Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Putting Emotional Reactivity In Its Place? Exploring Family-Of-Origin Influences On Emotional Reactivity, Conflict, And Satisfaction In Premarital Couples, Brandt C. Gardner, Dean M. Busby, Andrew S. Brimhall

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research was to develop a structural equation model that tested the effects of emotional reactivity on the relational health of a representative sample of 736 premarital couples. We hypothesized that partners’ perceived family-of-origin experience would be predictive of partners’ reports of their own and their partners’ emotional reactivity. These reports were hypothesized to predict partners’ reports of their own and their partners’ ability to manage conflict, which were hypothesized to predict relationship satisfaction. Overall, the model fit the data quite well, with particularly interesting differences by gender. We discuss the model’s fit within the larger body …

Do You Have The Time? Changes In And Implications Of Spouses' Time Together, Jeffrey P. Dew

Faculty Publications

Many Americans say they do not spend enough time with their families. Social changes such as increased productivity expectations in the workplace and the movement of mothers into the paid labor force have added to the feeling that family time is scarce. Time is perceived to be an extremely rare commodity in the U.S., and families desire to spend more of it together.

Two Sides Of The Same Coin? The Differing Roles Of Assets And Consumer Debt In Marriage, Jeffrey P. Dew

Faculty Publications

This study examines whether assets and consumer debts relate to change in marital satisfaction and conflict in opposing ways or in independent ways. It also tests whether these relationships are direct or mediated. Using a nationally representative longitudinal sample, the results indicate that assets and consumer debt influence change in marital outcomes in mostly independent rather than complementary ways. Consistent with prior literature, assets work indirectly by decreasing feelings of economic pressure. Consumer debt, however, directly predicts changes in marital conflict, even after controlling for variables in the family stress model. Debts also act indirectly by decreasing depression once economic …

Turning The Hearts Of Fathers To Their Children: Why Religious Involvement Can Make A Difference, Loren Marks, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

Charles Dickens, the English author and keen observer of human affairs, wrote of revolution-era France: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." In many ways, Dickens' dichotomy regarding "the best of times" and "the worst of times" captures the state of contemporary American fatherhood. Many fathers are more highly involved with their children than the fathers of past generations. Conversely, many other fathers are disconnected from or uninvolved with their children. For many of the fathers who are highly involved in their children's lives, their religious faith is a motivational influence.

Latter-Day Saint Marriage And Family Life In Modern America, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, Mormon) is considered by its adherents to embody all the doctrines and authority that were present in the church that Christ established (Matthew 16:18-19) but that subsequently were lost through an apostasy that took hold after the original apostles were martyred. Latter-day Saints consider their faith to be a modern restoration of ancient truths and practices accomplished through modern revelation given by the Lord to modern prophets.

"If You Want Me To Treat You Like An Adult, Start Acting Like One!" Comparing The Criteria That Emerging Adults And Their Parents Have For Adulthood, Larry J. Nelson, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Jason S. Carroll, Stephanie D. Madsen, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Sarah Badger

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the criteria parents of emerging adults consider necessary and important for their children to achieve adulthood, (b) to compare parents' criteria for adulthood with the criteria espoused by emerging adults, and (c) to examine how these criteria might differ on the basis of gender and the parent and gender of the child. Participants included 392 unmarried college students, ages 18–25, and at least 1 of their parents (271 fathers, 391 mothers). Results revealed that (a) as did their children, most parents did not yet view their children as adults, (b) there …

Will Legislation To Encourage Premarital Education Strengthen Marriage And Reduce Divorce?, Alan J. Hawkins

Faculty Publications

Many legislators are wondering whether there is a constructive role that government can play to strengthen marriages and reduce divorces. A handful of states have passed legislation providing incentives for couples to participate in formal premarital education. The purpose of this article is to examine the research that can help answer the question whether legislation to promote premarital education can strengthen marriages and reduce the divorce rate. Of course, there are numerous legal and policy issues related to marriage and divorce being discussed these days. The focus of this article however, is only on one. In the end, I conclude …

How Religious Couples Perceive The Influence Of God In Their Marriage, Michael A. Goodman, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

This article builds on the work of Annette Mahoney and her colleagues regarding "sanctification of marriage" by focusing on religious married couples' perception of God's involvement in their marriages. The study includes qualitative analyses of indepth interviews with 32 middle-aged Christian, Jewish and Muslim couples married an average of twenty years. Couples' views of God's purposes influenced the pathways and processes of perceived divine involvement in their marriages. The extent and pathways in which couples perceived God to be involved in their marriage correlated with specific beliefs and practices. Several patterns emerge and a theoretical model is proposed to illustrate …

