Predicting Free Time Activity Involvement of Adolescents:The Influence of Adolescent Motivation, Adolescent Initiative, and Perceptions of Parenting
Open Access
- Author:
- Watts, Clifton Edwin
- Graduate Program:
- Leisure Studies
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 13, 2004
- Committee Members:
- Linda L Caldwell, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Geoffrey Clay Godbey, Committee Member
Ralph Welby Smith, Committee Member
Susan L Hutchinson, Committee Member
Edward A Smith, Committee Member - Keywords:
- adolescents
leisure
parenting
self-determination - Abstract:
- Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of adolescent motivation, adolescent initiative, and perceptions of parenting practices on adolescent activity choices. The sample for this study was derived from three suburban high schools in eastern Massachusetts. All grade nine students attending these high schools were invited to participate in the study. Four hundred seven students (50.1% of all students) who assented to participation and received parental consent completed a study questionnaire, and 377 questionnaires from students were used in data analysis. Measures assessed adolescent motivation, adolescent initiative, perceptions of parent autonomy support of involvement (PASI), and perceptions of parent structure practices. Findings indicate the importance of the parenting environment on adolescent motivation, initiative, and structured activity involvement. The structure and rules that parents enact are most beneficial when they are highly involved and supportive of their child’s autonomy in free time. This type of environment is linked to internal motivation styles, or the internalization of motivation styles, that are conducive to the development of initiative. High levels of PASI and parent structure can also help buoy initiative when adolescents exhibit more externalized motivation styles, and may help adolescents persist through activities until they become internalized. The development of initiative is a key developmental task of adolescence, and it is marked by sustained engagement and perseverance. Adolescents who exhibited high levels of initiative were more likely to be involved in structured activities. These experiences afford adolescents opportunities to exercise autonomy, demonstrate competence, support relatedness and provide challenges, which serve a preparatory function for adulthood. Furthermore, these experiences may reinforce internalized forms of motivation and initiative in adolescents.