M.Phil. (Psychology) / The aim of this study is to examine the influence that the parent-child relationship has over development of the adolescent. This isdone through the theoretical concept of individuation. The basic assumption of this study is that it is not only the adolescent that undergoes certain developmental changes during individuation, but that the relationship context wherein he finds himself, also changes. Furthermore, the adolescent and his context influence one another mutually. Individuation does not just pose certain demands on the adolescent, but also on the parent-adolescent relationship as well as the family system. It is also evident that family functioning has an important influence over the type and quality of the parent-adolescent relationship. Therefore the dynamic interaction between family functioning, the characteristics of the parent-adolescent relationship, and the personality development of the adolescent is being examined according to developmental theories as well as the family system approach. In order to examine the relation between the personality characteristics of the adolescent and the characteristics of the parent-adolescent relationship, a single conceptual model is used in which the common theoretical traits that occur in both the developmental and systems approach, is integrated. Various types of parent-adolescent interaction is therefore identified according to this integrated theoretical model, whereupon the relation between this types of parent-adolescent interactions and specified personality traits of the adolescent can be examined.

Parent-child relationships serve as the foundation for social emotional competence in young children. To support the healthy social emotional development of their children, parents may need to acquire information, resources, and skills through interventions that are based upon assessment of parent competence. This manuscript presents results from a study of parents of toddlers and the practitioners who serve them in a suburban area of the Pacific Northwest. The purpose of the study was to conduct initial psychometric studies on a curriculum-based tool, the Social Emotional Assessment Measure (SEAM), focused on improving parent-child interactions for parents of toddlers. Convergent validity and utility were investigated for the SEAM Parent-Toddler Interval. Findings suggest that the SEAM Parent-Toddler Interval is an appropriate tool that can identify the strengths and needs of parents and assist in designing quality interventions that might alter developmental trajectories, leading to improved family and child outcomes.

Background: Interventions for young children with autism are increasingly delivered through parents. This thesis investigated baseline and process variables associating with quality of parent-therapist alliance in a parent-mediated intervention for autism, including variables relating to parents' causal beliefs and perspectives. Participants: 77 parents and 6 therapists from a RCT of a parent-mediated intervention for autism (PACT). Method: A sequential exploratory mixed methods approach, with an intermediary instrument development phase. Baseline variables, investigated for the full sample of 77 cases, comprised demographic variables, parental dichotomous causal belief variables, and a therapist average fidelity variable. Thematic analysis of intervention session transcripts informed the development of the Parental Perspectives Coding Scheme (PPCS), a video-based scheme for rating the quality of parent 'Expression' and therapist 'Integration' of parental perspectives during intervention. 5 overarching themes were initially identified, these were collapsed into three items for the PPCS; Interpretation of the Child (IOC), Parent Actions and Strategies (PAS) and Parental Self Disclosures (PSD). Item inter-rater reliabilities were satisfactory to good. Parent-therapist dialogue, for a sub-sample of 20 cases, was coded using the PPCS to create process variables for the Expression and Integration of parental perspectives. Initial analyses identified baseline and process variables with significant univariate associations with alliance; these were included in separate multivariate models of parent-rated alliance and therapist-rated alliance. Results: Parent-rated and therapist-rated alliance did not correlate. PPCS Expression and Integration scores were higher in the high parent-rated alliance group but the difference was non-significant. Parents who cited MMR as a possible cause of their child's autism rated the alliance significantly lower than those who did not. Parents with no post-16 qualifications rated the alliance significantly higher than those with higher qualifications. Each factor contributed independently to a multiple regression model, together explaining 18.3% of variance in parent-rated alliance. Therapist-rated alliance significantly correlated positively with therapist fidelity and with PPCS variables for parent Expression and therapist Integration; together these explained 58.8% of variance in therapist-rated alliance. Conclusions: Therapists should be aware that parents may rate the alliance differently from themselves and that different factors associate with their ratings. Parents' causal beliefs and level of education may influence their ratings of alliance in specific interventions.

Externalizing behavior problems during early childhood are fairly common, with approximately 10% to 15% of young children exhibiting at least mild to moderate disruptive behaviors. Of great significance, disruptive behaviors persist beyond early childhood for a substantial number of children and are related to impaired functioning 111 for children and families. Parent discipline and parent stress are two variables that have been examined in relation to children's disruptive behaviors. While a significant body of research has documented the association between broad parental discipline strategies and behavior problems during early childhood, little research attention has been devoted to specific discipline techniques that may be related to disruptive behaviors. This study surveyed 30 parents of children with behavior problems and 57 parents of children without behavior problems about the discipline techniques they use with their preschool children. The relationships between the specific techniques parents use with their young children, parents' perceived stress level, and parent-reported child behavior problems were examined. Telling the child "no," corrective feedback, lecturing, and scolding were the discipline techniques parents reported using most often. The discipline techniques of corrective feedback and threats as well as parent stress emerged as significant predictors of disruptive behaviors. Conclusions and clinical implications of these findings are provided.

