Beyond traditional training approaches, equine assisted learning (EAL) is an experiential learning method in which participants interact and conduct exercises with horses, which fosters a unique environment conducive to personal and professional development. Theorised benefits include increased self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication…

T he author considers adult doll play as therapeutic intervention by examining how the physical properties of reborn dolls and also sex dolls provide comfort and establish needs met through care giving. She discusses dolls providing a sense of personal identity through narrative play, community, and retail therapy, and she describes the…

Purpose: Follow-up studies of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in early childhood that focus on friendship formation during adolescence are scarce. The present study focused on exploring characteristics possibly related to the ability to establish friendships during adolescence among children diagnosed with ASD in…

Purpose: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is associated with visual impairment and negative effects on patients' abilities and independence in their life. This study aims at exploring the process of self-empowerment among individuals with RP. Method: This study was conducted using a grounded theory design. Participants were RP-afflicted individuals.…

Information sampling about others' trustworthiness prior to cooperation allows humans to minimize the risk of exploitation. Here, we examined whether early adolescence or preadolescence, a stage defined as in between childhood and adolescence, is a significant developmental period for strategic social decisions. We also sought to characterize…

This exploratory study examined psychosocial correlates of bullying within a sample of American Muslim youth between the ages of 12 and 18 (n = 86; M[subscript age] = 13.47, SD[subscript age] = 1.62; 64% female). Hierarchical regressions were used to examine the associations between atypicality, hyperactivity, somatization, social stress, and…

Creative arts and performance courses at the community level for mature age individuals. Theatre and drama as education and as therapy. This article charts and reflects on several ACE arts-based courses and community theatre productions that have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the professional experiences of the teacher. Change for…

This paper highlights a (2022) study conducted in a Canadian school division with middle school teachers. The purpose of this study was to learn what middle school teachers did to positively connect with their students. Due to COVID-related concerns, four participants were interviewed individually via zoom and asked to share strategies that they…

In most Japanese preschools, children are involved in setting up lunches as monitors' activities. The current study conducted six-month long naturalistic observations of lunch monitors' activities in a nursery school in Tokyo. Ten five-year-old children were included in the analysis. By engaging in the activities with their peers, the lunch…

The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the contributions of social, academic, and psychological characteristics of peer groups to individual development in the same and different domains in Chinese children. Participants included 1,864 elementary school students (945 boys, M[subscript age] = 11 years) in China. One-year…

Interventions that build compassion for others may help increase social connectivity, combat loneliness, and promote positive adjustment in youth. However, limited research has examined the effects of this type of intervention on youth well-being. The goal of this small open pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes…

Worldwide trends suggest we are witnessing a global "campus mental health crisis" (Andersen, Holm, & Côté, 2021). According to the most recent US National College Health Assessment, over the course of a typical month, 29% of students chronically experience high levels of stress, 42% experience stress that negatively impacts their…

Socially anxious adolescents often endure anxiety-provoking situations using "safety behaviors": strategies for minimizing in-the-moment distress (e.g., avoiding eye contact, rehearsing statements before entering a conversation). Studies linking safety behaviors to impaired functioning have largely focused on adults. In a sample of 134…

Although evidence has suggested that social skills interventions yield social and symptom benefits for autistic children, significant variability in outcomes between studies has raised important questions regarding efficacy and moderators of intervention outcomes (i.e., which interventions yield positive effects and which autistic children are…

The mindset is a crucial factor influencing the behavior of individuals. This study aims to evaluate the growth mindset of 10- and 15-year-old adolescents and the relationship between their mindsets and social and emotional skills from the viewpoints of students, parents, and teachers, using OECD's SSES 2019 data from Suzhou City. The research…