Keep your distance: Different roles for knowledge and affect in predicting social distancing behavior

The current study examines predictors of social distancing behavior across populations (students and community members) and across time in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on two factors commonly associated with risk perception and prevention: knowledge and affect. Results showed that, despite similar levels of social distancing, student distancing was predicted only by feelings of threat about COVID-19, whereas community distancing was predicted by both feeling informed and threatened. Examining longitudinal effects, which were limited to students only, students became more informed about COVID-19 over time, and increases in being informed (but not feeling threatened) predicted more distancing.

Maternal Parenting Stress, Mother-Child Interaction Activities, Maternal Parenting Behaviors, and Preschoolers’ School Readiness in Early Childhood: Longitudinal Effects on Children’s Academic Ability at School Entry

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal effects of maternal parenting stress, mother-child interaction activities, maternal parenting behaviors, and preschoolers' school readiness on children's academic ability at school entry in early childhood.Methods: This study used data from the seventh (T1) and eighth (T2) wave (2014ㅡ2015) of the Panel Study on Korean Children. The participants of this study were 942 between 6 and 7-year-old children and their mothers. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling.Results: First, the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's academic ability at school admission was sequentially mediated by mother-child interaction activities and preschoolers' school readiness. The higher the maternal parenting stress, the lower the mother-child interaction activities, and the lower the mother-child interaction activities, the lower the degree of preschoolers' school readiness. The poor degree of preschoolers' school readiness was related to the children's low academic ability at school entry. Second, the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's academic ability at school entry was sequentially mediated by parenting behaviors and preschoolers' school readiness. The higher the maternal parenting stress, the less positive maternal parenting behaviors were, and the less positive maternal parenting behaviors were, the lower the level of preschoolers' school readiness, and the lower the children's academic performance at school entry.Conclusion: This study indicated that maternal parenting stress, mother-child interaction activities, maternal parenting behaviors, and preschoolers' school readiness in early childhood influenced firstgrade children's academic performance.

Longitudinal Effects in the Effectiveness of Educational Virtual Field Trips

Virtual and immersive virtual reality, VR and iVR, provide flexible and engaging learning opportunities, such as virtual field trips (VFTs). Despite its growing popularity for education, understanding how iVR compared to non-immersive media influences learning is still challenged by mixed empirical results and a lack of longitudinal research. This study addresses these issues through an experiment in which undergraduate geoscience students attended two temporally separated VFT sessions through desktop virtual reality (dVR) or iVR, with their learning experience and outcomes measured after each session. Our results show higher levels of enjoyment and satisfaction as well as a stronger sense of spatial presence in iVR students in both VFTs compared to dVR students, but no improvement in learning outcomes in iVR compared to dVR. More importantly, we found that there exists a critical interaction between VR condition and repeated participation in VFTs indicating that longitudinal exposure to VFTs improves knowledge performance more when learning in iVR than through dVR. These results suggest that repeated use of iVR may be beneficial in sustaining students’ emotional engagement and compensating the initial deficiency in their objective learning outcomes compared to other less immersive technologies.

Longitudinal Effects of Supported Exercise on Elevated Anxiety and Depression Scores in Formerly Sedentary Adults With Severe Obesity

Persistent anxiety and depression may be particularly high in individuals with obesity. Increasing exercise reliably improves mood in the general population; however, it has rarely been tested specifically in adults with severe obesity. Volunteer participants (60% women) of a theory-based cognitive-behavioral weight-management treatment with severe obesity and elevated (highest 10% based on normative values) depression ( N = 89) or anxiety ( N = 60) were assessed at baseline and Month 6 on measures of exercise output (overall, and whether the equivalent of three moderate sessions/week [i.e., ≥ 15 METs/week] were completed), corresponding mood, and exercise barriers self-efficacy. There were significant improvements (large effect sizes) in exercise outputs and mood. Increase in exercise outputs was significantly associated with reduced depression (β = −.52) and anxiety (β = −.67) scores. At least 15 METs/week of exercise was reached by 61% and 60% of participants, respectively. Participants demonstrated significantly greater reductions in depression and anxiety scores over 6 months than those completing lower amounts. Change in exercise barriers self-efficacy significantly mediated the following: (a) the prediction of depression change by change in exercise output and (b) the prediction of change in anxiety by completion/non-completion of ≥ 15 METs/week of exercise. Findings suggest substantial benefits for depression and anxiety in adults with severe obesity under conditions of moderate exercise supported by a community-based cognitive-behavioral treatment. Because of its identified mediation properties, future behavioral treatments should seek to increase barriers self-efficacy to maximize effects on elevated depression and anxiety and possibly weight.

Longitudinal Associations between Parental Support and Parental Knowledge on Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Adolescents

When testing longitudinal effects of parenting practices on adolescent adjustment, an integrated consideration of externalizing and internalizing behaviors is a gap in research. This study analyzed how parental support and parental knowledge directly and indirectly influence both antisocial behavior and emotional problems. The sample had 642 adolescents aged 12-15 (mean age = 12.49; 45.4% females) from Spain, who participated in a three-year long study. The results showed longitudinal bidirectional associations between parental support and parental knowledge. Only parental knowledge, however, directly predicted antisocial behavior and emotional problems. Parental support had an indirect effect on outcomes through the mediating effect of parental knowledge. This study has practical implications by indicating that increasing parental knowledge should be the target of educational-prevention programs.

Longitudinal Effects of Distress and Its Management During COVID-19 Lockdown in Spain

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic that hit Spain during March 2020 forced the strict confinement of the population for 2 months. The objectives of this study were (a) to assess the magnitude and duration of the influence of confinement on people’s Distress, (b) to study the temporal sequence of stress, and (c) to show how different day-to-day activities and personal variables influence perceived Distress levels.Method: A daily registration was completed by 123 people, with ages ranging from 21 to 75 years old (X¯ = 43, SD = 10 years), of which there were 40 men (32%) and 83 females (68%). During 45 days of lockdown, from March 19th to May 3rd, participants were asked to respond to a socio-demographic survey and make daily records comprising the MASQ-D30 and some day-to-day behaviors. Pooled time series was applied to establish what effect time had on the dependent variable.Results: Distress has a 14-day autoregressive function and gender, physical activity, sexual activity, listening to music, and teleworking also influence Distress. It has been hypothesized that the intercept presents variability at level 2 (individual), but it has not been significant. Interactions between Gender—Telecommuting, and Gender—Physical Activity were observed. Approximately 66% of the variance of Distress was explained (R2 = 0.663).Discussion: At the beginning of the lockdown, the average levels of Distress were well above the levels of the end (z = 3.301). The individuals in the sample have followed a very similar process in the development of Distress. During the lockdown, the “memory” of Distress was 2 weeks. Our results indicate that levels of Distress depend on activities during lockdown. Interactions exist between gender and some behavioral variables that barely influence Distress in men but decrease Distress in women. The importance of routine maintenance and gender differences must be considered to propose future interventions during confinement.

Innovation for environmental sustainability: longitudinal effects of an education for sustainable development intervention on university students’ pro-environmentalism

Purpose Although education for sustainable development (ESD) is a key tool in the transition to a more sustainable society, its integration in higher education remains scarce. One reason for this is that more evidence is needed about the effectiveness of ESD interventions. This study aims to address this gap in the literature by examining the immediate and long-term effects of an ESD intervention on university students’ pro-environmental knowledge, personal environmental norm and pro-environmental behaviors. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quasi-experimental design that examined to what extent participating in an ESD intervention influenced university students’ self-reported pro-environmentalism (i.e. experimental group), compared to those who did not participate in the ESD intervention (i.e. control group). The authors also examined the longitudinal effects of the ESD intervention by recording students’ pro-environmentalism (both in the experimental and control group) 1 year after the intervention. Findings The findings showed that participation in the ESD intervention enhanced students’ pro-environmental knowledge, personal environmental norms and pro-environmental behaviors relative to the no-participation control group. The positive effects of the ESD intervention remained 1 year after the program finished. Originality/value This work explores the effects that ESD interventions have on university students. Its findings provide evidence about the effectiveness of the intervention and, therefore, support the inclusion of ESD at higher educational levels.

Longitudinal Effects of the Pandemic and Confinement on the Anxiety Levels of a Sample of Spanish Children in Primary Education

(1) Background: The psychological effects of confinement due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic on children are only partially known. In Madrid, Spain, children suffered a strict confinement for 10 weeks and they returned to school under conditions that were far from normal. This work assesses the effects of the pandemic on the anxiety levels of a group of children living in Madrid. (2) Methods: Children were aged 6 to 11 years (N = 215). A self-report measure of anxiety was completed by participants at two time-points: (1) a few months before the beginning of the pandemic and (2) 1 year later. A smaller subgroup of participants also completed the measure during the confinement period (n = 60). (3) Results: A comparison of these three measures shows that the children’s anxiety was reduced during confinement, and that one year later these levels continue below those registered before the start of the pandemic. (4) Conclusions: These results contradict some previous studies, which found an increase in children’s anxiety as a result of confinement and the pandemic. The discussion considers protective and vulnerability factors in the context of the pandemic, which may affect children’s levels of anxiety.