Parent Civic Behavior and Observed Civic Messages: Associations with Adolescent Civic Behavior and Prioritization

The current study employed observational and multi-informant survey methodology to explore associations among parents' civic behaviors, observed parent and adolescent messages about civic obligation, and adolescents' civic behavior and prioritization (should) judgments. A sample of 160 adolescents (Mage = 14.42, range = 12-18) and their parents (144 mothers and 52 fathers), participated in video-recorded, structured, dyadic interaction tasks in which they discussed citizenship and civic duty. Parents and adolescents also completed questionnaires assessing civic behavior and civic prioritization judgments. Within distinct civic activities, parents' report of civic behavior was positively associated with adolescents' report of civic behavior and prioritization judgments. Over and above parents' civic behavior, adolescents' community service behavior was positively associated with parents' observed messages about help and respect for others and one's country but negatively associated with adolescents' own observed messages about being productive members of society. Additionally, parents' observed messages about the importance of following rules and regulations were negatively associated with their adolescents' prioritization judgments concerning social movement involvement (e.g., protesting). Findings suggest that parents' observed messages about citizenship and civic duty may promote and deter adolescents' from engagement in specific civic activities.

Name thesis:degree_name

MS

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2013

Author dc:creator

• Oosterhoff, Benjamin J.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Aaron Metzger
• Amy Gentzler
• Natalie Shook.

• Behavioral psychology
• Individual & family studies

Identifier

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/534

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1537