Date of Award:

5-1986

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Sociology and Anthropology

Department name when degree awarded

Sociology

Committee Chair(s)

Brian L. Pitcher (Committee Co-Chair), Gary Kiger (Committee Co-Chair)

Committee

Brian L. Pitcher

Committee

Gary Kiger

Abstract

Utilizing longitudinal panel data from Youth In Transition Project, the Person-Environment fit (P-E Fit) theory and its specific application to the area of delinquency and aggression was investigated longitudinally. Analysis of Covariance Structure Technique (LISREL) was used to address the issues of multi-dimensionality, stability, measurement of total P-E fit and to test the proposed delinquency model. The relationships between P-E fit, psychological strain, and delinquency were tested both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The student sub-group (those respondents who stayed in school after high school) and the working sub-group (those who went to work after high school) were tested separately. P-E fit had significant negative effect on both psychological strain and delinquency in most of the cross-sectional models. Similar results were obtained in three of the longitudinal models also. The evidence from longitudinal models tended to support the idea that the causal flow of the relationship between P-E fit, psychological strain and delinquency to be from P-E fit to both psychological strain and delinquency. The longitudinal and cross sectional relationship between P-E fit, psychological strain, and delinquency were more pronounced among the working sub-group than the student sub-group of the sample population. P-E fit tended to be quite stable during the high school years and subject to noticeable change when the transition was made to work or college environments.

Checksum

516a8f7b86d88a4806e0b9d5e629577a

Download

Included in

Sociology Commons

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .