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Theses and Dissertations

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Full-Text Articles in Family, Life Course, and Society

Gone But Not Forgetting: Examining The Differentiation Of Flourishing And Floundering In Emerging Adulthood In The Context Of Family Development, Shirene A. Urry Jul 2011

Gone But Not Forgetting: Examining The Differentiation Of Flourishing And Floundering In Emerging Adulthood In The Context Of Family Development, Shirene A. Urry

Theses and Dissertations

In emerging adulthood, distinctive groups have been found to exhibit "flourishing" (i.e., simultaneously experiencing positive, maturing relationships with parents, exploring identity in numerous positive areas, and striving to attain and subsequently achieving criteria deemed important for the successful transition to adulthood) and "floundering" (i.e., experiencing pitfalls such as heavy experimentation in the form of high levels of binge drinking and drug use, and instability reflected in high levels of depression and anxiety; Nelson & Padilla-Walker, 2011). While these groups have been found to differ with regards to factors of individual development, they had not been examined for variation with regards …

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Division Of Labor And Marital Quality In China, Lexie Y. Pfeifer Jul 2011

Division Of Labor And Marital Quality In China, Lexie Y. Pfeifer

Theses and Dissertations

Research done in the United States has linked household division of labor to marital quality. Research shows that satisfaction with division of labor is associated with greater marital happiness. There is minimal research in other countries on the relationship between division of labor and marital quality. China, with a history of gender inequality and emerging women's rights, makes an ideal setting for examining the relationship between division of labor and marital quality. In addition to measuring the influence of division of labor and satisfaction with division of labor on marital satisfaction, this study includes a scale on childcare related tasks. …

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Adult Attachment: A Framework For Predicting Dating Patterns, Franklin Owen Poulsen Jul 2011

Adult Attachment: A Framework For Predicting Dating Patterns, Franklin Owen Poulsen

Theses and Dissertations

Although adult attachment has been the focus of a great deal of relationship research, few studies have attempted to examine how adult attachment style may be related to relationship initiation. This study investigates how adult attachment is associated with dating processes and patterns in a sample (N = 587) of college students at a private religious university. Results indicate that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance are related to a pattern of being mostly dateless in a twenty-five week period. Furthermore, attachment avoidance but not anxiety is related to having fewer relationships in the period. Along with attachment avoidance and anxiety, …

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The Impact Of Marital Conflict On Parenting And Adolescent Prosocial Behavior, Adam M. Clark Jul 2011

The Impact Of Marital Conflict On Parenting And Adolescent Prosocial Behavior, Adam M. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between marital conflict, parenting, and adolescent prosocial behavior. Parents and one target child from two-parent families (n = 330) responded to questionnaires regarding levels of marital conflict, parenting behaviors, and child prosocial behavior. Using structural equation modeling, results indicated that one dimension of parenting, warmth and connection, mediated the relationship between marital conflict and child prosocial behavior. Group comparisons did not find significant gender differences. The significance on parent-child connection is discussed along with clinical implications.

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Exploring Financial Knowledge, Behaviors, And Economic Socialization In An Incarcerated Population: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Lindsay Larson Call Jul 2011

Exploring Financial Knowledge, Behaviors, And Economic Socialization In An Incarcerated Population: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Lindsay Larson Call

Theses and Dissertations

Using a mixed method design, this study explored financial knowledge, behaviors, and economic socialization in a sample of men (N = 155) incarcerated in a Midwestern county jail. A financial knowledge assessment, adapted from the FLLIP assessment (Zhan, Anderson, & Scott, 2006), was administered as well as a survey of financial behaviors and criminal history characteristics. Based on responses to the quantitative survey, a theoretical sample of participants (n = 12) was selected to participate in in-depth, qualitative interviews regarding economic socialization to the formal economy, particularly banks. Quantitative analyses revealed that the mean financial knowledge score for the sample …

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Division Of Labor And Marital Quality In Russia, Carol Synae Kim Jun 2011

Division Of Labor And Marital Quality In Russia, Carol Synae Kim

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether investigation of the linkages between division of labor and marital quality would produce the same results in Russia that have been found in the U.S. Russian couples (n = 172) participated in the study by answering three packets of questionnaires. The Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale was used to measure each partner's rating of their levels of satisfaction with their marital relationship and their spouse. The results from the structural equation models indicated that the more the wives perceived themselves doing more and expressed dissatisfaction of their spouse's contribution to child care tasks and apartment maintenance, the …

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The Impact Of Depression And Health On Sexual Satisfaction For Older Couples, Victoria Celeste Scott Jun 2011

The Impact Of Depression And Health On Sexual Satisfaction For Older Couples, Victoria Celeste Scott

Theses and Dissertations

This study of 535 older married couples examined the relationship between depression and health and sexual satisfaction directly and when mediated by communication. The sample included 535 older couples who completed a survey questionnaire known as Project Couple Retire. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of depression, health, perception of sexual intimacy, communication and other demographic information. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that for women, health was a significant predictor of sexual satisfaction. For both genders, the results suggest that depression, when mediated by communication, is a predictor of sexual satisfaction among older couples.

