A quantitative study: Factors that lead to rule-breaking behavior of university students

• Main Authors: Onrubia, Paul Christian D., Hermoso, Richard Luis DC, Camarillo, Ray Anthony A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Subjects: Adolescent psychology > Philippines; Teenagers > Philippines > Conduct of life
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/6164
• Institution: De La Salle University

Rule-breaking behavior is said to be most prominent during the adolescent period. Moreover, this kind of behavior, as displayed by adolescent university students, intensifies during this stage. It is substantial to study this, as rule-breaking behavior was said to be predicted by factors such as delinquent peer influence, parenting style, perceived benefits of breaking the rules and perceived rule legitimacy. The purpose of the study is to determine if the said variables are applicable in the Filipino academe setting. Respondents of this study were 310 university students from Metro Manila. The instruments utilized to measure these variables were the resistance to peer influence scale (RPI), the parenting style questionnaire (PSQ), the disruptive behavior scale and a scale which the researchers created, called perceived benefits of breaking rules and the legitimacy of school rules scale. The data for this study was then analyzed through statistical methods. Although the aforementioned factors are all significant predictors of rule-breaking behavior, as according to literature, results indicated that all variables were significant predictors with the exception of delinquent peer influence being an inverse predictor of rule-breaking behavior. The knowledge gained from this study may cater to the ruling systems of universities so as to prevent or lessen the engagement of students with rule-breaking behavior.