Gender role attitudes of American mothers and daughters over time

Symbolic interaction theorists believe that parents are primary socializing agents for their children. J. Rollins and P. N. White (1982) found that mothers and early adolescent daughters in traditional, dual-work, and dual-career family environments held similar attitudes about marriage, children, and careers. In a follow-up study, 40 mother-daughter dyads of the original 75 were surveyed. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that there were no significant differences between the attitudes of these 40 mothers and 40 daughters regarding the 3 variables. However, both the mothers' and daughters' attitudes differed from Time 1 to Time 2. The findings lend further support for the concept of mothers as primary socializing agents for daughters and for the self-in-relation model regarding mothers and daughters.     

Violated wishes about division of childcare labor predict early coparenting process during stressful and nonstressful family evaluations

Prior research has indicated that expectant parents overestimate the extent to which fathers will take part in the “work” of parenting, with mothers often becoming disenchanted when these expectations are violated following the baby's arrival. In this study, we examine the role of violated wishes concerning childcare involvement in accounting for variability in maternal and paternal marital satisfaction, and in early coparenting behavior as assessed during family‐interaction sessions. The results indicate possible negative effects of violated wishes on the enacted family process and confirm previous findings regarding the effects of marital satisfaction. In addition, we uncovered differences in the way that violated maternal wishes are related to coparenting during playful and mildly stressful family interactions.     

Facilitators and Barriers to Engagement in Home Visitation

Abstract

Given previous findings indicating a positive association between home visitation participation rates and family outcomes, the present study explored reasons for and barriers to engagement in the first six months of these parenting programs. Social support, psychoeducation, and tangible assistance emerged as consistent themes across informants as reasons for participation. Perceived invasiveness of the assessments, maternal concerns about being reported to child protective services, and mismatches between maternal needs and home visitor attributes emerged as recurrent themes regarding barriers to participation. Results of these qualitative analyses converge with previous quantitative research regarding factors associated with home visitation delivery and suggest new areas in need of further inquiry by researchers and practitioners to increase engagement.     

Marital interaction, family organization, and differences in parenting behavior: explaining variations across family interaction contexts.

Family systems theories remind us that, in two-parent families, children encounter their parents in multiple family configurations, including parent-child dyads and mother-father-child triads, or whole families. There are, however, relatively few empirical investigations of differences in parenting behavior which tend to emerge when a dyad is transformed into a whole family unit. Using a sample of 82 families with a kindergarten-age child, the present study offers support to earlier studies reporting that mothers' and fathers' parenting behavior differs when observed in dyadic and whole family interaction sessions. The present study then turns to examining explanations for these differences in parenting behavior. Limited support was found for the hypothesis that observations of marital interaction are associated with differences in parenting behavior across family interaction contexts. Family level assessment of adaptive organization was found to explain differences in fathers' parenting in the dyad and when the entire family is together, but not differences in mothers' parenting behavior. The clinical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.     

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Family Connectedness,Intrinsic Religiosity,and Depressed Mood

Using a sample of 248 ninth and tenth grade students at public high schools, we examined adolescents’ perceptions of family connectedness, intrinsic religiosity, and adolescents’ gender in relation to depressed mood and whether intrinsic religiosity and gender moderated the association of aspects of family connectedness to adolescent depressed mood. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses we tested models separately for three forms of family connectedness (overall family cohesion, mothers’ support, and fathers’ support), intrinsic religiosity, and depressed mood. In each model, family connectedness was negatively associated with depressed mood. Intrinsic religiosity was not significantly associated with depressed mood. However, in the mothers’ support model, both a two-way interaction (mothers’ support × intrinsic religiosity) and a three-way interaction (adolescents’ gender × mothers’ support × intrinsic religiosity) were significantly related to depressed mood. In the two-way interaction, higher intrinsic religiosity was a moderator, strengthening the association between mothers’ support and depressed mood. In the three-way interaction, gender differences were found. For boys, high intrinsic religiosity strengthened the association between mothers’ support and depressed mood. Among girls, when mothers’ support was low, intrinsic religiosity provided an additional source of connectedness in protecting against depressed mood. Our findings show that connectedness in overall family systems, mother–adolescent subsystems, and father–adolescent subsystems are all important to emotional resilience in adolescents by protecting against depressed mood. Future studies of adolescent religiosity may benefit from including diverse forms of family connectedness in understanding the protective processes provided by aspects of religiosity in promoting adolescents’ emotional resilience.     

