Asko Tolvanen
Biographic Data
| ID | 120879 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Asko Tolvanen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Asko |
| FAMILY NAME | Tolvanen |
| SIGNATURE | TOLVANEN A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Jyväskylä |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6430-8897 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 56 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 81 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 56 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Student Perceived Agency in Higher Education
Student agency is an essential component in active learning and in coping with uncertainty, contributing to success in studies and well-being. However, agency has rarely been studied multidimensionally or using repeated measures. Purpose of this study was to examine higher education (HE) students’ perceptions of their agency and associations between agency and background characteristics. In addition, the study explored the temporal stability and …
The Structure of Vocational Interests in Finland
This is the first study to examine the fit of Holland’s (1997) RIASEC model of vocational interests within the Finnish cultural context. We conducted secondary analyses of vocational interest data collected over a 20-year period by the Finnish Public Employment Services (PES). The data were extracted from the PES client registry and comprise a nationally representative sample of 20,108 career counselling clients (aged 10–62 years; 62% women), who…
Validation of the 21-item Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS) among Finnish late adolescents
Objective This multi-study investigation examined the validity of the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS) among 16- to 18-year-old Finnish participants. Specifically, we examined factorial structure, reliability, measurement invariance, convergent and predictive validity in respect to reported physical activity.Methods and Measures In Study 1, 285 participants completed the 40-item PALMS, and in Study 2, 638 adolescents complet…
Longitudinal associations between pre-service teachers’ emotional intelligence and cultural beliefs
Beliefs and emotions are intricately connected. This study first investigated changes in pre-service teachers’ emotional intelligence (EI) over three years of initial teacher education. It then examined the relationship between EI and cultural beliefs (i.e., multicultural and egalitarian beliefs), and the stability of these associations across time. The study used data collected from two cohorts in eight Finnish universities using an online surve…
Exploring the reliability and validity of multiple mini-interviews in admission to teacher education
This study addressed the need to explore the reliability and validity of the recently renewed aptitude test based on the multiple mini-interview (MMI) format in Finnish teacher education programmes. Utilising a nationwide dataset (N = 3306), we explored the reliability of the format using intraclass correlations and multilevel modelling. Furthermore, we validated the intended structure of the MMI with confirmatory factor analysis and contrasted t…
Hierarchical nature of arithmetic skills
Identification Environment, School Identification and School Burnout
Most research on well‐being in social psychology has focused on individuals. Based on the social identity approach to health, we examined how the average strength of social identification within a group—a measure of the ‘identification environment’—affects group members’ burnout symptoms and moderates the association between their social identification and burnout. We analysed these issues using two samples of lower‐secondary‐school‐age learners …
Longitudinal associations between parental depressive symptoms and child behavior
In the present study, longitudinal associations between parental depressive symptoms and child behavior (externalizing and internalizing problems and adaptive skills) were examined using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. The participants were 200 Finnish children (106 boys, 94 girls) and their parents. Both fathers and mothers reported their depressive symptoms and rated child behavior of their children at the ages of 4, 6, and 9. In t…
Teacher education students’ emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy
Existing research has shown that emotional intelligence (EI) and teacher self-efficacy (TSE) play an important role in the work of in-service teachers. However, there is limited research on these variables and their associations among pre-service teachers. Also, the cultural context is expected to influence EI and TSE. Therefore, this study examined the associations between EI and TSE in two cultures, Finland and Greece. A comprehensive evaluatio…
Student selection into initial teacher education in Finland
This study examines the association between applicants’ success in the 2021 university entrance exam for initial teacher education in Finland, known as the VAKAVA exam, and their logical reasoning abilities to provide evidence of criterion-related validity. The data consists of applicants’ scores on the VAKAVA exam, which reflect their cognitive processing skills, and the abbreviated International Cognitive Ability Resource test (ICAR16; N = 403)…
