing multiple genres in inferring composing expertise as emphasized by Olinghouse and colleagues.

Although researchers agree that the first 5 years of life are critical for children's developing executive functions (EFs), further advances are hindered by a lack of consensus on the design and selection of developmentally appropriate EF tasks for young children. Given this debate, well-established adult measures of EF routinely have been adapted for young children. Given young children's comparatively limited cognitive capacities, however, such adaptations do not guarantee that the task's critical EF demands are retained. To investigate this possibility, the current study examined the characteristics that optimize measurement of young children's EFs-specifically, their inhibitory control-using the go/no-go (GNG) task as an exemplar. Sixty preschoolers completed six GNG tasks differing in stimulus animation, presentation time, and response location. Comparison EF tasks were administered to examine concurrent validity of GNG variants. Results indicated effects of stimulus presentation time and response location, with animation further enhancing task validity and reliability. This suggests that current GNG tasks deflate estimates of young children's ability to inhibit, with implications for future design and selection of developmentally appropriate EF tasks.

This study sought to validate a new measure, the Classroom Cohesion Survey (CCS), designed to examine the relationship between teachers and classroom assistants in autism support classrooms. Teachers, classroom assistants, and external observers showed good inter-rater agreement on the CCS and good internal consistency for all scales. Simple factor structures were found for both teacher- and classroom assistant-rated scales, with one-factor solutions for both scales. Paired tests revealed that on average, classroom assistants rated classroom cohesion stronger than teachers. The CCS may be an effective tool for measuring cohesion between classroom staff and may have an important impact on various clinical and implementation outcomes in school settings.

This study investigated if the linkages between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and the Five-Factor Model of personality were invariant between men and women. Five English-speaking samples ( = 307-685) of mostly undergraduate students each completed a different measure of the Big Five personality traits and either the full form or short form of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). Across samples, models predicting global TEIQue scores from the Big Five were invariant between genders, with Neuroticism and Extraversion being the strongest trait EI correlates, followed by Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness. However, there was some evidence indicating that the gender-specific contributions of the Big Five to trait EI vary depending on the personality measure used, being more consistent for women. Discussion focuses on the validity of the TEIQue as a measure of trait EI and its psychometric properties, more generally.

Problem solving is a key component of weight loss programs. The Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R) has not been evaluated in weight loss studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometrics of the SPSI-R. Cronbach's alpha (.95 for total score; .67 - .92 for subscales) confirmed internal consistency reliability. The SPSI-R score was significantly associated (ps<.05) with decreased eating barriers and binge eating, increased self-efficacy in following a cholesterol-lowering diet, consumption of fewer calories and fat grams, more frequent exercise, lower psychological distress, and higher mental quality of life; all suggesting concurrent validity with other instruments used in weight loss studies. However, confirmatory factor analysis of the hypothesized 5-factor structure did not fit the data well (χ=350, p<.001).

Early detection of child mental health problems in schools is critical for implementing strategies for prevention and intervention. The development of an effective measure of mental health and well-being for this context must be both empirically sound and practically feasible. This study reports the initial validation of a brief self-report measure for child mental health suitable for use with children as young as 8 years old ("Me & My School" [M&MS]). After factor analysis, and studies of measurement invariance, 2 subscales emerged: emotional difficulties and behavioral difficulties. These 2 subscales were highly correlated with corresponding constructs of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and showed correlations with attainment, deprivation, and educational needs similar to ones obtained between these demographic measures and the SDQ. Results suggest that this school-based self-report measure is psychometrically sound, and has the potential of contributing to school mental health surveys, evaluation of interventions, and recognition of mental health problems within schools.

The current study used confirmatory factor analysis techniques to investigate the construct validity of the child version of the School Refusal Assessment Scale - Revised (SRAS-R) in a community sample of low socioeconomic status, urban, African American fifth and sixth graders (n = 174). The SRAS-R is the best-researched measure of school refusal behavior in youth and typically yields four functional dimensions. Results of the investigation suggested that a modified version of the four-factor model, in which three items from the tangible reinforcement dimension are removed, may have construct validity in the current sample of youth. In addition, youth endorsement of the dimension measuring avoidance of social and/or evaluative situations was positively associated with unexcused absences. Implications for further psychometric research and early identification and prevention of problematic absenteeism in low-SES, ethnic minority community samples are highlighted.

The Number Sets Test was developed to assess the speed and accuracy with which children can identify and process quantities represented by Arabic numerals and object sets. The utility of this test for predicting mathematics achievement and risk for mathematical learning disability (MLD) was assessed for a sample of 223 children. A signal detection analysis of first grade Number Sets Test scores provided measures of children's sensitivity to number and their response bias. The sensitivity measure, d', but not the response bias measure was predictive of third grade mathematics achievement scores, above and beyond the influence of intelligence, working memory, and first grade achievement scores. Further analyses assessed the sensitivity and specificity of the test and revealed that first grade d' scores identified 2 out of 3 children diagnosed as MLD in third grade and correctly identified about 9 out of 10 children who were not at risk for MLD.

Mathematical learning disabilities (MLDs) are often associated with math anxiety, yet until now, very little is known about the causal relations between calculation ability and math anxiety during early primary school years. The main aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the relationship between calculation ability, self-reported evaluation of mathematics, and math anxiety in 140 primary school children between the end of first grade and the middle of third grade. Structural equation modeling revealed a strong influence of calculation ability and math anxiety on the evaluation of mathematics but no effect of math anxiety on calculation ability or vice versa-contrasting with the frequent clinical reports of math anxiety even in very young MLD children. To summarize, our study is a first step toward a better understanding of the link between math anxiety and math performance in early primary school years performance during typical and atypical courses of development.

The Gifted Rating Scales-School Form (GRS-S) has been validated in several countries; however, no study has examined the rater invariance of this measure. The present study built on previous validity studies and examined configural and metric invariance between parent and teacher raters using the Chinese version of the GRS-S Teacher and Parent Forms. Analyses were conducted from a Jöreskog tradition, with testing of hypotheses related to group invariance. Model fit indices (i.e., comparative fit index [CFI], root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA], χ/) supported equivalence in factor structure and standardized loadings between raters. Additionally, hypothesis testing revealed equivalence in loadings for raters. Implications of the results, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are discussed.