Examined female adolescent runaways. Found that girls who "run to" were younger, more impulsive, had internal locus of control, and had history of more runaways and longer periods of staying away from home. Girls who "run from" were older, more reflective, had external locus of control, and had history of fewer runaways and shorter periods away…

An attempt was made to determine what factors are important in a person's decision to engage in regular, vigorous activity. An Exercise Behavior Model was developed for the purpose of explaining exercise behavior. The model assumes that a person has four major predispositions or inclinations, which influence a readiness to exercise: (1) locus of…

Very little attribution research has examined subjects' self-attributions for important behaviors. When asked to identify reasons for committing criminal offenses, 60 institutionalized male delinquents cited primarily situational factors. This tendency to explain delinquent behavior appeared to be independent of chronological age, and indicative…

The affective development of 499 children in grades 3 through 12 was assessed through the use of instruments measuring self-esteem, locus of control and achievement motivation. (CM)

Among the most overlooked aspects in the development of elite young soccer players is that of specific psychological traits. Of those traits, motivation has important implications for programs whose objectives are identification and cultivation of young, skilled performers. The growth in popularity of soccer by youth and the successes experienced…

Tested whether intrinsic motivation depends on matching cognitive level and task demands and assessed effects of rewards and praise on intrinsic motivation. Children preferred tasks just beyond their ability levels. Praise had mixed effects: rewards decreased intrinsic motivation among highly motivated children but did not influence intrinsic…

While early studies of achievement motivation focused on young men, more recent studies have focused on women's motivation to achieve. Five groups were compared on achievement motivation and achievement-related variables: Women (ages 30-50) who were either homemakers, applicants accepted at college but not attending, or returnees enrolled in…

Changes in attitude were examined over a one-year period in pre-, early, and later adolescent samples. Self-esteem, locus of control, and achievement motivation were examined. The amount of attitudinal change evidenced by subjects at each age level varied with the kind of attitude being assessed. (Author/RD)