Showing papers in "Journal of Youth and Adolescence in 1975"
TL;DR: The development of an attitude inventory based on an interdisciplinary model of psychosocial maturity, a self-report instrument, is described, which is suited for the assessment of youngsters in the approximate age range 11–18.
Abstract: The educational community lacks tools for assessing the nonacademic growth of students - their growth as persons and as social beings. This paper describes the development of an attitude inventory based on an interdisciplinary model of psychosocial maturity. The Psychosocial Maturity Inventory, a self-report instrument, is comprised of nine subscales and is suited for the assessment of youngsters in the approximate age range 11-18. Among the studies reviewed are ones which (1) specify at various age levels the internal consistency of the subscales, (2) report the association between the subscales and various measures of academic achievement, and (3) describe the relationship of the subscales to other measures of personality such as "faking good," anxiety, and self-esteem. Factor analyses of the Inventory provide an empirical base for testing the proposed theoretical structure of psychosocial maturity.
258 citations
TL;DR: Findings show more disturbance among White adolescent females than among White males or Black females: White girls become much more self-conscious and show greater self-image instability and somewhat lower self-esteem.
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to compare the self-images of male and female children in order to determine whether females were at a particular disadvantage and, if so, why. A random sample of 1988 children from grades 3–12 were interviewed in Baltimore in 1968. Findings show more disturbance among White adolescent females than among White males or Black females: White girls become much more self-conscious and show greater self-image instability and somewhat lower self-esteem. Three sets of factors appear to explain part of these differences: (1) attitudes toward present and future sex role, (2) peer relationships in general and opposite sex relationships in particular, and (3) attitudes toward changing looks in adolescence.
203 citations
TL;DR: The findings indicated that 33.3% of this school population were experiencing moderate to severe depression and 35% of the sample acknowledged current suicidal ideation.
Abstract: The authors wished to determine whether depression was present in an early adolescent nonpatient identified school population. Questionnaires were administered to seventh and eighth grade students in a parochial extended elementary school. The findings indicated that 33.3% of this school population were experiencing moderate to severe depression and 35% of the sample acknowledged current suicidal ideation. A comparison of mean scores showed a trend toward more depressive symptomatology in the eighth grade, possibly indicating a developmental critical period. A correlation of individual scores and teacher ratings suggests that teacher evaluation may have some direct effect on the student's emotional health. The authors make specific suggestions for promoting improved mental health in a school setting.
183 citations
TL;DR: The findings provide strong support for the position that the genesis of negative self-attitudes is a common influence mediating between adverse membership group experiences and the adoption of any of a wide variety of deviant responses.
Abstract: The hypothesis that increase in negative self-attitudes is an antecedent condition of deviant responses was tested. Subjects were seventhgrade students who responded to a questionnaire three times at annual intervals (N=3148). Self-attitudes were measured by a sevenitem self-derogation scale. Change in self-derogation was determined by expressing the posttest score as a deviation from the posttest-on-pretest regression line. For each of 22 deviant acts it was hypothesized and observed that, among students denying performance of the act prior to T2 T3, students affirming performance during T2 T3, relative to students continuing denial of performance, will have manifested significantly greater antecedent increases in self-derogation during T1 T2. The comparisons were significant in 19 of the 22 instances. The findings provide strong support for the position that the genesis of negative self-attitudes is a common influence mediating between adverse membership group experiences and the adoption of any of a wide variety of deviant responses.
126 citations
TL;DR: A group of 22 undergraduates at a large Midwestern state university were interviewed to determine their “identity states,” i.e., identity foreclosure, identity diffusion, identity moratorium, moratorium-diffusion, or identity achievement, and a distinctive interpersonal style was associated with each identity status.
Abstract: A group of 22 undergraduates at a large Midwestern state university were interviewed to determine their "identity states," i.e., identity foreclosure, identity diffusion, identity moratorium, moratorium-diffusion, or identity achievement. A distinctive interpersonal style, both toward peers and toward authority, was associated with each identity status. For example, the identity foreclosed people were talkative, compliant toward authority, and covetous of the regard of peers; the identity moratorium people were rebellious toward authority and counterdependent toward peers. The significance of these findings for a theory of identity development is discussed.
65 citations
TL;DR: Women in those identity statuses defined by occupational, ideological, and sexual commitment were significantly more field-independent than women in those statuses which were not committed to elements of psychosocial identity (Moratorium and Diffusion).