The pursuit of higher education has become a highly desirable aspiration for many children in the United States, yet majority of these children are not provided the opportunity to make this a reality. Research reveal Students of Color and lower socio-economic status are largely under-represented in institutions of postsecondary education (Camacho Liu, 2011; Choy, 2001; U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Latina/o students, in particular, continue to experience some of the lowest levels of educational attainment in this country. Education scholars contend that a college-going culture can help counteract the educational limitations experienced by working-class, Students of Color, and especially first-generation college students. Using a participatory action research approach, this study shows how an inclusive parental engagement framework can push research forward in understanding the experiences of an educational leader and Latina/o parents. As they collaborate to co-develop strategies to support college-going practices within an elementary school, parental engagement is key. Data collected from two focus group interviews were analyzed for salient themes and findings pertaining to parental engagement and practices supporting higher educational attainment for Latina/o students. These findings indicate Latina/o parents experience an increase of knowledge regarding higher educational opportunities for their children. Furthermore, when parents gained important knowledge about postsecondary education, this resulted in additional collaborative efforts. For example, the collaborative development of a survey instrument aimed to determine the varying levels of college knowledge needs experienced by parents of elementary school aged children. The objective is to critically understand the intent of developing and implementing college-going practices by an (1) educational administrator and Latina/o parents within an elementary school.

In my thesis, I studied patterns of associations between the quality of parent-child relations and components of parent-child conflict in families with preadolescent children from European Canadian families, as well as recent immigrant families of Chinese and Eastern European backgrounds. A sample of 96 provided the data, which I organized in three parts. Part 1 examined associations between the quality of parent-child relations and confrontation in parent-child conflicts. 277 children and parents from 96 families participated (i.e., 96 children, 96 mothers, and 85 fathers). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to predict children's and parents' confrontation in conflicts at the parent-child dyadic level. In all models, the parent-child relationships variables (i.e., lower levels of egalitarian warmth and higher levels of power assertive parenting strategies) jointly predicted each family member's confrontation in conflicts over and above the contribution of the cultural differences. Few interactions were found. These results suggest that there are general principles governing the interface between family relationships and parent-child conflicts that transcend culturally specific socialization practices in these groups. Part 2 investigated associations between children's and parents' English knowledge, use and preference for the host or native language, and the quality of parent-child relationships and conflict negotiation in the Chinese and Eastern European immigrant families. 183 family members participated: 64 children, 64 mothers and 55 fathers. Participants independently filled out questionnaires on parent-child relationship and assessments of English knowledge and use. The results demonstrated that (1) children's English knowledge is related to warm and egalitarian relationships with their parents; (2) children's use and preference for using English at home is related to the quality of children’s relationship and conflict negotiation with mothers but not with fathers; and (3) contrary to expectations, parents' knowledge of English and the gap between parents’ and children’s English knowledge was not associated with the quality of parent-child relationships in the first years of families' adaptation to Canada. Part 3 examined associations between frequencies of conflict components with particular focus on actual and desired conflict outcomes within individually reported conflicts in parent-child dyads from the three cultural groups. Ninety two children and mothers and 75 fathers provided diary accounts of parent-child conflicts, reporting on types of conflicts, conflict outcomes, their individual satisfaction with conflict endings and any aspects of conflict that they would have changed in retrospect. Moreover, each respondent reported on their dyadic partner’s typical use of conflict strategies across daily disputes. The participants reported 1406 conflicts over a period of two weeks. Several interesting patterns of findings emerged: First, very few cultural differences emerged; rather, similar frequencies of reported conflict issues and outcomes were found across the three cultural groups. Second, preadolescent children and parents appear to have different views on which conflict components are associated with frequency of particular outcomes. Mothers' views of conflict endings are more frequently related to the nature of conflict issues than children's and fathers' views. Preadolescent children, being generally dependent on their parents, are less often likely to experience control over how conflicts should be resolved; however, they have clear views on how specific conflict issues should be resolved. More specifically, children often wished to submit when they often argued with their parents about obligations but expressed wishes to yield in retrospect less often when they argued over activities of their personal choice. In turn, mothers were less likely to compromise when they often argued over obligations and were more often likely to do so when they disagreed with their children over children's personal interests. Fathers, however, may expect to exert control regardless of the conflict issue that is being negotiated and appear satisfied when they often won. Third, conflicts over children's misbehavior appeared to be particularly salient for parents but not for their children. Parents reported more conflicts over children's misbehavior than their children did, such conflicts were related to frequencies of reported standoffs, parents were often dissatisfied and desired more often changes for constructive negotiation by both sides of parent-child dyads than their children did. Children, on the other hand, often chose not to report conflicts related to their misbehavior, which likely showed self-serving biases in disclosing their own transgressions. Fourth, children's and parents' desires for a change in reported conflicts in retrospect often did not challenge but re-affirmed patterns of actual conflict outcomes, which likely suggests that in preadolescence certain conflict sequences are relatively well established. Finally, the findings presented in Part 3 are among the first to provide evidence of links between frequencies of conflict issues, intensity of disagreements, actual and desired outcomes in parent-child dyads from three cultural groups. This multicultural study contributes to the existing literature (1) by substantiating the generality of interrelations between major qualities of parent-child relationships, (2) by providing evidence of the relations between children's and parents' English knowledge and the quality of their relationships and conflict negotiation in the earlier phases of acculturation, and (3) by providing a nuanced presentation of children's and parents' views on how they resolve conflicts on a daily basis. These evaluations provide an integrated picture of how preadolescents view and assess as well as are being viewed and assessed by their parents on important relationships matters.

