Alison Garton

Leisure activities of adolescent school students: predictors of participation and interest

Frequency of participation and levels of interest in more than 60 leisure pursuits were measured via a questionnaire administered to 1248 adolescent high school students. The relationship between participation and levels of interest was measured by correlation as well as by asking the students to nominate up to three activities they would like to participate in but cannot and to indicate the reason for their non-participation. Factor analyses reduced the Participation and Interest items to six factors each. Multiple regressions were then conducted on the derived factor-score variables. Sex was the major predictor of participation in sports and vocational activities and of interest in sporting and gregarious activities. Age, school location, ethnicity and SES were lesser predictors for groups of activities such as the social and outdoor pursuits. The results are discussed in terms of the theoretical and practical implications of the relationship between participation and interest as well as the prediction of participation and interest levels by developmental and social factors.

Participation and interest in leisure activities by adolescent schoolchildren

Knowledge of the leisure activities and pursuits of adolescents is important as it can provide a greater understanding of the social world of the adolescent. Further, it is necessary not only to know what adolescents actually do in their leisure time, but what they are interested in doing. In this study, the relationship between levels of participation and levels of interest in leisure activities was investigated via analysis of a comprehensive 77 item questionnaire administered to 247 adolescents. Factor analytic techniques were used to summarize the data, enabling comparisons to be made between boys and girls. Adolescents were found to engage in and be interested in activities characterised by their sex stereotyped nature, although in general none of the popular pursuits was either physically or mentally demanding. There was a high correlation between participation and interest, with adolescents participating in activities that interested them. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Children's pragmatic judgements of direct and indirect requests

Twelve request forms were rated along the three dimensions of polite ness, effectiveness and likelihood of use by 216 8- to 12-year-old primary school children. There were positive correlations between the three dimensions regardless of the age of the addressee to whom the request was directed. There was no developmental trend in the ratings, although ratings tended to be higher for politeness and likelihood of use than for effectiveness. A number of request items were rated differentially according to the dimensions. The findings are discussed in relation to how children rate and evaluate politeness in different request forms.

On the young child's comparison of sets

Abstract When asked to make comparisons between sets of objects, 4-year-old children succeed when the comparison questions are symmetrical with respect to the referential status of their terms. Thus questions that request the comparison of set with set, or subset with subset (both within and between sets), are answered correctly. However, when the comparison questions are referentially asymmetrical, calling for the comparison of set with subset, either within or between sets, young children typically fail to complete such tasks successfully. In such cases, what comparisons young children arrive at is established, how they arrive at them is described, and why they respond in the ways that they do is discussed.

The Western Australian Child Health Survey: A review of what was found and what was learned

The Western Australian Child Health Survey (WACHS) surveyed 4- to 16-year-olds and their families. In a pilot study of 189 households, one in five children reported mental health prob1ems.A clinical calibration trial confirmed a link between morbidity on the Child Behaviour Checklist and DSM-III-R diagnosis in clinical interview. In the main study of 1462 households, one in six young people showed at least one mental health problem. Adolescent risk behaviours were associated with developmental coping issues and some behavioural problems. Poor parental health and mental health and some school environments were factors related to adverse health outcomes for young people.

On the interpretation of sentences: A methodological note

Abstract English-speaking subjects were directed to refer a given sentence, consisting of a prepositional phrase (Before/After …) and an assertion focus (There is …), to one of a pair of figures, each of which depicted a circle and a square. In one figure, the circle was larger than the square, and in the other, the circle was smaller than the square. The singular nominal in the prepositional phrase was explicitly contrasted with the nominal in the assertional focus through the use of the definite article (the) and the indefinite article (a), resulting in sentences of the type “Before the circle, there is a square”. The use of such sentence types, together with unambiguous article forms, resulted in there being no preference for either figure type. The results of the present study question those obtained by Costermans and Hupet (1977) and Johnson-Laird (1968a, 1968b) and their interpretations concerning the relative importance of entities in sentences.

The Abstracts of the 34Th Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society

The title of the 34th Annual Conference is Psychology: Exploring Human Nature! The excellent program is led by four keynote speakers: Professor Norman Feather from The Flinders University of South Australia and the winner of the APS Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, Professor John F. Kihlstrom from the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Mary Luszcz from The Flinders University of South Australia and Professor John Weinman from Guys Hospital in London. These keynote addresses are supported by 33 symposia, 13 workshops, 24 professional and practice forums and 5 poster sessions. They are platforms at which delegates can interact around a number of professional and practice issues. Another feature of this years Conference is The Great Debate where participants will thrash out the pros and cons of the pertinent question “Should violence in the media be censored?” Representatives from the political, mental health, social welfare, law enforcement, theological and medical arenas will grapple with this pertinent question. In addition to the scientific program, the conference includes a broad range of meetings of the Societys members. These include the Annual General Meetings of the Society, its Divisions, Colleges and Interest Groups, and meetings of its Board of Directors. The social highlight of the Conference is the conference dinner which is being held at the Elizabeth Pier restaurant after the Annual General Meeting on Saturday. I would like to thank all members of the Conference Organising Group for the substantial effort put into making the Conference a success.

The Attitudes of Primary School Children to Contemporary Health Issues

The attitudes of 144 11-and 12-year-old primary school children to contemporary health issues were measured by a specially designed questionnaire. Levels of agreement and disagreement to the health-related statements indicated that the children held positive attitudes to health and fitness, were anti-smoking and anti-drinking and generally were prepared to accept responsibility for their health. The importance of monitoring children’s attitudes and changes to them as a result of educational and media campaigns discussed.