Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist 

About: Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Coping (psychology) & School psychology. It has an ISSN identifier of 0816-5122. Over the lifetime, 317 publications have been published receiving 2431 citations.

A review of school-based positive psychology interventions

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to review school-based interventions that have been designed to foster student wellbeing and academic performance by following a positive psychology approach that seeks to cultivate positive emotions, resilience and positive character strengths. Following the calls of the 21st century education movement for schools to incorporate student wellbeing as a focus of learning, the current paper outlines the positive psychology movement and reviews evidence from 12 school-based positive psychology interventions that have been systematically evaluated. The evidence shows that positive psychology programs are significantly related to student wellbeing, relationships and academic performance. The paper makes suggestions for the further development of positive psychology interventions in schools and explores the factors that could allow positive psychology to be extended, and more systematically embedded, into schools.

Social media use and social connectedness in adolescents: The positives and the potential pitfalls

Abstract: As social media use is rising among adolescents, the issue of whether this use leads to positive or negative outcomes warrants greater understanding. This article critically reviews the literature related to this important topic. Specifically, we examine how social media use affects social connectedness in terms of three elements of adolescent development: sense of belonging, psychosocial wellbeing, and identity development and processes. Mixed findings are reported regarding the role that social media plays in fostering social connectedness, which suggests that young people may experience both positive and negative psychological outcomes. As a result, this article argues that online tools create a paradox for social connectedness. On one hand, they elevate the ease in which individuals may form and create online groups and communities, but on the other, they can create a source of alienation and ostracism. This article contributes to ongoing discourse in the area of educational and developmental psychology, and has implications for researchers and practitioners working with adolescents.

The Social Cure: Identity Health and Wellbeing

Abstract: Review(s) of: The social cure: Identity health and wellbeing, Edited by Jolanda Jetten, Catherine Haslam and S. Alexander Haslam (2012), Psychology Press, 390 pp., $53.36 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-1848720213.

Men and Depression: The Impact of Masculine Role Norms Throughout the Lifespan

Abstract: While the etiology of gender roles across the lifespan remains a matter for debate, conformity to masculine norms has been associated with poorer physical and mental health outcomes amongst men. This study reports data from two online samples of Australian men (Ns = 343, 525), focusing on age group differences for masculinity and depression. Consistent with prediction, cross-sectional data reported that conformity to masculine norms attenuated throughout the lifespan. Further, both samples indicated that the relationship between masculinity and depression increased with age. Findings are interpreted within the context of men resolving gender role-related conflicts across the lifespan.