A model of singleness in later life was developed to show how the social context may influence the personal and social resources of older, unmarried persons. Role transitions of the unmarried over the life course, finances, health, and social relationships of older singles are discussed with implications for practice and future research.…

Investigated the relationship between public and private self-consciousness and social and personal aspects of identity. Public self-consciousness correlated more strongly with social than with personal aspects of identity, and private self-consciousness correlated more strongly with personal than with social aspects. Discusses implications for…

Examines questions about the development of the self asked in regards to Black children during the last 40 years. Focuses on traditional approaches to the self-system (awareness of individual's own characteristics and attributes); sex role and racial referents in identity processes; the process of understanding the identity development of Black…

Longitudinal data on over 1,300 married persons suggest that divorce was deterred by absence of divorce in reference group (normative integration) and was deterred for shorter marriages by more friends and organizational affiliations (communicative integration). Sharing friends and organization affiliations with spouse (functional integration) may…

The aim of the present study was to make a 16-year follow-up of children of psychosocial risk mothers as concerns emotional/behavioural problems, self-esteem, life events, and academic grades. Forty-three teenagers (index group) and 61 reference teenagers were personally interviewed and asked to answer the Youth Self-report (YSR), the Self-image…

It is generally true that when people are deprived of their own cultural forms and are coerced into adopting the cultural forms of others, disorder, stress, and even disability will occur. Conversely, the basic strength of any people results from their experience of historical and cultural continuity. The strengths of African-American children and…

The effect of reducing the number of score groups in the matching criterion of the Mantel-Haenszel procedure when screening for differential item functioning was investigated with a simulated data set. Results suggest that more than modest reductions cannot be recommended when ability distributions of reference and focal groups differ. (SLD)

Reviews research findings on academic self-concept, including the multidimensional character of academic self-concept, the role of frame of reference in academic self-concept formation, and the relationship between academic achievement and academic self-concept. Explores implications of this research for educational practice and suggests areas for…

As a result of a recent College Board Admissions Testing Program Achievement Test scaling study, L. L. Cook and others recommended that the practice of sampling only high school juniors taking the achievement tests in June might be expanded to include sophomores and that a two-stage scaling procedure be evaluated. The two-stage procedure would…

In 1992 N. S. Raju and others proposed a general procedure for assessing differential test functioning (DTF) and item bias (differential item functioning or DIF) in tests developed with unidimensional, multidimensional, or polytomous item response theory (IRT) models. The purpose of this paper is to assess the adequacy and validity of their…

This paper examines the role of identity within the radical democratic traditions, specifically the categories known as citizens and worker. The progressive coalition aimed at countering classism, racism, ethnic and gender injustices, homophobia and misogyny must seek an axis around which to organize the diversity of humankind. Retaining the…

Theory and research concerning early adolescent self-concept and self-esteem indicate that: (1) many early adolescents' cognitive changes affect dramatically the way they see and evaluate themselves; (2) a variety of new significant others are involved in early adolescent self-concept; and (3) changes taking place during adolescence are not as…

A theoretical model is proposed for confidence in knowledge based on the assumption that people are good judges of the reliability of their knowledge, provided that the knowledge is representatively sampled from a specified reference class as defined by E. Brunswik (1943). Experiments with 177 college students support the theory. (SLD)

Relates Wade's and Gelso's Male Reference Group Dependence Theory to past and present literature in the new psychology of men. Points out the strengths of the ideas and data; reflects on where the theory needs more clarification and extension. (MKA)

Argues that Wade's Male Reference Group Identity Dependence Theory seems to cover familiar groups in respect to gender issues. Also holds that Wade's theory is not sensitive enough to individual differences. Discusses the status of the groups in the study. Offers suggestions for future research. (MKA)