Analyzes real-life moral dilemmas of Israeli city and kibbutz adolescents. Emphasizes contribution of Gilligan's theory to knowledge of adolescent moral development as originally conceived by Kohlberg. Suggests that Kohlberg's view of the adolescent as a moral philosopher limits the understanding of the moral development of female adolescents, who…

Investigated the relationships among gender, age, and self-image of adolescents attending three secondary schools in Jamaica. Results revealed statistically significant effects for both gender and age. Gender significantly influenced morals, while age differences affected six other dimensions. Some results contradicted past research. (RJM)

Surveys the worries of adolescents in Northern Ireland, with a focus on identifying age and gender differences. Analysis reveals that females report worrying significantly more frequently than males, particularly in regard to transition from school and personal and academic issues. Students over 16 report worrying significantly less than their…

Examined family unemployment in terms of its effects on adolescent work values and self-concept. Findings from 344 high school students from Israeli development town showed no significant differences among youth from families where father was employed or unemployed. Findings suggest that father's work status has little impact on adolescent family…

Examined the ambitions of Senegalese adolescents with regard to the influence of knowledge and prestige. Results showed balance between self and society, material and moral values, and a predilection to apply knowledge and science to the need for economic development. (Author/NRB)

Administered self-concept and academic ability scales to 664 Malaysian adolescents to examine whether self-concept changes with age, not only in the global sense but in various components of the self-concept. Found that the self-concept of adolescent boys changed with age in the direction predicted. The trend was less obvious and less consistent…

Investigated relationship between ego identity development and suicidal inclinations at adolescence. Results from suicidal (N=10) and normative (N=30) adolescents revealed that most of the ego identity factors examined differentiated between the two groups. Findings support hypothesis that ego identity formation at adolescence may serve as…

Proposes that difficulties in the formation of cohesive gender identity are related to the adolescent's motivation to attempt suicide. Uses Fast's (1984) distinction between "event-centered" and "self-centered" experiences to explore problems in formation of gender identity with reference to regression to earlier stages of…

Examined relationship between pubertal status, quality of interactions with significant others, and self-esteem of 178 adolescent girls. Analysis revealed that girls who had begun menstruating 6 months before investigation obtained higher scores on self-esteem than girls who had been menstruating 13 months or more. Best predictor of self-esteem…

Results of comparisons between European adolescents' (N=170) and English adolescents' (N=820) responses on the Ideal Person Test indicated that boys make materialistic responses; that girls make social and altruistic responses; and that the difference in valuing between the sexes is greater than that between schools. (Author/BL)

Assessed changes in the ability of girls from early to late adolescence to recognize their bodies. Subjects (N=157) were asked to choose their own picture (head occluded) from among five photographs. All were able to identify themselves with considerable accuracy, particularly the late-adolescent group. (JAC)

Contends that secondary education formalizes transition from adolescence to young adulthood in ways that exemplify patterns of segregation, transition, and incorporation that compose Van Gennep's "rites de passage." Explains how socially immature adolescents are segregated in high schools and formally socialized for responsibilities of…

Explored psychological characteristics of teenage mothers (n=33) who were found to have experienced more traumatic childhoods than nonmother control group (n=34). Compared to nonmother peers, teenage mothers demonstrated more mature ego development as measured by Loevinger Sentence Completion Test. Content analyses of responses revealed highly…

Evaluated data on sexual victimization, physical victimization, family structure, family financial stability, delinquent and criminal activities, and reasons for running away in histories of 89 Canadian male runaways. Runaways evidenced dramatically higher rates of sexual and physical abuse than did randomly sampled populations. Sexually abused…

Examined characteristics of 56 male street children in Colombia through participant observation and standardized psychological test scores. Data indicated that subjects' mental health was adequate. Two different styles of street life were found--gamines (those who chose to leave home) and chupagruesos (those who were abandoned). Found that…