Cognitive development,egocentrism, self-esteem,and adolescent contraceptive knowledge,attitudes, and behavior

The relationship of cognitive development, egocentrism, and self-esteem to adolescent contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behavior was investigated in 300 high school and college students (101 males and 199 females) 14-19 years old. There was general support for the study's hypothesis that students with higher levels of cognitive development and self-esteem and lower egocentrism would be more knowledgeable about contraception, be more likely to use birth control, and have more positive attitudes about contraception. Cognitive development was positively associated with all of the knowledge variables and with self-reported condom use. Self-esteem was linked to two of the four knowledge variables, self-reported condom use, and positive attitudes toward contraception. There was an inverse relationship between egocentrism and contraceptive use, but, contrary to expectations, a positive association between egocentrism and knowledge of contraceptive effectiveness. Gender-specific analyses revealed that male students had significantly higher scores than females on the cognitive development and self-esteem measures, while female students scored higher on items measuring knowledge of contraceptive methods and attitudes toward their use. The association of cognitive development with knowledge variables suggests that the ability of adolescents to retain information is related to their capacity to reason and generate alternatives. Overall, these findings suggest a need for attention to the goodness of fit between sex education curricula and the level of cognitive development of the intended audience.     

The learning disabled adolescent: Eriksonian psychosocial development,self-concept,and delinquent behavior

Using a developmental perspective, this study contrasted learning and nonlearning disabled adolescents on three variables: Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, self-concept, and delinquent behavior. It was predicted that learning disabled adolescents would show significantly less resolution of Erikson's fourth state, industry versus inferiority, manifest lower overall self-concept, and report more delinquent behavior than their nondisabled peers. The results indicated that the learning disabled subjects, due to years of failing at school tasks, were unable to develop a sense of industry and competence. While these adolescents felt unpopular and inferior about their academic skills, the overall self-concept of the learning disabled sample was not significantly different than that of the comparison subjects. Finally, among nonadjudicated youths, learning disability was not found to be significantly associated with juvenile delinquency. Taken together, the results of this study show the utility of a developmental framework for a better understanding of the psychosocial adjustment of adolescents with learning handicaps.Recived Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology, Berkeley, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Menninger Foundation, Topeka, Kansas. Current research interests include psychological testing and prediction of psychology in hospitalized adolescents and adults.Received Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. Current research interests include psychotherapy methods and psychometrics     

Timing of first sexual intercourse: the role of social control,social learning,and problem behavior

Prior research has pointed to several distinct processes that may affect the timing of first intercourse among adolescents. In the present study, the role of six hypothesized processes was assessed in a sample of 289 rural adolescent boys and girls. Results support the importance of family socialization and problem-behavior for both sexes, the role of biological factors for boys, and the role of social control processes for girls. Two other hypothesized influences—social class and poor psychosocial adjustment—were not supported in either gender. These results indicate that multiple processes influence the timing of first intercourse; thus, they underscore the need for eclectic predictive models that incorporate the multiplicity of influences.Received Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of Chicago. Current research interests include adolescent psychosocial development and risk behaviors.Received Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the Pennsylvania State University. Current research interests include adolescent sexuality and health-related behaviors.Received Ph.D. in Health Education from The Pennsylvania State University. Current research interests include adolescent health.Received Ph.D. in Education from The Pennsylvania State University. Current interests include adolescent substance abuse and pregnancy, as well as community health interventions.     

The social context of adolescent self-esteem

The global self-esteem of adolescents was examined in relation to two aspects of their daily lives: (a) the perceived quality of their relationships with parents and peers; and (b) their self-evaluation in the areas of school, popularity, and athletics. The quality of relationships with parents made significant contributions to the explained variance in self-esteem of both boys and girls. The quality of peer relationships made a significant additional contribution for girls but not boys. The importance of parent and peer relationships to self-esteem did not vary as a function of age for either sex. Self-evaluation of popularity was related to girls' global self-esteem, while evaluation of school performance was more important for boys.Received her Ph.D. from George Peabody College. Research interests include adolescent stress and coping, and parent-child relationships.Received his M.D. from Medical College of Georgia. Research interests include stress, eating disorders, and pregnancy in adolescents.     

