Social Participation Questionnaire Research Articles

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Social Participation Questionnaire: A Methodological and Cross-Sectional Study.

Social participation is vital for the health maintenance of general populations as well as the functional recovery and social ties of clinical patients. To develop a Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ) to evaluate participation in social activities in an individual's life and to test the reliability and validity of the SPQ. Cross-sectional study. Community and clinic in China. A total of 1419 healthy adults and 486 breast cancer patients. The initial items were developed from a theoretical framework, a literature review, and Delphi expert consultation. Item analysis, exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), criterion validity, construct reliability, and internal consistency reliability were performed to examine the psychometric properties of the SPQ. The final SPQ was comprised of 11 different types of social activities, falling under the 3 dimensions of activities of daily life, sports and entertainment activities, and social service activities. EFA explained 50.674% of the total item variance contributing to the tool. CFA showed that the SPQ fit well. The total SPQ score was significantly associated with social network, quality of life, and cognitive function (r = |.180∼.466|, P < .001). The internal consistency coefficient was acceptable (range of Cronbach's alpha, .695 to .720). The SPQ has robust properties, wide application, and provides a culturally relevant tool to evaluate the social participation of individuals, thus facilitating rigorous clinical and population-based research.

Social participation during the COVID-19 pandemic in persons with a high risk for a severe course of COVID-19 – results of a longitudinal, multi-center observational study in Germany

ABSTRACT Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how people go about their daily lives, often in various and substantial ways. This study aims to prospectively evaluate the changes in social participation during the COVID-19 pandemic in persons with a high risk for a severe COVID-19 course in Germany. Methods A paper-pencil-based survey was conducted starting at March 2021. Participants filled out questionnaires at four time points based on their COVID-19 vaccination status: before COVID-19 vaccination, one month, six months and twelve months after COVID-19 vaccination. Social participation measures included the Pandemic Social Participation Questionnaire (PSP-Q) and the Index for measuring participation restrictions (IMET). Repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-test were used to test for changes between time-points. Repeated measures correlation was used to assess the relationship between social participation and local COVID-19 incidences. Results Data from 245 participants was analyzed before and one month after COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, data from 156 participants was analyzed at time points one, six and twelve months after COVID-19. PSP-Q and IMET scores changed significantly after participants received a COVID-19 vaccination. Between one month and twelve months after vaccination, social participation improved significantly measured by PSP-Q. Social participation was negatively correlated with regional COVID-19 incidences before and after COVID-19 vaccination. Social participation was positively correlated with COVID-19 incidences between one month and twelve months after COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusions Social participation improved in persons with a high risk for a severe COVID-19 course during the pandemic. The local COVID-19 incidence showed a negative association with social participation only until the fall of 2021 when it was used as the sole metric to regulate COVID-19 protective measures. Although our data describes the trends in social participation, further studies are needed to identify the influencing factors for the observed increase in social participation.

Stres Üriner İnkontinans Üzerine Cerrahi Ve Medikal Tedavilerin Etkileri

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate how surgical and medical treatments affect the quality of life, depression status and social participation of women with Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI). Materials and Methods: The study included 32 women with diagnoses of SUI. Among these women, 16 were designated as the medical treatment group (MTG), and the other 16 were designated as the surgical treatment group (STG). Before the treatment and 8 weeks after its completion, the patients were evaluated with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL), World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ). Results: The mean age of the subjects was 54.31±11.48 years in MTG and 48.38±10.01 years in STG. The mean body mass index (BMI) values of the groups were respectively 27.56±2.79 and 26.56±2.25 kg/m2. Following the treatment, statistically significant improvements were observed in urinary incontinence, depression, social participation and overall and disease-specific quality of life in both groups (p&amp;lt;0.05). Comparative analysis of the post-treatment changes in both groups showed statistically significant differences in the BDI score, the total work activity and household activity scores in the Social Participation Questionnaire and the psychosocial subgroups of both WHOQOL-BREF and I-QOL (p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion: Both treatments proved to be effective and usable to reduce the severity of SUI and depression, prevent social isolation and improve the quality of life. However, extensive research is required on the effects of SUI treatment methods on larger patient groups.

The relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms among Chinese middle-aged and older adults: A cross-lagged panel analysis.

ObjectivesThis study examined the mutual effects of social participation and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older Chinese adults from offline and online perspectives. Reciprocal relationships between depressive symptoms and the four subtypes of offline participation were also examined.MethodsBased on China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study data (CHARLS), this study conducted ID matching for three waves of data from 2013, 2015, and 2018. One thousand nine hundred ninety-nine samples for individuals over 50 were obtained. A series of cross-lagged analyses were conducted to examine the mutual influence of social participation and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the short version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10). The social participation questionnaire included nine items referring to offline participation (eight items) and online participation (one item). Several demographic variables were adjusted when conducting the cross-lagged analyses.ResultsSocial and offline participation had significant two-way associations with depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms had greater impacts on social and offline participation than in the opposite direction. Online participation has a significant one-way impact on depressive symptoms. The relationship between specific types of offline participation and depressive symptoms varied in existence and direction.DiscussionOverall, there was significant bidirectional causality between social participation and depressive symptoms. Social participation, both offline and online, played a positive role in alleviating depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms also affected the level of social participation to some extent among middle-aged and older Chinese adults over time.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Social Participation of High Risk-Adults in Germany During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background:Restrictions to contain the COVID-19 pandemic affect the social participation of people worldwide. Especially those at high risk for a severe disease tend to abstain from social gatherings. While there are a few questionnaires to measure social participation in elderly or chronic patients, a valid survey instrument that includes pandemic-related social participation is needed.MethodsWe developed a social participation questionnaire that aims to assess pandemic-related restrictions in social participation. Items were developed using a theory and literature-based approach and then compiled in a discursive process involving experts and lay people. This was followed by the validation of the questionnaire through a cross-sectional survey on 431 individuals. Items with low item-total correlations and low factor loadings using exploratory factor analysis [EFA] were excluded. Using EFA on the remaining items, the factor structure was retrieved and tested with a confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]. Internal consistency was assessed with Chronbachs α.ResultsInitially, 27 items were developed which were used for validation. 13 items were excluded due to low item-total correlations and factors loadings. EFA of the remaining 14 items revealed three factors which were identified as domains “active social participation,” “wellbeing,” and “restrictions”. CFA showed an acceptable model fit using the three-dimensional structure. Chronbachs α of 0.81 and McDonalds Ω of 0.87 indicate good internal consistency. Correlation analysis showed an association between the developed questionnaire and previously-established participation and mental health scales.ConclusionThis study suggests that our 14 item questionnaire is of high reliability and validity and can be used to measure social participation during a pandemic.

Estimation of cognitive reserve and its impact on cognitive performance in older adults

Objectives Cognitive reserve provides evidence in the search for answers regarding the role that lifestyle has in the protection of cognition in old age. Through a structural equations model, different things were analyzed: the relative weight of education, occupational complexity, free time activities and the intelligence quotient in cognitive reserve; and its impact on three cognitive domains: memory, language and executive functions. Design A trail analysis was executed, using structural equations procedure. Participants 167 older participants (mean = 76.74 years, standard deviation = 6.8 years). Measurements Participants were assessed with: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Occupational Activity Agency Questionnaire, Social Participation Questionnaire and Neuropsychological Evaluation Battery for: memory, language and executive functions. Results The cognitive reserve factor is well represented by the measures included, with values ​​between .43 and .86, and shows a direct effect on language (β = .52, p < .001), executive functions (β = .77, p <.001), and memory (β = .36, p = .003). Conclusions In conclusion, lifestyle factors, such as education, occupational complexity, leisure time activities and intelligence quotient have an impact on the conformation of cognitive reserve and performance in some psychological processes.

Czy orientacje życiowe studentów mediują relację między sumiennością jako cechą osobowości a osiągnięciami akademickimi?

