Date Approved

5-1-2000

Embargo Period

6-23-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Applied Psychology

Department

Psychology

College

College of Science & Mathematics

Advisor

Blanding, Z. Benjamin

Subject(s)

Counseling in secondary education; High school students; Self-perception in adolescence

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Adolescent high-risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, susceptibility to peer pressure, violence, committing crimes and academic failure are often attributed to low self-concept, resiliency, minimal personal developmental assets, and deficient life skills. Thirty teens (7 males, 23 females) ages 12-15, from diverse cultures, volunteered for 3 groups, and were given a 4-month, 12-session interactive counseling program that incorporated the creative arts, behavioral, and psycho-educational therapy for the purpose of improving teens' self-concept, assets, and life skills. Pre and Posttest measures of The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale-2 showed mean raw scores being statistically significant for improvements within the entire teen group. Scales measured included: Physical, Moral, Social, Academic/Work, Family, and Personal Self-Concept. A non-statistical, self-report Asset Checklist from the Search Institute (1997) was used to mark personal assets, before and after treatment. Two interventions were applied; the first provided two groups with a pre-planned syllabus and the creative arts for esteem building. The second method utilized a Group therapy format in which the teens chose 10 out of 40 items they perceived as "crucial topics" for weekly discussions. Findings indicate that both interventions effectively raised teens' self-concept, developmental assets, and resiliency.

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