This cross-sectional study examined the daily discretionary time experiences of 246 (107 boys, 139 girls) fifth through eighth grade urban African American adolescents using the Experience Sampling Method. Relations between the types of activities (i.e., active structured, active unstructured, passive unstructured) engaged in during discretionary time and self-reported levels of motivated engagement, positive affect, confidence, and perceived alienation were explored. Results indicated that active structured activities occupied a small but important amount of young adolescents' discretionary time. Adolescents experienced the highest mean levels of motivated engagement and confidence, and the lowest mean levels of alienation when involved in these types of activities. Higher levels of positive affect were associated with participation in active as opposed to passive activities. Findings suggest that urban African American young adolescents experience more positive emotional states when they are involved in active, structured activities.

No abstract

No abstract

Prior research has shown that the personality variables extraversion and neuroticism predict burnout among frontline staff working in residential treatment centers. This study tested the hypothesis that the effect of personality on burnout would be moderated by the psychiatric characteristics of the youth served on the milieu. Two hundred and three frontline staff working in 21 residential treatment centers in Illinois serving troubled youth completed surveys regarding opinions about their jobs, the Big Five Inventory (BFI), a youth presenting problems scale for the entire milieu, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Results indicated that the effect of neuroticism on burnout is moderated by psychosis and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); high and moderate milieu ratings of psychosis and PTSD showed a positive relationship between neurosis and burnout, while low ratings of these conditions showed no relationship. These findings suggest that the optimal work setting is a function of the interaction between specific personality characteristics and specific work environments, with implications for personnel selection and future research on person-environment fit.

No abstract