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This research examines the time used by teenagers, aged 16 to 19 years, the types of activities teenagers do, and the impact of internet usage on their non-fixed activities during weekdays. The data employed for this research is the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS 2009). For this study, socio-demographic factors (such as age, gender, race, work status, immigrant status, number of individuals in the household, number of children in the household, number of workers in the household, household income, and others), non-fixed activities (at home, shopping, personal business, physical, recreational and social, meals, religious, and others), time spent on non-fixed activities, and internet use among teenagers were taken into consideration. The methodology in this research uses an ordered response model to analyze internet usage, and a Multiple Discrete Continuous Extreme Value model (MDCEV) to analyze the activity participation. The results show that individual and household demographic characteristics have an impact on internet usage, as well as, internet usage is found to have a significant impact on the activity participation behavior of teenagers. / text

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Adolescents engaging in sexual risk behaviours may experience negative psychological and social outcomes, and there can be consequent interference with the accomplishment of developmental tasks. Identified risk influences for sexual risk behaviour range from intrapersonal factors to social normative behaviours and contextual/environmental issues. This study focuses on two areas of intrapersonal factors namely, self-esteem and selfefficacy in understanding sexual behaviours in a sample of school going adolescents. The sample was made up of learners who were in grades nine, ten and eleven from a school in the Durban Metropolitan area (N=259). The results of the study indicated that adolescents who had never engaged in sexual intercourse (primary abstinence) have higher self-esteem and self-efficacy than those adolescents who had previously engaged in sexual intercourse. Also, the findings indicated that that there is no association between levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy, and sexual risk behaviours in relation to the dimensions of condom use, number of sexual partners and age of sexual debut of those who are sexually active. These findings are essentially supportive of the fact that involvement in the sexual domain is mediated by self-esteem and self-efficacy for adolescents who are not sexually active. Intervention programmes should be aimed at increasing self-esteem and self-efficacy at a primary school level, prior to sexual debut, to delay the age of sexual debut, thereby protecting against sexual risk behaviours. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

Theatre has a special place in religious education for it is an ideal medium to experience transcendent moral truths. Relying on Gabriel Moran's theory of transcendence, as well as Daniel Maguire's understanding of the moral, this thesis will demonstrate that the aesthetic experience of a play is a transcendent experience. Through such an experience, adolescent students may intuit insights about what befits persons as moral persons in all their complexity and wonder. The plays chosen for concentration in this thesis are not to be considered exhaustive but only as sound examples of the treatment of the evolution of transcendent values within the adolescent phenomenon.

This research investigated the effects of mothers' and stepfathers' parental behaviors on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating effects of stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between stepfathers' parental behaviors and late adolescent adjustment. In Study 1 a measure for parental status (PSI: The Parental Status Inventory) was developed. Parental status, as a social cognition, addresses the degree to which the stepparent is perceived as a parent by the stepchild, the stepparent, and/or the residential parent. Findings resulted in a 14-item scale with good reliability (Cronbach's alpha .97). The PSI was moderately associated with attachment and closeness to the stepparent but was not associated with peer attachments. The PSI had a low to moderate association with the age of the respondent at the time the stepfamily originated. In Study 2, the effects of late adolescent perceptions of parental behaviors by mothers and stepfathers on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating effects of stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between his parenting behaviors and late adolescent adjustment were explored. Results of a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses with interaction terms indicated that, of mothers' and stepfathers' parenting behaviors, only mothers' connection explained a significant amount of variance (10%) in female adaptive behaviors. The models explaining problem behavior in late adolescents did not show significant results for either females or males. Additional findings were that parental status did not moderate the effects of stepfathers' connection, regulation or psychological control on late adolescent adaptive or problem behaviors for either females or males. In summary, parental status did not moderate the variables in question. However, the evidence from this research suggests that the construct of parental status is valid and that the PSI is a valid and reliable measure. Together the construct of parental status and the PSI have the potential to contribute to the development of knowledge in stepfamilies in theoretical, research and clinical settings.

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.

