Abstract

Two groups of pregnant adolescents were compared in a study of the hypothesis that the use of planned touch would enhance the self esteem of the pregnant adolescent. The girls studied were enrolled in a school for the pregnant minor, established by the San Bernardino County Schools system, in a metropolitan area of San Bernardino, California.

The control group was composed of seven and the experimental group of twelve pregnant adolescents, ranging in age from fifteen through seventeen. The Q Sort technique was used as the tool with which to measure the self esteem of both groups. Two preliminary sorts were completed by both groups, one sort describing the subject's feelings at the time of the sort, or self sort, and following immediately, a second sort which was to describe the way the subject would like to be, ideally. For each subject, the results of the self sort were correlated with the results of the sort for ideal. This correlation was used as a measure of initial self esteem. Eight group sessions followed the initial two Q Sorts over a period of eight weeks. These sessions took place immediately preceding the prescribed health education classes. The purpose of the group work was to carry out value clarifying processes. The use of values clarifying materials was viewed as an implicit approach to problem solving.

With the experimental group, the planned use of touch was applied by the investigator to the individual participant, in the form of a handshake at the beginning of the group session. At the conclusion of each experimental group session, the investigator applied planned touch to the shoulder, upper arm or forearm of the individual participant. The same group session content was used with the control group, but planned touch was not used. Following the series of group sessions, post Q Sorts were administered with the subjects again sorting for the self and the ideal.

Measures of final self esteem were obtained by correlating the results for self and ideal. The statistical computation consisted of the analysis of covariance, using the initial self esteem as the covariant for comparison of the final self esteem of the experimental and control group using a confidence level of .05. No statistically significant change in self esteem between the control and experimental groups was found; however, the findings were in the direction of the hypothesis. The conclusion was that the self esteem of the pregnant adolescent was not significantly enhanced through the planned use of touch in this study. Some subjective evidence indicated that the experimental group exhibited more self-confidence and seemed to feel freer to speak their minds. A collateral finding which emerged was that most of the girls in this study were either the oldest of siblings, or the oldest female sibling.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Ruth M. White

Second Advisor

Edward T. Himeno

Third Advisor

L. France Pride

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1976

Date (Title Page)

6-1976

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Self Concept; Mothers -- in adolescence

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vii; 77

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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