The relationship of father absence and antisocial behavior to social egocentrism in adolescent mexican american females

This study investigated the relationship of family structure (father absence and intact) and the level of antisocial behavior (high and low) to social egocentrism in adolescent Mexican American females. The results indicated that high antisocial females had significantly higher egocentrism scores than low antisocial females. No main effect was found for family structure. A significant interaction was found between antisocial behavior and family structure, indicating that the high antisocial-father absent group had the highest egocentrism scores among the four groups.Received her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 1978. Current interest is child abuse.Received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1968. Current interests are adolescent socialization and cognitive development.     

The social networks,family involvement,and pro- and antisocial behavior of adolescent males in Norway

The focus of this study is on the ecology of pro- and antisocial behavior. The study was conducted in Stavanger, Norway, with a representative sample of ninety-two 16-year-old boys. Data collected included socioeconomic background, neighborhood risk level, amount of time spent with parents and peers, maps of social network relations, self-reports of alcohol use and criminal activity, and school reports of academic performance, truancy, school motivation, and social behavior. Analysis of results produced two models linking background and process with outcome variables: (A) higher neighborhood risk and less time spent by the boys with their parents were linked with greater propensity for self-reported alcohol use and illegal activity, and (B) more educated parents and larger numbers of nonkin adults in the boy's network were related to better school performance, less absenteeism, and more positively evaluated social behavior. Discussion of these findings centers on the neighborhood and family processes involved in social control, and on adult network members in their roles as positive models, norm reinforcers, and sources of information for adolescent boys.College of Human Ecology, MVR Hall. He is trained in psychology and sociology. His current interests are in development in context with particular reference to personal social networks, child care, and family policy.He is trained in youth development. His current interests are in youth culture, including the influences of the social network, schooling and clubs and organizations.     

Parents' perception of adolescent behavior problems

Fifty-seven parents, usually mothers, rated their adolescent sons and daughters on the Walker Checklist at the time of their initial clinic appointment. Parents perceived this group of adolescents as more disturbed than the elementary school age normative group on three of the scales, Immaturity, Acting Out, and Distractibility. The results support an increase in behavior problems at adolescence which is more marked for the younger females and younger males. Neither gender nor age, separately, determines the degree of behavioral disturbance, with one exception. The scores of both the younger and older male groups are significantly higher than the scores of their corresponding female groups on the school-related Distractibility scale.Received her Ph.D. from University of Washington 1959. Interests are adolescent development, personality, and evaluative research.Community Practice student in the Adolescent Clinic.     

Maternal employment and adolescent sexual behavior

This study investigated whether maternal employment would be associated with teenage sexual attitudes and behaviors likely to increase the probability of teenage pregnancy. Female subjects whose mothers were employed outside the home during the high school years (a) had a greater tendency to begin sexual relations before age 19, (b) expressed less concern regarding the risk of unintended pregnancy, and (c) scored lower on an objective test of their practical knowledge about contraception.Received Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Washington. Research interests include personality and environmental influences on adjustment.Received Ph.D. from University of Georgia. Current research interests are in behavioral teratology.Received Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Research interests are in loneliness and adjustment.Received Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. Research interests are in population and urban sociology.     

Characteristics of interpersonal behavior among adolescent boys

This study was concerned with verbal behavior in a discussion group setting. Two groups of nine tenth grade boys met for eight sessions in an unstructured group discussion. Verbal behavior was coded using a modified version of Bales' interaction process analysis. The most frequently coded behaviors were Giving Opinions, Dramatizing, and Expressing Anxiety. Verbal participation and initiation were positively correlated (r=0.88). Slightly more of the interaction was coded as affective than cognitive. Positive ratings of the group experience by theSs are contrasted to behavioral evidence of discomfort and anxiety. Inferences are drawn about the boys' lack of interpersonal skills and their use of fantasy to support their masculine sex role.Received Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in developmental psychology. Current research interests include the development of interpersonal skills and changes in social interaction at various stages in the family cycle.     

