Measurement Invariance of the Children's Social Desirability Scale-Short Version (CSD-S) Across Gender, Grade Level, and Race/Ethnicity.

Social desirability bias is a methodological challenge with participant self-reports. Social desirability measures are often used to control the potential effects of social desirability bias on participant self-reports, but whether these measures are interpreted similarly across different demographic groups remains unclear. This study examines the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Children's Social Desirability Scale-Short version (CSD-S) across gender, grade level, and race/ethnicity with a large sample of children and adolescents in the United States. Results indicate a close fit to a one-factor model. Tests of measurement invariance show partial strong invariance across gender (male vs. female) and grade level (elementary vs. middle vs. high schoolers) as well as strong invariance across race/ethnicity (Asian vs. Black/African American vs. Hispanic/Latine vs. White vs. Bi/Multiracial). Latent mean differences were found across grade level and race/ethnicity but not gender, with lower grades reporting higher social desirability than upper grades and Bi/Multiracials reporting lower social desirability than Asians and Hispanics/Latines. Findings provide preliminary evidence for the use of CSD-S in detecting social desirability bias and assessing meaningful social desirability differences in diverse children and adolescents.

The Development of Cognitive Reappraisal From Early Childhood Through Adolescence: A Systematic Review and Methodological Recommendations.

Cognitive reappraisal is an important emotion regulation strategy that shows considerable developmental change in its use and effectiveness. This paper presents a systematic review of the evidence base regarding the development of cognitive reappraisal from early childhood through adolescence and provides methodological recommendations for future research. We searched Scopus, PsycINFO, and ERIC for empirical papers measuring cognitive reappraisal in normative samples of children and youth between the ages of 3 and 18 years published in peer-reviewed journals through August 9th, 2018. We identified 118 studies that met our inclusion criteria. We first present a quantitative review of the methodologies used to investigate cognitive reappraisal in children and adolescents, with attention to variations in methodologies by the sample age range. We then present a qualitative review of findings with attention to: (1) the age at which children begin to effectively use cognitive reappraisal to regulate their emotions, and (2) developmental changes in cognitive reappraisal from early childhood through adolescence. We consider how methodological differences may contribute to inconsistencies in findings, highlight gaps in the literature that remain to be addressed, and make recommendations for future directions.

Evaluating Behavioral Health Interventions for Military-Connected Youth: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Military-connected youth are at increased risk for experiencing distinct psychosocial and behavioral health vulnerabilities. Although behavioral health interventions have been developed to treat vulnerabilities in military-connected youth, little is known about the methodological quality of studies evaluating these interventions. In this study, a systematic review of behavioral health interventions for military-connected youth was conducted to examine methodological quality and treatment outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic databases were systematically searched for studies evaluating behavioral health interventions for military-connected youth which yielded 3,324 citations. Methodological quality was evaluated by 2 researchers with 3 measures that assessed scientific rigor, transparency, external and internal validity, and power for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method trials. Interrater reliability was strong (κ = 0.81). Sample characteristics and treatment outcomes were also assessed. RESULTS: Fourteen studies meeting full inclusion criteria evaluated 10 behavioral health interventions. Methodological quality scores for all studies were poor to fair, with limitations in reporting, external and internal validity, and power. Research designs were predominantly nonexperimental. Treatment effects for both psychosocial and behavioral health outcomes were consistently positive for all studies. In studies reporting effect sizes, treatment effects were small to moderate (d = 0.01-0.42, odds ratio = 0.04-0.47, b = -0.02-0.56). Demographic and military characteristics of samples were inconsistently reported. CONCLUSION: Behavioral health interventions for military-connected youth have noteworthy methodological limitations, indicating a need to employ more rigorous research strategies. Positive treatment outcomes, however, suggest promising interventions for improving psychosocial and behavioral health problems in military-connected youth. Future research directions and implications for clinical-community practice are also discussed.

Life Satisfaction and Academic Performance in Early Adolescents: Evidence for Reciprocal Association.

Student subjective well-being remains a relatively neglected topic despite its intimate link to positive school outcomes. As academic achievement is a widely used yardstick of student success and school accountability, school-based mental health research and practice have focused primarily on the assessment and treatment of learning and behavioral problems. This short-term longitudinal study sought to establish the role of student subjective well-being, specifically, global life satisfaction (LS), in academic achievement. Based on the engine model of well-being (Jayawickreme, Forgeard, & Seligman, 2012), the study focused on LS as a process variable and academic performance as an outcome variable and vice versa. Using two waves (five months apart) of data, the study examined the reciprocal relations between LS and academic achievement, and how the relations may be shaped by positive and negative affective experiences in school, in a sample of 821 middle school students. Results revealed positive reciprocal causal relations between students' LS and grades, even when demographic covariates, school-based positive and negative affect, and baseline values of the criterion variables were controlled. This study provides empirical support that LS does not undermine academic achievement (or vice versa), but rather it is synergistic with better school grades. Furthermore, the relations between students' LS and grades were not moderated by negative or positive affective experiences in school. These findings suggest that student LS should occupy a more prominent niche in the school agenda.