Canadian Journal of School Psychology recent issues

Perfectionism, Achievement, and Affect in Children: A Comparison of Students From Gifted, Arts, and Regular Programs

Stornelli, D., Flett, G. L., Hewitt, P. L. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:48:46 PST

The current study examined the association between dimensions of perfectionism and levels of academic achievement and affect in school-aged children. A sample of 223 students (90 boys, 133 girls) from regular, gifted, and arts programs completed measures of self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, perceived academic competence, and measures of affect (i.e., happiness, sadness, and fear). Participants were in Grade 4 or Grade 7. Achievement scores were taken from the Canadian Achievement Test. There was little evidence of group differences in levels of perfectionism. Also, perfectionism was mostly unrelated to levels of reading and mathematics achievement with the exception of a positive association between mathematics achievement and perfectionism for students in the gifted program. Other analyses showed that self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were associated with elevated levels of fear and sadness. The results suggest that students undergoing perfectionistic pressures to achieve are prone to negative affects such as sadness and anxiety.

Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents: Factorial Validity in a Canadian Sample

Canivez, G. L., Beran, T. N. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:48:46 PST

The core syndrome factor structure of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA) was examined with a sample of 375 randomly selected Canadian youths in a large western city. The 6 ASCA core syndrome raw scores produced an identical two-factor solution as observed in samples of American youths. Principal axis exploratory factor analysis with varimax and promax rotations produced similar factor structure coefficients. It was concluded that the ASCA measures two independent dimensions of youth psychopathology (overactivity and underactivity), similar to the conduct problems/externalizing and withdrawal/internalizing dimensions commonly found in the child psychopathology assessment literature.

Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Student Engagement Instrument

Moreira, P. A. S., Machado Vaz, F., Dias, P. C., Petracchi, P. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:48:46 PST

Student engagement is an emergent research domain in educational psychology, as research increasingly supports the connection between academic achievement, school-related behaviours, and student engagement. In spite of the important role of student engagement in academic achievement across cultures, little is known about the cross-cultural validation of the factorial structure of students’ school engagement instruments. This study explores the psychometric properties of The Student Engagement Instrument (Appleton & Christenson, 2004) in a population with a culture different from that in which the original version was developed and validated. The participants were 760 high school Portuguese students. Results confirm the factorial structure of the original version and reinforce the empirical support for a six-factor structure. However, some items loaded in different subscales, raising questions about the cultural specificities of the student engagement construct.

The Factor Structure of Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale Scores in Peruvian Children

Hahn, K. R., Schaefer, B. A., Merino, C., Worrell, F. C. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:48:46 PST

The factor structure of the Escala de Conductas de Aprendizaje Preescolar (ECAP), a Spanish translation of the Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale (PLBS), was examined in this study. Children aged 2 to 6 years (N = 328) enrolled in public and private preschools in the Republic of Peru were rated by classroom teachers on the frequency of observable, learning-related behaviors using the ECAP. Exploratory factor analyses identified three underlying dimensions of the scale: competence motivation, effortful strategy/flexibility, and attention. The three factor scores exhibited internal reliability coefficients above .70, and the alpha was .92 for the total score.

Examination of the Effects of Self-Modeling on Autobiographical Memory

Margiano, S. G., Kehle, T. J., Bray, M. A., Nastasi, B. K., DeWees, K. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:02:16 PDT

The intent of this preliminary study is to explore the effectiveness of self-modeling in altering maladaptive behavior in children through the mediating effect of modifying their autobiographical memories of their dysfunctional behaviors. We proposed that the alteration of inappropriate classroom behaviors afforded by the self-modeling intervention would be accompanied by commensurate alteration in the memory of those behaviors and changes in self-concept. The process of a self-modeling intervention capitalizes on a broad range of experimentally confirmed phenomenal and experimental factors and mechanisms involved in memory alteration, providing sufficient cognitive, perceptual, contextual, semantic, and affective information to closely approximate a "true" memory, and facilitate source misattribution, suggestibility, biases, and thereby, memory alteration/implantation. Results of this study provided evidence of autobiographical memory alteration in narrative recall, recollective experience, and self-concept reports following self-modeling intervention. These initial findings support memory alteration as a mediating factor in eliciting behavior change through self-modeling intervention. However, this study should be replicated and expanded to definitively build the research on the relationship between malleability of memory relative to positive behavior changes.