Empirical research on parents’ decision making process and parents’ actual criteria when considering preschool is critical when considering its relationship to early educational experiences and subsequent outcomes for children. Research has consistently demonstrated that the type and quality of preschool program children attend has implications for future academic success. A review of past research suggests parents often have difficulty assessing quality and include a wide range of considerations that include both practical and educational features of care. The current study utilized a transactional ecological framework to examine parent considerations and related family, child and cultural factors. A series of focus groups and interviews were conducted with parents to identify parent considerations and inform creation of a survey measure designed to assess these considerations. Surveys were then completed by 203 parents from varying socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds who had a child that qualified for state-funded preschool the following year. Parents were recruited from 20 centers including Head Start programs, private-for profit programs, religiously affiliated programs and one YMCA center. Exploratory factor analysis identified two highly correlated categories of considerations: 1) characteristics that designate several types of quality indicators and 2) characteristics that designate a program’s practical features. A series of hierarchical regressions indicated a combination of cultural, family and child factors are important when assessing parents’ considerations for pre-kindergarten. In particular, socioeconomic status, parents’ beliefs about childrearing and involvement and children’s prosocial skills and family structure were uniquely related to parental endorsement of quality and practical considerations. These findings have important implications for policymakers and practitioners.

In my thesis, I studied patterns of associations between the quality of parent-child relations and components of parent-child conflict in families with preadolescent children from European Canadian families, as well as recent immigrant families of Chinese and Eastern European backgrounds. A sample of 96 provided the data, which I organized in three parts. Part 1 examined associations between the quality of parent-child relations and confrontation in parent-child conflicts. 277 children and parents from 96 families participated (i.e., 96 children, 96 mothers, and 85 fathers). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to predict children's and parents' confrontation in conflicts at the parent-child dyadic level. In all models, the parent-child relationships variables (i.e., lower levels of egalitarian warmth and higher levels of power assertive parenting strategies) jointly predicted each family member's confrontation in conflicts over and above the contribution of the cultural differences. Few interactions were found. These results suggest that there are general principles governing the interface between family relationships and parent-child conflicts that transcend culturally specific socialization practices in these groups. Part 2 investigated associations between children's and parents' English knowledge, use and preference for the host or native language, and the quality of parent-child relationships and conflict negotiation in the Chinese and Eastern European immigrant families. 183 family members participated: 64 children, 64 mothers and 55 fathers. Participants independently filled out questionnaires on parent-child relationship and assessments of English knowledge and use. The results demonstrated that (1) children's English knowledge is related to warm and egalitarian relationships with their parents; (2) children's use and preference for using English at home is related to the quality of children’s relationship and conflict negotiation with mothers but not with fathers; and (3) contrary to expectations, parents' knowledge of English and the gap between parents’ and children’s English knowledge was not associated with the quality of parent-child relationships in the first years of families' adaptation to Canada. Part 3 examined associations between frequencies of conflict components with particular focus on actual and desired conflict outcomes within individually reported conflicts in parent-child dyads from the three cultural groups. Ninety two children and mothers and 75 fathers provided diary accounts of parent-child conflicts, reporting on types of conflicts, conflict outcomes, their individual satisfaction with conflict endings and any aspects of conflict that they would have changed in retrospect. Moreover, each respondent reported on their dyadic partner’s typical use of conflict strategies across daily disputes. The participants reported 1406 conflicts over a period of two weeks. Several interesting patterns of findings emerged: First, very few cultural differences emerged; rather, similar frequencies of reported conflict issues and outcomes were found across the three cultural groups. Second, preadolescent children and parents appear to have different views on which conflict components are associated with frequency of particular outcomes. Mothers' views of conflict endings are more frequently related to the nature of conflict issues than children's and fathers' views. Preadolescent children, being generally dependent on their parents, are less often likely to experience