Abstract: Fifty-five senior college women were given an ego identity status interview, two measures of field-independence (the Embedded Figures Test and figure drawings), and the Gough Femininity Scale. A significant relationship was found between ego identity status and field-independence, as measured by the EFT. Women in those identity statuses defined by occupational, ideological, and sexual commitment (Achievement and Foreclosure) were significantly more field-independent than women in those statuses which were not committed to elements of psychosocial identity (Moratorium and Diffusion). There was a trend toward a significant relationship between ego identity status and traditional femininity. No relationship was found between field-independence and traditional femininity.
60 citations
TL;DR: Both analyses of variance and correlational analyses indicated that there was greater similarity between the actual attitudes of the mothers and fathers than between either parental group and their children.
Abstract: The present study assessed the comparability of adolescents' (N=184), their mothers' (N=184), and their fathers' (N=184) attitudes toward contemporary societal issues, as well as each familial group's perceptions of the other two groups' attitudes. Results of multivariated analyses of variance indicated that while there were significant overall differences between adolescents' and either parent's self-ratings for the 36 questionnaire items (dealing with such topics as drug use, sexuality, and dress codes), major (i.e., 2-scale-point) differences between generational groups existed on only about 20% of the items. However, as predicted, both adolescents and parents misperceived the extensiveness of the divisions between them. Adolescents significantly overestimated the number of major differences between themselves and their mothers and fathers, while these two parental groups significantly underestimated such divisions. These distortions in perceived attitudes were also reflected in the results of correlational analyses assessing intrafamilial attitude consistencies and inconsistencies across the 36 items. Self-alternative-family-members' perceived attitudes correlations showed greater consistency than existed in the self-alternative-family-members' actual attitudes correlations. Moreover, both analyses of variance and correlational analyses indicated that there was greater similarity between the actual attitudes of the mothers and fathers than between either parental group and their children. These results are discussed in terms of the cognitive and emotional significance of the intrafamilial attitudes of adolescents and parents.
29 citations
TL;DR: Generational comparisons revealed that the fathers were significantly more likely than their sons to be in the foreclosure category and were significantly less likely thanTheir sons to being in the moratorium and diffusion statuses.
Abstract: This study was designed to compare the relative frequencies of the various ego identity statuses across two generations and to determine the nature of the relationship between the identity statuses of fathers and their sons. Male college students and their fathers were given Marcia 's semistructured ego identity status interview. Generational comparisons revealed that the fathers were significantly more likely than their sons to be in the foreclosure category and were significantly less likely than their sons to be in the moratorium and diffusion statuses. No relationship was found between the identity statuses of fathers and their sons. Among the fathers, high levels of education were found to be associated with identity achievement, while low levels of education were associated with identity diffusion.
19 citations
TL;DR: Some of the functions of humor and laughter in two groups of young adolescent girls were studied, finding that humor worked when frightening words could be reduced to familiar or diminutive ones and failed when content was too “grownup”.
Abstract: Some of the functions of humor and laughter in two groups of young adolescent girls were studied When humor was successful and giggling and laughter a pleasureful release, the material, spontaneous talk and jokes, resonated with current developmental tasks Among them were those dealing with bodily changes, early relationships with boys, disguised masturbatory wishes, and ambivalent feelings toward mothers Some cognitive aspects of joking are examined Humor worked when frightening words could be reduced to familiar or diminutive ones Humor failed when content was too “grownup”: when the subject matter stimulated frightening fantasies of male penetration and damage and frightening images of the mature female body or fears of punishment
19 citations
TL;DR: The case histories of ten nonpsychotic patients (nine female and one male) who had experienced hallucinations are summarized, finding significant anxiety and depression were found in the majority of the patients, five of whom expressed suicidal ideas.
Abstract: The case histories of ten nonpsychotic patients (nine female and one male) who had experienced hallucinations are summarized. Significant anxiety and depression were found in the majority of the patients, five of whom expressed suicidal ideas. Stress factors were primarily family and school. Eight children had combined auditory and visual hallucinations, which involved dead relatives in five cases. The aims or purposes of the hallucinations were multiple, but escape mechanisms were most common. A profile of the nonpsychotic patient most likely to experience hallucinations would be a socially immature teenage girl who is experiencing depression and anxiety due to stress within the family.
18 citations
TL;DR: This study investigated the assumption that youth culture orientation adversely affects school performance, using rock music as the youth culture component, and found that retention was significantly lower in the rock music condition.
