This article presents reliability and validity evidence on the Anti-Social Activities Attitude Scale. The scale is not intended to predict individual behavior but to assess the moral climate within a population as supportive or restrictive of antisocial acts. The scale itself is included. (SJL)

Examines aspirations by analyzing variables that can be directly influenced by the student, family, and/or school personnel. Data secured from 2,677 students in grades 8 through 12 suggest that many students do not understand why they engage in certain activities. To assume more responsibility, students must see purpose in their pursuits. (RJM)

Focuses on "goofing off" and the meaning of that activity to students involved. Describes goofing off as an adaptive behavior which occurs within a particular organizational context. Discusses factors that affect the presence of this behavior. Analyzes what goofing off shows about early adolescence in the context of schooling. (RC)

Israeli students (N=600) responded to a questionnaire dealing with motives for participating in vandalism. Factors accounting for such motivation included perceived level of vandalism at school, attitude toward school, attitude toward teacher, and school anxiety. Punishment, father's level of education, sense of hope, and class level had no effect…

In Hong Kong secondary schools, students in the senior forms take competitive examinations to proceed to the next level, whereas those in the junior forms attend school regardless of their ability and motivation. To determine if this produces different classroom climates, 602 Chinese secondary school students were administered the Classroom…

Among the 160 students studied, demographic, cognitive moral development level and college environment variables interacted in highly complex patterns to influence the student's choice of premarital sexual standard. This suggests that a general systems approach, rather than univariate analysis, is needed to fully study complex moral phenomena.…

Compared the academic perceptions and beliefs of liberal and conservative college students (N=460). Analysis of survey results showed liberals demanded more student participation and espoused more academic alienation. Liberals also evaluated the university academic environment more critically and perceived greater real-ideal discrepancies in…

Chinese teenagers (n=1,861) rated overpopulation and environmental pollution as their greatest concerns about the future; these were usually rated quite low by teenagers in other countries. Although still of concern to Chinese teenagers, nuclear war seemed more remote to them than it did to U.S. and former Soviet teenagers in earlier studies.…

Summarizes perceptions, attitudes and beliefs of 751 Black and White eighth-grade students in Georgia. Results showed most get along well with their parents and considered their home atmosphere "very good." The highest number of runaways was among Black girls. Most students had positive attitudes toward religion. (JAC)

A survey of 940 university students found that adolescents of Type A parents have higher Type A scores. Moreover, Type A parent-adolescent relationships varied depending on the Type A dimension measured and the gender of the parent-adolescent dyad. Analyses indicated that perceived family environment influenced the development of Type A behavior.…

Explored role of adolescent's perception of family environment and its relationship to underachievement. Normal ability underachievers and matched group of achievers completed Family Environment Scale. Identified four variables that distinguished between achievers and underachievers: moral-religious emphasis, achievement orientation, family…

The authors studied truancy in junior high school students through structured interviews with 33 truants. Truancy at this age was commonly associated with significant difficulties at home, at school, and with peers. Two types of truants were delineated: "authority-defying" and "peer phobic." The school's role is discussed. (Author/SJL)

Compared perceptions of Mexican-American high school students (N=105) from two Texas schools. Survey results showed students with similar sociological backgrounds responded differently to school. Students from the smaller school felt more involved in decision making. Most students did not feel adequately prepared for either college or career. (JAC)

A shortened version of the Parental Bonding Instrument, used in a sample of Norwegian adolescents, aged 15-19, indicated that adolescents' perceptions of mothers' and fathers' care and control/overprotection were related to measures of both depression/anxiety and delinquency. Scores may indicate risks in a broad range of psychosocial problems.…