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ABSTRACT: One year after participating in the Research-based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) intervention or "usual practice" Head Start, the learning and behavioral outcomes of 356 children (17% Hispanic, 25% African American; 54% girls; Mage = 4.59 years at initial assessment) were assessed. In addition, their 202 kindergarten classrooms were evaluated on quality of teacher-student interactions, emphasis on reading instruction, and school-level student achievement. Hierarchical linear analyses revealed that the REDI intervention promoted kindergarten phonemic decoding skills, learning engagement, and competent social problem-solving skills, and reduced aggressive-disruptive behavior. Intervention effects on social competence and inattention were moderated by kindergarten context, with effects strongest when children entered schools with low student achievement. Implications are discussed for developmental models of school readiness and early educational programs.
Child Development 05/2013; · 4.72 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Recent studies suggest that there may be important gender differences in the development of disruptive behavior problems, leading investigators to argue that better attempts are needed to understand the early nature and course of these problems among girls. In particular, questions exist concerning the use of early aggressive behaviors as indicators of at-risk status for later antisocial behavior. Whereas a near-consensus model has been reached regarding basic developmental progressions and mechanisms underlying the development of "early starting" patterns of antisocial behavior among boys, the degree to which this model fits girls remains open to question. Researchers have suggested that screening strategies that focus on early aggression, which may be quite effective for identifying boys at risk for later antisocial activity, may result in the underidentification of at-risk girls. This chapter reviews literature relevant to this question and explores longitudinal data from the Fast Track Project (Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group) to compare the effectiveness of screening strategies that emphasize aggressive behaviors to a greater or lesser degree in identifying children as "at risk" for later antisocial behavior and related school adjustment difficulties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
10/2012;
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ABSTRACT: In this chapter, the authors look at ways to promote social competence in early childhood, through such avenues as classroom curricula and social skills coaching programs. They focus specifically on how developmental research on social competence can inform intervention design, beginning with the identification of social skills which serve as the targets for intervention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
10/2012;
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Katie Witkiewitz,
Kevin King,
Robert J McMahon,
Johnny Wu,
Jeremy Luk, Karen L Bierman,
John D Coie,
Kenneth A Dodge,
Mark T Greenberg,
John E Lochman,
Ellen E Pinderhughes
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ABSTRACT: Strong associations between conduct disorder (CD), antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and substance use disorders (SUD) seem to reflect a general vulnerability to externalizing behaviors. Recent studies have characterized this vulnerability on a continuous scale, rather than as distinct categories, suggesting that the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) take into account the underlying continuum of externalizing behaviors. However, most of this research has not included measures of disorders that appear in childhood [e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)], nor has it considered the full range of possibilities for the latent structure of externalizing behaviors, particularly factor mixture models, which allow for a latent factor to have both continuous and categorical dimensions. Finally, the majority of prior studies have not tested multidimensional models. Using lifetime diagnoses of externalizing disorders from participants in the Fast Track Project (n = 715), we analyzed a series of latent variable models ranging from fully continuous factor models to fully categorical mixture models. Continuous models provided the best fit to the observed data and also suggested that a two-factor model of externalizing behavior, defined as (1) ODD+ADHD+CD and (2) SUD with adult antisocial behavior sharing common variance with both factors, was necessary to explain the covariation in externalizing disorders. The two-factor model of externalizing behavior was then replicated using a nationally representative sample drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication data (n = 5,692). These results have important implications for the conceptualization of externalizing disorders in DSM-5.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 08/2012; · 3.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Following a large, diverse sample of 4,096 children in 27 schools, this study evaluated the impact of 3 aspects of peer relations, measured concurrently, on subsequent child aggressive-disruptive behavior during early elementary school: peer dislike, reciprocated friends' aggressiveness, and classroom levels of aggressive-disruptive behavior. Teachers rated child aggressive-disruptive behavior in 1st and 3rd grades, and peer relations were assessed during 2nd grade. Results indicated that heightened classroom aggressive-disruptive behavior levels were related to proximal peer relations, including an increased likelihood of having aggressive friends and lower levels of peer dislike of aggressive-disruptive children. Controlling for 1st grade aggressive-disruptive behavior, the three 2nd grade peer experiences each made unique contributions to 3rd grade child aggressive-disruptive behavior. These findings replicate and extend a growing body of research documenting the multifaceted nature of peer influence on aggressive-disruptive behavior in early elementary school. They highlight the importance of the classroom ecology and proximal peer relations in the socialization of aggressive-disruptive behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
Developmental Psychology 04/2012; · 3.21 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This longitudinal study examined processes that mediate the association between maternal depressive symptoms and peer social
preference during the early school years. Three hundred and fifty six kindergarten children (182 boys) and their mothers participated
in the study. During kindergarten, mothers reported their level of depressive symptomatology. In first grade, teachers rated
children’s emotion regulation at school and observers rated the affective quality of mother-child interactions. During second
grade, children’s social preference was assessed by peer nomination. Results indicated that mothers’ level of depressive symptomatology
negatively predicted their child’s social preference 2years later, controlling for the family SES and teacher-rated social
preference during kindergarten. Among European American families, the association between maternal depressive symptoms and
social preference was partially mediated by maternal warmth and the child’s emotion regulation. Although the relation between
maternal depressive symptoms and children peer preference was stronger among African American families than Europrean American
families, its mediation by the maternal warmth and child’s emotion regulation was not found in African American families.