Abstract: This study investigated the assumption that youth culture orientation adversely affects school performance, using rock music as the youth culture component. Adolescents in grades 9-12 were assigned to a subject matter topic in the area of literature, mathematics, physical science, or social science and requested to study this topic intensely for 30 min in a music condition consisting of rock, classical, or no music. The subjects then were tested on their retention of the factual content of the article either immediately after the study period, 1 day later, or 3 days later. Retention was significantly lower in the rock music condition. Students recalled more content in the literature topic and in the immediate test. The results are discussed with reference to a social learning theory interpretation of youth culture.
TL;DR: It was found that with few exceptions all four measures of status origins offer extremely low predictive utility vis-à-visdelinquent involvement.
Abstract: This report examines the relationship between status origins and delinquency using an expanded range of status origin indicators together with both self-report and official measures of delinquency. Data were drawn from an ongoing investigation of adolescents in the Pacific Northwest. It was found that with few exceptions all four measures of status origins offer extremely low predictive utility vis-a-visdelinquent involvement. It is suggested that future efforts be directed at unraveling other more fruitful indicators of delinquency and, most especially, at examining the structure, process, and implications of differential status allocation within the educational arena.
TL;DR: This study suggests that important components in career level aspiration are related to the total personality styles of both parents and adolescents and that achievement motivation is more a function of the models children are exposed to than the training they receive.
Abstract: Highly gifted young people vary considerably in the career levels to which they aspire. Such differences normally are explained in terms of child rearing and subsequent learned achievement motivation. This study suggests that important components in career level aspiration are related to the total personality styles of both parents and adolescents and that achievement motivation is more a function of the models children are exposed to than the training they receive. Recent research concerning the relationship between personality and occupational choice provides a means for evaluating this explanation.
TL;DR: Whether high-income or low-income group, the overwhelming number of problems were associated with educational adjustment and were interpreted as the reaction to pressures to achieve imposed on adolescents of this age.
Abstract: The problems of adjustment during the midadolescent years were examined in 1298 privileged and underprivileged adolescents from the Sydney Metropolitan Area, Australia. Girls reported more problems than boys in all areas of adjustment and underprivileged adolescents more problems than the privileged group; however, a significant interaction effect was also found. Whether high-income or low-income group, the overwhelming number of problems were associated with educational adjustment and were interpreted as the reaction to pressures to achieve imposed on adolescents of this age.
TL;DR: Three midadolescent males with major congenital urogenital anomalies and multiple surgical repairs are described, who had suffered repeated profound insults to body image concepts and gender identity from infancy onward, now clearly reflected in his psychosocial behavior and in figure drawings.
Abstract: Three midadolescent males with major congenital urogenital anomalies and multiple surgical repairs are described. Each patient had suffered repeated profound insults to body image concepts and gender identity from infancy onward, now clearly reflected in his psychosocial behavior and in figure drawings. Of major importance is the total lack at any time of counseling and emotional support as a part of comprehensive management. A plea is made for awareness of the psychological effects of such disorders and the need for long-range therapeutic planning from early childhood through adolescence to develop sound compensatory modes of coping with this stress.
TL;DR: An increase in behavior problems at adolescence which is more marked for the younger females and younger males is supported and neither gender nor age, separately, determines the degree of behavioral disturbance.
Abstract: Fifty-seven parents, usually mothers, rated their adolescent sons and daughters on the Walker Checklist at the time of their initial clinic appointment Parents perceived this group of adolescents as more disturbed than the elementary school age normative group on three of the scales, Immaturity, Acting Out, and Distractibility The results support an increase in behavior problems at adolescence which is more marked for the younger females and younger males Neither gender nor age, separately, determines the degree of behavioral disturbance, with one exception The scores of both the younger and older male groups are significantly higher than the scores of their corresponding female groups on the school-related Distractibility scale
TL;DR: Evidence is presented which suggests that these dimensions of moral behavior can be objectively assessed and that the model works reasonably well in predicting and explaining moral conduct.
Abstract: This article discusses the relationship between human rule systems and social action. It assumes that all meaningful behavior is rule-governed. If so, then individual differences in moral conduct can be explained in terms of differences in the manner in which people use, justify, and maintain rules. Specifically, moral behavior can be understood in terms of five dimensions: moral knowledge, style of moral judgment, socialization, empathy, and autonomy. Evidence is presented which suggests that these dimensions can be objectively assessed and that the model works reasonably well in predicting and explaining moral conduct.
TL;DR: Investigation of the relationship between beliefs in the legitimacy of political objects and approval of political protest and violence among a sample of children and adolescents in a Florida town shows beliefs in political legitimacy are shown to be of considerable importance but have little impact on opinions about protest.