Religion And Family Relational Health: An Overview And Conceptual Model, Loren Marks

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a review of research addressing religion and family relational health. Strengths of the extant data include the correlation of three dimensions of religious experience (religious practices, religious beliefs, and religious community) with certain aspects of mother–child, father–child, and marital relationships and specific connections between the three dimensions of religious experience and family relationships are identified. Key weaknesses in the research at present include a paucity of research examining the hows, whys, and processes involved behind identified religion–family correlations and a lack of data on non-nuclear families, families of color, interfaith families, and non-Christian religions including Judaism and …

Mental Health, Religious Belief, And "The Terrifying Question", Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

In the recent Tim Burton film Big Fish, Albert Finney's yarn-spinning character comments that wild parrots in the Congo will discuss most anything: politics, fashion, literature … but not religion. “Why not religion?” his son queries. “Because it's rude!” snaps the father, “you never know who you might offend.”

Parenting And Peer-Group Behavior In Cultural Context, David A. Nelson, Larry J. Nelson, Criag H. Hart, Chongming Yang, Shenghua Jin

Faculty Publications

Whether specific patterns of parenting are similarly associated with child peer group behavior in diverse cultural contexts has been a fascinating topic of inquiry. From classic anthropological studies dating back to the early twentieth century to the current interest in cross-cultural studies, knowledge concerning the question of universality and cultural variation in parenting linkages to childhood adjustment has expanded at an unprecedented rate (e.g., Harkness & Super, 2002). As the general field of parenting research has uncovered distinctions in parenting styles and practices (e.g., Darling & Steinberg, 1993; hart, Newell, & Olsen, 2003), these concepts have increasingly been applied to …

Interventions With Family Caregivers, Jonathan G. Sandberg

Faculty Publications

As a typical self-centered teenager, I struggled to find anything good about grandma moving in with us. Grandma required a lot of help with stairs, dressing, bathing; I noticed this brought a new kind of stress into our home. I think it was particularly hard on my mother, who provided most of the daily care for her mother-in-law. Living in a basement bedroom, I could escape form the stress if I wanted. I did not share a bathroom or hallway, I did not have to listen to incoherent talk and cries in the night as Alzheimer's disease began to take …

The Family As A Context For Religious And Spiritual Development In Children And Youth, Chris J. Boyatzis, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

Our chapter addresses how the family promotes or hinders transcendence of the self in children, that is, how the family is a context in which spiritual development occurs. Due to space limitations, our emphasis is on socialization and interaction processes within the family and not on other issues such as psychodynamic processes (e.g., Rizzuto, 1979) or faith development (e.g., Fowler, 1981). There are many motivations to explore family socialization of religious and spiritual development. One, family spirituality and religiosity are linked with many desirable outcomes and inversely with negative outcomes in children and youth. (Other chapters in this volume examine …

The Marriage Moments Program For Couples Transitioning To Parenthood: Divergent Conclusions From Formative And Outcome Evaluation Data, Alan J. Hawkins, Elizabeth B. Fawcett, Jason S. Carroll, Tamara T. Gilliland

Faculty Publications

This article presents the results of a pilot study of the Marriage Moments program, designed to prevent relationship deterioration during the 1st year of parenthood. The self-guided, low-intensity program emphasizes strengthening marital virtues and partnership during this time of significant personal and family transition. One hundred fifty-five married couples participated in a randomized clinical trial with 2 psychoeducational treatment groups (a self-guided group and an instructor-encouraged group) and a comparable control group. Despite positive formative evaluation results from program participants, hierarchical linear modeling analyses failed to find significant Group X Time differences on spouses' reports of marital virtues and a …

Learning Competent Fathering: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Marital Intimacy And Fathering, Kay Bradford, Alan J. Hawkins

Faculty Publications

Although scholars have documented many links between marital relationships and parenting, these associations are not commonly explained in terms of behavior that is learned or achieved over time. This paper examines the idea that good fathering – conceptualized here as competent fathering – is the result of a developmental process, and that a loving, committed relationship between parents creates a context in which traits supportive of caring fathering are likely to be learned and practiced. After setting the stage conceptually, we provide a modest initial test of this hypothesis to discern the associations between three components of marital intimacy (emotional …

Religion And Bio-Psycho-Social Health: A Review And Conceptual Model, Loren Marks

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a research-based conceptual model respectively linking three dimensions of religious experience (religious practices, spiritual beliefs, and faith community) with three dimensions of health (biological, psychological, and social). The model is used as a framework to highlight findings in the religion-health knowledge base and to provide a broad survey of this domain of inquiry. Considerations for future research on religion and health are addressed.

