LOCUS OF CONTROL, SELF-CONCEPT, AND SELF-ESTEEM AMONG AT-RISK AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

The purpose of this study was to add to the sparse but growing descrip tive data on at-risk African-American adolescents along the dimensions of locus of control, self-concept, and self-esteem. This study will a ssist professionals in better understanding the boundaries between nor mal and abnormal psychological profiles among adolescents, particularl y on instruments which are widely used in psychology research and clin ical and educational practice. Participants were 117 students from a l arge, urban Midwestern city in an ongoing intervention program with ad olescents who were at-risk of dropping out of school because of academ ic underachievement and whose family's incomes were below the poverty line. Descriptive results and comparisons with data on other at-risk s amples are presented, along with multivariate analyses on the three co nstructs on the basis of gender. This study provides benchmarks for pr actitioners and researchers in interpreting the results of assessments using these instruments.