title: Adolescent risk behaviors: studying typical and atypical individuals via multidimensional scaling profile analysis.
abstract: Within the framework of problem behavior theory, the purpose of this study was to examine risk behavior profiles of typical and atypical adolescents and the differential outcomes of well-beings for these individuals in the United States. Based on the data from the survey of Health Behavior of School-Aged Children by World Health Organization, multidimensional scaling profile analysis was used to identify prototypical risk behavior profiles and atypical adolescents. Analyses suggested prototypicality of risk behavior patterns rather than a risk behavior syndrome. The regression analysis was then conducted to investigate the effects of atypical individuals vs. prototypical risk groups on well-being outcomes. The results indicated that those adolescents who were identified as more atypical than typical reported less positive psychological outcomes.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Southwest University, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Cody
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011593:Psychology, Social; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014481:United States