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Person-Environment Interaction, Psychological Strain and Delinquency: A Longitudinal Test of the Theory

Utilizing longitudinal panel data from Youth In Transition Project, the Person-Environment fit (P-E Fit) theory and its specific application to the area of delinquency and aggression was investigated longitudinally. Analysis of Covariance Structure Technique (LISREL) was used to address the issues of multi-dimensionality, stability, measurement of total P-E fit and to test the proposed delinquency model. The relationships between P-E fit, psychological strain, and delinquency were tested both cross-sectionally and longitudinally . The student sub-group (those respondents who stayed in school after high school) and the working sub-group (those who went to work after high school) were tested separately. P-E fit had significant negative effect on both psychological strain and delinquency in most of the cross-sectional models. Similar results were obtained in three of the longitudinal models also . The evidence from longitudinal models tended to support the idea that the causal flow of the relationship between P-E fit, psychological strain and delinquency to be from P-E fit to both psychological strain and delinquency. The longitudinal and cross sectional relationship between P-E fit, psychological strain, and delinquency were more pronounced among the working sub-group than the student sub-group of the sample population. P-E fit tended to be quite stable during the high school years and subject to noticeable change when the transition was made to work or college environments.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UTAHS/oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-4770
Date01 May 1986
CreatorsGazi-Tabatabaie, Mahmood
PublisherDigitalCommons@USU
Source SetsUtah State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceAll Graduate Theses and Dissertations
RightsCopyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact Andrew Wesolek (andrew.wesolek@usu.edu).

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