Using adolescent samples from four cultures, the current study tested whether effects by religiosity on deviance varied by the nature of religiosity (intrinsic versus extrinsic) and by the cultural context (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, and the U.S.). Results indicated: a) that not every type of religiosity has a buffering effect on…

Through differences in family socialization between indigenous and non-indigenous youth, there may be cultural differences in the impact of family factors on mental health outcome. Using structural equation modelling, this population-based study explored the relationship between symptoms of anxiety and depression and family factors in indigenous…

Parental promotion of autonomy for offspring well-being has been widely recognized in developmental psychology. Recent studies, however, show that this association varies across cultures. Such variation may reflect inappropriate measurement of this dimension of parenting. Therefore, three existing measures of promotion of autonomy were used to…

The purpose of the current study was to examine adolescents' perceptions of negative and positive peer influence (i.e., indirect peer association and direct peer pressure) as they related to adolescent behavior. Regression analyses were conducted using a sample of African American, European American, and Hispanic adolescents (N=1659, M age=16.06,…

Bryant and Smith [(2001). Refining the architecture of aggression: A measurement model for the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. "Journal of Research in Personality," 35, 138-167] refined the 29-item Aggression Questionnaire and obtained a 12-item short form of the AQ that has yet to be validated with samples outside of North America…

Aims to provide a cross-cultural contribution to the study of gender differences in adolescent mood by providing results of a survey of Argentinian boys and girls at the age of 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. The gender difference, larger than that of many first-world samples, is significant at 15-16 and the gap increases at 17-18. (Author)

Objective: The aims of the study were to examine weight concerns, dieting and eating behaviours in a group of Israeli-Arab schoolgirls as compared with Israeli-Jewish schoolgirls, as well as to investigate the reliability of the Arabic (Palestinian) version of the eating disorder inventory-2 (EDI-2). Method: The sample consisted of 2548 Israeli…

The current study investigated associations between the frequency of and motivations for social withdrawal during adolescence and emotional distresses in young adulthood. Perceived motivations for social withdrawal included unsociability, isolation, shyness, and low mood. Social withdrawal during adolescence was assessed using a retrospective…

The prevalence of suicide attempts and associated risk factors such as sociodemographic conditions, emotional/behavioural problems and parent-child relationships were examined among 591 indigenous Sami and 2100 majority adolescents in Arctic Norway. There were no significant ethnic differences in prevalence of suicide attempts. In both ethnic…

Conducted retrospective case note study comparing various characteristics of self-poisoning between White (N=34) and Asian adolescents (N=38). Results showed "Culture Conflict" was implicated in slightly more Asian female self-poisonings as compared to males, Asian females used "non ingestants" significantly more than White…

Examined smoking patterns in 27,335 junior and senior high school students. Found smoking was more prevalent among girls than boys, and among whites more than members of minority groups. Marijuana use was the best single predictor of whether a student smoked or not. Heavy drinking was the best predictor of quantity smoked among smokers. (Author/KS)

Examined relationships between ethnicity and identity status and between identity status and behavior problems, social competence, and self-esteem among White, Black, Puerto Rican, and Filipino high school students (N=330). Found no significant ethnic differences in the relationships of identity status to behavior problems, social competence, or…

Investigated whether religious affiliation (Hindu or Muslim) and gender were important factors in explaining difference in unhealthy eating attitudes of Asian adolescents living in United Kingdom compared with Caucasians. Muslim adolescents had most characteristic pattern of eating psychopathology. Muslim boys' eating attitudes were particularly…

The dominant theories about the development of antisocial behaviour during adolescence are based almost entirely on research conducted with mainstream, white, middle-class adolescents. The present study addresses this significant gap in the literature by examining whether the same model of family and peer influence on antisocial behaviour is…

Reports on clinical and psychosocial characteristics of 16 Chinese adolescents from Hong Kong with anorexia nervosa. Over 80% of these patients expressed a fear of fatness. Against the background of increasing Westernization of Hong Kong society, anorexia is taking on a Western pattern, in congruence with the notion that anorexia nervosa is a…