Results from on-going SEED Studies

 

Submission type

Symposium

Scheduled

Room 120, 11-07-2019, 09:00 - 10:30

Keywords

applied research, assessment, executive functions, viusal-spatial skills, mathematics, body image, physical activity

Summary of Symposium

SEED is the first doctoral program in school psychology in German-speaking countries. Students work part-time in practice. On the other half, they work on applied research questions in the field of school psychology, development and educational counseling. In the symposium results from four research areas of the PhD program are presented, namely (1) how various developmental tests assessing the same developmental functions yield to the same result, (2) how executive functions and visual-spatial skills correlate with mathematics, (3) to which degree mathematical literacy predicts school achievement, and (4) how body image mediates the relation between physical activity and satisfaction.

Auteurs

The relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction among teens and the mediating role of body image.

Meyer, S¹, Weidmann, R¹, Grob, A^1
1University of Basel

 

Abstract ID

184-4

Submission type

Oral only

Keywords

physical activity, life satisfaction, adolescents, body image, body concerns, sports

Summary

Physical activity benefits body and mind. Despite its importance, time spent with physical activity drops, especially in adolescence. Along adolescence body image and internalizing problems become increasingly important. While previous research has shown that physical activity relates to higher life satisfaction, few studies investigate how adolescents’ body image mediates this relationship.

Using data from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, comprising 44 countries and more than 700,000 observations from 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2014, we examined the mediating role of body image, measured in weight perceptions, for the relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction.

Using multilevel mediation analyses, we found that both underweight (b = .004, 95% MCCI [.0035, .0045]) and overweight perception (b = .01, 95% MCCI [.009, .011]) partly mediate the effect of physical activity on life satisfaction in adolescents.

The results show that weight perceptions can explain a part of the relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction in adolescents. This suggests that intervention programs using physical activity to improve adolescents’ life satisfaction should focus on weight perceptions as well.

Auteurs

Mathematical Literacy: An integrative view

Holenstein, M¹, Grob, A^1
1University of Basel

 

Abstract ID

184-3

Submission type

Oral only

Keywords

mathematical literacy, academic achievement, reading comprehension, transition from primary to secondary school

Summary

Mathematical Literacy (ML), i.e. students' ability to solve realistic problems using mathematical methods, is broadly discussed and represented in todays' international educational standards. Research indicates that antecedents such as reading comprehension, calculation skills, cognitive ability, and mathematical self-concept influence students' ML. Studies so far neglect to consider these influencing factors together. We propose an integrative view when studying ML and aim to show that comprehensive antecedents, together, influence ML. We drew on a representative longitudinal sample of students from grades five to nine, i.e. the transition from primary to secondary school, and three measurement points to test for predicting effects of math grade, mathematical self-concept, reading comprehension, reasoning, and ML on later academic achievement while controlling for gender and SES. Results will be presented showing that the influence of ML on general academic achievement is comparable to that of reading comprehension when cognitive skills are considered. These findings have implications for educators and policy makers; fostering students' ML means investing in their general achievement. Further studies should widen the integrative view on ML and study implications of ML development using interventional approaches. The design and research questions for a continuative study will be presented.

Auteurs

Contributions of executive functions and visual-spatial skills to mathematical achievement across development: Insights from a large, representative sample.

Kahl, T¹, Grob, A¹, Segerer, R¹, Möhring, W^1
1University of Basel

 

Abstract ID

184-2

Submission type

Oral only

Keywords

executive functions, visual-spatial skills, mathematical achievement

Summary

Children’s success in mathematics depends on their domain-specific skills and domain-general abilities such as executive functions (EF) and visual-spatial skills (VSS). However, it remains unclear whether their contributions to mathematical achievement remain constant across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. This question was investigated using a large and representative sample of 1’766 participants aged 5-20 years. Variables were assessed using the Intelligence and Development Scales–2 (Grob & Hagmann-von Arx, 2018). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, with EF and VSS as predictor variables, and mathematical achievement as dependent variable. Age, sex, maternal education, and verbal reasoning skills served as control variables. Interaction terms with age and quadratic terms were also entered into the model. Results indicated that EF and VSS contributed distinctly to mathematical achievement (βs > .27, ps < .001). Effects of EF were linear and age-invariant (βs < .04, ps > .30). Effects of VSS were curvilinear and age-dependent (βs > .08, ps < .001). Simple slope analyses showed that the contribution of VSS to mathematical achievement was stronger in adolescents than in children. These findings highlight different relations of EF and VSS to mathematical achievement. Implications for school psychological practice such as diagnostics are discussed.

Auteurs

The assessment of developmental functions in school psychology: Do different tests targeting the same domain yield comparable results?

Bünger, A¹, Grob, A^1
1University of Basel

 

Abstract ID

184-1

Submission type

Oral only

Keywords

assessment, intelligence, executive functions, motor skills

Summary

To understand a child or adolescent’s needs and potential, psychologists often assess various developmental domains such as socio-emotional, psychomotor and cognitive skills. For this purpose, diagnosticians have a variety of different test procedures at their disposal. In general, diagnosticians can decide which test procedures to use, while it is assumed that comparable results can be achieved with different tests targeting the same developmental domain. However, little evidence exists whether this assumption holds empirically. Previous studies showed important correlations between tests measuring the same domain. Yet, less is known about the comparability on individual level (whether one person achieves comparable results in different tests targeting the same domain). Therefore, we investigated, whether individual-level comparability is given for different measurement methods of intelligence, executive functions (EF), attention, and motor skills. Regarding intelligence, we examined whether one person reaches equivalent IQs with seven current German tests. For EF, attention, and motor skills we explored whether performance-based measures and parent questionnaires yield comparable results. Results indicate that regarding motor skills, comparable results can be expected when applying different measurement methods, whereas this is not entirely the case for intelligence, EF, and attention. Implications for assessments and counseling in school psychology settings are discussed.

Auteurs