Date of Award

1998

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Psychology, Developmental.

Supervisor

Lafreniere, Kathryn,

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of a local intervention at modifying attitudes toward teen pregnancy, teen parenting, contraception, and abstinence from premarital sex. As in the study by Saltz, Perry, and Cabral (1994), the premise behind the current study was that teens engage in early and unprotected sex because they believe the "personal fable" concerning pregnancy: "It can't happen to me." As a form of role-play, it was expected that participation in the Baby Think It Over(TM) program would encourage teens to acknowledge their own personal vulnerability to an unplanned pregnancy, as well as providing them with some insight into the experience of adolescent parenting. One hundred and fourteen adolescents (24 males, 90 females) enrolled in the eleventh grade participated in the study. After 2 to 3 days experience with Baby Think It Over(TM), adolescents in the intervention group were more likely to accurately assess their personal risk for an unplanned pregnancy than teens in the comparison group. No significant differences were observed between the groups on a measure assessing attitudes concerning abstinence from premarital sex and attitudes toward the use of contraception. Qualitative analyses revealed that teens in the intervention group were significantly more likely to produce concrete examples of activities and consequences related to child-rearing than teens in the comparison group. Findings of this study are related to the Health Belief Model and further suggestions for research with Baby Think It Over(TM) are discussed. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 39-02, page: 0601. Adviser: Kathryn Lafreniere. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1998.

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