Reduction
of Risk Behaviors in Youth including:
 Risk
Taking
Measures
| Name: |
Multiple Problem Behavior Index
(MPBI) |
| Author: |
Jessor & Jessor |
| Date: |
1977 |
| Instrument Description: |
The MPBI assesses
four different areas of adolescent problem behavior: problem drinking,
delinquent-type behavior; marijuana involvement; and sexual intercourse
experience. |
| Subscales: |
None. |
| Literature Reference: |
Jessor, R., Van Den Bos, J., Vanderryn,
J., Costa, F. M., & Turbin, M. S. (1995). Protective factors in adolescent
problem behavior: Moderator effects and developmental change. Developmental
Psychology, 31, 923-933. |
| Availability: |
Richard Jessor, Center for Advanced
Study in the Behavioral Sciences, 202 Junipero Serra Boulevard, Stanford,
CA 94305. |
| Intended Audience: |
Adolescents |
| Psychometrics: |
Alpha of .75. |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
This instrument has
been well established as an important criterion measure in considerable
previous work. |
| Name: |
Life Attitudes Schedule
(LAS) |
| Author: |
Lewinsohn, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Langford, Rohde,
Seeley & Chapman |
| Date: |
1995 |
| Instrument Description: |
The LAS is a 96-item
self-report instrument. Three versions are available. The instrument
assesses for suicidal and other risk taking behaviors. It is based
on a theoretical model of a single domain of behaviors to which all
life-threatening and life-enhancing behaviors belong. |
| Where Available: |
Peter M. Lewinsohn, Oregon Research
Institute, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1983. |
| Literature Reference: |
Lewinsohn, Langhinrichsen-Rohling,
Langford, Rohde, Seeley, & Chapman. (1995). The life attitudes schedule:
A scale to assess adolescent life-enhancing and life-threatening behaviors.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 25, 458-474. |
| Subscales: |
Four content area subscales: Death related; health related;
injury related; and self related. |
| Intended Audience: |
Adolescents |
| Psychometrics: |
Evidence of construct and criterion
validity. Internal consistency reliability for total scales for all
three forms ishigh: alphas of .92, .94 and .94. Test-retest correlations
over a one month period averaged .83 for the three forms. |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
The LAS is a new instrument requiring
further psychometric testing. It may be adapted for use with other
age groups. May be useful to both researchers and clinicians looking
to evaluate programs and interventions. |
| Name: |
Arousal Seeking Tendency Scale
(MAST) |
| Author: |
Mehrabian |
| Date: |
1994 |
| Instrument Description: |
The MAST is a 32-item
self-report questionnaire. Items are scored on a 9-point rating scale
ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. It measures individual
differences in optimal stimulation level (OSL), namely seeking arousal,
stimulus seeking, or change seeking. |
| Subscales: |
None. Total score only. |
| Where Available: |
Available from Albert Mehrabian,
1130 Alta Mesa Road, Monterey, California, 93940. |
| Literature Reference: |
Baumgartner, H., & Steenkamp,
J.E.M. (1994). An investigation into the construct validity of the
Arousal-Seeking Tendency Scale, Version II. Educational and Psychological
Measurement, 54, 993-1001. |
| Intended Audience: |
Ages 15 and older
and English speaking. |
| Psychometrics: |
High reliability, typically above
.85. Evidence of convergent, construct and criterion-related validity.
(This data based on ACT-II, the 1978 version of the measure; unsure
if the 1994 measure differs.) |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
Quick, group administration
of about 10 minutes. Intended primarily for experimental use. If used
in applied settings, it is suggested that findings be checked against
additional data. |
| Name: |
Adolescent Risk Taking
Scale (ARTS) |
| Author: |
Alexander, Kim, Ensminger, Johnson, Smith & Dolan |
| Date: |
1990 |
| Instrument Description: |
The ARTS is a 6-item,
3-level ordinal response questionnaire. It assesses risk taking in
adolescence, both deviant and thrill-seeking behaviors in six topic
areas: raced; dare; broke rule; steal; sneaked out; and dangerous
driver. |
| Where Available: |
First author, Cheryl S. Alexander:
Associate Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health, John
Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. |
| Literature Reference: |
Alexander, C. S., Kim, Y. J.,
Ensminger, M., Johnson, K. E., Smith, B. J., & Dolan, L. J. (1990).
A measure of risk taking in young adolescents: Reliability and validity
assessments. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 19, 559-569. |
| Subscales: |
None |
| Intended Audience: |
Young adolescents. Used with eighth
and ninth graders. |
| Psychometrics: |
Good internal consistency:
alpha coefficients .78 for eighth graders and .80 for ninth graders.
