Cognitive distortions are an important focus in many investigations and treatments of externalizing problem behavior, such as antisocial, delinquent, and aggressive behavior. Yet the overall strength of the association between cognitive distortions and externalizing behavior is unknown. Furthermore, it is unknown whether interventions can effectively reduce cognitive distortions and subsequently externalizing behavior. To fill these gaps, we conducted a meta-analysis of 71 studies on 20,685 participants. Results showed a medium to large effect size (d = .70) for the association between cognitive distortions and externalizing behavior. Interventions had a small effect (d = .27) on reducing cognitive distortions. In a subset of intervention studies that incorporated both cognitive distortions and externalizing behavior, however, neither cognitive distortions nor externalizing behavior were effectively reduced. Hence, although cognitive distortions are substantially linked to externalizing behavior and interventions can reduce cognitive distortions, a subsequent reduction in externalizing behavior remains to be demonstrated.

Background: Mindset refers to the implicit assumptions about the malleability of attributes such as intelligence, behavior, and personality. Previous research has shown that people endorsing a growth mindset show better academic and mental health outcomes than those with a fixed mindset. However, little is known about the mindset of youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) and its association with mental health. Methods: Adolescents with (n = 247) and without (n = 96) mild to borderline ID completed questionnaires about mindset and perseverance, empowerment, mental health problems, and self-esteem. Results: Adolescents with ID endorse a more fixed mindset of emotion and behavior than adolescents without ID. No significant differences were found for mindset of intelligence and perseverance. In addition, within the group of youth with ID some differences in mindset and perseverance were found based on level of intellectual disability, gender, and comorbidities, but not for age. Finally, a growth mindset of emotion and behavior and perseverance, but not mindset of intelligence, were negatively related to mental health problems in youth with ID. Conclusion and implications:Overall, findings indicate that teaching youth with ID a growth mindset of emotion and behavior and perseverance may be a potentially successful endeavour to improve mental health in adolescents with ID.

A further examination of the big-fish-little-pond effect Thijs, J.T.; Verkuyten, M.J.A.M.; Helmond, P.E. Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Among early adolescents (10-12 years) in the Netherlands, this study examined the academic self-concept in terms of the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE). The BFLPE implies that students in classes where the average achievement is low will have a higher academic self-concept than equally achieving students in classes where the average achievement is high. The social comparison process assumed to underlie this effect was examined by focusing on classmates' average achievement and the perceived relative achievement position in the school class. It was found that the perceived class position mediated the relationship between classmates' achievement and the academic self-concept. In addition, the effect of classmates' achievement on perceived relative academic position was stronger in smaller compared to larger classes. Furthermore, it was investigated whether classmates' gender was differently important for social comparison processes in the academic domain. It turned out that students' academic self-concept was affected by the achievements of same-gender classmates. Achievements of opposite-gender classmates only had an effect on the academic self-concept when the number of these classmates was small. The findings of this study support the theoretical principles underlying the big-fish-little-pond effect and are relevant for debates about class sizes and the utility of academic selective schooling.