Directional associations in reading and arithmetic fluency development across grades 1 to 9
This study explores the directionality of the associations between silent reading fluency and arithmetic fluency development from Grade 1 through Grade 9 (ages 7 to 16) in a large Finnish sample of 2,518 participants. Participants' silent reading and arithmetic fluency skills were assessed at seven time points across Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model was employed to distinguish between between-person and …
Stability in health behavior patterns in middle adulthood
Objective: This study investigated subgroups of adults with particular health behavior patterns, their stability over 19 years, and the role of sociodemographic and personality characteristics in these.Methods and Measures: Data on smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity were collected at ages 42, 50, and 61 in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (n = 205–302). Latent class, latent transition, and lo…
Ethnic Identity as Social Curse
High ethnic identification is known to support well‐being. In the context of historical trauma, however, a sense of belonging to a persecuted community can contribute to social curse processes. This study explores the relationship between ethnic identity and mental distress among second‐ and third‐generation Ingrian women with a family history of displacement and ethnic persecution. It analyses the intergenerational transmission of historical tra…
Developing and validating an abbreviated adult reading history questionnaire in the Finnish and Dutch contexts
Background The adult reading history questionnaire (ARHQ) is frequently used in research on adult dyslexia and family risk for dyslexia. However, this measure is lengthy (23 items), reducing its applicability in studies with extensive assessment batteries. Methods We identified the best‐performing ARHQ items in a sample of 396 Finnish adults using exploratory factor analysis and item response theory. Consequently, we validated the brief questionn…
Early prediction of math difficulties with the use of a neural networks model
The early prediction of math difficulties (MD) is important as it facilitates timely support. MD are multifaceted, and several factors are involved in their manifestation. This makes the accurate early prediction of MD particularly challenging. In the present study, we aim to predict MD in Grade 6 with kindergarten-age (age 6) measures by applying a neural networks model. We use a set of 49 variables assessed during kindergarten from the domains …
The role of gender and coaching styles in adolescent student-athletes’ motivational orientations in sport and school
Research indicates that the dominant discourses of gender are ingrained in dual career (DC) practices critically influencing athletes’ motivation to construct a DC pathway. While it is important to ensure that all athletes have an equal access to construct a DC pathway despite their gender, there is a gap in the literature examining the role that coaches play in gendering of athletes’ DC pathways. The present study longitudinally examined the gen…
The development of school and sports task values among adolescent athletes
Successfully integrating elite sports with education requires motivation to commit oneself to both domains. This study examines the development of and gender differences in adolescent athletes’ task values for school and sports across the upper secondary school years. A total of 391 adolescents (aged 15–16 at the beginning of the study) were followed four times during sports upper secondary school. The participating student athletes were recruite…
Assessment of students’ agency in Finnish and Spanish university courses
This study reports on the measurement invariance of the Agency of University Students Scale in data consisting of Finnish and Spanish university students (n = 645) and presents cross-national findings on student agency assessment. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the metric invariance for 10 factors, which allows comparisons of covariance structures and correlation analyses, and can, for example, be used to examine background fac…
L2 English vocabulary breadth and knowledge of derivational morphology
Derivational morphology (DM) and how it can be assessed have been investigated relatively rarely in language learning and testing research. The goal of this study is to add to the understanding of the nature of DM knowledge, exploring whether and how it is separable from vocabulary breadth. Eight L2 (second or foreign language) English DM knowledge measures and three measures of the size of the English vocabulary were administered to 120 learners…
Dynamic properties of successful plural leadership configuration
Our article introduces an exploratory process study of successful plural leadership configuration in searching for alternative solutions to wicked problems. The study was executed within four educational organisations that solved challenging wicked problems arising from today’s changing contexts. We argue that plural leadership configuration is a dynamic process when people in diverse organisational positions, roles, and levels design profitable …
Developmental profiles of arithmetic fluency skills from grades 1 to 9 and their early identification
