Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-111).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-111).

A pesquisa tem como objetivo reformular uma base de dados, desenvolvida e utilizada pela equipe do Laboratório de Estudos da Conjugalidade (LEC): atendimento em Psicoterapia Breve. Esta base de dados informatizada é um instrumento que visa aprimorar a forma de registro de material clínico de atendimentos em psicoterapia breve para fins clínico-institucionais e de pesquisa o que, como decorrência, contribuirá também com o serviço de psicoterapia na clínica institucional. O projeto de pesquisa foi elaborado a partir da experiência da autora nas atividades clínicas que desenvolve como psicóloga na Clínica Psicológica do Instituto Sedes Sapientiae (ISS), mais especificamente no LEC. A autora realiza atendimentos em psicoterapia breve nas modalidades individual e casal, participa das supervisões e discussões de caso em grupo e de grupos de estudos com a equipe do referido Laboratório. Os atendimentos clínicos seguem a fundamentação teórica e técnica baseada principalmente nos autores: Winnicott, Malan, Gilliéron, Bergeret e Hegenberg. Utilizando como metodologia qualitativa a análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin e Turato, e tendo como documentos para análise os registros realizados pelos psicoterapeutas no período de outubro de 1999 a julho de 2004, foi realizada a sistematização e categorização dos registros. A pesquisa tem por foco os registros da fase inicial do processo de psicoterapia breve (avaliação inicial). Em função dos resultados obtidos aprimoramos o banco de dados já existente possibilitando a utilização dos respectivos registros clínicos para pesquisas quantitativas e qualitativas com apoio dos recursos da informática (desenvolvimento de software). A versão informatizada já se encontra disponível para fase de testes. / This research aims to exam and refine a set of data, developed and used by the staff of the Laboratório de Estudos da Conjugalidade: atendimento em psicoterapia breve (LEC). This computerized set of data is a tool which tries to improve the way the clinical material of the sessions of brief psychotherapy is recorded, making these reports able to be used in clinical-institutional work as well as in new researches; and, of course, this will contribute also to the work in the institutional clinic. This research was designed on the grounds of the author\'s experience in her activities as psychologist of the Clínica Psicológica do Instituto Sedes Sapientiae (ISS), particularly in the LEC. In her practice the author does brief psychotherapy - individual or with couples -, works in supervisions and discussions of cases in groups and attends lecture groups with the staff of the above mentioned LEC. In her practice the author uses mainly the technical and theoretical approaches of the following authors: Winnicott, Malan, Gilliéron, Bergeret and Hegenberg. By using as methodological framework the context analysis suggested by Bardin, and having as raw material for this investigation the reports made by the psychologists of the LEC between october/99 and july/04, we aim to systematize and ordinate the data. The focus of the research will be the records of the initial phase of the process of brief psychotherapy (preliminary evaluation). By the end of the research we expect to have refined the existing data permitting, from then on, the correct use of this set of records of clinical cases in new qualitative and quantitative researches with the support of modern techniques in informatics (developing of software).

This study examined the impact of perceived economic hardship on family processes and children's socially withdrawn (reticent) behaviors in Romania. The sample consisted of 121 Romanian mothers and fathers of 4-5 year old children, as well as children's kindergarten teachers. Drawing on Conger and colleagues' family stress model of economic hardship, the associations among mothers' and fathers' ratings of economic hardship, depression, marital conflict, psychologically controlling parenting, and teacher ratings of child social withdrawal were analyzed. Structural equation modeling using AMOS 7.0 was used to test the model. Findings generally support earlier studies with European American families, as well as research with families outside of the U.S. Results indicate that higher perceptions of economic hardship related to increases in marital conflict. Mothers' and fathers' depression also associated positively with marital conflict. Marital conflict related to psychologically controlling parenting and mediated the effects of parents' depression on psychological control. Psychological control, in turn, associated positively with children's socially withdrawn (reticent) behaviors. Multiple group analysis indicated that the models for boys (N = 61) and girls (N = 60) were significantly different. Further analyses indicated that for boys, psychologically controlling parenting did not predict reticence. For girls, only fathers' psychological control predicted reticence. Significant links were additionally found for girls between economic hardship and fathers' depression, and between fathers' depression and psychologically controlling parenting.

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 control, and fathers' caregiver burden predicted fathers' use of psychological control. Fathers' paths were stronger from marital conflict to caregiver burden and from caregiver burden to psychological control than the mothers' paths. Only fathers had a significant path from HbA1c to caregiver burden.

