Teens Choice to Drink :: essays research papers

Article SummeryBeyond Invulnerability The magnificence of Benefits in Adolescents Decision to Drink AlcoholIntroduction Many things affect the choice of an young to drink alcohol. It is thought that this particular age mathematical group thinks that they are not vulnerable to the chances involved with alcoholism alcohol. Studies in this heavens have publicationed in mixed conclusions some support the idea of adolescent invulnerability others do not. Intervention programs seem to work better if they are aimed at reducing risk pickings behaviours than helping an adolescent arrive at their true invulnerability (in fact vulnerability). Older adolescents seem to be more than likely to participate in risky behavior because of positive outcomes of precedent risky behavior. This essay is to find out how adolescents perceive the values of risky behavior and how the perceived benefits motivate risky behavior. Five main questions will be discussed1. How do individuals perceive b oth the benefits and risks of drinking alcohol?2. How do risk and benefit perceptions differ across age group?3. Experience differs with age, so how do risk and benefit perceptions differ by experience?4. Do risk and benefit perceptions predict drinking and smoking 6 months posterior?5. What is the relative contribution of perceived benefits (or perceived risks) in predicting risk taking behavior? This article is about a longitudinal study, but only if focuses on the last two (of three) experiments which were spaced 6 months apart. Methods The sample for this experiment is taken from fifth, seventh and ninth graders in Northern California. The participants were chosen by one of two methods mail based or classroom based. The mail method (letters were sent to the home) recruited 89 fifth graders, 130 seventh graders and 58 ninth graders. The classroom method (information was given to students at school) resulted in 36 fifth graders, 18 seventh graders and 102 ninth graders. Partici pants were given surveys to complete (and posterior compensated with $$). The firmness of purposes on the surveys were thrifty in a few diametric ways. An individuals benefit versus risk perception was measured by having the participants fill in a certain probability (percent) that a benefit or risk will happen as a result of a risky behavior. To measure a participants previous experience with benefits or risk they were asked yes or no questions, for example, have you ever liked the hum you got from drinking alcohol? Or have you ever gotten sick from drinking alcohol? An individuals experience with drinking was also measured by a 5 point Likert scale, participants could chose any point on a range from none to more than 10 times to answer the questions how many times have they drunk alcohol and how many times have they have had six or more drinks.