Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1978.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: According to Hurlock ( in Louw, Gerdes & Meyer, 1985), traditional society has a larger number of prescribed values and rules of behaviour than is the case in modern society. In modern society the onus rests on the individual who is expected to direct his behaviour in accordance with the values of his choice. The individual has to accept responsibility for determining his own values. This may create problems for the adolescent because he will be confronted by a wide range of diverse values without the benefit of guidelines or rules to tell him which of those values should be accepted and which should rather be avoided. Against this background it becomes clear why the internalization of moral values, as they develop, is of utmost importance to the adolescent. In this study an attempt has been made to investigate the relationship between stage of moral development and locus of control within a group of Afrikaans-speaking adolescents. The study has further attempted to determine the influence of intellectual ability on the relationship between stage of moral development and locus of control. Males and females were also compared with respect to moral development and locus of control. The sample comprised 193 white, Afrikaans-speaking grade eleven pupils. Seventy-six were boys and 117 girls. The subjects were selected from three high schools situated in three different towns and/or cities. All the subjects came from complete families in which both biological parents were present. Taylor's Reasons for Action Questionnaire (1978) was used to determine the stage of moral development. This questionnaire is based on Lawrence Kohlberg's six stages of moral development which in itself developed from the cognitive-developmental structural approach to moral development. The Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Questionnaire was used to measure the level of locus of control. Intelligence test scores, as measured by the New South African Group Test, were obtained from the E119 records at the various schools. The responses to a biographical questionnaire were used to facilitate the demarcation of the sample. The results of the study indicated that on average the sample as a whole, functions on a conventional moral level. A significantly negative correlation (r(193) = -,28; P < ,001) was found between locus of control and level of moral developement. This indicates that within this group of Afrikaans-speaking adolescents an internal locus of control is associated with a higher level of moral development whilst and external locus of control is associated with a lower level of moral development. In this study intelligence had little or no influence on the relationship between level of moral development and locus of control. This supports the view of Kohlberg (1969) that there is a curved line relationship between the level of moral judgement and intellectual ability. Finally it may be said with a 95% degree of certainty, that there is a significant gender difference in respect of the construct of moral development. The girls used in this sample displayed a more developed level of moral development than the boys. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In tradisionele samelewings is daar, volgens Hurlock (aangehaal in Louw, Gerdes & Meyer, 1985), meer waardes en reëls vir gedrag voorgeskryf as in die moderne samelewing. In die moderne samelewing rus die onus op die individu om sy gedrag volgens die waardes van sy keuse in te rig. Hierdie verantwoordelikheid wat op die individu rus om self sy waardes te bepaal, kan vir die adolessent probleme skep aangesien hy deur 'n groot verskeidenheid waardes konfronteer word sonder riglyne of reëls oor watter waardes aanvaar en watter liefs vermy moet word. Teen hierdie agtergrond is dit duidelik waarom die internalisering van morele waardes, soos dit ontwikkel, van uiterste belang is vir die adolessent. Die onderhawige studie poog om die verband tussen die stadium van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole by 'n groep Afrikaanssprekende adolessente te ondersoek. Verder is probeer om die invloed van intellektuele vermoë op die verband tussen die stadium van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole te ondersoek. Laastens is die geslagte met mekaar vergelyk ten opsigte van die twee konstrukte, naamlik stadium van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 193 blanke Afrikaanssprekende graad 11 leerlinge. Hiervan was 76 seuns en 117 meisies. Die toetslinge was afkomstig uit drie hoërskole wat in drie verskillende dorpe en/of stede geleë is. Die toetslinge het uit volledige gesinne gekom, dit wil sê, gesinne waar beide die biologiese ouers nog teenwoordig was in die huishouding. Die Redes vir Optrede Vraelys van Taylor (1978) is gebruik om die stadium van morele ontwikkeling vas te stel. Hierdie vraelys is gebaseer op Lawrence Kohlberg se ses stadia van morele ontwikkeling wat ontstaan het vanuit die kognitief-ontwikkelende strukturele benadering van morele ontwikkeling. Die Rotter Interne-Eksterne Lokus van Kontrole Vraelys is gebruik om die vlak van lokus van kontrole te bepaal. Verstandtoetstellings, soos gemeet deur die Nuwe Suid- Afrikaanse Groeptoets, is vanaf die E119-vorms by die onderskeie skole verkry. Die response op "n biografiese vraelys is benut ten einde die steekproef effektief at te baken. Die resultate van die ondersoek toon dat die totale steekproef wat gemiddeldes betref, op 'n konvensionele morele vlak redeneer. Daar is "n beduidende negatiewe verband r(193) = -,28; p< ,001) tussen lokus van kontrole en vlak van morele ontwikkeling gevind. Dit dui daarop dat, by hierdie groep Afrikaanssprekende adolessente, "n interne lokus van kontrole saamgaan met "n hoër vlak van morele ontwikkeling en "n eksterne lokus van kontrole met "n laer vlak van morele ontwikkeling saamgaan. In hierdie studie het intellektuele vermoë ook weinig tot geen invloed op die verband tussen vlak van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole gehad nie. Die bevinding ondersteun Kohlberg (1969) se siening dat die verband tussen vlak van morele oordeel en intellektuele vermoë kromlynig is. Laastens kan daar met 95% sekerheid gesê word dat die geslagte beduidend van mekaar verskil ten opsigte van die konstruk morele ontwikkeling. Dit blyk dat die meisies in hierdie steekproef moreel verder ontwikkel het as die seuns.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

