Abstract

The purpose of this study was to design and validate a measure of adolescent motivations to abstain from sex and alcohol, grounded in self-determination theory, and to examine the roles of controlled and autonomous abstinence motivations in predicting these two risk behaviors. The sample included 799 U.S. adolescents, 15-18 years old. The abstinence motivation measure included 10 items, with five items each for controlled and autonomous abstinence motivations. The measure demonstrated strong psychometrics properties and validity. Controlled and autonomous motivations to abstain from sex and alcohol both correlated negatively with sex and alcohol behaviors. However, in structural equation models only autonomous abstinence motivation for a specific behavior predicted that behavior. A mediation model also found that autonomous but not controlled abstinence motivations mediated relations between religious involvement and risk behaviors. This study generated a theoretical-based measure of adolescent abstinence motivation. Additionally, autonomous abstinence motivations more strongly and uniquely predicted sex and alcohol behaviors than controlled abstinence motivations.

摘要

本研究的目的是设计和验证一种基于自决理论的青少年戒除性和酒精动机的测量方法，并检查受控和自主戒断动机在预测这两种危险行为中的作用。样本包括 799 名 15-18 岁的美国青少年。禁欲动机测量包括10个项目，其中5个项目分别用于控制和自主的禁欲动机。该测量显示出强大的心理测量学特性和有效性。避免性和酒精的受控和自主动机都与性和酒精行为呈负相关。然而，在结构方程模型中，只有特定行为的自主禁欲动机才能预测该行为。一个中介模型还发现，自主但不受控制的禁欲动机在宗教参与和危险行为之间的关系中起到中介作用。这项研究产生了基于理论的青少年禁欲动机测量。此外，自主禁欲动机比受控禁欲动机更强烈和独特地预测性和酒精行为。