Conscientiousness as a personality trait has been recognized as a predictor of students’ academic achievements in numerous empirical studies. The aim of the study was to determine the role of life orientations, moratorium and transitive orientation, in the relationship between conscientiousness and academic achievement. The study was conducted using Social Participation Questionnaire and the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory among 111 full-time students aged 20-25. Conscientiousness turned out to be a predictor of both academic achievement and life orientation, but these orientations did not mediate the relationship between conscientiousness and academic achievement.

Participation in community intervention programmes and quality of life: findings from a multicenter study in Portugal

Abstract Objective: The present study aimed to analyze quality of life (QoL) in participants of community intervention programs (CIP) focused on healthy aging. Method : A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out with 304 community-dwelling participants, aged 55 years old or more and living in three locations in Portugal. Half of these individuals (n=152) were involved in a CIP (intervention group). The intervention group was paired according to sex and age group with an equivalent number of participants (n=152) that did not take part in a CIP (comparison group). Activities implemented in the CIP were grouped according to their nature: socio-recreational, educational/lifelong learning and physical activity. Data collection involved a Social Participation Questionnaire, the WHOQOL-Bref and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Results: The CIP participants (n=152) had a mean age of 71.4 years (±5.4), were predominantly women (75.0%), married (65.4%), with fewer than five years of education (71.7%) and a monthly family income of up to 750 euros (47.4%). The intervention group had a significantly higher QoL in the physical domain than the comparison group (p&lt;0.03). Physical activity was the most frequently attended session in the CIP (n=119, 78.3%), in comparison with educational/lifelong learning (n=46, 30.3%) and socio-recreational (n=25, 16.4%) activities. People practicing physical activity in the CIP had a significantly higher QoL in the psychological, social relationships and environment domains (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Participation in the CIP was associated with QoL. Therefore, in line with the active aging framework, CIPs must be a part of public policy measures aimed at the QoL of the population.

Prevalence and burden of primary headache disorders among primary and middle school students in Kuwait

Primary headaches are common in the pediatric and adolescent population and can be disabling for them and their families. We aimed to assess the prevalence of primary headache disorders among primary and middle school students in Kuwait. A cross-sectional study was conducted and included all six governorates of Kuwait. Three schools for boys and three schools for girls were randomly selected from each governorate. Thereafter, one class was randomly selected from each school. The Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, and Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) questionnaire for children and adolescents was used to collect the data. Out of 1613 questionnaires that were distributed, only 1585 students completed the questionnaire with a respondent rate of 95.2%. Age ranged from 7 to 15 years with a mean age of 11.51 + 1.90 for the total samples and a mean age of 10.71 + 1.99 for students with a diagnosis of primary headache disorder. Gender was nearly equally distributed among the total sample (male 47.5% versus female 52.5%) and among students of primary headache disorder (male 51% versus female 49%, P < .20). One-year prevalence of headache was 31.2% with no significant difference among females compared to males (15.3% versus 16%; P < .14). Prevalence of migraine was significantly higher (19.6%) followed by TTH (8.6%), chronic headache (1.3%) and medication-use headache (0.7%) (<0.001). Primary headache prevalence is high among primary and middle school students. Migraine was the most prevalent headache. No significant difference was noted among those age group.

Prevalence and Burden of Primary Headache Disorders in Kuwaiti Children and Adolescents: A Community Based Study.

