ADOLESCENT RISK-TAKING IN FEMALE-HEADED, SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES (SINGLE MOTHERS).
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 218
Subjects: Psychology, Behavioral.; Psychology, Developmental.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Youths make critical choices in the area of drug use, sexual activity, alcohol use, nutrition, exercise, and smoking, that will affect their health and general welfare. Very little is known about the influence the parent has on the risk-taking behavior of adolescents. The central aim of this research is to clarify the role the single-mother plays in limiting her son's risk taking behavior. It also obtains data from the adolescent son on their actual risk-taking habits and perceptions on risk-taking in general. The research design of this study contains quantitative and qualitative segments.

The study was divided into three phases. The first two phases focused on instrument development while the third phase was aimed at testing study hypotheses. Phase I included the interview of 12 single-mothers using the critical incident technique to obtain information on their perceptions of adolescent risk-taking. The information from these informants was utilized to develop two instruments to measure maternal strategies: The If Scale and The No Risk Scale. In Phase II these two newly developed instruments were pilot tested and refined.

Finally in Phase III these new tools were used as part of a research packet administered to a sample of eighty single-mothers and their adolescents sons. In Phase III a questionnaire assesses risk-taking perceptions, family dynamics, strategies for managing risk-taking, and demographics. Regress analysis found maternal strategies were predicted by two variables Maternal Openness in Communication and Maternal Perceptions of the Consequences of Risk-taking. None of the adolescent variables as stated in the original research model were predictive of maternal strategies. Next it was found that Actual Adolescent Risk-taking was predicted by one variable Adolescence Openness in Communication. Surprisingly, none of the maternal variables were predictive of Actual Adolescent Risk-taking.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-10, Section: B, page: 5756.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1995.

School code: 0227.