Abstract:
Adolescence is a time period generally associated with the pressures of identity formation - a factor that increases the vulnerability to life stressors. According to the risk - resistance facets of adjustment derived from the Disability - Stress - Coping model
(Wallander & Varni, 1989) and the Transactional Coping and Stress model (Thompson,
Gustafson, Hamlett & Spock, 1992a, 1992b), different psychosocial elements can be held
responsible for issues occurring along the adjustment - maladjustment continuum. The
present study extended the existing knowledge and tested predictions based on locus of
control of reinforcement, self esteem and perceived social support for the criterion of
psychological adjustment. It was assumed that there would be a difference in the level of
psychological adjustment for adolescents with and without disabilities and that there
would be a difference in the level of psychological adjustment between adolescents with
sensory and physical disabilities. Furthermore, the proposed model including three
psychosocial variables was tested by assuming that locus of control, self esteem and
perceived social support will predict psychological adjustment. The three predictive
variables were tested separately by assuming that there would be a significant difference
in the levels of internality - externality of the locus of control, the levels of self esteem
and the levels of perceived social support between adolescents with and without
disabilities. Finally, gender differences were observed by assuming that male adolescents
with disabilities would show greater levels of psychological adjustment as compared to
These comparisons were drawn in the largely student based adolescent sample of the 100 disabled (40 blind, 34 deaf and 26 physically female adolescents with disabilities.
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