This study collected data on 112 disadvantaged preschoolers in central Indiana to determine predictors of preacademic competence at the end of the Head Start year. Parents were interviewed to assess home educational environment, parenting dimensions, and daily stress factors. Teacher ratings of children's behavior, social skills, and competence in…

A group of three studies investigated sources of learning difficulty in 18 current or former foreign graduate students with limited English skills whose native language was Chinese, and compared the findings with those for a similar group of 14 native English-speaking graduate students. Students were asked seven questions about their first year of…

This book examines some of the implications of recent changes in the British academic world created by the financial stringency imposed by the British Government. It is also concerned with the intrinsic pressures of advancement of knowledge and scholarly endeavor. The book also examines the pressures experienced by students who are expected not…

Counseling services evaluation studies were conducted at one university counseling center in 1987, 1990, 1991, and 1993. The 1987 survey was a comprehensive effort to obtain data from 1,000 students living on campus. The next three surveys used a brief format of 50 items, focusing on current counseling center clients. Subjects included 436…

This study examined two models of stress in early adolescence during the transition from elementary to middle school. One model suggested that role strain would predict self-esteem, with perceived competence and social support serving as moderators of strain. The second model predicted that self-esteem, perceived competence, and social support…

Previous research has demonstrated an association between locus of control in adolescence and a successful transition to adulthood. Having an external locus of control has been implicated as an important factor in adolescent behaviors such as teenage pregnancy and delinquency, and has been found to be negatively related to school achievement. This…

This paper presents a rationale for and description of psychological services in the areas of consultation and education for university dental students at the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. The paper notes several factors pointing to the need for such services: first, while dental professionals and students are disinclined to seek…

Recent research on the impact of economics on mental and physical health has raised fundamental questions about structural elements in the macro-economy and their role in creating stress. This paper reviews and integrates these sometimes conflicting findings into a cohesive model. Structural elements of our current economic system are identified…

A monograph examines the role of risk and risk management in experiential education, particularly stress/challenge programming. Definitions of risk are presented. The importance of risk and stress in experiential education is emphasized. Implications of subjective versus objective risk assessment in adventure education are discussed, with…

The Parenting Stress Index (PSI) is a clinical and research self-report instrument (101 items) designed as a screening and diagnostic assessment technique to identify parent and child systems which are under stress, and in which deviant development of the child is likely to take place, or where dysfunctional parenting is likely to occur. The PSI…

Researchers are finding that high demands plus low control over how the job is done make a job stressful. According to Professor Robert Karasek of Columbia University, the statistics on heart disease and high blood pressure prove that nonprofessional workers such as typists are under more stress than professional workers such as teachers. Dr.…

This monograph examines the phenomenon of young children who lack the socialization and academic preparation needed to meet the demands of schooling and take advantage of educational programs. Such children have inadequately nurtured bodies and incompletely or inappropriately stimulated minds. The changing nature of childhood is portrayed in…

Formal guidance and counseling in Kenya is recognized more than ever. The development of effective guidance and counseling programs will be guided by needs assessment. This study used data from a larger study on guidance and counseling needs assessment of primary school pupils of Gachika Sub-location, Nyeri Town, and Nairobi City. Differences in…

The Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs is considering legislation to improve mental health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. This report is in response to the Committee's request for information on the mental health needs of Indian adolescents and the services available to them. The section on mental health problems among…

This document consists of Part 2 of a book of readings on at-risk youth designed to provide information and strategies for counselors, teachers, parents, administrators, social workers, and others who work with youth at risk. Part 2 contains five readings on causal factors related to at-risk behaviors. "The Harmful Effects of Dysfunctional Family…