Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2008. / Vita. Appendix: leaves 60-213. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 214-216). Also available on microfilm.

Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-64).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1993. / Title from title page screen, viewed February 16, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Lanny E. Morreau (chair), Jeffrey Hecht, Paula Smith, Miryam Assaf-Keller. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-123) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 1997. / In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Department of Elementary Education. Also available online.

Pregnant and parenting adolescents participated in a study examining their levels of anxiety, depression, self-esteem, self-worth, social support, and acculturation, as well as parenting stress and ratings of their children (for parenting adolescents). A total of 166 females (74 pregnant adolescents and 92 parenting adolescents) ranging in age from 13- to 19-years participated in this study. Results indicated that pregnant and parenting adolescent females reported nonclinical levels of emotional and behavioral functioning on average and did not differ in their ratings, except that parenting adolescents reported greater levels of anxiety than pregnant adolescents. In addition, parenting adolescents reported nonclinical levels of parenting stress but reported at-risk clinical functioning of their children in most age groups. Findings also indicated that social support correlated significantly and negatively with internalizing behavioral problems and externalizing behavioral problems for pregnant adolescents, whereas social support was not related to parenting distress, dysfunctional parent-child interaction, or difficult child temperament for parenting adolescents. These results suggested that interventions for parenting adolescents and their children may be helpful for improving their functioning.

Ethnographic interviews with female adolescents were used to develop summated-rating scales to measure cigarette smoking and weight-reducing behaviors. The Cigarette Smoking Scale is based on the frequency that one smokes cigarettes rather than the number of cigarettes smoked, and includes items related to the subjective and addictive effects of nicotine, social cues for cigarette smoking, and situational opportunities to smoke. The Dieting Patterns Scales measure the frequency of employing three different types of weight-reducing strategies; exercise and a "healthy" diet, skipping meals and fasting, and the use of diet pills and diet drinks. The scales were found to be: (a) sensitive to group differences, indicating construct validity, (b) stable, and (c) internally consistent. The Cigarette Smoking Scale and Dieting Patterns Scales were used to examine the relationships among cigarette smoking, weight-reducing behaviors, dietary intake, maturation, and body composition of 129 eighth-, tenth-, and twelfth-grade girls. Two-thirds of girls included in this study reported dieting to lose weight within the past year. This behavior was associated with a lower energy intake, a higher body mass index, and lower socio-economic status. Both dieting and frequency of employing different types of weight-reducing strategies were consistent across school grades. The importance of measuring both the frequency and type of weight-reducing strategy was indicated by the distinct relationships noted among the Dieting Patterns Scales, dietary intake, and body mass index. The use of diet pills and diet drinks was associated with significantly lower energy, macronutrient, calcium, iron and riboflavin intake. Skipping meals and fasting was unrelated to energy intake but positively related to vitamin C and folacin intake. Lastly, exercise and "healthy" diet behaviors were related to a higher intake of dietary fat. Cigarette smoking was unrelated to weight-reducing behaviors and dieters were not more likely to smoke than non-dieters. However, smokers were thinner. Teens' knowledge and/or beliefs regarding the effects of smoking on body weight may help define the relationship between smoking and dieting.

M.A. / The aim of this study was to form an understanding of the adolescent within the context of family rituals. When the development of the adolescent is being studied, greater emphasis is placed on the significant role of the family in the development of the adolescent. When experiencing problems such as functioning in and adjusting to this phase, adolescents’ problems can be placed parallel to the problems experienced within the family system to fulfill the unmet needs of the adolescent. The purpose of the comparative study was to compare the perceptions of adolescent boys from two church groups regarding family rituals. The perceptions of the adolescent boys regarding family rituals were compared over three areas; denomination, language and age groups. For the purposes of the study an adolescent boy is seen as someone within the age group of 13 -18 years. Two groups of adolescent boys from two different church groups, a Dutch Reformed church group and a Methodist church group, were approached for the study. Out of a 100 experimental subjects the information of 72 adolescent boys was used for the purposes of the study of which 51 were Dutch Reformed adolescent boys and 21 were Methodist adolescent boys. A total of 53 participants were Afrikaans and 19 were English. Most of the adolescent boys were between the ages of 13 – 15 years. By means of a biographical questionnaire, the experimental subjects were divided according to their parent’s marital status. Participants were asked to complete the Family Ritual Questionnaire (FRQ). This FRQ assesses family rituals across several settings ranging from dinnertime to religious celebrations and across various dimensions ranging from roles to symbolic significance. Adequate internal consistency and construct validity was established for the FRQ. The results were statistically evaluated and interpreted. General findings revealed that the two groups differed in their perceptions of family rituals across denominations, language and age groups. Discussions focus on family rituals as a vehicle in the renegotiation of family relationships during the adolescent developmental phase. Certain recommendations are made to further research and the application of the results in practice.