Adolescent Motivation

Adolescence represents a developmental period of waning academic motivation, particularly in STEM domains. To combat this, better understanding the factors that might foster STEM motivation and interest is of importance. Social factors like social competencies and feelings of belonging become increasingly important in adolescence. The current study investigated structural relations between social competencies, feelings of belonging to an informal STEM learning program, math and science efficacy and interest in a sample of 268 adolescents (M age = 15.25; 66.8% girls; 42.5% White British or European American, 25.7% South Asian British or Asian American, 15.7% Afro-Caribbean Black British or African American 5.6% Bi-racial, and 3.0% other). Adolescents were recruited from six different informal learning sites (e.g., science museums, zoos, or aquariums) in the United States (n = 147) and the United Kingdom (n = 121). The results revealed positive relations between social competencies an...

Little is known about adolescent boys’ motives for dating, although stereotypical portrayals highlight a desire for sexual behavior. This issue was examined from a normative perspective that connected dating motives to intercourse motives, masculinity, and dating and sexual behaviors. Data from 105 racially and economically diverse 10th-grade boys were analyzed. Results indicated that the most commonly endorsed motives for dating and intercourse focused on the boys’ partners and relationships, and that boys’ motives tended to be consistent across dating and sexual behavior. Peer conformity motives were less frequently endorsed and typically co-occurred with other motives. Findings revealed few connections between motives, masculinity ideology, and sexual behaviors. Discussion highlights the importance of moving beyond stereotypes when examining boys’ romantic and sexual motives.

"Il presente studio indaga la relazione tra il grado di autodeterminazione al comportamento solitario, il sentimento di solitudine e l’attitudine nei confronti di tale esperienza. A 1143 adolescenti di eta compresa tra i 14 e i 20 anni (M=16.71; DS= 1.52) sono stati somministrati il Frequency of and Autonomy for Solitary and Interpersonal Behavior (FASIB; Beiswenger, 2008) e il Louvain Loneliness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LLCA; Marcoen, Goossens, e Caes, 1987). Un’indagine sulle proprieta psicometriche del FASIB ne ha mostrato l’applicabilita nel contesto italiano (Studio 1). L’analisi delle correlazioni di Pearson ha evidenziato una relazione positiva tra motivazione autonoma al comportamento solitario e l’affinita per la solitudine. Il sentimento di solitudine nei confronti dei pari e correlato con la motivazione esterna al comportamento solitario e con l’assenza di motivazione (Studio 2). I dati supportano la teoria dell’autodeterminazione, sottolineando il ruolo dell’autonomia nella messa in atto dei comportamenti solitari.

Keywords: Solitudine, autodeterminazione, adolescenza, motivazione autonoma, motivazione controllata

The aim of the present study was to investigate how basic moral sensitivity in bullying, moral disengagement in bullying and defender self-efficacy were related to different bystander behaviors in bullying. Therefore, we examined pathways that linked students' basic moral sensitivity, moral disengagement, and defender self-efficacy to different bystander behaviors in bullying situations. Three hundred and forty-seven teenagers completed a bullying survey. Findings indicated that compared with boys, girls expressed higher basic moral sensitivity in bullying, lower defender self-efficacy and moral disengagement in bullying. Results from the SEM showed that basic moral sensitivity in bullying was negatively related to pro-bully behavior and positively related to outsider and defender behavior, mediated by moral disengagement in bullying, which in turn was positively related to pro-bully behavior and negatively related to outsider and defender behavior. What differed in the relations between outsider and defender behaviors was the degree of defender self-efficacy.

Résumé
La question du consentement aux soins est aujourd’hui centrale lorsque l’on traite de questions liées à l’éthique médicale. Elle concerne le respect de l’autonomie de la personne qui est au cœur de la loi de 2002 sur le droit des patients qui oblige le corps médical à recueillir le consentement du malade avant de lui administrer un traitement. Cette obligation est néanmoins problématique lorsqu’il s’agit d’enfants ou d’adolescents, qui sont sous la responsabilité de leurs tuteurs légaux. Peut-on s’autoriser à se passer de leur consentement sous prétexte que l’on n’y est pas obligé par la loi ? Il s’agit d’une question éthique cruciale, principalement dans le domaine de la psychiatrie où la relation entre le thérapeute et le patient est déterminante. Doit-on considérer qu’un patient parce qu’il est un enfant ou un adolescent souffrant de troubles psychiatriques n’a pas à donner son avis ? Ou doit-on tenter de rechercher avec lui le moyen de faire valoir sa parole pour qu’il devienne acteur de sa maladie et de ses traitements.

