Date of Conferral

1-1-2009

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

James Carroll

Abstract

This study examined social interest, social self-efficacy, and general self-efficacy levels of high school volunteer mentors and their nonmentor peers. School-based peer mentoring has become a popular method for providing support services to students. While several studies examining mentee outcomes appeared in the past decade, less research has examined characteristics of the high school mentors involved. The choice of variables was grounded in Bandura's Social Learning Theory and Adler's Individual Psychology. Thirty-seven mentors and 32 nonmentors from a suburban New York high school completed the Social Interest Scale and the Self-efficacy Scale. Mentor volunteers scored significantly higher in social self-efficacy than their nonmentor peers, t (67) = 2.98, p < .006. The relationship between being mentored and becoming a mentor was examined using a chi-square analysis, and was found to be statistically significant, chi2 (1, N = 69) = 4.18, p = .041. Females demonstrated higher levels of social interest than males, t (67) = 2.78, p < .006. The social change implications of this research include gaining insight into the characteristics of high school mentor volunteers, providing program coordinators with a mechanism for ensuring more positive outcomes for both mentees and mentors. Creating more positive outcomes for mentees may inspire them to become mentors later on, which increases the overall benefits of mentoring in the community. Providing an outlet for social interest and bolstering self-efficacy levels among mentors will increase the potential for future successful endeavors.

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