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The Influence Of Profession And Therapy Type For The Cost Effective Treatment Of Sexual Dysfunction, David Fawcett May 2011

The Influence Of Profession And Therapy Type For The Cost Effective Treatment Of Sexual Dysfunction, David Fawcett

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual dysfunctions are serious mental health issues that impact an estimated one in three Americans. Due to the complex, relational nature of most sexual dysfunctions, mental health professionals trained to work with couples and their relationship interactions are likely to have better outcomes when treating clients with sexual dysfunction. Data from CIGNA Health Solutions was analyzed to explore differences in therapy outcome for various types of mental health professions when treating clients with sexual dysfunctions. The current research is a retrospective analysis of administrative data that explores whether or not type of profession (i.e. psychologists, Masters of social work, marriage …

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Antecedents Of Parental Psychological Control: A Test Of Bowen's Theory, Spencer D. Bradshaw Apr 2011

Antecedents Of Parental Psychological Control: A Test Of Bowen's Theory, Spencer D. Bradshaw

Theses and Dissertations

Parental psychological control has been found to be associated with both internalized and externalized problems for youth and adolescents. Research contributing to an understanding of the possible antecedents of parental psychological control is both limited and of need; specifically regarding parents' psychological attributes. This study sample included 323 two-parent families and an identified target child from each family. Bowen's theory of family systems, [chronic] stress, and differentiation of self and its relation to parental psychological control was examined. Differentiation of self was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between chronic stress and parental psychological control. Differentiation was conceptualized and measured using …

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Personality And Relationship Satisfaction: Evaluating The Direct Associations Between Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Extraversion, And Relationship Satisfaction In Romantic Couple Relationships, Sarah Lefevre Tackett Apr 2011

Personality And Relationship Satisfaction: Evaluating The Direct Associations Between Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Extraversion, And Relationship Satisfaction In Romantic Couple Relationships, Sarah Lefevre Tackett

Theses and Dissertations

Specifically, using a sample of 2,848 couples from the RELATE dataset, a model was tested examining the direct associations between personality factors (neuroticism, agreeableness, and extraversion) and relationship satisfaction in romantic couple relationships. The results indicated that lower levels of neuroticism, higher levels of agreeableness, and lower levels of extraversion were associated with greater relationship satisfaction. In particular, ratings of agreeableness had the strongest associations with satisfaction for males and females, while neuroticism had the next strongest associations, followed by extraversion. Paths between male variables and female variables and satisfaction were not significantly different; however, slight gender differences were present …

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Metabolic Control, Marital Conflict, Caregiver Burden And Psychological Control In Parents Of Children With Type 1 Diabetes, Ann P. Jubber Apr 2011

Metabolic Control, Marital Conflict, Caregiver Burden And Psychological Control In Parents Of Children With Type 1 Diabetes, Ann P. Jubber

Theses and Dissertations

Using data from a purposive sample of 78 parents of children with type 1 diabetes, relationships were examined between the level of metabolic control of the child with diabetes (as measured by the HbA1c percentage), parents' marital conflict, caregiver burden, and use of psychological control. Also explored were family income and the education levels of mothers and fathers. Differences between mothers and fathers were also considered. Better metabolic control (lower HbA1c) was related to lower levels of fathers' caregiver burden. Marital conflict was also associated with mothers' and fathers' caregiver burden. Finally, mothers' caregiver burden predicted mothers' use of psychological …

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Working Hard Or Hardly Working: Comparing Relationship Self-Regulation Levels Of Cohabiting, Married, And Remarried Individuals, Mallory Jane Meyer Apr 2011

Working Hard Or Hardly Working: Comparing Relationship Self-Regulation Levels Of Cohabiting, Married, And Remarried Individuals, Mallory Jane Meyer

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of relationship self-regulation (RSR) has been shown to be related to relationship satisfaction, yet the differences in RSR ability based on couple type have yet to be examined. This study compared first married, remarried, and cohabiting individuals on their self-reported ability to implement RSR in their relationship, along with their report of satisfaction, positive communication, and negative communication in their relationships. Data was derived from 6,591 participants who were part of the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) questionnaire data set. Multiple Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) statistics were used, and results showed that while mean differences in RSR were small across …

