Work and Leisure Part 2

69. Which of the following students is more likely to engage in more cross-racial friendships? A) Sal, who earns straight As B) Melanie, who works part-time C) Danielle, who participates in extracurricular activities after school D) Ian, who attends a private school Answer: C 70. Travis, a Black adolescent, participates in extracurricular activities in an integrated school. According to the textbook, which of the following outcomes is most likely? A) Travis will show better mental health as a result B) as a result, Travis will show worse mental health C) Travis will increase in aggressive behaviors D) as a result, Travis will eventually start protecting his grades Answer: A 71. Many studies find that rates of smoking, drinking, and drug use are _____among teenage workers than nonworkers, especially among students who _____. A) lower; choose not to work at all B) higher; also participate in athletics C) higher; choose to work long hours D) higher; are involved in 2 or more extracurricular activities Answer: C 72. In recent years, studies of adolescents’ consumer behavior have noted the strong influence teens have over one another when it comes to spending money. Advertisers have taken advantage of Internet sites such as YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook to utilize what kind of marketing? A) viral marketing B) pandemic marketing C) cold-and-flu marketing D) underground marketing Answer: A 73. The textbook suggests all of the following for parents who leave their children in self-care, except: A) provide clear instructions about after-school activities and whereabouts. B) have the child check in with an adult as soon as he or she gets home. C) teach the child how to handle any emergencies that arise. D) have friends come over for study sessions. Answer: D 74. According to the textbook, compared to young people who are supervised after school by adults, Stephanie, a self-care adolescent, will likely experience all of the following except: A) be more socially isolated and more depressed B) be sexually active at an earlier C) be more likely to be involved in problem behavior D) use less drugs and alcohol Answer: D 75. According to the textbook, one limitation of studies of youth in self-care is that: A) self-care youths are a difficult sample to recruit B) researchers typically lump together all children who take care of themselves after school C) parents of self-care youths rarely agree to allow their teenagers to participate in research studies D) self-care youths are more likely than non-self-care youth to drop out of research studies Answer: B 76. Affluent, suburban, and White children are _____likely to be home unsupervised, and poor, minority, and urban and rural children are _____ likely. A) least; most B) slightly less; slightly more C) most; least D) none of the above, they odds of being left home unsupervised are the same. Answer: C 77. According to a study by Caldwell and Darling presented in the textbook, research indicates spending time after school with friends is most problematic under which circumstance: A) when they lack supervision B) when the adolescent has friends who like to party and use drugs C) when the adolescent is easily susceptible to peer pressure D) it is the combination of all of the above. Answer: D 78. Adolescents are least likely to seek out ________ Web sites on the Internet. A) entertainment B) sports C) pornography D) lifestyle Answer: C 79. Which of the following is not a common message that the media conveys about sex? A) unprotected sex can have serious consequences B) women are sex objects C) sex is a defining aspect of masculinity D) sex is fun and exciting Answer: A 80. One tremendous problem in interpreting studies of media use and adolescent development is that: A) it is extremely difficult to disentangle cause and effect B) media is difficult to measure C) the type of media that adolescents use changes rapidly D) adolescents are very secretive about their media use Answer: A 81. Research evaluating media messages about sex and drugs finds that: A) these messages have a strong impact on adolescents’ behavior. B) repeated exposure to these messages is likely to have an effect on adolescent attitudes and beliefs. C) although the messages may be somewhat negative, they tend to be relatively accurate. D) although their attitudes may differ, adolescents and adults have similar interpretations of these messages. Answer: B 82. Which theory of media’s impact emphasizes the fact that adolescents choose the media to which they are exposed? A) uses and gratifications approach B) cultivation theory C) media practice model D) routine activity theory Answer: A 83. Which theory of media’s impact emphasizes the reciprocal link between adolescents’ preferences and their media exposure and that adolescents not only choose what they are exposed to but interpret the media in ways that shape their impact? A) uses and gratifications approach B) cultivation theory C) media practice model D) routine activity theory Answer: C 84. Which theory of media’s impact emphasizes the idea that media shape adolescents’ interests, motives, and beliefs about the world? A) uses and gratifications approach B) cultivation theory C) media practice model D) routine activity theory Answer: