Adolescents' Social Cognitive Beliefs about Misbehavior in School
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Date
2013-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The present study examined differences in social cognitive beliefs about school misbehavior and school authority among fifty-two seventh grade students (M age = 13.04 years). Participants provided self-report ratings of their actual engagement in school transgressions, which, along with teacher ratings, resulted in the creation of "frequent misbehavers" (N = 22) and "non-misbehavers" (N = 30) groups. Using a semi-structured interview, participants were asked to make judgments regarding the legitimacy of engaging in various school transgressions and to provide justifications for each judgment. Responses were coded and interpreted within the framework of the social domain theory (Turiel, 1983). As predicted, the results indicated that misbehaving students rejected school authority to regulate rules governing school misbehavior, instead asserting personal jurisdiction over these issues. It was also found that misbehaving students were more likely to justify their engagement in misbehavior using personal and pragmatic reasoning and less likely to appeal to conventional and prudential reasoning in their justifications.
Description
2013 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, Second Place (Psychology)
2013 C. Eugene Maynard Academic Excellence Award
2013 Senior Honors Thesis Recognition Award
2013 C. Eugene Maynard Academic Excellence Award
2013 Senior Honors Thesis Recognition Award
Keywords
adolescent problem behavior, social domain theory, School misbehavior