Abstract
The issue of consent to care is central today when dealing with issues related to medical ethics. It concerns respect for the autonomy of the person, which is at the heart of the Patient Rights Act of 2002, which requires the medical profession to obtain the patient's consent before administering treatment. This obligation is nevertheless problematic when it comes to children or adolescents who are under the responsibility of their legal guardians. Can we allow ourselves to do without their consent on the pretext that we are not obliged by law? This is a crucial ethical issue, mainly in the area of psychiatry where the relationship between the therapist and the patient is crucial. Should we consider that a patient, because he is a child or a teenager suffering from psychiatric disorders, does not have to give his opinion? Or should we help them to look for a way to make their voices heard so that they become an actor of their illness and its treatment?

The Subject of this study are the styles of adolescent humor, their self-evaluation and school success. The study will use a correlation draft, in which descriptive-analytical method will be used. The Instruments will consist of HSQ scales (Humor Styles Questionnaire, Martin, 2003), RSS (Rosenberg self-esteem scale, Rosenberg, 1965), SPINO scales (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Waston, Clark and Tellegen, 1998, α = .82), a questionnaire SOUL (Semantic differential adjectives of affiliative humor, Kerla, 2011, N =100, NI = 26, α = . 96). In a sample of 110 adolescents, students of International School of Sarajevo, the results have shown that there are no statistically significant differences in preference of styles of humor in female and male adolescents. However, there are significant differences in preference of afilliative style of humor in primary and secondary school students (t = 2.6 p = 0.11), as of self-defeating style of humor in elementary and high school students (t = -2.36, p = 0.02).
The Differences in Adolescent Humor Style Preferences

*** Minela, Kerla (2012) The Differences in Adolescent Humor Style Preferences. In: 2nd International Conference on Foreign Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (FLTAL’12), 4-6 May 2012, Sarajevo.

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Adolescence is regarded a key period when individual differences in perfectionism develop. Yet, so far only a few longitudinal studies have investigated the development of perfectionism in adolescents. Using a longitudinal correlational design with 381 adolescents aged 15-19 years, the present study investigated whether perceived parental expectations and criticism predicted longitudinal increases in self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism over 7-9 months. Results showed that perceived parental expectations predicted longitudinal increases in socially prescribed perfectionism: Adolescents who perceived that their parents had high expectations of them at Time 1, showed increased socially prescribed perfectionism from Time 1 to Time 2 compared to adolescents who did not perceive their parents’ having such high expectations. No such effect was found for self-oriented perfectionism. The findings provide supportive evidence for the social expectations model of the development of perfectionism regarding socially prescribed perfectionism, but not self-oriented perfectionism. Implications of this finding for the understanding of the development of perfectionism and future studies are discussed.

Perfectionism has been associated with higher levels of psychological maladjustment and disorder in adolescence and lower levels of subjective well-being and psychological adjustment. Perfectionism, however, is a multidimensional disposition, and not all dimensions of perfectionism are necessarily unhealthy and maladaptive. This entry presents an overview about perfectionism in adolescence and the main dimensions of perfectionism: perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. It shows how the two dimensions are related to subjective well-being, psychological adjustment and maladjustment, and disorder. Moreover, it informs on how perfectionism can be measured and what factors influence the development of perfectionism in children and adolescents. Moreover, it will discuss what is still unknown about perfectionism and why the notion that perfectionism can be healthy or adaptive is controversially debated.

