Ernest L. Chavez

The Effects of Extracurricular Activity, Ethnic Identification, and Perception of School on Student Dropout Rates.

With a growing Mexican American population and an increasing dropout rate predicted for this group, research is needed to examine ways of deterring this trend and increasing retention rates. The current study examined extracurricular activity, perception of school, and ethnic identification, and the association with school retention rates among Mexican American and White non-Hispanics. Individuals reporting participation in extracurricular activity were 2.30 times more likely to be enrolled in school than were those not participating in extracurricular activity. Those Mexican Americans reporting a higher White non-Hispanics ethnic identity level were 2.41 times more likely to be enrolled in school and had a more positive perception of school than did Mexican American individuals reporting low levels of White non-Hispanics ethnic identification.

The effect of school dropout rates on estimates of adolescent substance use among three racial/ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVES This study examined, across three racial/ethnic groups, how the inclusion of data on drug use of dropouts can alter estimates of adolescent drug use rates. METHODS Self-report rates of lifetime prevalence and use in the previous 30 days were obtained from Mexican American, White non-Hispanic, and Native American student (n = 738) and dropouts (n = 774). Rates for the age cohort (students and dropouts) were estimated with a weighted correction formula. RESULTS Rates of use reported by dropouts were 1.2 to 6.4 times higher than those reported by students. Corrected rates resulted in changes in relative rates of use by different ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS When only in-school data are available, errors in estimating drug use among groups with high rates of school dropout can be substantial. Correction of student-based data to include drug use of dropouts leads to important changes in estimated levels of drug use and alters estimates of the relative rates of use for racial/ethnic minority groups with high dropout rates.

Drug use, violence, and victimization among White American, Mexican American, and American Indian dropouts, students with academic problems, and students in good academic standing.

Problem-prone behaviors of White American, Mexican American, and American Indian high school dropouts, students in good academic standing, and students in poor academic standing were surveyed. Generally, dropouts were most involved with drugs, perpetration of violence, and victimization by violence, students in poor standing were the next most involved, and students in good standing were least involved. Ethnicity did not interact with academic status, suggesting that differences between dropouts and students were similar across ethnic groups. Some ethnicity and gender main effects were found. Findings were related to R. Jessors (1991) theory of problem-prone behaviors, to peer cluster theory, and to intervention design.

An epidemiological comparison of Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic 8th- and 12th-grade students' substance use.

Surveys of drug and alcohol use were conducted with a national probability sample of 8th- and 12th-grade Mexican-American and White non-Hispanic youth. The drug and alcohol epidemiology is representative of US Mexican-American youth residing in communities with populations of 2500 or more, at least 10% of whom are Mexican Americans. Mexican-American 8th graders reported generally higher rates of use than White non-Hispanics based on life-time prevalence and use in last month. They also reported higher frequency of high-risk drug behaviors. The pattern was reversed among 12th-grade students. The impact of differential school dropout rates is discussed as a probable cause for this reversal.

Structural equation socialization model of substance use among Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic school dropouts

PURPOSE To test a socialization model of polydrug use among Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic school dropouts. METHODS A sample of 910 Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic school dropouts were surveyed regarding their use of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs, and socialization characteristics that have previously been shown to be predictive of adolescent substance use. A structural equation model based on peer cluster theory was evaluated for goodness of fit and for differences in model characteristics by ethnicity and gender. RESULTS Results partially confirmed peer cluster theory among school dropouts in that association with drug-using peers was the most powerful direct predictor of substance use. The effects of a number of other socializing influences were indirect, mediated through association with drug-using peers. Some differences were present between Mexican-American and white non-Hispanic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS Results were similar to those obtained from previous tests of this model among youth who remain in school, suggesting that social influences on drug use are similar across students and school dropouts. Association with drug-using peers dominates the prediction of substance use among school dropouts. However, family communication of drug use sanctions helps to both limit substance use and strengthen family bonds. Prior school adjustment is likely to be an important protective factor in limiting substance use among Mexican-American dropouts.

