Many adolescent girls are not participating in the recommended levels of physical activity (PA) and are at risk for unhealthy lifestyles (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). Helping girls understand the importance of PA and giving them positive experiences in physical education classes, including fitness testing, may help to…

The relationship between vocational preferences of adolescents and their birth order was examined. Firstborns were found to be overrepresented in the conventional and enterprising areas; later borns were found to be overrepresented in the social and investigative areas. (Author/GK)

Although much attention has been devoted to the study of social competence in the past decade, few researchers have examined the adolescent age group. These two studies examined what behaviors are important for positive peer relations in adolescence. In the first study 1,142 ninth-graders (577 males, M age=14.78; 565 females, M age=14.61) from 7…

Examined effects of parental separation on academic achievement and academic self-concept of 1,682 seventh and ninth graders. Academic self-concepts were lower among adolescents in mother-only families whose fathers departed since child entered third grade than among those living with both biological parents; adolescents whose fathers left earlier…

Examined relationships among cigarette use, alcohol use, marijuana use, delinquency, and sexual intercourse in 1,271 seventh and 966 ninth graders in urban school system in which most students were African American and from low-income families. Measures of problem behavior frequency were positively correlated with each other and negatively…

A nutrition and diet group was established to lend support to and instill dieting techniques and correct eating habits in a group of 10 girls. Weight loss goals were established but no specific demands were made. (JN)

Investigated how peer acceptance and friendship were related to self-esteem in adolescents. Ninth-grade students (n=542) were classified by sociometric group and presence or absence of reciprocal friendships. Results indicate no significant difference in self-esteem scores across sociometric groups. Subjects with one friend had higher self-esteem…

It has been suggested that adolescents in the United States do not get enough individual attention and guidance from adults. This study was conducted to investigate the relationships adolescents have with adult friends or mentors. Eighth- and ninth-grade students (N=299) completed anonymous surveys about discussing important things with other…

Describes a modest afterschool rites-of-passage program for District of Columbia ninth graders that provides doses of African culture, practical skills, adult guidance, and community service opportunities. The program is reinforced by a cross-cultural junior high curriculum drawing from traditional African wisdom and modern pragmatism. (MLH)

During the 1984-1986 academic years, the Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse again cooperated with the Omaha Public Schools to assess the effects of the videotape-based educational program, "Resisting Pressures to Drink and Drive." This report summarizes the activities of the 1984-1985 year and presents an assessment of…

Theoretical models of social competence suggest that a necessary component of performing socially skillful behavior is the ability to accurately self-monitor the impact of one's behavior and to use this feedback to make adjustments in behavior. These models suggest that less socially competent adolescents may not accurately evaluate the impact of…

Ontario's Transition Years initiatives, designed to change schooling structures and processes and ease early adolescents' transition to high school, seem to place teachers in equally trying and traumatic transitions in their work and careers. Program components challenge teachers' sense of competence and effectiveness and threaten to consume…

Researchers have concluded that the continued debate over the heredity-environment issue concerning the nature of intelligence is nonproductive. Recent evidence demonstrates that intellectual abilities can be improved with practice. Heredity may determine upper limits of abilities within individuals, but there is considerable room left for…

Describes effective methods for identifying and recruiting high risk African American ninth-grade girls to measure their fitness and assess the impact of fitness training on blood pressure. A multistage step test for fitness assessment in such girls is presented. The "Project Heart" aerobics class and control groups are described. (SM)

During the 1983-1985 academic years, the Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse cooperated with the Omaha Public Schools to assess the effects of the videotape-based educational program "Resisting Pressures to Drink and Drive." This report is based upon curriculum activities of the 1983-1984 academic year and presents an…