This study investigates the psychometric properties of brief COPE in Russian schoolteachers. A total of 773 (91% female; M = 43, SD = 9.79) teachers participated in the study. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied to assess the psychometric properties of the brief COPE. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess the construct validity. The main result of the current research is a revised structure for the brief COPE consisting of six sub-scales: «socio-emotional support», «religion», «acceptance», «problem-focused coping», «avoidance», and «humor». The goodness-of-fit criteria were as follows: SRMR = 0.054, RMSEA = 0.064, CFI = 0.888, and TLI = 869. Overall, the Russian version of the brief COPE shows acceptable psychometric properties and may be applied by researchers, school administrators, and psychologists; however, the reliability of the “avoidance” scale is doubtful and must be considered before application.

Background. Math anxiety is a state of fear and anxiety that an individual experiences when interacting with mathematical problems. Currently, there is a lack of questionnaires to measure mathematical anxiety for Russian-speaking schoolchildren.The aim. The study analyzed the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS).Materials and methods. The study involved 1,198 schoolchildren in grades 10–11. The psychometric properties of the AMAS were analyzed.Results. AMAS demonstrated bifactor structure: subscales of Learning Math Anxiety (LMA) and Math Evaluation Anxiety (MEA) and general scale of Math Anxiety. The bifactor model demonstrated the best fit indices. Analysis confirmed reliable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas for LMA = 0.82, MEA = 0.75, total AMAS = 0.95). External validity of AMAS has been confirmed. LMA showed lower scores than MEA. The distribution of scores on the general AMAS scale was shifted to low values. Girls showed higher scores on all scales of the questionnaire. The analysis also confirmed measurement invariance for both boys and girls.Conclusion. Based on the analysis, we can conclude that the AMAS is a valid tool for assessing mathematical anxiety in high school students.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) inventory among students. The data was collected via an online platform from Russian universities involving first–fourth-year students (N = 670). The participants completed the Brief COPE inventory (32 items). Of these, 529 (79%) were female, and 141 (21%) were male. The age range was 18 to 29 years. For this study, the inventory was modified, and its reliability (internal consistency) and validity (internal, external) were assessed. Participants were asked also to complete three additional tests: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ-10). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed that the data fit the expected six-factor structure after a reduction of seven items with low factor loadings from the inventory structure. The internal consistency was good (Cronbach’s α in the range of 0.65–0.91). External validity demonstrated weak but significant indicators: all correlations between most scales of the brief COPE inventory and the scores of other tests ranged from 0.067 to 0.364). The Brief COPE, comprising 25 items, is a new tool for assessing the coping strategies of Russian students. It is a reliable, valid, accurate, and acceptable measure of coping strategies that can be used in large-scale studies in Russia. Additionally, the developed instrument may be potentially useful for application in educational and psychological screening, which opens up further opportunities for its practical implementation.

This review provides the first comprehensive summary of longitudinal electroencephalographic (EEG) studies conducted on neurotypical populations. The objective was to identify the key areas of longitudinal EEG studies in neurotypical populations, define the understudied aspects, and summarize the main results in each area. The review revealed four primary research directions: (1) developmental changes in EEG, (2) EEG changes following interventions, (3) EEG predictors of socio-emotional functioning, (3) EEG predictors of cognitive abilities. The key developmental EEG changes included a decrease in aperiodic brain activity during infancy, as well as a reduction in low-frequency activity (delta and theta bands) and an increase in high-frequency activity (alpha and beta bands) during rest and sleep in childhood and adolescence. The studies on post-intervention changes highlighted the impact of meditation and mindfulness training on brain functioning (reduced occurrence and power of microstates) and behavioral characteristics (increased stress resilience and mindfulness). The publications on the socio-emotional domain emphasized the importance of frontal asymmetry (greater activation in the right hemisphere) as a predictor of maladaptive behavioral traits, such as general and social anxiety, shyness, and a preference for avoidance strategies. This correlation was reported as typical of individuals with behavioral predispositions to the abovementioned traits. Cognitive studies demonstrated a greater localization of neural activation in response to tasks in older children, which correlated with improved task performance. The high synchronization of various rhythms was also associated with superior cognitive abilities in both children and adults. The review revealed a gap in longitudinal EEG research focused on the development of cognitive skills in teenagers.

Background . Universal and student-specific stressors can lead to the development of anxiety and depression. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) has proven effective in various populations. However, measuring anxiety, depression, and stress in the student population may have its own peculiarities, which create a need for a tailored tool to assess anxiety and depression levels among young people studying in higher education institutions. The aim . Assessment of the psychometric properties, including the factor structure, reliability, and external validity of the HADS in Russian-speaking students. Materials and methods . The sample consisted of 891 students, including 198 males (22 %) and 693 females (78 %), aged 16 to 37 years (mean age is 19.8, median age – 19.0, SD = 2.13). Results . The Cronbach’s alpha for the “Anxiety” subscale was 0.73, for the “Depression” subscale it was 0.62, and for the overall questionnaire it was 0.79. Principal Component Analysis confirmed the alignment of the questionnaire’s structure with the original two-factor model proposed by the authors. Both the full model and a reduced model (excluding item 6) derived from confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated similar model fit indices. Based on the comparison of principal component and confirmatory analyses, it was decided to exclude item 6 from the questionnaire while retaining item 11 in the second factor. Conclusions . The analysis concluded that the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale exhibits satisfactory psychometric properties and can be used for screening emotional distress among students.

Mathematical anxiety (MA) negatively affects all aspects of activities related to manipulating numbers, both in education and in everyday life. MA is negatively associated with mathematical self-efficacy, subjective value of mathematics, attitude, and interest towards mathematics. Individuals with pronounced MA have a lower need for cognitive load and reflective thinking. Among the predictors of MA, cognitive, personality, and social aspects can be identified. The question of the brain mechanisms of MA remains relevant. The review provides an analysis of studies on the neurophysiological correlates of mathematical anxiety using modern psychophysiological methods: electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results of studies using these methods are inconsistent. When studying MA, attention is paid to brain structures associated with the processing of both emotional information and cognitive processes. The analysis of the literature has shown that when implementing corrective measures, it is important to consider the lack of a unified theoretical approach, which raises questions about the causes of MA.