Responding to Community Needs Utilizing a Consultative Approach

Gutow, M. R., Rynkewitz, S., Reicher, S. R. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:02:16 PDT

The role of the school psychologist has evolved from serving as a gatekeeper for special education eligibility to that of a change agent within the school. This shift in professional focus positions school psychologists with the capacity to make an impact beyond the school setting. This article provides an example of how the consultative skills that school psychologists utilize daily within schools, may be applied to the community setting. A description of the collaborative consultation process will be presented as it was applied to a community agency working with Latino child witnesses of domestic violence. Modifications to the model are also discussed.

Current Practices and Future Directions in Psychopharmacological Training and Collaboration in School Psychology

Sulkowski, M. L., Jordan, C., Nguyen, M. L. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:02:16 PDT

School psychologists frequently examine children who are prescribed psychotropic medications. With advanced training in psychological assessment and professional consultation, school psychologists may play an integral role in assisting with children’s psychopharmacological treatment regimens. In this vein, this article discusses various ways for school psychologists to overcome barriers to collaborating with physicians including, strategies to overcoming obstacles related to cross-discipline information sharing time or workload constraints, communication challenges, and professional role expectations. Finally, the article discusses ways for school psychology students or practitioners of school psychology to increase their knowledge of pediatric psychopharmacology relative to their current training or experience.

School Psychology in Canada: A Survey of Roles and Functions, Challenges and Aspirations

Jordan, J. J., Hindes, Y. L., Saklofske, D. H. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:02:16 PDT

School psychology in Canada has evolved in recent years from being comprised mainly of "testers" to being regarded as an important partner in promoting the psychological and educational needs of children and supporting the mandates of our educational systems. As well, school psychology is now recognized as an area of specialization within professional psychology, and graduate training programs follow a more prescribed curriculum, especially at the doctoral level. This survey is intended to provide a glimpse at the current practices and profession of Canadian school psychology as viewed by the practitioners.

From the Editors

Snyder, J., Saklofske, D. H. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:26:32 PDT

Assessing Teamwork and Collaboration in High School Students: A Multimethod Approach

Lijuan Wang, , MacCann, C., Xiaohua Zhuang, , Liu, O. L., Roberts, R. D. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:26:32 PDT

Various policy papers assert that teamwork is an essential skill for the 21stcentury workforce. However, outside of organizational psychology research with adult populations, there are few reliable assessments of this construct with suitable validity evidence for test scores. To redress this issue, self-report, situational judgment, and teacher-report assessments of teamwork were developed for high school students. Various multivariate techniques were used to determine the structure of the scales, including factor and latent class analysis. Measures showed reasonable reliability and satisfactory validity evidence: Self-report, situational judgment, and teacher-report measures intercorrelated, and these measures also related to academic achievement. The advantages and disadvantages of each methodology are discussed, as are possible uses of this assessment system (e.g., evaluation of school-based programs that infuse curricula with modules on teamwork).

Interprofessional Practice and Education in Health Care: Their Relevance to School Psychology

Margison, J. A., Shore, B. M. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:26:32 PDT

Calls for increased collaborative practices in school psychology parallel similar advances in the realm of health care. This article overviews the concepts associated with collaborative practice in school psychology and in health care (e.g., interaction, teamwork, and collaboration) and discusses how the literature emerging from interprofessional practice (IPP) and interprofessional education (IPE; jointly termed as IPPE) initiatives in health care may be beneficial to school psychology in general, and training programs in particular.

