LOKUS KONTROLE I PERCIPIRANA SOCIJALNA PODRŠKA KAO PREDIKTORI NIVOA STRESA KOD ADOLESCENATA

Adolescence brings with it different types of changes in people – such as physical, emotional and cognitive, which can be quite stressful. Some of the factors that can be protective against stress in the transition period of high school completion are the locus of control and perceived social support. The aim of the study is to examine whether, and to what extent, stress levels in adolescents can be predicted based on the locus of control of adolescents as well as based on perceived social support. The research examined 190 adult high school students (Nmale = 80; Nfemale = 110) from six municipalities in Serbia. The following instruments were used: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and The Multidimensional Locus of Control (IPC). The results showed that the dimensions Internal locus of control (β = - .30, p < .000), Family support (β = -.21, p = .002) and Powerful others (β = .190, p = .020) contribute statistically significantly to explaining the level variance stress in adolescents. Considering the intergroup differences by gender, it can be concluded that boys and girls differ statistically significantly only on the variable Stress, i.e., that girls have a higher level of stress compared to boys, t (188) = -2.411, p =.017. The only statistically significant intergroup difference when it comes to the order of birth is observed in the variable Internal locus of control, t (188) = -2.116, p =.036, where in first-born children a statistically significantly lower level of internal locus of control can be found compared to children born later. Key words: stress, adolescence, locus of control, perceived social support