Personal adjustment and prediction of academic achievement.

The hypothesis tested was that "better" adjusted students would be more predictable than maladjusted students. Predictability was determined by correlation coefficients between aptitude test (CEEB-M and CEEB-V) scores and both 1st-quarter and 1st-yr grades. The sample consisted of 188 freshmen male business students who were classified into positive-, average-, and negative- adjustment groups on the basis of the means of the 10 Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey (GZTS) trait raw scores. Comparisons of the adjustment groups on correlations between the mathematics and verbal scores and grade averages indicated that the adjustment groups did not differ in terms of academic predictability. Analysis of differences between the groups on both high school achievement and college achievement revealed, however, that the positive-adjustment group earned significantly higher grades than the negative group. These results indicated that although the adjustment groups did not appear to be significantly different in terms of academic predictability, a definite relationship did exist between the groups on levels of achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ego identity status, conformity behavior, and personality in late adolescence.

Tested the predictive relation among identity, status, personality, and conformity behavior in an attempt to replicate findings by N. Toder and J. Marcia (see record 1973-31281-001). In Study 1, with 40 male and 40 female undergraduates, no relation was observed between identity status (diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and identity achievement) and conformity on the measure developed by S. E. Asch (1956). Study 2, with 138 Ss, confirmed the validity of the measure of identity employed, the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status. In Study 3, 87 Ss completed 4 measures of conformity behavior—peer assessments, an experimental task, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and sections from the California Personality Inventory. Diffusion Ss were most influenced by peer pressures toward conformity, whereas identity-achievement Ss were most likely to report engaging in conformity behavior for achievement gains. Although Toder and Marcia's results on the Asch conformity task were not replicated, Study 3 supported the predicted relation between identity and conformity. (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ego identity and intimacy status: Replication and extension.

Previous research has supported E. Erikson's (1968) theoretical proposition that advanced identity formation is associated with greater interpersonal intimacy. However, these studies have been criticized for using cross-sectional methods and/or male Ss exclusively. In this study, 28 male and 50 female undergraduates were randomly selected as participants in a 1-yr longitudinal project to assess the identity–intimacy relationship. An ego-identity interview and an intimacy interview were administered to measure Ss' statuses on the 2 psychosocial constructs. Data indicate that identity formation maintained a trend for time-lagged and concurrent associations with intimacy development. Occupational identity for males and religious identity for females were the most salient factors contributing to advanced intimacy status. The importance of sex differences in determining the specificity of the identity–intimacy relationship is discussed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ego stage and identity status development: A cross-sequential analysis.

A longitudinal study of identity status and ego stage development during late adolescence was completed to assess (a) potential differential rates in male vs female development, (b) possible cohort differences, and (c) consistency in theoretically predicted change. The cross-sequential study included a Sex?×?Cohort?×?Repeated Measures design. A random sample of 148 freshman, sophomore, and junior college students was assessed in 1976 and 1977 using the Marcia Ego-Identity Incomplete Sentence Blank and Interview and the Loevinger Sentence Completion Test. Some sex and cohort differences were observed. Although half of the Ss remained stable in their identity ego status or stage, the remaining Ss experienced either advancement or regression from 1976 to 1977. The data support the theoretical notions of development underlying both psychological constructs and are consistent with previous longitudinal studies that indicate intraindividual change over time in personality development. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement.

Using meta-analysis techniques, almost 200 studies that considered the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement (AA) were examined. Results indicate that as SES is typically defined and used, it is only weakly correlated with AA. With aggregated units of analysis, typically obtained correlations between SES and AA jump to .73. Family characteristics, sometimes incorrectly referred to as SES, are substantially correlated with AA when individuals are the unit of analysis. Factors such as grade level at which the measurement was taken, type of AA measure, type of SES measure, and the year in which the data were collected were significantly correlated with the magnitude of the correlation between AA and SES. Variables considered in the meta-analysis accounted for 75% of the variance in observed correlation coefficients in the studies examined. (6 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Racial identity, academic achievement, and the psychological well-being of economically disadvantaged adolescents.

The relation between racial identity and personal psychological functioning was examined within the framework of the "racelessness" construct proposed by Fordham and Ogbu (S. Fordham, 1988; S. Fordham & J. U. Ogbu, 1986). These researchers have proposed that academically successful African American students achieve their success by adopting behaviors and attitudes that distance them from their culture of origin, resulting in increased feelings of depression, anxiety, and identity confusion. Studies 1 and 2 describe the development of the Racelessness Scale (RS) designed to test these assumptions. Study 2 also investigated Race?×?Achievement level differences in students' responses to the RS. In Study 3, correlations between the RS and measures of depression, self-efficacy, anxiety, alienation, and collective self-esteem were assessed. The pattern of results in Study 2 suggest that the behaviors and attitudes described by Fordham and Ogbu are common to high-achieving adolescents and not specific to African Americans. However, racial differences in the pattern of associations between the RS and measures of depression suggest that racelessness may have important psychological consequences for African American adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation between academic achievement and social adjustment: Evidence from Chinese children.

