In South Africa statistics of mortality and morbidity, pertaining to the consequences of risk taking behaviour among the country's youth, remain unacceptably high. Many of these behaviours have long as well as short term consequences, thereby, giving rise to many illnesses, lifestyle diseases, and other problems. The risk-taking activities confining this study include those that are known to concur and co-vary namely: unprotected, indiscriminate sex; nicotine use; alcohol and other drug/substance abuse; and unsafe travelling practices. The problem is that it is unknown whether South African adolescents are receiving health education that reduces risk-taking tendencies, and if they are, whether they are benefiting from the exposure. Little is known about the relationship between health-education and health-compromising behaviour in South Africa; nor the influence of other variables on this relationship. The purpose of the study was to describe and explore this relationship, among South African adolescents, attending an institution of tertiary education in the province of KwaZulu Natal. All aspects of the research were underpinned by Rosenstock's Health Belief Model (1974). The research was approached from a quantitative perspective using a descriptive/exploratory design. A sample of 155 students from all the main ethnic groups, of both sexes, aged between 17 and 24 years, who were raised and educated in South Africa, was taken from the Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal. The sampling technique used was non-random quota sampling in order to meet the above mentioned inclusion criteria. The / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu, Natal. 2006.

Adolescence is a stage that brings about multiple developmental changes for an individual. Parents of adolescent children often find these changes challenging. Parenting programmes have been created however, to help alleviate some of these problems. The review of the literature in this article selects and reviews a few parenting programmes that focus on the adolescent population. The current study then focuses specifically on one in particular; Teen Triple P and its use with 4 families. The participants included were a community sample with identifiable, but non-diagnosable, behavioural problems between the ages of 12-13 years old. Using a triangulation method of results; including a multiple-baseline of behaviour monitoring, parental and youth self-reports, and an observational task, the current study evaluates the effectiveness of Teen Triple P. The results indicate that notable changes were observed and reported in young person and parental behaviour for three of the four families. The other family encountered a crisis prior to the measures being completed at post-intervention which may have influenced their findings. Conclusions regarding this study, limitations, and future focuses for research are also discussed.