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Examining Predictors Of Optimism In Adolescence: Internal And External Factors, E Chrissy Bulloch Mar 2011

Examining Predictors Of Optimism In Adolescence: Internal And External Factors, E Chrissy Bulloch

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between parenting, adolescent personality, and adolescent optimism. Four hundred and eighty families with at least one adolescent child in the Seattle, Washington area completed a series of questionnaires assessing parenting style, personality, and optimism. Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that there is a small, yet significant, portion of the variance in optimism explained by parenting and personality individually, but that the relationship between optimism, parenting, and personality dynamics is far more complex than originally anticipated. Further research is needed to examine the nature of these relationships and to provide a more comprehensive understanding of …

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Somatoform Disorder: Treatment Utilization And Cost By Mental Health Professions, Lori Barker Morton Mar 2011

Somatoform Disorder: Treatment Utilization And Cost By Mental Health Professions, Lori Barker Morton

Theses and Dissertations

Somatoform disorder is a prevalent mental health disorder in the United States. This disorder costs the United States one billion dollars annually. Medical providers report somatoform disorder is difficult to treat. Previous studies have shown that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective at reducing symptoms of somatoform disorder. Unfortunately, little research has been done on treatment outcomes and cost of somatoform disorder, particularly by profession to reduce health care costs for somatoform patients and providers. Administrative data from CIGNA for 149 somatoform disorder cases were analyzed to determine the cost, number of sessions, dropout rates, and recidivism rates for somatoform …

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Relational Diagnosis And Psychotherapy Treatment Cost Effectiveness, Adam Mousley Moore Mar 2011

Relational Diagnosis And Psychotherapy Treatment Cost Effectiveness, Adam Mousley Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Despite a call by researchers for estimates of the treatment clinical and cost effectiveness for relational problems, very little has been done to answer this call. The present study is an examination of actual treatment costs and recidivism rates for patients treated for a relational problem (either in individual or conjoint therapy sessions) in the CIGNA network. Despite the fact that this study compares treatment provider cost-effectiveness for treating relational problems, analyses do not control for average amounts paid by provider license type. Policymakers and third-party payers may use such clinical-effectiveness and cost-effectiveness data to make decisions regarding treatment of …

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The Effects Of Parental Support, Best Friend Support, And Parental Psychological Control On Loneliness In Latino Adolescents, Denhi Hortensia Chaney Mar 2011

The Effects Of Parental Support, Best Friend Support, And Parental Psychological Control On Loneliness In Latino Adolescents, Denhi Hortensia Chaney

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the relationship of parental support, parental psychological control, and best friend support among Latino adolescents and loneliness using self-esteem as a mediating variable. The sample included 839 Hispanic (primarily Mexican) 9th – 12th graders from west Texas area school districts who were given a self-reported survey to assess parental behaviors and adolescent depression. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), findings indicated that neither maternal nor paternal support was found to be significantly related to loneliness in girls. Only maternal support was found to be significantly related to loneliness in boys. On the other hand, neither maternal nor …

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Emulating Gossip Girl: Aggressive And Prosocial Material In Adolescent Novels And Associations With Behavior, Laura Ann Stockdale Mar 2011

Emulating Gossip Girl: Aggressive And Prosocial Material In Adolescent Novels And Associations With Behavior, Laura Ann Stockdale

Theses and Dissertations

Decades of researchers have found that exposure to aggressive content in multiple forms of media is associated with both physically (Bushman & Anderson, 2001) and relationally (Coyne, Nelson, Graham-Kevan, Keister, & Grant, 2010) aggressive behavior. Similarly, other researchers have found that exposure to prosocial content in multiple forms of media is associated with increased prosocial behavior (Mares & Underwood, 2008). While these associations have been studied in a variety of media, books as a form of media have received less research attention. The current study examined the associations between the content of adolescents' favorite novels and their normative beliefs about …

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Costs Of Treating Depression With Individual Versus Family Therapy, Sareta Dobbs Head Dec 2010

Costs Of Treating Depression With Individual Versus Family Therapy, Sareta Dobbs Head

Theses and Dissertations

Marital discord contributes to the development and continuation of depression and to the recurrence of depressive episodes for those in troubled relationships. Early research suggests that family therapy may reduce the severity and frequency of depressive episodes through modification of family interactional patterns. This would result in a reduction in the cost of treating depression. This study summarizes the literature linking family dynamics with depression. Then,using a sample taken from a large health maintenance organization, data was statistically analyzed to measure the effectiveness of both individual and family therapy as delivered by different types of mental health professionals. Results indicated …

