Explored differences between high- and low-achieving freshmen women on cognitive and psychological variables. Results support hypotheses that high achievers would have a more internal locus of control, be more cognitively complex, possess a higher academic self-concept, and report more confidence in their ability and effort than would students in…

Sixty doctoral students aged 37-48 completed the Sentence Completion Test and a personal orientation inventory. Results indicated that they experienced significant personal growth and greater intrinsic locus of control at schools with nonauthoritarian environments emphasizing support, trust, respect, and self-directed learning. Exposure to a level…

Relationships among locus of control, academic program, and sex of 267 ninth-graders were studied. As hypothesized, students in the advanced level program were more internally controlled than were general or basic level students. Although locus of control was related to academic level, its relationship to gender was not consistent. (SLD)

Explored agreement in occupational field between adolescents' career aspirations and expectations and influence of gender, grade in school, and locus of control on amount of agreement. Results from 500 secondary school students revealed little agreement in occupational field between career aspiration and expectation, and also indicated no grade,…

Assessed personality factors of 152 adolescent drivers. Found that subjects convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and juvenile offenders without DWI citations more often endorsed feelings of powerlessness and stressful life events than did drivers without DWI citations. DWI offenders were more likely to indicate that alcohol made them loud,…

Explored relationship between situational variables, personality (relational competence) variables, and two outcome variables (perceived control and0d/AIW ssion) that increase risk of child abuse. Found control and depression among high-risk parents to be consistently predicted by relational competence variables such as shyness, assertiveness,…

Examines the relationship between science locus of control (SciLOC) orientation and attitudes toward teaching science among 104 preservice elementary school teachers. Path analysis of the proposed causal model accounts for 57 percent of the variance in expressed attitudes and 11 percent of the variance in SciLOC orientation. (Author/YP)

Investigated relationship between academic achievement and locus of control among 643 elementary school students. Found no main effects for gender or race. Observed significant main effect for condition (at-risk versus not-at-risk), with at-risk students being more externally oriented. Found significant effect for grade, trend being for grade…

Assessed classroom stress and burnout experienced by 121 gifted and talented students, ages 10-15, in combination with background, personal, and general anxiety and stress variables. Found poor self-esteem, an externalized locus of control, high levels of state and trait anxiety, poor school life quality, and tedium proved to be significant…

Tested mildly depressed undergraduates (N=52) in treatment for depression using cognitive-behavioral, self-help manual. Results suggest that Holland's Realistic personality types are most successful in terms of reduction of depression scores, whereas Enterprising types are least successful in terms of attrition. Low superiority, high generalized…

Beckman's rating scale for antecedents of alcohol use was administered to 212 high school freshmen and juniors, including equal numbers of American Indians and Euroamericans. Compared to other adolescents, American Indian males felt that heredity and fate played a greater role and their environment played a lesser role in their use of alcohol. (KS)

Interviewed 22 women who were survivors of childhood sexual abuse, yet who were able to have relationships, stable careers, and healthy personalities. Interviews revealed resiliency themes of ability to find emotional support outside the family; self-regard or ability to think well of oneself; spirituality; external attribution of blame and…

Reports a study that examined the utility of health and exercise locus of control and health and exercise value in predicting exercise behavior in 86 adults. Survey results indicated that exercise locus of control was a better predictor of exercise behavior than a more general measure of health locus of control. (Author/SM)

Assessed adolescent females' perceptions of control over acquisition of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and its emotional impact. No differences were found in coping strategies by age group or STD history. Subjects used numerous coping strategies--those viewing the future acquisition of a STD more negatively used more strategies. (RJM)

This study compared levels of computer use by 170 practicing elementary school teachers with 167 preservice teachers' expected levels of use. Results of questionnaires assessed levels of computer use, self-competence in the use of computers, perceived relevance of computers to teaching, teacher locus of control, and teacher innovativeness.…