Abstract

GONCALVES ZAPPE, JANA; FERREIRA MOURA JR., JAMES; DALBOSCO DELL'AGLIO, DÉBORA  and  CASTELLA SARRIERA, JORGE. EXPECTATIONS OF ADOLESCENTS IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS REGARDING THE FUTURE. Act.Colom.Psicol. [online]. 2013, vol.16, n.1, pp.91-100. ISSN 0123-9155.

The construct of expectations about the future has been considered as an important protective factor for healthy development during adolescence, since thinking about the future motivates everyday behavior and influences choices, decisions and future activities. This study investigated the expectations of adolescents from different institutional contexts about the future, and the presence of risk factors for the development of their life trajectories. Participants were 945 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years (M = 15.41, SD = 1.68), of both sexes, belonging to three groups: those who lived with their family (G1), in a protective institution (G2), or in an institution for the fulfillment of socio-educational measures (G3) in Rio Grande do Sul, who responded to the Questionário da Juventude Brasileira [Brazilian Youth Questionnaire]. The analysis of variance indicated significant differences among adolescents in the three contexts in relation to the total score of expectations about the future [F (2, 885) = 15.15, p <0.001]. Findings show that G1 (M = 38, 42, SD = 5.59) had higher scores than G2 (M = 37.20, SD = 5.58) and G3 (M = 35.37, SD = 6.61). From the discriminate analysis it was identified that the greatest number of risk factors for development was in G3 and G2. Discussion focuses on the impact of institutionalization and risk factors for development in building expectations about the future in adolescence.

Keywords : adolescence; expectations about the future; risk factors; institutionalization.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )