Browsing by Subject "imetys"

Locus of control of reinforcement is a concept which is embedded within Rotter's social learning theory. It is a generalized expectancy that reflects the consistent differences among individuals in the degree to which they perceive contingencies or independence between their behavior and subsequent events in social situations. If they expect that a reinforcement or an outcome is contingent on their behavior or their relatively permanent characteristics, it can be defined as a belief in internal control or, put differently, a belief in internal locus of control of reinforcement. Many essential things in adolescent's lives have been associated with internal locus of control. If they have an internal belief in the controllability of events in their lives it seems to lead to better health and greater academic achievement. One well known antecedent of internal control perception is a warm and nurturant family environment. Nevertheless the connection between breastfeeding and locus of control in adolescence is presumably never studied before. The purpose of this study was to explore, whether having been breastfed or duration of breastfeeding, predicts locus of control in adolescence. . In this study we used a sample (n=641) of The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. The study project was started in 1979, and the aim of the project was to study the levels of coronary heart disease factors and their determinants in children and adolescents. Information concerning breastfeeding and its duration was collected from parents in year 1983. The adolescent locus of control was measured in year 1986 by a shortened inventory which consists of 23 items. The original inventory has 40 items. Linear and logistic regression analysis' were used as statistical methods. The result of the study was that there was no connection between breastfeeding and locus of control in adolescents. By reason of no connection, breastfeeding did not predict locus of control in adolescence. Interestingly, two statistically significant predictors of internal locus of control were age of adolescent and educational level of parents. Family income was connected to internal locus of adolescent but it did not predict it. It is impossible to make any firm conclusions on the basis of one study. More studies are needed.