The aim of the present study was to examine the kinds of developmental profiles of arithmetic fluency skills that can be identified across Grades 1-9 (ages 7-16) in a large Finnish sample ( n = 2,518). The study also examined whether membership in the developmental profiles could be predicted using a comprehensive set of kindergarten-age factors, including information on cognitive skills; motivational, parental, and home environment factors; and …
Do the integrated theories of self-determination and planned behavior explain the change in active life engagement following a motivational counseling intervention among older people
The theoretical integrated model did not account for the change in active life engagement. The modified integrated model revealed significant change paths, highlighting autonomous motivation and attitudes as influential change constructs. For future intervention design, the modified integrated model appears useful in identifying behavior change pathways for older adults
Psychological Detachment as a Mediator Between Successive Days' Job Stress and Negative Affect of Teachers
The study investigated the mediating role of teachers' psychological detachment between successive days' job stress and negative affect. Fifty-seven Finnish teachers answered to a mobile diary four times a day on two successive workdays assessing their negative affect, three times a day assessing their job stress and once a day after work assessing their psychological detachment from work. Two-level modeling on both the between individual level a…
Multiple mini-interviews as a selection tool for initial teacher education admissions
This study investigates the reliability of multiple mini interviews (MMIs) to select students for classroom and special education teacher programs (n = 418) using intraclass correlations and cross-classified multilevel modeling. The results indicated mostly small effects of clustering of applicants to different interviewers and five-station circuits. The largest variance components in the MMI total score were for applicants (63.3%) and measuremen…
Measuring higher-order cognitive skills with multiple choice questions –potentials and pitfalls of Finnish teacher education entrance
This mixed methods study examines the structure of the multiple-choice exam for student selection in Finnish teacher education. Through qualitative content analysis, we categorized multiple-choice questions into items that assessed lower- and higher-order cognitive processes based on the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded four factors that represented lower- and higher-order cognitive processing skills …
Teachers' self-efficacy and the sources of efficacy
Trajectories of educational expectations from adolescence to young adulthood in Finland
The purpose of this person-oriented, 5-wave longitudinal study was to examine the trajectories of educational expectations from adolescence to young adulthood in the context of the expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983). Altogether, 853 (48% female; M age = 16 years) Finnish adolescents reported their educational expectation, 1st in the last year of comprehensive school and 4 times during the following 5 years. Latent class analysis showed…
Capturing daily family dynamics via text messages
In this paper we introduce a new tool, the mobile phone, for use in diary research. We demonstrate, with reference to two family studies conducted in Finland, how daily family dynamics can be captured by using the mobile diary. In both studies family members sent text messages (SMSs) in answer to structured diary questions three times a day over a one-week period. The participants kept also paper-and-pencil diaries. Two mobile diary items measuri…
Teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy on implementing inclusive education in Japan and Finland
Developmental profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension from grades 1 to 9 and their early identification
This study examined developmental profiles of reading fluency and reading comprehension in Grades 1 to 9 (ages 7 to 15) in a large Finnish sample ( N = 2,518). In addition, early predictors of the profiles were analyzed with respect to kindergarten cognitive skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, rapid automized naming [RAN], number counting, word reading, vocabulary, and listening comprehension), parental factors (level of education, …
Happy Spouses, Happy Parents? Family Relationships Among Finnish and Dutch Dual Earners
In this study links between spousal and parent-child relationships among Finnish (n = 157 couples) and Dutch (n = 276 couples) dual earners with young children were examined using paired questionnaire data. Variable-oriented analyses (structural equation modeling with a multigroup procedure) supported the spillover hypothesis, as higher levels of satisfaction in the spousal relationship were related to higher quality in the parent-child relations…
Adolescents' school-related self-concept mediates motor skills and psychosocial well-being
BackgroundThe health benefits of exercise participation and physical activity for mental health and psychosocial well-being (PSWB) have been shown in several studies. However, one important background factor, that is, motor skills (MSs), has largely been ignored. In addition, most of the existing research focuses on poor MSs, that is, poor MSs are often connected to poorer PSWB. The mechanism linking MSs and PSWB is unclear. However, a preliminar…
