Browsing by Author "Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A."

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    The influence of temperament and sex on inhibitory control games: reward strategies
    (2024) Caffarena-Barcenilla, Carolina; Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A.
    Early childhood is a key period for the development of self-regulation skills. Inhibitory control is one of the self-regulation skills that are necessary in academic and social contexts to achieve better results. Studies have shown that older children's inhibitory control improves when a reward is presented. However, types of rewards and individual differences have never been fully investigated in a controlled situation. 149 children aged 4 to 5 years from a low socioeconomical background were assessed to measure inhibitory control (IC) in two different conditions embedded in a tablet game: IC with a predictive reward and IC with a non-predictive reward. Additionally, a measure reported by parents on their children's temperament was analysed. Results showed that (1) inhibition was higher in the predictive condition, (2) girls performed better than boys in both inhibition games, and (3) boys, whose temperament is characterised by a higher level of sociability had a better performance in the non-predictive reward condition. Moreover, boys whose temperament is characterised by a high energy level have poorer performance in the same task. In educational terms, having more background in the subject of rewards can allow more appropriate planning according to the objective, temperament characteristics and sex of the children.
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    The KiVa antibullying program in primary schools in Chile, with and without the digital game component: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
    (2017) Gaete, Jorge.; Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A.; Valenzuela Carvallo, Eduardo; Valenzuela, Daniela.; Araya, Ricardo.; Salmivalli, Christina.
    Abstract Background Bullying is a major problem worldwide and Chile is no exception. Bullying is defined as a systematic aggressive behavior against a victim who cannot defend him or herself. Victims suffer social isolation and psychological maladjustment, while bullies have a higher risk for conduct problems and substance use disorders. These problems appear to last over time. The KiVa antibullying program has been evaluated in Finland and other European countries, showing preventive effects on victimization and self-reported bullying. The aims of this study are (1) to develop a culturally appropriate version of the KiVa material and (2) to test the effectiveness of the KiVa program, with and without the online game, on reducing experiences of victimization and bullying behavior among vulnerable primary schools in Santiago (Chile), using a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) design with three arms: (1) full KiVa program group, (2) partial KiVa (without online game) program group and (3) control group. Methods and design This is a three-arm, single-blind, cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a target enrolment of 1495 4th and 5th graders attending 13 vulnerable schools per arm. Students in the full and partial KiVa groups will receive universal actions: ten 2-h lessons delivered by trained teachers during 1 year; they will be exposed to posters encouraging them to support victims and behave constructively when witnessing bullying; and a person designated by the school authorities will be present in all school breaks and lunchtimes using a visible KiVa vest to remind everybody that they are in a KiVa school. KiVa schools also will have indicated actions, which consist of a set of discussion groups with the victims and with the bullies, with proper follow-up. Only full KiVa schools will also receive an online game which has the aim to raise awareness of the role of the group in bullying, increase empathy and promote strategies to support victimized peers. Self-reported victimization, bullying others and peer-reported bullying actions, psychological and academic functioning, and sense of school membership will be measured at baseline and 12 months after randomization. Discussion This is the first cluster RCT of the KiVa antibullying program in Latin America. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02898324 . Registered on 8 September 2016.