Relationship of High School Seniors' Religious Perceptions and Behavior to Educational,Career, and Leisure Variables

This study used data from a national sample of U.S. high school seniors to investigate the relationship of religious perceptions and behavior to several school, career, and leisure variables. Seniors positive perceptions of religion and frequent attendance at religious services were related to positive parental involvement, positive school attitudes and behaviors, and infrequent problem behaviors. Parental involvement mediated the effects of religious perceptions and behavior on adolescents' academic attitudes and drug use. However, a large portion of the effects of religious perceptions and behavior was independent of parental involvement. Implications for counselors and educators are provided.     

Expanding Knowledge of Parental Involvement in Children's Secondary Education: Connections with High School Seniors' Academic Success

This paper analyzes data from the parent and student components of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 to investigate family educational involvement in secondary education. It examines connections between parental involvement practices and the educational outcomes of high school seniors. Utilizing multiple involvement indicators for the 8th and 12th grades, the study concludes that the nature of relationships between parental involvement and 12th grade educational outcomes depends on the type of parental practices and educational outcomes considered. Parental involvement indicators are not associated with achievement growth between the 8th and 12th grades. However, a number of parental involvement indicators are associated with seniors' enrollment in an academic high school program and with their coursework in core academic subjects. High levels of educational expectations, consistent encouragement, and actions that enhance the learning opportunities of children are the family practices that are positively associated with the above educational experiences of high school seniors. The relationships between parental involvement and educational outcomes exist regardless of students' socioeconomic or race/ethnic background and regardless of whether parental practices are measured in the middle grades or in high school.     

Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection and the Development of Children's Locus of Control

In a study of relationships between locus of control and perceived parental acceptance-rejection as they vary by age, 271 boys and girls from 9 through 11 years of age were administered the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, short form, and the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire. A multiple regression/correlation analysis revealed that internality increased significantly with children's age and with children's perceptions of increased parental acceptance. Moreover, age and parenting jointly accounted for 22% of the variance in children's locus of control scores.     

The Relationship of Cognitive Tempo to Psychological Differentiation and Locus of Control

In this study, we investigated the relationship of cognitive tempo to psychological differentiation and locus of control. The 103 male and female undergraduate students who participated in this study were administered the adolescent and adult version of the Matching Familiar Figures Test, the Group Embedded Figures Test, and the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Scale. Using multiple regression analyses, we found that field dependence and independence were significantly related to both cognitive tempo latency and cognitive tempo errors. Contrary to expectation, no relationship was found between locus of control and cognitive tempo. We concluded that psychological differentiation is highly useful in the direct prediction of cognitive tempo, although locus of control is not. Overall, the value of examining cognitive tempo latency and errors separately was upheld. The importance of these relationships is discussed.     

The Relationship of Three Measures of Locus of Control to Environment Activism

In response to the issues raised by the critical literature and the desire to more fully explore the role of locus of control in ecologically responsible behavior, this study (a) assessed the adequacy of various locus of control measures for predicting environmental activism and willingness to engage in personal conservation and antipollution activities; (b) examined the modifiability of locus of control under the pressure of a relevant sociopolitical event; and (c) compared unidimensional vs. multidimensional and generalized vs. situation-specific representations of the locus of control construct. The results indicated that locus of control was significantly associated with environmental activism and personal conservation attitudes but that locus of control feelings changed among activists after a disappointing political defeat. The situation-specific, multidimensional locus of control measure was superior to the generalized, unidimensional and generalized, multidimensional measures both in predicting behavior and attitudes and in responding to the sociopolitical event.     

Parental Perceptions of Separating Children

Newer models of familial interaction emphasize the importance of parental perceptions of the child as determinants for his self-image and interpersonal functioning. This paper examines this issue in detail as it bears on the developmental phase of separation and individuation in adolescence.     

The Relation Between the Locus of Control Construct and Involvement in Traffic Accidents

We investigated the relation between the Rotter (1966) locus of control concept and involvement in automobile accidents. Subjects were 184 college students who completed a survey measuring accident involvement, the Rotter scale, and scales featuring beliefs and behaviors in traffic situations that would be expected from internally oriented persons. No significant relation was found between the Rotter scale and traffic accidents. Accident involvement was best explained by internal beliefs about accident control, and the reported number of near-miss accidents per week. A path diagram relating survey variables is included.     