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Evaluation Of Relate Using Rasch Analysis, Keitaro Yoshida Nov 2010

Evaluation Of Relate Using Rasch Analysis, Keitaro Yoshida

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of valid and reliable couple assessment has been increasing with growth in research on couple and family relationships as well as in therapeutic and educational interventions for couples and families. However, self-report instruments–the most popular type of couple assessment–have been criticized at least partly due to limitations in Classical Test Theory (CTT) which has been used solely in developing and evaluating couple assessments for decades. In an effort to address the limitations in the sole use of CTT in developing self-report couple assessments, the present study integrated a modern test theory called Item Response Theory (IRT) and evaluated …

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The Relation Of The Expression Of Offense To Forgiving, Laura Grace Hall Nov 2010

The Relation Of The Expression Of Offense To Forgiving, Laura Grace Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Forgiveness is an essential component of relationship growth and healing, with academic, professional, and public interest in research and writing on the topic continually increasing over the past two decades. Indignation is endemic to interpersonal offense, and a key component of the forgiveness process; few, however, have written about the potentially facilitative role that it may play. Disparate conceptualizations of indignation among researchers and therapists may impede therapeutic progress, individually and interpersonally. This study presents a review of social science literature on forgiveness and a new model of the emotional response to offense that positions corrective, protective indignation on a …

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Clergy Marriages: Couple Perception Of Marital Adjustment As The Husband Serves As A Bishop In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Deena D. Strong Nov 2010

Clergy Marriages: Couple Perception Of Marital Adjustment As The Husband Serves As A Bishop In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Deena D. Strong

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to produce a theoretical model to illustrate marital adjustment as a husband becomes a bishop (a lay-clergy position) in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Individual interviews were conducted with the husband and wife of six married couples wherein the husband was currently serving as a bishop. Grounded theory methods and elements of phenomenological research were used to collect and analyze the data. The model presented depicts the adjustment process that begins with the marital relationship prior to the husband becoming an LDS bishop. The husband then becomes an LDS bishop and begins …

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Sibling Relationships, Stress, And Well-Being During Early Adolescence, Alisa Danielle Cox Van Langeveld Aug 2010

Sibling Relationships, Stress, And Well-Being During Early Adolescence, Alisa Danielle Cox Van Langeveld

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether the quality of the sibling relationship can alter the negative impact of stress on child well being. Participants were of 311 families (236 two parent families and 75 single parent families) with an adolescent child (M age of child at Time 1 = 11.25, SD = .99, 51% female) who took part in the Flourishing Families Project. Data were assessed using both a multiple time point cross-section and a two wave longitudinal design. Hierarchal linear regression suggested that when assessing the direct effects of sibling on well being, sibling affection is a better predictor of …

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Sleep, Bmi, And Work-Family Conflict: A Gender Comparison Of U.S. Workers, Blake Lee Jones Aug 2010

Sleep, Bmi, And Work-Family Conflict: A Gender Comparison Of U.S. Workers, Blake Lee Jones

Theses and Dissertations

This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine how sleep problems, Body Mass Index (BMI), and poverty were related to several work, personal, and family variables in a sample of married male and female workers in the United States. The data for this study came from the National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) 2008. This large, nationally representative dataset provided a resource for examining potential gender differences in variables that have been linked to sleep problems and increases in BMI, as well as how each of these variables relate to several work, personal, and family life outcomes, including …

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Parenting Dimensions And Adolescent Sharing And Concealment, Chelom Eastwood Leavitt Jul 2010

Parenting Dimensions And Adolescent Sharing And Concealment, Chelom Eastwood Leavitt

Theses and Dissertations

Given potential risk factors in the lives of adolescents, parents are usually motivated to monitor and protect their adolescents. There is a need to better understand what combinations of parental dimensions and practice best influence an adolescent's propensity to disclose or conceal personal information with their parents. This paper examines how parenting dimensions (warmth, psychological control, and harsh punishment) and the parenting practice of solicitation influence an adolescent's propensity to disclose or conceal information. Adolescents in 106 families (53 females; predominantly Caucasian) reported on their mothers' and fathers' parenting dimensions as well as their parents' effort to solicit information. Factor …

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Age Differences In Marriage: Exploring Predictors Of Marital Quality In Husband-Older, Wife-Older, And Same-Age Marriages, Brandan E. Wheeler Jul 2010

Age Differences In Marriage: Exploring Predictors Of Marital Quality In Husband-Older, Wife-Older, And Same-Age Marriages, Brandan E. Wheeler

