Age, gender, religion and physical location as predictors of the social interactions of some Nigerian adolescents during puberty

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of four demographic variables on the social interactions of 250 Nigerian adolescents during the period of puberty. The mean age of participants 14.75 years for females and 15.01 years for males Using an ex-post facto research design, a pretested self- reporting scale (The Adolescent Social Interaction in Puberty Scale) was used to elicit data on the composite and relative contribution of identified demographic variables as influence on the social interactions of participants during puberty. Three research hypotheses were tested using Multiple Regression and the t-test statistical analysis. Findings indicated that demographic variables jointly influenced the social interactions of the adolescents sampled in the study, while the relative effects of variables showed that age of adolescent and their urban/ rural location significantly influenced social interactions during puberty. Social interaction was more pronounced towards a friend of the opposite sex and peers, with adolescents indicating little or no parental influence on their social interactions during puberty. Gender differentials were minimal (t-1.29, p=0.05) but age of adolescents (t=2.06 p=0.05) and their physical location greatly influenced social interactions during puberty (t=2.9 p=0.05). Implications of findings were highlighted.