Do friends always help your studies? Mediating processes between social relations and academic motivation

Previous studies suggest that social relations can increase one’s motivation to learn in school. However, other evidence showed that having more friends may also distract from one’s academic involvement. To understand the mechanisms behind this apparent contradiction, this study identified and tested the effects of a potentially important positive and negative mediator between social relations and academic motivation. A total of 226 university students were used to test the hypothesized path model. Results showed that the impact of social relations on students’ academic motivation was negatively mediated by alcohol use, but positively mediated by their place attachment to the university, although the model fit differed for women and men. Implications for social relations, school policy and freshman orientation programs are discussed.     

School Climate as “Social Order” and “Social Action”: A Multi-Level Analysis of Public Elementary School Student Perceptions

The present study employed a sample of 25,087 students enrolled in 117 elementary schools to test whether student perceptions obtained in a general survey of school learning and social environment conformed to the dimensions of Stockard and Mayberry's (1992) conceptual framework for school climate, and whether data could be summarized as grouped (school) or non-grouped (individual) data. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the proposed framework adequately fits student perceptions of school climate. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses showed between-school differences. Although school membership accounted for a small amount of variance in school climate measures, school climate means showed relatively high reliability. School climate dimensions most immediate to the student (Action-Instrumental support and Action-Expressive support) showed the strongest relations to both student self-reported academic performance and student satisfaction, and these relations were generally the same across the schools. As predicted, expressive support as opposed to instrumental support was more beneficial (in terms of self-reported academic performance) to students in schools having proportionally more socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Implications of results for educational research and educational practice regarding school climate are discussed.     

The relation between students’ justice experiences and their school refusal behavior

In a cross-sectional questionnaire study with N = 1658 German students, aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.1, SD = 0.5), we investigated the relation of students’ personal belief in a just world (BJW) to their school absenteeism and functions of school refusal behavior. In accordance with recent studies which identified negative relations between students’ BJW and different forms of rule-breaking behavior (e.g., bullying, cheating), we expected that students with a strong BJW would be less likely to refuse school than those with a weak BJW. Furthermore, we considered students’ personal experience of teacher justice and their feelings of exclusion from school as possible mediators in this relation. We also controlled for confounding effects of gender, age, social desirability, school reluctance, and test anxiety. To test our hypotheses, we used bootstrap mediation analyses. As expected, these analyses showed that the more students endorsed personal BJW, the less likely they were to report that they refused school. The students’ personal experience of teachers justice and especially their feelings of exclusion from school at least partly mediated personal BJW’s relation to school refusal behavior and its functions. The observed relations mainly persisted when we controlled for gender, age, social desirability, school reluctance, and test anxiety. We discussed the adaptive functions of BJW and implications for future school research and practice.     

Construct validation of individuating and relating autonomy orientations in culturally Chinese adolescents

Adolescent individuating and relating autonomies were compared to the concepts of detachment and public conformity. Participants included 573 junior high and 673 senior high school students. Each type of autonomy had a distinctive function in intrapsychic or interpersonal domains and clearly differed from detachment and public conformity. In the competing model analysis, individuating autonomy was more associated than relating autonomy with adjustment variables in the personal domain, such as the global and personal aspects of self-esteem, the personal aspect of happiness, and internalizing problems (mainly anxiety and depression). Relating autonomy was more associated than individuating autonomy with adjustment variables in the interpersonal domain such as social skills and externalizing problems (mainly aggression and delinquent behaviour).     

Adolescents' reference-group choices, self-esteem, and adjustment

Three hundred thirty Black, Hispanic, Asian, and White high school students reported their reference-group label as mainstream, bicultural, or strongly ethnically identified. Compared with other groups, White students were significantly more likely to be mainstream. Across ethnic groups, students reporting a strong ethnic identification held attitudes that were significantly more separatist, reported more ethnic pride, engaged in less cross-ethnic contact out of school, reported more cross-ethnic conflict, and used English significantly less often than other reference groups. Reference-group label was not associated with significant ethnic differences in self-esteem, social competence, or grade point average. The generational status of minority students is discussed as a potential influence mediating the impact of reference group on adjustment.     

