ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEER GROUP PRESSURE AND RESPONSIBILITY BEHAVIOR: THE CASE OF THREE SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOLS IN ADDIS ABABA BY NEBIYOU TEMESGEN JULY, 2015 1 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEER GROUP PRESSURE AND RESPONSIBILITY BEHAVIOR: THE CASE OF THREE SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOLS IN ADDIS ABABA BY NEBIYOU TEMESGEN A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY, ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY JULY, 2015 2 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEER GROUP PRESSURE AND RESPONSIBILITY BEHAVIOR: THE CASE OF THREE SECONDARY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOLS IN ADDIS ABABA BY: NEBIYOU TEMESGEN CHAIRMAN, DEPARTMENT GRADUATE SIGNATURE COMMITTEE ____________________________________ _________________ ADVISOR SIGNATURE ____________________________________ _________________ INTERNAL EXAMINER SIGNATURE ____________________________________ _________________ EXTERNAL EXAMINER SIGNATURE ____________________________________ _________________ 3 Dedication This work is dedicated to my children, Hasset Nebiyou and Zetseat Nebiyou who were my inspiration in the course of my education and the study. 4 Acknowledgments I am so grateful to my advisor, Dr. Seleshi Zeleke, for his profound professional and brotherly guidance, comments, and advice in the course of this study. My special thanks also go to my teacher, Ato Kassahun Habtamu, for his patience and technical advice when things were tough in the course of the study. I am also grateful to instructor Bereket Assefa from Addis Ababa University Foreign Language Department for his involvement in forward and backward translation of the instruments adapted for this study. I would like to thank all students from the three selected secondary and preparatory schools for their willingness to participate in the study and genuine information. Special thanks also go to my mother, Franny Treurniet, for her continuous support in every aspects of my life, encouragement, and keen interest in progressing and finishing my education. I would like to extend my thanks to my wife, w/ro Abeba Tuffa, for her continuous support, encouragement, and keen interest in progressing my work. My deep appreciation and special thanks also go to my mother, brothers, and sisters for their continuous comprehensive support and encouragement while working my paper work. Finally, I am so grateful to my friends, Yilikal Getachew, Fitih Alemu, Samrawit Abebe, and Martha Tesfaye in one way or another rendered me their help and shared my difficulties in the course of performing the study and writing this thesis. 5 Table of Contents Contents Page Dedication .................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgment ...................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iii List of tables ............................................................................................................................ viii Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... ix Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background of the study ............................................................................. 1 1.2 Statement of the problems .......................................................................... 5 1.3 Research questions ....................................................................................... 9 1.4 Objectives of the Study ................................................................................ 9 1.4.1 General objectives ......................................................................... 9 1.4.2 Specific objectives ........................................................................ 9 1.5 Significance of the Study ........................................................................... 10 1.6 Delimitation of the study ........................................................................... 11 1.7 Limitation of the Study ............................................................................. 12 1.8 Operational definition important terms ..................................................... 12 Chapter Two: Review of Related Literature ........................................................................... 13 2.1 Nature of peer, peer group, peer group pressure during adolescence ...... 13 6 2.1.1 Peers during adolescence .......................................................... 13 2.1.2 Characteristics of peer group and its pressure .......................... 14 2.1.3 Parents and peer group pressure during adolescence ................ 17 2.2 Responsibility Behavior, Nature and Development .................................. 18 2.2.1 Related concepts of responsibility ............................................. 18 2.2.2 Characteristics of responsibility ................................................ 19 2.2.3 Development of responsibility .................................................... 19 2.3 Peer Group Pressure and Responsibility Related Behavior ...................... 21 2.3.1 Positive features of peer group pressure ..................................... 21 2.3.2 Negative features of peer group pressure .................................... 25 2.4 Sex differences in responsibility Behavior ................................................ 26 2.5 Grade level differences in responsibility Behavior .................................... 27 2.6 Sex differences in peer group pressure ...................................................... 28 2.7 Grade level differences in peer group pressure ......................................... 29 Chapter Three: Methods ......................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Study Design ............................................................................................. 31 3.2 Target Population ...................................................................................... 31 3.3 Sample Size ............................................................................................... 32 3.4 Sampling Procedures ................................................................................. 32 3.5 Instruments ................................................................................................ 35 7 3.6 Pilot Study .................................................................................................. 39 3.7 Data Collection procedures ........................................................................ 41 3.8 Method of Data Analysis ........................................................................... 41 3.9 Ethical Consideration ................................................................................. 42 Chapter Four: Results ............................................................................................................. 43 4.1 Characteristics of the respondents ............................................................ 43 4.2 Mean scores of responsibility behavior and peer group pressure ............. 45 4.3 One sample t –test for the sample and hypothetical means of the respondents ..................................................................................................... 46 4.4 Sex differences in responsibility behavior & peer group pressure ............ 47 4.5 Grade level differences in responsibility behavior & Peer Group Pressure ...................................................................................................................................... 48 4.6 Relationship between Age and Responsibility Behavior ........................... 49 4.7 Relationship between positive peer group pressure & responsibility Behavior ........................................................................................................... 50 4.8 Relationship between negative peer group pressure & responsibility behavior............................................................................................................ 51 4.9 Relative contribution of age, sex, & dimensions of peer group pressure . 52 Chapter Five: Discussion ........................................................................................................ 54 8 5.1 One sample t-test for dimensions of responsibility Behavior ................... 54 5.2 One sample t-test for dimensions of peer group pressure .......................... 55 5.3 Sex differences in responsibility behavior ................................................ 57 5.4 Sex differences in dimensions of peer group pressure............................... 59 5.5 Grade Level differences in responsibility behavior ................................... 62 5.6 Grade level differences in peer group pressure.......................................... 62 5.7 Relationship between age & responsibility behavior ................................. 63 5.8 Relationship between positive peer group pressure & responsibility behavior............................................................................................................ 65 5.9 The Relationship between negative peer group pressure & responsibility behavior............................................................................................................ 70 5.10 Relative contribution of age, sex, & dimensions of peer group pressure 73 Chapter Six: Summary, Conclusions, & Recommendations .................................................. 75 6.1 Summary .................................................................................................... 75 6.2 Conclusions ................................................................................................ 77 6.3 Recommendations ...................................................................................... 78 References ............................................................................................................................... 79 Appendices .............................................................................................................................. 86 Appendix – A: Responsibility Behavior Scale ................................................ 87 9 Appendix – B: Positive Peer Group Pressure Inventory ................................. 90 Appendix – C: Negative Peer Group Pressure Inventory ............................... 92 Appendix – D: Item Selection of Peer Pressure Inventory ............................ 94 Appendix – E: Mean Values of the Selected Items in Peer Pressure Inventory .......................................................................................................................... 97 Appendix – F: Item Selection of Responsibility Behavior Scale ................... 99 Appendix – G: Mean Values of the Selected Items in Responsibility Behavior Scale ............................................................................................................... 102 Appendix –H: The Amharic Versions of Responsibility Behavior Scale ...... 103 Appendix – I: The Amharic Versions of Positive Peer Group Inventory .... 106 Appendix – J: The Amharic Versions of Negative Peer Group Inventory .. 108 10