In this longitudinal study of rural adolescent males (Negro and white), 3 hypotheses were tested: (1) that occupational and educational aspirations of these youth will either be stable at a low level or change downward from higher levels over time, (2) that Negro youth will experience significantly more downward deflection of status projections over time than the white youth, and (3) that incidence of anticipatory goal deflection will decline over time. In 1966, some 484 high school sophomore boys in 3 rural counties in east-central Texas were given a questionnaire. A similar questionnaire was administered to 325 of the original sample in 1968, an additional 71 were contacted personally, and 37 responded to a mailed questionnaire. Findings indicated that, generally, the higher the occupational aspirations and expectations of white boys the more stable they remained over the time period. The Negro boys' occupational aspirations and expectations lowered over the time period. Negro boys raised their educational goals while those of the white boys remained congruent. In general, occupational aspirations and expectations of both the white and Negro youth appeared more dynamic than their educational status projections. (LS)