A sample of 20 father-present and 20 father-absent middle school boys rated each other on peer adjustment and self-image. Results indicate that father-absent boys evidence a poorer sense of masculinity as well as poorer interpersonal relationships than do father-present boys. (JPS)

Tested the role of social support from parents and peers as a mediator in the relationship between an adolescent's self-concept and residential relocation. Analysis of mobility and self-concept in a sample of 205 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades indicated that social support attenuated a negative effect of mobility on specific…

Evaluated ability of four-factor psychosocial model to explain adolescent drug involvement. Findings from 1,050 seventh- and eighth-grade students revealed that four-factor model offered concise theoretical model of underlying psychosocial determinants of adolescent drug use. Results indicated need for children to bond with peers, parents, and…

Investigated correlates of academic achievement, including self-concept, extracurricular activities, family environment, and gender. Findings indicated that, although self-concept and academic achievement were associated for gifted seventh and eighth graders (n=33), the two variables were not associated for academically weak students (n=33). For…

This exploratory study asked a number of teachers in a Midwest school system if they believed adolescents in general have a more flexible attitude toward female gender roles than older generations do. Over 90% answered yes. It then examined whether adolescents' attitudes toward flexible gender roles were indeed more flexible than those of older…