AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF BIBLIOTHERAPY ON THE BEHAVIORAL PATTERN OF ADOLESCENTS.

THE EXTENT TO WHICH A PLANNED PROGRAM OF READING COULD SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOR OF A SELECTED GROUP OF ADOLESCENTS WAS STUDIED. EFFORTS WERE MADE TO DESIGN THE STUDY IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE INVESTIGATORS COULD DETERMINE WHETHER SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES EXISTED IN THE AREAS OF PERSONALITY, PERSONAL PROBLEMS, ACHIEVEMENT, ATTENDANCE, AND DISCIPLINE BETWEEN TWO GROUPS OF STUDENTS, ONE OF WHICH HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO BIBLIOTHERAPY WHILE THE OTHER HAD SERVED AS A CONTROL GROUP. THE DEGREE OF CHANGE BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND THE CONTROL GROUP IN PERSONALITY WAS ASSESSED BY ADMINISTERING PRE- AND POST-TESTS OF THE JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE, IN ACHIEVEMENT BY SRA ACHIEVEMENT SERIES, IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS BY THE MOONEY PROBLEM CHECK LIST, AND IN BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS BY THE HAGGERTY-OLSON-WICKMAN BEHAVIOR RATING SCHEDULES. SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS EVIDENCED IN ACHIEVEMENT BETWEEN STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED BIBLIOTHERAPY AND THOSE STUDENTS WHO DID NOT. A LONGITUDINAL STUDY WAS PROPOSED. (GD)