Mediators of adolescents' stress in a college preparatory environment.

Abstract

This study examined four variables (sense of control, perceived social support, degree of achievement motivation, and experienced satisfaction) hypothesized to mediate or buffer adolescents from the negative impact of academic and social stressors. The subjects were 61 high school students enrolled in a college preparatory setting with high academic standards and 63 of their parents. Students and parents were asked to rate student responses to stress that is related to both academic and nonacademic activities. Student-reported Control, Support, and Achievement Motivation were found to be strongly related to reported stress levels, although only Control and Achievement were entered in the full model of a stepwise regression analysis. Differences in the sample in terms of boarding versus day-student status, as well as differences between male and female student reports were examined.