The main objective of this pilot study was to test the effectiveness of an online, interactive physical activity intervention that also incorporated gaming components. The intervention design included an activity planner, progress monitoring, and gamification components and used SMS text as a secondary delivery channel and feedback to improve engagement in the intervention content. Healthy adults (n = 21) recruited through ads in local newspapers (age 35–73) were randomized to the intervention or the control condition. Both groups reported physical activity using daily report forms in four registration weeks during the three-month study: only the experiment condition received access to the intervention. Analyses showed that the intervention group had significantly more minutes of physical activity in weeks five and nine. We also found a difference in the intensity of exercise in week five. Although the intervention group reported more minutes of physical activity at higher intensity levels, we were not able to find a significant effect at the end of the study period. In conclusion, this study adds to the research on the effectiveness of using the Internet and SMS text messages for delivering physical activity interventions and supports gamification as a viable intervention tool.

COVID-19 triggered social restrictions worldwide including the shutdown of schools. Whereas research has documented the negative effects on parents' well-being, less is known about children's well-being during the pandemic. We investigated the well-being, emotions, and COVID-19-related attitudes of 87 Norwegian elementary children (42 boys, 45 girls; M age = 9.66 years, SD = 1.77) and their mothers (M age = 39.69 years; SD = 5.79) in June 2020. Children reported reduced well-being relative to European norms. In line with research on child well-being before the pandemic, living in a one-parent home was associated with lower child well-being and more negative emotions during the pandemic, and mother's well-being was related to child well-being. Concerning attitudes towards COVID-19-related restrictions, we found a positive relationship between child age and attitudes and between children's attitudes and well-being. Implications for protecting children from negative effects of the ongoing and future pandemics are discussed.

Data from an intensive longitudinal goal intervention study in Norway (N = 138) were used to test the assumption that hedonic (HWB) and eudaimonic (EWB) wellbeing reflect two distinct dimensions of wellbeing. Based on multilevel factor analyses, a path model and hierarchical regression analyses the paper aimed to demonstrate that a basic duality between the two kinds of wellbeing exists. Compared with one-factor models, factor models that separated between HWB and EWB were better able to explain the correlation between the variables. The two factors correlated in the area of .50 to .70. A multitrait-multimethod test revealed acceptable convergent and discriminant validity for HWB and EWB. Furthermore, an experimental manipulation of a daily exercise partly supported discriminant validity. Aside from illuminating the debate with new data, the paper offers a new theoretical perspective. Yet, several essential issues remain to be settled in order to better understand the concept of wellbeing.

Research investigating occupational aspirations in childhood is scarce. In addition, most research on occupational aspirations has focused on increasing the number of women in agentic jobs. In the present work, we investigate factors associated with communal occupational aspirations in two studies with young children (Study 1: 159 children [84 boys, 75 girls], Mage = 5.51 years, SD = 0.37; Study 2: 96 children [48 boys, 48 girls]; Mage = 9.44 years, SD = 1.91). We found gender differences in communal aspirations only among the older children. In both samples, as well as when combining the two samples, the stronger the communal occupational gender stereotypes children reported, the less boys (and the more girls) aspired toward communal occupations. In the combined sample, communal self-perceptions mediated the relationship between child gender and occupational aspirations. Finally, the perceived status of the occupations was positively associated with communal aspirations among older children.