A sample of children in Shanghai, P. R. China, initially aged 10 and 12 years, participated in this 2-year longitudinal project. Information on academic achievement and indexes of social adjustment, including social competence, aggression, social inhibition, leadership, and peer acceptance, was collected from multiple sources. It was found that academic achievement predicted children's social competence and peer acceptance. In turn, children's social functioning and adjustment, including social competence, aggression-disruption, leadership, and peer acceptance, uniquely contributed to academic achievement. These results generally supported the "reciprocal effects" model concerning the relations between academic achievement and social adjustment (S. P. Hinshaw, 1992). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ego identity, intimacy, sex role orientation, and gender.

Assessed identity and intimacy in 40 male and 40 female university students, using a semistructured interview and a rating manual. Ss were also administered the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Results show that for males, identity was related to masculinity and intimacy was related to femininity. For females, identity was also related to masculinity; there were more high-intimacy females than males. While high identity/high intimacy was not contingent on androgyny (as hypothesized), proportionately more androgynous than nonandrogynous Ss were in this category. Results lend support to the hypothesis that it is desirable and beneficial for each sex to integrate aspects of the other gender's sex type. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of work values in relation to status, achievement, interests, and adjustment.

The Work Values Inventory (WVI), a 210-item, paired-comparison instrument designed to measure 15 different work values, was administered together with a number of measures of intelligence, interest, adjustment, and achievement to 9th grade boys of the Career Pattern Study (N = 88). The results show no tendency for so-called intrinsic values to be associated, nor for extrinsice values to be more intercorrelated than are values of different types. A centroid factor analysis of the 40 X 40 matrix yielded 10 factors, of which 7 were clearly identifiable. 4 were clearly value factors, 2 could be classified as either values or interests, 3 were personality and adjustment factors, and 1 was an achievement factor. The WVI seemed particularly useful in its measurement of 4 value factors not revealed by interest or adjustment measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sociometric status and academic, behavioral, and psychological adjustment: A five-year longitudinal study.

600 4th-graders rated how much they like to play with each of their classmates and then nominated their 3 best friends; 296 of the 600 children were assigned sociometric classifications of popular, neglected, average, controversial, or rejected status (the remaining 304 children failed to meet inclusion criteria). Five years later, 267 of the 296 classified children (90.2%) were evaluated on measures of academic performance, social behavior, and psychological adjustment. The number and type of contacts with the juvenile justice system were also determined. In general, children classified as rejected or controversial tended to fare more poorly on indices of long-term adjustment than did children classified as popular, neglected, or average. Results are discussed in terms of the predictive validity of sociometric rating and nomination procedures and their utility in identifying children at risk for later maladjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Future time perspective, optimism, and academic achievement.

"The results of Eson's technique seems to indicate that high academic achievers are predominantly 'anteverts' in so far as their recent thoughts and conversations are concerned, i.e., they tend to look mostly to the future… . Students high in future extension also appeared to be more optimistic." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School attitudes, cognitive ability, and academic achievement.

Investigated relationships between school-related attitudes and measures of English, mathematics, French, and physical and biological sciences at different levels of verbal and nonverbal reasoning abilities and creativity. Data were collected on 195 female and 201 male 12-yr-olds from 4 high schools in an English provincial town. Regression surfaces were constructed from models that examined possible linear, curvilinear, and interaction relations between the variables. The Jackknife technique was used to adjust the significance levels in the analysis. Results indicate that there are sex differences in relations between school attitudes, ability, and achievement. Two propositions are suggested: (a) At each attitude level, increases in cognitive ability are associated with increments in academic achievement. (b) At different ability levels, increases in attitude scores are related to increments in achievement. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Promoting academic achievement: The role of racial identity in buffering perceptions of teacher discrimination on academic achievement among African American and Caribbean Black adolescents.

In this study, the authors examined the moderating effects of different dimensions racial identity (i.e., racial centrality and public regard) on perceptions of teacher discrimination and academic achievement among a nationally represented sample of African American and Caribbean Black adolescents. The findings revealed that perceived teacher discrimination was negatively related to academic achievement for both African American and Caribbean Black youth. In addition, high racial centrality and low public regard buffered the negative consequences of high levels of perceived teacher discrimination on academic achievement among Caribbean Black adolescents. Implications of these findings for academic achievement among Black youth are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of reciprocal peer tutoring on academic achievement and psychological adjustment: A component analysis.