KeywordsMaternal Depressive Symptoms–Emotional Competence–Peer Relations–Parent–Child Interactional Style–Mediation
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 04/2012; 39(3):365-377. · 3.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This paper focuses on the impact of selection bias in the context of extended, community-based prevention trials that attempt
to “unpack” intervention effects and analyze mechanisms of change. Relying on dose-response analyses as the most general form
of such efforts, this study provides two examples of how selection bias can affect the estimation of treatment effects. In
Example 1, we describe an actual intervention in which selection bias was believed to influence the dose-response relation
of an adaptive component in a preventive intervention for young children with severe behavior problems. In Example 2, we conduct
a series of Monte Carlo simulations to illustrate just how severely selection bias can affect estimates in a dose-response
analysis when the factors that affect dose are not recorded. We also assess the extent to which selection bias is ameliorated
by the use of pretreatment covariates. We examine the implications of these examples and review trial design, data collection,
and data analysis factors that can reduce selection bias in efforts to understand how preventive interventions have the effects
they do.
KeywordsSelection bias-Preventive interventions-Dose-response-Simulations
Prevention Science 04/2012; 11(3):239-251. · 2.63 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Youth who initiate sexual intercourse in early adolescence (age 11–14) experience multiple risks, including concurrent adjustment
problems and unsafe sexual practices. The current study tested two models describing the links between childhood precursors,
early adolescent risk factors, and adolescent sexual activity: a cumulative model and a meditational model. A longitudinal
sample of 694 boys and girls from four geographical locations was utilized, with data collected from kindergarten through
high school. Structural equation models revealed that, irrespective of gender or race, high rates of aggressive disruptive
behaviors and attention problems at school entry increased risk for a constellation of problem behaviors in middle school
(school maladjustment, antisocial activity, and substance use) which, in turn, promoted the early initiation of sexual activity.
Implications are discussed for developmental models of early sexual activity and for prevention programming.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 04/2012; 36(8):1175-1188. · 3.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study examined whether the link between risk factors for conduct problems and low rates of participation in mental health
treatment could be decoupled through the provision of integrated prevention services in multiple easily-accessible contexts.
It included 445 families of first-grade children (55% minority), living in four diverse communities, and selected for early
signs of conduct problems. Results indicated that, under the right circumstances, these children and families could be enticed
to participate at high rates in school-based services, therapeutic groups, and home visits. Because different sets of risk
factors were related to different profiles of participation across the components of the prevention program, findings highlight
the need to offer services in multiple contexts to reach all children and families who might benefit from them.
American Journal of Community Psychology 04/2012; 36(3):307-325. · 1.74 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study examined the extent to which an evidence-based preschool curriculum (Head Start REDI) was sustained by 20 teachers during the year following a randomized controlled efficacy trial, when teachers were no longer required by the research project to implement the curriculum. Two quantitative measures of sustainability (teacher ratings, REDI coach ratings) and a qualitative measure (teacher interview) were collected and compared. Sustainability varied by the specific curriculum component, with higher rates of sustainability for the social-emotional component (Preschool PATHS) than for the language and literacy components. Estimates of sustainability were affected by the method of measurement, with REDI coach ratings and qualitative teacher interviews more closely aligned than teacher ratings. Responses from qualitative interviews identified the main factors that teachers thought affected sustainability. Teacher responses suggest that efforts to promote sustainability are best targeted at reducing barriers, such as competing demands, rather than simply highlighting the benefits of the new curriculum.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly 01/2012; 27(1):55-56. · 1.67 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A majority of school-based prevention programs target the modification of setting-level social dynamics, either explicitly (e.g., by changing schools' organizational, cultural or instructional systems that influence children's relationships), or implicitly (e.g., by altering behavioral norms designed to influence children's social affiliations and interactions). Yet, in outcome analyses of these programs, the rich and complicated set of peer network dynamics is often reduced to an aggregation of individual characteristics or assessed with methods that do not account for the interdependencies of network data. In this paper, we present concepts and analytic methods from the field of social network analysis and illustrate their great value to prevention science--both as a source of tools for refining program theories and as methods that enable more sophisticated and focused tests of intervention effects. An additional goal is to inform discussions of the broader implications of social network analysis for public health efforts.