A model of parental involvement in adolescent drinking and driving

This article presents a model of parental involvement in prevention of teenage drinking and driving. Research findings are reviewed on why adolescents drink and drive, and what parents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices are related to youthful impaired driving. Reasons for parents' ineffectiveness at intervening to prevent their teenagers from drinking and driving are described. It is suggested that parents' effectiveness at preventing alcohol use and alcohol-impaired driving among their teenagers depends upon their stage of involvement. The different stages of parental involvement are defined as awareness, acceptance, action, and consequences. The specific components of these stages are described, and evidence is presented indicating that parents tend to be unaware of the true extent and nature of teen drinking, and thus less prone to acceptance and action.Received Ph.D. in social psychology from Syracuse University. Research interests: impaired driving, adolescent risk taking, substance abuse, and health threat perception.Received M.P.H. in health education from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Research interests: alcohol-impaired driving.     

Contraceptive embarrassment and contraceptive behavior among young single women

The objective of this paper was to determine factors predictive of contraceptive embarrassment and to determine the relationship of contraceptive embarrassment to contraceptive use among young unmarried females. Contraceptive embarrassment was measured by an eight-item scale (a=0.88]. Data were obtained from 265 nonvirgin high school and university females who were currently dating. Using simple multiple regression, 30% of the variance of the embarrassment scale was explained, with the most important predictors being parental attitude to premarital intercourse and sexual guilt. Other significant predictors were attitude to planning ahead to use contraception, perveived difficulty in obtaining contraceptive devices, and peer attitudes toward premarital intercourse. The embarrassment scale had significant correlations with contraceptive use.Sponsorship from Health and Welfare Canada through Family Planning Grant No. 4470-5-10 provided for the data collection, and sponsorship from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, DH&W, Contract No. N01-HD-92809 provided for the data analysis.Received his Ph.D. from Department of Sociology, Iowa State University and is interested in the sociology of adolescence, particularly dating, sexual relations, and use of contraception.     

A confirmatory factor analysis of a four-factor model of adolescent concerns

Based on considerable previous research, a four-factor model of adolescent concerns was proposed. Data on concerns were collected from 439 adolescents together with demographic data. A hierarchy of concerns was established based on mean ratings, and sex and age differences were reported. The data were factor analyzed into four principal components and were tested for the goodness of fit to the proposed model using linear structural relationships (LISREL) techniques by the method of maximum likelihood. The data fit the model very well (goodness of fit index=.958). The implications of these findings for further research and theories of adolescent development are discussed generally.Received his B.Sc and M. A. from the University of British Columbia, and his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. His main interests are in development, and in quantitative methods in psychology and education.Graduate student currently completing a master's degree in counseling psychology. His main interest is in working with adolescents.     

Moderating effects of adolescent social orientation on the relation between social support and self-esteem

The study assessed whether the impact of social support on self-esteem is moderated by the adolescent's orientation toward the source of aid. Questionnaires were administered to 84 Israeli adolescents regarding self-esteem, perceived level of support from parents and peers, and preference, or orientation, for support from these sources. Regression analyses indicated that the positive effect of social figures' support on self-esteem increased as a function of interest in receiving aid from the specific source. Correlational analyses also revealed that heightened orientation toward parents was associated with higher levels of perceived parental support, whereas heightened orientation toward peers was associated with higher levels of peer support and lower levels of parental aid. These findings were consistent with self-evaluation maintenance and social provision theories, which suggest that the individual has an active role in selectively seeking out and filtering external social influences.His doctorate in educational psychology is from UCLA. Current research interests include stress and coping across the life span, social sources of adolescent self-esteem, and intergroup relations in the junior high school.Her doctorate in clinical psychology is from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Her research interests include family relations, social and emotional development in children and adolescents, and developmental psychopathology.Her research interests focus on social support in the family.     

