1997 年 8 巻 p. 27-40
The present study aims to examine the conceptual validity of role strain as a determinant of psychological health, and to explore the effect of simultaneous occurrence of several kinds of role strain on stress response in junior high school students. The Early Adolescent Role Strain Inventory, the Perceived Competence Scale, and the Stress Response Scale were administered to 1133 boys and girls in the seventh and eighth grade. Correlational analyses showed that the high level of role strain associated with the low level of perceived competence and the high level of stress response. The findings suggest that the role strain is a crucial factor of psychological health. ANOVA showed that the students who experienced four or five kinds of role strain simultaneously reported the higher level of stress response than those who experienced one or two kinds of role strain. Moreover, it was found that the simultaneous occurrence of the role strain in peer relationships and school demands especially affected the level of stress response. These findings support the Focal Change Hypothesis (Simmons & Blyth, 1987) during adolescence.