Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Masculinity, Affirmations, Belongingness, And Resiliency In Male Adolescents: Effects On School Engagement, Kelsey Burt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused on male adolescent students within 7^th and 8^th grade and how endorsement of masculine stereotypes impacts their school engagement and feelings of belonging. The study also examines how peers maintain masculine conformity and how individual resiliency change outcomes. This research is based on two main theories, inclusive masculinity and social learning theory. These theories describe how behaviors are largely learned from the social environment and maintained due to reinforcement or punishment. There were 127 adolescent males who participated in this study and were recruited through an online survey system. Results of the study show that …

Minority Stress: A Model For Understanding Sexual Minority Adolescents’ Mental Health, Sean N. Weeks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Taken together, the three papers included in this dissertation offer an investigation of sexual minority adolescents’ stress as a predictor of adverse mental health outcomes (Paper 1), as being influenced by school and home climates (Paper 2), and as a measurable model for stress across levels (Paper 3). Results from this series of studies generally support theory and findings from other studies in that minority stress was found to be a meaningful predictor of mental health in sexual minority youth and that school and home climates were found to be important for understanding sexual minority youth wellbeing. However, the current …

The Relationship Of Adaptive Clothing On The Social Participation And Self-Esteem Of Adolescents With Disabilities, Emalee Brown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adaptive clothing allows people with disabilities to dress in current fashion trends that accommodate their physical disabilities or impairments. Current research shows an increase in the production and availability of adaptive clothing. Additionally, the research on the consumers of adatpive clothing focuses on adults and their relationship with the clothing. More research was needed to understand the relationship that adolescents with disabilities had with clothing, and more specifically, adaptive clothing.

The researcher developed a survey using two previous studies to identify awareness and use of adaptive clothing by adolescents with disabilities. The study also evaluated the relationship between clothing and …

An Evidence Based Practice Guide For Parents And Schools: Supporting Kids And Adolescents' Mental Health During And After Covid-19 Pandemic, Ivanna M. Fuentes Javier

Evidence-Based Social Work Practice Guide Series

Adolescent mental health is important to consider by parents and schools. Parents need to build a strengthened mentality in their children and with the school support, the results would be greater. The active participation of schools is needed in order to support kids' and adolescents' mental health and create parent awareness about mental health. Also, when parents are able to identify early signs of mental health problems, they can prevent it from becoming greater and the school can help parents learn about these early signs. In addition, parents play a fundamental role in identifying symptoms of mental health problems in …

Adolescent Relationship Concerns And Perceived Gains From A Relationship Education Course, Jenny Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted with survey data drawn from a relationship education initiative in the state of Utah. Teenagers participated in the Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge (PICK) program (also known as How to Avoid Falling for a Jerk or Jerk-ette), a program designed for single individuals. They answered questions before and after the course, and I used their responses to answer two questions: (1) What concerns do middle-adolescents (ages 15-17) have about romantic relationships? (2) What do middle-adolescents gain from participation in PICK?

Data from 605 participants were combined and analyzed for themes. Teenage participants expressed concerns about …

The Intersection Of School Ethnic Composition And Structure: Predicting Social And Academic Outcomes Among Latino Students, Benjamin Pierce

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There is a persistent gap between the outcomes of Latino students and those of students from other ethnic groups in American schools. In part, this may be due to schooling practices in the American education system that have traditionally failed to cultivate positive contexts for ethnic diversity. Research studies involving focus groups, one-on-on interviews, and small samples of participants have suggested that sentiments of being unfairly treated by teachers and peers, of being stigmatized as low-achievers, and of cultural “incongruence” in schools are common among Latino students. However, quantitative studies involving large samples and sophisticated statistical techniques have produced few …

Adolescent Self-Described Volume Of Texting: Discovering Relationships With Psychosocial Development And Interpersonal Relationships, Tessa Cutler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers explored the relationship among adolescent self-reported amounts of texting and self-esteem, self-construal, autonomy, and attachment. Data were collected from a high school in an urban area in the Mountain West. Participants included 180 students (53% female). Participants were asked to self-describe their volume of texting as high, medium, or low. Participants were also asked to complete the following scales: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Self-Construal Scale, the Case Inventory, The Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire, and The Modified Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.

It is suggested that text messaging is more strongly related to self-esteem when texting is placed as the …

Late Adolescents’ Perceptions Of A Digital Generation Gap And Perceived Parent-Child Relations, J. Mitch Vaterlaus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this study was to determine if late adolescents (18-25 year olds) perceived differences between their own knowledge about interactive technology and what they thought their parents knew about the same technology. Secondly, the study sought to understand how differences in these perceived technology were related to adolescent perceptions about their interactions with their parents. The parent-child relationship characteristics of interest in this study were parent-child quality time, parent-child conflict, and parents’ knowledge of their childrens’ behaviors.

