ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the results of a self-report study of 10th- and 11th-grade boys. The ecological approach to person–environment relationships presented by Trickett, Kelly, and Todd views mental health problems as a function of a poor fit between individuals and their environment. A person who is very satisfied with school, who sees a lot of opportunity in school, or who has high self-esteem is assumed to have a better person–environment fit than a person scoring low on these variables. The chapter reports the stability of the exploration groupings over a 2½ year time span. It examines the predictive utility of the person–environment transaction hypothesis using eighth-grade exploration groupings in the two high schools, Wayne and Thurston High Schools. High scorers on the exploration questionnaire have slightly but significantly higher self-esteem and initiative, identify more with school, are more satisfied and involved with school and classes, and have a lower social problems index.