Urban-Nonurban Differences in Social Cognition: Locus of Control and Perceptions of a Just World

Abstract

American male and female college students who were randomly assigned to one of six groups viewed a 60-s videotape. The content of the tape was derived from the factorial combination of sex of model (both American and White) on the tape with duration of eye contact (5 s, 30 s, or 50 s) maintained by the model with an interviewer. After viewing the tape, the subjects completed the Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory (O'Brien &; Epstein, 1988) as they thought the model in the tape would. For all 10 self-esteem component scales, scores significantly increased as amount of eye contact increased. For 7 of the 10 scales, self-esteem scores for the female model were higher than those for the male model. The data generally extend and support previous research demonstrating that, as eye contact increases between Americans, American observers rate them more favorably.     

Attachment Styles and Personality Disorders: Their Connections to Each Other and to Parental Divorce, Parental Death, and Perceptions of Parental Caregiving

Attachment theory was explored as a means of understanding the origins of personality disorders. We investigated whether adult attachment styles and personality disorders share a common underlying structure, and how both kinds of variables relate to family background factors, including parental death, parental divorce, and current representations of childhood relationships with parents. A nonclinical group of 1407 individuals, mostly adolescents and young adults, were surveyed about their attachment styles, parental marital status, parental mortality status, perceptions of treatment by parents in childhood, and 13 personality disorders. Results indicated substantial overlap between attachment and personality-disorder measures. Two of the personality-disorder dimensions are related to the two dimensions of the attachment space; that is, there is a two-dimensional space in which both the attachment patterns and most of the personality disorders can be arrayed. The one personality-disorder factor that is unrelated to attachment appears akin to psychopathy. Both personality disorders and attachment styles were associated with family-of-origin variables. Results are discussed in terms of encouraging further research to test the idea that insecure attachment and most of the personality disorders share similar developmental antecedents.     

中学生受欺负状况与心理控制感的关系

该研究采用自陈问卷方法,考察了108名中学生的心理控制感与受欺负状况的关系。结果:在生活外控、社交内控、受身体欺负上,男高于女。高中生受身体欺负比初中生少,而未知控制更多。受社会性欺负与外部控制有正相关。受言语欺负与社交外控、生活外控、外部控制有正相关;与社交内控、躯体内控有负相关。受财产欺负与外部控制有正相关。外部控制对受社会性欺负、言语欺负和财产欺负有预测作用;躯体内控对受言语欺负有预测作用。     

Parental Involvement: Contribution to Childhood Anxiety and Its Treatment

Anxiety disorders are prevalent in youth. Despite demonstrated efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), approximately 40 % of anxiety-disordered youth remain unresponsive to treatment. Because developmental and etiological models suggest that parental factors are relevant to the onset and maintenance of childhood anxiety, researchers have proposed and investigated family-based interventions with increased parent work in treatment, aiming to improve the efficacy of treatment for childhood anxiety. However, contrary to what theoretical models suggest, data to date did not indicate additive benefit of family-based CBT in comparison with child-centered modality. Is parent/family involvement unnecessary when treating childhood anxiety disorders? Or could there be the need for specificity (tailored family-based treatment) that is guided by a revised conceptualization that improves the implementation of a family-based intervention? The current review examines (1) relevant parental factors that have been found to be associated with the development and maintenance of childhood anxiety and (2) interventions that incorporate parental involvement. Relevant findings are integrated to formulate a “targeted” treatment approach for parental involvement in CBT for youth anxiety. Specifically, there is potential in the assessment of parent/family factors prior to treatment (for appropriateness) followed by a target-oriented implementation of parent training.     

Relationship Commitment and Perceptions of Harm to Self

Commitment to a relationship is associated with a number of consequences, including willingness to sacrifice for the relationship, greater cognitive interdependence between partners, and increased trust in one's partner. Consistent with such consequences, we hypothesized that greater commitment is associated with decreased perceptions of one's partner as a source of harm to the self. We conducted two studies (one correlational, one experimental) to test hypotheses regarding the association between commitment level and personal harm perceptions, based on tenets from interdependence theory and balance theory. Study 1 revealed significant negative associations between commitment and personal harm perceptions. Results from Study 2 suggest that greater commitment leads to decreased perceptions of partner-based risk and increased risky behavioral tendencies.     

