Volume 19, Issue 3, 2026.

Clinical psychology

• Age-Related Trajectories in Symptom Manifestation in Preschoolers with Autism and Developmental Delay

  Nasledov, A.D.; Tkacheva, L.O.; Miroshnikov, S.A.

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  Nasledov, A.D., Tkacheva, L.O., Miroshnikov, S.A. (2026). Age-Related Trajectories in Symptom Manifestation in Preschoolers with Autism and Developmental Delay. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 19(3), 3–24. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0301

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  • Background. Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD) often overlap in preschool children, yet their manifestation may change with age. While previous studies have described symptom profiles in separate age groups, little is known about how these symptoms unfold longitudinally across the preschool period. In particular, comparative trajectories of symptom manifestation between children with ASD and those with DD across three distinct age ranges remain underexplored. Understanding such trajectories is critical for early differential diagnosis and intervention planning. 

    Objective. To understand age-related changes in symptom presentation, which is essential for differentiating between ASD and DD, as well as for selecting optimal intervention strategies.

    Design. A three-factor model of autism symptoms was established for 1–2-year-old children to capture age-specific patterns of symptom manifestation, which were compared with those observed in 3–5- and 6–7-year-olds with ASD. The overall structure of the model and its measurement equivalence were confirmed across the full preschool age range. Factor scores were calculated as the mean of consistent items for each participant. Children with ASD and DD were then compared on these factor scores to examine age- and diagnosis-related trajectories in symptom expression.

    Results. The three symptom domains—Communication Disorders, Sensory Disintegration, and Hyperactivity—persisted throughout the preschool years in children with ASD, with Communication Disorders showing the highest prevalence in the youngest age group (1–2-year-olds). Hyperactivity and Sensory Disintegration were commonly observed in both children with ASD and those with DD at age 1–2 years. However, while all three symptom domain decreased across preschool age in children with DD, they remained pronounced in children with ASD.

    Conclusion. The observed patterns of symptom manifestation reflect fundamental and stable neurodevelopmental differences, shaped by a range of interacting factors. These patterns also capture developmental shifts, in which the prominence of specific symptom domains changes with age and experience. Among the symptom domains examined, Communication Disorders emerged as the most distinguishing feature for differentiating children with ASD from those with DD in early childhood.

    
    

    Keywords: autism/ developmental delay/ preschoolers/ age-related changes/ developmental trajectories

    DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0301

Cognitive psychology

• Experimental Modelling of Body Schema with the Rubber Hand Illusion and the Hand Laterality Judgment Task: Cognitive and Meta-cognitive Levels

  Dobrushina, O.R.; Arina, G.A.; Kazantseva, D.A.; Tsypushtanova, M.M.; Makarova, A.G.; Dobrynina, L.A.

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  Dobrushina, O.R., Arina, G.A., Kazantseva, D.A., Tsypushtanova, M.M., Makarova, A.G., Dobrynina, L.A. (2026). Experimental Modelling of Body Schema with the Rubber Hand Illusion and the Hand Laterality Judgment Task: Cognitive and Meta-cognitive Levels. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 19(3), 73–88. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0304

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  • Background. The concept of body schema continues to evolve, and the taxonomy of body representations remains debated. Two well-established paradigms provide experimental access to it: the rubber hand illusion (RHI), which modifies the body schema by incorporating a new object into it, and the hand laterality judgment task (HLJT), which requires participants to determine the laterality of a depicted hand and has been shown to involve mental movement.

    Objective. To investigate body schema components using two well-validated experiments, the RHI and the HLJT.

    Design. Thirty-one right-handed healthy volunteers aged 18–35 years completed the HLJT and then took part in the RHI. Proprioceptive drift and sense of ownership served as measures of RHI onset, whereas accuracy and response time were recorded in the HLJT. Data analysis was performed with mixed linear modelling.

    Results. A cross-analysis of the performance in these tasks revealed distinct associations: 1) between higher accuracy in the HLJT and slower proprioceptive drift in the RHI; and 2) between longer response time in the HLJT and early emergence of the sense of ownership over an artificial hand in the RHI.  We propose that the first pair of variables reflects the strength of the structural body representation (the cognitive level of body schema), whereas the second reflects confidence in those representations (the metacognitive level of body schema).

    Conclusion. We observed that participants with better performance on the HLJT showed weaker RHI effects: stronger internal body representations were less susceptible to illusion-related artificial distortions.

    Keywords: body schema/ rubber hand illusion/ hand laterality judgment task/ predictive coding/ somatoperception

    DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0304

Developmental psychology

• Teacher Implementation of Sociodramatic Play in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review

  Sukhikh, V.L.; Veresov, N.N.; Gavrilova, M.N.

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  Sukhikh, V.L., Veresov, N.N., Gavrilova, M.N. (2026). Teacher Implementation of Sociodramatic Play in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 19(3), 45–72. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0303

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  • Background. Sociodramatic play is widely recognized as a leading activity in early childhood development, yet a persistent gap exists between its theoretical value and systematic implementation in educational practice. In this review we use the term as an umbrella construct for educator-supported collective pretend play defined by four criteria: (1) enactment of explicit roles, (2) interaction between roles rather than solitary pretense, (3) an unfolding narrative storyline, and (4) collective participation sustaining a joint imaginary situation.

