The psychosocial characteristics of at-risk high school students.

This study examined differences between high school students who were at risk for school failure and a control group of peers. Statistically significant differences were found with respect to locus of control, self-concept, and personal styles of learning. Implications focused upon approaches and suggestions regarding the use of such knowledge in facilitating improved adjustment and achievement in at-risk students.     

Characteristics of continuation high school students

This study examined the psychodynamics of students enrolled in a continuation high school. Forty continuation students were randomly selected and administered the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale and an author-prepared questionnaire which investigated students' experiences in a wide range of areas. The findings revealed that, contrary to expectations, these students had adequate self-concepts. Their responses to the questionnaire appeared to suggest that they were satisfied with their alternative school placement.     

Adolescent depression: Its prevalence in high school students

This paper presents the evidence pertaining to prevalence of depression in high school students. In spite of increasing concern with adolescent depression, prevalence figures are not clearly established, largely because of problems rooted in differences in conceptualization and measurement of this significant affective disorder. Original data from 103 high school tenth and eleventh graders from an urban school in South Carolina on the 13-item version of the Beck Depression Inventory are provided and compared with other prevalence data. On the basis of the cutoffs for level of severity established by Albert and Beck (Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 4, 301–307, 1975), 26% scored within the moderate range, and 6% scored within the severe range of depression. The implications of the high rate of reported depressive symptoms among adolescents are discussed in relation to school psychology practice.     

Sexual behavior of Colombian high school students

This paper presents the results of a survey on the sexual behavior of Colombian high school students. It documents significant gender differences in the sexual behavior of Colombian adolescents as compared with the more egalitarian sexual behavior of their American and European counterparts. The study indicates that prostitutes are playing a decreasing role in the sexual lives of Colombian males as a result of a trend toward premarital coital permissiveness among Colombian females. The findings also support previous studies which indicate that there are intrinsic gender differences in the intensity and frequency of sexual desire.     

Conservatism of Israeli junior high school students: interethnic differences

The aims of the study were (a) to establish the factor structure characterizing Israeli junior high school students of Western and Oriental ethnic origin on the Children's Scale of Social Attitudes, (b) to compare the Israeli factor structure with those for school children from other societies, and (c) to examine whether the Israeli school children's factor structure resembled those for Israeli adults as well as for adults from other societies. Analysis indicated that Israeli junior high school children from both Western and Oriental ethnic groups were characterized by similar factors of general conservatism, namely, Religion, Antihedonism, and Punitiveness, although the Orientals were more conservative on these factors than the Westerners. In addition, the present factor structure resembled those for groups of school children as well as adults from other societies, reconfirming that factors of general conservatism have cross-cultural validity.     

Sex-related differences in the aspirations of high school students

The factors affecting the educational and occupational aspirations of male and female high school students are compared. The main difference seems to be the role of perceived opportunities in mediating antecedent effects on aspirations. Males' perceptions of what they can and are expected to attain are strongly influenced by their academic ability and achievement, while females' perceptions are influenced mainly by their social origins. Academic achievement has a crucial positive effect on the aspirations of both groups. While its effect on boys' aspirations is more pronounced, the process of schooling tends also to increase the confidence of able and high performing girls and motivate them toward high career attainment.     

Personality,coping, and school well-being: an investigation of high school students

With a growing interest in well-being as an outcome of schooling, there is an increased need for research on how to enable it in students’ academic lives. This study examined personality and coping strategies as predictors of students’ well-being outcomes at school using structural equation modelling. Students (N?=?328) completed measures of personality and coping strategies, and then approximately 6 months later reported on their satisfaction with school and subjective well-being. Results indicated that, along with personality and sociodemographics, productive coping strategies were associated with school satisfaction and subjective well-being 6 months later. The findings suggest that coping strategies used by adolescents to deal with the stresses of school have important consequences. Interventions to increase school students’ use of productive coping strategies may have meaningful impacts on their well-being.     

The prevalence of depression in high school students

In response to the need expressed in the literature on adolescent depression, recent studies have examined the incidence of affective disorders. However, there continues to be a paucity of research on the prevalence of depressive symptomatology in nonpatient adolescents. The Canadian literature is especially lacking in this area. The present study examined the prevalence of depression in a sample of 366 Canadian high school students. Consistent with similar research in the United Kingdom and the United States, 31.4% of the sample were midly to clinically depressed as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory. Significant sex differences were found; these are discussed in the context of age and level of depression. The need for further research on adolescent depression is emphasized.     

