Examined the extent to which risk factors for concurrent binge drinking in adolescence can predict changes during transition to young adulthood. Found that being male, possessing low self-efficacy, and drinking primarily "to get drunk" were unconditional risk factors for increased binge drinking over time. Other adolescent risk factors…

Examined self-esteem among Puerto Rican young adolescents. Found that Self-Perception Profile for Children had adequate reliability for use with 13- to 14-year-old Puerto Ricans living on the mainland. Gender differences in different domains were similar to those among Anglo youth. Psychological acculturation played a more protective role for…

A study of 62 adolescent girls and their recently divorced mothers examined the relationship between maternal disclosure of financial concerns and difficulties in adolescent daughters' adjustment. Findings revealed a positive direct relationship between family financial hardship and girls' psychological distress, and that financial hardship was…

This longitudinal study explored relationships among student input and environmental throughput variables in predicting output human capital skills acquisition and academic achievement at a large Canadian university. Surprisingly, input intelligence quotient was negatively related to output human capital skills and to various adjustment measures.…

The authors examined the relations between participation in a range of high school extracurricular contexts and developmental outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood among an economically diverse sample of African American and European American youths. In general, when some prior self-selection factors were controlled, 11th graders'…

There is no shortage of important research findings describing how educators may improve the academic and social achievement of adolescents (Ames and Archer 1988; Anderman 2002; Goodenow 1993; Committee on Increasing High School Student Engagement and Motivation to Learn 2003; Turner et al. 2003). Despite the soundness of this research and the…

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 differences in two residential care giving models (houseparent vs. child care worker) in providing continuity of care for youth in residential placement, and the effect that a care giving model had on selected program outcomes. Data for this research were collected in a residential facility that used both models. Youth with…

The development of ethnic identity is a critical facet of adolescence, particularly for adolescents of color. In order to examine the developmental trajectory of ethnic identity, African American, Latino American, and European American early and middle adolescents (N=420) were assessed over 3 years. Two components of ethnic identity were…

In recent years, a major shift in thinking has occurred among psychologists, educators, youth workers, and policymakers interested in adolescent development. The old focus on pathology, delinquency, and problem prevention has begun to be supplemented by a new interest in health, resilience, and opportunity development. In an extensive review of…

Research has confirmed short- and long-term positive effects of quality youth development programs. Despite the evidence of the positive outcomes of youth programs, policies supporting these programs are inadequate due in part to limited public understanding about the developmental process and the role of quality youth development programs during…

The authors' approach to using pattern-centered analyses and longitudinal data addresses how configurations of personal and contextual factors forecast the educational achievement and attainments of different youth across adolescence. Here, they discuss various types of pattern-centered analyses and provide an empirical illustration of how these…

An asset-based approach is being championed by the field of child and youth care work, focusing on strengths as opposed to weaknesses, assets as opposed to deficits. This article highlights the Search Institute's theoretically-based and empirically-supported model of developmental assets (Benson, Leffert, Scales, & Blyth, 1998; Scales, Benson,…

They are adolescents--and those who work with them must understand them, connect with them, and make learning relevant to their lives. This article looks at recent theories and educational practices identified as appropriate for supporting the educational learning experiences of students ages 12 to 15. In this article, the author also discusses,…

This monograph presents 29 abstracts on the emotional price of excellence in the psychological development of gifted children. Sample topics include: self-as-learner schemas, the impact of academic pressure on Japanese students, multicultural counseling practices for gifted minorities, coping strategies of gifted adolescents, suicide among gifted…