Date of Graduation

1998

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This study attempted to examine the constructs that are involved in the development of an adolescent Conduct Disorder. Specifically, the study explored the theoretical propositions of Alfred Adler which address the dynamic relationship between the development of one's self and the concurrent development of one's social interest in others. For the purposes of this study, 30 Conduct Disordered adolescents and 30 comparison adolescents, between the ages of 14 and 17, were administered the Piers Harris Self Concept Scale and Crandall's Social Interest Scale. A qualitative interview was also conducted with the Conduct Disordered adolescents to ascertain both their individual perceptions of themselves and their interactions with their community. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to assess the level of correlation between the Piers Harris Self Concept Scale and Crandall's Social Interest Scale. In addition, the qualitative interviews were analyzed for thematic content. The themes were labeled: anticipation of a daily attack, apathy is relative, superficial self awareness, loyalty is capricious, and recognition is not action. It was found that while self concept and social interest were significantly related in both the Conduct Disordered and comparison adolescents, the relationship between these variables was significantly lower in the Conduct Disordered adolescents. Furthermore, five salient themes were identified in the qualitative interviews that pertained to the Conduct Disordered adolescents' perceptions of themselves and their relationships with their communities. The findings of this study should prove to be beneficial to parents, school and mental health personnel, and the community for the purposes of understanding, identification, assessment, and consequent remediation practices.

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