Abstract: A question of general theoretical relevance for political socialization research concerns the role played by basic political orientations in structuring specific political opinions. This report investigates the relationship between beliefs in the legitimacy of political objects and approval of political protest and violence among a sample of children and adolescents. The setting for the research was a Florida town. Four aspects of political legitimacy are defined and measured. Measures of approval of political protest and political violence are distinguished conceptually and empirically. Beliefs in political legitimacy are shown to be of considerable importance in structuring opinions about political violence but have little impact on opinions about protest.
TL;DR: Analysis of the results suggested that Fear of Success is a complex phenomenon which may take different forms involving various kinds of cultural expectations and different degrees of conflict.
Abstract: This study was designed to facilitate understanding of different forms and expressions of Fear of Success. It had four specific aims: (1) to test for Fear of Success in response to a semiprojective measure among Israeli pupils in their last year in high school, (2) to test for developmental trends in this variable, (3) to investigate whether disadvantaged pupils also express Fear of Success, and (4) to investigate more overt expressions of negative attitudes toward success. The sample was comprised of 391 subjects of two age groups (13 and 17), two social classes (advantaged and disadvantaged), and both sexes. The results replicated Horner's findings in that advantaged girls in high school scored higher on projective Fear of Success than advantaged boys. However, in elementary school both scored low. A novel finding was that disadvantaged pupils of both sexes scored high on Fear of Success in high school. Subgroups scoring high on projective Fear of Success also revealed a variety of negative attitudes toward success in response to the overt measures. Analysis of the results suggested that Fear of Success is a complex phenomenon which may take different forms involving various kinds of cultural expectations and different degrees of conflict.
TL;DR: Inferences are drawn about the boys' lack of interpersonal skills and their use of fantasy to support their masculine sex role.
Abstract: This study was concerned with verbal behavior in a discussion group setting Two groups of nine tenth grade boys met for eight sessions in an unstructured group discussion Verbal behavior was coded using a modified version of Bales' interaction process analysis The most frequently coded behaviors were Giving Opinions, Dramatizing, and Expressing Anxiety Verbal participation and initiation were positively correlated (r'=088) Slightly more of the interaction was coded as affective than cognitive Positive ratings of the group experience by theSs are contrasted to behavioral evidence of discomfort and anxiety Inferences are drawn about the boys' lack of interpersonal skills and their use of fantasy to support their masculine sex role
TL;DR: The findings permit the conclusion that the residential treatment approach used here can produce significant improvements which are stable over time, at least for the group as a whole, but that some exceptions exist.
Abstract: Findings from a 2-year research effort assessing the efficacy of the Young People's Unit (YPU) of Friends Hospital are presented. In one study, 79 patients were tested with the Offer Self-image Questionnaire for Adolescents (OSIQ) at the time of their admission to the YPU and at the time of their discharge (50 days later on the average). Data indicate significant improvements on all 11 scales of the OSIQ, but some subgroups improved more than others. A representative sample of 29 patients responded to a third administration of the OSIQ approximately 1 year after their discharge. As a group, these patients had maintained their level of improvement — there were no significant differences between discharge and followup OSIQs. Augmenting the followup sample through telephone contacts, 59 former patients could be separated into 44 treatment successes and 15 less well-adjusted adolescents: no significant differences on their admission OSIQs or on their demographic characteristics could be found. The findings permit the conclusion that the residential treatment approach used here can produce significant improvements which are stable over time, at least for the group as a whole, but that some exceptions exist. Further studies into the reasons for treatment failure are needed. Implications of this research for the reassessment of the unit are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors' findings suggest definite effects of socioeconomic status on the mental health of the developing female children and the effects of some socialization practices, such as parental dominance, restrictiveness, punishment types, and warmth, on psychosomatic incidences.
Abstract: The relationships among social class, socialization practices, and psychosomatic ailments have been reported by several psychological and sociological studies. However, a careful review of these studies reveals some contradictory results. In addition to inadequate sample size, these studies have been carried out on children of preschool and grade school ages. We collected data from 1518 high school aged adolescents who had unbroken families and who might be regarded as products of their families' class and socialization practices. Our findings suggest definite effects of socioeconomic status on the mental health of the developing female children. The effects of some socialization practices, such as parental dominance, restrictiveness, punishment types, and warmth, on psychosomatic incidences are further examined. Implications of the present study are discussed.
