Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Psy.D.)--Wheaton College, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-49).

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-49).

This study suggests that adolescents with a poor self-esteem and poor social development are more at risk for online predators. Adolescents from insecure parent-child relationships could be at greater risk for engaging in risky online internet behavior. The primary purpose of this study is to examine this link.

This study examined the levels of collective and personal self-esteem as well as the relationships between parental communications and self-esteem in college students in Japan (N= 260) and the U.S. (N= 286). The results showed that the U.S. students reported significantly higher collective self-esteem and higher personal self-esteem than did the Japanese students. Parental communications related to self-esteem differently among Japanese and the U.S. students. Japanese students who had more open communications with their mothers had higher collective and personal self-esteem, whereas those who had more open communications with their fathers had higher personal self-esteem. In contrast, for the U.S. students, more open communications with either their mothers or fathers was associated with both higher personal and collective self-esteem. / Department of Psychological Science

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Affirming or positive family communication is an important aspect in helping families and individuals protect themselves against various life challenges (Greeff & Du Toit, 2009; Greeff & Van der Merwe, 2004; Norman, 2000). According to Barnes and Olson (1985), affirming family communication plays an important role in an adolescent’s development. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between affirming family communication and family functioning. The relationships between family functioning and the quality of communication between the adolescent and the father and mother respectively were also investigated. Then, as the main focus of the present study, affirming family communication was explored qualitatively from the perspective of the adolescents. A quantitative survey research design was combined with an exploratory, qualitative design. The quantitative data was collected with self-report questionnaires, while the qualitative data was gathered by recording a discussion of affirming family communication in focus groups. The participants were first-year Psychology students of the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. A total of 83 females and 17 males took part in the quantitative component of the present study (N = 100). Fourteen of these 100 students also took part in the focus group discussions. Pearson correlation coefficients revealed a significant positive correlation between affirming family communication and family functioning. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between family functioning and openness in communication between the adolescent and the mother and father respectively. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that openness in communication with the mother, affirming family communication and problems in communication with the father were important predictors of family functioning. Three core categories (with sub-categories) emerged from the content analysis of the focus group discussions on affirming family communication. These core categories were verbal affirming communication, non-verbal affirming communication and functional affirming communication. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of affirming family communication, especially in families with adolescent children, while also providing a description of affirming family communication from the adolescents’ perspectives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bevestigende of positiewe gesinskommunikasie is ’n belangrike aspek wat gesinne en individue in staat stel om hulself teen verskeie lewensuitdagings te beskerm (Greeff & Du Toit, 2009; Greeff & Van der Merwe, 2004; Norman, 2000). Volgens Barnes and Olson (1985) speel bevestigende gesinskommunikasie ’n belangrike rol in die ontwikkeling van ’n adolessent. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die verhouding tussen bevestigende gesinskommunikasie en gesinsfunksionering te bepaal. Die verhoudings tussen gesinsfunksionering en die kwaliteit van kommunikasie tussen die adolessent en elk van die ouers is ook ondersoek. Laastens is bevestigende gesinskommunikasie, as die hoof fokus van hierdie ondersoek, op ’n kwalitatiewe wyse vanaf die adolessent se perspektief ondersoek. ’n Kwantitatiewe opname-navorsingsontwerp is gekombineer met ’n eksploratiewe, kwalitatiewe ontwerp. Die kwantitatiewe data is met behulp van selfrapporteringsvraelyste ingesamel en die kwalitatiewe data is ingesamel deur ’n opname te maak van ’n bespreking van bevestigende gesinskommunikasie in fokusgroepe. Die deelnemers was eerstejaar Sielkunde-studente van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch in Suid-Afrika. ’n Totaal van 83 vroue en 17 mans het aan die kwantitatiewe komponent van die ondersoek deelgeneem (N = 100). Veertien van hierdie 100 studente het ook aan die fokusgroepbesprekings deelgeneem. Pearson korrelasiekoëffisiënte toon hoogs beduidende korrelasies tussen bevestigende gesinskommunikasie en gesinsfunksionering. Verder is daar ook hoogs beduidende korrelasies gevind tussen gesinsfunksionering en openheid in kommunikasie tussen die adolessent en die ma en pa onderskeidelik. Die resultate van die meervoudige regressieontledings het getoon dat openheid in kommunikasie met die ma, bevestigende gesinskommunikasie en probleme in kommunikasie met die pa belangrike voorspellers was van gesinsfunksionering. Op grond van die fokusgroepbesprekings oor bevestigende gesinskommunikasie het drie kernkategorieë (met subtemas) deur ’n inhoudsanalise na vore gekom. Hierdie kernkategorieë is verbale bevestigende kommunikasie, nie-verbale bevestigende kommunikasie en funksionele bevestigende kommunikasie. Die bevindinge van hierdie ondersoek beklemtoon die belangrikheid van bevestigende gesinskommunikasie, veral in gesinne met adolessente kinders, terwyl dit ook ’n beskrywing bied van bevestigende gesinskommunikasie vanuit die perspektief van adolessente.

The purpose of the current study was to examine young women's perceptions of both verbal and nonverbal sexual communication from their mothers during childhood and how these perceptions are related to the female offspring's current sexual experiences and attitudes. More specifically, I hypothesized that perceptions of negative parental sexual communication will be related to relatively low levels of sexual experience, comfort regarding sexual activity, and sexual assertiveness, as well as negative affect and cognition regarding sexuality. I also hypothesized that female offspring will receive significantly more sexual communication from mother than from father. Finally, predicted that the communication received from mother, as opposed to father, will be related to high levels of sexual experience, sexual comfort, sexual assertiveness, and more positive sexual affect and cognition. There were 295 female college students who completed questionnaires regarding sexual experience, comfort with sexual activity, sexual assertiveness, perceptions of parental sexual communication, affective and cognitive properties of sexual attitude, and erotophobia/erotophilia. Perceptions of parental sexual communication were measured with a survey developed specifically for the current study. Two forms of this survey were used; one to measure mother's verbal communication and the other to measure nonverbal communication. Results showed a negative correlation between tone of parental sexual communication and sexual experience, as well as a positive correlation between parental sexual communication and sexual cognition. The results of this study also showed that more sexual communication is perceived from mother than from father, and amount of mother's communication was significantly related to sexual assertiveness and affective properties of sexual attitudes. / Department of Psychological Science

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ease of discussion of sexual likes and dislikes with a sexual partner and religious, expressive, and affectional influences in the family of origin.

The number of children in the United States with an incarcerated parent continues to rise. Currently, more than 1.7 million children have at least one incarcerated parent. In addition, research has found that children with criminally involved parents are at a higher risk of also becoming offenders (Glaze & Maruschak, 2010). Research has shown that incarcerated parents' abilities to maintain communication with their children may decrease negative behaviors while incarcerated and may decrease the negative effects of being removed from their families. The current study utilizes secondary data to explore the types of communication incarcerated parents use in order to stay connected with their children. The goal is to understand gendered differences regarding how incarcerated mothers versus incarcerated fathers choose to communicate with their children, and to understand which forms of communication (letter writing, face to face visits, and phone calls) are utilized most often by incarcerated parents to maintain and strengthen the bonds with their children. Logistic Regressions identified that incarcerated mothers are more likely to have at least one visit, phone call, and will utilize more forms of communication in a month's time, with their children. These findings both support and contradict previous studies. Implications of the findings and further suggestions are discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 204-226).