Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1989

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology

Major Professor

Sandra Loucks

Committee Members

Ken Newton, John W. Lounsbury, Lynn Blinn

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in personality characteristics among pregnant and nonpregnant adolescents. The variables measured were needs for succorance, needs to nurture, wellbeing, desires for social closeness, psychosexual drive conflict, and contraceptive knowledgeability. Three groups of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, who were not married and from the lowest two socioeconomic classes were studied in order to identify differences in these variables. One group of pregnant adolescents was selected from Florence Crittenton Homes in Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. A second group of pregnant adolescents was selected through Planned Parenthood in Tennessee and from public schools in South Carolina. The third group consisted of nonpregnant adolescents in public schools in South Carolina. The Personality Research Form was used to measure needs for succorance and needs to nurture. Levels of wellbeing and desires for social closeness were determined by scores on the Differential Personality Questionnaire. The Rorschach was administered to gather data on psychosexual drive conflicts, and contraceptive knowledgeability was measured by a Contraceptive Questionnaire.

significant differences between group means on succorance needs were found with the pregnant, nonresidential group scoring higher than the nonpregnant group. Both groups of pregnant girls also scored significantly higher than the nonpregnant group on measures of psychosexual drive conflict. The nonpregnant group scored higher than either of the pregnant groups on wellbeing. Significant differences were also found between the two groups of pregnant girls with the pregnant, residential group scoring higher on contraceptive knowledgeability and the pregnant, nonresidential group scoring higher on nurturance and social closeness. The nonpregnant group also scored significantly higher on nurturance and social closeness than the pregnant, residential group. The pregnant, residential group scored higher than the nonpregnant group on contraceptive knowledgeability.

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