For religious couples, the spiritual domain stands alongside the biological, psychological, and systemic domains as an influence upon interaction and mechanism for change. This study is a quantitative expansion of Butler, Gardner, and Bird's (1998) qualitative study, of the change dynamics of prayer. This study attempted to improve the generalizability of the Butler et al. (1998) study through its use of a larger, and religiously and geographically more diverse sample. This study investigated the effects of prayer during times of marital conflict through a quantitative methodology with a survey design. The researchers developed a survey based on the findings of the Butler et al. (1998) study, regarding the effects of prayer on couple conflict. The data on over 90 Christian religious couples was statistically analyzed to determine the reliability of the Prayer Conflict II instrument and to further confirm the Butler et al. (1998) findings. Findings indicated that prayer invokes a couple-God system which significantly influences couple interaction during conflict. Overall, prayer appears to be a significant "softening" event for religious couples, facilitating reconciliation and problem solving. Prayer 1) invokes an experience of relationship with Deity, 2) de-escalates hostile emotions and reduces emotional reactivity, 3) enhances relationship and partner orientation and behavior, 4) facilitates empathy and unbiased perspective, 5) increases self-change focus, and 6) encourages couple responsibility for reconciliation and problem solving. Therapists' support of religious couples' use of prayer as a change mechanism is considered.

The effects of divorce on trust in intimate heterosexual relationships were investigated using a sample of 478 college students (156 males, 322 females). Subjects were asked to respond to scenarios and questionnaires assessing parental marital status, just world beliefs, parental conflict, and trust. Attitudes toward divorce and common problems were also assessed.

本研究的主要目的，乃在探討父母親的婚姻衝突對兒童生活適應影響歷程模式的適切性，並以兒童自陳報告的方式進行，期能從兒童的觀點瞭解婚姻衝突對他們造成生活適應影響的歷程，在此研究中親子關係與情緒安全扮演父母親婚姻衝突對兒童生活適應影響的中介角色。 以449名國小五、六年級的兒童為研究對象（男生226人，女生223人）。研究工具包括兒童自評的「兒童知覺雙親衝突量表」、「親子關係量表」、「兒童情緒安全量表」、「學校生活適應量表」、以及教師評量的「兒童行為評量表」。 資料分析採用 LISREL8進行假設考驗並驗證假設模式適切性。結果發現本研究所提出的模式被接受。兒童知覺的雙親婚姻衝突會直接影響兒童知覺的親子關係並進而間接影響兒童的生活適應，而且兒童知覺的雙親衝突對兒童的生活適應有直接的影響。 另外，兒童知覺的雙親婚姻衝突對兒童的情緒安全感有直接影響。根據研究結果，本研究建議父母應盡量避免在小孩面前爭吵，且在衝突過後應盡量設法尋求解決之道，並向孩子說明衝突原因。此外，父母應多參加家庭教育活動與親子活動，以減少婚姻衝突對兒童的 不利影響。學校方面應多加強與家庭的聯繫工作，並教導各種技巧，以提高兒童因應衝突的能力，減少婚姻衝突對兒童的不利影響。 / This study examined the fittness of the model of the influences for children's perceptions of interparental marital conflict on children's adjustment. In this study, parent-child relationship and emotional security were the mediative variables. Subjects were 449 elementary school students ( 226 boys , 223 girls ).Using LISREL8 to test the fittness ,the model was accepted. Children's perceptions of interparental marital conflict would directly affect children's perception of parent-child relationship and indirectly affected children's adjustment.And children's perceptions of interparental marital conflict directly affected children's emotional security.The useness and limitation of this study werediscussed.

Despite the large number of children and siblings who are exposed to domestic violence, relatively few studies have examined sibling influences on the psychosocial effects of exposure to domestic violence. The aim of this study was to explore the opinions of experienced child and family clinicians on whether, and how, the presence of siblings moderates children’s experiences of domestic violence and any subsequent effects on their development and wellbeing. This study employed an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to analyse interviews with five clinicians. Analysis of the interviews revealed six superordinate themes; one sibling taking on a protective and parental role; polarisation of sibling relationships; factors influencing sibling relationships; the impact on the sibling taking on a parenting or protective role; impact on the sibling being protected; and the importance of individual family context. Overall, the findings from the interviews with the clinicians suggest that in families where children are exposed to domestic violence one child tends to take on a parental role and also attempts to protect their siblings from the violence. These results also emphasise the importance of formulation in understanding the influence of sibling relationships on the psychosocial effects of domestic violence, as there are many different factors which need to be considered. Some implications for clinical practice are discussed and potential future research directions are outlined.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Notre Dame, 2006. / Thesis directed by E. Mark Cummings for the Department of Psychology. "April 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-90).