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Researchers found teenagers considered their own mattering to others, and all-around
fitting-in (acculturation), to be the most important factors (of six different areas) in
their self-reported wellness. Those areas were: friendship, leisure, love, schoolwork,
self-direction and spirituality. Ethnic identity played an important part for minority
students.
Methods
Out of a total of 500 questionnaire packets distributed, 462 were completed. The final
sample was made up of 229 males and 233 females; 176 were minority adolescents. These high
school students ranged in age from 14 to 19 years old, with a mean age of 16.24 years old,
and their mean grade level was 10th grade. The minority student group was made up of 119
African Americans, 28 Latino Americans, 25 Asian Americans, and 4 Native Americans.
Five instruments were used; a demographic questionnaire which assessed ethnicity, length
of time participant lived in the United States, and time spent with family and friends;
the General Mattering Scale, the Mattering to Others Questionnaire, the Multigroup Ethnic
Identity Measure, the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale, and the Wellness
Evaluation of Lifestyle-Teenage version. Participants’ descriptive statistics, and
all scales’ reliabilities were computed employing the Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences.
Results
In the authors’ model for all participants, this study found meaningful relationships
between mattering and wellness, and between acculturation and wellness. It was shown that
higher levels of mattering and acculturation predicted wellness; ethnic identity did not.
Researchers noted that a low correlation (r = -.09) was seen between ethnic identity and
acculturation, but a considerably higher positive correlation was found between ethnic
identity and mattering (r = .47, p < .05), and a high negative inter-relationship
existed between acculturation and mattering (r = -.89).
Conclusions
The researchers believe that the results of this study illustrate the significance of the
relationships among ethnic identity, acculturation, mattering, and wellness for minority
and nonminority adolescents, although not without other variables.
These current findings explain some factors in the minority versus nonminority adolescent
ethnic identity development process, as well as likely differences in wellness between the
two groups.
The authors point out that school counselors might use the idea of teens mattering to
others in certain parts of their presentations. Asking students to whom they feel they
matter, and who and what matters to them, can help them set goals and envision future
paths.
To better comprehend who and what matters to students in their academic, career, and
personal/social domains, students should be able to explore the concept of mattering to
others. This concept may also open their eyes to self-realizations that can aid the
students in defining what wellness is for them.
Finally, since classroom guidance affects all students, counselors can use the findings of
the current study to introduce, educate, and facilitate student discussions about how to
lead lives of wellness.
The complete study can be found in:
Professional School Counseling;
October 1, 2004
Lead author: Andrea Dixon Rayle
Myers, Jane E.
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