A three-year longitudinal study was conducted to measure two aspects of adolescents' self-concept development: continuity/discontinuity and stability/instability. Results indicated that adolescent self-concept results from continuous growth based on social circumstances and cognitive skills and competencies. (Author/DB)

Proposes developmental approach to smoking education and prevention for children and adolescents. Reviews literature concerning most appropriate agent, content, and presentation of antismoking education for different ages, concluding that best agents for young children are parents and best agents for pre/early adolescents are peers. For…

Examines development of the concept of commitment in relation to adolescents' choice of a career and romantic partner. Subjects were 163 male and female ninth graders, twelfth graders, and college juniors from public and private schools. Findings support the proposition that the concept of commitment is affected by grade, gender, and type of…

The Personal Problems Checklist for Adolescents (PPC-A) was administered to students in 14 Adventist academies for the purpose of determining the extent of their personal problems. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the top 10 problems were: (1) poor study habits; (2) worrying about future…

This study examined the effects of adolescent pubertal status, adolescent gender, parent gender, and conversation topic on parent and adolescent affective expression. Subjects were 85 adolescents in fifth through ninth grade who participated in 2 separate 8-minute conversations, one pleasant and one unpleasant, with their mother and father…

It was hypothesized that antisocial behavior and deviant peer involvement assessed prior to puberty, at grade four, would predict initiation of sexual intercourse by grade nine. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 201 boys who were at risk for delinquency. The subjects participated in an extensive multiple method/agent assessment for both…

An initial exploration of the validity of 15 scales designed to assess adaptive ego processes in adolescence is presented. Diabetic youngsters, psychiatric patients, and high school students with no illness are compared using the scales. Correlations are found between the scales and a separate, conceptually related measure of ego development.…

Assessed family perceptions of parent-adolescent conflict four times from grade six to summer following grade eight. Mothers, fathers, and adolescents from 80 families reported on parent-adolescent conflict. Conflict over chores, appearance, and politeness decreased over 2.5 years whereas conflict over finances increased. Substance-use conflict…

As the adolescent matures, drinking situations occur outside of the home with friends. This period is characterized by drinking habits, patterns, and attitudes which are different from those of the parent population; the peer group and situational factors are significant influences on drinking behavior during this phase. (Author)

The author focuses on some of the research needs for early adolescents (ages 10 to 15). It highlights areas in which federal policy concerns intersect with developmental research, and discusses six areas: social equity, basic skills, school discipline, parent participation, and school effectiveness. (Author/KC)

Examined intraindividual and interindividual differences in self-esteem among 142 rural adolescents during a four-year period encompassing the transition to high school. Cluster analysis identified three distinct, divergent trajectories of self-esteem change from early to middle adolescence: (1) consistently high; (2) small increase; and (3)…

Surveys 278 British high school students concerning musical styles preferences. Generally speaking, students rejected classical and "serious" music as they grew older. Girls exhibited acceptance of a wider range of musical styles. Includes statistical tables. (MJP)

A common concern raised by teachers from secondary schools and junior colleges in Singapore is the apparent inability or reluctance of adolescents to think critically and originally. Adolescent thought processes are probably shaped by the change in intellectual pace and quality between the primary and secondary school curriculum. This study of…

Developmental changes in self-perceptions were studied in children and adolescents in grades 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. The responses of subjects to the question Who am I? were analyzed by means of a 30-category scoring system. Children described themselves in terms of their physical appearance and their behavior, while adolescents referred to their…

Examines the timing of several events marking the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and their correlation with the age at first sexual intercourse. Findings are reported showing tobacco use, marijuana use, dating, and parental divorce during the child's adolescent years and the contribution of these variables to first early-age…