Wolfgang Frese

Early Transition into Adult Roles: Some Antecedents and Outcomes

The transition to adult roles usually occurs within a normative age-span. By focusing on preadolescence to late-adolescence using two-wave panel data, this research seeks to develop a more informed picture of how “early” exit from the student role and “early” entry into the adult role of parent or spouse reflect factors operating prior to adolescence. The short-term consequences of adult role transition on teenage status aspirations, life plans, other psychological orientations, and parental influence are also examined. Even though multiple role transition is frequently observed, only leaving school early appears to be related to preadolescent career decisions and academic performance in high school. The determinants of early transition to the role of parent or spouse do not appear to be socioeconomic origins, parental child-rearing techniques or other specific influences, academic ability or performance, or preadolescent aspirations, as has generally been hypothesized in the literature. Research dilemmas and policy implications are discussed.

The measurement of perceived opportunity for occupational attainment

Abstract Many writers implicate perceptions of the opportunity structure in the labor market as essential components of the formation, stability, and enactment of socioeconomic achievement attitudes. These perceptions of opportunity are thought to be observed structural constraints and reflective of more than just pure motivation. Previous attempts at measuring “perceived opportunity” have no consistent approach or conceptualization. This study evaluates a 10-item scale of perceived occupational opportunity in an attempt to overcome many of these problems. Using panel data covering the period of career decision making and labor force entry (adolescence to young adulthood), the internal reliability and construct validity of the linear composite are assessed. The scales external validity is then further explored within the context of a structural equation model linking perceived opportunity to social origins, adolescent career plans, and early socioeconomic attainments.

Legalization of crimes against the moral order: Results from the 1995 United States survey of gaming and gambling

A survey of 1,514 American adults revealed a substantial range of support for legalization of selected substances, sexual activities, and gambling behavior perceived by some as potentially threatening to the moral order. Alcohol use, gambling, and smoking received majority support for legalization, whereas substantial minority support was found for gentlemens clubs, prostitution, and marijuana use. There was little support for legalization of cocaine. Support for the legalization of the various “offenses against the moral order” was found generally to vary by five factors: (a) gender— males with higher rates than females, (b) race—Whites with higher rates than non‐Whites, (c) religion— Catholics with higher rates than Protestants, (d) age— young and middle‐aged adults with higher rates than the elderly, and (e) region—West, Northeast, and Midwest with higher rates than the South.

Bringing the convict back in: An ecological approach to inmate adaptions

Abstract Based on three years of direct observation and an inmate survey in a minimum-security prison in California, this article argues the need to develop an ecological-environmental approach to examining inmate adaptions. Tochs (1977) Prison Preference Inventory (PPI), which elicits inmate preferences and concerns, was the studys primary data collection instrument. Contrary to what the literature suggested, no significant differences on the PPI dimensions were found between inmates in double-celled versus dorm housing. Significant differences did appear when various types of inmate housing units were compared. The conclusion is that there is a need to implement an ecological-environmental approach to inmate adaptions, at least in minimum-security prisons.