Darbo tema „Paauglių naudojimosi kompiuteriu ypatybės“. Literatūros apžvalga įrodė, kad tyrimų, susijusių su kompiuterio bei interneto naudojimo ypatybėmis, nėra daug. Šio tyrimo metu siekiama atskleisti moksleivių požiūrį į kompiuterį bei internetą. Tikslas – nustatyti paauglių naudojimosi kompiuteriu ypatybes. Darbo objektas – paauglių kompiuterio naudojimo ypatybės. Buvo iškelti keli uždaviniai: atskleisti, kompiuterio bei interneto atsiradimo bei naudojimo, teorinius aspektus; ištirti darbo su kompiuteriu poveikį paauglio organizmui; išsiaiškinti kokiems tikslams paaugliai naudoja kompiuterį ir kiek laiko jis užima laisvalaikio metu; išsiaiškinti paauglių nuomonę apie kompiuterio naudojimo naudą mokslams, poveikį sveikatai, bendravimui su draugais. Tyrimo metodai: literatūros analizė; anketinė apklausa; matematinė statistika. Tyrimui atlikti parengta anoniminė anketa, skirta 15 – 19 metų moksleiviams. Anketą sudaro demografinis blokas (skirtas išsiaiškinti tiriamųjų lytį, amžių, klasę, šeimyninę padėtį) ir pagrindinis klausimų blokas. Tyrime dalyvavo Kelmės rajono Tytuvėnų gimnazijos I – IV klasių moksleiviai. Tyrimas atliktas 2011 metų kovo mėnesį. Anketinės apklausos analizei buvo naudojamos 102 respondentų anketos. Apklausa parodė, kad 93,13 proc. respondentų naudojasi kompiuteriu bei internetu kasdien, 7 proc. kartais, o nesinaudojančių tiriamųjų tarpe nepasitaikė. Kompiuterį namuose turi 96 proc., o internetą 87 proc. moksleivių. 45 proc. respondentų yra linkę... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The theme of the work is „Peculiarities of Teenagers’ Computer Use “. Review of the literature showed that there are not many researches related to usage of computer and Internet. This study is aimed to reveal students' attitudes to the computers and Internet. Objective is to determine the characteristics of teenager computer use. Object of the work is the characteristics of using a computer. Several tasks were raised. The first one is to reveal the theoretical aspects of computers and Internet. The second one is to explore the effects to teenagers’ organism. The third one is to determine the position of the computer in teenagers’ leisure time. Research methods: literature review, questionnaire survey, mathematical statistics. Anonymous questionnaire was prepared for 15-19 year students. The questionnaire consists of demographic block (to find out the gender, age, class, marital status) and the main block of questions. IV grade students from Kelme District Tytuvenai Gymnasium participated in the survey. The survey was conducted in March 2011. 102 questionnaires were used for the analysis of the survey. The survey showed that 93.13 percent respondents use a computer and the Internet on a daily basis, 7 percent sometimes. There were no students who do not use a computer at all. 96 percent of the students have a computer at home and 87 percent have Internet at home. 45 percent use a computer on a desktop for computer. 12 percent of the students turn on computer before going to... [to full text]

In this study of 120 early adolescents (59 girls, 61 boys), 81 of whom were identified as gifted, overall psychosocial maturity (or social-perspective coordination) was measured and related to academic ability and adolescents' perceptions of friendship quality and self-concept. Gifted status, sex, and grade significantly* predicted overall psychosocial maturity in multiple regression analyses. Conversely, as a group, overall social-perspective coordination, perceptions of one's ability to make and keep friends (close friendship self-concept), academic ability, sex, and grade level predicted the overall quality of adolescents' friendships. Being a female, seventh grader, or adolescent not identified as gifted, significantly predicted friendship quality. In addition, higher developmental levels of psychosocial maturity and close friendship self-concept predicted higher levels of friendship quality. Finally, when a measure of interpersonal negotiation strategies in hypothetical situations was entered into the prediction model in place of overall psychosocial competence, it appeared to be a better predictor of friendship quality. Specifically, higher levels of psychosocial competence were associated with higher levels of help, closeness, and lower levels of social comparison in friendship experiences. Likewise, the ability to think of higher levels of negotiation strategies was associated with higher levels of closeness and help, and with lower levels of social comparison and conflict in friendship experiences. / *Throughout the text, the term significance refers to statistical significance, rather than a meaning of importance.

Students with learning disabilities (LD) have been found to exhibit social difficulties compared to those without LD (Wong, 2004). Recognition, expression, and understanding of facial expressions of emotions have been shown to be important for social functioning (Custrini & Feldman, 1989; Philippot & Feldman, 1990). LD subtypes have been studied (Rourke, 1999) and children with nonverbal learning disabilities (NVLD) have been observed to be worse at recognizing facial expressions compared to children with verbal learning disabilities (VLD), no learning disability (NLD; Dimitrovsky, Spector, Levy-Shiff, & Vakil, 1998; Dimitrovsky, Spector, & Levy-Shiff, 2000), and those with psychiatric difficulties without LD controls (Petti, Voelker, Shore, & Hyman-Abello, 2003). However, little has been done in this area with adolescents with NVLD. Recognition, expression and understanding facial expressions of emotion, as well as general social functioning have yet to be studied simultaneously among adolescents with NVLD, NLD, and general learning disabilities (GLD). The purpose of this study was to examine abilities of adolescents with NVLD, GLD, and without LD to recognize, express, and understand facial expressions of emotion, in addition to their general social functioning. / Adolescents aged 12 to 15 were screened for LD and NLD using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children---Third Edition (WISC-III; Weschler, 1991) and the Wide Range Achievement Test---Third Edition (WRAT3; Wilkinson, 1993) and subtyped into NVLD and GLD groups based on the WRAT3. The NVLD ( n = 23), matched NLD (n = 23), and a comparable GLD (n = 23) group completed attention, mood, and neuropsychological measures. The adolescent's ability to recognize (Pictures of Facial Affect; Ekman & Friesen, 1976), express, and understand facial expressions of emotion, and their general social functioning was assessed. Results indicated that the GLD group was significantly less accurate at recognizing and understanding facial expressions of emotion compared to the NVLD and NLD groups, who did not differ from each other. No differences emerged between the NVLD, NLD, and GLD groups on the expression or social functioning tasks. The neuropsychological measures did not account for a significant portion of the variance on the emotion tasks. Implications regarding severity of LD are discussed.