Background/Objective: Primary headaches are common in the pediatric and adolescent population and can be disabling for them and their families. We aimed to assess the prevalence and burden of primary headache disorders among children and adolescents in Kuwait.Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study included Kuwaiti population aged 6–17 years. They were randomly recruited from all six governorates of Kuwait using stratified multistage cluster sampling. The Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, and Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) questionnaire for children and adolescents was used to collect the data.Results: Data were collected from 3,423 subjects; 664 subjects were diagnosed as having primary headache disorders. The mean age was 12.61 ± 2.51 years and 64.2% were females. One year prevalence of headache was 19.4%. It was significantly prevalent in females compared to males (25.2% vs. 13.8%; P < 0.001). Primary headache disorder significantly increased in age group 12–17 when compared to age group 6–11 years (25.8% vs. 10.4 %; p < 0.001). One year primary headache prevalence showed non-significant differences in both males and females in age group 6–11 years (10.1% in males vs. 10.6% in females; P < 0.79), while it was significantly higher in female vs. males (38.1% vs. 15.8%; P < 0.001) in age group 12–17 years. Migraine prevalence was 10.9% followed by tension type headache (TTH) 6.2% and chronic headache 0.9%. Medical care utilization was reported in 67% of our cohort. The majority (95%) of the patients received symptomatic drugs for headache attacks and only 7.5% used preventive medication. The students with headache lost a mean of 1.29 ± 1.23 days of school, reported mean of 1.16 ± 1.50 days they could not do activities they had wanted to. Their parents lost a mean of 1.01 ± 1.02 days of work because of headaches of their children during the preceding 4 weeks of the study.Conclusions: The estimated 1 year prevalence of headache was 19.4% overall. Primary headache prevalence increased with age and it was more prevalent in female adolescents compared to males of the same age. Headache disorders in children/adolescents affect school and social activities as well as their parents work. The awareness for early diagnosis and preventive medications for headache in this age group may reduce the headache burden.

Optimizing Participation of Older Adults with Cognitive Deficits Post-stroke: Types of Help and Caregiver Burden.

ABSTRACTThis longitudinal mixed-method study examined the types of help provided by caregivers to optimize participation of older adults with cognitive deficits post-stroke (care recipients), and how these types of help varied with caregiver's burden. Twelve family caregivers of care recipients post-stroke completed a burden questionnaire and semi-structured interviews one month, three months, and six months following care recipient's discharge home from acute care, rehabilitation, or day hospital. Care recipients completed cognitive tests and a social participation questionnaire. Types of help caregivers provided differed according to the amount of daily living support, degree of concern for care recipient's well-being, and impact on caregivers' social life. Interestingly, types of help fostering care recipient's social participation, self-esteem, and abilities were unrelated to a negative impact on caregivers' social life. Understanding how different types of help relate to caregiver burden could improve the types of help to optimize care recipients' social participation without overburdening caregivers.

Socio-Demographic Determinants of Quality of Life among Older People, a Population-Based Study

Introduction: Social participation is considered one dimension and also determinant of quality of life. The level of social participation of the elderly is influenced by various components such as socio-economic and demographic factors. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between social participation, quality of life, and some socio- economic factors in community dwelling elderly in Kerman, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 communities dwelling old people in Kerman in 2017 selected through random sampling. The data were collected using researcher-made Social Participation questionnaire and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression analysis. Results: The results revealed the participants’ mean score of social participation was above fifty. Social participation was significantly associated with age (p &lt; 0.001), marital status (p = 0.004), education level (p &lt; 0.001), and occupation (p = 0.021). A significant direct correlation was also observed between social participation and quality of life (p &lt; 0.001), and social participation determined 21 % of variance of life quality score (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: With the increase in social participation of the elderly, their quality of life improves. Establishing nongovernmental organizations, charities, and associations for retirement and aging can increase the level of social participation of the elderly.

The role of social participation in the formation of identity in young people with mild intellectual disability and in intellectual norm: A comparative study

The article presents the results of a study on the role of social participation (Reinders) in shaping the identity (Luyckx et al.) of people with mild intellectual disability in late adolescence and emerging adulthood compared to those in intellectual norm ( N = 127). Three waves of measurement were carried out at semi-annual intervals, using the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS/PL-1) and the Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ-S). In all the waves people with intellectual disability had a higher level of the moratorium orientation, and at Wave 3 they had a higher level of the transitive orientation. Differences in the levels of identity dimensions were observed in only one wave and only in the case of exploration in depth. The type of social participation has proved to be a factor differentiating the levels of identity dimensions, especially commitment making and identification with commitment, the highest level of which was observed in people with integration and assimilation types. The study responds to the need, expressed in the literature, to focus on specific groups in identity development studies.

