The relationship of hope in the future and perceived school climate to school completion.

This study examined the impact of hope in the future and school climate as protective factors in school dropouts and graduates. Participants consisted of 97 students (males and females, aged 14-21 yrs) at risk for not completing school in an urban area. At-risk status was determined by student assignment to a continuation high school, a special placement for students who had had numerous infractions at regular high schools. Retrospectively, dropouts rated perceived school climate significantly lower than graduates, and graduates rated the importance of attending college significantly higher than dropouts. Dropouts and graduates who left school after the study was conducted did not report differences on the risk factors measured, nor did they differ on perceived school climate or the importance of attending college. However, hope in the future significantly predicted dropout versus graduate status for these participants. Results are discussed as describing differences in retrospective versus prospective reports, and as evidence of the utility of the risk/resilience paradigm in school completion research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pregaming in high school students: Relevance to risky drinking practices, alcohol cognitions, and the social drinking context.

Pregaming is the practice of consuming alcohol prior to going out to a social event. Although pregaming has begun to receive research attention in the college setting, very little is known about this risky drinking behavior in high school students. As pregaming has health implications for both students who are college bound and those who are not, we examined the prevalence of this behavior in a sample of high school students who reported current alcohol use and completed pregaming measures (n = 233). The present study examined the associations of gender, age, alcohol expectancies, motivations for drinking (e.g., social, enhancement, and coping), and engagement in other risky drinking practices (i.e., general hazardous use and drinking game participation) with pregaming. Results indicate that pregaming was significantly associated with being older, being a male, having high levels of hazardous alcohol use, and participating in drinking games frequently. Pregaming also occurred most often before parties and sporting events and it was associated positively with frequency of attendance at parties where alcohol is available, the tendency to use alcohol at these parties, and the amount of alcohol consumed at these parties. We discuss the findings in the context of pregaming research that has been conducted with college students, and make suggestions regarding prevention and intervention efforts focused on this risky drinking practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancies for negative mood regulation, coping, and dysphoria among college students.

Participants (N?=?222) completed measures of negative mood regulation (NMR) expectancies, negative life events, coping responses, dysphoria, and somatic symptoms. After 6 to 8 wks, they completed the same questionnaires except that daily hassles in the previous month were assessed instead of negative life events. In cross-sectional analyses and with stable variance in coping and symptoms controlled, NMR expectancies were positively related to active coping and negatively related to avoidant coping and symptoms. Changes in NMR expectancies and dysphoria were correlated. Time 1 dysphoria was positively related to daily hassles at Time 2, which in turn was associated with changes in coping and dysphoria from Time 1 to Time 2. Implications for counseling and stress-management interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A more accurate approach to measuring the prevalence of sexual harassment among high school students.

The present study surveyed the prevalence of sexual harassment among high school students. A total of 1,582 students from 18 schools completed a version of the American Association of University Women (1993) survey. Reported sexual harassment events were restricted to those that: a) had been experienced first-hand, b) had occurred within the preceding two weeks, and c) were reported by students who were notably upset by their experiences. Despite this stringent approach, sexual harassment was found to be a significant problem in high schools. Fifteen percent of students were both sexually harassed and very or somewhat upset by their harassment experiences. Nearly half of these upset students were recipients of physical forms of sexual harassment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral and emotional self-control: Relations to substance use in samples of middle and high school students.

The authors tested how behavioral and emotional self-control are related to adolescent substance (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) use. Data were obtained from 489 middle school students and 602 high school students. Multiple indicators were developed for each domain of self-control, and confirmatory analyses were used to test the measurement structure of latent constructs. Results showed that the domains of behavioral self-control and emotional self-control were statistically distinct, and both were related to adolescent substance use. Structural modeling analyses indicated indirect effects for self-control constructs primarily through pathways to competence and recent events. In addition, poor behavioral control had a direct effect to deviant peer affiliations, and poor emotional control had a direct effect to coping motives for substance use. The results indicate that both types of self-regulation are relevant for adolescent substance use. Implications for prevention and treatment research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In vitro activities of sulopenem, a new parenteral penem, against anaerobes

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' smoking behavior as well as their current smoking status and its effects on perceived levels of stress and coping styles. Students from four universities completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations and a smoking questionnaire. Of the 1330 students who participated in the study, 19 percent were current smokers. On the Perceived Stress Scale, current smokers' mean score was significantly higher than that of the students who had never smoked. In addition, the current smokers' mean score for Emotion-oriented Coping was significantly higher than that of the students who had never smoked or formerly smoked. The former smokers' mean score on Avoidance-oriented Coping was significantly lower than the never and the current smokers. Ten percent of the students smoked their first cigarette after high school, while 11 percent started to smoke on a daily basis after high school. Based on the findings, programs that focus on smoking prevention and cessation for college students are recommended.     

