Abstract
Impoverished urban areas often limit the activities that teenagers can engage in. This brings about the manifestation of psychological predilections that can influence their desired extra-curricular activities. It is based on this that this study will examine these predilections and attempt to explain how they manifest.
Introduction
Teenagers in impoverished urban areas tend to have limited access to extra-curricular activities when compared to their counterparts in more affluent locations. Facilities such as basketball courts, playgrounds, swimming pools, or even local malls are usually absent in such locations thereby limiting the different opportunities and socializing events they can enjoy.
Based on the work of Basch (2011) which examined the psychological impact of urban environments on behavioral development, the limited amount of extra-curricular activities in impoverished areas can result in the creation of a unique mindset that is less inclined towards physical exercise and oriented towards seclusion and indoor activities. Basch (2011) explained that this is a manifestation of behavioral adaptability based on the influences of the external environment.
It is based on this that this study will examine the psychological factors affecting how teenagers in an impoverished urban area spend their time outside school (Basch, 2011; Dzhambov & Dimitrova, 2014; Jalaludin & Garden, 2011). It is the assumption of this study that limited access to extra-curricular activities results in a psychological predilection towards indoor activities such as watching television, browsing the internet, or playing video games at home.
Objectives and Hypothesis
The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological factors that influence teenagers in impoverished urban areas to engage in particular activities. It is the hypothesis of this paper that the limited amounts of extra-curricular activities manifest in the development of more insular behaviors among teens living in impoverished areas.
Null Hypothesis
The null hypothesis of this study asserts that the limited amounts of extra-curricular activities that are available to the study participants do not have any discernable psychological impact beyond the norm.
Relationship between Hypothesis and Null Hypothesis
The relationship between the hypothesis and the null hypothesis is based on the impact of the availability of extra-curricular activities for teens in impoverished neighborhoods. This study assumes that the lack of such activities affects the psychological factors that influence the afterschool activities that teens engage in (Sarkar, Gallacher & Webster, 2013; Milam, Furr-Holden & Leaf, 2010). However, this assumption is not concrete and would be dependent on the information gained from the survey results.
Design and Method
Methods
This study will utilize a qualitative method of investigation through the use of surveys to examine the research participants. The participants in the study will consist of teenagers from impoverished inner-city neighborhoods and the surveys will be distributed to each teenager while they are in class. This method maximizes the number of participants that can be obtained as well as minimizes the issue of getting willing participants within a short amount of time (Long & Baran, 2012). To accomplish these tasks, the researcher will get permission from one of the local public schools that have a sizeable teen population before distributing the surveys and getting the results.
Design of the Survey
The surveys will be designed to examine the following psychological factors of each of the study participants: personality traits, psychodynamic processes, and learned behavior. Through this evaluation, the researcher will be able to determine what psychological factors influence teens in impoverished neighborhoods towards particular afterschool activities.
Compilation of Data
Data will be compiled through the use of SPSS analysis software to determine if specific trends exist. This can be done through the use of graphs or charts that will be generated by the software.
Choice of Study Participants
The selection of the study participants will not be limited to a particular race or gender. The primary deciding factor when it comes to recruiting participants is their proximity to the impoverished locations that the study is examining and their general economic situation. It is anticipated by this study that varying economic classes may exist in this scenario, however, a large percentage of them are likely to come from the working class or from impoverished families.
Ethical Issues to Taking into Consideration
Since the study is primarily survey-based and each participant can be rendered anonymous in the data output, there is little in the way of substantial ethical issues to be wary of. To prevent any potential negative ramifications from impacting the study participants, the accumulated data will be stored in a secure location and will be destroyed after a period of five years. This should ensure the security of all the individuals who have taken part in the study.
Selection of Sources
The sources used in the study were from reputable scientific journals. This ensures that the data utilized is relevant and would positively contribute to the rest of the study.
Potential Issues to take into consideration
One of the potential issues that may come about would be if the participants in the study intentionally gave inaccurate data in the survey results. While unlikely, it is still possible given the potential that some of them may want to present their activities in a better light.
Presentation of Findings
The findings will be presented via an APA style paper that will detail the processes utilized and the resulting data that was accumulated. This study can be classified as being within the field of psychology since it examines how the physical environment of a teen can have an impact on the psychological factors that influence their behavior.
Reference List
Basch, C. E. (2011). Aggression and Violence and the Achievement Gap Among Urban Minority Youth. Journal Of School Health, 81(10), 619-625.
Dzhambov, A. M., & Dimitrova, D. D. (2014). Urban green spaces’ effectiveness as a psychological buffer for the negative health impact of noise pollution: A systematic review. Noise & Health, 16(70), 157-165.
Jalaludin, B., & Garden, F. (2011). Does Urban Sprawl Impact on Self-Rated Health and Psychological Distress? A Multilevel Study from Sydney, Australia. Ecohealth, 8(3), 268-276.
Long, Y., & Baran, P. K. (2012). Does Intelligibility Affect Place Legibility? Understanding the Relationship Between Objective and Subjective Evaluations of the Urban Environment. Environment & Behavior, 44(5), 616-640.
Milam, A., Furr-Holden, C., & Leaf, P. (2010). Perceived School and Neighborhood Safety, Neighborhood Violence, and Academic Achievement in Urban School Children. Urban Review, 42(5), 458-467
Sarkar, C., Gallacher, J., & Webster, C. (2013). Urban built environment configuration and sychological distress in older men: Results from he Caerphilly study. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1-11.