The purpose of this study was to identify a relationship between sensation seeking and underachievement. Archival data of seventy seven students of the Indiana Academy were collected. It was hypothesized that scores on the Sensation Seeking Scale would negatively correlate with grade point average. It was also hypothesized that Sensation Seeking Scale scores would be associated with incidents of academic probation, behavioral problems, and withdrawal from the Indiana Academy. A weak yet significant negative correlation was found between Total Sensation Seeking scores and grade point average. A slightly stronger negative correlation was found between the Disinhibition subscale of the Sensation Seeking Scale and grade point average. Total Sensation Seeking scores were associated with incidents of behavioral problems, but were not associated with incidents of academic probation or withdrawal from the Indiana Academy. Disinhibition subscale scores were associated with incidents of behavioral problems and withdrawal from the Indiana Academy. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of restrained eating behavior on dietary calcium intake in adolescents. Research shows that female adolescents have lower calcium intake then males. Research also suggests that dieting has a negative impact on the dietary intake of several nutrients, including calcium.A random sample of adolescents from physical education and health classes at Muncie Central High School, a mid-western urban public school, participated in this study. Subjects completed one 24 hour food record, a modified three-factor eating questionnaire to assess dietary restraint, and demographic sheet.Of the 85 subjects (females n=60; males n=25) who participated in the study, 65% (n=56) did not meet the dietary calcium recommendations of 1300 mg/day. Among females, 75% (n=45) did not meet calcium recommendations. For males, 44% (n=11) did not meet the daily calcium recommendations. Mean calcium intake for females and males respectively was 1121 ± 939 mg/day and 1632 ±1242 mg/day.Seventy-five percent of all subjects had low to average dietary restraint. A greater percentage of females (17%, n=10; 15%, n=9) than males (4%, n=1; 4%, n=1) were found to have high and clinical levels of dietary restraint. Interestingly, the mean calcium intake for those males and females having clinical levels of dietary restraint did meet calcium recommendations (1403 mg/day and 1341 ± 829 mg/day). For females, the mean calcium intake for both low to average and high dietary restraint did not meet calcium requirements. For males, mean calcium intake among all levels of restraint met the recommendations. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose of this research study was to identify which dimensions of self-concept were predictive of depression and anxiety in gifted adolescents in a residential academic setting. Additionally, this study compared mean scores of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescents (MMPI-A; Butcher, et, al, 1992) to normative data. A total of 278 high school juniors and seniors from the Indiana Academy completed both the Self Description Questionnaire III (Marsh, 1984) and the MMPI-A. After screening data on the basis of MMPI-A validity scales, the final sample of 222 students consisted of 128 females and 94 males.Simultaneous multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify which dimensions of self-concept were related to depression and anxiety. Frequency data was generated to compare the MMPI-A profiles to normative scores.Three dimensions of self-concept; Same-Sex, Emotional Stability, and General Self-Esteem were found to predict depression. Five dimensions of self-concept; Verbal, Problem-Solving Ability, Same-Sex, Emotional Stability, and General Self-Esteem were found to predict anxiety. Frequency data showed 10% of the sample fell in the clinically elevated range on the MMPI-A Depression scale and only 6% of the sample fell in the clinically elevated range on the MMPI-A Anxiety scale.Future research on protective factors in gifted youth should utilize a more heterogeneous sample. In addition, future research should be longitudinal in order to identify causality in the relationship. Implications for counseling psychologists include providing social skills training to enhance social self-concept. Additional implications include providing programming to increase opportunities to practice social skills. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Adolescents (N=516) in a rural Midwest high school, grades 9-12, indicated the crowds to which they belong from a list of 10 crowds specified by 4 classes in the school (e.g., Jocks, Emo, Farmers, Smart Kids/Nerds), along with the crowd to which they belong "more than any other." Most of the students (76%) claimed to belong to more than one crowd. Two-step cluster analysis was used to identify patterns of crowd membership, resulting in 8 clusters of distinct, heterogeneous composition. Students were compared on S. E. Paulson's (1994) parenting scale and on J. T. Jost and E. P. Thompson's (2000) social dominance orientation scale. SDO differed significantly among the males in the different crowd clusters, but not the females. Male members of clusters with a majority of members belonging in the Smart Kids/Nerd crowd or who considered themselves "Just Normal" had lower SDO scores than members of clusters with few or no members in the Smart Kids/Nerd crowd. Both mother's and father's responsiveness significantly predicted adolescent's SDO scores after controlling for gender, which was higher among males than females in this adolescent sample. In combination, mother's and father's responsiveness and demandingness explained 12% of the variance in SDO scores. Adolescents who perceived their parents as more responsive had lower SDO scores than adolescents with less responsive parents, but parent responsiveness and demandingness were not related to crowd cluster membership. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the first three years of a special ongoing intervention program on the academic performance and attitudes of 8th grade participants. Academic growth and current attitudes of students in the program were compared with academic growth and attitudes of a similar group of eighth-grade students. A third group of students was used for comparison purposes. All students involved in the study were eighth-grade students enrolled in a midwestern school district.Major conclusions derived from the findings included: Grade point averages for participants in a Special Intervention Program were significantly higher than CPA's for similar non-participants. In fact, CPA's for Program participants were not significantly different from CPA's for the completely random sample.California Achievement Test scores for participants in a Special Intervention Program were significantly higher than CAT scores for similar non-participants. In fact, CAT, scores for Program participants were not significantly different from CAT scores for the completely random sample.Participation in a Special Intervention Program did not significantly affect students' school attendance, punctuality, or Behavior Rating Profile Scores inasmuch as there were no significant differences between any of the groups studied for those variables. / Department of Educational Leadership