    Objective. To identify pedagogical approaches to implementing sociodramatic play, to map required teacher competencies, to synthesize implementation barriers, and to document outcomes for children and educators.

    Design. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches were conducted across ScienceDirect and PubMed, supplemented by hand-searching and expert consultation. Studies were eligible if they involved educator-led collective sociodramatic play with children aged 3–7 in Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings. Narrative synthesis was conducted across 27 studies (35 papers) from 10 countries.

    Results. Five implementation approaches were identified and systematically characterized. Child outcomes across content acquisition, developmental progress, and play maturity were broadly positive across diverse international contexts, despite null findings in some studies. A multidimensional teacher competency profile was identified and implementation barriers were multilevel: personal, pedagogical, and systemic.

    Conclusion. Effective implementation requires performative and reflective competencies distinct from conventional teaching skills, which may explain persistent low confidence among educators. Widespread adoption demands pedagogically accessible approaches supported by sustained professional development and systemic infrastructure.

    
    

    Keywords: sociodramatic play/ early childhood education/ play-based learning/ teacher competences/ implementation barriers/ pedagogical approaches/ child development outcomes

    DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0303

Educational psychology

• Self-Monitoring Skills in Online Learning and the Role of Metacognitive Prompts: An Exploratory Study

  Koval, A.A.; Gorbunova, A.Y.; Podolskiy, A.I.; Getman, A.V.

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  Koval, A.A., Gorbunova, A.Y., Podolsky, A.I., Getman, A.V. (2026). Self-Monitoring Skills in Online Learning and the Role of Metacognitive Prompts: An Exploratory Study. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 19(3), 89–106. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0305

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  • Background. Self-monitoring is critical for online learning, yet many students struggle due to cognitive load. Students with higher self-monitoring skills manage this demand better, but which load types they handle effectively remains unknown. Metacognitive prompts are a common support tool, but it is unclear whether they amplify or compensate for skill differences.

    Objective. To examine (1) how self-monitoring skills relate to intrinsic (ICL), extraneous (ECL), and germane (GCL) load and performance, and (2) whether metacognitive prompts moderate these relationships.

    Design. Participants completed an online reading task with prompts, followed by measures of self-monitoring skills, cognitive load, and a performance test. Linear regression examined relationships between self-monitoring skills, cognitive load, and performance, and whether use of prompts moderated them.

    Results. After FDR correction, higher self-monitoring skills showed marginal associations with lower ICL (b = -.48, p = .054), lower ECL (b = -.72, p = .054), and higher performance (b = .92, p = .054), but were unrelated to GCL (b = .09, p = .703). Prompts significantly weakened the relationships between self-monitoring skills and ICL (b = .99, p = .024), ECL (b = 1.65, p = .016), and performance (b = -2.34, p = .016).

    Conclusion. Higher self-monitoring skills may help manage cognitive load more effectively but are unrelated to GCL, suggesting that online learners employ self-monitoring differently than in traditional settings. Preliminary evidence also suggests that metacognitive prompts may compensate for rather than amplify skill differences. When prompts are provided, outcomes depend less on pre-existing skills.

    Keywords: self-monitoring/ cognitive load/ online learning/ self-regulated learning/ metacognition/ metacognitive prompts

    DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0305

Organizational psychology

• Working from Home Across National Contexts: Demands, Resources, Engagement, and Productivity Among Italian and Russian Employees

  Toscano, F.; Zappalà, S.; Polevaya, M.V.; Kamneva, E.V.

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  Toscano, F., Zappalà, S., Polevaya, M.V., Kamneva, E.V. (2026). Working from Home Across National Contexts: Demands, Resources, Engagement, and Productivity Among Italian and Russian Employees. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 19(3), 25-44. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0302

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  • Background. The expansion of work from home has changed the material, social, and self-regulatory conditions under which employees organize their work activities. Although remote work can support flexibility and concentration, its implications for productivity depend on the balance between work-related demands and resources.

    Objective. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, this study examined whether environmental distractions, job autonomy, and self-leadership are related to perceived job productivity among Italian and Russian remote workers, and whether remote work stress and remote work engagement mediate these relationships.

    Design. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to employees working from home in Italy and Russia. A total of 493 respondents provided complete data for all the variables included in the research model and were retained for the analyses. Confirmatory factor analyses, measurement invariance, structural equation modeling, and multigroup analyses were conducted.

    Results. Environmental distractions were associated with higher remote work stress and lower perceived job productivity. Job autonomy and self-leadership were positively related to remote work engagement, which in turn predicted higher productivity. Unexpectedly, both resources showed negative direct associations with productivity, although the effect of self-leadership was weak. Multigroup analyses indicated that the overall pattern of relationships was broadly consistent across the Italian and Russian samples.

    Conclusion. The findings support the motivational pathway of the JD-R model in remote work settings, while also suggesting that autonomy and self-leadership may become ambivalent under high self-organization demands. They also indicate that key JD-R mechanisms operate similarly across the Italian and Russian samples, although some cross-national differences remain.

    
    

    Keywords: remote work/ work from home/ job demands-resources model/ environmental distractions/ self-leadership/ job productivity/ cross-national psychology

    DOI: 10.11621/pir.2026.0302