Research Roundup

State-funded pre-K may enhance math achievement

Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett, associate dean for academic programs and professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, found that participating in pre-K programs positively predicted mathematical achievement in students through seventh grade.

“Students who participated in the study were twice as likely to meet the state standards in their mathematics achievement,” says Neuharth-Pritchett, who led the first longitudinal study to follow Georgia pre-K students through middle school. “School becomes more challenging as one progresses through the grades, and so if in middle school, students are still twice as likely to meet the state standards, it’s clear that something that happened early on was influencing their trajectory.”

Although quality learning experiences during the early years of development have been shown to provide the skills and knowledge for later mathematics achievement, access, and entry to high-quality preschool programs remain unequal across the nation. Additionally, students from low-income families often have more limited opportunities to learn at home as well as in pre-K programs.

Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett

Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett

“Equal access to pre-K education has a long history that goes all the way back to the war on poverty. Part of the thinking during the 1960s was that such early learning opportunities would provide the high-quality preschool education that could level the educational playing field between those with economic resources and those without,” she says. “Our study indicated sustained benefits for children’s early learning experiences that persist into the elementary and middle school years.”

Because more than half of the pre-K teachers in the study held either a master’s or specialist degree, the results also indicate the importance and influence of high-quality, experienced instructors on children’s academic success.

“The state of Georgia invests substantial resources into this program, so it’s good that these outcomes can be cited for its efficacy,” says Neuharth-Pritchett. “The data from this study gives a much more longitudinal view of success and suggests these programs contribute to children’s education and success. Our results ultimately contribute to evidence supporting early learning and factors influencing long-term academic success for Georgia’s children.”

Collage of a photo of a toddler playing with a wooden number train and doodles of a wooden number block and statistical graph

Exercise is key to strength, function in older women

Ellen Evans, associate dean for research and graduate education and professor in the Department of Kinesiology, discovered that while exercise during weight loss is critical to preserving muscle strength and function, a higher protein diet when combined with exercise does not appear to result in any added benefits to body composition and muscle strength in overweight older women.

“Overweight and obese women and women in general are at a higher risk than men for physical disability with advancing age,” says Evans. “If older adults lose weight, especially too quickly or if they focus only on reducing calorie intake, they are going to reduce their risk of obesity, but at the same time, they’re going to increase their risk of osteoporosis and sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), which can be problematic for older adults.”

The study divided women between the ages of 65 and 80 into three groups: 1) high-protein diet with exercise, 2) high-protein diet without exercise or 3) conventional protein diet with exercise. When the results came in, changes in weight and fat mass did not differ among the groups. But despite losing weight, muscle strength increased in the exercise groups.

In the United States, 70% of women over 65 years old are considered overweight or obese. Obesity negatively affects lower extremity physical function (LEPF) in older adults and is a key determinant—along with cognition—in whether these individuals can function on their own and lead independent lives.

While researchers expected participants in the higher protein diet with exercise group to gain the greatest benefits among the three groups, the higher protein diet did not alter the beneficial effects of weight loss and exercise on body composition change, muscle strength, or LEPF. In addition, the non-exercise group—despite eating a higher protein diet—actually experienced reductions in strength and little improvements in LEPF compared with the exercise groups.

“What’s reinforced by this study is if older women are trying to lose weight, they really need to incorporate exercise into their weight loss program, especially strength training to preserve muscle mass and strength,” says Evans. “They will also receive greater benefits from a physical function perspective.”

Social media addiction linked to cyberbullying

Amanda Giordano, an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, found that higher social media addiction scores, more hours spent online, and identifying as male significantly predicted cyberbullying perpetration in adolescents.

“There are some people who engage in cyberbullying online because of the anonymity and the fact that there’s no retaliation,” says Giordano. “You have these adolescents who are still in the midst of cognitive development, but we’re giving them technology that has a worldwide audience and then expecting them to make good choices.”

When adolescents are online, they adapt to a different set of social norms than when they’re interacting with their peers in person. Oftentimes, they are more aggressive or critical on social media because of the anonymity they have online and their ability to avoid retaliation. Additionally, cyberbullies may feel less remorse or empathy when engaging in these behaviors because they can’t see the direct impact of their actions.

Teenagers who are addicted to social media are more likely to engage in cyberbullying, as well as those who spend more time online. Participants in the study reported spending on average over seven hours online per day, and the reported average maximum hours spent online in one day was more than 12 hours.

“Social media addiction is when people crave it when they’re not on it, and continue their social media use despite negative consequences,” says Giordano. “Some negative consequences could be they’re tired during the day because they’re scrolling all night long, they’re having conflicts with their parents, they’re getting poor grades in school, or they’re engaging in actions online that they later regret, but they still continue to use social media.”

Giordano believes that counselors need to start assessing adolescents for social media addiction if they are engaging in cyberbullying and to provide treatment plans to help redefine their relationship with technology. These interventions may include helping adolescents examine how they define their self-worth and restricting the amount of time they spend on social media platforms.