Factors related to perceived power usage in schools

Based on Raven's (1992) power interaction model, situational and personal variables were examined as determinants of power choice in educational settings. The impact of educational sector (secular, religious), class level, gender and content of conflict on perceived power usage in teacher–pupil conflicts was analysed. A total of 370 elementary and junior high school pupils and 62 teachers from the same schools responded to a series of scenarios where they were asked how often specific power bases are used by teachers in trying to gain compliance. Results indicated that harsh power bases were perceived as more prevalent in the secular educational sector rather than in the religious one, in junior high school rather than elementary school, for boys as compared with girls, and for conflicts stemming from students rather than teachers. Findings were interpreted in terms of conformity level and frequency of conflicts. The discussion also addresses the lack of correspondence between teacher and pupil responses.     

An 8-year study of multiple influences on drug use and drug use consequences

Multiple long-term influences on young adult drug use and abuse were tested within an interactionist perspective using latent-variable causal models. Intrapersonal influences included early drug use and social conformity. Proximal interpersonal influences were captured by perceived peer drug use, perceived adult drug use, and family disruption. More distal influences included perceptions of community approval or disapproval for drug use. Outcome measures included not only use of drugs but also disruptive drug use (getting high at work or school) and self-admitted problems with drugs. Data were obtained from 654 participants at three equally spaced time points during an 8-year longitudinal study that began when the subjects were in junior high school. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the adequacy of the hypothesized measurement model. Subsequently, a structural equation, or path model, was used to examine the across-time relations among the latent and manifest variables. Stability effects were found for all repeatedly measured latent variables across the 4-year spans. Social conformity strongly influenced other latent variables across time. Early drug use and perceived adult drug use were prominent predictors of young adult drug use, whereas prior drug use predicted disruptive drug use and a lack of social conformity predicted problems with drug use. Early adult alcohol use predicted later disruptive drug use and problems with drug use. Perceived adult drug use generally influenced later alcohol use, whereas peer drug use influenced later cannabis and hard-drug use. Implications for prevention and treatment using a multicausal interactionist perspective are discussed.     

学校归属感与学生发展的探索研究

采用问卷调查法探讨中小学生的学校归属感与学校适应、自我概念、同伴关系及班级环境的关系。结果表明:1)学校适应、自我概念、同伴关系和班级环境与中小学生的学校归属感有密切的关系;2)学校归属感能有效的预测学生的自我概念;3)师生关系和同伴关系对学校归属感有重要影响,是学校归属感显著的预测变量;4)学校类型对学校归属感有显著的影响,重点中学学生的学校归属感显著高于其他类型学校的学生。     

心理理论与社会互动方式对初中生社会善念发展的影响

为了探讨初中生社会善念的发展特点及相关影响因素,实验1采用卡通插图范式和SoMi范式,以628名7~9年级初中生为被试,考察不同心理理论类型初中生的社会善念的发展;实验2使用社会互动情境和SoMi范式,以360名7~9年级初中生为被试,考察社会互动方式与反馈类型对不同年级初中生社会善念的影响。结果发现:(1)初中生的社会善念不存在年级和性别差异,但7年级中高情感心理理论初中生的社会善念显著多于高认知心理理论初中生;(2)7年级初中生在积极反馈条件下的社会善念较多,而8年级初中生在消极反馈条件下较多,9年级初中生在这两种条件下则不存在显著差异;(3)在合作情境中,初中生在积极反馈下的社会善念更多,而在竞争情境中,初中生在消极反馈下的社会善念更多。研究说明初中生的社会善念具有跨年龄和跨性别的稳定性,并且会受到心理理论、社会互动方式及反馈类型的影响。     

Conditions Of Life And Parental Values

The study constitutes an expansion of Kohn's work on social class and parental values, in two directions: firstly a search for value dimensions other than Kohn's self-direction/conformity; and secondly, an investigation of three aspects of social structure: immigrant status, quality of neighbourhood and housing type. Data were collected from parents of 305 9–11-year-olds resident in Sydney. Kohn's parental values instrument was used, but analysed using a multivariate linear model rather than the traditional way (factor analysis followed by a univariate multiple regression). Immigrant status, neighbourhood quality, family income, child's sex and street type all predicted particular parental value sets. Non Anglo immigrnts differed from other groups in their strong emphasis on school performance, sex role performance and sibling relations. Parents in higher quality neighbourhoods put greater value on children's sociability than did those in higher risk neighbourhoods. Self-control, school performance and neatness/cleanliness were favoured by middle income families. Parents living in industrial/commercial streets devalued school performance, achievement striving and curiosity. Parental occupation and education did not have significant predictive power over and above the contribution of these variables. Reanalysis of the data using Kohn's factor analytic procedure gave the traditional self-direction/conformity factor, but immigrant status, quality of neighbourhood and income continued to explain more variance than occupation or education. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