B 85. According to the textbook, the harmful effects of low parental monitoring are especially bad in neighborhoods that: A) are low in collective efficacy B) are low in diversity C) are high in diversity D) are low income Answer: A 86. Which of the following youth programs around today bear a striking resemblance to the stated goals of positive youth development programs: A) YMCA B) the Boys and Girls Clubs of America C) scouting D) all of the above Answer: D 87. Based on the definitions outlined in the Five C’s of positive youth development, what does competence mean: A) a positive view of one’s actions in domain-specific areas B) an internal sense of overall positive self-worth and self-efficacy C) positive bonds with people and institutions that are reflected in bidirectional exchanges D) respect for societal and cultural rules Answer: A 88. Based on the definitions outlined in the Five C’s of positive youth development, what does confidence mean: A) a positive view of one’s actions in domain-specific areas B) an internal sense of overall positive self-worth and self-efficacy C) positive bonds with people and institutions that are reflected in bidirectional exchanges D) respect for societal and cultural rules Answer: B 89. Based on the definitions outlined in the Five C’s of positive youth development, what does connection mean: A) a positive view of one’s actions in domain-specific areas B) an internal sense of overall positive self-worth and self-efficacy C) positive bonds with people and institutions that are reflected in bidirectional exchanges D) respect for societal and cultural rules Answer: C 90. Based on the definitions outlined in the Five C’s of positive youth development, what does character mean: A) a positive view of one’s actions in domain-specific areas B) an internal sense of overall positive self-worth and self-efficacy C) positive bonds with people and institutions that are reflected in bidirectional exchanges D) respect for societal and cultural rules Answer: D 91. Based on the Five C’s of positive youth development, which “C” stands for a sense of sympathy and empathy for others: A) character B) connection C) caring D) competence Answer: C 92. Girls are most likely to spend their money on: A) B) C) D) food. cosmetics. items such as stereos and DVDs. clothes. Answer: D 93. The power of the adolescent as a consumer has increased as a result of: A) the size of the adolescent population. B) the prevalence of student employment C) adolescents doing some of the family’s shopping. D) All of the above Answer: D 94. What makes a positive youth development program successful? A) the extent to which participants are placed in demanding roles B) the extent to which participants are expected to take responsibility for their behavior C) the extent to which participants are helped to understand the consequences of failing to fulfill their obligations D) all of the above Answer: D Essay 95. Joe has no plans of going to college and he attends a typical high school. What services are his high school likely to offer? What does research suggest should been done to prepare non-college-bound youths for the workforce? Answer: Most high schools today cater to the needs of their college-bound students. Noncollege-bound students are often forgotten and do not receive the training they need to prepare them for the workforce. Three suggestions have been proposed to help combat this problem: community service, youth services, and apprenticeship programs. Community service opportunities for non-college-bound students will help integrate them into the community while enhancing feelings of confidence and responsibility and exposing them to adult role models. Improving youth services and youth organizations will help non-college-bound students by offering job placement services and counseling for summer and volunteer work. Apprenticeship programs like those in Europe help non-college-bound students because they provide on-the-job training that is relevant to the adult workforce. Key Points a) Most high schools today cater to the needs of college-bound students. b) Three suggestions have been made to combat the problem: 96. Drawing from what you know about adolescent work both here and in other countries, explain how American adolescents are different from their European counterparts in terms of the jobs they hold. Discuss four possible reasons for these differences (Hint: Consider differences in academic schedules in your answer.) Answer: American adolescents are more likely to hold paying part-time jobs during the school year than are European adolescents, and they are less likely to work in schoolsponsored or government-sponsored apprenticeships (like those found in Europe). The United States has no comparable system for preparing non-college bound students for the world of adult work. One reason for the difference between American and European adolescents, in terms of Americans more often holding part-time jobs could be that part-time employment opportunities are not as readily available elsewhere as they are in America. Second, the scheduling of part-time jobs in other countries is not well suited to the daily routines of students. Third, in other industrialized countries, the employment of youth is associated with being poor, so there is