@article{LehmannEccardScheffleretal.2018, author = {Lehmann, Andreas and Eccard, Jana and Scheffler, Christiane and Kurvers, Ralf H. J. M. and Dammhahn, Melanie}, title = {Under pressure: human adolescents express a pace-of-life syndrome}, series = {Behavioral ecology and sociobiology}, volume = {72}, journal = {Behavioral ecology and sociobiology}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0340-5443}, doi = {10.1007/s00265-018-2465-y}, pages = {15}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis posits that life-history characteristics, among individual differences in behavior, and physiological traits have coevolved in response to environmental conditions. This hypothesis has generated much research interest because it provides testable predictions concerning the association between the slow-fast life-history continuum and behavioral and physiological traits. Although humans are among the most well-studied species and similar concepts exist in the human literature, the POLS hypothesis has not yet been directly applied to humans. Therefore, we aimed to (i) test predicted relationships between life history, physiology, and behavior in a human population and (ii) better integrate the POLS hypothesis with other similar concepts. Using data of a representative sample of German adolescents, we extracted maturation status for girls (menarche, n = 791) and boys (voice break, n = 486), and a set of health-related risk-taking behaviors and cardiovascular parameters. Maturation status and health-related risk behavior as well as maturation status and cardiovascular physiology covaried in boys and girls. Fast maturing boys and girls had higher blood pressure and expressed more risk-taking behavior than same-aged slow maturing boys and girls, supporting general predictions of the POLS hypothesis. Only some physiological and behavioral traits were positively correlated, suggesting that behavioral and physiological traits might mediate life-history trade-offs differently. Moreover, some aspects of POLS were sex-specific. Overall, the POLS hypothesis shares many similarities with other conceptual frameworks from the human literature and these concepts should be united more thoroughly to stimulate the study of POLS in humans and other animals. Significance statement The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis suggests that life history, behavioral and physiological traits have coevolved in response to environmental conditions. Here, we tested this link in a representative sample of German adolescents, using data from a large health survey (the KIGGs study) containing information on individual age and state of maturity for girls and boys, and a set of health-related risk-taking behaviors and cardiovascular parameters. We found that fast maturing girls and boys had overall higher blood pressure and expressed more risk-taking behavior than same-aged slow maturing girls and boys. Only some behavioral and physiological traits were positively correlated, suggesting that behavioral and physiological traits might mediate life-history trade-offs differently and not necessarily form a syndrome. Our results demonstrate a general link between life history, physiological and behavioral traits in humans, while simultaneously highlighting a more complex and rich set of relationships, since not all relationships followed predictions by the POLS hypothesis.}, language = {en} } @article{LazaridesDietrichTaskinen2018, author = {Lazarides, Rebecca and Dietrich, Julia and Taskinen, Paeivi H.}, title = {Stability and change in students' motivational profiles in mathematics classrooms}, series = {Teaching and teacher education : an international journal of research and studies}, volume = {79}, journal = {Teaching and teacher education : an international journal of research and studies}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0742-051X}, doi = {10.1016/j.tate.2018.12.016}, pages = {164 -- 175}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Person-centered research has shown that individuals can be assigned to different motivational profiles, but only scattered studies have addressed motivational profiles in specific domains. We investigated the stability and change in motivational profiles in mathematics classrooms and examined how perceived teaching predicted changes in profile membership. Data for this study stemmed from the PISA-I Plus study (N=6020). Latent profile analysis identified four motivational patterns: Medium, Low, High and Highly confident, hardly interested. Stability in profiles from grade 9 to 10 was typical. Instructional clarity and teaching for meaning predicted changes in profile membership.}, language = {en} }