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Title: A Developmental Extension of the Propensity-Event Theory to Adolescents' Reckless Behavior
Resulting in 1 citation.
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Finken, Laura Lei |
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A Developmental Extension of the Propensity-Event Theory to Adolescents' Reckless Behavior Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 1996 Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79 Publisher: UMI - University Microfilms, Bell and Howell Information and Learning Keyword(s): Adolescent Behavior; Alcohol Use; Delinquency/Gang Activity; Deviance; Modeling; Parenthood; Time Use; Work Hours/Schedule The present study explored the relationship among adolescents' reckless behaviors (i.e., alcohol use and non-normative behaviors), parenting practices, adolescents' employment, and adolescents' opportunities for risk-taking (i.e., time-use and money). The study was designed to provide empirical evidence of the propensity-event theory. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the opportunity variables would mediate the effects of the other explanatory variables on adolescents' participation in the reckless behaviors. The data from the children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) respondents were utilized for this project. For the cross-sectional analyses, a series of path analytic models tested the relationships among the variables for each wave of data. As predicted by the propensity-event theory, the between-individual analyses revealed the existence of an indirect effect of age on adolescents' alcohol use through work and money. Specifically, older ado lescents reported working more hours per week than did younger adolescents. The adolescents who worked more reported having more money that, in turn, was associated with higher levels of alcohol use. The longitudinal analyses used pooled time-series methods to measure the change in the variables over time. As hypothesized, the within-individual analysis demonstrated an indirect effect of age on the developmental changes in adolescents' drinking behavior over time through work and time-use. Older adolescents reported working more hours per week than did younger adolescents. Changes in adolescents' work hours predicted changes in their time-use. Specifically, as an adolescent's work hours increased over time, she reported spending more time in situations that were favorable to reckless behaviors and this time use was related to increased alcohol use over time. The implications of this study for the propensity-event theory are discussed along with its limitations. Finally, directions for further research in this area are presented. |
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Bibliography Citation
Finken, Laura Lei. A Developmental Extension of the Propensity-Event Theory to Adolescents' Reckless Behavior. Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 1996. |