Adolescent stealers' and nonstealers' social problem-solving skills

Adolescence. 1997 Spring;32(125):51-5.

Abstract

Eleven adolescents with a history of stealing in the past year were compared to 11 nonstealers on social problem-solving skills. The stealers showed a tendency not to consider the passage of time necessary for solving social problems on the Means-Ends Problem Solving (MEPS) test. In addition, adolescents who exhibited delinquency tendencies, as measured by the Jesness Inventory, showed a cognitive bias for generating ineffective solutions to hypothetical social problems. Implications for treatment are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Juvenile Delinquency / prevention & control
  • Juvenile Delinquency / psychology*
  • Male
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Problem Solving*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Theft / prevention & control
  • Theft / psychology*