Little research has been done to test hypotheses generated from Elkind's theory of adolescent egocentrism and its related construct, the imaginary audience. This study used Elkind and Bowen's Imaginary Audience Scale and investigated the relationship of cognitive developmental level and social experience to heightened sensitivity to the existence of an imaginary audience. It was predicted that social experience, as indicated by grade level and transition from elementary to high school, would relate to heightened sensitivity at least as consistently as cognitive level and that formal operational thought would not occur as prerequisite to this aspect of adolescent egocentrism, depending on social experience. Six hundred and seventy-five students in grades 6, 8, 9, and 12 were studied. Results indicated that higher sensitivity to an imaginary audience occurred at grades 8 and 9 regardless of cognitive level. In fact formal operational thinkers were observed only at grade 12 (n = 8), indicating that formal operational thought is not necessary in accounting for the onset of adolescent egocentrism, at least as represented by an imaginary audience.
A social ecological framework integrated the six elements of the U.S. Department of Education Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative in High School District 201, Cook County, Illinois. Program components were organized across ecological levels (community-wide strategies, school-wide strategies, classrooms, and targeted individual students) along the developmental continuum from preschool to Grade 12. The goal of the community initiative was to promote positive youth development and social and emotional learning in all youth settings in the community, including the schools. There were demonstrated program effects for each of the components of the Initiative. The coalition and the program's activities have been sustained and have brought new interagency collaboration to more effectively serve Latino immigrant youth and their families.
The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative in Morton High School District 201, Cicero, IL, used a social ecological systems perspective to implement its goals. Social-emotional learning and violence-prevention strategies were provided at the levels of the community, school, and individual. Creation of a safe school environment cut across developmental levels from preschool through high school. Intervention activities were universal/preventive, school, and targeted/ individual. Finally, the project sought to develop a consortium infrastructure to institutionalize and sustain integrated services.
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