Effects of Test Anxiety and Sex of Subject on Neuropsychological Test Peformance: Finger Tapping, Trail Making, Digit Span and Digit Symbol Tests

To determine the effects of anxiety and sex on various neuropsychological tests, 28 male and 28 female non-impaired, high and low test-anxious subjects were given the Finger Tapping, Trail Making (Forms A and B), Digit Span, and Digit Symbol tests. Sex significantly affected only the Finger Tapping Test; females made significantly fewer taps. High test-anxious subjects reported an increase in posttest state anxiety. However, test anxiety did not significantly affect performance.

Psychosocial Correlates of Sexual Assault among Mexican American and White Non-Hispanic Adolescent Females.

Data were obtainedfrom a nonclinical sample of 1,121 Mexican American and White non-Hispanic adolescent females. Three hundred and three female participants who reported being sexually assaulted were compared to 793females who reported no history of sexual assault on a number of psychosocial characteristics. Male participants were excluded due to small N. White non-Hispanic adolescent females were twice as likely to report sexual assault as Mexican American adolescentfemales. Although rates of sexual assault differed across ethnicity, ethnicity did not influence the relationship between sexual assault and psychosocial characteristics of victims. Results did indicate, however; that sexual assault victims reported more emotional distress, more social isolation and more deviant behavior than nonvictims. Likewise, sexual assault victims reported poorer school adjustment, were more likely to affiliate with deviant peers, and were more likely to come from homes in which there was parental substance use and family conflict.

THOUGHTS OF ARMAGEDDON: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE NUCLEAR THREAT AND COGNITIVE/EMOTIONAL RESPONSES

Although behavioral scientists have been interested in issues related to nuclear war since the development of the atomic bomb in 1945, commitment to this area of study has been inconsistent, and empirical involvement dwindled rapidly following the signing of the Test Ban Treaty in 1963 [1]. The past five years, however, have witnessed a reawakening of professional interest, especially with regard to the current psychological impact of the threat of nuclear war. Most of the empirical data currently available have been obtained from structured, semistructured, or unstructured polls, surveys, and interviews with children, adolescents, and adults [2-11]. Although questions, formats, and respondents in these studies have varied widely, the results may be tentatively summarized as follows: 1. Americans do think about the possibility of nuclear war and are concerned, worried, and afraid of its eventual occurrence. 2. People view the nuclear threat as having a deleterious impact on their present lives and their perceptions of the future. 3. Worry, emotionality, and personal estimates of the probability of nuclear war have increased over the past several years.

Evaluation of the health locus of control for obesity treatment.

This study attempted to evaluate the efficacy of the Health Locus of Control Questionnaire on predicting success in a behavioral treatment program for obesity. 31 internal subjects lost significantly more weight than did 12 external subjects. Other comparisons of external with internal individuals are also discussed.

Hispanic-Anglo Differences in Academic Achievement The Relationship of Self-esteem, Locus of Control and Socioeconomic Level with Grade-point Average in the USA

The contribution of self-esteem and locus of control to the discrepancy in academic achievement between Hispanics and Anglos was investigated. Subjects were 67 Hispanic and 304 junior high school students. Variables were: (a) ethnicity, (b) grade-point average, (c) academic self-esteem, (d) academic locus of control and (e) socioeconomic level. Results indicated that Hispanics had a significantly lower mean grade-point average than Anglos. However, there were no significant differences in mean self-esteem or mean locus of control scores between the two groups. Interestingly, there was a significant interaction between locus of control and achievement for Anglos, but not for Hispanics, although the effect size was small. There was also a significant difference in grade-point average associated with socioeconomic level with Hispanics having a significantly lower mean socioeconomic level than Anglos. In addition, results indicated that self-esteem accounted for the largest amount of variance in students GPA, regardless of the students ethnicity. These results were discussed in terms of implications for future research and intervention designed to raise grade-point average.