This study explores the link between peer problems in school and contextual variations in negative mood and state self-esteem over a 5-day period. Fifth-grade children completed measures of mood and state self-esteem while they were at home in the morning and while they were at school each day, allowing for an examination of whether psychological…

This study examined (a) the unique contribution of mothers' involvement in their children's organized activity, fathers' involvement in the activity, social integration in the activity peer group, and social support from the activity leader on youth adjustment and (b) the moderating effects of youths' gender and prior adjustment on these…

The role of relational (i.e., parent, peer, teacher) support as a predictor of identity status was assessed using a sample of 635 early adolescents from an ethnically diverse, low-income school district. Identity status was measured using the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status. Multivariate regression analyses suggested that parental support…

This study examines relations between early adolescent girls' well-being, achievement, and emerging identities. Variable-centered results showed that girls' moral and student identities were the strongest predictors of their achievement, whereas their moral, student, physical, and peer identities predicted their well-being. Person-centered results…

A modern clustering technique was applied to age-10 and age-13 sociometric data with the purpose of identifying longitudinally stable peer status clusters. The study included 445 girls from a Swedish longitudinal study. The identified temporally stable clusters of rejected, popular, and average girls were essentially larger than corresponding…

The current study examines research questions proposed by an expanded version of Darling and Steinberg's contextual model of parenting. Using a sample of 184 adolescents, the analyses indicated that adolescents' perceptions of parental educational goals and values were related positively and significantly to their reports of parental school…

This longitudinal study examined relations between sociometric status and school adjustment among middle school students. Findings indicated that sixth-grade sociometric status predicted eighth-grade adjustment when controlling for initial adjustment. Compared to average status students, controversial status students had lower classroom grades,…

Examined low achievement in normal-or-above intelligence early adolescents born preterm, in a longitudinal study from birth through 12 years of age, compared to a group with no achievement problems. Found significant group differences in several domains in early adolescence. Also found that biological and social factors in infancy were associated…

Examined whether early adolescent females' school grades, educational aspirations, educational expectations, and the discrepancy between aspirations and expectations could be predicted by maternal depressive symptoms in 44 mother-daughter dyads. Found that for only the single-mother and daughter subsample, depression scores predicted daughters'…

Generalized future expectancies of personal life success (optimism) and failure (pessimism) were examined in a cross-sectional study, with Japanese fifth- through ninth-grade students (n=584). Average optimism scores were lower and average pessimism scores were higher after the transition to junior high school. (JBJ)

Introduces this issue's topic of schooling and adolescent development, noting that much work is needed in the understanding of the changes adolescents experience during this age period. Describes the articles in this issue, which focus on different psychological characteristics of early adolescents, their relationships with others, and how those…

Investigated associations of family processes and self-perceptions with adjustment and self-esteem following the transition to junior high school. Students' positive self-concepts in academic and social domains resulted in positive adjustment, whereas self-consciousness proved detrimental. Adolescents' perceptions of their parents as…

Examined the relationship between early adolescents' temperament, as assessed by parent report, and a wide range of measures relating to school functioning. Found that temperament was related to academic achievement during the transition to adolescence and was related even more to classroom behavior and to students' perceptions of relationships…

Examined early adolescents' perceptions of their relationships as they relate to measures of school functioning. Found that representations of relationships with parents predicted those of teachers and friends. Positive representations of relationships with parents and teachers predicted school functioning, whereas representations of friends were…

Compared adolescents' and parents' perceptions of maternal and paternal demandingness, responsiveness, and parental involvement with schooling. Found that adolescents' reports of parenting correlated only moderately with parents' reports. Adolescents', but not parents', reports of parenting predicted students' achievement outcome, with parental…