Decision-Making Orientation and AIDS-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Hispanic, African-American, and White Adolescents

Lilly M. Langer, Rick S. Zimmerman, George J. Warheit, Robert C. Duncan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)227-234
Number of pages8
JournalHealth Psychology
Volume12
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1993

Keywords

  • adolescents
  • AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and skills
  • decision-making
  • decision-making orientation/directedness
  • information processing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Psychology(all)

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