Social and Behavioral Change Research Papers/Topics

Social support and adolescents’ career development

Abstract/Overview The purpose of this study was to determine influence of social support on adolescents’ career development. The sample consisted of 358 secondary school students from year one to year four. The students were surveyed on measures of career development and perceived social support. The results show that there was a positive relationship between perceived social support and career decision making self-efficacy (r=-.237, p

Examining the internalizing pathway to substance use frequency in 10 cultural groups

Abstract/Overview Use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs (i.e., substance use) is a leading cause of global health burden for 10-to-24-year-olds, according to the World Health Organization’s index of number of years of life lost, leading international health organizations to prioritize the prevention of substance use before it escalates in adolescence. Pathways defined by childhood externalizing symptoms and internalizing symptoms identify precursors to frequent substance use toward which inte...

Attributions and attitudes of mothers and fathers in Kenya

Abstract/Overview The present study examined differences and similarities between Kenyan mothers and fathers in attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes.

Boys’ and girls’ relational and physical aggression in nine countries

Abstract/Overview Distinguishing between relational and physical aggression has become a key feature of many developmental studies in North America and Western Europe, but very little information is available on relational and physical aggression in more diverse cultural contexts. This study examined the factor structure of, associations between, and gender differences in relational and physical aggression in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the U...

Household income predicts trajectories of child internalizing and externalizing behavior in high-, middle-, and low-income countries

Abstract/Overview This study examined longitudinal links between household income and parents’ education and children’s trajectories of internalizing and externalizing behaviors from age 8 to 10 reported by mothers, fathers, and children. Longitudinal data from 1,190 families in 11 cultural groups in eight countries (Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and United States) were included. Multigroup structural equation models revealed that household income, but no...

Around the world, adolescence is a time of heightened sensation seeking and immature self‐regulation

Abstract/Overview The dual systems model of adolescent risk-taking portrays the period as one characterized by a combination of heightened sensation seeking and still-maturing self- regulation, but most tests of this model have been conducted in the United States or Western Europe. In the present study, these propositions are tested in an international sample of more than 5000 individuals between ages 10 and 30 years from 11 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, using a multi-m...

Influence of Khat (Miraa) on Primary School Dropout Among Boys in Meru County, Kenya

Abstract Despite introduction of Kenya’s Free Primary Education in2003 to achieve Universal Primary Education (MDG2), primary school boys’ enrolment in Kangetais declining while dropout rates are increasing. This study investigated the influence of Khat (Catha edulis) on the boys’ dropout rates. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 210 randomly selected dropouts and 10 primary school head teachers. Content validity of the teachers’ questionnaire and boys’ intervie...

Influence of Khat (Miraa) on Primary School Dropout Among Boys in Meru County, Kenya

Abstract Despite introduction of Kenya’s Free Primary Education in 2003 to achieve Universal Primary Education (MDG2), primary school boys’ enrolment in Kangeta is declining while dropout rates are increasing. This study investigated the influence of Khat (Catha edulis) on the boys’ dropout rates. A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 210 randomly selected dropouts and 10 primary school head teachers. Content validity of the teachers’ questionnaire and boys’ interv...

Relationship Between Extraversion and Gambling Tendencies Among Students in Nyamira South-Sub County, Kenya

Abstract/Overview The Purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between extraversion and gambling tendencies among secondary school students in Nyamira South Sub County, Kenya. Objective was to determine the association between extraversion and gambling tendencies among students in Nyamira South Sub-County. It was informed by Eysenck’s theory of Personality and a conceptual framework. The study adopted concurrent triangulation research design within the Mixed Method Approach....

Influence of Personality Issues on Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Preventive Measures among Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract This paper analyses the extent of influence of personality issues on the effectiveness of substance abuse preventive measures among secondary students in Kakamega County through cross sectional survey design. The study was guided by social cognitive theory. The target population was 59675 form three students, 1080 class teachers, 530 G/C teachers and 12 sub-county directors of education in the study area. Multi-stage sampling, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were use...