control over how conflicts should be resolved; however, they have clear views on how specific conflict issues should be resolved. More specifically, children often wished to submit when they often argued with their parents about obligations but expressed wishes to yield in retrospect less often when they argued over activities of their personal choice. In turn, mothers were less likely to compromise when they often argued over obligations and were more often likely to do so when they disagreed with their children over children's personal interests. Fathers, however, may expect to exert control regardless of the conflict issue that is being negotiated and appear satisfied when they often won. Third, conflicts over children's misbehavior appeared to be particularly salient for parents but not for their children. Parents reported more conflicts over children's misbehavior than their children did, such conflicts were related to frequencies of reported standoffs, parents were often dissatisfied and desired more often changes for constructive negotiation by both sides of parent-child dyads than their children did. Children, on the other hand, often chose not to report conflicts related to their misbehavior, which likely showed self-serving biases in disclosing their own transgressions. Fourth, children's and parents' desires for a change in reported conflicts in retrospect often did not challenge but re-affirmed patterns of actual conflict outcomes, which likely suggests that in preadolescence certain conflict sequences are relatively well established. Finally, the findings presented in Part 3 are among the first to provide evidence of links between frequencies of conflict issues, intensity of disagreements, actual and desired outcomes in parent-child dyads from three cultural groups. This multicultural study contributes to the existing literature (1) by substantiating the generality of interrelations between major qualities of parent-child relationships, (2) by providing evidence of the relations between children's and parents' English knowledge and the quality of their relationships and conflict negotiation in the earlier phases of acculturation, and (3) by providing a nuanced presentation of children's and parents' views on how they resolve conflicts on a daily basis. These evaluations provide an integrated picture of how preadolescents view and assess as well as are being viewed and assessed by their parents on important relationships matters.

Emotion language use provides insight into a person's emotional landscape. However, little is known about how preschool aged children and their parents use emotion language in their real world interactions. To address the shortcomings of the current body of empirical work on naturally occurring emotion language, this dissertation asks the following four research questions: 1) How do children and parents use emotion words in their daily lives?; 2) How is children's emotion language related to parents' emotion language?; 3) How is emotion language use related to emotional functioning?; and 4) How does emotion language in a lab setting compare to a natural setting? This dissertation implements a naturalistic methodology tool to answer the above questions. Thirty-five preschool aged children and their parents were recruited to participate in a two-wave longitudinal study in which the children wore a digital recording device for one day at each of the time points to capture acoustic information about the emotion language and behaviors they and their parents use in their daily lives. Additionally, participants completed a traditional laboratory based paradigm used to study emotion language within families. Parents also completed self-report measures related to emotion functioning for themselves and their child. Results indicate that children and their parents use high rates of positive emotion but very low rates of negative emotion in their naturally occurring interactions. This is different from lab based paradigms that elicit high rates of both positive and negative emotion language from children and parents. Next, children's use of emotion words tends to match the emotion language of their mothers more than their fathers but gender of the child also plays an important role. Very little support emerged for the emotion regulation model, as evidenced by children who cry and whine the most and who have the most behavioral problems tending to use negative emotions the most. The preponderance of the evidence suggests that emotion language reflects emotional state rather than regulates it. And, finally, the ecological validity of laboratory studies of emotion word usage is called into question by the independence of emotion language elicited in the lab and the natural expression of emotion words in a natural setting. Implications for researchers conducting work in the area of emotion language and emotional development are discussed. / text

Thesis (MTech. degree in Education) -- Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / Parents are less involved and less committed in the education of their children. As a result, it is difficult for the school to function properly. The South African Government has promulgated the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 and introduced White Paper 6, in 1995, as a way to encourage parental involvement in schools. This study was undertaken to determine the involvement of parents in a secondary school in Northern Cape.