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Project PEERSolvers aims at establishing a valid, evidence-based approach to building young people’s capacities for collaborative problem-solving (CPS). Specifically, the Project’s goal is to design and test an innovative training program based on the PEER model, i.e., targeting four elements of effective CPS: Personality, Exchange in dialogue, Emotional Intelligence, and Resources. In this paper, we outline the methodological framework for achieving this goal. Overall, the Project will employ a mixed-methods approach and include 600 participants. In the first phase, our objective is to develop a PEER model-based training for adolescents based on data about individual and group-level factors of (un)productive peer interaction; personal themes through which these factors appear in CPS; and adolescents’ past experiences with and attitudes towards CPS. These data will be collected in two qualitative studies, via individual interviews with participants and observations of their spontaneous behavior during CPS. In the second phase, our objective is to implement the PEER model-based training and test it in two intervention studies. The first study will examine the training’s effects on two group-level variables: quality of interaction during CPS; and quality of the solution to the presented real-world (complex) problems. Also, we will use the data from this study to make final adjustments to the PEER model-based training. The second intervention study will test the effects of the final version of the training on two individual-level variables: scientific and civic problem-solving competencies; and participants’ subjective experience of CPS. Both intervention studies will use an experimental design with repeated measures (pretest-training-posttest). The experimental group will receive the PEER model-based training and have the opportunity to practice CPS in triads with an experienced instructor providing scaffolding and digital media as resources; the control group will also be engaged in CPS but will not receive any training or scaffolding. The above described implementation of the PEER model should yield major insights into the possibility of developing adolescents’ capacities for CPS and using it to promote their individual competencies.

Supportive, warm, and psychologically stimulative interactions between caregivers and children are very important factors of the child’s development and represent an indicator of care quality. However, there are no direct or self-reported instruments for estimating the quality of early childhood stimulation in Serbia. This research aims to (1) determine psychometric and descriptive properties of the constructed instrument, and (2) investigate the correlation between the frequency of these activities, socioeconomic status, and the developmental status of the child. Based on the Early Learning and Developmental Standards for children in Serbia, the Inventory of Stimulative Activities for Child Development (ISCAD) was constructed. The obtained results indicate good psychometric characteristics of the new instrument. A significant correlation with the developmental status of the child is observed. No significant correlations were found with the mother’s education or economic status.

The aim of the research was to assess psychometric characteristics of the Early Development Standards Scale, constructed to identify children at risk or with developmental delay. Based on the Early Development Standards (Baucal et al., 2012), eight scales were constructed, covering ages from 1 to 60 months. In total, 1388 parents from Serbia participated. Relatively high mean scores were obtained at all ages. The instrument has good metric characteristics. The results of Rasch analysis showed that the scale is a reliable instrument (reliability for respondents is about 0.8 and for items 0.98), it measures one phenomenon (outcomes in early childhood development) and it has a small number of items with poor metric characteristics. There are significant correlations between scores on the Early Development Standards Scale and Ages & Stages Questionnaires across all ages. Gender differences were obtained at 9-12 months, 14-18 months and 30-36 months, indicating higher scores for girls.

The capacity of parents to create learning opportunities and stimulate the development of a child is now considered as one of the key factors of care quality. The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which parents of children in Serbia support and stimulate their development through everyday activities. The total sample consisted of 1388 parents of children aged 2 to 60 months. Parents' encouragement scale was designed for 8 ages (from 2 to 60 months) based on the Early Learning and Developmental Standards (Baucal et al., 2012), precisely based on the content of the items. Questions have been formulated about how many parents, or other adults taking care of the child, engage with the child in interaction in their daily activities, or in certain activities that are assumed to be developmentaly stimulating. The reliability of these scales, expressed by Kronbach's alpha coefficient was from 0.77, which is considered to be an acceptable value, up to 0.97 which is considered to be an excellent indicator of the reliability of the instrument. The minimum score on the Parents' encouragement scale was 0.96, and the maximum 5. The mean (M) was relatively high and was 4.10 (SD = 0.55) for the total sample. The mean was the lowest when it comes to the age of 14 months (M = 3.76, SD = 0.40), 18 months (M = 3.76, SD = 0.46), 48 months (M = 3.76, SD = 0.50) and 60 months M = 3.76, SD = 0.42). Individual items with lower means were: "How often have you checked the picture books with the baby in the last 15 days"; "How often have you, in the past 15 days, shown the baby what kind of sounds are common household items (spoons, mugs, etc.) and allowed the baby to study, cuddle or shake" (at the age of 6 months) and "How often are you in for the last 15 days, has encouraged the child to use crayons and wrap around paper" (at the age of 10 to 14 months) and playing roles at the age of 12 to 18 months. The highest means were obtained at 4 months (M = 4.65, SD = 0.34) and 2 months of age (M = 4.44, SD = 0.42). The distribution being curved towards higher scores is probably due to the characteristics of the sample itself, since it was relatively high number of parents with a high education, which is probably reflected in the way they support the early development of children. However, there was no correlation with parents' education and socioeconomic status. About 14% of the children surveyed were below one standard deviation compared to the mean, while under 2 standard deviations were only 2.5% of the respondents. The obtained data indicate a relatively small number of children living in nonstimulative environment, although one should not ignore the fact that every fourteenth child is in the enviroment in which adults could support their development in a better way.