Codification of Intratest Scatter on the Wechsler Intelligence Scales: Critique and Proposed Methodology

Juni, S., Trobliger, R. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:26:32 PDT

The analysis of response inconsistency is a crucial aspect of intellectual and clinical psychological assessment. Erratic patterns of failures and successes across and within particular domains qualify the measurement of intellectual potential and functioning. Although the interpretation of intertest scatter (inconsistencies between subtest scores) on intellectual tests has been elaborated on in the literature, intratest scatter (inconsistencies within specific subtests) is an underresearched area. Some approaches towards establishing a quantitative measure of intrasubtest scatter (ISS) have been developed, but most have proved clinically impractical or have produced inconsistent results. This article proposes a methodology of codifying ISS on the Wechsler Intelligence Scales to provide a measurement of inefficiency within subtests for individual subjects. In addition to systematizing and standardizing scatter measurement in clinical assessment, such codification will be useful in future research directed at discriminating groups based on inefficient performance across particular subtests. Applications and limitations in ISS interpretation for the various Wechsler instruments are annotated and discussed.

Replication Evidence in Support of the Psychometric Properties of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment

Jaberg, P. E., Dixon, D. J., Weis, G. M. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:26:32 PDT

The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) was developed to assess the social-emotional functioning of preschool children. The developers of the DECA report initial validity and reliability evidence in support of the use of the instrument with 2- to 5-year-old children across the United States. There is further need to collect independent validity and reliability evidence in support of the use of the DECA for its intended uses. DECA data collected from the parents and teachers of 780 kindergarten students (age 5.0 to 5.11) from a rural Midwestern area of the United States were analyzed. The resulting internal consistency, interrater reliability, and factor structure estimates were generally consistent with what was reported by the DECA authors.

The Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents as Related to Parent Education Level and Race/Ethnicity in Children

Prince-Embury, S. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:26:32 PDT

This study explores associations between scores on the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA), parent education level, and race/ethnicity in a normative sample of 450 children. Small but significant associations were found between parent education level and the RSCA Sense of Relatedness Scale score. Race/ethnicity did not contribute unique variance when parent education level was controlled.

The Component Structure of Preliteracy Skills: Further Evidence for the Simple View of Reading

Aouad, J., Savage, R. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:26:32 PDT

The simple view of reading (SVR) provides a conceptual framework for describing the processes involved when readers comprehend text. Strong evidence for the SVR comes from factor-analytic studies showing dissociations between decoding and comprehension skills. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether predecoding and comprehension components exist in Canadian English-speaking prereaders with the use of principal components analysis. All children ( N = 36) were administered a battery of prereading measures designed to assess predecoding skills and listening comprehension. Principal components analysis demonstrates that listening comprehension and predecoding measures loaded as distinct components. The findings provide support for the SVR framework and suggest that such structures do not simply reflect instruction. Implications for school psychologists working in early intervention are discussed.

From the Editors

Snyder, J., Saklofske, D. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:34 PDT

Perfectionism, Performance, and State Positive Affect and Negative Affect After a Classroom Test

Flett, G. L., Blankstein, K. R., Hewitt, P. L. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:34 PDT

The current study examined the associations among trait dimensions of perfectionism, test performance, and levels of positive and negative affect after taking a test. A sample of 92 female university students completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale one week prior to an actual class test. Measures of positive affect and negative affect were obtained immediately following the classroom test. It was found that socially prescribed perfectionism is associated significantly with lower positive affect, greater negative affect, and poorer test performance. In contrast, self-oriented perfectionism is associated significantly with higher state positive affect but not with test performance or with state negative affect. Other-oriented perfectionism is associated significantly with both positive affect and enhanced test performance. The results are discussed in terms of the need to examine trait dimensions of perfectionism within the context of ongoing and actual performance outcomes experienced by perfectionistic students.

Self-Beliefs and Behavioural Development as Related to Academic Achievement in Canadian Aboriginal Children

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:34 PDT

The authors explored the relationship between measures of self-belief, behavioural development, and academic achievement in Canadian Aboriginal children. Standardized measures of intelligence are unable to consistently predict academic achievement in students from indigenous populations. Exploring alternative factors that may be both predictive and amenable to improvements with interventions is therefore important in order to address the growing educational disparity in Canadian Aboriginal children. In this study, significant correlations were found between the Self-Perception Profile for Children rating of behavioural conduct and close friendships, the Behavior Assessment Scales for Children ratings of leadership and study skills, and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test measures of academic achievement. A school environment that provides opportunities for developing social skills and creating friendships as well as culturally appropriate interventions that support the development of leadership and study skills may provide Canadian Aboriginal children with the tools they need to achieve academically.