The purpose of this study was to compare the relationship of school configuration, gender, and ethnicity upon the mean number of life events experienced by early adolescents. A review of the literature revealed many existing problems associated with early adolescent and adolescent inability to cope. At the same time, a review of the literature demonstrated an absence of any significant research which determines if school variables contribute to increased student stressful life events. Without empirical data, the improvement of existing programs as well as the development of new or alternative programs aimed at reducing stressful life events, coping with change and encouraging healthier lifestyle choices appears doubtful. Determining specifically what stressful life events early adolescents are experiencing will aid middle level administrators and educators in improving schools to address student needs and maximize learning. The sample consisted of 837 eighth grade students enrolled in nine middle level schools that met the criteria of having been at least one year at a 7-8 school or at least two years at a 6-7-8 school. 529 students were from 7-8 schools and 308 students were from 6-7-8 schools. Total number of males sampled were 395 students and total number of females sampled were 440 students. Subjects were administered a questionnaire composed of 55 life event items previously used with junior high and senior high students and slightly modified in this study for use with early adolescents. Analysis of variance was employed to examine the relationship of the independent variables (school configuration, gender, and ethnicity) on the dependent variable (mean number of life events experienced by early adolescents). The findings revealed significant main effects for: school configuration and life event scores; school configuration and gender. No significant difference was found in the 2-way interaction for school configuration and gender. Significant 3-way interaction was noted for school configuration, ethnicity, and gender. Furthermore, examination of the results using ethnicity as a variable showed no significant difference in main effects or the 2-way interaction of ethnicity and gender or ethnicity and school configuration. Data indicate that significant differences were found in the two school configuration types, gender differences as well as the interaction of school configuration, gender, and ethnicity.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a teacher/advisor program on early adolescents' perception of self image. A review of the literature revealed much which proclaims the virtues of the teacher/advisor program but at the same time demonstrated an absence of any significant research which verifies that such programs, in fact, accomplish what their proponents claim. Because a notable amount of research supports the inclusion of educational experiences which heighten self image, determining specifically what effects a teacher/advisor program has would satisfy the need to validate the credibility of this concept and aid middle level educators in assessing its value. A pretest-posttest control group design with multiple measures of self image was employed. The sample consisted of 145 seventh grade students from two middle level schools. The experimental group came from a 6-7 school with a total of 73 students participating, 37 male and 36 female. The control group came from a 7-8 school with 72 students participating; both males and females numbered 36. Subjects were administered a questionnaire, which was composed of seven self image or transition research, at the beginning of the fall semester and again nine weeks later. Subjects in the experimental group received a thirty minute per day teacher/advisor program during this time interval. The findings of this study revealed significant group effects for the measures of victimization and perceived self image. For the measures of anonymity, self-consciousness, and the three self-esteem measures, however, group effects were not observable. Furthermore, examination of the results using gender as a variable showed no significant difference in any of the seven self image constructs. The data indicate that participation in a teacher/advisor program tended to suppress perceptions of victimization, which can be construed as a positive effect, and to lower perceived self image, which can also be viewed as beneficial if construed as a more realistic occurrence.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of perceived family competence on late adolescent problem-solving abilities, family relationships, and affective experience. Specific areas of interest were perceived confidence in problem-solving and approach rather than avoidance of problems; intergenerational intimacy, intergenerational individuation, and personal authority in the family system as the adolescent relates to parents; and level of depression. Subjects were 256 late adolescents whose parents were still married and living together. Results indicated that perceived family competence had an effect on the dependent variables in the expected directions. Specifically, individuals who scored high on perceived family competence were high on perceived problem-solving confidence, approached problem-solving, were high on intergenerational intimacy, intergenerational individuation, and personal authority in relation to parents, and had less depression than individuals low on perceived family competence. Several sex differences were noted. Females had significantly higher approach to problem-solving than did males. Women reported significantly higher intergenerational intimacy with parents than did men. There was a significant interaction on personal authority such that for the high perceived family competence group, women scored higher than men. However, there were no significant differences between males and females in the low perceived family competence group.

