Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEPs) provide disadvantaged youth jobs and employment experiences. These federally funded programs meet a practical need to help adolescents earn money and have positive summer activities. In addition, federal administrators have implemented program requirements designed to give youth relevant training for future employment. One federal requirement for SYEPs is that all youth are to be screened to determine their basic reading and math skills. In addition to a job, local programs are to provide remedial instruction to youth who fail to meet minimum standards for reading and math. In 1994, SYEPs were also mandated to provide "educational enrichment" for at least half of all participating youth. This study was an evaluation of a SYEP in a Northwestern State and its implementation of different models of employment, remediation, and educational enrichment. Each model was operated in conjunction with a job. For youth who qualified for academic remediation, the two programs were a remedial class or on-the-job remedial enrichment. For youth who did not require remediation, the two models were a job alone or a job with educational enrichment. Outcomes evaluated included self-esteem using the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), self-mastery with the Mastery Scale (Pearlin & Schooler, 1978), and intellectual responsibility using the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale (Crandall & Crandall, 1965). Job-related reading and math skills were screened at program intake with the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) (1988) and as a post-test for youth receiving remediation. For remedial youth, all significant findings favored youth in enrichment projects rather than in remedial classes. For non-remedial youth, those in a job alone, rather than in a job with enrichment, had the most positive outcomes. The study suggests research to change the motivational patterns of adolescents in local programs is needed before additional program interventions are mandated. Missing data and non-random assignment of youth and staff to program groups were problematic. / Graduation date: 1995

While taking a personological approach to decision making theory, this thesis addresses the issue of how adolescents make occupational decisions. Implicit in this thesis is the idea that a personological approach to decision making has theoretical and practical significance when it is conducted through a personality orientation. The personality orientation used to examine adolescent decision making is the social cognitive theory of Berzonsky's identity-processing styles. Based on Berzonsky's identity-processing styles, 63 adolescents were classified as Informational, Normative and Diffuse/ avoidant for assessing the extent compensatory (high demand) and non-compensatory (reduced-demand) processing was used in an occupational choice situation that varied in cognitive complexity. Additional interest was also directed at determining whether the identity-processing styles reflected different intrinsic or extrinsic value preferences in their final choices. All processing data was derived through a computerizedinformation acquisition system called MOUSELAB. As hypothesized, the three identity-processing styles differed significantly in cognitive strategy usage and search behavior. Informational adolescents were seen to use a compensatory additive linear procedure; that is, they searched a large amount of information, in a constant fashion, for an extended period of time. Normative adolescents were seen to use a non-compensatory conjunctive procedure; that is, they searched a smaller amount of information, in a selective fashion, fora shorter period of time. Diffuse/avoidant adolescents were seen to use a non-compensatory elimination-by-aspect procedure; where the amount, selectivity and time of search was similar to the Normative adolescents. In regards to search direction, Informationals and Normatives were seen to assess occupational choices through an alternative-based search pattern whereas; Diffuse/avoidants were seen to lean towards an attribute-based search pattern. These processing results were true only for the high information load condition. Finally, as expected theoretically, value preferences were seen to vary according to an adolescent's identity-processing style. When making an occupational selection, Informational adolescents placed more emphases on intrinsic values (Feeling of Self-fulfilment, Intellectual Stimulation, Autonomy ect) whereas Normative adolescents placed more emphases on extrinsic values (Authority, Prestige, Wage etc). Diffuse/avoidant adolescents oscillated between the two value systems. Implications for decision making theory, applied suggestions for professionals counselling job-seeking adolescents and limitations of the study are discussed.

While taking a personological approach to decision making theory, this thesis addresses the issue of how adolescents make occupational decisions. Implicit in this thesis is the idea that a personological approach to decision making has theoretical and practical significance when it is conducted through a personality orientation. The personality orientation used to examine adolescent decision making is the social cognitive theory of Berzonsky's identity-processing styles. Based on Berzonsky's identity-processing styles, 63 adolescents were classified as Informational, Normative and Diffuse/ avoidant for assessing the extent compensatory (high demand) and non-compensatory (reduced-demand) processing was used in an occupational choice situation that varied in cognitive complexity. Additional interest was also directed at determining whether the identity-processing styles reflected different intrinsic or extrinsic value preferences in their final choices. All processing data was derived through a computerizedinformation acquisition system called MOUSELAB. As hypothesized, the three identity-processing styles differed significantly in cognitive strategy usage and search behavior. Informational adolescents were seen to use a compensatory additive linear procedure; that is, they searched a large amount of information, in a constant fashion, for an extended period of time. Normative adolescents were seen to use a non-compensatory conjunctive procedure; that is, they searched a smaller amount of information, in a selective fashion, fora shorter period of time. Diffuse/avoidant adolescents were seen to use a non-compensatory elimination-by-aspect procedure; where the amount, selectivity and time of search was similar to the Normative adolescents. In regards to search direction, Informationals and Normatives were seen to assess occupational choices through an alternative-based search pattern whereas; Diffuse/avoidants were seen to lean towards an attribute-based search pattern. These processing results were true only for the high information load condition. Finally, as expected theoretically, value preferences were seen to vary according to an adolescent's identity-processing style. When making an occupational selection, Informational adolescents placed more emphases on intrinsic values (Feeling of Self-fulfilment, Intellectual Stimulation, Autonomy ect) whereas Normative adolescents placed more emphases on extrinsic values (Authority, Prestige, Wage etc). Diffuse/avoidant adolescents oscillated between the two value systems. Implications for decision making theory, applied suggestions for professionals counselling job-seeking adolescents and limitations of the study are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate