Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Aaron Metzger

Committee Co-Chair

Amy Gentzler

Committee Member

Natalie Shook.

Abstract

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.

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