Die Forschung zur Schülerpersönlichkeit ist Teil der Pädagogischen Psychologie und der Persönlichkeitspsychologie. "Persönlichkeitspsychologie ist die empirische Wissenschaft von den überdauernden, nichtpathologischen, verhaltensrelevanten individuellen Besonderheiten von Menschen" (Asendorpf 1996, S. 11), und Persönlichkeit wird durch individuelle Muster von mehr oder minder stabilen Eigenschaften beschrieben (vgl. Pekrun 1983). Diese Eigenschaften können unterschiedlich global und unterschiedlich stabil sein. Zu den bereichsunspezifischen Personmerkmalen gehören etwa globale Persönlichkeitseigenschaften wie Neurotizismus oder der Selbstwert. Die globalen Persönlichkeitseigenschaften sind als sehr stabil gedacht. Im Gegensatz dazu kann sich der Selbstwert einer Person unter bestimmten Bedingungen ändern. Ausmaß und zeitlicher Umfang der Stabilität eines Personmerkmals variiert also unabhängig von dem Ausmaß an Globalität eines Personmerkmals. Alle Personmerkmale gemeinsam beschreiben die Persönlichkeit eines Individuums. Die Schülerpersönlichkeit unterscheidet sich nicht von der Persönlichkeit von Kindern und Jugendlichen. Vielmehr wird mit dem Terminus Schülerpersönlichkeit das Wechselspiel zwischen Persönlichkeitsentwicklung und Schulfaktoren angesprochen (Pekrun 1983). Diesen schulbezogenen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen werden wir in diesem Kapitel nachgehen.

Adolescence represents a developmental period of waning academic motivation, particularly in STEM domains. To combat this, better understanding the factors that might foster STEM motivation and interest is of importance. Social factors like social competencies and feelings of belonging become increasingly important in adolescence. The current study investigated structural relations between social competencies, feelings of belonging to an informal STEM learning program, math and science efficacy and interest in a sample of 268 adolescents (M age = 15.25; 66.8% girls; 42.5% White British or European American, 25.7% South Asian British or Asian American, 15.7% Afro-Caribbean Black British or African American 5.6% Bi-racial, and 3.0% other). Adolescents were recruited from six different informal learning sites (e.g., science museums, zoos, or aquariums) in the United States (n = 147) and the United Kingdom (n = 121). The results revealed positive relations between social competencies an...

"Il presente studio indaga la relazione tra il grado di autodeterminazione al comportamento solitario, il sentimento di solitudine e l’attitudine nei confronti di tale esperienza. A 1143 adolescenti di eta compresa tra i 14 e i 20 anni (M=16.71; DS= 1.52) sono stati somministrati il Frequency of and Autonomy for Solitary and Interpersonal Behavior (FASIB; Beiswenger, 2008) e il Louvain Loneliness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LLCA; Marcoen, Goossens, e Caes, 1987). Un’indagine sulle proprieta psicometriche del FASIB ne ha mostrato l’applicabilita nel contesto italiano (Studio 1). L’analisi delle correlazioni di Pearson ha evidenziato una relazione positiva tra motivazione autonoma al comportamento solitario e l’affinita per la solitudine. Il sentimento di solitudine nei confronti dei pari e correlato con la motivazione esterna al comportamento solitario e con l’assenza di motivazione (Studio 2). I dati supportano la teoria dell’autodeterminazione, sottolineando il ruolo dell’autonomia nella messa in atto dei comportamenti solitari. Keywords: Solitudine, autodeterminazione, adolescenza, motivazione autonoma, motivazione controllata

"Le modèle à atteindre ne se trouve pas, pour ces jeunes, dans leur société, mais ailleurs. Souvent, le contexte dans lequel naît le choix migratoire est caractérisé par différents paysages culturels qui semblent co-exister et se superposer : le « traditionnel » de la société albanaise et le « nouveau » de la société occidentale.
Aux yeux du futur mineur albanais migrant, l’Italie et l’Occident apparaissent comme un horizon quotidien, reflété par la télévision, les medias, mais aussi les histoires racontés par les migrants de retour."

Adolescence represents a developmental period of waning academic motivation, particularly in STEM domains. To combat this, better understanding the factors that might foster STEM motivation and interest is of importance. Social factors like social competencies and feelings of belonging become increasingly important in adolescence. The current study investigated structural relations between social competencies, feelings of belonging to an informal STEM learning program, math and science efficacy and interest in a sample of 268 adolescents (Mage = 15.25; 66.8% girls; 42.5% White British or European American, 25.7% South Asian British or Asian American, 15.7% Afro-Caribbean Black British or African American 5.6% Bi-racial, and 3.0% other). Adolescents were recruited from six different informal learning sites (e.g., science museums, zoos, or aquariums) in the United States (n = 147) and the United Kingdom (n = 121). The results revealed positive relations between social competencies and...