Parental Involvement and Children's School Achievement: Evidence for Mediating Processes

Rogers, M. A., Theule, J., Ryan, B. A., Adams, G. R., Keating, L. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:34 PDT

This study used path analytic techniques and an ecological framework to examine the association between children's perceptions of their parents' educational involvement, children's personal characteristics, and their school achievement. Fathers' academic pressure was predictive of lower achievement, whereas mothers' encouragement and support predicted higher achievement. Both parents used more academic pressure with their sons, whereas using more encouragement and support with their daughters. The effects of parental involvement were mediated through children's academic competence. This study demonstrates the interactive influences of parents' educational involvement and children's personal characteristics in predicting school achievement. Implications for practice and research in school psychology are presented.

Consequences of Part-Time Work on the Academic and Psychosocial Adaptation of Adolescents

Dumont, M., Leclerc, D., McKinnon, S. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:34 PDT

Part-time work is becoming a common fact of life for high school students. Furthermore, its short and intermediate term impacts on the academic and psychosocial adaptation of students between the middle and end of high school are fairly unknown. To compensate for this lack of information, students in Grades 9 and 11 were consulted and asked to complete standardized questionnaires. Longitudinal results (Grades 9 and 11) reveal that the most favourable pathway for academic adaptation was associated to the students whose number of hours devoted to a part-time job while attending school decreased between the middle (Grade 9) and the end of high school (Grade 11). Moreover, the students who do not work as well as those who work a lot, experience costs and benefits on both academic and psychosocial levels. The conclusion discusses the importance of reinforcing every student's protective factors to better cope with the school—work tandem.

Validity of the Mayer--Salovey-- Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test: Youth Version--Research Edition

Peters, C., Kranzler, J. H., Rossen, E. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:35 PDT

This study examines the criterion-related validity evidence of scores on the Mayer—Salovey—Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test: Youth Version—Research Version. The authors also investigate the relationship between scores on the MSCEIT-YV and chronological age. Results provide initial support for the construct validity of the MSCEIT-YV but also raise questions for future research.

Investigating the Comparability of a Self-Report Measure of Childhood Bullying Across Countries

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:35 PDT

Responding to international concerns regarding childhood bullying and a need to identify a common bullying measure, this study examines the comparability of children's self-reports of bullying across five countries. The Pacific-Rim Bullying Measure, a self-report measure of students' experiences with six different types of bullying behaviour and victimization, was administered to 1,398 Grade 5 students from Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, and United States. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory modeling were used to evaluate construct equivalence on the measure across different countries. Preliminary results revealed some construct differences across countries, that is, the bullying measure is measuring one construct, but that the construct is manifested differently in the different countries.

Increased Specificity of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Third Edition Matrix Reasoning Test Instructions and Time Limits

Callens, A. M., Atchison, T. B., Engler, R. R. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:35 PDT

Instructions for the Matrix Reasoning Test (MRT) of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition were modified by explicitly stating that the subtest was untimed or that a per-item time limit would be imposed. The MRT was administered within one of four conditions: with (a) standard administration instructions, (b) explicit instructions that the test would not be timed, (c) an imposed 20-s time limit, or (d) an imposed 60-s time limit. Relative to standard instructions, an explicit statement that the MRT would not be timed did not alter the number of correct responses. Furthermore, correct responses in the 60-s time-limited group were not significantly different than with standard instructions. The 20-s time limit, however, led to significantly fewer correct responses.

Book Review: Prifitera, A., Saklofske, D. H., & Weiss, L. G. (Eds.). (2008). WISC-IV Clinical Assessment and Intervention (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Academic Press

Mallin, B. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:13:35 PDT