Pittsburgh Youth Study
The Pittsburgh Youth Study began with a random sample of boys in the first, fourth, and seventh grades of the Pittsburgh, PA, public school system. Information from the initial screening was used to select the top 30 percent of boys with the most disruptive behavior. This group of boys, together with a random sample of the remaining 70 percent who showed less disruptive behavior, became the sample for the study. The sample contains approximately 500 boys at each grade level, for a total of 1,517 boys. Each student and a primary caregiver were interviewed at 6-month intervals for the first 5 years of the study; teacher ratings of the student were also obtained. The middle sample (fourth grade) was discontinued after seven assessments. The youngest sample (first grade) and oldest sample (seventh grade) are currently being interviewed at annual intervals, with totals of 16 and 14 assessments, respectively. The study has been highly successful in retaining participants, with a retention rate of at least 85 percent for each assessment.
- Related Publications