Parenting behaviors of women who were sexually abused as children in their families of origin.

This research explored links between a childhood history of family sexual abuse and current parenting behaviors of mothers of school-age children, using observations of family interaction and interviews with the mothers. Videotaped family interaction tasks, analyzed with Benjamin's Structural Analysis of Social Behavior, showed that women who had been sexually abused in their childhood families were more self-focused, rather than child-focused, compared to nonabused women. In interviews, the women who had been abused gave strong evidence of greater reliance on their children for emotional support. These findings lend support to theoretical and clinical impressions of highly permeable intergenerational boundaries, including parent-child role reversal, in family systems marked by child sexual abuse, even when the abuse occurred in the previous generation.     

EVALUATION OF THE MULTIPLE-STIMULUS WITHOUT REPLACEMENT PREFERENCE ASSESSMENT METHOD USING ACTIVITIES AS STIMULI

The current study examined the accuracy of the multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment for identifying preferred common classroom activities as reinforcers with children with behavioral disorders. The accuracy of predictions from the MSWO regarding high, medium, and low stimulus preference was tested by providing contingent access to activities for completing math problems within an independent seatwork format. Overall, there was an interaction effect between preference ranking (high, medium, or low) and number of problems completed. The results confirm and extend previous findings regarding the accuracy of predictions with the MSWO. The findings also reveal, however, some individual differences that may account for instances in which student behavior did not conform to predictions of stimulus preference assessments.     

Vulnerability to loneliness among fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder: The role of interpersonal and familial resources

Fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be at increased risk of becoming lonely. In the current study, we explored the differences in loneliness between fathers of children with and without ASD and identified interpersonal and familial resources (social support, family cohesion, and family adaptability) that might be related to levels of loneliness. Using a cross-sectional design, 348 fathers (of 114 children with ASD and 234 without) completed a series of questionnaires. Fathers of children with ASD reported higher levels of loneliness and lower levels of social support and family cohesion. A moderated mediation model indicated that the interaction between social support and family cohesion mediated the association between ASD group (i.e., ASD vs. non-ASD) and fathers' loneliness. Findings suggest the importance of interpersonal and familial resources (e.g., perceived social support and family cohesion) for family members at risk of loneliness.     

Social Support from Family and Friends and Subjective Well-Being of Older African Americans

This study examines the impact of informal social support from family and friends on the well-being of older African Americans. Analyses are based on a nationally representative sample of older African Americans from the National Survey of American Life (n = 837). Three measures of well-being are examined: life satisfaction, happiness and self-esteem. The social support variables include frequency of contact with family and friends, subjective closeness with family and friends, and negative interactions with family. Results indicate that family contact is positively correlated with life satisfaction. Subjective closeness with family is associated with life satisfaction and happiness and both subjective closeness with friends and negative interaction with family are associated with happiness and self-esteem. There are also significant interactions between family closeness and family contact for life satisfaction, as well as friendship closeness and negative interaction with family for happiness. Overall, our study finds that family and friend relationships make unique contributions to the well-being of older African Americans. Qualitative aspects of family and friend support networks (i.e., subjective closeness, negative interactions) are more important than are structural aspects (i.e., frequency of contact). Our analysis verify that relationships with family members can both enhance and be detrimental to well-being. The findings are discussed in relation to prior research on social support and negative interaction and their unique associations with well-being among older African Americans.     

