Investigates midlife experiences of a group of white women in the New York City area. Identifies factors associated with successful negotiation of midlife transformation. Although they perceive midlife as challenging, 72.5% of participants describe themselves as happy or very happy. (MKA)

Explores effects of schools, teachers, and classes on first-year secondary students at year's end in Belgium, using multilevel analysis. Classes' and schools' relative influence on achievement is much higher than on well-being. An academic climate can discourage nonmotivated students. A communitarian climate can motivate all pupils. (Contains 54…

Examined the relationship between allocentrism and subjective well-being among African- and European-American college students, testing the relationship between idiocentrism and subjective well-being. Student surveys indicated that the relationship between allocentrism and subjective well-being was of greater magnitude for African Americans. There…

Examines the independent and joint contributions of three core dimensions of authoritative parenting - acceptance-involvement, strictness-supervision, and psychological autonomy granting - to adolescent adjustment. Findings are discussed with regard to behavior problems, psychosocial development, and academic achievement. Provides evidence that…

Evaluated the Early Coping Inventory (ECI) as a measure of coping skills in low-risk nursery school children. Findings pointed to significant associations between observers' ratings and teachers' ratings on the Evaluation of Adaptive Behavior in Nursery School. Findings suggest that the ECI may be valuable in early identification of children with…

Reports on a recently developed scale that examined adolescents'(N=400) perceptions of their family responsibility-taking. Results indicate that adolescents who felt they assumed more family responsibility reported less depression, more intimate relationships with their parents, and higher self-esteem. Adolescents viewed family…

Reports on the appropriateness of the stress-coping and life transitions models for late life experiences by examining psychosocial correlates of spouse caregiving. Results, based on 1000 subjects, aged 65 and over, indicate that caregiving was a usual precursor to widowhood and may have prepared older people for widowhood. (RJM)

Examines the relationship between meaning in caregiving (positive beliefs about the caregiving situation and the self as caregiver) and the psychological well-being of 131 informal caregivers to community-residing frail elders. Results indicate that meaning in caregiving explained a significant portion of the differences in depression and…

Role of self-efficacy beliefs as a mediator and moderator of the relation between the home environment and well-being was examined for both European American and African American adolescents. Found that self-efficacy beliefs sometimes mediate the relation between experiences in the home environment and measures of adolescent development. Effects…

Examined whether brief, take-home fitness and wellness lessons given to college physical education activity classes could teach students lifetime fitness concepts. Pre- and post-intervention surveys found that intervention students showed significant cognitive improvements compared to controls. They engaged in regular physical activity and…

Invites counselors to consider integrating spiritual, philosophical, and psychological ideas regarding work and life to encourage client well being. Presents the Vocational Souljourn Paradigm as a model to be used with adult clients who are exploring their work and life choices in a holistic and spiritual context. (Contains 27 references.)…

College students in long-distance romantic relationships (LDRs; n=164) were compared to 170 students in geographically proximal relationships (PRs) on measures of psychological distress. Those in LDRs reported significantly more symptoms of depression. Also, a prevalence estimate was obtained, and it supported previous research suggesting that 25%…

Uses data from the 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households to examine whether conflict between parents can explain why children in stepfather households do worse than children in original, two-parent households and no better than children in single-mother households. Suggests parental conflict does not account for lower levels of…

Adopted a structural perspective in examining life events in the context of an individual's life story. Ten men and 10 women at each of 3 age groups identified personally significant life events from their past and anticipated future. Women identified more life events and reported a younger age corresponding to their first event than men.…

Two studies tested the prediction that prior experience with a need increases empathy for those experiencing that need. In study 1, subjects (n=48) reported feelings of empathy after observing a same-sex peer endure mild electric shocks. In study 2, subjects (n=88) reported feelings of empathy after reading a transcript describing a same-sex…