Examines how family and religious variables are associated with adolescent substance abuse in a sample of 322 adolescents and their parents or guardians. Results support social learning theory in that associating with peers who use drugs is the major factor that contributes to adolescent substance use. (SLD)

This study evaluated whether personality and family characteristics could predict socioemotional adjustment of 44 adolescent girls enrolled in a residential early college entrance/acceleration program. Results indicated predictive relationships between staff, student, and peer assessments (such as Jackson Personality Inventory and the…

Describes a study of student teachers that examined determinants of achievement in a computer literacy course. Correlations with measures of computer attitudes, perceived locus of control, gender, age, and prior word processing and computer experience are discussed, and the computer literacy model on which the analysis of data was based is…

Describes study of eighth grade students that was designed to determine whether gender of the protagonist in mathematics story problems can play a significant role in mathematics learning. The use of the Secondary-School Attitudes toward Women Scale is described, and correlations among individual difference and task-outcome variables are analyzed.…

This study examined possible predictors of feelings of alienation from school in elementary and middle school students who completed surveys in 1991. Results indicated that gender and school variables were the most consistent predictors of alienation. The study did not wholly support the theory that alienation is a steady developmental process.…

Examines relationship between admission criteria and academic performance among 654 master's in social-work (MSW) students in one state university, 1985-1992. Test scores on a pre-graduation comprehensive exam measured academic achievement. Results indicate two admissions criteria, undergraduate grade point average and Graduate Record Examination…

Examined contributions of different risk factors to predicting children's psychological and academic outcomes at end of first grade. Found that each analysis level contributed to prediction of most outcomes; 18 to 29% of outcome variance was predicted; a common set of predictors predicted numerous outcomes; ethnicity showed little unique…

A study examined the effects of individual characteristics, institutional characteristics and experiences, and financial aid on African-American and White students' degree aspirations. Students' aspirations were mostly the result of socioeconomic factors, initial degree aspirations, and institutional characteristics. Financial aid was not a…

Data from a randomly selected sample of 840 Ontario students were used to examine factors that affect self-rated physical health. Analyses focused on demographics, family structure, financial situation, child-parent relationship, school achievement, self-esteem, alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use as factors which directly and indirectly influence…

Used new administration procedure of Self Description Questionnaire to assess dimensions of young children's self-concept in a multicohort-multioccasion study. Found that the scale's reliability and stability improved with age and from one year to the next. Gender differences were stable over age. Time 1 teacher ratings contributed to the…

Examined how young adolescents perceived the opportunities provided by middle school teachers and staff and how such opportunities related to changes in academic and social-emotional functioning over time. Found that specific instructional, interpersonal, and organizational dimensions of middle school life were associated in important ways with…

A survey of 188 general education teachers' attitudes toward including students with disabilities identified hostility/receptivity and anxiety/calmness dimensions. Teacher attributes and beliefs, student characteristics, and school climate were related to both dimensions. Receptivity toward inclusion was associated with higher teacher efficacy,…

A study of 543 South African university freshmen examined testing issues in relation to use of English as a first or second language. Results suggest multiple-choice tests yield higher grades than essay tests for both native and nonnative speakers, performance on essay questions varies depending on type of question, and open-ended tutorial…

In a longitudinal study of the effects of early childhood maltreatment, 92 adolescent parents were studied. Variables of preschool and school-age physical abuse, neglect, low self-esteem, sexual abuse, high school dropout, assaultive behavior, and drug use were examined in relationship to teenage parenthood. Implications of findings are discussed.…

This exploratory study of graduate students attempts to quantify some of the interactions that take place between learners and a computer-based instructional lesson teaching basic memory skills. Variables studied include age, undergraduate grade point average, sex, and standardized test scores. (Author/LRW)