Open AccessThe typological approach to the risky behavior of adolescents
Author(s) -
Dragan Mitrović,
Snežana Smederevac,
Stefan Grujiĉić,
Petar Čolović
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
zbornik instituta za pedagoška istraživanja/zbornik - institut za pedagoška istraživanja
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.114
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 1820-9270
pISSN - 0579-6431
DOI - 10.2298/zipi0601264m
Subject(s) - psychology , neuroticism , hostility , personality , sensation seeking , developmental psychology , typology , clinical psychology , social psychology , archaeology , history
The main research problem is focused on the following question: Is it possible to identify specific patterns of interaction between precipitating and protective factors for the risky behavior among adolescents. The research was conducted on the sample of 204 adolescents of both genders (18 to 20 years old). Specific personality traits and socio-demographic characteristics are manifested as the most important precipitating and/or protective factors for the risky behavior. The frame of reference for personality assessment was the alternative five-factor model (Zuckerman, 2002), specified in the ZKPQ-50-CC questionnaire, and consisted of the five biologically determined personality traits: activity, aggressiveness/hostility, impulsive sensation seeking, neuroticism/anxiety and sociability. Latent dimensions of the risky behavior: risky activities and life - conditions, were extracted by applying the homogeneity analyses (HOMALS). The matrix of squared Euclidean distances (in the common space of factor scores on the principal components of ZKPQ questionnaire, scores on HOMALS dimensions and school grades) was a subject of the Ward hierarchical cluster analysis method, extracting three clusters. According to the discriminant functions: risk proneness and pro-social activity, the clusters were identified: the group of pro-social oriented adolescents, the aloof group and the group of adolescents prone to risky behavior. The results have considerable implications for the prevention programs’ development and implementation