Relative contribution of social-environmental and personality factors to adolescent smoking behavior

The focus of this dissertation was to explore the relative contribution of variables in the personality system and the perceived environment to adolescent smoking behavior and smoking intention. The study incorporated Bandura's (1977) and Rotter's (1954, 1972) social learning theory of personality with Jessor and Jessor's (1977) problem behavior theory. Independent variables in the study were smoking in the social environment, the social consequences of smoking, and noncompliance with parents and friends. Independent variables relating to autonomy, the importance of values, intention for academic achievement and compliance with peer group were also included. The first goal of the study was a determination of the fit of the independent variables in the study to Jessor and Jessor's model incorporating the personality system, the perceived environment system, and the demographic system. Empirical support for a model incorporating a perceived environment component and a personality component was demonstrated in a cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. The second goal of the study addressed the relationship of the independent variables to adolescent smoking behavior and smoking intention. Analyzing this relationship for the total sample, for males, and for females, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, was the central focus of this task. [...]