The Role Of Religion In The Transition To Adulthood For Young Emerging Adults, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Recent research has highlighted the role of culture in emerging adulthood (age between 18 and 25 years). However, most studies have examined majority cultures (e.g., China) as well as subcultures (e.g., American ethnic minorities). Thus, work on other aspects of culture such as religion is needed given the emerging evidence that it may have an impact on development. This study explored the role of religious culture in the emerging adulthood of college students. Participants were 445 undergraduates (ages 18–20 years) from institutions that were Catholic (31 males, 89 females), Mormon (48 males, 200 females), and public (21 males, 56 females). …

The Delphi Method, Linda Stone Fish, Dean M. Busby

Faculty Publications

Dear Reader,

We would like to ask your help in a research study of considerable significance for family therapy researchers and clinicians. The present study is designed to compare and contrast the various research methodologies in the field by examine the opinions of prominent family therapists. The completion of the three questionnaires that will make up this study will require a total of no more than 1 1/2 hours of your time. In appreciation of your participation, a complete summary of the findings and a list of the other panelists will be sent to you.

This study will employ the …

Social Withdrawal, Observed Peer Acceptance, And The Development Of Self-Perceptions In Children Ages 4 To 7 Years, Larry J. Nelson, Kenneth H. Rubin, Nathan A. Fox

Faculty Publications

Children who think poorly about themselves are considered at-risk for a myriad of negative outcomes. Thus, it is important to explore possible origins of such cognitions, particularly in young children. The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between various nonsocial behaviors (i.e., reticence and social withdrawal), observed peer acceptance at ages 4 and 7 years, and self-perceptions at age 7 years in both boys and girls, respectively.

Participants included 163 children (89 females, 74 males) who were seen at age 4 and then again at age 7 years. For girls, results revealed that nonsocial behavior (both reticence …

Theorizing About Marriage, Jason S. Carroll, Stan J. Knapp, Thomas B. Holman

Faculty Publications

Since its inception in the 1920s, research on marriage relationships has attracted widespread attention within a variety of disciplines and has held a central position in the scientific study of families. However, despite marriage scholarship's long tradition and broad interdisciplinary base, a number of scholars believe that this area of research has reached a crossroads at the beginning of the 21st century. This pivotal moment is seen as largely the result of a lack of explicit theory development in the marriage field. In fact, during the past decade several leading marriage scholars have called for the development of broad integrative …

Generative Fathering And The Dynamics Of Connection Between Fathers And Their Children, Sean E. Brotherson, David C. Dollahite, Alan J. Hawkins

Faculty Publications

This study focused on examining narrative accounts told by fathers about how they connect with and care for their children. Qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 fathers concerning their relationships with at least two of their children, including one child with special needs. The fathers' stories were recorded and the narratives were then explored to develop a better understanding of themes and behaviors by fathers related to the dynamics of connecting with their children. Coding and analysis of the fathers' personal narrative demonstrated specific patterns related to the concept of connection in a conceptual ethic of generative father. Findings …

Shared Experience Building Around The Family Crucible Of Cancer, W. David Robinson, Jason S. Carroll, Wendy L. Watson

Faculty Publications

This study was designed to gain a greater understanding of the effects cancer has on families while simultaneously developing family therapy interventions that are helpful for families experiencing the crucible of cancer. On the basis of an action research paradigm, the authors designed an intensive case-analysis protocol involving reflective interviewing to learn about the personal perspectives of family members who participate in therapeutic treatment for cancer. An integration of reflective insight by the families, their therapist, and the research team ultimately revealed that cancer families face an ongoing struggle (a) between feelings of isolation and connectedness, (b) to make meaning …

Indirect Aggression On Screen: A Hidden Problem?, Sarah M. Coyne

Faculty Publications

Throughout history people have found violence and aggression entertaining. The Romans cheered in colossal arenas as gladiators were brutally murdered. In medieval England spectators applauded as knights fought each other in jousting tournaments. Shakespearean audiences were awed with bloody and violent conclusions of plays such as Macbeth, King Lear and Hamlet. Violence in entertainment today exists in a more accessible form, with over 60 per cent of television programs containing some form (Bushman & Anderson, 2001). Psychologists have studied the effects of viewing violence on television and in the movies for the last 50 years. Early studies were …