Alina Kiseliova katalikų tikybos katedros studentė. Magistro darbo tema EUCHARISTIJOS SAMPRATOS PROBLEMATIKA PAAUGLIŲ TIKĖJIMO RAIŠKOJE. Darbo vadovas doc. dr. kun. Mindaugas Ragaišis. Darbo problema - Tikėjimas išpažįstamas ir švenčiamas sakramentais, ypač Eucharistija, o tam svarbų vaidmenį turi sampratos problematika, nes Eucharistijos sampratos nesupratimas įtakoja tikėjimo raišką Eucharistijoje. Paaugliai nesuprasdami Eucharistijos sampratos negali įvardinti kas jiems padeda išreikšti tikėjimą. Darbo objektas - Eucharistijos sampratos problematika paauglių tikėjimo raiškoje. Darbo tikslas - Atskleisti Eucharistijos sampratos problematiką paauglių tikėjimo raiškoje. Darbą sudaro trys dėstomosios dalys. Pirmoji dalis kalbės apie Eucharistijos sampratą. Antroji dalis kalbės apie Eucharistijos vietą tikėjimo raiškoje. Trečia dalis kalbės apie Eucharistijos sampratą paauglių tikėjimo raiškoje. Šioje Dalyje bus atliktas kokybinis tyrimas sudarant anketinę apklausą. / Alina Kiseliova Catholic religion department student. Master’s thesis EUCHARIST THE CONCEPT OF ADOLESCENT PROBLEMS expression of faith. Labor leader Assoc. Dr. Padre Mindaugas Ragaisis. Labor problem - Faith professed and celebrated in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. So problematic of concept plays the major role and misunderstanding of concept of Eucharist affects the expression of faith in the Eucharist. Teen cannot identify what helps them to express their faith without understanding the concept of the Eucharist. The object - the concept of the Eucharist teen faith expression. The goal – to reveal the concept of the Eucharist in teen faith expression. The paper consists of three parts. The first part covers the concept of the Eucharist. The second part talks about the place of the Eucharist faith expression. The third part talks about the concept of the Eucharist teen faith expression. There is qualitative study conducted through a questionnaire survey in this part.

The questions investigated concerned the social problem solving skills of 41 learning disabled (LD) students compared to 41 typical students in grades 10, 11, and 12. Since (a) LD students are generally described as impulsive, lacking in social judgment, and unaware of consequences; since (b) these social problems have been described as some of the most devastating for LD students as they interfere with their everyday adaptation to living; since (c) social decision making has been found to be somewhat correlated with mental and emotional health and the self-concept; since (d) studies have indicated a range of from 26% to 73% of the criminal population have a Learning Disability - indicating a difficulty in adapting to society; it appears very important that we find ways to improve the social adaptation of LD persons. This study was a beginning of research with this goal in mind.The questions investigated were: 1) are LD students as good as Non-LD in social problem solving, as measured by the number of solutions they can spontaneously generate to presented social situations; 2) do LD students tend to select the same categories of response to social conflicts as non-LD students, as measured by their choices from a group of predetermined solutions to the same presented social conflict situations; are LD student's self evaluations of their problem solving ability as accurate as the self evaluations of non-LD student's as measured by their responses on a revised version of the Problem Solving Inventory and their ability to generate solutions to problem situations. First, the social situations, revisions of situations from the MeansEnds Problem Solving test, were read by the tester while the student followed along with a printed copy of the text. The student was informed as to what he preferred to do and what he was expected to do. After hearing the social conflict, he was then instructed, "In one minute, tell me as many ways as you can that you would deal with this this situation." Thus, no inappropriate behaviors were suggested. Second, the student was presented the same social situations in the same manner. He was then presented eight choices. He was told, "From the following choices, circle the letters next to the four choices you would most likely use to deal with this situation". The goal of the experiment was to determine if the LD person would choose the same types of strategies for adapting as the typical student. As there were no pre and post tests, the names of the individuals were not required, only whether or not they were LD and possibly their grade level. This would guarantee confidentiality. Tests were administered individually for generating solutions and in small groups where answers could be written.Next, the experiment attempted to determine if there is a relationship between one's ability to generate solutions and their self-rating as problem solvers. A modified version of Heppner's Problem Solving Inventory was prepared. It was believed that a statistical analysis of the two factors using LD and Non-LD students would give an indication of this relationship.The documents used in the test were: 1. the revision of the Means-Ends Problem Solving Test and 2. the revision of the Problem Solving Inventory. These are attached to this document in the appendices.The results of the study indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between the LD and the Non-LD students ability to generate solutions to the problem solving situations. There was no statistically significant difference in the self-evaluated problem solving ability of the two groups. There was a statistically very significant difference in the type of response category selected by the LD students when compared with non-LD students. / Department of Special Education

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Psychology