The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it is to explore interpersonal relationship variables which predict well junior and senior high school students' school adjustment. Second, it is to provide basic data that could be employed to understand ...
The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it is to explore interpersonal relationship variables which predict well junior and senior high school students' school adjustment. Second, it is to provide basic data that could be employed to understand junior and senior high school students' successful school life and to help them lead an adaptive life in school.
On the basis of literature review and review of previous studies, school adjustment was divided into three areas such as academic adjustment, social adjustment, and affective adjustment. Also, interpersonal relationship variables relevant to school adjustment included attachment with a father, attachment with a mother, attachment with peers, horizontal idiocentrism, vertical idiocentrism, horizontal allocentrism, and vertical allocentrism.
Research questions were as follows:
First, do attachment with a father, attachment with a mother, attachment with peers, horizontal idiocentrism, vertical idiocentrism, horizontal allocentrism, and vertical allocentrism predict junior and senior high school students' academic adjustment?
Second, do attachment with a father, attachment with a mother, attachment with peers, horizontal idiocentrism, vertical idiocentrism, horizontal allocentrism, and vertical allocentrism predict junior and senior high school students' social adjustment?
Third, do attachment with a father, attachment with a mother, attachment with peers, horizontal idiocentrism, vertical idiocentrism, horizontal allocentrism, and vertical allocentrism predict junior and senior high school students's affective adjustment?
Five-hundred twenty-nine junior and senior high school students attending schools in Gwangju City and Chollanam Do participated in this study. There were two-hundred fifty-one junior high school students and two-hundred seventy-eight senior high school students.
To collect data, the inventory of parent and peer attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), the scale of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism (Triandis & Gelfand, 1998), and the scale of school adjustment behavior (Moon, 2003) were administered to the participating students. Data were analyzed by Pearson product-moment correlations and multiple regression analyses (stepwise selection) using SPSS Windows Version 12.0.
The results of this study are summarized as follows:
First, the horizontal idiocentrism was found to be the strongest predictor variable of junior and senior high school students' academic adjustment. Then, attachment with a father, the vertical idiocentrism, and attachment with peers well accounted for their academic adjustment.
Second, the horizontal idiocentrism was found to be the strongest predictor of students' social adjustment. Next, in the order of decreasing power of prediction, horizontal allocentrism, attachment with a mother, attachment with peers, and vertical allocentrism were found to be significant predictors.
Third, attachment with peers was found to be the strongest predictor of students' affective adjustment. Next, in the order of decreasing power of prediction, attachment with a father, horizontal allocentrism, and vertical allocentrism were found to be significant predictors.
These findings imply that the degree to which junior and senior high school students adjust in academic, social, and affective life in school is influenced by parent and peer attachment and idiocentrism-allocentrism. The results suggest the necessity of understanding and intervention with maladjustive students in school by enhancing their parent and peer attachment and modifying their idiocentrism-allocentrism.