Background: The aim of this study was to determine (1) the prevalence of behavioral problems among two-year-old Pacific children living in New Zealand, (2) ethnic differences in behavioral problems, and (3) relationships between maternal and socio-demographic variables and problem child behavior. Methods: Data were gathered from the Pacific…

This study introduces three growth modeling techniques: latent growth modeling (LGM), hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), and longitudinal profile analysis via multidimensional scaling (LPAMS). It compares the multilevel growth parameter estimates and potential predictor effects obtained using LGM, HLM, and LPAMS. The purpose of this multilevel…

This study examined variation in friendship formation and friendship stability as a function of children's and their friends' victimization, overt aggression, and relational aggression. Participants were 605 pre- and early adolescents in fifth through eighth grades (M age = 12.05) assessed twice over a three-month period. Scores for stability and…

This article investigates how organizational features of high schools interact with students' ascriptive characteristics to shape opportunities to learn. It advances previous research by examining the intersection of students' gender-by-race cohort with their high schools' racial composition on their Grade 12 English track placement in the…

The authors investigated predictive relationships among student characteristics that influence motivation for learning and achievement. Participants were students (N = 900) from all 4 grade levels in 18 rural public high schools in the southwestern United States. The authors used AMOS 4.0 (J. L. Arbuckle & W. Wothke, 1996) to test a…

The purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to identify factors contributing to students' persistence in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Distributed Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership in Higher Education by obtaining quantitative results from surveying 278 current and former students and then following up with…

This study tested the hypothesis that positive career orientation can prevent adolescents from engaging in or escalating problem behaviour. A 1-year, longitudinal study was conducted on a sample of 234 junior-high and high-school students, who were 14.8 years old on the average in the beginning of the study. Using structural equation modeling, a…

Rusbult's Investment Model, a theoretical model of commitment based on notions of social exchange and interdependence theory, was used to predict college commitment in traditional-age and adult college students. A questionnaire assessing rewards, costs, investments, alternatives, and commitment to college was administered to 216 traditional-age…

Adolescents are the most suicidal population. Gender comparisons within this group show males are four times more likely to kill themselves, while females are three to nine times as likely to attempt suicide. This study compared 1993 and 1995 self-reported suicidal behavior in relation to the risk factors of tobacco use, alcohol use, drug use,…

The serious problems associated with the use of stepwise methods are well documented. Various authors have leveled scathing criticisms against the use of stepwise techniques, yet it is not uncommon to find these methods continually employed in educational and psychological research. The three main problems with stepwise techniques are: (1)…

The importance of ascertaining and effectively treating psychological problems in children is difficult to overstate. Since compliance is particularly important, the psychological factors associated with caretakers' compliance regarding children's psychotherapy were examined here. Data were collected on the 85 primary caretakers of 85 children who…

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the stability of school effects in Dutch secondary education across both years and subjects. The following research questions were addressed: (1) What percentage of the total variance in student achievement per subject can be attributed to differences between schools and to what extent are…

Results of previous studies have demonstrated the prevalence of fear of success (FOS). Originally thought to be a gender-related construct pertaining to women, studies have also found FOS was experienced by men, sometimes even more so than by women. Recent researchers have attributed FOS more to the Bem Sex Role for individuals who are traditional…

The idea is widely supported that abuse is far more common among acquaintances than among strangers and is most common within the family. The dating relationship is another intimate relationship in which abuse occurs. In this study the association between abuse in the family of origin and sexual abuse in dating was analyzed by determining the…

The prevalence of stress-related medical conditions in clients of Readjustment Counseling Service at Veterans Centers was investigated. The purpose of the study was to gain further knowledge specifically pertaining to the long-term health consequences of exposure to combat trauma. A review of relevant literature is provided. Veterans Center…