Recently, attachment theory has been proposed as a possible unifying framework for assessing the parent-child relationship as part of custody determinations, due to the theory's rich empirical support. Though forensic evaluators have begun to incorporate the child’s attachment to his/her caretaker, the question of the parents' adult attachment style has so far been overlooked as a potentially relevant area for gathering information regarding parenting. Adult attachment theory not only has implications for parenting, but also for understanding co-parenting relationships and conflicts, which is often the primary reason for many child custody referrals. This study will use an attachment framework to explore group differences between child custody litigants and satisfied married couples on the Rorschach Inkblot Test. Analyses of these variables will be completed through multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Additionally, discriminant function analysis (DFA) will be conducted to explore the dimensionality of the multivariate composites between groups. Information derived from the prospective study will contribute to understanding specific attachment related group differences and thus serve as the first step in establishing the R-PAS as a system for detecting attachment organization in child-custody litigants. It is hoped that this research will better inform forensic evaluators concerning: stress and coping styles; co-parenting; caregiving fitness; and ultimately child custody decisions. / text

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Couples who divorce are likely to experience increased levels of psychological distress, decreased levels of happiness, and increased levels of depression. To reduce these negative effects, litigators use mediation to resolve disagreements including child custody disputes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare divorcing parents' depression and satisfaction with the process after the use of mediation or litigation. Wexler's theory of therapeutic jurisprudence provided the theoretical framework. Data was collected from 170 participants who were recruited using convenience sampling through Facebook. Participants voluntarily completed a survey which included a researcher developed questionnaire, the Acrimony Scale, the Nonacceptance of Marital Termination, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression. Results from MANOVA and ANOVA analyses showed that participants who used mediation reported significantly higher levels of fairness and control than parents who used litigation. Findings could be used to inform divorcing parents that mediation may provide them with higher levels of fairness and control. Divorcing couples could be offered mediation services that are more effective and will more likely meet their needs. Court systems could offer mediation as a mandatory first step. This may reduce the number of cases that litigate. Since mediation is generally free, parents would not be forced to pay money for the services and they may end feeling that they had more control within their dispute. If more families experience more fairness and control within their dispute, their overall psychological wellbeing may be improved, thereby positively impacting social change.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [125]-138).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Drexel University, 2009. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-65).

Varje dag fattas beslut som kan komma att förändra människors liv. Årligen berörs omkring 50 000 barn av föräldrars separation där cirka 7000 av fallen leder till en vårdnadstvist som löses i tingsrätten. Familjerättens utredning blir ofta avgörande för domstolsbeslutet om vem som tillskrivs vårdnaden över barnet. Följande studie fokuserar på att ur ett deskriptivt beslutsteoretiskt perspektiv finna vilka faktorer som influerar bedömningsprocessen med fokus på könsdiskriminering och presentationsordningseffekt, alltså huruvida ordningen av föräldrarnas utsaga påverkar bedömningen. För att undersöka hur individen blir påverkad i sitt beslutsfattande fick en deltagargrupp med högskolestudenter läsa ett vårdnadstvistfall där modern och faderns utsaga presenteras för att sedan ta ställning till bland annat vilken förälder de ansåg vara mest trovärdig. Resultatet visade ingen signifikant effekt av presentationsordning, men selektiva könseffekter framkom.

This study will investigate the effect of instructional material on constellations of personality functioning measurable by the Rorschach using a sample of parents from the community. Repeated measures ANOVA and qualitative techniques will be used to analyze the data. It is expected that reading online material will result in more defensive Rorschach protocols, but will not affect variables noted in the literature to be important aspects of parenting capacity. The results will be of interest to psychologists concerned about the proliferation of testing material on the Internet and practitioners conducting forensic evaluations. / text

Same sex couples around the nation have continually fought for their right to marry and in thirty-six states they have been given that right. What same-sex couples did not think to fight for was the right to divorce. There has been a considerable lack of focus on one such issue often left out of the public discourse over marriage equality: determining parental rights for the purposes of child custody/visitation in the context of a homosexual relationship that has broken down. The choice to have a child in a same-sex couple, with the exception of adoption, usually only allows for one parent to serve as the biological parent to the child. These options include: surrogacy, in vitro fertilization, and artificial insemination. What that means is that it leaves the other parent as the nonlegal and nonbiological parent in which they would be given no rights to the child if the relationship were to dissolve. After looking at many cases in Florida, the courts place a significant emphasis on biology in determining child custody in dissolution of marriage or relationship proceedings. In this thesis, we offer solutions in order to allow same-sex couples the equal parental rights they deserve even when they are not the biological parent of the child. Florida statutes have not been updated to reflect the changes in the law such as the recognition of same-sex marriage and the right for same-sex couples to adopt. Although restrictions on adoption and same sex marriages have been found unconstitutional, the implications of these changes in the law regarding custody and parental rights have not changed. Once the proposed solutions have been adopted, same-sex couples will be able to dissolve their relationships and marriages without fear of losing the custody and/or visitation rights to their child while still applying the best interest of the child standard used in heterosexual dissolution of marriage cases.

The aim of the study is to, with a norm critical perspective, highlight how men and their parenting are represented and framed in child custody investigation reports in Sweden. The main focus is to show norms and beliefs about men and their parenting as several sources indicate that discrimination related to gender and ethnicity occurs. Based on a qualitative research effort, a document analysis has been made by 14 child custody investigation reports from diverse areas in the country. Through a thematic analysis tree themes became apparent. “Culture as an explanation”, “Gender inequality and women understand women best” and “The receiving father vs. the authoritarian father”. The selected theories that have been used to create an understanding of our research problem are the gender system and postcolonial theory. The results gave us the conclusion that in this context both structural discrimination and racial prejudices towards fathers are apparent in many cases.