A component analysis of the reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) strategy was performed, which previous research had demonstrated to be effective in producing cognitive gains, lowering subjective distress, and enhancing course satisfaction. One hundred students were randomly assigned to one of four groups designed to systematically compare the RPT strategy with its hypothesized components: dyadic, mutual exchange, and structured-learning format. Pretest analyses revealed no significant group differences in demographic variables or pretest scores on course examinations and self-report inventories of subjective distress. Further analyses supported past findings on the superiority of the RPT strategy. This superiority was attributed to the RPT group's unique combination of elements: preparing to teach a peer teaching a peer, and accountability for this process. We discuss implications for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The social status of aggressive students across contexts: The role of classroom status hierarchy, academic achievement, and grade.

This study tested the effects of 5 classroom contextual features on the social status (perceived popularity and social preference) that peers accord to aggressive students in late elementary school, including classroom peer status hierarchy (whether within-classroom differences in popularity are large or small), classroom academic level, and grade level as the main predictors of interest as well as classroom aggression and ethnic composition as controls. Multilevel analyses were conducted on an ethnically diverse sample of 968 fourth- and fifth-graders from 46 classrooms in 9 schools. Associations between aggression and status varied greatly from one classroom to another. Aggressive students were more popular and better liked in classrooms with higher levels of peer status hierarchy. Aggressive students had higher social status in Grade 5 than in Grade 4 and lower social preference in classrooms of higher academic level. Classroom aggression and ethnic composition did not moderate aggression–status associations. Limitations and practical implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concepts, motivation, and academic achievement of Black adolescents.

Investigated the unique and common contributions made by global self-concept, academic self-concept, and need for academic competence to the variance in academic achievement of inner city Black adolescents. Data on these variables were collected from 328 8th-grade students attending a New York City public junior high school. Results of commonality procedures indicate that academic self-concept and need for academic competence each accounted for significant proportions of criterion variance, whereas global self-concept did not. Explanations of variance in academic achievement were better for males than for females after the possible confounding effects of verbal ability had been partialled out. Directions for intervention strategies aimed at enhancing academic achievement are suggested for the 2 sexes. (53 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Holland personality types and academic achievement.

J. Holland (1973) viewed vocational choices, preferences, and achievements as functions of personality and contended that individuals can be categorized into 1 of 6 basic personality types: realistic (R), investigative (I), artistic (A), social (S), enterprising (E), and conventional (C). Holland's primary code types for 323 male and 352 female college freshman were assessed using the 6 General Occupational Theme scale scores of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory. First-semester GPAs for each code type and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores served as criterion indices. Mixed support merged for Holland's prediction. Using primary personality types alone as the predictor of 1st-semester college GPA had some validity for males only. Although both I, S, A, and C males and females achieved the highest GPAs, the observed ordering of the groups did not conform with Holland's prediction. When SAT Total scores were examined, differences among the types emerged for both sexes. On this variable, I and A males achieved higher scores than S, E, or Tied types. Analogous with the GPA findings, A males appeared superior to the R types, whom Holland predicted to be the lowest achievers. I females obtained the highest mean SAT Total score, as predicted by Holland. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anxiety in academic achievement situations.

Scales of general anxiety (Taylor, Welsh, and Freeman) and of anxiety specific to academic situations (Mandler-Sarason, Achievement Anxiety Test) were administered to college freshmen. Academic achievement included verbal aptitude, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, overall grade-point average, and performance in psychology courses. The 2 tests of specific anxiety were seen to be measuring something different than the more general tests and were differentially related to academic performance. "Facilitating" vs. "debilitating" anxiety was distinguished. Results are related to the general body of knowledge in area. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Content specificity of relations between academic achievement and academic self-concept.

In extension of research on the H. W. Marsh/R. J. Shavelson (1985) model of self-concept, a set of 14 academic self-concept scales was related to school performances in 8 school subjects for a sample of 507 high school boys. Correlations between matching areas of self-concept and achievement (.45 to .70; mean r?=?.57) were much larger than those typically found in previous research. Path models and multitrait-multimethod analyses demonstrated that self-concept/academic achievement relations were very specific to particular school subjects. The findings indicate that components of academic self-concepts are more differentiated (i.e., less correlated) than are achievement scores and that relations between academic self-concepts and academic achievements are more content specific than has been previously assumed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Field independence, impulsiveness, high school training, and academic achievement.

Studied the interrelationships of field independence, impulsiveness, and type of previous high school education in 15 female and 45 male undergraduates. Relationships between these variables and several measures of academic achievement were also investigated. Ss were given 7 cognitive-perceptual tests and asked to complete a questionnaire measuring emotionality and impulsiveness. Results indicate that paper-and-pencil tests of field independence might partially measure different abilities among math- and art-trained Ss. Math-trained students were relatively field independent and low impulsive. Although field dependence and impulsiveness were unrelated measures, it appeared that highly anxious impulsive Ss were relatively field dependent. A negative correlation between impulsiveness and grades in statistics was found. Results support the view of H. A. Witkin et al that cognitive styles might have relevance in predicting academic evolution. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)