公共物品困境中自我权力和他人权力对初中生合作行为的影响

本研究分别操纵被试稳定的权力（实验1）和不稳定的权力（实验2）,并与不同权力个体进行公共物品困境任务,以考察了自我权力和他人权力对初中生合作行为的交互作用及其权力稳定性在其中的作用。结果发现,在权力稳定情境下,高权力的初中生合作水平低于低权力组和控制组,而在权力不稳定的情境下,高权力的初中生合作水平高于低权力组。无论权力稳定与否,与低权力同伴合作时,低权力者的合作水平均显著高于与高权力同伴合作时。     

家庭功能对青少年疏离感的影响: 有调节的中介效应

采用问卷法调查了608名初一至高二城市青少年, 通过结构方程模型探讨了青少年疏离感与家庭社会经济地位、家庭功能和同伴接纳的关系。结果发现: (1) 青少年疏离感年龄段差异显著, 高中生的疏离感显著高于初中生; (2) 青少年疏离感的三个维度之间存在显著差异。其中环境疏离感最高, 其次是社会疏离感, 人际疏离感最低; (3) 家庭功能在家庭社会经济地位与青少年疏离感之间起完全中介作用, 这一中介作用的实现受到同伴接纳的调节, 即家庭功能对青少年疏离感的影响是有调节的中介效应。     

公共物品困境中自我权力和他人权力对初中生合作行为的影响

本研究分别操纵被试稳定的权力（实验1）和不稳定的权力（实验2）,并与不同权力个体进行公共物品困境任务,以考察了自我权力和他人权力对初中生合作行为的交互作用及其权力稳定性在其中的作用。结果发现,在权力稳定情境下,高权力的初中生合作水平低于低权力组和控制组,而在权力不稳定的情境下,高权力的初中生合作水平高于低权力组。无论权力稳定与否,与低权力同伴合作时,低权力者的合作水平均显著高于与高权力同伴合作时。     

Can religious beliefs combat negative peer influence during adolescence?

The purpose of this study was to identify religiosity dimensions that might be efficacious in helping adolescents combat negative peer influence. In past studies, the protective elements of religiosity were small to non-existent once peer influence was considered. However, peer influence can take many forms and the relation between susceptibility to negative peer influence and religious beliefs is not clear. Two hundred and twenty high school students were surveyed on several dimensions of religiosity via the Attitude to Christianity Inventory, different forms of peer influence (i.e., peer conformity and perceptions of peer behaviours) and their own pro- and anti-social conduct. Through hierarchical regression analyses some religiosity dimensions (i.e., the Bible and social justice) were found to be more protective than others in predicting conduct in the context of peer conformity. Implications for intervention were addressed.     

Sociocultural antecedents of academic motivation and achievement: Role of values and achievement motives in achievement goals and academic performance

With a view to understand the influence of culture on achievement motivation, the study aimed to test the hypothesized mediating role of individual‐oriented and social‐oriented achievement motives in linking value orientations (e.g. achievement, security, conformity, hedonism) to achievement goals (i.e. mastery‐approach, mastery‐avoidance, performance‐approach, and performance‐avoidance goals) as predictors of English and mathematics achievements. These hypothesized relationships were tested in the one‐path analytic model with a sample of Indonesian high‐school students (n = 356; 46% girls, M age = 16.20 years). The findings showed that security and conformity values positively predicted social‐oriented achievement motive; self‐direction values positively predicted individual‐oriented achievement motive; and hedonism values negatively predicted both achievement motive orientations. Both individual‐oriented and social‐oriented achievement motives positively predicted mastery‐approach and performance‐approach goals. Interestingly, social‐oriented achievement motive also positively predicted mastery‐avoidance and performance‐avoidance goals, which in turn, negatively predicted English and mathematic achievement. There was also some evidence for the direct effects of values on performance‐approach goals and achievement. Taken together, the findings evinced the relevance of achievement goal constructs to Indonesian students and the psychometric properties of the Indonesian version of the Achievement Goals Questionnaire for further use in Indonesia. The study concludes that the meanings of academic motivation and achievement should be seen from a sociocultural perspective relevant to the context in which they are being studied.     

Curriculum tracking and teacher evaluations of individual students: selection, adjustment or labeling?

