Students' traits, attitudes and behaviors can be a key factor in how they prepare for entering a career and later adapt to working life. Based on this, the aim of this study was to explore associations between personality traits and overcommitment among university and college students. Overcommitment (OC) is a pattern of attitudes, behaviours and…

Tracing problems observed among the Mountain-Plains student population, a trend of apparently improper or arrested personality development emerges. Observations indicate that a majority of the student population does not possess normally developed trust, autonomy, initiative, industry, sense of identity, or ability to develop intimate…

Functional Potential is a concept stemming from ego psychology that describes the degree to which a subject is able to tolerate ambiguity, delay gratification, exhibit adaptive-flexibility, demonstrate goal directedness, relate to self and others, and have a clear sense of personal identity. Here, that concept has been related to the Omnibus…

Article queried parents, teachers and students as to their choice of the ideal behavior for children. (RK)

A study evaluated differences in ratings of behavior problems and competence from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) between samples of 78 gifted adolescents and 62 controls. Results found no reliable differences for any scales from the CBCL and a low prevalence of behavior problems in both samples. (Author/CR)

Two studies were conducted to compare certain characteristics of high school students in Hawaii who take part in forensic activities with those not involved and also to compare groups of the forensic participants with each other. Three instruments were used: the Predisposition Toward Verbal Behavior Scale, the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations…

A study explored the construct of mental restlessness in 20 college students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using the Internal Restlessness Scale (IRS). Students with ADHD reported significantly higher ratings of internal restlessness. The IRS appears to have adequate test-retest reliability and a four-factor…

Reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the influence of student-rater personality characteristics on the ratings they give their instructors. Included are conclusions, recommendations for further research, and a list of 45 references. (JT)

Developed a brief behavior rating scale consisting of 28 items divided into seven categories for use in a school setting. Test validity was based upon the successful discrimination between neurologically impaired, socially maladjusted, emotionally handicapped, and normal children. (Author)

This study reported a number of differences between kindergarten children perceived by their teachers to be "thriving,""average," or "not as yet thriving." Subjects were 340 4- and 5-year-old children from 59 kindergarten classrooms. Results indicated that the three groups of children differed in a wide range of…

Six contrived situational measures of altruism--prosocial behavior intended to benefit other persons--were developed and administered to 52 fourth- through sixth-grade boys and girls of Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Hawaiian heritage. A peer nomination device and a teacher rating form dealing with altruistic behavior were developed…