Information problem solving (IPS) is an important twenty-first century skill, but it is lacking at all age levels. One type of information problem, those of an ill-structured nature that require multiple iterations of (re)defining problems and formulating emerging solutions, can be particularly challenging but have received less attention in the…

Previous studies have linked religiosity to a variety of positive outcomes for young people. However, further investigation into the underlying mechanisms that drive this connection is necessary to facilitate these positive outcomes. Some studies have suggested that afterlife reward and punishment beliefs play a role in this connection, as they…

An entrepreneurial mindset helps innovators find, interpret, evaluate, and pursue opportunities for their innovations. It is a concept having multiple definitions and contradictions variously focused on individual traits, behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs. Robinson claimed that across the various definitions of an entrepreneurial mindset there was…

This study examined the role of children's trust beliefs and trustworthiness in the development of prosocial behavior using data from four waves of a longitudinal study in a large, ethnically-diverse sample of children in Switzerland (mean age = 8.11 years at Time 1, N = 1,028). Prosocial behavior directed towards peers was measured at all…

This study investigated the influence of age of alcohol initiation on current alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in a diverse college student sample. Participants (N = 214) completed a questionnaire assessing attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral habits regarding alcohol and other drugs. Early alcohol initiation (alcohol use before age 15) was…

Objective: Because little is known about college-age smokers, the authors conducted a qualitative study to better understand this population. Participants: Forty college student smokers from 12 Pacific Northwest colleges participated in the study. Methods: The authors identified themes and built models to ascertain important factors related to…

The cultural backgrounds and beliefs concerning health and health problems should be considerations in developing a health education curriculum and setting up school health services for multicultural students. (JD)

Youth use of cigars, bidis, and kreteks has spread as youth cigarette use has declined. This study investigates young people's attitudes toward and beliefs about these alternative tobacco products. The study used data from a convenience sample survey of 5,016 7th-through 12th-grade students in Massachusetts. The cigar attitudes receiving the…

Research on belief perseverance has demonstrated that a belief persists to the extent that there are more explanations available to the believer to support the original belief than to support alternative beliefs. This study extends earlier work (Slusher, 1988) that demonstrated the role of explanation availability in mediating belief change.…

Compared attitudes of individuals who engage in such environmentally responsible activities as recycling, energy conservation, or consumer boycotting. Results show that personal commitment to environmentally corrective behaviors is importantly determined by the person's evaluative response to widely publicized environmental topics. Theoretical and…

Mediation by self-monitoring of the relationship between perceived approval from others and delinquent behavior was studied for 828 Hong Kong students in grades 7 through 9. Analyses indicate that self-monitoring is an interacting factor and that the relationship is more apparent for high self-monitors. (SLD)

Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine relationships between students' sense of community, poverty level, and student attitudes, motives, beliefs, and behavior among a diverse sample of 24 elementary schools. Within schools, the sense of community of individual students was significantly associated with student outcome measures. (SLD)

Compared to traditional, non-Western cultures, emerging adulthood (18-25 years of age) may look considerably different in cultures that place emphasis on the group (i.e., collectivistic) over the individual (i.e., individualistic). However, within minority cultures, individual members vary on the extent to which they identify with their heritage…

The purpose of this ongoing study was to assess attitudes, knowledge and behaviors in college students toward Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The researchers wanted to asses students' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior for utilization in educational and skill building programs for college students.…

To develop and test a theoretical model, based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), for understanding and predicting the decision to stay in or drop out of school, to identify the specific beliefs that are the basis of that decision, and to evaluate the use of moderator variables (sex, race) to individualize the model,…