title: A study of the cognitive aspects of sexual decision making in adolescent females.
abstract: A comprehensive sexuality questionnaire was administered to 37 females, ages 13 through 16 years, who attended clinics for routine health care. Subjects completed standardized scales of self-concept, locus of control, and future orientation. They also were given a short battery of standardized cognitive tests. Three groups were identified: Group 1 was sexually active and using contraception reliably, Group 2 was not using contraception reliably, and Group 3 had not been sexually active. Group 1 adolescents had higher scores on the vocabulary subtest of the WISC-R (F = 3.4, p less than .05) than did Group 2 adolescents, over and above the effect of socioeconomic status (SES). Group 1 subjects had higher scores on knowledge of sex and contraception than did Group 2 (F = 3.3, p less than .05). Group 1 had more internal locus of control (F = 7.0, p less than .005) than did Group 2 over and above the effect of SES. Mean scores for Group 3 adolescents were intermediate and not significantly different. The findings suggest that cognitive factors may influence contraceptive behavior in adolescent females.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Center for the Study of Development and Learning, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Sandler
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology*; D011340:Problem Solving; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012931:Social Environment