Prevention Science 07/2011; 12(4):349-60. · 2.63 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Research suggests that early classroom experiences influence the socialization of aggression. Tracking changes in the aggressive behavior of 4,179 children from kindergarten to second-grade (ages 5-8), this study examined the impact of 2 important features of the classroom context--aggregate peer aggression and climates characterized by supportive teacher-student interactions. The aggregate aggression scores of children assigned to first-grade classrooms predicted the level of classroom aggression (assessed by teacher ratings) and quality of classroom climate (assessed by observers) that emerged by the end of Grade 1. Hierarchical linear model analyses revealed that first-grade classroom aggression and quality of classroom climate made independent contributions to changes in student aggression, as students moved from kindergarten to second grade. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Child Development 03/2011; 82(3):751-7. · 4.72 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This longitudinal study examined processes that mediate the association between maternal depressive symptoms and peer social preference during the early school years. Three hundred and fifty six kindergarten children (182 boys) and their mothers participated in the study. During kindergarten, mothers reported their level of depressive symptomatology. In first grade, teachers rated children's emotion regulation at school and observers rated the affective quality of mother-child interactions. During second grade, children's social preference was assessed by peer nomination. Results indicated that mothers' level of depressive symptomatology negatively predicted their child's social preference 2 years later, controlling for the family SES and teacher-rated social preference during kindergarten. Among European American families, the association between maternal depressive symptoms and social preference was partially mediated by maternal warmth and the child's emotion regulation. Although the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and children peer preference was stronger among African American families than Europrean American families, its mediation by the maternal warmth and child's emotion regulation was not found in African American families.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 11/2010; 39(3):365-77. · 3.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Objective: This article examines the impact of a universal social–emotional learning program, the Fast Track PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum and teacher consultation, embedded within the Fast Track selective prevention model. Method: The longitudinal analysis involved 2,937 children of multiple ethnicities who remained in the same intervention or control schools for Grades 1, 2, and 3. The study involved a clustered randomized controlled trial involving sets of schools randomized within 3 U.S. locations. Measures assessed teacher and peer reports of aggression, hyperactive–disruptive behaviors, and social competence. Beginning in first grade and through 3 successive years, teachers received training and support and implemented the PATHS curriculum in their classrooms. Results: The study examined the main effects of intervention as well as how outcomes were affected by characteristics of the child (baseline level of problem behavior, gender) and by the school environment (student poverty). Modest positive effects of sustained program exposure included reduced aggression and increased prosocial behavior (according to both teacher and peer report) and improved academic engagement (according to teacher report). Peer report effects were moderated by gender, with significant effects only for boys. Most intervention effects were moderated by school environment, with effects stronger in less disadvantaged schools, and effects on aggression were larger in students who showed higher baseline levels of aggression. Conclusions: A major implication of the findings is that well-implemented multiyear social–emotional learning programs can have significant and meaningful preventive effects on the population-level rates of aggression, social competence, and academic engagement in the elementary school years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 03/2010; 78(2):2, and 3. · 4.85 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study examined developmental associations between growth in domain-general cognitive processes (working memory and attention control) and growth in domain-specific skills (emergent literacy and numeracy) across the pre-kindergarten year, and their relative contributions to kindergarten reading and math achievement. One hundred sixty-four Head Start children (44% African American or Latino; 57% female) were followed longitudinally. Path analyses revealed that working memory and attention control predicted growth in emergent literacy and numeracy skills during the pre-kindergarten year, and furthermore, that growth in these domain-general cognitive skills made unique contributions to the prediction of kindergarten math and reading achievement, controlling for growth in domain-specific skills. These findings extend research highlighting the importance of working memory and attention control for academic learning, demonstrating the effects in early childhood, prior to school entry. We discuss the implications of these findings for pre-kindergarten programs, particularly those designed to reduce the school readiness gaps associated with socio-economic disadvantage.