Correlates of suicide ideation in high school students: the importance of depression

English-Canadian (104 boys, 96 girls) and French-Canadian (272 boys, 286 girls) high school students participated in this study of the relationship between suicide ideation and selected variables (age, gender, self-esteem, locus of control, stress, social support, anomy, health, alcohol use, and drug use), with the effect of depression removed. Partial correlation analyses showed that removal of the effect of depression resulted in a loss of or a reduction in the respective relationships between suicide ideation and its correlates. The results suggest that researchers must control for depression if they want to ascertain true correlates of suicidal behavior.     

Measurement of social-evaluative anxiety in junior high school students

This paper provides some initial normative and validity data on the Social Avoidance and Distress (SAD) and the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) scales for junior high school students. Findings indicated: the level of social-evaluative anxiety does not significantly vary during the junior high school years or between sexes, junior high school students report similar levels of FNE to college students but less SAD, a significant positive correlation between treatment subjects' SAD scores and peer sociometric ratings of social-evaluative anxiety, and subjects treated for social anxiety reported significantly less SAD and FNE at follow-up assessment. Recommendations for future research and clinical use of the SAD and FNE are offered.     

Vocational maturity of Arab and American high school students

The vocational maturity of Arab and American ninth- and eleventh-grade students were compared. Arab students were found to have lower maturity scores than American students. Eleventh graders of both nationalities were more vocationally mature than ninth graders. The possibility that the overall difference found between Arab and American students can be attributed to cultural differences was supported by the response trend of discriminating items as revealed by an item analysis.     

Effect of role choice on vocational high school students

This study was an attempt to determine whether the role choice dimension of Holland's theory was applicable to vocational high school students. The results of the study indicate that students with a clear role choice have significantly higher mean achievement scores, are more satisfied with their training program and have a lower attrition rate than students with an unclear role choice. These results seem to suggest that school counselors should listen to what students say they want to do in their work role.     

Asian values scale: comparisons of Korean and Korean-American high school students

This study was intended to examine mean differences on the Asian Values Scale between Korean and Korean-American high school students. For 199 Korean and 217 second generation Korean-American high school students, means on emotional self-control and collectivism were significantly different. A two-sample t test on the mean scores of Korean high school students (M=4.5, SD=0.6) and second-generation Korean-American high school students (M=3.9, SD=0.5) indicated significant differences (p<.001). This present study contrasts directly with Kim, Atkinson, and Yang's past findings of no differences between first- and second-generation Asian college students.     

Self-reported sources of stress in senior high school students

The main sources of stress reported by 423 Australian final-year high school students using the Academic Stress Questionnaire were school-related as expected. The highest sources of this stress were examinations and outcomes, too much to do, worry over future, making choices about career, studying for examinations, amount to learn, need to do well imposed by others, and self-imposed need to do well.     

Mental health of Iranian high school and college students

The objectives of this study were to investigate the mental health of Iranian high school and college students with regard to sex differences and to compare the results with those from other countries. The sample included 159 high school students (79 boys, 80 girls) and 160 college students (80 boys, 80 girls). The Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire was used to measure free floating anxiety, depression, phobia, obsession, and somatization. Significant effects of group and sex were noted for phobia, but for depression only the main effect of group was significant. For other scales neither the main effects of group and sex nor their interactions were significant. Iranian college students showed more anxiety than their British peers.     

初中生自我概念、应对方式及其关系的研究

以初中197名学生为被试,研究了初中生自我概念、应对方式的特点及关系.研究表明:(1)初中生在一般自我、自我价值感、身体自我方面存在性别差异,在一般自我、学业自我方面存在年级差异,在自我价值感与身体自我概念方面存在性别与年级的交互作用,女生的自我价值感、身体自我概念随年级升高而降低.(2)初中生在应对方式方面的幻想应对上存在性别差异,在求助应对、发泄应对方面存在年级差异.(3)自我概念各因子与问题解决、求助应对存在一定的显著正相关,自我概念越积极,越有可能以问题解决、寻求帮助来应对挫折和烦恼;自我概念部分因子对应对方式的部分因子存在着不同程度的显著回归效应.     

Amotivation and the occupational decision: an investigation of Australian senior high school students

This exploratory study investigated the occupational decision-related processes of senior high school students, in terms of the extent to which they may be amotivated in choosing a future occupation. Data were gathered using a newly developed questionnaire, which was largely adapted from a number of psychometrically proven instruments, and administered to 492 Grade 11 students attending a stratified random sample of six independent high schools in Sydney, Australia. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The major findings of the study include the development of a new empirically supported model that relates amotivation and vocational decision-related processes. The findings may be used by career advisors, psychologists, educators, and family members to advise and assist amotivated senior high school students to make occupational decisions.