It is scientifically proven that developmental screening improves care quality of an infant in early childhood (Macy, 2012). The aim of this research was to identify the number of children in Serbia who are developing typicaly, the number of children who need monitoring and the number of children who need further referral to the assessment. The total sample consisted of 1388 parents of children from 2 to 60 months. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire was used. The questionnaire covers 13 ages - from 2 months to 60 months, and each describes the skills in the following domains: communications, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal/ social abilities. Each domain consists of six activities. For each activity, the parent assessed whether the child is performing regularly (10 points), sometimes (5 points) or not yet (0 points). The child's profile is obtained by summarizing points for each domain. Total number of points in each domain, indicates the typical development, the need for monitoring or the need for further referral to the assessment. The results obtained in the communication domain showed that 8.45% of the children in the total sample are those who need monitoring, while 4.95% of the children belong to the group that needs further referral. The highest percentage of children who need further monitoring in the communication domain was at the age of 24 months, where there are activities related to showing and naming objects in the environment, responding to simple tasks and using pronouns, while the highest percentage of children who need referral to was at the age of 2 months. In the domain of gross motor, 9.8% of children have need for monitoring, while 4.87% of children have need for further referral. The highest percentages of children who need monitoring were at the age of 6 months (17%), 30 months (15.4%) and 48 months (16.5%). In the domain of fine motor, 12.78% of children have a need for monitoring, and 4.68% of children have a need for further referral. The highest percentage of children who need monitoring was at the age of 24 months (17%), where there are activities such as stringing of pearls or macaroni on the rope, which is a potential activity that does not have every child in the experience, and at the age of 30 months (18.4%), where activities are related to drawing and pulling lines with a pen. When it comes to problem solving, 11.78% of children belong to the monitoring group, and 4.65% of children in the group for further referral. Finally, in the domain of personal/social abilities, 11.52% of children have a need for monitoring, and 4.35% have the need for further referral. The highest percentage of children in the monitoring group was at the age of 30 months, where there are activities related to independence - feeding, dressing, etc. According to the obtained results, the guidelines for strengthening the capacities of parents to encourage child development in these domains were discussed.

From the perspective of the attachment theory, which is the theoretical framework of this research, the early childhood educator is distinguished as a significant figure, who can provide the children with support for research, protection and comfort in this stress situation. Therefore, this paper focuses on exploring the attachment behaviors of children in adapting to kindergarten, and their gender and age differences. An Attachment Style Checklist was used to assess the attachment behaviors in the preschool environment through four dimensions, fulfilled by 160 early childhood educators who rated the behavior of 408 children aged 1 to 6 years during their adaptation period. Statistical analyses revealed that 246 children exhibit patterns of secure attachment and positive emotional states ; 288 children show positive behaviors and 220 children show adequate play and interaction with peers. In other words, the estimates of the largest number of children (ranging from 220 to 288) point to secure forms of attachment. Assessment of gender and age-related attachment behaviors showed that there is no significant correlation between the focus variable and the age of children, and that there are significant gender differences in the dimensions of attachment and behavior of children. The boys are rated as those who have significantly more unsecure attachment than girls did, and the girls were rated as those with significantly more negative behavior than the boys did. The findings indicate significant implications for improving the work of educators during the adaptation of children to kindergarten.

C-board is a web Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) application meant for persons not able to effectively use speech or writing. Adapted to the Serbian language, it is available in open access and is recommended for the promotion of communication, education, and inclusion of children with complex communication disabilities in regular school. This qualitative exploratory study is a formative evaluation of the C-board implementation with special attention to transfer to educational institutions. A semistructured focus group discussion included a moderator, notetaker, and 6 practitioners working with the C-board: special education teachers, professional associates, and language therapists. The participants discussed their viewpoints, barriers, and facilitators regarding the C-board use, and educators’ involvement in the partnership. The data were analyzed by inductive content analysis. The research suggests that partnership is the major obstacle to developing adequate support in the educational context. The findings reveal that educators’ involvement is dependent on several groups of determinants: a. parent-related factors b. educator-related factors, c. partnership in process management, and d. institutional support.

