Abstract
Cognitive development, egocentrism, and self-esteem were examined in relation to contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Subjects were 300 high school students and college freshmen (age range=14–19 years) who completed a battery of self-report instruments. Based on multiple regression, analysis of covariance, and discriminant function analyses, findings revealed that adolescents who had higher scores on the cognitive development and self-esteem scales had more knowledge about sexuality and contraception and were more likely to report using contraception during sexual intercourse. Self-esteem was also predictive of more positive attitudes toward contraceptives. Subjects who reported using contraceptives had lower scores on the imaginary audience egocentrism scale than did contraceptive nonusers. Gender-specific analyses revealed that females had significantly more knowledge about contraceptives than did males, but males had higher scores on the cognitive development and self-esteem scales than did females. In addition, self-esteem was predictive of contraceptive use for females but predictive of sexual activity for males. Implications for sex education programs are discussed.
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Received Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. Research interests are family relations during adolescence, adolescent psychopathology, and adolescent sexuality.
Research interests are adolescent sexuality and contraceptive behavior, community education, and prevention strategies.
Research interests are effects of maternal employment on adolescents and teleological interpretations of mood and memory research.
Research interests are social skills training with adolescents and corporal punishment in American education.
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Holmbeck, G.N., Crossman, R.E., Wandrei, M.L. et al. Cognitive development, egocentrism, self-esteem, and adolescent contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. J Youth Adolescence 23, 169–193 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537444
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537444