SOCIAL GOALS - RELATIONSHIP TO ADOLESCENT ADJUSTMENT AND TO SOCIAL-PROBLEM SOLVING

Examined the relations between adolescent boys' social goals of domina nce, revenge, avoidance, and affiliation and (1) self-reported negativ e adolescent outcomes; (2) subjective sense of self-esteem; and (3) ex ternalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors, as rated by peers and teachers. Results indicated that social goal values were related to diverse aspects of self-, teacher-, and peer-reported social and be havioral functioning, with a consistent association found between a ra nge of delinquent, substance-using, and behavioral difficulties, and e ndorsement of high goal values for dominance and revenge and low goal values for affiliation. Results also indicated that teacher-identified aggressive boys differed from nonaggressive boys in the value they pl aced on social goals, with aggressive boys placing a higher value on g oals of dominance and revenge, and lower value on goals for affiliatio n. Finally social goal choice had a clear relation to the social probl em-solving differences of aggressive and nonaggressive boys.