Gender differences in patterns of adolescent sexual behavior

The findings of a questionnaire survey of sexual attitudes and behavior of a large nationwide sample of Israeli adolescents (N=5410) show clear gender differences in patterns of sexual behavior even among kibbutz adolescents who express very permissive attitudes toward premarital coitus and live under conditions which provide easy access to potential sexual partners. Permissive conditions increase rates of coitus among female adolescents, but this sexual experience occurs within the framework of an emotionally involving relationship. Kibbutz girls who report coital rates equal to those of kibbutz and nonkibbutz boys (about 40%) have their first coital relationship with a steady boyfriend with whom they are in love and continue having sexual relations with the same partner. This pattern is similar to that of nonkibbutz females, who report much lower rates of coitus (14%). Males do not necessarily have sexual relations in the context of an emotional relationship. The findings are interpreted in terms of pattern of sex-role socialization.This study was supported by the Israel Center for Demographic Studies and by the Ministry of Health.Research interests are socialization, parent-child interaction, and cross-cultural research.Presently working on Ph.D. in public health at University of California, Berkeley.Research interests are child development and personality.Research interests are clinical obstetrics and gynecology, contraception, sex education, and family planning.Research interests are chronic disease epidemiology and research methodology.     

A confirmatory factor analysis of a four-factor model of adolescent concerns revisited

This article addresses the issue of the day-to-day concerns faced by adolescents from urban, lower socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. The current research is both a replication and extension of the work of C. Violato and W. B. Holden ([1988], A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Four-Factor Model of Adolescent Concerns, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 17, pp. 101–113), who collected similar data on a sample of predominantly white students from a range of SES levels. The first goal was to analyze the mean ratings of the 14 concerns for the current study, and to compare these ratings to those found by Violato and Holden. Here, a high degree of similarity between the two studies: students in both studies rated career, grade, future schooling and appearance issues as the four most serious concerns and sexual impulse, drug, smoking and alcohol issues as the four least serious concerns. The second goal was to reevaluate Violato and Holden 's four-factor model of adolescent concerns, where the 14 concerns were evaluated in terms of four major themes: Social Self, Personal Self, Future and Career, and Health and Drug issues. In particular, we were interested in determining whether there were gender differences in this model. Results indicated that the model for boys and girls were not identical. For girls, the model was improved by including the correlations of the Health and Drugs factor to the three remaining factors, suggesting that girls have a more holistic view of their concerns.Received Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Current research interests are in quantitative methods and program evaluation.Received Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in educational psychology. Current research interests include quantitative methods in education and psychology.     

Predicting adolescent risk behavior using a personalized cost-benefit analysis

Risk was investigated from the subjective viewpoints of adolescents, with the aim of assessing adolescents' perceptions of what constitutes risky behavior and how risk behaviors and risk judgments relate. Participants were 570 school-based adolescents. Students named risky behaviors perceived as common to similarly aged peers, then rated level of engagement in these behaviors. The perceived positive and negative outcomes of risk were also nominated, and rated on perceived likelihood and desirability/undesirability. The sample viewed risky behaviors as smoking, drinking alcohol, dangerous driving, taking drugs, criminal behavior, sporting risks, antisocial behavior, minor rebellion, school-related risks, and sexual activity. Negative outcomes of risk were categorized as death, disablement, punishment, and social consequences. Payoffs included pleasure, material gain, and avoidance of negative outcomes. There was a consistent pattern of relationships between risk participation and outcome judgment, with perceived pleasantness and likelihood of positive outcomes, and unpleasantness of negative outcomes, strongly associated with behavior.This research was supported by the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund.Received Ph.D. from Florida State University. Research interests: adolescent development, risk taking, and sexuality.Received Ph.D. from Monash University. Research interests: adolescent development, emotional development, and families.     