The Applicability of Cognitive Mediational and Moderational Models to Explain Children's Depression Inventory Factor Scores in Urban Youth.

This investigation examined whether cognition serves as a direct factor, mediates, or moderates the relationship between stressful life events and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1992) factor scores in urban, ethnic minority youth. Ninety-eight middle school students completed measures of stressful life events, cognition (cognitive triad and locus of control), and depressive symptoms. Results provided support for both mediating and moderating models of depression. Specifically, the cognitive triad mediated the relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptom categories of negative mood, ineffectiveness, and anhedonia, while it interacted with stressful life events to predict negative self-esteem. In addition, locus of control was found to interact with stressful life events to predict anhedonia. Finally, the diathesis-stress model was not supported when predicting the CDI Interpersonal Problems factor score, which taps externalizing behaviors. Implications for school psychology research and practice include the importance of including measures of stressful life events and cognitive styles in assessment of children's social-emotional functioning. In addition, results highlight the need to target children's perceptions for intervention since they appear to play a significant role in psychological reactions to stressors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Language Competence, Narrative Ability, and School Readiness in Low-Income Preschool Children.

Language competence, narrative ability, and school readiness were examined in 25 low-income preschool children attending day care. Participants were assessed for language competence (PPVT-R), school readiness (Early Development Instrument), and completed stories based on everyday household events (MacArthur Story Stem Battery). Each story was coded for the level of chronology, organization, and number of information units. Children who had higher levels of language competence and school readiness generated narratives that were chronologically ordered and well organized. Story-telling may be an important means to understanding children's overall competence and coping ability, as well as a critical skill in the day care and future school environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal coping strategies and emotional distress: Results of an early intervention program for low birth weight young children.

Several questions were examined with Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) data (N?=?843). Are effects of intervention services found for maternal emotional distress and coping strategies, and are these effects different for different groups of mothers? Do maternal distress, coping, and life events moderate (or mediate) the intervention effects reported earlier for children's test scores and behavior problems (IHDP, 1990)? The intervention reduced maternal distress, especially for women with less than a high school education. Maternal distress did not moderate or mediate the influence of the intervention on child outcomes. Maternal coping was not influenced by the intervention and did not moderate the influence of the intervention on child outcomes. Life events moderated the influence of the intervention on children's test scores; the intervention was more effective for children whose mothers had fewer life events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Small Classes in the Early Grades, Academic Achievement, and Graduating From High School.

This investigation addressed 3 questions about the long-term effects of early school experiences: (a) Is participation in small classes in the early grades (K-3) related to high school graduation? (b) Is academic achievement in K-3 related to high school graduation? (c) If class size is related to graduation, is the relationship explained by the effect of participation in small classes on students' academic achievement? The study included 4,948 participants in Tennessee's class-size experiment, Project STAR. Analyses showed that graduating was related to K-3 achievement and that attending small classes for 3 or more years increased the likelihood of graduating from high school, especially among students eligible for free lunch. Policy and research implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sensation seeking, stress, and adolescent injuries: A test of stress-buffering, risk-taking, and coping skills hypotheses.

The potential stress-buffering effects of sensation seeking were assessed in a prospective study involving high school athletes. A significant positive relation between major negative sport-specific life events and subsequent injury time-loss occurred only for athletes low in sensation seeking. No evidence was obtained for a competing hypothesis that high sensation seeking would constitute an injury vulnerability factor by increasing risk-taking behaviors. Although low sensation seekers reported poorer stress management coping skills, there was no evidence that differences in coping efficacy mediated the injury vulnerability difference. Results indicate that sensation seeking is a stress-resiliency factor and suggest the utility of assessing relations between life stressors and outcomes that occur within the same environmental context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Time perspective and early-onset substance use: A model based on stress–coping theory.

This research tested the relation of time perspective to early-onset substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) with a sample of 454 elementary school students with a mean age of 11.8 years. An adaptation of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (P. G. Zimbardo & J. N. Boyd, 1999) was administered with measures derived from stress-coping theory. Independent effects showed future orientation inversely related to substance use and present orientation positively related to substance use. Structural modeling analysis indicated that the relation of time perspective measures to substance use was indirect, mediated through behavioral coping and anger coping. Proximal factors for substance use were negative affect, peer substance use, and resistance efficacy. Results are discussed with respect to epigenetic models and the role of executive functions in self-control ability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term adjustment to physical disability: The role of social support, perceived control, and self-blame.