Late adolescents did perceive generational differences in technology knowledge in the areas of video chat, cell phones, general social networking, …

Latent Classes Of Self-Reported Adolescent Depression In A Clinical In-Patient Population, Jonathan F. Doti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The depressive disorders are among the most common mental health problems with substantial financial and quality-of-life costs. Depression has generated considerable debate as to the underlying structure/taxonomy and continues to be frequently debated. Adolescents who meet diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder often experience anxiety (and vice versa). Therefore, understanding the underlying structure of depression as well as the co-occurrence of anxiety in a population of adolescents adds to our conceptual understanding of these disorders and facilitates treatment clarity.

This investigation sought to investigate the following research questions for adolescents’ self-reported symptoms of depression, and self-reported symptoms of depression and …

Social Implications Of Adolescent Text Messaging, Sarah S. Tulane

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the social impacts of adolescent text messaging. A sample of high school students was used to examine texting behaviors and practices, face-to-face communication preferences, and adolescent opinions about the use of text messaging in common social situations.

Perceptions of texting in social situations and actual texting behaviors were positively related. Teens indicated they pretend to text in social situations for various reasons. For some adolescents, texting was a way to avoid different people and situations, for others pretending to text gave them a favorable appearance, and others felt safe …

Upper-Class Adolescent Delinquency: Theory And Observation, Nick Marsing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Delinquency in adolescence has captured the imagination of thinkers and researchers for generations. In this thesis, a unique segment of adolescent delinquency is examined: delinquency in upper-class adolescents. My experience working in residential treatment centers was a catalyst for this research and inspired the primary question which guides the work: "Why would upper-class adolescents commit delinquent acts?" In an attempt to answer this question, the "Big Three" (strain, control, and social learning) sociological theories of crime and delinquency are used to explore upper-class or "elite" delinquency. After examining each theory I demonstrate how none of them, individually, can adequately explain …

Factors Associated With Physical Activity Behaviors Among Rural Adolescents, Kenli A. Urruty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The "obesity epidemic" in the United States is a current health concern that has sparked research interest in physical activity as a means of weight management. However, little research has examined the physical activity behaviors of rural adolescents. The goal of the current study was to use a biopsychosocial framework to examine the physical activity behaviors of a sample of rural adolescents, and explore factors associated with physical activity participation.

A sample of 162 ninth- and tenth-grade students in a rural, western community were recruited for this study. Generally, the sample reported levels of physical activity for both genders that …

Making Healthy Choices: Adolescent Preference Ratings Of School-Based Health Interventions, Nicholas Glover Baird

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effect of a Making Healthy Choices lesson on junior high school students' preference rankings of items used to motivate students to increase academic performance. Results indicated that the lesson resulted in increased ranking scores on healthy items. This study used an assessment procedure that may be used to identify healthy rewards that may motivate students to increase academic performance as well as practice healthy decision making to prevent obesity.

Associations Between Parent-Daughter Relationships, Individual Adolescent Psychological Functioning, And Female Adolescent Self-Defeating Behaviors, Sara M. Hunt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study tested a mediation model by which daughters ' perceptions of poorer parent-adolescent relationship quality were expected to be directly associated with the individual psychological characteristics of low self-esteem and internalizing symptoms. In turn, individual psychological characteristics were hypothesized to predict self-defeating behavior, defined as deliberate self-harm and suicidal gestures, multiple sexual partners, and substance use. Additionally, the association between parent-adolescent relationship variables and self-defeating behaviors was posited to be largely indirect and mediated by symptoms of psychological distress. As predicted, perceived alienation from parents was directly associated with poor adolescent psychological functioning. Furthermore, individual psychological variables were found …

Adolescent Peer Perceptions Reflected In The Yearbooks Of Mormon Homosexual And Heterosexual Men, David C. Pruden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the peer perceptions of adolescent heterosexual males and their homosexual counterparts who had not disclosed their feelings of erotic same-sex attraction to their classmates. The study focused on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a conservative Christian denomination with clear doctrinal prohibitions against homosexual behavior. The handwritten messages from peers found in the senior high school yearbooks of 30 heterosexual and 30 same-sex attracted adolescent men were content analyzed to examine similarities and differences in the themes that emerged from the data.

