Factors That Influence High School Student
Mentoring Relationships
By: Nancy Harjan
Winter 1994 "Mentoring Connections"

INDEX:



"I Received a Gift and Want to Pass It On"
One high school mentee writes, "I know I will someday be a mentor too, and I am sure I can be a great incentive to them as my mentor has been to me." This comment scrawled on the back of a research instrument aptly expresses this student's confident self-esteem, motivation and investment in the future. This student serves as a successful example of the multitude of benefits an underachieving high school student can receive from a mentoring relationship.

Background For a Study Of Mentoring Dynamics
I recently completed a Doctoral Dissertation examining the matrix from which these benefits spring, that is, the interpersonal dynamics between a high school mentee and a mentor.

Two mentoring programs were studied:

The studied involved a cross-sectional survey approach, in which 25 intact mentoring dyads responded.

Research Question #1 - Demographic Variables and Success of Mentoring
The first research question looked at how certain demographic variables (ethnic affiliation, gender, age difference, and career interest/occupational match) affected the success or lack of success of the mentoring relationship.

Success was determined by the parent's assessment of student improvement in three arenas:

Results for Question #1

The parent assessment results indicated that these demographic variables are unrelated to mentoring relationship success. As all dyads in the study were matched on gender, this variable could not be examined.

Even so, these results are surprising! Prior research had suggested that high school mentoring dyads should be matched on two variables: age (with eight to 15 year differential as ideal) and mentee career interest with mentor occupation.

Research Question #2 - Interpersonal factors and Success of Mentoring
The second research question studied interpersonal factors of attraction (social, physical, task) and perceived similarity (background and attitude) between dyad members in relation to the success or lack of success of the mentoring relationship, again as judged by parental assessment of student improvement.

Results for Question #2

The results indicated that high social attraction is related to mentoring relationship success. Successful dyads appear to report liking each other socially, finding the other easy to get along with and the potential of having the other as a personal friend.

A second finding was that low overall perceived similarity is related to mentoring relationship success. This information suggests that successful dyad members describe themselves as very different from one another in values, attitudes, childhood backgrounds and life
experiences.

Implications of the Findings
1. One clinical implication from these findings is that diversity between dyad members may be beneficial to the formation and maintenance of successful mentoring relationships. Individual differences may actually expand and enrich the relationship. Allowing for demographic differences may increase the number of potential matches made by mentoring programs. The information is valuable given the number of hopeful high school mentees and the scarcity of qualified adult mentors.

2. A second clinical implication of this research involves the importance of social attraction between dyad members. The social arena appears to be an effective conduit for forging and strengthening relational ties. Mentoring programs may consider creating a social structure for dyads that may include organized monthly events (picnics, plays, community projects), and separate mentor and mentee groups focusing on social and relational issues within the dyad.

3. A final clinical implication is the need for rigorous self-evaluation by mentoring programs. Self-evaluation should be conducted frequently, incorporating not only program coordinators but also school liaisons, mentee parents and dyad participants. Self-evaluation will not only ensure that the program is meeting its stated goals and objectives, but valid documentation of mentoring program success may help in widening the program's financial and social support base.

Benefits for Mentors Too
To a student, a successful high school mentoring relationship may mean an enriched future filled with many more options. To a mentor, this same success may mean enjoying a satisfying and invigorating relationship with a young person. States one mentor, "There is nothing more rewarding than helping a young person develop his or her dreams...you find yourself thinking that this is what it's all about."

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