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KMID : 0904520080230010005
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Health and Medical Sociology
2008 Volume.23 No. 1 p.5 ~ p.29
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A Comparative Study of Drinking Behavior by Korean and American Adolescents Focusing on Social Learning Theory
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Hwang Sung-Hyun
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Abstract
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The purpose of this study is to compare with drinking behavior by Korean and American adolescents using the variables derived from Akers’ social learning theory in the structural equation model. The data of American case came from a questionnaire survey among a sample of students in 7-12 grade level in Midwest, including Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The total sample size was 3,065 students. In the meanwhile, the data of Korean case came from a sample of high school students in Pusan and sample size was 1,035 individuals. In the comparison of Korean and American adolescents’ drinking behaviors for the measurement model, both of data reveal that latent variables from social learning theory are significantly well measured. However, in the analysis of structural model, the path diagram from definition to drinking behavior is statistically significant in the Korean data, but not American data. In the squared multiple correlation (R²), American data are lower than Korean data. That is, Social learning theory offers an explanation of adolescents’ drinking behavior in Korea that is empirically supported to a much greater degree than in America. Thus, latent variables are a far better tool for explanation of Korean adolescents’ drinking behavior than American adolescents. There is an absence of research to direct evaluate comparing Korean and American deviant behaviors using social learning theory in Korea. In Korea most research has been largely limited to descriptive reports that deal with incidence and prevalence of alcohol use and ignored theoretical questioned. Thus, the present research is the first study to compare with Korean and American adolescents’ drinking behavior using the variables derived from Akers’ social learning theory in the structural equation model and makes important contributions toward the further utilization of social learning in investigating many of the damaging forms of social deviance which exist in Korean society.
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KEYWORD
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structural equation model, drinking behavior by Korean adolescents, drinking behavior by American adolescents, social learning theory, differential association
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