A phenomenologic inquiry into adolescent girls\u27 personal experience with Baby Think It Over(TM).

The purpose of this study was to explore the adolescent girls\u27 personal experience with the Baby Think It Over(TM)---an infant simulator. The study was guided by Erikson\u27s depiction of adolescence as a period characterized by a maturational crisis that culminates in either identity formation or identity diffusion. Participants were invited through total population sampling resulting in utilization of the stories of nine adolescent girls. This qualitative study employed the phenomenological approach based on Merleau-Ponty\u27s philosophical ideas and utilizing Colaizzi\u27s method of analysis. Data was collected using audio-taped, semi-structured interviews. Ten themes became apparent: (1) Recognition of illusion of preconceived ideas about parenting an infant; (2) Perception of societal disapproval; (3) Hardships encountered during the week as opposed to the weekend; (4) Augmentation of difficulty during guardianship of the boy Baby Think It Over(TM); (5) Profound desire for relinquishment; (6) Allocation of marks as incentive for compliance; (7) Parental endorsement of the experience; (8) Participants\u27 counsel; (9) Affective journey; and (10) Eclectic insights. The new perspectives gained by the participants differed markedly from the romantic fantasies they created prior to the experience and initiated thinking processes relative to future consequences of sexual activity. Further research will help evaluate the premise that exposing adolescents to the realities of parenting could lead to a decrease in adolescent pregnancies. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2000 .M355. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-03, page: 0679. Adviser: Lynnette Leeseberg Stamler. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2000