The results indicated that there is a difference in the kind …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Adolescent Deviant Behavior, Jennifer R. Lance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis summarizes a study conducted to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and adolescent deviancy. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relation between 1) overall emotional intelligence plus its subscales and overall normative deviant behavior, and 2) emotional intelligence subscales and subscales of a deviancy measure. Tapia's Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EII) and Vazsonyi's Normative Deviancy Scale (NDS) were used to measure the two variables of this study. Subjects included 152 high school students, aged 14-18, from a small city in Northern Utah. One hundred seventeen students came from a local high school comprising grades 10-12 …

Adopted Adolescents' Heterosexual Relationship Formation And Sexual Behaviors, Mathew Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescents' perceptions and behaviors about romantic heterosexual relationships and sexual intercourse were compared among adolescents living with adoptive, biological, and stepparents. Data come from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). In 1995, over 20,000 adolescents living throughout the United States completed a 90-minute in-home interview that asked numerous questions about romantic relationships and sexual behaviors. Add Health used a multi-stage cluster design to collect a random sample representative of adolescents attending U.S. schools.

Results showed that several demographic characteristics (gender, age, race/ethnicity, parent's education, and number of parents in the household) were associated with adolescents' perceptions and …

Peer Groups And Adolescent Development In Traditional And Alternative High Schools, Diana D. Coyl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the influence of peer relationships on students who have a history of school difficulties. Peer Relationship Surveys I and II assessed school-based peer group status, relationship qualities, school-related behaviors, attitudes, and intentions (BAIs); substance (i.e., alcohol and tobacco) use; and identity development in relation to experiences at traditional (survey I, retrospective accounts) and alternative high schools (survey II). Both surveys were administered in five classrooms to students at an alternative high school (i.e. Cache High) during the first academic term (August 1999) and in January 2000. Eighty-five and 83 predominantly Caucasian adolescents between the ages of 15 …

Demographic Influences On Attitudes Toward Adolescent Sexuality In A Rural Wyoming County, Michael J. Dalton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A countywide survey in Uinta County, Wyoming, was conducted from December 1992 through March 1993. A stratified random sampling method was used in which 647 surveys were distributed with an overall response rate of 59.5%. This study employed analysis of variance (ANOVA) to address four research questions contending that the independent variables o f education, socioeconomic status, employment, and family stat us would differentially account for variation in the dependent variables, which were responses to survey items indicating the "appropriate age" to teach children about human reproduction, consequences of sexual activity, birth control methods, HIV/AIDS prevention, and sexually transmitted diseases. …

The Relationship Between Perceived Parenting Styles And Adolescent Locus Of Control And Self-Concept, Lisa Ann Mcclun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Relationships between adolescents' perceptions of their parents' responsiveness and demandingness, adolescents' locus of control orientation, and adolescents' self-concept ratings were investigated. Subjects included 198 students from a middle school in northern Utah. Subjects were given the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale for Children, the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, and the Perceived Parenting Style Survey.

Results indicated that subjects who perceived their parents as being authoritative had significantly (p < .001) more internal locus of control scores than subjects who reported either the permissive or authoritarian styles. Also, self-concept scores were significantly higher (p < .001) for the authoritative group than the authoritarian group on the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents subscales of Scholastic Competence, Social Acceptance, Physical Appearance, Behavioral Conduct, Close Friendship, and Global Self Worth. The permissive group reported significantly lower scores (p < .05) on the subscales of Scholastic Competence and Behavioral Conduct. There was also a significant negative correlation (p < .001) between locus of control scores and the subscale scores on the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents.

Although there were some limitations in the study methodology, the significant differences found between the groups indicated that the authoritative parenting style positively correlates with higher self-concept and …

Adolescents' Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Their Grandparents, Dennis P. Barrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of youth toward each of their individual grandparents. The subjects were students ranging in age from 12-19 years with the majority being between 14-17 years of age. These students were enrolled in a release time religious class that allowed them one hour a day off campus to take a seminary course.

The sample of data consisted of 148 girls and 108 boys, which was approximately 25% of the high school population. The youth were from a small northern Utah community. The average age of the youth respondents was 16.2 years. …

Pubertal Development, Parent-Teen Communication, And Sexual Values As Predictors Of Adolescent Sexual Intentions And Sexually Related Behaviors, Cynthia R. Christopherson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescent sexual intercourse can be viewed as a normal developmental experience, but intercourse also is linked to unplanned pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Consequently, there continues to be a high level of scientific interest in understanding antecedents of adolescent sexual behavior, especially early and more risky sexual intercourse. This study examined several key antecedents of adolescent sexual intentions and behavior, including pubertal development (pubertal status, change over time, and pubertal timing), parent/teen communication, and teen sexual values. Analyses were based on longitudinal data collected in 1991, 1992, and 1993 from parents and teens during …

