Based on research selected from a search of the ERIC database, this literature review covers material that concerns academic achievement of retained students, social and psychological effects of retention, and recommendations for educators making retention decisions. After a definition of terms, 31 articles are extensively annotated. Most research…

The Developmental Inventory of Sources of Stress (DISS) is an instructional tool designed to assist counselors, advisors, and faculty in reducing stress among college students (specifically, high risk college freshmen, although it can be utilized effectively with any college student population). The instrument focuses on sources of stress over…

This study examined whether sex, empathy, or social skill is the better predictor of self-reported support behavior and perceptions. Research has shown that certain personality traits have a differential effect on the amount of support a person receives. Previous research has also show that females report receiving more support and needing more…

This factsheet considers the psychological task of adolescence, explains the adolescent's separation from his/her parents, and gives child and parent checklists for evaluating family functioning. Patterns of family development are discussed, including midlife parental development and the influence of previous generations. The role of non-family…

Alcohol researchers have sought to characterize the relationship between cue responsivity and alcohol consumption by alcoholics. This study used the beverage tasting paradigm to test for differences in cue responsivity in adolescent sons of alcoholics. It was hypothesized that, compared to sons of nonalcoholics, sons of alcoholics would be more…

Ambivalence about expressing emotion has been suggested as mediating the relationship between inhibition and psychological and psychosomatic distress. A study was conducted to examine the relationship of ambivalence over emotional expression to psychological and physical well-being through the "personal striving" framework. Measures of…

Rape is a significant trauma that causes the victim immediate as well as long-term difficulties. A cross-section of rape survivors and matched controls completed questionnaires about current somatic, psychological, and social difficulties. The time since assault for the rape group varied from 6 months to 8 years. Factor analysis yielded eight…

Job loss is a stressful event, partially because of the obvious stress of economic deprivation. However, research shows that job loss also has psychological effects. The impact of losing a job has been investigated in terms of personality (self esteem, mental health, and affective states) and in terms of the transitional stages of reactions to job…

Embarrassment occurs when the social identity or "face" that one is trying to maintain is abruptly discredited. Thus, embarrassment usually assumes the presence of an audience, real or imagined, and a public predicament which changes the situation. Most people try to avoid embarrassment if they can, and if they have been embarrassed they…

A common paradigm in measuring the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion is to present photographs of facial expressions and to ask subjects to identify the emotion. The Affect Blend Test (ABT) uses this method of assessment and is scored for accuracy on specific affects as well as total accuracy. Another method of measuring affect…

To defend against the instability and dishonesty of his family life, the child of an alcoholic parent may adopt the role of the hero--a highly conforming, highly achieving "good child" who seeks to redeem his family and himself through his accomplishments. Children of alcoholics adhere to their childhood roles as adults and may even…

The current study investigated affective and cognitive outcomes at pre, post and follow-up of 79 male and female Project Hahn wilderness program participants referred to the program through various agencies involved with employment, education, justice and welfare. The recurrent institutional design and selection of measures were based on an…

To determine if sex differences exist in the development of fear of success, 120 male and female subjects between nine and 17 years of age were given male or female verbal cues from which they were asked to write themes. Sex differences in fear of success motivation were not found. (Author/CS)

This paper concerns the variety of responses women commonly make to provocation--to frustration, thwarting, hurt, deprivation, and other conditions which usually lead to some kind of emotional arousal, the experience of anger, and possibly aggression. Gender differences (culturally shaped) are reviewed where relevant, and a brief review of the…