a negative stigma associated with working while attending school. Fourth, schools in other countries demand much more out-of-school time to prepare adequately for lessons and schoolwork. Key Points a) Americans are more likely to hold paying part-time jobs during the school year. b) Europeans are more likely to work in school-sponsored or government-sponsored apprenticeships. c) Scheduling of part-time jobs in other countries is not well suited to their daily routines. d) Employment of children in other industrialized countries is associated with being poor. e) Schools in other countries demand much more out-of-school time. 97. A legislator has introduced a bill that would allow adolescents in her state to hold after school jobs, but that would limit the number of hours that adolescents can work in such jobs to 10 hours per week or fewer. There is a group in the legislature who oppose the bill: they believe that adolescents should be allowed to hold after-school jobs with no restrictions placed on hours worked per week, and that adolescents should work at least 20 hours every week in order to build character. Based on what you know about employment and adolescent development, which of these positions would you support? Why do you support this position over the other? Answer: I would support the legislation proposing the 10 hour per week limit on adolescent work, because research has shown that adolescents who work more than 20 hours per week (like the other group is advocating) have a host of problem behaviors, including being more likely to engage in delinquent behavior (stealing, substance use), suffering academic performance declines (take easier classes, cheating), becoming more cynical about work in general, experiencing premature affluence—discretionary income spent purely on pleasure, and having little or no real contact with adult role models. All of these drawbacks are individually, reasons to resist allowing teens to work 20+ hours per week, but when taken together they provide compelling reason to limit the amount of working hours teens are permitted to engage in. Key Points: 1. Support the 10-hour limit over 20+. 2. Describe the problems associated with working more than 20 hours per week. 98. Annie’s parents believe Annie has too much free time on her hands. They would like her to either enroll in some extracurricular activities are get a part-time job. How might Annie’s experience differ in these two settings? Answer: Although early research documenting a positive correlation between extracurricular participation and adolescents’ well-being could not clearly show that participation lead to improved functioning (rather than the opposite), newer longitudinal studies indicate that participation in an extracurricular activity actually improves students’ performance in school and reduce the likelihood of dropping out; deters delinquency, drug use, and other types of risk taking; and enhances students’ psychological well-being and social status. The one exception to this uniformly positive picture is that some studies have found that involvement in team sports, which is associated many psychological benefits, such as better mental health and higher school achievement, is also associated with increased alcohol use and delinquency. This latter consequence is seen especially among boys who have a strong “jock” identity and who participate in school-sponsored, male-dominated sports, like football. Extracurricular activities also may provide greater opportunities for cross-racial friendship than does the regular school day, and Black adolescents in integrated schools who participate in extracurricular activities especially show better mental health as a result. Extracurricular participation in high school also seems to be linked to extracurricular participation in college and to community involvement in adulthood. Researchers speculate that the generally positive impact of extracurricular participation is because these activities increase students’ contact with teachers and other school personnel who may reinforce the value of school (as when a coach or advisor counsels a student about plans for college), and because participation itself may improve students’ selfconfidence and self-esteem. Some educators believe that extracurricular participation also helps bond students and parents to their school, especially in the case of adolescents who are not achieving academically; for many of them, their extracurricular activity is what keeps them coming to school each day. Most people believe that working builds character, teaches adolescents about the real world, and helps them prepare for adulthood, but these assumptions are not generally supported by research. Indeed, studies indicate that the benefits of working during adolescence have probably been overstated and that intensive employment during the school year may even negatively affect young people’s development and preparation for adult work. Studies of contemporary youth, for example, generally do not support the view that holding a job makes adolescents become more personally responsible. Research indicates, however, that few teenagers exercise a great deal of responsibility when it comes to managing their earnings. Most adolescent workers spend most of their earnings on personal