A Comparison of Homeless and Non-Homeless Adolescents.

MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. *Adolescents; *Attitudes; *Attribution Theory; Causal Models; Comparative Analysis; *Homeless People; Multivariate Analysis; Racial Differences; *Student Attitudes; Urban Schools; *Urban Youth The goal of this study was to extend what is currently understood regarding attitudes toward the homeless population. The study focused on how homeless and nonhomeless adolescents attribute the causes of homelessness. Grounded in attribution theory, the study hypothesized that nonhomeless adolescents would ascribe causality to dispositional or personal factors within a homeless person. Homeless adolescents, on the other hand, would causally attribute a person's state of homelessness to environmental conditions outside the person's immediate control. The samples consisted of two groups of adolescents, 61 homeless and 80 nonhomeless, ranging in age from 12 to 20 years. No differences were found at the multivariate level for the two groups along four dependent measures, two structural and two individual. Significance at the univariate level was found by group for both individual factors. A significant group and race interaction was also found on one structural factor. The literature was reviewed and further research questions were proposed. Appendixes contain the research questionnaire and a list of the dependent measures. (Contains 4 tables and 42 references.) (Author/SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** A Comparison of Homeless and Non-Homeless Adolescents Mary C. LeClair, MA and James C. Hansen, Ph.D. State University of New York at Buffalo U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Phis document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY marl/ C. Le am, TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Presented as a poster session at the 1995 APA Annual Convention under Division 27 All inquiries about this paper should be directed to: Mary C. LeClair, MA 409 Baldy Hall, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, SUNY-at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260