Reports findings from a national longitudinal cross-site evaluation of high-risk youth to clarify the relationships between risk and protective factors and substance use. Findings suggest that multi-dimensional prevention programming stressing the fostering of conventional anti-substance use attitudes among parents and peers and development of…

Indecisive students often present with social skills problems, which may make academic and vocational decision-making tasks difficult and complex for them. This article presents a training program devised to augment assertive competencies in indecisive students choosing a university course of study. Intended aims and the analyses to assess the…

Conducted a prospective longitudinal study to investigate whether anxiety, depressive, personality, or substance abuse disorders increase risk for onset of bulimia nervosa (BN) or binge eating disorder (BED) during adolescence. Findings for 201 adolescents suggest that adolescents with chronic depressive symptoms may be at elevated risk for the…

Used confirmatory factor analysis to investigate validity of Holland's model for 155 Canadian high school students. Analysis revealed that Holland's model was quite appropriate in explaining relationships among six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional across the areas of Activities,…

Undergraduate students (N=215) were surveyed in a study that explored the relationships between trait test anxiety (fear of failure) and state test anxiety (emotionality and worry). The study also examined the relative strengths of trait and state measures of test anxiety as predictors of college academic performance. (IAH)

Adults (N=86) with learning disabilities completed the Personality Pattern Inventory, an employment history, and an interview. Verbal intelligence quotient was found to be the best predictor of employment success or lack of success. The incidence of reactor, persister, and workaholic personality types differed between subjects and a population of…

This article describes three archetypal workers: eagles who innovate by improvements, otters who innovate by extension, and unicorns who innovate by paradigm. Each of these innovators is discussed in terms of domain-relevant skills, manipulative skills, and motivation. Needs of each type in terms of business culture are discussed. (PB)

Claims little factual evidence exists for proposition that child rearing styles and family environments are formative of personality traits. Contends nonintellectual traits seem to be determined instead by genetic influences and relatively specific environmental influences, most of which are particularly tied to the family or parental treatments.…

Two studies investigated humor among a total of 151 gifted adolescents. It was found that (1) in a sociometry of humor test, gifted adolescents received either few or many choices in a bimodal distribution; and (2) gifted adolescent humorists were more extroverted, more creative, and lower in need for social approval than other gifted adolescents.…

Investigated personality characteristics of adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) by using the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test and the Personal Orientation Inventory with undergraduate and graduate college students (N=41). Results indicated there were no significant differences between the ACAs and nonACAs in identifying feelings, expressing…

Variations in "foot-in-the-door" effect (gaining compliance in small requests to increase compliance with larger requests) examined for enhancing client motivation to change in counseling. Participants (N=56) assigned to one of four conditions in 2 x 2 factorial design based on presence or absence of request and motivation labeling.…

Use of anabolic steroids is believed to increase the odds of violent antisocial behavior, thus posing risks to consumers and the general public. Some research shows the danger of steroids in inducing severe adverse psychiatric effects. Certain lawyers use this abuse to plead insanity for their clients. (SM)

A theoretical model of person memory and judgment--the processes underlying the formation of person impressions--is presented. It incorporates both specific behaviors and abstract personality dispositions or behavioral tendencies. The model accounts for factors affecting recall of social information and interpersonal judgments and is applicable to…

Low- and moderate-exploratory children (mean age 6.9 years) with learning disabilities engaged in exploratory behavior independently and with an adult who communicated support in one of two nonintrusive ways. Consistent with a developmental motivation perspective, the children showed higher levels of exploration under both kinds of supportive…

An interactionist model of creative behavior is proposed, combining elements of the personality, cognitive, and social psychology perspectives on creativity. The model considers the interplay of factors including antecedent conditions, creative behavior, consequences, the individual, cognitive style/ability, personality traits, contextual…