Burden of migraine in a Kuwaiti population: a door-to-door survey

BackgroundMigraine prevalence and disability imprints on Kuwaiti population are underreported. We aimed to measure the prevalence of migraine and to assess its burden in Kuwait.MethodsA cross-sectional community-based study was conducted which included biologically unrelated Kuwaiti adult population aged 18–65 years. They were randomly recruited from all six governments of Kuwait using stratified multistage cluster sampling. Trained interviewers visited the samples in door-to-door approach. The Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, and Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) questionnaire was used to collect the data. Demographic enquires were followed by diagnostic and disability questions.ResultsA total of 15,523 subjects were identified; of whom 3588 (23%) were diagnosed as episodic migraine and 845 (5.4%) as chronic headache. Prevalence of episodic migraine was 31.71% in female versus 14.88% in males (P < 0.01) with a mean age of 34.56 ± 10.17 years. Most of migraine cohort (64.4%) sought medical advice with respect to their migraine headaches and the majority (62.4%) were seen by general practitioners (GPs) while 17.2% were assessed by neurologists and 3.7% was seen by other specialties. Tension type headache and sinus-related headaches were diagnosed in 8.9% and 2.1% of migraine subjects respectively. The majority (94.6%) of migraine subjects used symptomatic drugs for headache attacks, whereas 39.9% were taking preventive medication. In the preceding 3 months to the survey, subjects with episodic migraine had lost a mean of 1.97 days from their paid work or school attendance compared to 6.62 days in chronic headache sufferers (P < 0.001). Additionally, subjects with episodic migraine lost a mean of 1.40 days from household work compared to 5.35 days in subjects with chronic headache (P < 0.001). Participants with episodic migraine and chronic headache missed a mean of 2.81 and 3.85 days on social occasions, in the preceding 3 months (P < 0.001).ConclusionsMigraine in Kuwait is highly prevalent and it has a significant impact on activity of daily living, schooling/ employment and social occasions of patients. Accurate diagnosis, effective abortive and preventive treatments of migraine are paramount to improve quality of life and as well as cost saving.

Correlation study on the social participation and quality of life of empty nesters

Objective To explore the status of social participation and quality of life (QOL) of empty-nesters, and discuss the correlation between social participation and QOL of empty nesters. Methods Totally 243 empty-nesters were selected and investigated by self-designed social participation questionnaire and world health organization quality of life scale for old people (WHOQOL-OLD) . Results The QOL score of empty nesters in Hangzhou were (90.98±10.40) . Their self-evaluated social participation was positively correlated to QOL (r=0.346, P<0.01) . Participating in economic activities and public welfare activities could predict the QOL. Conclusions The QOL of empty nesters in Hangzhou is above the middle level. Participation in economic activities and public service activities can improve the QOL of empty nesters. Key words: Social participation; Quality of life; Empty nesters

Relationship between social participation and general health among the elderly

Background: Health promoting behaviors in the elderly can potentially improve their health and reduce health care costs. This study was aimed to investigate the relationship of social participation with general health among the elderly people. Methods: The research population in this correlational study included all elderly people (aged 60 and older) in district 5 of Tehran. A total of 80 persons were selected by convenience sampling method. In order to collect data, a researcher-made social participation questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used. Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient, U-Mann-Whitney test and simple linear regression were applied to analyze the data. Results: The findings showed no statistically significant correlation between social participation and general health and its dimensions (P>0.05). Among demographic variables, only age was negatively correlated with social participation (P<0/05). Conclusions: Absence of relationship between social participation and health may be attributed to the effect of peripheral factors like social, economical and political situation during which the research was performed. A similar study in a more stable time or other places may contribute to the generalizability of the findings.

