THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARTICIPATION IN CONTINUING EDUCATION BY YOUNG ADULT MALES AND CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL, VOCATIONAL, AND SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WAS STUDIED IN RURAL COMMUNITIES OF FLORIDA. DATA WERE COLLECTED BY QUESTIONNAIRE WHEN PARTICIPANTS WERE SOPHOMORES IN HIGH SCHOOL AND AGAIN SIX YEARS LATER. IN PHASE ONE, THEIR PARTICIPATION IN CONTINUING EDUCATION AND BACKGROUND FACTORS WERE STUDIED. THE SAMPLE WAS SEPARATED INTO PART TIME, FULL TIME AND NONPARTICIPANTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT HIGH PARTICIPATION WAS RELATED TO HIGH MENTAL ABILITY AND EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATED PARENTS, AND PROFESSIONAL FATHERS. IN PHASE TWO, THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF PART TIME PARTICIPATION WAS ANALYZED. MENTAL ABILITY WAS RELATED TO MOTHER'S EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL ASPIRATION, AND ACHIEVEMENT. AMONG CONCLUSIONS WERE-- SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WERE NOT GOOD PREDICTORS OF THE TYPE OF EDUCATION PURSUED, THE ARMED FORCES PROVIDED THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF PART TIME EDUCATION, AND MENTAL ABILITY PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT BUT NOT OVERWHELMING ROLE IN MOTIVATION FOR CONTINUED EDUCATION. RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ARE SUGGESTED. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, ANN ARBOR, MICH. ORDER NO. 66-5443. MICROFILM $3.00. XEROGRAPHY $9.00. 200 PAGES. (AUTHOR/PT)