expenses, like clothes or cars. A fair proportion of adolescents’ earnings are spent on drugs and alcohol (Greenberger & Steinberg, 1986). Many working teenagers may suffer from premature affluence—which results from getting used to having a relatively luxurious standard of living before one has any serious financial responsibilities, like rent, food, or utility bills. A second question that has received a fair amount of research attention concerns the impact of working on adolescents’ involvement in other activities, most notably, schooling. Here, studies indicate that the issue is not whether a teenager works, but how much. Many experts now believe that working more than 20 hours a week may jeopardize adolescents’ school performance and engagement. Youngsters who work long hours are absent from school more often, are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities, report enjoying school less, spend less time on their homework, and earn slightly lower grades. Intensive involvement in a part-time job may actually increase the likelihood of dropping out of school. It is important to note that the most reasonable conclusion we can draw about the impact of working on the development of maturity is that it depends largely on the nature of the job, and the amount of hours worked. If Annie decides to get a job, her parents should make sure she works less than 20 hours a week. Key Points a) Extracurricular activities actually improve students’ performance in school and reduce the likelihood of dropping out, deters delinquency, drug use, and other types of risk-taking, and enhances students’ psychological well-being and social status b) Give reasons why extracurricular participation may lead to positive outcomes c) Studies indicate that the benefits of working during adolescence have probably been overstated and that intensive employment during the school year may even negatively affect young people’s development and preparation for adult work. d) Give examples of negative outcomes associated with intensive working 99. A local hospital has asked you to talk to a group of parents who have expressed their concerns about leaving their teenagers home alone after school while the parents are still at work. You have been asked to address whether this is, indeed, a problem and, if so, how the parents can minimize problems without having to give up their jobs. The hospital administrator has also asked you to discuss the quality of the research that has been done in this area. What do you tell the parents? Answer: Most studies of self-care youths show few differences between these youngsters and their peers in regard to psychological development, school achievement, and selfconcept. Many studies find positive outcomes among self-care youth in terms of the development of self-reliance and personal responsibility. On the downside, however, other studies have found that the positive effects may be outweighed by the potential negative outcomes of social isolation, higher rates of depression, greater likelihood of being involved in problem behavior, and greater likelihood of being sexually active at earlier ages, or of using drugs and alcohol, compared to youngsters who are supervised by adults after school. The most vulnerable adolescents are those with friends who like to party and use drugs and those adolescents who are susceptible to peer pressure, and by far, the greatest risk is to children living in unsafe neighborhoods. The best way to sidestep the problems is for parents to use an authoritative parenting style and to monitor their children’s behavior and activities by providing clear instructions to their youngsters about the activities they should engage in, having the children check in with an adult as soon as they get home, and teaching them how to handle emergencies. The primary limitations of the research in this area are that not all self-care youth are a like and not all parents interact with their children in the same way, although there are rather consistent findings that indicate spending free time with peers in unstructured activities in the absence of adult supervision is associated with increased problem behavior. Key Points a) Most research shows little difference between self-care youth and those who are supervised after school. b) Positive outcomes include development of self-reliance and personal responsibilities. c) Positive outcomes may be outweighed by negative outcomes: social isolation, depression, problem behavior, greater likelihood of being sexually active at earlier ages, and greater probability of using drugs and alcohol. d) Most vulnerable are those with friends who like to party and use drugs, those who are susceptible to peer pressure, those who live in unsafe neighborhoods. e) Protective factors include authoritative parenting, monitoring children’s behavior and activities, providing clear instructions about expected activities, having children check in with adults when they get home, and teaching the youngsters how to handle emergencies. f) Limitations of the research: not all self-care children are alike and not all parents interact with their children in the same way. g) Consistent findings indicate spending free time with peers in unstructured activities in the absence of adult supervision is associated with increased problem behavior. 