100 40–73 yr olds with spinal cord injuries were interviewed an average of 20 yrs after the disability occurred. Ss answered questions concerning perceived control, attributions of blame, and the nature of the social comparisons they made. Adjustment was measured by an index of psychological well-being, a life satisfaction index, and a depression scale. For all 3 outcome measures, Ss reported levels of well-being only slightly lower than population means of nondisabled persons of similar age. Controlling for health status and current income, it was found that persons who had high levels of social support, who were satisfied with their social contacts, and who felt they had high levels of perceived control reported high levels of well-being. Self-blame and the perceived avoidability of the cause of the disability correlated only moderately with the measures of adjustment, suggesting that there are important differences between coping successfully immediately after a traumatic event has occurred and coping successfully many years later. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use Among African American High School Dropouts.

Risk and protective factors that predict substance use were investigated with 318 African American high school dropout youths who completed the 1992 follow-up of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988. A conceptual model linking positive family relationships and religious involvement to youths' substance use and conventional peer affiliations through a positive life orientation was examined with structural equation modeling. Positive life orientation, which included optimism and conventional goals for the future, fully mediated the influence of family relationships on conventional peer affiliations. Religious involvement directly predicted conventional peer affiliations and positive life orientation. Conventional peer affiliations mediated the other variables' influence on substance use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal Effects of In-School and Out-of-School Homework on High School Grades.

Research has shown that time spent on homework is an important influence on school learning. Many students complete their "home" work in school, yet it is unclear whether homework's effectiveness varies depending on whether it is completed in school or at home. The purpose of this research was to determine the relative influence on students' high school grades of time spent doing homework in school as compared to time spent doing homework out-of-school. We used longitudinal data from the National Education Longitudinal Study to develop, cross-validate, and test a series of structural equation models of the effects of in-school and out-of-school homework on students' high school grades. Results suggest that out-of-school homework had a substantial effect on grades, whereas in-school homework had no such effect. This finding held across different definitions of homework, and when using achievement test scores as an alternative measure of school learning. The findings suggest that schools should encourage students to complete homework at home, rather than in school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synovial immunohistochemical changes after high tibial osteotomy for osteoarthritis of the knee. Two-year prospective follow-up

PURPOSE: To evaluate a program designed to help high school students with depressive symptomology to effectively cope. DESIGN: Two-phase experimental study. METHODS: Rural high school students (N = 222), ages 14 through 19 years, were surveyed to identify teens with depressive symptomatology, identify stressful life events and coping styles of at-risk subjects, and evaluate a cognitive-behavioral group intervention to enhance students' coping and affect levels of depression. Students with depressive symptomatology were randomized into control (n = 18) or intervention (n = 23) groups. Intervention subjects were treated with a nurse-led, 8-week cognitive skills group, conducted at school. RESULTS: On posttesting, the intervention groups demonstrated reduced depressive symptoms in females and a wider range of coping compared with controls. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: School-based nurses are in an ideal position to provide assessment, referral, and intervention programs in the natural setting of the school. Results of this study indicate that such programs can be implemented successfully in schools and have the potential to promote mental health in teenagers.     

Adjustment to multiple sclerosis: Application of a stress and coping model.

This study examined the use of a stress and coping model of adjustment to multiple sclerosis (MS). A total of 122 MS patients were interviewed and completed self-administered scales at Time 1 and 12 months later, Time 2 (n?=?96). Predictors included stressful life events, illness (duration, severity, and disability), social support, appraisal (threat and control/challenge), and coping (problem focused and emotion [wishful thinking, self-blame, and avoidance] focused). Adjustment outcomes were Time 2 depression, global distress, social adjustment, and subjective health status. Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that after controlling for the effects of Time-1 adjustment, better Time-2 adjustment was related to less disability, greater reliance on problem-focused coping, and less reliance on emotion-focused coping. There was limited support for the stress buffering effects of coping and social support. Findings offer some support for the use of a stress and coping model of adaptation to MS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Happiness and reminiscing: The role of time perspective, affect, and mode of thinking.

Conducted 3 experiments to determine the affect of reminiscing on reported well-being. 51 students at a professional school for translators and interpreters in Exp I and 36 undergraduates in Exp II recounted events that they had experienced as positive and pleasant or as negative and unpleasant. In Exp III, 64 undergraduates wrote down a particularly positive or negative event and then asked to explain either why or how this event occurred. Ss in all 3 experiments were then asked to rate their happiness and life satisfaction. Overall results indicate that Ss' ratings of general life satisfaction depended not only on the hedonic quality of the life experiences they happened to recall but also on the way in which they thought about them. Specifically, the hedonic quality of present life events influenced Ss' judgments of well-being in the same direction. The hedonic quality of past events, however, had a congruent impact on well-being judgments only when thinking about them elicited affect in the present but otherwise had a contrast effect on these judgments. Two factors were found to determine if thinking about the past elicits affect: whether Ss describe the events vividly and in detail or only mention them briefly, and whether Ss describe how the events occurred rather than why they occurred. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)