The Impact Of Adolescent Pregnancy And Childbearing Experiences On Adolescent Psychosocial Development, Kwisun Huh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the number of teen pregnancy studies in the past, there is a dearth of empirical data relevant to the issue of psychosocial and/or developmental changes in adolescent mothers. Most previous studies have addressed the negative and devastating impact of teen pregnancy on adolescent development. The premise of these early studies was that adolescents have pathological reasons for becoming pregnant. Contrary to these studies, an underlying assumption of this study was that teen pregnancy as a life crisis could entail the same facilitating and inhibiting factors that emerge with other adolescent life crises. Based on Erikson's theoretical framework, this study …

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Of Adolescent Depression: Effects On Multiple Parameters, Steven E. Curtis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Clinical depression is the most frequently reported mental health problem for adolescents. Previously studied psychological treatment approaches for adolescent depression have recently been combined and packaged into a comprehensive psychoeducational intervention titled the Adolescent Coping With Depression Course (ACWDC). This study investigated whether treatment of clinically depressed adolescents using the ACWDC resulted in significant emotional, behavioral, and/or academic performance changes as reported by the adolescent, and observed by the parents and teachers.

Nineteen clinically depressed adolescents were identified by screening 876 students in a local high school, using a multistage screening procedure. All selected subjects met the DSM III-R criteria …

Parent-Adolescent Communication And Adolescents' Sexual Intentions, Julie A. Bullen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the quality and quantity of sexual communication between teens and parents in relation to the teens' sexual intentions. Perceptions about communication were examined of parents and adolescents of both genders separately. Both same- and cross-gender effects of parental communication on adolescent sexual intent ions were explored. Approximately 290 families (target teen and parent) were measured in pre- and posttests. Parents perceived higher quality communication with teens than teens did, but not necessarily more frequent sexual communication. As teens' perceptions of quality of communication with mother and father went up, teens' sexual intentions went down. The higher sons' …

A Comparison Of Two Self-Conception Disparity Methods As Operationalized Within An Adolescent Population, Diane Marie Stuart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is posited that self-conception disparity is the amount of difference between an individual's ideal self-conception and his or her real self-conception. Such a postulation arises directly from the literature wherein the self-concept is conceptualized as a multitude of self-conceptions an individual has. During the evaluative phase (i.e., the comparison of the ideal self-conception against the real self-conception), an image (self-image) of one's self is evoked. This self-image is associated with an affective response referred to as self-esteem.

Two methods of computing self-conception disparity are compared and contrasted: (a) the often-used Subtraction-Absolute Value Method and (b) a ratio method based …

The Effects Of An Adolescent Social Skills Training Program On Adolescent Sex Offenders, Roger B. Graves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to assess the efficacy of a 9-week social skills training (SST) program for improving the social competence of adolescent sex offenders. The study was conducted at an outpatient treatment center, Intermountain Sexual Abuse Treatment Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah. A pretest-posttest control group design was utilized and comparisons were made on a variety of self- and parent-report measures to examine treatment effects. The results indicate that the experimental group was able to acquire the specific SST behaviors to a far greater degree than expected by chance. However, evidence of increased social competence outside …

Family Relations Factors That Facilitate Or Inhibit Middle Adolescent Identity Development, Patricia Hyjer Dyk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The formation of a sense of personal identity is a major task of adolescence. An adolescent's experimentation with roles is carried out in social interactions, the family being one important context for development. Research evidence suggests that the family's ability to tolerate individuality and maintain connectedness has implications for the process of identity formation.

The purpose of this study was to identify family relations factors that facilitate or inhibit patterns of identity development during middle adolescence (high school years). Self-report and observational data were obtained from 49 families with middle adolescents to tap behaviors conceptualized as enabling or constraining individuality …

Psychosis In A Developmental Psychopathology Context: A Factor Analytic Study Of Schizophrenia In Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients, Paul R. Adams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Demographic, historical, psychometric, and clinical data were obtained from the psychiatric files of all patients manifesting schizophrenic symptomatology who were hospitalized in an adolescent psychiatric facility during a five year period (N= 71). Factor analysis of the usable data resulted in three interpretable factors, which included: (1) aggressive behavior; (2) disturbed family functioning; and, (3) thought disorder. Age of first hospitalization correlated positively with factor three.

The results provide support for concerns expressed by a number of scientists and clinicians that schizophrenia may not be a discrete, unitary disorder; and that uncritical downward extension of adult diagnoses to adolescents and …

Inter-Rater Reliability: A Question Of Measurement In Social Science Research, Lani Kai Eggertsen Goff

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Erik Erikson (1968) set forth the framework for the conceptualization and adolescent identity formation in the late 1960's. The assessment of identity invokes a subjective measurement of a youth's process and current standing regarding sociopsychological development. According to Adams (1987) throughout Erikson's writings a "conscious sense of individual identity," a process of "ego synthesis" and formation of sense of social "ideals and social identity" are central considerations when discussing identity.