Abstract:
Comparisons of perceptions of life influences were made for 1070 adolescents in Brisbane and Sydney, aged 15 to 17 years, on the basis of age, gender, job and education expectations and aspirations, major life concerns, and course type (school Year II or 12 or alternative, TAFE prevocational, or CYSS). Twenty-five possible factors, internal and external, were rated for help and harm as attributed life influences, and ten for helpfulness in the major life concern. There were moderate correlations between specific and general influences. There were only weak age and gender effects, but considerable differences between course types, expectation and aspiration levels, and between types of major concern. Implications for school and other contexts are drawn.