Cultural Variability in the Manifestation of Expressed Emotion

We examined the distribution of expressed emotion (EE) and its indices in a sample of 224 family caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia pooled from 5 studies, 3 reflecting a contemporary sample of Mexican Americans (MA 2000, N =126), 1 of an earlier study of Mexican Americans (MA 1980, N =44), and the other of an earlier study of Anglo Americans (AA, N =54). Chi-square and path analyses revealed no significant differences between the 2 MA samples in rates of high EE, critical comments, hostility, and emotional over-involvement (EOI). Only caregiver warmth differed for the 2 MA samples; MA 1980 had higher warmth than MA 2000. Significant differences were consistently found between the combined MA samples and the AA sample; AAs had higher rates of high EE, more critical comments, less warmth, less EOI, and a high EE profile comprised more of criticism/hostility. We also examined the relationship of proxy measures of acculturation among the MA 2000 sample. The findings support and extend Jenkins' earlier observations regarding the cultural variability of EE for Mexican Americans. Implications are discussed regarding the cross-cultural measurement of EE and the focus of family interventions.     

Family interactions in black, lower-class families with delinquent and nondelinquent adolescent boys

The interaction patterns of 32 black, lower-class family triads (mother-father-son), divided into two equal groups by the son's delinquency status, were assessed across self-report and observational measures of family affect, conflict, and dominance. In support of previous research with white, middle-, and lower-middle class families, the results generally indicated that families with delinquent boys were less warm and more conflictual than families with nondelinquent boys. Relative to parents of nondelinquents, parents of delinquents were more conflictual on expressive family issues than on instrumental issues. In addition, the results showed that the content of the family interaction task (expressive vs. instrumental) influenced observed patterns of intrafamily dominance. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

How Do Master's Level Marriage and Family Therapy Students View Their Basic Therapy Skills? An Examination of Generic and Theory Specific Clinical Approaches to Family Therapy

This study examined the similarities and differences between marital and family therapy (MFT) students' beliefs about the importance of specific MFT skills, and the perceptions of experienced therapists in practice about the same skills. The data suggest overlap but not complete agreement between the perceptions of novice and experienced therapists regarding both generic and theory specific skills. Similarities and differences between these findings and earlier research about common factors in family therapy are addressed. Recommendations about clinical training that is not organized around traditional family therapy theories, but rather based on two trans-theoretical approaches to therapy labeled expert and collaborative are explored.     

Lay Persons' and Police Officers' Beliefs Regarding Deceptive Behaviour

Research on the detection of deception, via non-verbal cues, has shown that people's ability to successfully discriminate between truth and deception is only slightly better than chance level. One of the reasons for these disappointing findings possibly lies in people's inappropriate beliefs regarding ‘lying behaviour’. A 64-item questionnaire originally used in Germany, which targets participants' beliefs regarding truthful and deceptive behaviour, was used. The present study differed from previous research in three ways: (i) instead of a student population, police officers and lay people were sampled, (ii) both people's beliefs regarding others' deceptive behaviour and their beliefs regarding their own deceptive behaviour were examined, and (iii) both non-verbal cues to, and content characteristics of, deceptive statements were examined. Results were consistent with previous studies, which found significant differences between people's beliefs regarding deceptive behaviour and experimental observations of actual deceptive behaviour. Further, police officers held as many false beliefs as did lay people and finally, participants were more accurate in their beliefs regarding their own deceptive behaviour than they were in their beliefs regarding others' behaviour.     

Latino and Latina Adolescents' Help‐seeking Behaviors and Attitudes Regarding Suicide Compared to Peers with Recent Suicidal Ideation

Although Latinas have consistently reported higher rates of suicidal behavior for the past 20 years (CDC, 1996), there is a dearth of information regarding their help‐seeking attitudes and behaviors when dealing with distress and suicide. Associations between adolescents' ideation and help‐seeking from adults were different for non‐Hispanic Whites and Latinos from 14 high schools (N = 4,983). Among females, ideators and Latinas reported lower levels of help‐seeking attitudes than nonideators and non‐Hispanic Whites. Males showed interaction effects of ideation by race/ethnicity on help‐seeking. Within sex by race/ethnicity, differences showed that while non‐Hispanic White students reported consistent differences between suicidal ideation and no reported suicidal ideation, Latinos were more similar between these groups, particularly with having support from friends and family to seek help from adults. Research should clarify how culture contributes to decreased help‐seeking norms among those with suicidal ideation.     