Parental Perceptions of the Family and Children's Peer Relations

To study the relationship between American parents' perceptions of the family environment, themselves, and their children's peer relations with preschool peers, data was obtained from 56 boys and 47 girls between 47 and 59 months old and their parents. Questionnaires on perceptions of family cohesiveness, expressiveness, conflict, psychosocial competence of self, and acceptance of children were completed by the parents. Sociometric evaluations of peer ratings and positive and negative nominations among children were completed by the children. Correlations revealed both similarities and differences between father–child and mother–child patterns. In general, boys' peer ratings were related to parents' competence whereas girls' peer ratings were related to parents' cohesion. Positive nominations in boys and girls were related to parents' competence. Negative nominations in boys and girls were related to low acceptance and high conflict in parents. These data suggest important links between parents' perceptions of the family and children's peer relations.     

藏族学生控制源、社会支持与心理健康的研究

目的探讨玉树民族中学藏族学生控制源、社会支持与心理健康的关系。方法采用心理健康、内外控制源和领悟社会支持量表。结果①不同性别学生心理健康总分差异显著,社会支持和控制源得分差异不显著。②不同年级学生在控制源差异显著,其余变量差异不显著。③除家庭支持外,心理控制源、社会支持及其各维度与心理健康显著相关。④控制源和朋友支持对心理健康有很好的预测作用。结论控制源和社会支持在一定程度上对心理健康有预测作用。     

Parental Locus of Control and Family Functioning in the Quality of Life of Children with Sickle Cell Disease

The objective was to examine the association of parental locus of control (PLOC) with pediatric quality of life (QOL) for children with sickle cell disease (SCD), specifically addressing the potential mediating role of family functioning. Associations with disease severity were also investigated. Thirty-one primary caregivers completed standard measures of parental locus of control, family functioning, and quality of life during their child's inpatient admission for pain or fever. Results indicated that the PLOC total score was significantly associated with QOL in terms of self-competence and showed marginal significance with QOL social competence; it was significantly negatively correlated with family functioning. The association of the PLOC with QOL subscales was maintained when controlling for family functioning. Disease severity was not associated with PLOC scores. Primary caregivers endorsed more external parental locus of control beliefs. Further investigation of the association of caregiver appraisals and family functioning is warranted with the goal of addressing the stress that disease management with sickle cell may add to parent–child relationships.     

Self Perceptions and Social Misconceptions: The Implications of Gender Traits for Locus of Control and Life Satisfaction

Are individuals who self-attribute both gender typical and gender atypical traits more satisfied with their lives than those who self-attribute only gender typical traits? It was assumed that men and women who self-attribute instrumental (‘masculine’) as well as expressive (‘feminine’) traits benefit both because they attain more control over their lives and also because a sense of control increases life satisfaction. Analyses of data from a representative Israeli (Jewish) sample of over 500 respondents show that men do indeed benefit from self-attribution of both instrumental and expressive traits, which increase their sense of control as well as their life satisfaction. Women, on the other hand, benefit only from the self-attribution of atypical (‘masculine’) traits, as their sense of control and their life satisfaction depend on instrumental traits, not on expressive ones. Thus, although the levels of control and life satisfaction that men and women report are similar, the process by which they reach these levels is different and gender-specific.     

Locus of Control Beliefs Mediate the Relationship Between Religious Functioning and Psychological Health

Theistic and spiritually based beliefs and behaviors have been demonstrated to consistently predict physical and mental health, although the psychological processes underlying these relationships are unclear. This study investigated associative relationships and pathways of mediation between religious functioning, locus of control (LOC) and health. The sample consisted of 122 Christians (79 women, 43 men) who were predominately Catholic, ranging in age from 18 to 80 (M = 45.47, SD = 15.0). Participants were recruited from churches in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, and completed a questionnaire package measuring (1) psychological and physical health, (2) the religious variables of awareness of God, instability and impression management, and (3) God, internal and external LOC domains. Results indicated that awareness of God and internal LOC were associated with better health, whereas external LOC and instability were associated with poorer health. God LOC and impression management were not significantly associated with health. Sobel tests were used to analyse mediation hypotheses. Internal LOC was found to mediate the relationship between awareness of God and better psychological health, and external LOC was found to mediate the relationship between instability and poorer psychological health. These findings are of considerable clinical significance.