The Journal of Early Adolescence

Thornburg, Hershel

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041001pmid: N/A

Potter, Ellen F.

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041002pmid: N/A

Recent writing on school motivation has prescribed techniques to be used, but has failed to tailor such techniques to the developmental level of the young adolescent. This article addresses the following motivational techniques and indicates aspects of the developmental stage of early adolescence that are relevant to their application: (a) use of behavorist incentives; (b) evocation of facilitative expectations and causal attributions; (c) use of social incentives; (d) use of competition; and (e) enhancement of intrinsic motivation.

Quay, Herbert C.

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041003pmid: N/A

This paper reports the results of a survey of opinions of mental health administrators in regards to children's rights and deinstitutionalization. Data from 107 respondents (45% of those to whom a survey was mailed) revealed wide variability in responses unrelated to professional discipline, type of agency, or years of experience. While both positive and negative specific effects were noted, the majority of respondents seemed to endorse both movements overall. There was a sufficient degree of agreement by respondents about adverse consequences to suggest that empirical research into the effects of both movements is clearly in order. If empirical findings support expert opinion, a closer look-at the means by which both movements are actualized would be warranted.

Ziegler, Christine B.; Dusek, Jerome B.; Carter, D. Bruce

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041004pmid: N/A

A total of 354 6th through 12th grade adolescents completed both a measure of self-concept and a revised version of the Bem Sex Role Inventory in order to assess relationships between sex-role orientation and self-concept during adolescence. It was hypothesized that sex-role orientation and self-concept were systematically related multi-dimensional aspects of personality. The results confirmed the major hypotheses. Overall, Masculine and Androgynous adolescents scored significantly higher than did Feminine and Undifferentiated adolescents on the instrumental self-concept dimension of Achievement/Leadership. In contrast, Feminine and Androgynous adolescents scored significantly higher than their Masculine and Undifferentiated peers on the expressive self-concept dimension of Congeniality/Sociability. Feminine adolescents exhibited significantly higher adjustment self-concepts than did their Undifferentiated peers, but both groups scored lower on this aspect of self-concept than did Androgynous and Masculine adolescents. Finally, on the dimension of Masculinity/Femininity, Masculine adolescents scored significantly higher, and Feminine adolescents significantly lower, than did their Androgynous and Undifferentiated peers. Regression analyses indicated a significant Masculinity component for the instrumental, and a significant Femininity component for the expressive, dimension of self-concept. In addition, only Masculinity contributed significantly to the regression predicting overall Adjustment scores. No age differences emerged from any of the analyses. The results illustrate the utility of the notion that self-concept and sex-role orientation are multidimensional constructs.

Jurich, Anthony P.; Andrews, Dana

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041005pmid: N/A

Using a sample of rural early adolescents the present study found delinquent adolescents to have a lower self-concept than their nondelinquent counterparts, especially in the areas of body image, moral and ethical self, and family self-concept. These delinquents showed significant signs of maladjustment on the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale but accepted their negative self-image. Supplementary questions indicated that the delinquent group felt emotionally distant from their families, over reliant on their peers, and saw little hope for their future.

Hepworth, Jeri

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041006pmid: N/A

This paper considers the reliability of a much referenced measure of identity, Constantinople's Inventory of Personality Development. Al- though Constantinople indicated only moderate acceptability of the reliability of the instrument, a review of literature indicates that later researchers utilizing the measure generally did not report independent reliability estimates. This paper reports reliability estimates, computed for the identity subscales with a sample of undergraduate students, which suggests caution in the use of this measure for identity research. Discussion includes the implications of this methodological issue for future identity research.

Kishton, Joseph; Starrett, Raymond H.; Lucas, Jana L.

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041007pmid: N/A

Ego development and impulsivity data were collected from an early adolescence group (Mean age= 14.8) and a late adolescence group (Mean age= 18.7). Ego development was measured with the Washington University Sentence Completion Test. The WUSCT is a 36-item sentence completion projective test developed by Loevinger. Impulsivity was measured through the use of the impulsivity and risk taking scales developed by Eysenck. The interrater reliability of the WUSCT was established and parcels of ego development, impulsivity, and word count items were entered into a parcel factor analysis. The factor analysis revealed differences in the order and strength of the factors for the two adolescence groups. Ego development was significantly higher in the older group and impulsivity seemed to be a more substantial component of ego functioning for the early adolescence group. The feasibility of factor analyzing the WUSCT was demonstrated and future directions for identity and ego development research were suggested.

Hains, Anthony A.

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041008pmid: N/A

The purpose of the present project was to replicate past research showing delinquents lagging behind nondelinquents on moral judgment, role-taking, and logical cognitive tasks, and to provide instructions on moral judgment and role-taking tasks to stimulate delinquents' performance. The instructions were intended to investigate whether delinquents' inferior social cognitive performances may be due to a structural deficit, or whether they do not evoke skills they possess or not utilize skills they have the capacity to possess. Finally, since self-concept could play a role in monitoring cognitive activity, a self-concept as a learner questionnaire was administered to assess any differences between groups. Delinquents displayed poorer performances than nondelinquents on moral reasoning and logical cognitive abilities, but not on role-taking. Instructions to enhance moral reasoning improved all participants' scores. However, the overall inferior performance by delinquents on moral reasoning appeared to be due to structural deficit. Delinquents' self-concept as a learner scores were similar to nondelinquents despite their lower performance on other measures, suggesting they may not be as aware of their cognitive capabilities.

Baker, Carolyn D.

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041009pmid: N/A

Research on the life-stage preferences of young adolescents is discussed through a comparison of the methods and findings of two independent interview studies which included a question on this topic. The comparability of the samples and differences in the questioning procedures are shown. The conclusion of one study, that young adolescents can be characterized as "contemporary" choosers, is questioned with the results of the second, where a "future" preference is suggested by the data. Additionally, a significant sex difference is found in young adolescents' nominations of an "ideal age to be". Issues in the conduct of life-course research with adolescents are raised from the comparison of the two studies.

Carter, Thomas D.; DeBlassie, Richard R.

doi: 10.1177/0272431684041010pmid: N/A

A basic problem has been the assessment of significant neuropsychological processes in an unobtrusive manner. A- literature search produced a simple neuropsychological procedure called the Torque Test claimed to successfully identify children at risk for academic problems and aberrant behavior. The purpose of the study was to investigate the Torque Test as a screening device for identifying children at risk for behavioral and academic problems. The relationship between torque and lateral dominance was also examined. Ninety-four fourth- and fifth-grade subjects (47 males and 47 females) were drawn from a normal classroom population with a minimum I. Q. of 80. The subjects were administered the Torque Test, the Reitan Test for Lateral Dominance, and the Wide Range Achievement Test. Each subject was rated by his or her parent (Burks' Behavior Rating Scale) and teacher (Conners Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale). The results indicate that the Torque Test may be useful for screening for behavior problems, but not for academic difficulties.