This work focused on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on youth’s significant relationships. It was a part of a broader qualitative study of young people’s narratives (administered online) about their experiences during the first year of the pandemic. The coding scheme was developed on the initial sample of 70 narratives, while 41 of those narratives containing codes about relationships (family, friends, romantic partners, community) were chosen for thematic analysis. Seven major themes were extracted: 1. Quality time with family; 2. Tensions between household members; 3. Missing close friends; 4. Missing social life; 5. Re-evaluating the role of others; 6. Benefits of romantic relations; 7. Connecting with the community. Participants noticed that their relationships with family members, peers, romantic partners and communities were different. Some of these changes were seen as positive (more time together, closeness, sense of belonging and shared experiences), while others were regarded as unfavorable or detrimental (physical and emotional distancing from peers, missing out). The pandemic significantly affected young peoples’ quality of contact with others. The results imply that relational functioning should be assessed during a time of crisis, when it could be even more important than in regular circumstances, as a resource or an additional challenge. M 33

is study aimed to investigate whether the relations of the Dark Triad (above the basic personality traits) with life satisfaction and negative emotional states (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) differ across sex. Data were collected on a sample of 650 students (60% females, Mage = 21.73 years ; SDage = 1.94) from various faculties of the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that gender and the Big Five traits explained 13% of the variance of life satisfaction, 29% of the variance of depression, 31% of the variance of anxiety, and 37% of the variance of stress in the first step. The Dark Triad explained an additional 1% of the variance of only stress, with psychopathy being the only significant predictor among the dark traits. The interaction of gender and the dark traits significantly contributed only to the explanation of life satisfaction, with narcissism moderating the relations between life satisfaction and the Dark Triad. Taken together, the results point to the importance of both basic and dark traits in predicting life satisfaction and negative emotional states, and the importance of taking gender differences in these relations into account.

as criteria for our judgements, and decision making. The goal of the study is to identify types of preservice preschool and class teachers, according to their values, through secondary analyses of previously obtained data. The study (N-232) applies PVQ (Portrait Value Questionnaire)-57, measuring the 19 values of the Schwartz refined theory. A four-cluster solution was accepted, and the obtained clusters were placed on the adaptive-maladaptive continuum, starting from Selftranscendent cluster with socially focused members, respecting highly the welfare of others, compliance with norms and smooth functioning in social realm. Uncritical&Respect-seeking cluster tends to rate higher variety of values, with value Face standing out. Self- Enhancing cluster distinguishes by higher appreciation of Self-enhancement values, such as achievement and power. Members can be interested for the success of their students, but opt for dominance and prefer self-indulging. Indifferent cluster was placed closer to the maladaptive pole, due to lower appreciation of nature protection and equality, justice and protection for all people, and risk of being unmotivated. Zbornik radova: XXVIII naučni skup Empirijska istraživanja u psihologiji 31. mart-3.april 2022

Emotional climate refers to predominant and relatively stable collective emotions generated through the social interaction of a social group’s members in a particular milieu. This study aims to compare how prisoners and prison officers perceive the feelings of their group members in the situation constructed by the same organisation – prison. Data were collected on a convenience sample of prisoners and prison officers in Croatia. The Emotional Climate Scale assessed the perception of the emotional climate. While there was a statistically significant effect of status (prisoner vs prison officers) on dimensions of emotional climate, the main effects of gender and time spent in prison/ service and those variables’ interactions were not significant. Prisoners perceived more negative and less positive emotions and more negative emotional balance in their group than prison officers. Generally, both prisoners and prison officers perceived the emotional climate in their groups as more negative than positive. The promotion of a positive emotional climate is needed for adaptive coping within a prison, psychological well-being, and resilience among prisoners and prison officers

The aim of this research was to offer and explore psychometric characteristics of the short form of Subtypes of Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire (s-SABQ). Data were collected online, on a convenience sample of 180 adults in Croatia (Mage = 26.33, SD = 6.75, 76% female). Apart from items selected from the original SABQ, measures of the Dark Tetrad traits, Honesty-Humility, and COVID-19 protective measures for assessing construct and criterion validity were administered. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the optimal solution was the original three-factor solution: physical aggression, social aggression, and rule-breaking (Cronbach’s alphas were .68, .67 and .58, respectively). The results of Item Response Theory analysis showed that all items had high discrimination parameters and items from the rule-breaking subscale were the most difficult. Physical and social aggression scales correlated positively with all four Dark Tetrad traits (ranging from .20 to .57, p < .01), while all three s-SABQ subscales correlated negatively with Honesty-Humility (ranging from -.16 to -.34, p < .05) and only rule-breaking subscale correlated negatively with COVID-19 protective behaviors (r = -.16, p < .05). These preliminary results support good psychometric properties of the s-SABQ and its use as a screening instrument for antisocial behavior.