TL;DR: The affirmation of radical left political ideology was examined among a total of 159 religious apostates and 272 religious believers who were undergraduates at five Chicago area colleges and seven western North Carolina colleges, revealing a stance of critical disengagement rather than substitute conversion.
Abstract: The affirmation of radical left political ideology was examined among a total of 159 religious apostates and 272 religious believers who were undergraduates at five Chicago area colleges (study I) and seven western North Carolina colleges (study II). Contrary to current assumptions, apostates were not converts to radical ideology in any significant proportion, although they were clearly more disenchanted with their society and more sharply critical of its basic institutions. Apostates seem to take an ideological stance of critical disengagement rather than substitute conversion. Implications are discussed in the context of Erikson's theory interrelating ideological commitment and identity formation in youth.
TL;DR: Results indicate that in accordance with an ethics of responsibility, conservatives have a greater respect for the utility of rules in regulating human conduct and a greater tendency to attribute blame to the individual rather than the societal environment.
Abstract: This report is intended to clarify the relationship, observed in studies using Kohlberg's moral character model, between the character of college youth and their ideology. With a student sample, measures of three of Hogan's dimensions of moral character (moral judgment, socialization, and empathy) were correlated with sociopolitical ideology defined in terms of several indices of liberalismconservatism. Only the moral judgment dimension (ethics of social responsibility vs. ethics of personal conscience) as measured by Hogan 's Survey of Ethical Attitudes was related to ideology. These results indicate that in accordance with an ethics of responsibility, conservatives have a greater respect for the utility of rules in regulating human conduct and a greater tendency to attribute blame to the individual rather than the societal environment. The study provided no evidence to support conservative charges that radical youth possess delinquent predispositions or liberal and radical claims that conservatives are less concerned about the welfare of others.
TL;DR: This article proposes that several of the important concepts and perspectives achieved by these research developments be incorporated into present institutional treatment programs by way of a social science education program which reflectively examines the interpretations of hospitalization fashioned by psychiatric sociologists.
Abstract: The pioneer research and theoretical formulations of the psychiatric sociologists during the last decade have demonstrated the critical influence social processes have in the drift toward mental patient careers. In this article, I propose that several of the important concepts and perspectives achieved by these research developments be incorporated into present institutional treatment programs by way of a social science education program which reflectively examines the interpretations of hospitalization fashioned by psychiatric sociologists.
TL;DR: An autobiographical account of “acting out of character” at a life turning point is presented as a window on a young person's identity crisis.
Abstract: An autobiographical account of "acting out of character" at a life turning point is presented as a window on a young person's identity crisis. Analysis of that account reveals (1) that the "play" of the tentative identities reflects the concurrent crisis in the character of that person's society, (2) that the story the person now has to tell sets forth the range of the psychosocial issues active in his life, (3) that the mysteries generated identify for the person the specific issues at crisis, (4) that the novelty of the event itself catalyzes called for changes, and (5) that the metaphor of the "out of character" actions serves to preview the ultimate resolution.
TL;DR: The major goal of this study was to establish some basic variable groups that could provide additional meaning and direction for reintroducing an integrated conservation program into the secondary school curriculum through a more appealing instructional approach.
Abstract: This study was an attempt to isolate and identify some important variables related to conservation knowledge and interest in high school age youth. The major goal of this study was to establish some basic variable groups that could provide additional meaning and direction for reintroducing an integrated conservation program into the secondary school curriculum through a more appealing instructional approach. Findings indicated that the assumption of a direct relationship between knowledge and interest does not necessarily hold. Findings also contradict popular assumptions regarding rural-urban, male-female, and age differences in levels of conservation knowledge and interest. Open-ended program approaches based on the variables identified could lead to improved methods for increasing conservation knowledge and interest.
TL;DR: While the augmented treatment scores were significantly better than the minimal treatment ones, the evidence was ambiguous concerning whether there was a developmental improvement in spontaneous elaboration skills for high achievers.
Abstract: The development of paired-associate (PA) learning and formal thinking during adolescence was investigated with 78 sixth and tenth grade students Group-administered tests of formal and divergent thinking were given in the tracked, classroom setting The augmented PA treatment provided, and the minimal PA treatment did not provide, verbal and pictorial prompts The percentages of children showing formal thinking increased and converged to the 40% mark for both high and average achievers While the augmented treatment scores were significantly better than the minimal treatment ones, the evidence was ambiguous concerning whether there was a developmental improvement in spontaneous elaboration skills for high achievers The hypothesis predicting PA learning to be positively related to divergent thinking, and negatively related to formal thinking, was not supported