This study was conducted to develop and determine the validity and reliability of a playfulness scale for upper elementary school students. For this purpose, open questionnaires were given to 255 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade elementary school students as a preliminary survey. Factors were selected by reviewing previous studies and expert consultation. Content validity was confirmed by Delphi testing, which is the first and second expert reviews. Questions were confirmed by exploratory factor analysis. In the final version of the scale, there were 30 questions about five factors: self-direction, pleasure, creativity, relationship orientation, and aimlessness. This final questionnaire was given to 504 elementary school students. The responses to the data fit were verified through confirmatory factor analysis. This paper discusses how the first playfulness scale for upper elementary school students developed in South Korea can be used, its limitations, and suggestions for future research.
This study was conducted to examine the mechanisms of reactive aggression among middle school students. For this purpose, the effect of personal belief in a just world (PBJW) was examined, with the consideration of disciplinary structure (classroom discipline fairness) and anger as mediators. For this purpose, self-report data from 290 middle school students (grade 1 to 3) in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province were analyzed. Structural equation modeling analysis results indicated that anger had a simple mediating effect in the relationship between PBJW and reactive aggression. A dual mediating effect was also significant in the relationship between PBJW and reactive aggression, which is through disciplinary structure and anger in order. However, the simple mediation effect of discipline structure was not significant. PBJW did not directly influence reactive aggression. This study suggests that PBJW can reduce reactive aggression either by lowering the level of anger directly or by reducing anger as a result of increased perception of disciplinary fairness. This paper discusses these findings’ implications for developing reactive aggression intervention strategies.
The EPOCH Model and the EPOCH measure were developed by Kern et al. (2016) to assess children’s and adolescents’ flourish. This study aimed to validate the Korean version of the EPOCH measure using a sample of South Korean children. Data were collected from 1,036 elementary school students in grades three to six. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a second-order factor model with five factors at the first level and three factors at the second level (factor 1: OH, factor 2: EP, factor 3: C) was appropriate for South Korean children. The reliability of both the Korean children’s flourish scale and its subfactors were good. The results of the correlation analysis indicated version of the EPOCH measure and its subfactors were positively associated with students’ multidimensional life satisfaction and its subfactors and negatively associated with mental health problems and their subfactors. The Korean version of the EPOCH measure for South Korean children can be used to develop interventions to promote their flourish.