This study was designed to investigate parental attitude and family social environment characteristics of functional family systems. Further, through a discriminant analysis of the data, instrumentation for assessing the relative level of functioning of a family system was sought. Observed differences between functional and dysfunctional family systems are examined for their consistency with the theoretical assumptions of Adler's Individual Psychology. Finally, implications of the obtained results for treatment goals and outcome research in family therapy and parent education programs are discussed. School counselors from junior high schools in one southwestern United States city were utilized to identify families meeting the established criteria for inclusion in each of the criterion groups, functional and dysfunctional families. Forty-nine, two-parent households with at least one child between twelve and fifteen years of age agreed to participate in the study. This included thirty-five functional and fourteen dysfunctional families. Similarity between the groups was established on the basis of ethnicity, religion, education and age of parents and, length of marriage. Three dependent measures were employed: the Parental Attitude Research Instrument-Q4 (Schludermann & Schludermann, 1979), the Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974) and, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Disirability Scale: short form (Reynolds, 1982). Separate but identical analyses of the data were conducted by sample groupings of: total family, parents, fathers, mothers and, early adolescents. No significant differences between the criterion groups were obtained on Social Desirability nor the PARI-Q4 factors of democratic attitudes, paternal attachment or, family disharmony. Some questions arose from the data as to the validity of the PARI-Q4 factors. On the Family Environment Scale, statistically significant differences were obtained on several of the subscales. A discriminant analysis of the data resulted in identifying several Family Environment Scale subscales which in combination were able to successfully discriminate 78.91% of the sample (n = 147). The discriminant function was better able to identify functional than dysfunctional family members. The observed results are largely consistent with the theoretical principles of Adler's Individual Psychology regarding functional family systems.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xix, 238 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-218).

Thesis--PlanB (Ed. Spec.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1999. / Field problem. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Charlotte, N.C., 2003. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-103).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2003. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-145).

This study was designed to investigate the suitability of conducting Adlerian Family Counseling in a home setting. Research hypotheses and corresponding null hypotheses were formulated and additional information was collected through the use of several subjective forms. The subjects of this study were 20 families who requested counseling from Counseling Information and Resource Center for Adults (C.I.R.C.A.) during the 1981 spring semester at The University of Arizona. The counselors were graduate students seeking either a masters or doctorate degree in the Department ofCounseling and Guidance at The University of Arizona. The study consisted of a two-group pretest-posttest experimental design which was used to compare the effectiveness of Adlerian Family Counseling conducted in the home or clinic setting. The subjects were randomly divided into a clinic group and a home group. Each of the ten families in both groups was administered the Adlerian Parental Assessment of Child Behavior Scale (APACBS) during the initial interview and then again after the third, fourth, or fifth counseling session. The pretest score was eventually subtracted from the posttest score to yield a gain score which was used as indication of counseling success. The following subjective evaluation forms were completed after the posttest: Client Satisfaction Scale, Setting Evaluation Form, Counselor Agreement with Literature Form. The correlated t-test was utilized to verify the efficacy of Adlerian Family Counseling when conducted in either setting. The results indicated a significant improvement in the families of both groups. An analysis of covariance was conducted to determine if the home setting yielded better results than the clinic setting and finding no significance the null hypothesis of no difference was retained. An analysis of the additional information revealed that: (1) The clients of both settings were equally satisified with the counseling they received. (2) The counselors expressed an overwhelming preference for the clinic setting. (3) The counselors reported more disadvantages than advantages in the home setting. (4) The counselors generally disagreed with the pro-home-setting arguments found in the literature.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2006. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-170).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-59).