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Adolescent Decision Making: Implications for Prevention Programs DOCUMENT RESUME ED 441 185 CG 029 976 AUTHOR Fischhoff, Baruch, Ed.; Crowell, Nancy A., Ed.; Kipke, Michele, Ed. TITLE Adolescent Decision Making: Implications for Prevention Programs. Summary of a Workshop. INSTITUTION National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. SPONS AGENCY Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 31p. CONTRACT HHS-100-97-0028 AVAILABLE FROM National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055. Tel: 800-624-6242 (Toll Free); Tel: 202-334-3313; Web site: http://www.nap.edu. PUB TYPE Collected Works - Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Adolescents; At Risk Persons; Behavior Problems; *Decision Making; Mass Media Effects; Prevention; Programs; Workshops ABSTRACT Risk taking is a natural part of teenagers' lives. They need to take some risks in order to grow.However, they can also get into trouble with their risk taking when it involvesbehaviors such as sex, drinking, smoking, violence, and drug use. Interestin the role that decision making plays in adolescents' involvementin high-risk behaviors led the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planningand Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to request theBoard on Children, Youth, and Families to convene a workshop on adolescentdecision making. This booklet summarizes the workshop, held on January6-7, 1998, which was designed to pull together the diverse perspectivesthat researchers and practitioners have adopted in regard toadolescent decision making. It provides a brief overview of decision theory andhow decision theory might be applied to adolescent behavior. It nextconsiders cognitive, social, affective, and institutional factors that mayinfluence effective decision making. The role youth of the media is brieflyexplored, followed by information on several development and prevention programs.Finally, the report summarizes issues the that were raised throughoutthe workshop that might be important to design and implementation of programsfor youth. (Contains 80 references.) (MKA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Distributed by DynEDRS implications for Prevention Programs SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP U S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Mice or Er:lumen& Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 0 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL BEST COPY AVAILABLE Distributed by DynEDRS S C I pliceions for Preveniion Programs SUM ARY OF A ORKSHOP Baruch Fischhoff, Nancy A. Crowell, andMichele Kipke, Editors Board on Children, Youth, and Families Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciencesand Education National Research Council Institute of Medicine NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1999 3 Distributed by DynEDRS NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS 2101 Constitution Avenue , N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418 NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academyof Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and withregard for appropriate balance. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating societyof distin- guished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to thefurtherance of sci- ence and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Uponthe authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863. the Academy has a mandate thatrequires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Albertsis president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, underthe charter of the Na- tional Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers.It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with theNational Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The NationalAcademy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meetingnational needs, encourages education and research. and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers.Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by theNational Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members ofappropriate professions in the examination of policy mat- ters pertaining to the health of the public.The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Science. by its congressional charter to be anadviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care,research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by theNational Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science andtechnology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government.Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become theprincipal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academyof Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific andengineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute ofMedicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively,of the National Research Council. This study was supported by Contract No. HHS110-97-0028 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services. Any opinions, findings, conclu- sions. or recommendations expressed in thispublication are those of the author(s) and do not neces- sarily reflect the view of the organizations oragencies that provided support for this project. Additional copies of this report arc available from: National Academy Press. 2101 Constitution AvenueNAV., Lockbox 285, Washington, D.C. 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in theWashington Metropolitan Area): interacthttp:// ww.nap.cdu Printed in the United States of America Copyright 1999 by the National Academy ofSciences. All rights reserved. Distributed by DynEDRs BOARD ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES JACK P. SHONKOFF (Chair), Helier Graduate School, Brandeis University DAVID V.B. BRITT, Children's Television Workshop, New York City LARRY BUMPASS, Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin SHEILA BURKE, John F. Kennedy School of Government, HarvardUniversity DAVID CARD, Department of Economics, University of California,Berkeley KEVIN GRUMBACH, Department of Family and CommunityMedicine, University of California, San Francisco MAXINE HAYES, Assistant Secretary of Community and FamilyHealth, Department of Health, Olympia, Washington MARGARET HEAGARTY, Harlem Hospital Center, ColumbiaUniversity ALETHA C. HUSTON, Department of Human Ecology,University of Texas, Austin RENEE R. JENKINS, Department of Pediatrics andChild Health, Howard University Hospital SHEILA KAMERMAN, School of Social Work,Columbia University SANDERS KORENMAN, School of Public Affairs,Baruch College HON. CINDY S. LEDERMAN, I Rh JudicialCircuit, Juvenile Division, Dade County, Florida SARA McLANAHAN, Office of Population Research,Princeton University VONNIE McLOYD, Department of Psychology,University of Michigan PAUL NEWACHECK, Institute of Health PolicyStudies and Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco DEBORAH STIPEK, Graduate School ofEducation, University of California, Los Angeles PAUL WISE, Department of Pediatrics,Boston Medical Center EVAN CHARNEY (Liaison), Council,Institute of Medicine RUTH T. GROSS (Liaison), Board on HealthPromotion and Disease Prevention, Institute of Medicine ELEANOR E. MACCOBY (Liaison),Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education MICHELE KIPKE, Director NANCY A. CROWELL, Study Director ANNE BRIDGMAN, Program Officerfor Communications DRUSILLA BARNES, AdministrativeAssociate iic fr. BEST COPY AVAILABLE Distributed by DynEDRS E Contents PREFACE vii INTRODUCTION 1 THE DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORK 2 THE WORLD OF ADOLESCENCE 8 MEDIA INFLUENCES 10 PROGRAMS FOR ADOLESCENTS 11 ISSUES FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS 14 REFERENCES 16 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS 21 Distributed by DynEDRS Preface Risk taking is a natural part of teenagers' lives. They need to take some risks in order to grow, trying new activities, generating new ideas, experimenting with new roles. However, they can also get into trouble with theirrisk taking when it involves behaviors such as sex, drinking, smoking, violence, and drug use. Con- cern over such "risk behaviors" has led to the creationof many interventions, based to varying degrees on the growing scientific literature on adolescent devel- opment. Some of these interventions have attempted tomanipulate teenagers' beliefs, values, and behaviors, hoping to get them to act more cautiously. Other interventions have attempted to improve their ability to make sensible decisions, hoping to get them to make wise choices
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