This study aimed to adapt the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale for the Polish population. The population examined in the study included only Polish participants of European (Caucasian) ancestry. The tool is composed of two scales, Prosocial and Antisocial, and four subscales. For the purpose of adaptation, children's social competence was evaluated based on their own and their parents' perspective. The sample consisted of children aged 9-15 (n = 253) and their parents (n = 248), with boys and girls accounting for 43% (n = 109) and 57% (n = 144) of child participants, respectively. All the participants originated from the western-central Greater Poland Voivodeship. The data analyzed in this study were collected in 2019. Internal consistency of the subscales and correlation between them were measured using Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient and Spearman's correlation coefficient, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for both groups (children and parents) in two-, three- and four-factor models. The confirmatory factor analysis for both groups (children and parents) attributed the four-factor model with the highest goodness-of-fit, fulfilling the criteria of a good-fitting model. The results show that the Multisource Assessment of Children's Social Competence Scale is an appropriately adapted tool for the evaluation of the social competence of children in Poland, taking different rater perspectives into account.

Background: The Finnish Gutsy Go programme is a positive youth development intervention designed to enhance adolescents' psychosocial well-being by enabling eighth-grade students to develop and execute good deeds within the community.Objective: This study aimed to explore the effect of the Gutsy Go programme on adolescents' positive mental health, experience of social inclusion, and social competence using a quasi-experimental study design.Methods: Data were collected with electronic questionnaires at baseline (n = 236 programme participants and n = 303 controls) and follow-up two weeks after the programme (n = 126, 54.2% programme participants and n = 103, 34.1% controls). Analyses included paired samples t-tests and mixed ANOVA analyses.Results: A statistically significant intragroup change across time was detected in the level of cooperation skills among programme participants (t(127) = -2.460, p = 0.015) but not among controls (t(102) = 1.088, p = 0.279). Statistically significant main effects were found for the intervention group on the experience of social inclusion (F(1, 1) = 9.34, p = 0.003, ηp2 = 0.040), cooperation skills (F(1,1) = 5.28, p = 0.020, ηp2 = 0.020), and empathy (F(1,1) = 6.44, p = 0.010, ηp2 = 0.030) across time.Conclusion: The Gutsy Go programme could be beneficial in improving adolescents' experience of social inclusion, cooperation skills, and empathy. More studies are needed to address the effects of the programme more firmly.

Empathy has long been considered a multidimensional construct, encompassing cognitive, affective and behavioral domains. Deficits in empathic competences in early childhood contribute to psychopathology, and have been variably implicated in several clinical conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and conduct disorders.

To identify and describe empirically validated questionnaires assessing empathy in children and adolescents and to provide a summary of related theoretical perspectives on empathy definitional issues.

A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Three bibliographic databases were searched. A total of 47 studies were selected for final analysis and 16 distinct measures were identified and described.

Questionable to excellent levels of internal consistency were observed, while few studies assessed test-retest reliability. Although construct definitions only partially overlapped, affective and cognitive domains of empathy were the commonest internal factors that were often separately evaluated. New facets of the construct (i.e., somatic empathy and sympathy) and specific clinical populations (i.e., ASD) could be specifically addressed through more recent instruments.

The combination of different assessment methods is recommended in order to foresee further improvements in this field and try to overcome the problem of limited convergence with more objective measures.

Using a cross-sectional study design, we tested a structural equation model of hypothesized relationships among a group of variables: motivational climate in physical education (PE), students' social competence in PE, out of-school physical activity (PA) motivation, PA intention and their moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Based on the self-reports of 363 fourth to sixth grade elementary school students (172 girls, 191 boys), the model revealed that the task-involving motivational climate in PE was linked to higher MVPA via cooperation in PE, and also via extrinsic motivation and PA intention. Ego-involving motivational climate was related to higher extrinsic motivation and amotivation, further to higher PA intention and, finally, to higher MVPA. Task-involving motivational climate was positively linked to students' social competence markers of cooperation and empathy, and negatively to disruptiveness. Ego-involving motivational climate was positively related to disruptiveness and impulsivity, the markers of low social competence. The study showed that the motivational climate and co-operational aspect of social competence both played significant roles in students' PA motivation, PA intention and MVPA. A pedagogical model that brings the learning of social competence relevant skills to the fore is creative physical education (CPE). Analysis of CPE is provided which highlights teaching behaviors which contribute to the students' MVPA through motivational climates, co-operation, PA motivation and PA intention.