This article investigates the relationship between the personal belief in a just world (BJW) and domain-specific beliefs about justice and examines how justice cognitions impact on adolescents’ development, particularly on their achievement at school and their subjective well-being. A longitudinal questionnaire study with German adolescents aged 14-19 years was conducted over a period of five to eight months. The pattern of results revealed that evaluations of the school climate and of the family climate as being just were two distinct phenomena, both of which impacted on the personal BJW, which in turn affected the domain-specific beliefs about justice. However, the domain-specific beliefs about justice did not impact on each other directly. Moreover, an evaluation of the family climate (but not of the school climate) as being just reduced depressive symptoms, whereas depressive symptoms did not weaken the evaluation of one’s family as being just. The evaluation of the school climate as being just improved the grades received in the next school report, whereas the grades received did not affect the justice evaluation of the school climate. Finally, all relationships persisted when controlling for age and gender. In sum, the pattern of findings supports the notion that justice cognitions impact on the development during adolescence.

The author conducted an action research study in his ninth grade English classroom in order to help the boys in his class to be more engaged. He decided to enable students to make more choices in the reading and writing activities so that both boys' and girls' literacies could be valued. He used independent reading and literature circles to help boys find books that met their diverse interests, and designed writing assignments which enabled students to choose topics which matched their out-of-school interests. Boys and girls benefited from such choice. He observed boys, especially, engaging in more literate behaviours—such as talking about books and sharing each others' writing.

Adolescence represents a developmental period of waning academic motivation, particularly in STEM domains. To combat this, better understanding the factors that might foster STEM motivation and interest is of importance. Social factors like social competencies and feelings of belonging become increasingly important in adolescence. The current study investigated structural relations between social competencies, feelings of belonging to an informal STEM learning program, math and science efficacy and interest in a sample of 268 adolescents (Mage = 15.25; 66.8% girls; 42.5% White British or European American, 25.7% South Asian British or Asian American, 15.7% Afro-Caribbean Black British or African American 5.6% Bi-racial, and 3.0% other). Adolescents were recruited from six different informal learning sites (e.g., science museums, zoos, or aquariums) in the United States (n = 147) and the United Kingdom (n = 121). The results revealed positive relations between social competencies and...

"Il presente studio indaga la relazione tra il grado di autodeterminazione al comportamento solitario, il sentimento di solitudine e l’attitudine nei confronti di tale esperienza. A 1143 adolescenti di eta compresa tra i 14 e i 20 anni (M=16.71; DS= 1.52) sono stati somministrati il Frequency of and Autonomy for Solitary and Interpersonal Behavior (FASIB; Beiswenger, 2008) e il Louvain Loneliness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LLCA; Marcoen, Goossens, e Caes, 1987). Un’indagine sulle proprieta psicometriche del FASIB ne ha mostrato l’applicabilita nel contesto italiano (Studio 1). L’analisi delle correlazioni di Pearson ha evidenziato una relazione positiva tra motivazione autonoma al comportamento solitario e l’affinita per la solitudine. Il sentimento di solitudine nei confronti dei pari e correlato con la motivazione esterna al comportamento solitario e con l’assenza di motivazione (Studio 2). I dati supportano la teoria dell’autodeterminazione, sottolineando il ruolo dell’autonomia nella messa in atto dei comportamenti solitari. Keywords: Solitudine, autodeterminazione, adolescenza, motivazione autonoma, motivazione controllata

Runaway adolescents engage in high rates of substance use and report significant family and individual problems. However, in general, adolescents report low motivation to change their substance use. Because a higher level of motivation for changing substance use is associated with greater substance abuse treatment success, identifying variables associated with motivation for change can be useful for enhancing treatment success. In this study, predictors of motivation for changing substance use were examined among 140 shelter- ...

The author conducted an action research study in his ninth grade English classroom in order to help the boys in his class to be more engaged. He decided to enable students to make more choices in the reading and writing activities so that both boys' and girls' literacies could be ...