Adolescent adjustment and coping strategies.

This study examines the relation between psychosocial adjustment and coping strategies among college freshmen. Three hundred thirty-one college students completed the Inventory of Psychosocial Development (IPD; Constantinople, 1969) and the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (ACOPE; Patterson & McCubbin, 1987) inventory. Factor analysis of the ACOPE scales revealed two factors interpreted to represent the coping strategies of "salutary effort" and "stress palliation." For each subject a relative salutary effort score was calculated to reflect the proportion of coping efforts ascribable to mature, salutary coping efforts. Optimal adjustment was associated with adolescents whose reported means of dealing with tension reflected a high proportion of salutary effort. These findings, which support the notion of a covariation between styles of coping and psychological adjustment among adolescents, are discussed in light of psychosocial development, coping, and methodological issues related to research on coping and adjustment.

Perceptions of child rearing and self-concept development during the early adolescent years.

In order to investigate the relationship between aspects of child rearing and adolescent self-concept, 130 males and females in grades 7, 8, and 9 completed Schaefer's Children's Report of Parental BehaviorInventory (CRPBI) and Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory. Correlations between the Acceptance/Rejection dimension of the CRPBI and the various self-esteem subscores were positive. Correlations between the self-esteem scores and the Psychological Autonomy/Psychological Control dimension of the CRPBI were negative. The correlations were stronger for perceptions of mothers' as opposed to fathers' child-rearing practices. Analyses of variance indicated that ninth-graders perceived their parents as less accepting than seventhor eighth-graders. High self-esteem adolescents perceived their parents as more accepting, as using less psychological control, and as not being overly firm in making and enforcing rules and regulating the adolescents' behavior. The results support the contention that optimal self-concept development takes place in an atmosphere of acceptance that allows the adolescent autonomy and the opportunity to learn competencies.

Central/incidental recall and selective attention in young and elderly adults.

Central and incidental recall of young (Mean age=28.4) and elderly (Mean age=70.9) men and women was examined. As expected, statistically significant age differences were found for both central and incidental recall. For the eight items mean central recall (5.72) was significantly higher than mean incidental recall (2.56) at both age levels; mean incidental recall was significantly greater than chance for both age groups. Lack of an age X central/incidental interaction was interpreted as supporting a general recall deficit. No evidence was found to suggest an attentional focusing difference between young and elderly adults. Verbal labeling of the central stimuli had no effect on recall scores. Differential recall for each of eight positions of stimuli was also examined. Both age groups exhibited a spatial primacy-recency effect for central but not incidental recall. No support was obtained for an attentional interpretation of age-associated differences in learning.