This two-wave longitudinal study investigated the relationships between belief in others (i.e., teacher support, peer support, and family coherence) and social anxiety symptoms among rural adolescents, with self-esteem as a mediator and gender as a moderator. A total of 3,043 adolescents participated in the study across two waves. Results from…

Pakistan's evolution into a research-centric nation, recognized by Clarivate Analytics, suggests a transition towards a knowledge-based economy. However, the prevalence of academic dishonesty within Pakistan's academic institutions raises concerns, potentially impeding the realization of its intellectual prowess. This research therefore examines…

The present study aimed to test if perceived pubertal timing was related to marijuana and alcohol use through deviant peer affiliation. Additionally, we examined if the deviant peer pathway was moderated by impulsiveness, gender, or both. Data were collected from 342 youth, most of whom had a family history of substance use disorder. Youth…

There are serious concerns about mental health on college campuses. Depression negatively impacts college student success. Women and transgender/gender-nonconforming students suffer from depression at higher rates than men. While undergraduate research is a high-impact practice, we know little about how depression affects outcomes among…

Background: Relationships exist between perceived peer and own use of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco, particularly when peers and participants are sex-matched. We investigated sex influences on social norms effects for college students' non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU). Methods: N = 1986 college students reported on their perceptions of…

Problem solving is an important cognitive skill that children use to plan and navigate various developmental and social tasks. Although previous research was theory-grounded and systematic, to our knowledge, no research has observed and documented children's problem solving as a primary objective in naturalistic developmental contexts, such as…

A primary goal of this study was to examine adolescents' use of the most commonly used social media apps in the United States. An additional goal was to examine the relationship between social media use and adolescent externalizing behaviors. The moderating influences of gender and race/ethnicity also were assessed. The sample included 1,072…

Effective interpersonal relationships and communication with community members necessitate the development of appropriate social skills. The theory underpinning the study was the Inoculation Theory. This study investigated the predictive influence of resistance to peer influence, self-esteem, and gender on social skills development among…

Little research has examined mechanisms driving cannabis use disparities among sexual minority (SM; versus heterosexual) young adults (YAs). Participants were US YA women (N = 1345; 24.8% bisexual, 6.1% lesbian) and men (N = 998: 8.9% bisexual, 13.8% gay). Bivariate analyses examined associations between sexual orientation (heterosexual,…

This study investigated whether teacher candidates' perceived social support (PSS) predicts smartphone use during lectures. To achieve the aim of the study, a relational survey model was used. The study sample composed of students studying at the College of Education in Elazig Province, Turkey, during the 2019-2020 academic semester. The…

Child physical activity (PA) is influenced by social environment. Self-perception and perception of others' behaviors may impact health behaviors such as PA. This study examines associations between child networks, perception of their own PA and the network's perception of their PA. Children (n = 89, M age = 10.00, SD = 1.34) at a summer care…

Teen dating violence (TDV) and school violence (SV) are two major social problems in adolescence. Until recently, the antecedents of both TDV and SV have been analyzed largely independently of each other. This study analyses and compares the determinants of both TDV and SV, with a focus on physical violence. Based on a comprehensive survey of…

According to Egan and Perry's (2001) multidimensional model of gender identity, gender typicality should be positively related to, and feeling pressure to conform to gender norms should be negatively related to, well-being. In a cross-sectional study of 6- to 11-year-old girls (N = 120), measures of gender typicality (i.e., gender similarity),…

The aim of the study was to test the relationship between experiences of being bullied, cyberbullied, and mental health difficulties, and whether these relationships are moderated by perceived social support and gender. Data were collected from 3737 year 8 pupils (aged 12 and 13 years; 50.1% male) using an online questionnaire. Measures of…

This study assessed the prevalence of verbally being put down by others and intrapersonal and normative factors associated with being put down by others among middle and high school students. Students (N = 1,027) completed the Adolescent Health Risk Behavior Survey. Over 16% of participants reported being put down at school. Students who…