Cognitive Characteristics And Learning Styles for At-Risk Youth: A View Through the of Structure of Intellect

The problem of juvenile delinquency is a long-standing and on going one in the United States and has been the subject of numerous studies. Research has shown that individual characteristics, home influences, community experiences, and success in school all play an influential role in the development of juvenile delinquency. Of special concern are the school and educational experiences of juvenile delinquents. These at-risk youth tend to have less successful school experiences. What is not understood clearly is why these at-risk youth have school experiences that contribute to juvenile delinquency. This study sought to understand the cognitive characteristics and learning styles of a group of at-risk youth. The current study was based on the structure of intellect theory and the measures of cognitive characteristics and learning styles included the Structure of Intellect Test Revised (SOI-CR). The SOI-CR was administered to 247 youths who were involved in a juvenile justice system in a rural county in the western United States. Using descriptive statistics as well as factor analysis and cluster analysis, this study found that this cohort of at-risk youth has identifiable cognitive characteristics and learning styles including high creativity, poor processing and reasoning skills, a preference to receive information that is symbolically presented as simply as possible, and eight other identifying characteristics. Social change implications include the reduction of academic failure and juvenile delinquency for at-risk youth.