Family interaction patterns and the development of social conceptions in the adolescent

The relationship between family interaction and the formation of family and life conceptions in adolescence was studied in an interactional framework. It was hypothesized that openness and constructiveness in family communication and the expression of marital conflicts are positively related to number and content of family and life conceptions. A sex difference was also hypothesized for these conceptions. Fifty-three 15-year-old girls and boys participated in the study. They were interviewed individually and afterward presented with a questionnaire on their family ratings. In addition, most parents—40 mothers and 30 fathers—answered their own questionnaires. The ratings of family interaction by adolescents and parents, respectively, correlated positively, indicating the reliability of the adolescents' ratings. The hypotheses were supported by the results. The richness of family-centered communication and the open expression of marital conflicts together with a positive emotional atmosphere were crucial to the number and content of the adolescents' social conceptions, especially family conceptions.The study is a part of a research project that deals with value orientation in adolescence. The study was supported by a grant to Dr. M. L. Rauste-von Wright from the Council for Social Science Research, the Academy of Finland. The author wishes to express her gratitude to Dr. M. L. Rauste-von Wright.Ph. Lic. in Psychology from University of Turku. Research interests include social development in adolescence, social cognition, and family interaction.     

Managing conflict: Interactional strategies of learning handicapped and nonhandicapped adolescent girls

Naturalistic observations of learning handicapped and nonhandicapped high school girls were conducted to explore differences in the types and effectiveness of interaction strategies used during troubled peer contacts. Findings indicated that learning handicapped girls engaged in more conflict than nonhandicapped females and that this conflict generally involved dominance/submission themes and was managed in ways which increased the probability of future conflict. Conflict involving nonhandicapped girls mostly focused on selfishness or low tolerance for peer's habits and was handled in ways which lowered the likelihood of future disagreements. Implications of these findings with regard to the social standing of the learning handicapped girls in the school setting is discussed.This research was supported by Grant No. HD23097 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.Received her Ed. D. from Columbia University. Current interest is social competence and family relations of learning handicapped populations.     

Everyday stressors in the lives of Anglo and Hispanic learning handicapped adolescent

The sociocultural context of the lives of 10 learning handicapped adolescents was closely monitored over an entire school year using participant observation techniques. Everyday stressors and coping strategies of 5 Hispanic and 5 Anglo adolescents matched on age, sex, SES, class placement, and family intactness, were documented in lengthy field notes. Data revealed that in addition to concerns typical of all adolescents (i.e., family, work, recreation, appearance), cross pressure from cultural conflicts and the learning handicapped status were major sources of stress for these adolescent subgroups. It was concluded that we need to understand stressful events as a function of the context in which lives are situated in order to develop intervention programs designed to teach stress management and strategies for coping with relevant real-life problems.This research was supported in part by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Grant No. HD23097.Received Ed.D. from Columbia University. Current interests include social competence and family relations of culturally diverse learning handicapped populations.     

Identity development and perceived parental behavior as sources of adolescent egocentrism

Adolescent egocentrism involves heightened self-consciousness and feelings of uniqueness (O. Elkind [1967], Egocentrism in Adolescence, Child Development, Vol. 38, pp. 1025–1034). Some studies have found that adolescent egocentrism is associated with identity development, and other studies have found that egocentrism is associated with perceptions of parental behavior. The purposes of this investigation were to simultaneously examine the associations between these variables (1) to determine whether identity development and perceived parental behavior display separate or overlapping associations with adolescent egocentrism, and (2) to clarify the directions of the relationships between these variables. Four hundred eighteen subjects from 12 to 21 years of age completed established measures of identity development, perceived parental behavior, and egocentrism. Identity development was more strongly and consistently related to egocentrism (egocentric adolescents tended to be identity achieved or to be experiencing an identity crisis), whereas perceived parental behavior accounted for little additional variance. The results also clarify differences between the two primary measures of adolescent egocentrism (the Adolescent Egocentrism Scale and Imaginary Audience Scale).Received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Victoria. His main interests are in personality, and social and developmental psychology.