Social Participation and Subjective Well-Being Among Retirees in China

The current study examined the predictive roles of social participation for subjective well-being among Chinese retirees. The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and the self-developed Social Participation Questionnaire were employed to assess subjective well-being and social participation, respectively. Social participation included four aspects: frequency of social activities, roles in social activities, working state, and participation in activities of former employing units (these activities often include all kinds of parties for festivals, meetings and recreations arranged by former employing units). Ultimately, 22,019 city retirees ranging in age from 50 to 99 (M = 69.7, SD = 8.1) completed the questionnaires. Results indicated that retirees tend to report positive subjective well-being; the effects of social participation, excluding work state, on subjective well-being were significant. That is, individuals with more frequent participation in social activities, more active roles in social activities, and more frequent participation in activities of former employing units reported higher subjective well-being, even when controlling for the roles of physical health, income, and other socio-demographic variables. Physical health and income were two robust factors in predicting subjective well-being in analysis models. The effects of other socio-demographic variables were also analyzed. The current study provides further empirical support for the role of social participation in quality of life of the elderly.

Type of social participation and emotion regulation among upper secondary school students

Abstract The article presents the results of research on relationships between types of social participation and emotion regulation. In the study, Gratz’ and Roemer’s (2004) perspective on emotion regulation and Reinders’ and Butz’s (2001) concept of types of social participation were applied. Participants were 1151 students from three types of vocational schools: basic vocational school (n=266), technical upper secondary school (n=644), and specialized upper secondary school (n=241). The results of studies conducted with the use of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ-S 1) indicate that there are small, however, significant, differences in the levels of social participation dimensions and the frequency of particular types of social participation between students from the three investigated types of vocational schools. The level of transitive orientation turned out to be higher among students from the basic vocational schools than among students from the specialized upper secondary schools and the technical upper secondary schools. In each educational group, the level of transitive orientation was significantly higher than the level of moratorium orientation. The hypothesis about the relationship between dimensions of emotion regulation and types of social participation, particularly with respect to the dimension of “lack of emotional awareness”, was confirmed. The most effective style in terms of emotion regulation turned out to be the assimilation type. The highest level of emotion dysregulation proved to be connected with the segregation type.

Type of social participation and identity formation in adolescence and emerging adulthood

Abstract This paper presents the results of empirical research that explores the links between types of social participation and identity. The author availed herself of the neo-eriksonian approach to identity by Luyckx et al. (2006) and the concept of social participation types (Reinders, Butz, 2001). The study involved 1,665 students from six types of schools: lower secondary school (n=505), general upper secondary school (n=171), technical upper secondary school (n=187), specialized upper secondary school (n=214), university (n=252), and post-secondary school (medical rescue, massage therapy, cosmetology, occupational therapy) (n=336). The results of the research, conducted with the use of Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS) and Social Participation Questionnaire (SPQ-S 1 and SPQ-S 2), indicate that transitive orientation increases with age and that, consequently, the frequency of assimilation and integration types of social participation tends to be higher in emerging adulthood in comparison with adolescence. The study showed that general upper secondary school students, contrary to their colleagues from technical and specialized upper secondary schools, did not differ in terms of transitive and moratorium orientation levels from lower secondary school students. The hypothesis about the relationship between transitive orientation and commitment scales was confirmed, whereas the hypotheses concerning the links between exploration scales and both dimensions of social participation were not validated.

Social participation, identity style and identity dimensions in late adolescence among students of three types of vocational schools

Abstract Departing from the model suggested by Luyckx, Schwarz, Berzonsky et al. (2008), the relationships between identity and educational context, social participation, and identity information processing style were investigated. Participants were 972 students from six vocational schools in Poznań. The students, within these six schools, attended Grades I-III of three types of vocational schools: basic vocational schools (n=271), technical upper secondary schools (n=448), and specialized upper secondary schools (n=253). Three questionnaires were used: The Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS/PL), which measures five identity dimensions according to the concept of Luyckx, Schwarz, Berzonsky et al. (2008), Social Participation Questionnaire, developed by Brzezińska, Rękosiewicz and Hejmanowski (see Rękosiewicz, 2013b), enabling identification of the type of social participation, and the Polish adaptation of M. Berzonsky’s Identity Style Inventory 4 (ISI-4) authored by A. Senejko (2010), to examine identity styles. The results showed that the students from basic vocational schools and technical upper secondary schools were more often characterized by the normative identity style, whereas the students from specialized upper secondary schools manifested a greater tendency to engage themselves in exploration, both adaptive and ruminative.