ABSTRACT
Personality and drug abstention in adolescents were investigated in a sample of 292 high school seniors. A significant difference was found between abstention and low scores for novelty-seeking behavior based on responses to the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Those who reported abstaining from alcohol had significantly higher grade point averages, attended religious services significantly more frequently, and considered religion significantly more important than those who reported drug use and abuse.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Temperance/psychology , Adolescent , Educational Status , Female , Humans , Male , Psychometrics , Risk-TakingABSTRACT
The current study investigated risk perception and Unrealistic Optimism as a function of involvement in risk. 74 undergraduate students were asked to rate how likely they were to encounter various negative consequences relative to various comparison targets (child, peer, and parent) and specified their actual involvement in risk-taking. Over-all, 37 High and 37 Low Risk-takers rated harmful events similarly, adding support for disputing the hypothesis that risk-takers consider themselves to be invulnerable. When these older adolescents compared themselves with children, they rated their personal risk of engaging in the health threatening behaviors as higher. Adolescents can realistically appraise the differences between themselves and children and view themselves as more likely to encounter the negative outcomes of risk-taking behaviors. Implications are discussed.
Subject(s)
Affect , Attitude to Health , Risk-Taking , Adult , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to add to the sparse but growing descriptive data on at-risk African-American adolescents along the dimensions of locus of control, self-concept, and self-esteem. This study will assist professionals in better understanding the boundaries between normal and abnormal psychological profiles among adolescents, particularly on instruments which are widely used in psychology research and clinical and educational practice. Participants were 117 students from a large, urban Midwestern city in an ongoing intervention program with adolescents who were at-risk of dropping out of school because of academic underachievement and whose family's incomes were below the poverty line. Descriptive results and comparisons with data on other at-risk samples are presented, along with multivariate analyses on the three constructs on the basis of gender. This study provides benchmarks for practitioners and researchers in interpreting the results of assessments using these instruments.
Subject(s)
Black or African American/psychology , Internal-External Control , Self Concept , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Midwestern United States , Risk Factors , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
The Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory was administered to 112 African American adolescents who were academically at-risk for dropping out of high school. Results were similar to those of a previous study comparing a heterogeneous group of 100 American adolescents with 100 youths from India. Differences on scores of self-esteem for the two international groups were noted.
Subject(s)
Black or African American/psychology , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Developing Countries , Personality Development , Self Concept , Adolescent , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Inventory , Psychometrics , Reference Values , Student Dropouts/psychology , United StatesABSTRACT
Examined whether the level of family functioning and the components contributing to adaptive family functioning differed in families of visibly handicapped children (cerebral palsy) when compared to families of nonvisibly disabled children (diabetes). Other factors included effect of disability severity on family functioning, comparison of families of disabled children to families of able-bodied children, and comparison of mothers' and fathers' perceptions of family functioning. The sample comprised 139 two-parent families of children with cerebral palsy (n = 48), diabetes (n = 46), and able-bodied children (n = 45) (all 5-11 years old). Results showed that neither visibility nor severity of disability differentially impacted family functioning. Furthermore, families of the disabled children exhibited high levels of family functioning which were similar to control families. Differences were not found between the ways mothers and fathers perceived family functioning.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Cerebral Palsy/psychology , Diabetes Mellitus/psychology , Family , Child , Child, Preschool , Diabetes Mellitus/blood , Fathers/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Marriage/psychology , Mothers/psychology , Parent-Child Relations , Severity of Illness Index , Stress, Psychological/diagnosis , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The Nowicki-Strickland measure of internal-external locus of control was administered to 110 African-American adolescents. Analysis indicated high externalization, even though these students had a higher than average self-concept.
Subject(s)
Black or African American/psychology , Defense Mechanisms , Internal-External Control , Prejudice , Self Concept , Underachievement , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Inventory , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Studies in psychology often have low power because of inadequate sample size. Thus, recent articles in this journal have suggested making sample size determinations through readily available tables that are based on population normality. Questions have been raised on the use of these power tables because prevalent psychometric distributions, such as the discrete mass at zero with gap that occurs with first use or onset variables, are radically nonnormal. In addition to demonstrating the robustness of the independent samples t test with respect to type I error, the major finding of this study shows that researchers may use these power tables without modification for this radically nonnormal distribution.
Subject(s)
Models, Statistical , Psychometrics/methods , Adolescent , Humans , Microcomputers , Monte Carlo Method , Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted/instrumentation , Psychometrics/instrumentation , Smoking/epidemiology , SoftwareABSTRACT
High-school-aged adolescents responded to a 48-item survey about their substance use. From an original sample of 190 respondents, groups were created through consequence variables (e.g., school, family, medical, and legal problems) into abuse (n = 41) and use (n = 115) categories. Variables were organized along multidimensional lines: stimulus (e.g., frequency of substance use, use in school), organismic (e.g., age, grade), and response (e.g., driving a car while under the influence). From 27 comparisons of the abuse and use groups 16 significant differences emerged.
Subject(s)
Arousal , Individuality , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Tests , Risk Factors , Social EnvironmentABSTRACT
Research stimulated by increases in maternal employment has focused primarily on children, even though mothers of adolescents are more likely to be employed. It is adolescents who experience developmental changes that promote participation in adult behaviors in advance of their abilities. This study investigated the effects of maternal employment on the use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and other substances by early adolescents. A sample of ninth-grade students responded to a 48-item survey about their substance use behavior. A comparison of maternal employment patterns (full-time vs. part-time/not employed outside the home) indicated no significant differences in substance use behavior. These results confirmed and extended the growing literature regarding the nonharmful effects of maternal employment on adolescent adjustment and behavior.
