title: An analysis of the interpersonal perceptions of adolescents.
abstract: The main purpose of this study is to investigate the concerns, needs, and other characteristics of interpersonal relationships of adolescents as reflected in the stories they write in response to a stimulus provided in the instrument developed by the author. The second objective is to investigate the main sources of influence on the interpersonal perceptions of adolescents. The subjects are 655 adolescents in Virginia; 43% are public high school students attending grades 9 through 12; and 57% are residents of reformatory facilities, ages 15-18. A comparison of these two groups regarding the types and frequency of themes elicited is made. The themes also are analyzed by sex and race. Content analysis indicates that the predominant themes are affiliation (family and friendship), aggression, achievement (sports), and drugs. As to the sources of influence, "personal experience" ranked highest, followed by "from my mind and my imagination," while "TV" and "books" ranked third and fourth with similar percentages.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013803:Thematic Apperception Test