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Life Experiences, Locus of Control, and School Satisfaction in Adolescence

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This research investigated models of theinterrelationships among adolescents' lifeexperiences, locus of control, and schoolsatisfaction reports. Demographic variables(e.g., SES) did not relate to schoolsatisfaction. Environmental experiences (acutemajor events and chronic life experiences, bothpositive and negative) moderately related toadolescents' school satisfaction. Althoughadolescents' locus of control orientation didnot moderate school satisfaction, it didmediate the relationship between negative lifeexperiences and school satisfaction. It wasconcluded that theories of adolescent schoolsatisfaction should incorporate intrapersonalcharacteristics as well as environmentalstressors and resources. The promotion ofpositive attitudes toward school will likelynecessitate attention to a variety of schooland non-school contextual factors (e.g., familyresources and stressors) in addition tointrapersonal risk and protective factors.

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Huebner, E.S., Ash, C. & Laughlin, J.E. Life Experiences, Locus of Control, and School Satisfaction in Adolescence. Social Indicators Research 55, 167–183 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010939912548

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