Past research into the consequences of tracking mainly documented on the impact of attending different tracks on students’ achievement and behavior. Less attention has been paid to the impact of track positions on teachers’ perceptions and expectations regarding students. By means of multi-level analysis of data of 6,545 students in 46 Flemish secondary schools with self-reported student measures and teachers’ evaluations of students, this study examines if teachers’ evaluations of secondary school students’ cognitive capacity, effort in class and diligence in doing homework vary by track, and whether teachers’ perceptions are informed (1) by the typical students’ background features; (2) by the students’ resistance to school; or (3) by labeling of students attending certain tracks. Teachers perceive lower track students as less able and less diligent in doing homework because of students’ social and cognitive characteristics and anti-school behavior. Accounting for the latter, teachers even evaluate lower track students as paying slightly more effort. The implications for future research and social policy are discussed.     

Change in school ethnic diversity and intergroup relations: The transition from segregated elementary to mixed secondary school for majority and minority students

This research examined the impact of a change in school diversity on school children's intergroup relations. A longitudinal survey tracked 551 White British and Asian British students (M_age = 11.32) transitioning from elementary (time 1) to secondary (time 2) school in an ethnically segregated town in the United Kingdom. We estimated a multivariate, multilevel model. A cross-sectional comparison of segregated schools and a mixed elementary school at time 1 revealed that both Asian and White British in the mixed school reported more positive intergroup relations. A longitudinal analysis found that the transition from segregated elementary to mixed secondary schools was associated with Asian British developing more positive intergroup relations. White British reported overall less positive intergroup relations, although only trust decreased; evidence from other measures remains inconclusive. The findings are important for understanding early stages of diversity exposure, and the impact of changing diversity levels on majority and minority groups.     

Examining School Attachment,Social Support,and Trauma Symptomatology Among Court-Involved,Female Students

Court-involved youth (i.e., youth in the foster care and/or juvenile justice systems), and particularly those in residential placement facilities, often present with trauma histories that can impede various areas of development and functioning. These traumatic histories can negatively impact academic performance and school success, leading to poorer outcomes later in life. In particular, female youth in these systems exhibit unique responses to traumatic experiences that further complicate healthy development. This study assesses female, court-involved students (n?=?141), exploring the relationship between school attachment and school involvement, school social support (from peers, teachers, and other staff), and trauma symptomatology among a sample of residential placement students exposed to a trauma-informed teaching intervention over the course of a school year. It was hypothesized that higher school attachment/involvement and social support would be associated with lower student trauma symptomatology. As expected, findings demonstrated that students in the sample had experienced high trauma exposure, as indicated by their high trauma symptomatology. Unexpectedly, they also had high school attachment. Furthermore, higher school attachment was associated with lower trauma symptoms among students. On the other hand, students reported lower levels of social support from classmates, which was associated with significantly higher trauma symptomatology. Implications for future research are addressed.     

亲子关系对中学生心理健康的影响:社会支持和心理素质的链式中介作用

为探究亲子关系、社会支持和心理素质对中学生心理健康的影响,本研究采用问卷调查的方式,对全国23个省（市）共10190名初一至高三年级的中学生展开调查。结果表明：（1）父子关系、母子关系、社会支持和心理素质两两之间呈显著正相关,且均与心理健康问题呈显著负相关;（2）相比于母子关系,父子关系对中学生心理健康的影响更大;（3）亲子关系通过三条中介路径对中学生心理健康产生影响：①是社会支持和心理素质的单独中介作用;②社会支持和心理素质的链式中介作用。本研究进一步明确了亲子关系和中学生心理健康之间的内在心理机制,同时能帮助教育工作者预防和干预中学生的心理健康问题。     

儿童同伴关系对孤独感的影响

以571名小学三、四、五、六年级的儿童为被试,考察了儿童社会喜好、友谊质量、消极退缩、社交自我知觉与孤独感的关系,检验了不同水平同伴关系变量对孤独感的影响。结果表明,儿童的同伴关系(同伴接纳、友谊质量、社交自我知觉)能显著预测其孤独感体验,其中,处于同伴关系个体水平的社交自我知觉对孤独感的预测作用最大,其次分别为双向关系水平的友谊质量和群体接纳水平的同伴接纳,而处于人际交互水平的消极退缩在控制了其他水平同伴关系变量的影响下,并不能显著预测其孤独感体验。