Journal of Educational Psychology 02/2010; 102(1):43-53. · 3.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This paper focuses on the impact of selection bias in the context of extended, community-based prevention trials that attempt to "unpack" intervention effects and analyze mechanisms of change. Relying on dose-response analyses as the most general form of such efforts, this study provides two examples of how selection bias can affect the estimation of treatment effects. In Example 1, we describe an actual intervention in which selection bias was believed to influence the dose-response relation of an adaptive component in a preventive intervention for young children with severe behavior problems. In Example 2, we conduct a series of Monte Carlo simulations to illustrate just how severely selection bias can affect estimates in a dose-response analysis when the factors that affect dose are not recorded. We also assess the extent to which selection bias is ameliorated by the use of pretreatment covariates. We examine the implications of these examples and review trial design, data collection, and data analysis factors that can reduce selection bias in efforts to understand how preventive interventions have the effects they do.
Prevention Science 02/2010; 11(3):239-51. · 2.63 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A developmental perspective is critical when assessing children’s social skills. The behaviors that foster peer acceptance
and those that elicit peer dislike change with age. Concurrently, the cognitive capacities that children bring to bear when
analyzing and solving their social problems undergo significant qualitative transformations. Dramatic changes also occur in
the nature of the social contexts that children navigate at different ages. All of these factors affect the degree to which
particular behaviors and cognitions are adaptive socially and, hence, affect the operational definition and assessment of
social skills at various ages (Bierman & Montminy, 1993). This chapter begins with an overview describing the influence of
development on social competence and social skills. Then, in separate sections, we characterize the nature of peer
12/2009: pages 119-134;
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ABSTRACT: We tested the impact of the Fast Track conduct disorder prevention program on the use of pediatric, general health, and mental health services in adolescence.
Participants were 891 public kindergarten boys and girls screened from a population of 9594 children and found to be at risk for conduct disorder. They were assigned randomly (by school) to intervention or control conditions and were followed for 12 years. Intervention lasted 10 years and included parent training, child social-cognitive skills training, reading tutoring, peer-relations enhancement, and classroom curricula and management. Service use was assessed through annual interviews of parents and youth.
Youth assigned to preventive intervention had significantly reduced use of professional general health, pediatric, and emergency department services relative to control youth on the basis of parent-report data. For control-group youth, the odds of greater use of general health services for any reason and general health services use for mental health purposes were roughly 30% higher and 56% higher, respectively. On the basis of self-report data, the intervention reduced the likelihood of outpatient mental health services among older adolescents for whom odds of services use were more than 90% higher among control-group youth. No differences were found between intervention and control youth on the use of inpatient mental health services. Statistical models controlled for key study characteristics, and potential moderation of the intervention effect was assessed.
Random assignment to the Fast Track prevention program is associated with reduced use of general health and outpatient mental health services in adolescents. Future studies should examine the mechanism of this impact and service use patterns as subjects reach young adulthood.
PEDIATRICS 12/2009; 125(1):e130-6. · 4.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study examined whether attendance and quality of participation in parent management training predicted treatment response. Data were from 445 parents (55% minority, 62% single; almost all of low socioeconomic status) who had 1st-grade children with severe conduct problems. Quality of participation in weekly parent groups was based on group leader ratings. Parent outcomes were based on interviewer ratings, behavioral observations, parent reports, and teacher ratings. Results of hierarchical linear models suggested that few family characteristics predicted attendance in this efficacy trial and that attendance was not related to changes in parenting over the year. However, several family characteristics predicted quality of participation in parent management training, and this in turn predicted changes in parental perceptions, warmth, physical punishment, and school involvement. From a clinical perspective, these findings suggest that it is not enough to get parents to attend sessions; it is also necessary to facilitate their active engagement in the therapeutic process.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 07/2009; 77(3):429-38. · 4.85 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Utilizing a diverse sample of 356 four-year-old children attending Head Start, this study examined the degree to which behavioral aspects of school readiness, including classroom participation, prosocial behavior, and aggression control were related to direct assessments of child cognitive readiness (academic knowledge, executive function skills) at the start of the prekindergarten year. Classroom participation and prosocial behavior each accounted for unique variance in cognitive readiness. Aggressive behavior, in contrast, was not correlated with academic knowledge, and was associated with low levels of executive function skills. In multiple regressions, aggressive behavior paradoxically enhanced the prediction of child cognitive readiness. Profile analyses strengthened the conclusion that the promotion of competencies associated with classroom participation and prosocial behavior may be particularly critical to cognitive readiness in prekindergarten. Implications are discussed for developmental models of school readiness and preschool classroom practice.
Review of Social Development 04/2009; 18(2):305 - 323. · 1.56 Impact Factor