Couple Therapy for Depression Within a Naturalistic Setting in Finland
Associations between personality traits and psychological well-being across time in middle adulthood
Dynamic Family System Trajectories From Pregnancy to Child's First Year
Family systems reorganize during transitional periods, such as the birth of a new child. Longitudinal research, however, on family dynamics during the transition to parenthood is lacking. Accordingly, the authors aimed to identify family system trajectories from pregnancy to the child's first birthday and to examine their contextual predictors. Both parents (N = 702) reported autonomy and intimacy in marital (wife-to-husband, husband-to-wife) and…
The Therapeutic Alliance in Couple Therapy for Depression
Directional associations in reading and arithmetic fluency development across grades 1 to 9
This study explores the directionality of the associations between silent reading fluency and arithmetic fluency development from Grade 1 through Grade 9 (ages 7 to 16) in a large Finnish sample of 2,518 participants. Participants' silent reading and arithmetic fluency skills were assessed at seven time points across Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model was employed to distinguish between between-person and …
Stability in health behavior patterns in middle adulthood
Objective: This study investigated subgroups of adults with particular health behavior patterns, their stability over 19 years, and the role of sociodemographic and personality characteristics in these.Methods and Measures: Data on smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity were collected at ages 42, 50, and 61 in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (n = 205–302). Latent class, latent transition, and lo…
Reading development subtypes and their early characteristics
The Construct Validity of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale
Happy Spouses, Happy Parents? Family Relationships Among Finnish and Dutch Dual Earners
In this study links between spousal and parent-child relationships among Finnish (n = 157 couples) and Dutch (n = 276 couples) dual earners with young children were examined using paired questionnaire data. Variable-oriented analyses (structural equation modeling with a multigroup procedure) supported the spillover hypothesis, as higher levels of satisfaction in the spousal relationship were related to higher quality in the parent-child relations…
Capturing daily family dynamics via text messages
In this paper we introduce a new tool, the mobile phone, for use in diary research. We demonstrate, with reference to two family studies conducted in Finland, how daily family dynamics can be captured by using the mobile diary. In both studies family members sent text messages (SMSs) in answer to structured diary questions three times a day over a one-week period. The participants kept also paper-and-pencil diaries. Two mobile diary items measuri…
The Therapeutic Alliance in Couple Therapy for Depression
Trajectories of educational expectations from adolescence to young adulthood in Finland
The purpose of this person-oriented, 5-wave longitudinal study was to examine the trajectories of educational expectations from adolescence to young adulthood in the context of the expectancy-value theory (Eccles et al., 1983). Altogether, 853 (48% female; M age = 16 years) Finnish adolescents reported their educational expectation, 1st in the last year of comprehensive school and 4 times during the following 5 years. Latent class analysis showed…
Couple Therapy for Depression Within a Naturalistic Setting in Finland
Associations between personality traits and psychological well-being across time in middle adulthood
Physical activity and sleep profiles in Finnish men and women
The use of latent class analysis in investigating the interrelationship between PA and sleep is a novel perspective. The method provides information on the clustering of behaviors in people and the profiles found suggest an accumulative nature of leisure time PA, and better sleep. Our data also suggest that high levels of occupational PA are associated with shorter and poorer sleep
Integration of personality constructs
Adolescents' school-related self-concept mediates motor skills and psychosocial well-being
BackgroundThe health benefits of exercise participation and physical activity for mental health and psychosocial well-being (PSWB) have been shown in several studies. However, one important background factor, that is, motor skills (MSs), has largely been ignored. In addition, most of the existing research focuses on poor MSs, that is, poor MSs are often connected to poorer PSWB. The mechanism linking MSs and PSWB is unclear. However, a preliminar…
Dynamic Family System Trajectories From Pregnancy to Child's First Year
Family systems reorganize during transitional periods, such as the birth of a new child. Longitudinal research, however, on family dynamics during the transition to parenthood is lacking. Accordingly, the authors aimed to identify family system trajectories from pregnancy to the child's first birthday and to examine their contextual predictors. Both parents (N = 702) reported autonomy and intimacy in marital (wife-to-husband, husband-to-wife) and…
