Teens Choice to Drink :: essays research papers

Article SummeryBeyond Invulnerability The Importance of Benefits in Adolescents Decision to fox AlcoholIntroduction Many things affect the choice of an adolescent to drink intoxicant. It is thought that this particular age group thinks that they are not vulnerable to the risks gnarled with drinking alcohol. Studies in this area have resulted in mixed conclusions some support the idea of adolescent invulnerability others do not. Intervention programs seem to charm better if they are aimed at reducing risk taking behaviours than helping an adolescent realize their true invulnerability (in fact vulnerability). Older adolescents seem to be more likely to participate in risky behavior because of positive outcomes of previous risky behavior. This experiment is to find out how adolescents perceive the eudaemonias of risky behavior and how the perceived gains motivate risky behavior. Five main questions will be discussed1. How do individuals perceive both the benefits and risks of dr inking 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 later?5. What is the relative contribution of perceived benefits (or perceived risks) in predicting risk taking behavior? This article is to the highest degree a longitudinal study, but only 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, one hundred thirty 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. Participants wer e given surveys to apprehend (and later compensated with $$). The answers on the surveys were measured in a few different 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 buzz 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 sot alcohol and how many times have they have had six or more drinks.