Theses and Dissertations

Using data from a nationally representative sample of 723 married adults, this study explored the association of age differences between spouses at the time of marriage on various aspects of marital quality years into the marriage. Four groups (full sample, husband-older, wife-older, and same-age marriages) were compared to see how marital quality was affected by age difference and several other moderating variables. Spousal interactions increased among wife-older marriages, but not among the other groups. An increased level of husband participation in household labor was linked with an increase in marital happiness and a decrease in marital problems for wife-older marriages. …

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The Relationship Between Couple Attachment And Sexual Satisfaction With Covert Relational Aggression As A Mediator: A Longitudinal Study, Anthony Allen Hughes Jul 2010

The Relationship Between Couple Attachment And Sexual Satisfaction With Covert Relational Aggression As A Mediator: A Longitudinal Study, Anthony Allen Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Using questionnaires, self report, and partner report of spouse, this longitudinal investigation examined the relationship between couple insecure attachment, covert relational aggression, and sexual satisfaction of each partner one year after their initial assessment, while controlling for sexual satisfaction at the time of our initial assessment. Findings showed that wives were more impacted by both actor and partner effects of covert relational aggression. Wives' sexual satisfaction was predicted by the increase in insecure attachment of both self and spouse through covert relational aggression. Wives insecure attachment did not cause a significant decrease in husbands' sexual satisfaction at time 2. Husbands …

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The Relationship Between Attachment Related Family-Of-Origin Experiences And Sexual Satisfaction In Married Couples, James G. Strait Jul 2010

The Relationship Between Attachment Related Family-Of-Origin Experiences And Sexual Satisfaction In Married Couples, James G. Strait

Theses and Dissertations

This study of married couples examined the relationship between perceptions of attachment related family-of-origin experiences and sexual satisfaction directly and when mediated by marital quality. The sample consisted of 3,953 married couples who responded to the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE). The nested model showed that more positive overall family-of-origin experiences and parent-child relationships were related to higher sexual satisfaction. When adding marital quality as a mediator, overall family-of-origin experience and the parent-child relationship were predictive of higher sexual satisfaction when mediated by marital quality but removed most direct effects to sexual satisfaction. There was a strong positive relationship between marital quality …

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Humor As A Moderating Variable Of The Relationship Between Family Conflict And Self-Regulation In Children: A Two-Year Panel Study, Kristiane Madsen Jul 2010

Humor As A Moderating Variable Of The Relationship Between Family Conflict And Self-Regulation In Children: A Two-Year Panel Study, Kristiane Madsen

Theses and Dissertations

Conflict is a common problem among families, and children may be negatively affected by this family dynamic. Some family characteristics may protect children from negative effects, even in the midst of conflict. Though little research has been conducted addressing familial effects of humor, the current longitudinal study examined the moderating effect of humor on the relationship between family conflict and child self regulation. Two hundred ninety six two-parent families from the Seattle area were surveyed and observed as a party of Brigham Young University's Flourishing Family Project. Family conflict and coded humor from an observation task were assessed at time …

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The Relationship Of Equal Division Of Labor And Satisfaction Of Division Of Labor To Positive Parenting As Mediated By Parents' Relationship Quality, Lauren Alyssa Bone Barnes Jul 2010

The Relationship Of Equal Division Of Labor And Satisfaction Of Division Of Labor To Positive Parenting As Mediated By Parents' Relationship Quality, Lauren Alyssa Bone Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Couples learn to negotiate a complex intersection between household labor and family processes. Using both observational coding and questionnaire self report, this study examined the relationship between father and mothers' reported equality with their division-of-labor, their satisfaction with division-of-labor and their respective positive parenting as observed in taped interaction with a target child while controlling for quality of the relationship between the parents. Findings showed that egalitarian division of labor was positively related to satisfaction in division of labor and that egalitarian division of labor was a significant predictor of mothers' relationship quality, but not fathers' relationship quality. It also …

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Emotional Intimacy, Coparenting, And Family Work: A Latent Class Growth Analysis, Adam Michael Galovan Jul 2010

Emotional Intimacy, Coparenting, And Family Work: A Latent Class Growth Analysis, Adam Michael Galovan

Theses and Dissertations

From a family systems theoretical view, this paper uses both variable-oriented and person-oriented research approaches to examine parental marriage as a dynamic, interdependent system, and extends the literature by examining parental marriage across a 15 year time span. Employing latent growth curve analysis of 490 mother-father dyads from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, this study considers multiple aspects of the relationship husbands and wives have together as spouses (emotional intimacy), parents (ideas about discipline and a child-centered vs. adult-centered orientation to childrearing), coparents (agreement regarding parenting beliefs and discipline), and household managers (agreement on the …

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