A research project submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Masters of Arts in Community-based Counselling Psychology by Coursework and Research Report / This research project aimed to explore how parents understand the causes, symptoms, existing sources of support and treatment options for adolescent mental health needs, as well as how these factors are impacted upon by broader social norms and cultural beliefs systems. Six parents of adolescent children were interviewed, using a semi-structured interview format. A thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. Four themes emerged relating to: 1) parental causal attributions 2) symptom identification, 3) treatment seeking and sources of support, and 4) socio-cultural beliefs and stigma. The findings obtained indicated that parental perceptions of adolescent mental health were framed by social norms and cultural belief systems. The stigmatisation of adolescent mental health significantly impacted on the ways in which parents managed adolescent mental health difficulties. As a result of the stigmatised beliefs, parents placed emphasis on avoiding any behaviour which could potentially expose their adolescent children’s emotional difficulties. In this regard, parents adopted an unrealistic optimism regarding their adolescent children’s susceptibility to mental health difficulties. The causes of adolescent mental health difficulties were attributed to controllable factors, which were external to the adolescent. Parents also significantly reduced the symptom severity and in most cases attributed concerning adolescent emotional behaviours to normal adolescent development. Parents seemed to have limited knowledge and awareness of adolescent mental health difficulties, which inadvertently facilitated a lack of support seeking behaviours and treatment utilisation by parents. / MT 2018

Popular children are visible and influential in an adolescent peer group (LaFontana & Cillessen, 2002). Previous studies have demonstrated that there are two types of popular children: aggressive-popular and prosocial-popular (Cillessen & Rose, 2005). The current study was designed to determine that, while both types are well liked and accepted, they draw favor from different sources of affiliation. The Study uses a sample of 450 adolescents (36.2% boys and 63.1% girls) from one high school in Lithuania. Hierarchical generalized logistic linear models (HGLLM) were conducted to determine if there was differential acceptance of aggressive-popular and prosocialpopular adolescents. Also, models determined if peers exhausted with school, attached to school, connected to peers and anxious/withdrawn would have differential association with aggressive-popular and prosocial-popular adolescents. Results answered 3 questions. First, HGLLM models were used to replicate the previous finding that popular adolescents have more affiliations than other peers. Second, results determined that popular, popular-aggressive, and popular-prosocial adolescents were all more likely to receive affiliation nominations from peers. Third, results determined that aggressive-popular adolescents were chosen as affiliates by peers exhausted with school, and less likely to be chosen by peers attached to school, connected to friends and withdrawn. Prosocial-popular adolescents were chose as affiliates by peers attached to school and connected with friends. These findings indicate that aggressivepopular adolescents draw favor from crowds that are more oriented toward youth culture, while prosocial-popular draw favor from crowds that are more oriented toward adult culture (Brown, 1990) The findings first extend previous research by demonstrating that popular adolescents, of all types, are likely to receive affiliation nominations. Furthermore, prosocial-popular and aggressive-popular adolescents have more acceptance and affiliations than others, but this attraction comes from different sources. Previous studies have shown that popular children are well liked by some but not by others (Parkhurst & Hopmeyer, 1998). Taken with findings demonstrating that popular children strategically use cooperation or manipulation to influence others (Cillessen & Rose, 2005), the current study extends knowledge about the peer groups where cooperation or manipulation strategies may be most effective. Crowds that are school oriented and have positive peer relations follow prosocial-popular peers while crowds that are fed up with school follow aggressive-popular peers. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study surveyed the willingness of adolescents to self-disclose in different situations. One hundred and forty high school students were surveyed in a suburban, southwestern city. The survey included Gordon Chelune's Self-disclosure Situations Survey, Michael Leary's Social Anxiety Survey, and a 40-item situational survey created to test students' self-disclosure willingness in normal situations. It was hypothesized that students would more readily disclose to peers than parents or counselors; that they would more readily disclose in warm, informal settings than cold, formal ones; and that there would be a significant negative correlation between social anxiety and self-disclosure. There was a small but significant negative correlation between social anxiety and students' willingness to disclose only in a warm setting. The other hypotheses were proved.