Some demonstrated predictive validity over a 1-year period. |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
The ARTS is a new instrument requiring
further psychometric testing. The six items makes it quick and easy
to administer. The ARTS was developed using adolescents who live in
rural communities. The authors suggest pilot testing before use with
urban or suburban populations. |
| Name: |
Reckless Behavior
Questionnaire (RBQ) |
| Author: |
Arnett |
| Date: |
1989 |
| Instrument Description: |
The RBQ is a 10-item, self-report inventory intended
to assess reckless behavior within the past year. A 5-point format
yielding one overall score is used. Responses include never, once,
2-5 times, 6-10 times, and more than 10 times. Item content includes
use of alcohol while driving, use of various illicit drugs, driving
at excessive speed, sexual intercourse without contraception or with
strangers, vandalism and shoplifting. |
| Where Available: |
Jeffrey Arnett, Associate Professor of Human Development
and Family Studies, University of Missouri-Columbia, 31 Stanley Hall,
Columbia, Missouri 65211. |
| Literature Reference: |
Shaw, D. S., Wagner, E. F., Arnett, J.,
& Aber, M. S. (1992). The factor structure of the Reckless Behavior
Questionnaire. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 21, 305-323. |
| Subscales: |
None |
| Intended Audience: |
Used with high school students
and college students under the age of 22. |
| Psychometrics: |
Test-retest reliability for the
entire scale for the college sample was .80 after three months. For
individual items, test-retest correlations ranged from .51 to .82.
Evidence of construct validity. Factor structure: alpha coefficient
for high school sample was .80. |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
Further psychometric testing needed.
Quick group administration of 5-10 minutes. |
| Name: |
Sensation Seeking
Scale-Version V (SSS-V) |
| Author: |
Zuckerman |
| Date: |
1978 |
| Instrument Description: |
The SSS-V is a 40-item instrument
using a forced-choice format. It is intended to assess for a sensation
seeking trait. Sensation seeking has been found to be related to problem
behaviors including risk taking. It contains four subscales of 10
items each. |
| Where Available: |
See author. |
| Literature Reference: |
Zuckerman, M. (1994).
Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking. Cambridge,
MA: Cambridge University Press. |
| Subscales: |
Four subscales: Thrill and adventure seeking;
Disinhibition; Experience seeking; and Boredom susceptibility and
a Total score based on the sum of the subscales. |
| Intended Audience: |
Adolescents and adults. |
| Psychometrics: |
Internal reliabilities for the
total scale have been found to range from .83 to .86. Reliabilities
for the subscales range from .56 to .82. The three-week test-retest
reliability for the total score is .94. |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
This instrument has been widely
used and is based on a developed factor structure. Three of the four
factors from which the subscales were developed have shown good cross-gender
and cross-cultural replicability. The forced choice format has been
found to have some negative effects. Newer forms of the instrument
have been developed including those not using a forced choice format
and forms developed for younger children and adolescents, although
less testing has been done on these forms. The SSS is available in
English and 15 other languages. |
| Name: |
Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance System (YRBSS) Questionnaire |
| Author: |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
| Date: |
1990 |
| Instrument Description: |
The YRBSS Questionnaire is used for the National
and State Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. The focus of the YRBSS is to
determine incidence and prevalence of specific behaviors in six areas
that contribute to leading causes of morbidity and mortality in adolescents
and adults. These six areas are: unintentional and intentional injuries;
tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that contribute
to unintended pregnancy and STD; dietary behaviors that result in
disease; and physical inactivity. It is a self-report questionnaire
containing 75 multiple choice questions. |
| Where Available: |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
Mail Stop K-32, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717. |
| Literature Reference: |
Kolbe, L. J., Kann,
L., & Collins, J. L. (1993). Overview of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
System. Public Health Reports, Vol. 108, Supp. 1, 2-10. |
| Subscales: |
None |
| Intended Audience: |
Adolescents, 7th grade reading
level. |
| Psychometrics: |
Content validity. Developed by
the CDC in collaboration with 19 other Federal agencies, 71 State
and local Departments of Education, and academics expert in the six
content areas. |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
The questionnaire may be copied,
modified, or administered without permission. (It is suggested that
CDC be acknowledged.) The questionnaire focuses on health risk behaviors,
as opposed to knowledge, attitudes or beliefs. It has been used to
support state and local policies and programs to reduce health risk
behaviors in youth. |
| Name: |
Risk Involvement and
Perception Scale (RIPS) |
| Author: |
Siegel, Cousins, Rubovits, Parsons, Lavery & Crowley |
| Date: |
1994 |
| Instrument Description: |
The RIPS is a self-report
questionnaire addressing 19 risk taking behaviors in six topic areas
(factors): alcohol, illegal drugs, sex, stereotypic male behaviors,
socially acceptable behaviors, and imprudent behaviors. |
| Where Available: |
Dr. J. T. Parsons, Jersey City
State College, Department of Psychology, 2039 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey
City, NJ 07305 |
| Literature Reference: |
Siegel, A. W., Cousins, J. H.,
Rubovits, D., Parsons, J. T., Lavery, B., & Crowley, C. (1994). Adolescents
perceptions of the benefits and risks of their own risk-taking. Journal
of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 2, 89-98. |
| Subscales: |
Three subscales: risk involvement;
perceived risks; and perceived benefits. |
| Intended Audience: |
Late adolescents |
| Psychometrics: |
Reliability coefficients
using Pearson product-moment correlations: risk involvement (.59-.97);
perceived risks (.42-.81); and perceived benefits (.45-.84). Cronbach's
alpha coefficients of internal consistency: .72 for involvement; .87
for perceived risks; and .77 for perceived benefits. |
| Advantages/Disadvantages |
A new scale with further
psychometric testing needed. A revised version is available: Parsons,
J. T., Siegel, A. W., & Cousins, J. H. (1997). Late adolescent risk-taking:
Effects of perceived benefits and perceived risks on behavioral intentions
and behavioral change. Journal of Adolescence, 20, 381-392. |
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