Summarizes research studies published since 1960 which provide comparative data on Black and White adolescents. Topics covered include academic achievement, development, creativity, achievement motivation, locus of control, self-concept, personality, aspirations, attitudes and beliefs, and mass media use patterns. (GC)

This paper reports the results of a survey of 1349 secondary school students in a rural county in North Carolina. Data are presented on psychological and social problems, self-concept, locus of control orientation, utilization of professional and nonprofessional counseling resources, and the family relationships of the respondents. (Author)

Several measures of psychopathology were administered to 111 psychiatric inpatients (ages 13 to 17) including 46 patients who reported sexually abusive experiences. None of the scales was correlated with sexual abuse in either sex, and a history of physical abuse was the only characteristic that significantly correlated with sexual abuse for both…

Interviews with seven recent-immigrant Chinese families in Canada examined parental expectations of their children's school performance. Parents' expectations motivated their children to pursue goals with hard work, which enhanced self-efficacy and nurtured good study habits. However, high parental expectations and unwillingness to accommodate…

A study examined career aspirations of 15 girls (ages 14-19) with behavior disorders and the contribution of life experiences. Results indicate participants were highly engaged with their school-supported vocational experiences, family cohesion had a significant effect on career aspirations, and participants believed they had little control over…

Examined four variables (sense of control, perceived social support, degree of achievement motivation, and experienced satisfaction) thought to mediate or buffer adolescents from the negative impact of stress. Study of 61 students and their parents revealed that students perceiving high levels of support and self control had the lowest levels of…

Three variant group counseling approaches for 128 low-performing seventh and eighth grade students were compared on self-concept, locus of control, school grades, attitude, and behavior. Data analysis showed the marathon approach to group counseling to be more effective than traditional approaches. (Author/TE)

Found that 12 percent of 392 victims of crime had contact with mental health professionals within few months postcrime. Mental health service use was most prevalent when depressive symptoms were present and crime involved violence. Among victims of violence, urban residence, high social support, internal locus of control, and prior crime…

Crisis and vulnerability in adolescent development were investigated by focusing on different self-concept dimensions and the relationships between them and between other personality factors. One study involving 5,976 elementary and secondary school and one study involving 701 secondary school students in Hong Kong indicated changing self-concepts…

Examines the influence of locus of control and gender on perception of sexually harassing communication across two samples: college students and adults working full-time in their chosen careers. Suggests that locus of control has little effect on females's perceptions but influences males, and full-time workers are more cognizant of harassment…

Traditional measures such as Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and grade point averages are not adequate to predict academic achievement of lower-achieving students. Combining traditional predictors with nontraditional ones (including psychological and cognitive variables) produces a more effective predictor model. (IAH)

Grade-level and achievement-level differences were studied in control-related beliefs and relations between students' beliefs and their reading and writing achievement for 364 students in grades 4, 7, and 10. Results suggest that beliefs characteristic of particular achievement levels are not simply reflections of age or grade level. (SLD)

Measures of survival skills, locus of control, study skills, achievement test scores, and grade point average for 86 students (ages 11-15) with behavioral disorders were analyzed to identify the correlates and predictors of their academic achievement. Overall, student achievement test performance was correlated with organizational skills and an…

A study of differences among 29 secondary school teachers rated by 501 secondary school students, other teachers, and administrators as master teachers or rated as not-so-masterful found no significant differences in teacher locus of control, pupil control ideology, and self-concept but did find differences in personality factors. (SLD)

This study examined the self-reported parenting experience and practices of women who were either incest victims of their fathers as children (n=20), whose fathers were alcoholic but not sexually abusive (n=25), or who had no known risk in childhood (n=39). Incest survivors reported less confidence and sense of control as parents. (Author/DB)