title: The Role of Implicit Measurement in the Assessment of Risky Behavior: A Pilot Study with African American Girls.
abstract: With the aim of developing a novel strategy for identifying vulnerability for early sexual activity and adjustment problems, African American girls (n= 39) completed partially structured scenarios in which female characters of similar age faced circumstances characterized by varying levels of risk. Most girls indicated that they believed the characters would have sex, regardless of their own sexual history or the level of risk in the scenario. However, thecombinationof girls' sexual historyandgirls' predictions of characters' behavior in the scenario provided more information regarding the girls at greatest risk for adjustment problems. Implicit techniques offer an additional strategy for identifying girls most vulnerable to adjustment difficulties in the context of early sexual activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Carlye Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kincaid
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: B Keith
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Devellis
keywords: Adolescent; Early sexual behavior; Implicit measurement; Partially structured scenarios; Pilot