One of the key features of the Dark Tetrad traits (i.e. Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and sadism) is low empathy, and there is evidence that empathy mediates sex differences in the Dark Triad traits. The aim of this research was to further examine the mediating role of different types of empathy in explaining sex differences in the Dark Tetrad traits. Data was collected online as a part of a larger research project, on a convenience sample of 144 students (age: M= 22.18, SD= 2.26, 43% male). The Dark Tetrad was measured using Short Dark Triad (αs range from .66 to .80) and The Assessment of Sadistic Personality (α = .85), while empathy was measured using a relatively novel measure –Affective and Cognitive Measure of Empathy assessing cognitive empathy (α = .89), affective resonance (i.e. compassion ; α = .84) and affective dissonance (i.e. the experience of a contradictory emotional responses –e.g. feeling annoyed with others’ happiness ; α = .86). At the level of bivariate relationships, male sex was significantly associated with lower affective empathy, namely resonance (r= -.27, p= .001), and dissonance (r= -.36, p< .001), and with higher levels of Machiavellianism (r= .19, p= .022), psychopathy (r= .21, p= .013), and sadism (r= .32, p< .001). In order to account for shared variance between the dark traits (as well as between different types of empathy), mediation was examined using single model path analysis, where all four dark traits were simultaneously treated as outcome variables, and all three types of empathy as mediators in the relationship between sex and the dark traits. Sex and three types of empathy explained 10.8% of narcissism variance, 26.4% of Machiavellianism variance, 42.0% of psychopathy variance, and 70.6% of sadism variance. Dissonance was significant mediator of sex differences in Machiavellianism (b= 0.23, z= 3.21, p= .001), as well as in sadism (b= 0.34, z= 3.95, p< .001). Sex differences in psychopathy were mediated by both resonance (b= 0.11, z= 2.52, p= .012), and by dissonance (b= 0.16, z= 2.70, p= .007). Albeit obtained on a relatively small sample, these results further clarify sex differences in Dark Tetrad traits in terms of sex differences in empathy, highlighting specificities of each of these traits which are discussed.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of the Dark Triad traits (i.e. Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy) with the positive and negative affective traits and their descriptors. Data was collected online on a total of 880 participants (age: M= 24.23, SD= 6.52, 176 male) via Short Dark Triad and PANAS scales. Bivariate correlations showed that narcissism was positively correlated with all positive affect descriptors, while Machiavellianism and psychopathy were negatively correlated with only some of them. Psychopathy was positively correlated with most negative affect descriptors, and the other two dark traits only with some of them (narcissism negatively and Machiavellianism positively). Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that positive and negative affect descriptors explained 26.4% of variance for narcissism, 16.8% for psychopathy and 12.3% for Machiavellianism, over and above sex and age. Moreover, dark traits differed in patterns of the predictive values of positive and negative affect descriptors. In sum, obtained results reflect theoretically meaningful relations between the affectivity and Dark Triad, but also highlight affective specificities of each of the Dark Triad traits.

Modern dual-processing models propose that multiple Type 1 processes run simultaneously. When two or more processes generate different responses, conflict may be detected and, if so, needs to be resolved. We aimed to investigate the effects of conflict between highly automated visual cognition processes, namely object differentiation (counting) and grouping. In a within-subject design, participants (N = 55) were shown images of ungrouped (equidistant) or grouped circles after which a number cue was presented. Their task was to decide whether the cued number was same as the number of circles. The cue could be the true number of circles, the number of groups (when the circles were grouped) or a filler (+/- 1 of the number of circles). When the circles were grouped the true number of circles and the number of groups were conflicting results from the two processes (differentiation and grouping). We expected that, when circles were grouped, response times would be longer when rejecting the group cue than rejecting the filler cue and that both would be slower than accepting the true cue. Further, accepting true cues was expected to be slower in the grouped compared to the ungrouped condition, and that rejecting filler cues would be faster in the grouped when compared to the ungrouped condition. A one-way ANOVA partially confirmed the first hypothesis (F(2, 108) = 11.88, p < .01, ηp2 = .18). Participants were slower to reject group and filler cues than to accept true cues, but there was no difference between the first two. A 2(grouping) by 2(true vs. filler) ANOVA showed participants were more accurate when accepting true cues in the ungrouped condition while being more accurate when rejecting fillers in the grouped condition (interaction effect - F(1, 54) = 18.93, p < .01, ηp2 = .26). Response times revealed that participants were equally fast when accepting true cues regardless of grouping, but were significantly slower to reject filler cues when stimuli were ungrouped (interaction effect - F(1, 54) = 35.34, p < .01, ηp2 = .40). We can conclude that manipulating different visual cognition processes to produce conflict is possible, but it produces a slightly different effect compared to reasoning research. Of particular note is the fact that grouping does not have a large impact on accepting true cues but does facilitate rejecting fillers. The results show parallelism of automated Type 1 processes in visual cognition discussed within a dual-process framework.