Characteristics Of Preschoolers With Lower Perceived Competence, Robert J. Coplan, Leanne C. Findlay, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

The goal of the present study was to identify preschool children with “age-inappropriate” less positive self-perceptions, and to explore their parental and peer relationships as compared to their classmates with “age normal” self-perceptions. Participants were n = 127 preschool children (M age = 54.98 mos., SD = 8.21). Data were collected from multiple sources including parental ratings, child self-reports, and teacher ratings. Results indicated that as compared to their peers, children with less positive self-perceptions demonstrated more internalizing problems (i.e., loneliness, social-withdrawal), were more excluded by peers, and had mothers with less positive parenting styles. Results are discussed in …

Fathering In A Beijing, Chinese Sample: Associations With Boys' And Girls' Negative Emotionality And Aggression, Chongming Yang, Craig H. Hart, David A. Nelson, Christin L. Porter, Susanne F. Olsen, Clyde C. Robinson, Shenhua Jin

Faculty Publications

Whether specific patterns of parenting are similarly associated with child outcomes in diverse cultural contexts has been a topic of inquiry for the past several decades. Most recently, attention has focused on Asian parenting and the indigenous meanings of parental control among specific Asian groups as contrasted with Western cultures (Chao & Tseng, 2002). Recent debates in this literature center on whether coercive parenting has similar meanings for mainland Chinese and North American children and their parents (e.g., Grusec, 2002; Lau & Yeung, 1996). To further address the question of whether there is a universal nature to parenting and its …

American Fatherhood Types: The Good, The Bad, And The Uninterested, Loren Marks, Rob Palkovitz

Faculty Publications

This paper presents four contemporary types of American manhood: (a) the new, involved father, (b) the good provider, (c) the deadbeat dad, and (d) the paternity-free man. These four types are compared, contrasted, and contextualized with related data from the classic Middletown studies of the 1920s and 1930s. The significance and implications of the trend toward paternity-free manhood are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.

Studying "Working Fathers": Comparing Fathers' And Mothers' Work-Family Conflict, Fit, And Adaptive Strategies In A Global High-Tech Company, E. Jeffrey Hill, Alan J. Hawkins, Vjollca Märtinson, Maria Ferris

Faculty Publications

Working fathers are underrepresented-conceptually and empirically-in work-family research. Using a global corporate sample of working fathers from 48 countries (N = 7,692), this study compares working fathers to working mothers on key work-family variables as suggested by Voydanoff's (2002) application of ecological systems theory. It examines the direction and the path of the predictors of work-family fit and whether a scarcity or expansion model better explains these results. Finally, it considers what work-family adaptive strategies may affect those relationships. Although fathers consistently reported less family-to-work conflict than mothers, they reported equal amounts of work-to-family conflict. That is, fathers struggled as …

A Narrative Approach To Exploring Responsible Involvement Of Fathers With Their Special-Needs Children, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

This chapter briefly summarizes the main findings from research employing narrative methodologies on fathers of children with special needs conducted by me and my students (Brotherson & Dollahite, 1997; Dollahite, 2003; Dollahite, Marks, & Brotherson, 1998; Dollahite, Marks, & Olson, 2002; Marks & Dollahite, 2001; Olson, Dollahite, & White, 2002). This research is consistent with recent emphasis on narrative methods in the social sciences generally (Dollahite, Hawkins, & Brotherson, 1996; Josselson & Lieblich, 1993; McAdams, 1993; Riessman, 1993; Sarbin, 1986) and with recent narrative studies of fathers of special-needs children (Brotherson, 1995) and fathers and religion, (Latshaw, 1998; Marshall, Olsen, …

Parenting And Adult Development: Contexts, Processes, And Products Of Intergenerational Relationships, Rob Palkovitz, Loren D. Marks, David W. Appleby, Erin K. Holmes

Faculty Publications

For the past 50 years, parenthood has been discussed in social science literature as a context of adult development. Theories, anecdotes, and the opinions of laypersons are nearly unanimous: People who become parents and are involved in the raising of children are transformed and follow a different developmental trajectory from people who do not engage in parenting roles. Erickson (1950) suggested that positive adult development reflects care for the next generation, or "generativity," and that parenthood is "the first, and for many, the prime generative encounter" (Erickson, 1964, p. 130). More recently, parenthood has been described as a necessary but …

Rites Of Passage In Emerging Adulthood: Perspectives Of Young Mormoons, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

This study explores the role that culture, particularly religious rites of passage, may play in emerging adulthood by examining the demographics, criteria for adulthood, identity development, and risk behavior of Mormon emerging adults.