TRANSMITTING RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TEENS TO TEENS

THE RATE OF OUT-OF-WEDLOCK PREGNANCY AND CHILDBEARING AMONG U.S. TEENAGERS IS AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD. MUCH IS NOW KNOWN ABOUT THE INCIDENCE, ANTECEDENTS, AND CONSEQUENCESOF THE PROBLEM. YET THERE HAS BEEN NO SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPT TO TRANSMIT SUCH VALUABLE RESEARCH INFORMATION TO TEENAGERS.THIS PROJECT IS AIMED AT FILLING THIS GAP IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH DISSEMINATION PROCESS. A TEXTUAL DATABASE WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT SUMMARIZES STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE IN THE AREAS OF TEENAGE SEXUALITY, CONTRACEPTIVE USE, PREGNANCY, AND PARENTHOOD IN SIMPLE ENGLISH (8TH-GRADE READING LEVEL). THREE RELATED COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS BUILDING ON THE KNOWLEDGE BASE WILL THENBE DEVELOPED: (1) AN INTERACTIVE MICROCOMPUTER PROGRAM THAT WILL ALLOW TEENS TO EXPLORE THE EMBEDDED INFORMATION; (2) AN INTERACTIVE BOOK, WHICH WILL BE THE PRINTED EQUIVALENT OF THE MICROCOMPUTER PACKAGE; AND (3) A SHORT PUBLICATION THAT CAN BE USED BY PARENTS, SEX EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS, AND ADULTS WHO WORK WITH TEENAGERS TO OBTAIN AN UP-TO-DATE OVERVIEW OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE. PHASE I WILL PRODUCE A PROTOTYPE OF EACH PRODUCT. PHASE IIWILL PRODUCE THE FINAL VERSION OF THOSE PRODUCTS PROVEN FEASIBLE IN PHASE I . THE PRODUCTS SHOULD HAVE A WIDE COMMERCIAL MARKET,GIVEN THE SALIENCE AND UNIVERSALITY OF THECOVERED PROBLEMS, THE WIDESPREAD PRESENCE OF SEX EDUCATION IN HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULA, THE POPULARITY OF INTERACTIVE BOOKS AMONG CHILDREN AND YOUNG TEENS, AND THE GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICAN HOMES AND HIGH SCHOOLS WITH MICROCOMPUTERS. IF SUCCESSFUL, THE PROJECT SHOULD DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO BRING TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND STATE-OF-THE-ART SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE TO CITIZENS AS YOUNG AS 13.