Effects of a Web-Based Autonomy-Supportive Intervention on Physical Education Teacher Outcomes

The current study tested the efficacy of a web-based autonomy-supportive intervention program on changes in physical education (PE) teachers’ self-reports of autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and teaching efficacy for students’ engagement. In this study, 101 secondary school PE teachers and their 652 students were randomized either to a web-based autonomy-supportive experimental group or to the control group. Manipulation checks indicated that the intervention was effective as students perceived the experimental group PE teachers as more autonomy-supportive and less controlling compared to the control group at the one-month follow-up. In the main analysis, results of the path analysis demonstrated direct effects of the intervention on changes in teachers’ self-reported autonomy-supportive behaviour, and on teaching efficacy for students’ engagement. There were also significant direct effects from changes in autonomy-supportive behaviour on changes in psychological need satisfactions, from psychological need satisfaction on intrinsic motivation, and from intrinsic motivation on teaching efficacy for students’ engagement. Finally, the intervention had an indirect effect on changes in teaching efficacy for students’ engagement via changes in teachers’ autonomy-supportive behaviour, psychological need satisfaction, and intrinsic motivation. These findings provided insight on the effects of a web-based autonomy-supportive intervention for PE teachers on several teachers’ outcomes in the context of PE.

Emerging Adults and Developing Awareness of Siblings’ Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Emerging adults who are siblings to individuals with schizophrenia are an understudied though important population. This study examined perceptions of emerging adults to better understand developmental experiences and needs for supportive intervention. Using grounded theory, 23 emerging adults participated in open-ended, in-depth interviews. Results indicated themes related to emerging adults and their developing awareness of siblings’ experiences with schizophrenia. These included (a) the first break: changing roles and patterns, (b) influence of family and adjustment to a new reality, and (c) the effect on the emerging adult and their sense of self. Understanding experiences of this population can inform practice at key points such as during crises and transitions, which can help support a healthy developmental trajectory for siblings of individuals with schizophrenia.

Strategic Trading When Central Bank Intervention Is Predictable

Market prices are noisy signals of economic fundamentals. In a two-period model, we show that if the central bank uses market prices as guidance for intervention, large, strategic investors who benefit from high prices would depress market prices to induce a market-supportive intervention. Stronger anticipated interventions lead to deeper price depressions preintervention and sharper price reversals post- intervention. The central bank intervention harms strategic investors even though it is the investors who tried to mislead the central bank. The model predicts a V-shaped price pattern around central bank interventions, consistent with recent evidence. (JEL G14, G18)

Preliminary Study of the “Separation Anxiety” Phenomenon Through the Eyes of the Method of Positive and Transcultural Psychotherapy

The article presents the results of a preliminary study which forms part of the preparation of a dissertation titled: “Influence of parental behavior on separation anxiety in children aged 1.5 to 5 years.” This article discusses the relationship between the symptoms and problems of children manifesting separation anxiety when starting to attend kindergarten and the experiences of their parents. The preliminary study included 38 parents and their children manifesting anxiety upon separation. The study used the tools of Positive psychotherapy, which offers the opportunity to diagnose parent-child relationships and supportive intervention.

One-year Follow-up Data on the Face-to-face Autonomy-Supportive Intervention Program for Physical Education Teachers

In a recent manuscript published in International Journal of Sport Psychology, entitled “Effects of a brief one-day autonomy-supportive intervention on improving basic psychological needs, motivation, and behaviours of physical activity among middle-school students: A multidimensional approach”, we reported that a one-day eight-hour Autonomy-Supportive Intervention Program for Physical Education (ASIP-PE) was effective (Tilga et al., in press) in changing students’ perceptions of their physical education (PE) teachers’ cognitive and procedural autonomy support at a one-month follow-up, compared to control group students. After the intervention, a significant increase was also found in the experimental group students’ need satisfaction for autonomy and competence. Also, a significant decrease was found in experimental group students’ perceptions of their PE teachers’ intimidation and negative conditional regard, and in students’ need frustration for autonomy. This letter is to briefly convey additional data regarding the long-term benefits of ASIP-PE now that we have been able to conduct one-year follow-up analyses.

The Effect of Family-centered Educational Supportive Intervention on Parental Stress of Premature Infants Hospitalized in the NICU

Background: Premature birth and infant hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is stressful for parents; therefore, training and supporting couples with the aim of reducing stress are very important. Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the effect of family-centered educational, supportive intervention on parental stress of premature infants hospitalized in the NICU. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on the eligible parents of 80 premature infants admitted to the NICU ward of Ali-ibn Abitaleb Hospital in Zahedan, in two groups of 40 intervention and control. Samples were selected by convenience sampling and randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group received five sessions of a family-centered educational support program in five days, with an average of 60 minutes per session, and the control group received only routine training and care. Data were collected using the Parental Stress scale (PSS) questionnaire with approved validity and reliability before and after the end of educational interventions at discharge from the hospital. Data were analyzed by SPSS, version 22 using paired t-test, independent t-test, and chi-square. Results: Mean of parental stress scores of mothers and fathers of premature infants was not significantly different in the intervention and control groups before family-centered educational-supportive intervention (P > 0.05), but after the intervention, the mean of parental stress scores of parents in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Family-centered educational supportive intervention has a positive and significant effect on reducing stress in parents of preterm infants admitted to NICU. Therefore, training and support of parents during the hospitalization of their infants is recommended.

Μίμηση και αυτισμός: μια σύγχρονη θεωρητική προσέγγιση

In recent years, there has been some progress and increasing scientific interest in issues regarding autism. Several theories have been developed to explain the basic symptoms and back supportive intervention techniques. In the present article, we will attempt to define the terms imitation and autism and summarize the basic theories related to them. Moreover, we will focus on, summarize and discuss the difficulties children with autism have in with imitation and present findings of the most recent research which explore the development of imitation skills in children with autism. This article identifies and highlights the absence of consensus regarding issues of imitation in autism and the lack of longitudinal naturalistic studies which could give us a more accurate picture about the development of imitation skills in children with autism. We conclude that there is an obvious need for further research that will deepen our knowledge upon this matter.