Maintains that van Hoof misrepresents views of theorists and researchers working with identity status constructs. Examines the paradigm's theoretical underpinnings and the construct validity of ego identity. Provides empirical evidence for six propositions within the theory of identity status development. Examines literature reviewed by van Hoof…

This study compared the timing of early vocational preferences in young adolescents from former East Germany and West Germany. Results suggested that as the memory of the Communist system fades and as younger adolescents have had less exposure to it, East-West differences tend to disappear. The formation of early vocational preferences was…

This cohort-sequential study assessed family and university environment on identity formation and ego strength. Findings indicated few developmental changes over 2 years. Intellectual and supportive academic departments and democratic family life predicted ego strength. The effect of intellectual and supportive academic departments on psychosocial…

Eighty-five adolescent boys studying at an Israeli school for the academically talented and 27 adolescent boys studying at a regular school filled out ego identity questionnaires and cognitive complexity questionnaires. Talented boys scored higher on cognitive complexity and on two dimensions of ego identity: (1) meaningfulness versus alienation…

The articles in this issue each contribute uniquely to the growing field of adolescent religious and spiritual development. Together, they also illustrate important themes in the field, including the multidimensionality of the domain of religious and spiritual development and a growing emphasis on themes consistent with developmental systems…

Adolescent adjustment measures may be related to each other and to the social environment in various ways. Are these relationships similar in genetic and environmental sources of covariation, or different? A multivariate behaviorgenetic analysis was made of 6 adjustment and 3 treatment composites from the study Nonshared Environment in Adolescent…

The key to improving student achievement, the author asserts, is to pay attention to child and adolescent development. If this factor is overlooked, new approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment will have little chance of succeeding. But even troubled districts that have made development a priority have seen remarkable success. The…

Building a shared vision in an organization that serves children is not a simple task. While the leaders may have an end in mind, it is imperative that all stakeholders feel ownership of that end goal. That can only be accomplished if the process itself reflects the vision. This article explains the process and practical strategies for building a…

This study examined 2 samples of adolescents and mothers using a child-based design (Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development [NEAD] project, N = 395 families) and a parent-based design (Twin Moms [TM] project, N = 236 twin family pairs) to compare genetic and environmental influences on mothering. For both samples, the same measures of…

The authors report on a telephone poll with a nationally representative sample of 1,425 U.S. adults in which they investigated how parental status and age of child might affect patterns of adult engagement with children and youth outside their own families. Compared to nonparents, parents considered 12 of 20 ways of being involved with young…

The objective of this study was to test our alternative interpretation of the separation-individuation hypothesis. This interpretation states that separation from the parents is not a precondition for individuation, but rather separation and individuation are two parallel processes of development during adolescence. We investigated our…

Objective: This study examined the relationship between ego development and psychological defenses to aggressive behavior in a group of psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Method: Subjects were 245 adolescents ages 12-16, who were assessed for aggressive behaviors, assaultive incidents, ego development and defenses. Results: Aggressive…

The third wave of the Overcoming the Odds longitudinal study involves data about individual and ecological developmental assets and thriving among African American male adolescents in inner-city Detroit gangs (N = 43) or in youth development, community-based organizations (CBO; N = 50). Both groups had comparable levels of either low or high…

Physical and verbal aggression is an increasing problem in both middle and high schools across the United States. While physical forms of aggression are targeted in traditional "bullying" programs, relational aggression (RA), or the use of relationships to hurt another, is often not detected or addressed. For girls in the stage of identity…

There is a well-developed literature examining the immediate consequences of experiencing maltreatment during childhood. However, because of the problems of conducting longitudinal studies which follow subjects over many years, less is known about the long-term consequences of maltreatment. Using the Rochester Youth Development study, a…