Positive Attitude Upper Middle School social and emotional learning program: influences of implementation quality on program outcome.

Introduction: There is an increased call for studies analyzing how implementation quality influences Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program effectiveness. Methods: The current dissemination study analyzed the effectiveness of the Positive Attitude Upper Middle School SEL program on a Portuguese nationwide sample composed of 813 middle school students (7th and 8th grade; 51.7% boys; Mage = 12.41, S.D. = 1.06), from 36 classrooms (Mclassroom = 22.58; S.D. = 2.86), distributed between the control group (179 students), and three intervention groups (643 students) that reflected low, middle, and high implementer experience (respectively, Gulbenkian Academies of Knowledge, Positive Attitude Cadaval and Positive Attitude Torres Vedras). Dosage and fidelity (as implementation quality dimensions), gender, and classroom size (as individual and classroom-level variables) were also analyzed. Self-report questionnaires were administered pre- and post-intervention and at a 6-month follow-up. Results: Multilevel models were employed, and results showed that participating in the PAUMS SEL program led to more positive trajectories in self-control, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making when compared with control groups. Regarding implementation quality, only the implementer's experience impacted the effectiveness of the PAUMS SEL program; students in the Gulbenkian Academies of Knowledge intervention group displayed a less positive trajectory in self-control than students in the Positive Attitude Torres Vedras intervention group. Discussion: Altogether, results showed that the PAUMS SEL program is ready for dissemination in Portugal, although a higher level of implementer experience is needed to achieve the best effectiveness, and they support the importance of analyzing implementer experience in SEL programs' effectiveness studies.

Differential effectiveness of an elementary school social and emotional learning program during middle school transition in Portugal.

This study analyzed the effectiveness of an elementary school Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program during middle school transition in Portugal, and the influence of gender, classroom size and student's perception of two school climate dimensions (student-student relationships and teacher-student relationships) upon its effectiveness. One-thousand-sixty-three students (M age = 9.14; SD = 0.64; 51.2% were boys) participated: 702 in the intervention group and 361 in the control group, assessed at pretest, post-test, and follow-up 10 months later (after middle school transition). Multilevel analyses identified that the program was effective in enhancing social awareness, self-control, and self-esteem, even after middle school transition. Results also showed that there no differential gains by gender, and that intervention group students who had more positive perceptions of student-student relationships and teacher-student relationships displayed more positive trajectories in self-esteem. Students from smaller fourth-grade classrooms displayed lower social awareness than students from larger fourth-grade classrooms, but a more positive trajectory in that competence than students from medium and larger fourth-grade classrooms. This study highlights the importance of analyzing the differential effectiveness of SEL programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

A Multilevel Analysis of the Importance of School Climate for the Trajectories of Students' Self-concept and Self-esteem Throughout the Middle School Transition.

Understanding which environmental factors influence the trajectory of self-concept and self-esteem during middle school transition may help schools better support students during this period. This short longitudinal study examined the influence of students' perceptions of school climate upon the trajectory of students' self-concept and self-esteem during middle school transition. Students in 25 classes from four schools (N = 404; Mage = 9.40, SD = 0.67) completed self-report measures of self-concept and self-esteem at four time points: twice before (fourth grade) and twice after middle school transition (fifth grade). The results showed that students with more positive perceptions of school climate in the beginning of fifth grade displayed more positive trajectories in self-concept and self-esteem. Students from larger fourth grade classes had more positive trajectories of social self-concept compared to those from smaller classes. The findings highlight the importance of school climate in the development of self-concept and self-esteem during middle school transition.

Portuguese Psychology: Placing the Professional Practice and Training in a Global Context / Psicología Portuguesa: Situando la Práctica Profesional y la Formación en un Contexto Global

Presently, the profession of psychologists has evolved greatly since the first psychology degree was created in 80's; however, in Portugal studies concerning the profession of psychologists are scarce. So there is a need to describe the situation of psychologists in Portugal, as well as to predict and comparing it with other countries in order to influence political and professional decisions regarding the practice. In this study official data from Government sources and from the professional national association (Order of Portuguese Psychologist) was collected. The sample consisted of 14140 psychologists, 85% females, and average age was 39. The results showed a great expansion both in academic and professional numbers: there are psychologists working in a wide spread of areas and locations.

En la actualidad, la profesión de psicólogo ha evolucionado mucho desde que ha sido creado el primer grado universitario de psicología en los años 80. Pero, sin embargo, en Portugal los estudios relativos a la profesión de psicólogos son reducidos. Entonces, es necesario describir la situación de los psicólogos en Portugal, así como compararla con otros países para influir en las decisiones políticas y profesionales relativas a la práctica. En este estudio se recogieron datos oficiales de fuentes gubernamentales y de la asociación profesional nacional. La muestra consistió en 14.140 psicólogos, 85% mujeres, y la edad media fue de 39 años. Los resultados mostraron una gran expansión tanto en el ámbito académico como profesional: hay psicólogos que trabajan en una amplia gama de áreas y lugares.

Molecular evidence of polyandry in the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).

The occurrence of polyandry in Planococcuscitri, presumed by earlier observations of mating behavior, was confirmed using microsatellite genotyping of pools of over 400 eggs resulting from controlled crosses of one female with two males. The genetic contribution of both mated males was confirmed in 13 out of 43 crosses. In three crosses it was possible to determine that only the first male fertilized the eggs, which may be due to sperm competition or unviable sperm supply. The microsatellite analysis also allowed the confirmation of aspects of the chromosomal inheritance detected previously in cytogenetic studies in Planococcuscitri, namely that only one of the alleles is transmitted by the male, indicating that the males are functionally haploid, supporting the observation of Paternal Genome Elimination (PGE) in these insects.