100. The local PTA has asked you to address their parents about the effects of the media on adolescents. They are most concerned with the effects of television and the Internet on their children’s well-being. Explain to these parents what you know about media in the home, the types of activities for which adolescents typically use the television and Internet, and discuss the impact of sexual, drug-related, and violent messages and images on adolescents. Answer: With virtually all American adolescents living in homes with at least one television, teens have constant media exposure, although as they get older they spend less time watching television and more time listening to music. Also, approximately 75% of teenagers have Internet access—the good news is that they are more likely to visit entertainment, sports, and lifestyle Web sites than to view pornography, although the information they get from the Internet is as likely to be helpful as harmful. In 2006, about one-third of teenagers reported being on the Internet at least 3 hours every day. Clearly, there are negative sexual messages conveyed on television suggesting that women are sex objects, sex is a defining aspect of masculinity, sex is a competition, and sex is fun and exciting. Teens are also constantly exposed to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and violence, with advertisers specifically targeting adolescents because of their discretionary income and influence over their parents’ household spending. The strongest impact of these media messages appears to be in regard to violence, with research showing that repeated exposure to violent imagery may lead to aggressive behavior, especially for those who have a history of aggression. Additionally, although the effects on adolescent behavior are not clear, there does appear to be an effect on their attitudes and beliefs, even though the media messages are mostly inaccurate. Of special concern is the impact of the media (particularly print media) on girls’ selfimage concerning physical attractiveness—the current message that “thin is in” has led to serious problems with girls’ self-image and eating habits. Key Points a) Media sources are ubiquitous. b) The Internet is used primarily to seek out entertainment, sports, and lifestyle Web sites, with pornography not being something typically pursued by teens. d) The relationship between media exposure and adolescent behavior is typically correlational, so no conclusions can be drawn about which causes which. e) Evidence links viewing violence on television with aggression. f) The media are more likely to affect teens’ attitudes and beliefs than their behaviors with regard to sex and drug use, but sex messages are conveyed, such as women are sex objects. g) The media have a dangerous effect on girls’ self-image and eating habits. 101. Pretend you are about to give a lecture to a group of parents about current research views on media exposure and adolescent development. You know that parents are concerned with understanding whether all media is bad for all adolescents, or what determines the effect that media messages and images will have on particular adolescents. Discuss the three major, prevalent theories of media influence on adolescent development and give examples of each theory to illustrate its points. Answer: There are three major theories of media impact on adolescent development that parents should be aware of, as these theories help explain some of the individual differences among teenagers that help determine how a particular adolescent is affected by the media. The first is cultivation theory, the idea that all adolescents are influenced by the content to which they are exposed, with respect to their knowledge about the world, attitudes, and behavior. This theory most closely mirrors the idea that playing video games makes adolescents violent, listening to rap encourages crime, or watching beer commercials makes adolescents drink more. In this theory, the relationship between media and behavior is direct. The next theory, the Uses and Gratifications Approach, points out that adolescents choose the media to which they are personally exposed. Their resulting behaviors, therefore, are not due to the influence of media, but to the fact that they chose to look at media images and messages that were consistent with their own personal interests. This view would suggest that aggressive adolescents are more likely to purchase violent video games in the first place. Third, the media practice model states that the relationship between adolescents’ preferences and their media exposure is reciprocal, with each influencing the other. This model suggests that adolescents choose what they are exposed to, but also interpret the media in ways that shape the impact it will have on them. This model helps explain why two different adolescents can look at the same beer commercial and have two entirely different reactions (e.g., “Eww, look how stupid drinking makes you act,” versus, “Oh cool, partying looks so fun!”). Key Points: 1. Name three theories and define (cultivation theory, uses and gratifications approach, and the media practice model). 2. Give examples or real-life illustrations of each theory (be able to apply to real scenario).