The importance of the studied problem is determined by the fact that the influence of the deviant environment on society, the spread of its morality, a psychological "exposure" of a less stable part of the population, that is teenagers and young adults, all this is--a reality of the contemporary social situation. The study of problems…

Self-inflicted injury (SII) in adolescence marks heightened risk for suicide attempts, completed suicide, and adult psychopathology. Although several studies have revealed elevated rates of depression among adolescents who self injure, no one has compared adolescent self injury with adolescent depression on biological, self-, and informant-report…

Investigated the identity formation in pregnant adolescents (N=30) as compared to a group of nonpregnant adolescents (N=30). Used the Ego Identity Scale to obtain a measure of ego identity. Analyzed data in relation to six hypotheses. Found pregnant adolescents scored significantly lower on the Ego Identity Scale. (RC)

Examined the self-esteem of middleborns compared with firstborns and lastborns. Studied the number, spacing, and sex of siblings of the middleborn. Data were obtained from a national sample of over 2,200 adolescent males. Results suggested that middleborns have a significantly lower self-esteem than firstborns and lastborns. (Author)

This study examined the relationship of overall family conflict and stress to adult personality development in young adult college students from intact families, as compared to young adults who had experienced childhood parental divorce. Seventy-five students from divorced families and 78 students from intact families completed a screening…

Based on a theory of personality in which the self, considered as a perceptual agent, is defined in terms of interpersonal orientation, seven components of self-other orientation are proposed: (1) majority identification, (2) complexity, (3) power, (4) self-esteem, (5) self-centrality, (6) identification, and (7) social dependence. The self-social…

In an effort to determine if Indian and white adolescents differed in their choice of defense mechanisms, a random sampling of tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students from 22 Oklahoma public schools were given the Defense Mechanism Inventory. Scores for 170 Indian students and 197 white students assessed five categories of defenses: turning…

Examined evidence for reciprocal influence between adoptive parents' behavior and heritable characteristics of adopted children. Found that psychiatric disorders of biological parents were significantly related to children's antisocial/hostile behaviors and consequently with adoptive parents' behavior. Also, the adoptee's antisocial/hostile…