Towards a physically more active lifestyle based on one’s own values
The high prevalence of physical inactivity has led to a search for novel and feasible interventions that will enhance physical activity, especially among the least physically active individuals. This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine the effectiveness of a value-based intervention to promote a physically more active lifestyle among physically inactive adults. The framework of the study was based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (…
Psychological flexibility mediates change in intuitive eating regulation in acceptance and commitment therapy interventions
Objective Despite the promising results related to intuitive eating, few studies have attempted to explain the processes encouraging this adaptive eating behaviour. The focus of the present study was on exploring mechanisms of change in intuitive eating and weight in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions. Mediation provides important information regarding the treatment processes and theoretical models related to specific treatment…
Multilevel Latent Profile Analysis With Covariates
Latent profile analysis (LPA) is a person-centered method commonly used in organizational research to identify homogeneous subpopulations of employees within a heterogeneous population. However, in the case of nested data structures, such as employees nested in work departments, multilevel techniques are needed. Multilevel LPA (MLPA) enables adequate modeling of subpopulations in hierarchical data sets. MLPA enables investigation of variability i…
Burnout-related ill-being at work
Psychosocial Problems, Indoor Air-Related Symptoms, and Perceived Indoor Air Quality among Students in Schools without Indoor Air Problems
The effect of students' psychosocial problems on their reporting of indoor air quality (subjective IAQ) and indoor air-related (IA-related) symptoms has not been studied in schools in a longitudinal setting. Therefore, we analyzed whether changes in students' psychosocial problems (socioemotional difficulties and perceived teacher−student relations) between the beginning of seventh grade (age 12−13 years) and the end of ninth grade (15−16 years) …
Teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy on implementing inclusive education in Japan and Finland
A psychological flexibility -based intervention for Burnout
Associations of Leisure-Time Physical Activity Trajectories with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption from Childhood to Adulthood
A physically active lifestyle and a diet rich in vegetables and fruits have a central role in promoting health. This study examined the associations between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) trajectories and fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) from childhood to middle age. The data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study with six age cohorts. Participants were 9 to 18 years ( n = 3536; 51% females) at baseline in 1980 a…
Problematic Gaming Is Associated with Some Health-Related Behaviors Among Finnish Vocational School Students
The objective of this work was to examine the connections between problematic digital gaming and various health-related behavior characteristics in a population of vocational school students. Data collection was performed (N = 1335) via an online survey in vocational school units in northern Finland. The survey incorporated the Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGD10) as well as self-reported measures including questions on socio-demographics, infor…
Teachers' self-efficacy and the sources of efficacy
Students’ agency profiles in relation to student-perceived teaching practices in university courses
Validity of the Finnish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA)
The aim of the present study was to validate the Finnish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) using data from 1,688 Finnish parents (91% mothers) living in Finland with at least one child living at home. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the theoretical four‐factor structure of the PBA – emotional exhaustion in one’s parental role, contrast with previous parental self, feelings of being fed up with one’s parental role, and emotio…
Leisure Reading (But Not Any Kind) and Reading Comprehension Support Each Other—A Longitudinal Study Across Grades 1 and 9
This study examines associations between leisure reading and reading skills in data of 2,525 students followed from age 7 to 16. As a step further from traditional cross-lagged analysis, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to identify within-person associations of leisure reading (books, magazines, newspapers, and digital reading), reading fluency, and reading comprehension. In Grades 1–3 poorer comprehension and fluency predicte…
Psychology (45 works) · Developmental psychology (27 works) · Clinical Psychology (18 works) · Social Psychology (17 works) · Mathematics education (16 works) · Medicine (15 works) · Structural equation modeling (12 works) · Clinical Psychology (10 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Mathematics (9 works)