STUDYING THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR: EFFECTS ON EARLY ADOLESCENT SELF-ESTEEM, LOCUS OF CONTROL, ACCEPTANCE OF SELF AND OTHERS, AND PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN NATURE

DOLORES OGDEN MORSE, Boston College

Abstract

Many psychologists and educators have examined the developmental needs of children and adolescents and the relationship of those needs to education. Schools have been criticized for attending only to cognitive issues at the expense of the affective and for a "general failure to promote positive and healthy personal and social development" (Mosher and Sprinthall, 1970, p.911). The purpose of this study was to examine whether a curriculum deliberately designed to be developmentally appropriate for early adolescents could promote personal and social growth through its effect on students' attitudes toward themselves and others. This study investigated the impact on attitudes toward self as one reflection of personal development and attitudes toward others as a manifestation of social development of a newly developed social studies curriculum entitled "Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior" (Strom and Parsons, 1978). The theoretical framework for this study evolved from the literature encompassing several areas: (1) developmental psychology which describes early adolescence as a unique stage with tasks and needs peculiar to this period of development; (2) psychological education which relates development to education; (3) educational psychology which addresses how children learn cognitively and affectively; and (4) social psychology which details the nature and development of attitudes and adolescent political socialization. The subjects for this study were members of six eighth grade classes from three public schools of a large suburban Boston multicultural community. The quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was used since groups were not randomly assigned but constituted already formed classes. Variables examined were self-esteem, internal/external locus of control, philosophy of human nature and acceptance of self and others. IQ and pre-test level of performance were expected to be sources of variance and were controlled for statistically. Experimental subjects were administrated four scales pre- and post- studying "Facing History and Ourselves" (FHAO). The comparison group was pre- and post-tested around another unit. Scales administered included the Self-Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1967); the Locus of Control Scale for Children (Nowicki-Strickland, 1972); Philosophy of Human Nature (Wrightsman, 1964); and the Acceptance of Self and Others Inventory (Fey, 1955). Analysis of covariance was employed to study the relationship between post-test mean scores of the experimental and comparison groups on the twelve variables of the scales and subscales examined. The unit focuses on questions of individual responsibility in and for society, the complexity of human motivation, issues of power, authority and obedience, group pressure, stereotyping and prejudice, conflict resolution and decision-making. Analysis of the data indicated that there was no significantly greater increase in the treatment group than in the comparison group on 11 of the 12 variables as evidenced by difference between adjusted post-test means on the scales and subscales administered. The one exception, Complexity (of human nature), may be attributed to chance. Several possibilities exist to explain the lack of significant results between groups. Primary is the difficulty in accurately measuring attitudes and attitude change. Instruments may have been too insensitive or change may have been too slight to detect. Two of the instruments did not allow for much growth for these subjects, producing a "ceiling effect". Long-term effects are unknown. Change in attitude structure rather than direction may have occurred. Anecdotal data are included to provide qualitative insight into early adolescent perceptions of self and others. While significant difference between groups did not occur, individuals within both groups changed.

Recommended Citation

DOLORES OGDEN MORSE, "STUDYING THE HOLOCAUST AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR: EFFECTS ON EARLY ADOLESCENT SELF-ESTEEM, LOCUS OF CONTROL, ACCEPTANCE OF SELF AND OTHERS, AND PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN NATURE" (January 1, 1981). Boston College Dissertations and Theses. Paper AAI8204014.
http://escholarship.bc.edu/dissertations/AAI8204014