Self-Control as Self-Regulation: A Return to Control Theory

In an effort to build on previous theory and research it is argued that self-control is not synonymous with impulsivity, but rather should be conceptualized as self-regulation: the capacity to override impulsive desires. Using a sample of college students and a sample of serious adult criminal offenders, we test four hypotheses regarding the relationship between self-regulation, impulsivity, and several outcome measures reflecting antisocial or criminal behavior. Our findings within the college sample more strongly support the notion of self-control as self-regulation. The result differences between samples also highlight the need to consider limitations when generalizing results from more conventional student groups.     

PREFERENCES FOR SEATING ARRANGEMENTS IN TWO COUNTRIES

Choice of seating positions around a table under various conditions in England and Sweden are reported. The major result is that Swedish subjects (N = 156) choose opposite seating to a greater extent than English subjects (N = 145). The results are reasonably supportive of the hypotheses put forward on the basis of informants' impressions regarding differences between English and Swedish social behaviour and of personality data obtained from previous studies. Explanations for the various differences in terms of differing levels of motivation in the two countries are put forward, and the implications for intercultural interaction situations are discussed.     

多巴胺相关基因甲基化、家庭环境与创造力的关系

“遗传与环境”的争论一直是创造力研究的核心问题, 但目前对于环境以及遗传与环境交互作用对创造力影响的分子生物机制还未有研究涉及。近年来, 随着表观遗传学的兴起, 揭示影响心理行为的表观遗传机制现已成为心理学研究的热点。作为环境与基因组之间的纽带, 表观遗传学研究为揭示环境以及遗传与环境交互作用对创造力影响的分子生物机制提供了机遇。本研究以多巴胺相关基因、家庭环境以及两者对于创造力的交互作用为切入点, 对影响创造力的表观遗传机制进行考察, 并在此基础之上, 对环境以及遗传与环境交互作用对创造力影响的分子生物机制进行探索。具体研究内容包括：(1)通过对多巴胺相关基因甲基化模式与创造力关系的系统考察, 筛选出甲基化模式与创造力有关的基因; (2)对筛选出的基因, 进一步考察其甲基化模式在家庭环境及其遗传多态性与家庭环境交互作用对创造力影响中的中介作用。本研究有助于揭示创造力的表观遗传机制, 深化关于遗传与环境对创造力影响的作用机制的理解。     

Sibling violence and agonistic interactions among middle adolescents

Two hundred seventy-two high school juniors and seniors were surveyed regarding their experiences as victims and perpetrators of sibling violence and agonistic interactions with their closest-spaced siblings. Findings support earlier reports that siblings engage in a variety of violent acts directed toward one another and that there are few differences between males and females as to the extent of the behaviors. Subjects reported experiences of negative physical and verbal interactions less frequently than did younger subjects in previous studies, suggesting the need to further examine age-related differences in sibling violence. Discussion focuses on the implications of the present findings and direction for future studies in this area.     

Personal Pronoun Usage in Families of Schizophrenics And Social Space Utilization

Personal pronoun usage of individuals in interaction is proposed as an index of the social functioning of both the individuals and the groups. The interaction of schizophrenic young adults, male and female, with their mothers and fathers, is compared with that of normal young adults with their parents in these terms. Previous findings regarding disproportionate use of the first person singular by schizophrenics are confirmed, and it would appear that this behavior is not learned tom their parents who are low in usage of these pronouns. Findings of other studies regarding male-female differences in schizophrenics and coalition patterns and social control mechanisms in their family interactions are also suggested by the data.