This report on adolescent tobacco use in Nebraska focuses on grades 8 and 10. The results presented are based on over time; (2) the changing nature of tobacco use from smoking to use as a chew or snuff; (3) the viewing of smoking and chewing as one health issue of tobacco exposure; (4) definition of a smoker for purposes of this study; (5) data…

This leaflet examines the impact of alcohol and other drug use in creating an unhealthy lifestyle for individuals with disabilities and placing them at risk for health and medical problems. The negative effects of even moderate amounts of alcohol are noted, and the hindering of rehabilitation efforts when a person with a disability is using…

This report presents national and Colorado data relevant to Colorado youth. These topics are covered: (1) drug education issues, which notes that there is a move towards abstinence as well as consistent reports of extensive use of alcohol and increasing use of some drugs; (2) tobacco, alcohol, and other drug risk factors; (3) sex-related issues,…

An attempt was made to build a structural model of the relationships over time among intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and self-regulated learning. Structural equation modeling using the LISREL computer program was used. The presented model put the motivational constructs of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy as temporally preceding…

Employing multiple case study analysis methods, the attitudes and actions of superintendents in three school districts with improving basic skills test performance were compared with those of superintendents of three nonimproving districts to determine if patterns of difference existed. Contextual variations and superintendents' priorities were…

Although the Tension Reduction Hypothesis (TRH) of alcoholism has been the most popular explanation for alcohol abuse to date, the research addressing this model has provided tenuous support at best. In light of this contradictory support, a coping model of alcohol consumption is proposed. This model is based on the low self-image of…

Avoidance strategies involve the tactics and techniques people use when they don't wish to be influenced by others. To investigate the types of avoidance strategies men and women use to deal with an unwelcome persuasion attempt from an intimate partner, undergraduates wrote essays describing how they avoided such attempts. A 24-strategy coding…

Noting that the informal communication network or grapevine plays an important role in organizational functioning, this paper reviews research focusing on organizational grapevines from the communication, organizational psychology, and management literature. Among the issues discussed in the review are (1) the speed and accuracy of the grapevine,…

Studying the characteristics of development extension agents can help in the understanding of the dynamics of development. These key personnel exhibit certain traits, not yet corroborated scientifically, as they attempt to induce drastic changes in the values, beliefs, production, and consumption patterns of developing nations in order to move…

Previously, analysis of repeated teacher ratings and time-sampling observations of selected social behaviors in young children had provided evidence of clearly delineated dimensionality in interpersonal orientations with substantial behavioral continuity and intra- and interindividual stability. The present investigation was designed to replicate…

This paper reports an effort to classify parents of abused children according to existing and new typologies derived from parents' psychopathological personality profiles. Several previously reported typologies for abusive parents are reviewed and elaborated. In addition, reference is given to data and insights gained from an ongoing study of 50…

Empirical knowledge of coping usage and coping effectiveness has lagged behind popular interest. To examine the effectiveness of specific coping efforts in a single role area--parenting--panel data from a large metropolitan population were examined. The same coping efforts were assessed using two criteria of effectiveness: the extent to which they…

It is argued in this paper that, while newborn infants are ignorant of the the life-ways of the society into which they are born, by age 3 children have become socialized participants of their culture. It is the thesis of the discussion that the rapid development of babies into participants of society is accomplished through a finely tuned…

The behavior of mothers interacting with their preschoolers in a memory-relevant situation was examined. Ten 3-year-olds and their mothers were videotaped playing a game requiring memory for the location of hidden pictures. Frequency of nine categories of parental behavior was scored: naming, verbal orienting, physical orienting, physical…

A social psychology of problem behavior was employed in a longitudinal study of high school youth to predict time of onset of marijuana use. Nineteen personality, perceived environment, and behavioral variables among nonusers of marijuana were shown to account for a significant amount of the variance in time of onset of use. (Author)