PERCEIVED ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND MATERIALISTIC VALUES AS FACTORS INFLUENCING YAHOO PLUS BEHAVIOR AMONG NIGERIAN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

The scourge and disturbing surge in Yahoo Plus activities among Nigerian adolescents and coupled with the positions of both the Social Disorganization Theory and Lewin’s Field Theory which linked behaviors to the environment spurred an investigation into the roles of perceived environmental challenges and materialistic values in predicting Yahoo Plus behavior among Nigerian adolescents.

A sample of 191 research participants, purposively selected through the Snowball sampling method, from within Ado Ekiti metropolis, were interviewed with the use of a questionnaire that consist of standardized measures of perceived environmental challenges, materialistic values and Yahoo Plus Behavior. The sample is made up of 81 (42.4%) males and 110 (57.6%) females whose ages range from 16 to 27 years and with a mean age of 21.04 years. More females may have participated in the study because perhaps they, more often, serve as supporters to the male yahoo plus boys and consequently also engage in the act either directly or as accomplices.

Findings from the study revealed that perceived environmental challenges [t (189) = 5.99,    p < .01] and materialistic values [F (3,187) = 7.480, p <.01] are significant predictors of Yahoo Plus behavior among adolescents in Nigeria. The findings were discussed with reference to existing literature and recommendations were made.

Keywords: Perceived Environmental Challenges, Materialistic Values, Yahoo Plus Behavior, Adolescents, Nigeria.