Decision-making orientation and AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Hispanic, African-American, and white adolescents.
How adolescents' personal sense of directedness (i.e., peer, parent, or self-directed orientation) affects the decision-making processes of adolescent students regarding AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and skills (KABBS) is examined. The sample consisted of 10th-grade students in 8 public high schools (N = 2,515) in Dade County (greater Miami), Florida. The findings showed that decision-making orientation and directedness was a significant predictor of AIDS-related KABBS of adolescents. Overall, the level of AIDS-related KABBS that were associated with low risk was found significantly more often among self-directed students and least often among peer-directed students. The findings of this study suggest that future preadult health-risk research should incorporate the concept of differences of information processing across adolescents.
Langer
L M
LM
Department of Sociology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124-2208.
Zimmerman
R S
RS
Warheit
G J
GJ
Duncan
R C
RC
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*