"Catalyst" is a publication of the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention. This issue contains the following articles: (1) The National Study of Student Hazing Initial Findings; (2) The Social Norms Marketing Research Project--An Update; (3) Message From William…

Examines the relationship of conservatism to reports of sexual experiences and movie attendance. It was expected that high conservatives would report a lower frequency and range of sexual experiences and fewer experiences with R- and X-rated movies. Results support the hypothesis though cause-effect sequences are not clear. (Author)

Using questionnaires administered to 566 unmarried students at the University of South Carolina, a comparison was made between reported premarital sexual behavior and projected extramarital sexual behavior. Individuals who were premaritally sexually active were found more likely to project that they would be extramaritally sexually involved.…

This paper presents the results of a medical-social questionnaire made by members of the Scientific Commission of the First International Congress of Drug Addiction Among University Students, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1974. (Author)

University faculty members were asked to rate the overall desirability of a number of descriptions of student behavior. Results indicated that some important differences exist among colleges within a large university with respect to the student behavior valued by faculty. (Author)

The degree of satisfaction with both academic and nonacademic facets of college life is an important variable in determining the attitudes of college students toward both their present and future goal attainment. One of the major developmental trends during the college years was a significant increase in goal-directedness. (Author)

Test-anxious students were assigned to four treatment groups, a placebo group, or an untreated control group. Four treatment groups resulted from combinations of two treatment rationales (active coping and passive reciprocal inhibition) and two treatment procedures (self-control and standard). Treatment groups were equally effective in reducing…

A measure of sex guilt was administered to clients of a university problem pregnancy counseling service who were planning to have abortions and to a group of sexually active nonpregnant university coeds. Sex guilt was found to be significantly higher for the abortion patients than for the nonpregnant group. (Author)

This study investigates various aspects of the process of transferring to Memphis State University (MSU) as perceived by the transfer student, develops information which could be utilized in evaluating the processes of transfer to MSU, and provides a basis for further study. A random sample of 126 students was selected as subjects for individual…

Questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of currently enrolled full time students at a small highly selective liberal arts college located in the Pacific Northwest. Findings suggest that male students have added illegal drugs to their repertoire of interpersonal mechanisms for the control of relationships with women. (Author)

This study examined the interaction effect of students, drugs, and alienation in a large university, i.e., the linkages of both social and political alienation with drug behavior. The interaction terms which composed these forms of alienation were evaluated as to their comparative ability to produce drug behavior. (Author)

A focused 5-year research program used a large number of clients (45), groups (10), and co-therapists (20) to assess group psychotherapy outcome in a homeogeneous diagnostic population (severly disturbed college student neurotics) and therapist-treatment modality (eclectic, interpersonal learning based, with insight and behavior change goals).…

The relationship of unrealistic vocational choice to other unrealistic behavioral responses was examined by having subjects with judged realistic or unrealistic vocational choices estimate performance over trials on a visual pursuit task. Results did not confirmthe hypothesized relationship between unrealism in vocational choice behavior and…

Students (N = 114) who achieved enough credit through College Level Examinations to advance approximately one year were tracked for a three-year period. They saved time and money, and did not neglect advanced study in areas from which they were exempted. Their grades in advanced courses were higher than those of a control group. (Author)

This study investigates the premarital contraceptive behavior of 222 male and female college students. Contraceptive practice was examined in relation to dating patterns, level of emotional involvement with sex partners, types of birth control used, number of different sex partners, and reasons for failure to use birth control. (Author)