International Journal of Developmental Science - Volume 10, issue 1-2

Article Type: Other

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 1-1, 2016

Authors: Scheithauer, Herbert | Smith, Peter K. | Samara, Muthanna

Article Type: Editorial

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-16000085

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 3-8, 2016

Authors: Smith, Peter K. | Robinson, Susanne | Marchi, Barbara

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: There are four sources of large-scale self-report survey data on victim rates, cross-nationally. These are EU Kids Online, Global School Health Survey, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, and Health Behaviour of School-aged Children. There are some differences in methodology between these surveys, but all use pupil self-report data. They have all been used to look at cross-national differences, in relation to other country characteristics and correlates. Here, we examine measures of internal validity (consistency within a survey) and external validity (agreement across surveys) on these data sets. We first report on internal validity issues, using available means within …each survey (correlations across strict or lenient frequency criteria; across types of bullying; across ages; across genders). Generally, these correlations are high. We secondly report on external validity, in the sense of how much agreement there is between the four surveys, where they overlap in countries. Here, we find agreement to be from moderate to zero. These low external validity rates raise concerns about using these cross-national data sets to make judgements about which countries are higher or lower in victim rates. A range of possible explanations for the findings are discussed. Show more

Keywords: Victim, bullying, cross-national survey, validity

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-150174

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 9-19, 2016

Authors: Yanagida, Takuya | Gradinger, Petra | Strohmeier, Dagmar | Solomontos-Kountouri, Olga | Trip, Simona | Bora, Carmen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Many large-scale cross-national studies rely on a single-item measurement when comparing prevalence rates of traditional bullying, traditional victimization, cyberbullying, and cyber-victimization between countries. However, the reliability and validity of single-item measurement approaches are highly problematic and might be biased. Data from three countries were used as an example case to compare the single- and multiple-item approaches from a substantial and a statistical point of view. The sample comprised 671 Austrian (46.3% girls), 691 Cypriot (45.9% girls), and 604 Romanian (46.7% girls) 12 year old students. Data were collected via self-assessments with single and multiple-items. Because scalar measurement invariance could be …established for the multiple-item measurement approaches, latent means between the three countries were compared. Substantial results of the single- and multiple-item approach did not differ for traditional bullying and traditional victimization, but differed for cyberbullying and cyber-victimization. As a consequence, we suggest using carefully validated multiple-item scales for cross-national comparisons. Show more

Keywords: Cross-national comparison, structural equation models, bullying, cyberbullying, measurement

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-150173

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 21-32, 2016

Authors: Ma, Ting-Lan | Bellmore, Amy

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: To examine cross-cultural differences in behavior upon witnessing peer victimization and the reasons behind the behavior, this study evaluated the responses of early adolescents from both the United States and Taiwan. Two questions were addressed: (1) Do adolescents in Taiwan and in the United States differ in their willingness to help peer victims, and/or in the endorsement of specific help and non-help behaviors when assessed with a vignette? And (2) do adolescents in Taiwan respond and reason about their responses in the same way as do U.S. early adolescents when they witness real-life victimization? Four-hundred seventy U.S. 6th graders attending …three public middle schools within the Midwest United States and 731 Taiwanese 7th graders from one middle school in southern Taiwan completed a survey that contained both open-ended questions asking about real-life reports of witnessing peer victimization and a vignette assessing responses to a hypothetical victimization event. Similarities and differences were found in witness responses from adolescents in the two cultural groups. Taiwanese adolescents were more likely to offer comfort to the victim and U.S. adolescents more likely to tell the bully to stop. Cultural values of interdependence versus independence were reflected in the reasons behind witness responses. Suggestions regarding how anti-victimization intervention and prevention programs should be tailored when they are introduced across the two cultural contexts are discussed. Show more

Keywords: Adolescents, cross-cultural, peer victimization, bystander, help behaviors

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-150176

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 33-42, 2016

Authors: Wright, Michelle F. | Yanagida, Takuya | Ševčíková, Anna | Aoyama, Ikuko | Dědková, Lenka | Macháčková, Hana | Li, Zheng | Kamble, Shanmukh V. | Bayraktar, Fatih | Soudi, Shruti | Lei, Li | Shu, Chang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the role of publicity (private versus public) and medium (face-to-face versus cyber) in adolescents’ coping strategies for hypothetical victimization, while also considering culture. Participants were adolescents from China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, and the United States. The study also controlled for adolescents’ gender, individualism, and collectivism. Adolescents completed questionnaires on the hypothetical coping strategies that they would use for four scenarios, including public face-to-face victimization, public cyber victimization, private face-to-face victimization, and private cyber victimization. Overall, the findings revealed that adolescents relied more on avoidance, social support, retaliation, helplessness, and …ignoring for public and face-to-face forms of victimization than for private and cyber forms of victimization. Cross-cultural differences in coping strategies are discussed. Show more

Keywords: Cyber victimization, bullying, victimization, adolescence, coping strategy, cross-cultural differences

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-150179

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 43-53, 2016

Article Type: Other

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 55-55, 2016

Authors: Thomsen, Tamara

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: One way to avert negative influences on well-being when confronted with blocked goals is the flexible adjustment of one’s goals to the given situation. This study examines developmental differences in flexible goal adjustment (FGA) regarding age and gender in a sample of N  = 815 participants (10 to 20 years; M  = 13.63, SD  = 2.60, 48.5% male). Moreover, it is investigated if FGA consists of specific cognitive coping and emotion regulation strategies and if some are more indicative than others at different developmental stages. Results showed no age differences in FGA, but in the strategies positive reappraisal, coping humor, acceptance, and optimistic …thinking. These strategies were also most indicative for FGA. Optimistic thinking was more indicative in younger adolescents, while reappraisal and coping humor were more indicative in older adolescents. Regarding gender differences, boys had higher scores in FGA and reappraisal than girls. Results highlight the necessity to consider the processes constituting FGA from a developmental perspective. Show more

Keywords: Flexible goal adjustment, cognitive coping, cognitive emotion regulation, age differences, life-span developmental psychology

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-150167

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 57-72, 2016

Authors: Lange-Küttner, Christiane | Bosco, Giorgia

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: We investigated the role of children’s conceptual understanding and ballgame experience when judging whether a football player is in an offside position, or not. In the offside position, a player takes advantage of being behind the defence line of the opposing team and just waits for the ball to arrive in order to score a goal. We explained the offside rule to 7- and 9-year-old children with a Subbuteo setup. They produced drawings of an offside position until it was correct (drawing to criterion). Thereafter, children judged whether a designated player was in an offside position in a computerized task. …Like adults, also children found it easier to judge when a player was in a wrong rather than a right place. Only when including frequency of ballgame practice in the analysis it was revealed that boys were better independently of age as they judged the offside position more systematically. Show more

Keywords: Wrong place, offside position, game rules, spatial concepts, ball game playing experience

DOI: 10.3233/DEV-160185

Citation: International Journal of Developmental Science, vol. 10, no. 1-2, pp. 73-84, 2016