In response to recent calls in the literature for a more contextual analysis of the influence of social support processes (e.g., Rook, 1997; Sarason, Sarason, & Pierce, 1992), the current study explores the relationships of spousal support, spousal strain, and well-being among husbands and wives, both within the same day and across days. In addition, the moderating roles of interpersonal and situational contexts within which support and strain are provided are examined. One hundred and sixty-six husbands and wives in stepfamilies were interviewed and then asked to complete a structured diary twice daily for a week. Participants reported their stress, supportive and problematic spousal interactions, mood, and dyadic adjustment. A multi-level hierarchical model was used to estimate average within-person relations among the daily variables, while at the same time controlling for the influence of between-person differences in these variables. Lack of daily spousal support and the presence of spousal strain were both significantly associated with increased negative affect across the same day, although the magnitude of the effect of spousal strain was greater. However, these associations were mitigated for participants who perceived their marriages to be well-adjusted. In addition, daily stressors were directly associated with increased same day negative affect, however daily stressors did not interact with support or strain to predict distress. In contrast, the pattern of the findings for the prediction of negative affect across days was quite different. Of the daily variables, only spousal support, but not spousal strain or daily hassles, was a significant direct predictor of negative affect the next morning. Furthermore, spousal support and spousal strain were found to have a multiplicative association with negative affect the next day. Specifically, the presence of spousal strain attenuated the beneficial impact of spousal support on mood. Further, dyadic adjustment was a direct predictor of decreased negative affect the next day. The findings from this study suggest an interplay among social support, social strain, and well-being. In particular, the importance of considering differential influences over time for support and strain, as well as the moderating roles of proximal and distal relationship factors, was highlighted.

Remarried families are no longer the exception in society. Statistics reveal that this type of family structure is increasing. The need for family resilience research in varying family forms has been highlighted. Given the distinctive structure of the remarried family, there are specific dilemmas and challenges that need to be resolved on the journey towards family integration. Despite these challenges, many families benefit from their new family structure and show marked resiliency and ability to adapt. South African family resilience research is scarce. This study aimed to identify, explore and describe the resiliency factors that enable families to adjust and adapt as a result of being a stepfamily. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin, Thompson, & McCubbin, 2001) was used to conceptualize level of adaptation. Participants consisted of both adults and adolescents, in order to gain perspectives of adapting to a remarried family from differing individual family members’ stages of development. Participants consisted of 19 parents and 16 adolescents, equaling a total of 35 participants. Triangulation was employed, with an exploratory, descriptive approach. A biographical questionnaire with an open-ended question, in conjunction with a number of structured questionnaires were used to gather the data. These questionnaires were: The Family Hardiness Index (FHI), the Family Time and Routine Index (FTRI), the Social Support Index (SSI), the Family Problem-Solving Communication (FPSC) Index, the Family Crisis-Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales (F-COPES), the Relative and Friend Support Index (RFS), and the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8 (FACI8). In this study the FACI8 was used as a measure to determine the level of family adaptation. Non-probability purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the biographical information. Correlation and regression analysis was used to analyze the quantitative data, and content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results of the quantitative component of the study indicated that there were three significant positive correlations with the FACI8 for both adults and adolescents. These variables were family hardiness (measured by the FHI), family problem solving communication (measured by the FPSC), and family time together and routines (measured by the FTRI). The Social Support subscale of the F-COPES showed a positive correlation with the FACI8 for the adults. The results of the qualitative component of the study revealed that various common themes emerged between the adult and adolescent participants’ responses. These common themes were spirituality; boundaries; respect, love, understanding, compassion and acceptance; communication; flexibility and tolerance; time together, bonding, and routines; and social support. There were four remaining themes that the adults identified as important factors helping them manage being part of a stepfamily. These four remaining themes were equality; forgiveness and acceptance of the past; commitment and being positive; and financial support. The value of the research was discussed. Finally, limitations of the study were discussed, and suggestions were made for future research involving remarried families.

In response to recent calls in the literature for a more contextual analysis of the influence of social support processes (e.g., Rook, 1997; Sarason, Sarason, & Pierce, 1992), the current study explores the relationships of spousal support, spousal strain, and well-being among husbands and wives, both within the same day and across days. In addition, the moderating roles of interpersonal and situational contexts within which support and strain are provided are examined. One hundred and sixty-six husbands and wives in stepfamilies were interviewed and then asked to complete a structured diary twice daily for a week. Participants reported their stress, supportive and problematic spousal interactions, mood, and dyadic adjustment. A multi-level hierarchical model was used to estimate average within-person relations among the daily variables, while at the same time controlling for the influence of between-person differences in these variables. Lack of daily spousal support and the presence of spousal strain were both significantly associated with increased negative affect across the same day, although the magnitude of the effect of spousal strain was greater. However, these associations were mitigated for participants who perceived their marriages to be well-adjusted. In addition, daily stressors were directly associated with increased same day negative affect, however daily stressors did not interact with support or strain to predict distress. In contrast, the pattern of the findings for the prediction of negative affect across days was quite different. Of the daily variables, only spousal support, but not spousal strain or daily hassles, was a significant direct predictor of negative affect the next morning. Furthermore, spousal support and spousal strain were found to have a multiplicative association with negative affect the next day. Specifically, the presence of spousal strain attenuated the beneficial impact of spousal support on mood. Further, dyadic adjustment was a direct predictor of decreased negative affect the next day. The findings from this study suggest an interplay among social support, social strain, and well-being. In particular, the importance of considering differential influences over time for support and strain, as well as the moderating roles of proximal and distal relationship factors, was highlighted. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

This purpose of this research study was to identify key differences that distinguish stepfamilies from intact families with regard to individual members' perceptions of family environment and family functioning. Additionally, an initial look at how membership in a stepfamily impacts the young children's perceptions of interpersonal family functioning is offered.

Stepfamilies are the fastest growing family type in America. Unfortunately, our society holds unwarranted negative attitudes about and negative stereotypes of stepfamilies and stepfamily members. Research indicates that stepfamilies are not an inherently dysfunctional or deficient type of family. On the contrary, stepfamilies can be as healthy as nuclear families, and they can produce emotionally healthy individuals. Healthy stepfamilies, however, are often different in the roles of family members and the quality of interactions between members. It is this difference between stepfamily functioning and the normative nuclear family expectations of society that appears to perpetuate negative stereotypes of stepfamilies.Some evidence suggests that counselors hold negative stereotypes of stepfamilies. As s-:ich it is likely that they will diagnose and treat stepfamilies from an inappropriate nuclear family model, perceiving stepfamilies to be more pathological than they are and, in treatment, attempting to fit stepfamilies into roles and relationships inappropriate for healthy stepfamily functioning. No research to date, however, has examined whether counselors' attitudes about stepfamilies affect diagnostic and treatment decisions.This dissertation conducted a national survey of counselor attitudes about stepfamilies. It examined three areas where counselor bias may affect service delivery: judgments regarding stepfamily health, diagnostic decisions, and treatment decisions. It found that counselors appear to generate differential ratings of family health and differential diagnostic impressions on the basis of family interaction style (healthy nuclear family versus healthy stepfamily) and on the basis of family label (nuclear family versus stepfamily). These differential ratings and impressions favor a nuclear family style combined with a nuclear family label in comparison to other family style and label combinations. Additionally, the Parent-Child relationships in a nuclear family that acts like a healthy stepfamily were rated to be more in need of treatment and more important to treatment than in other family styles.The results of this study suggest that experienced counseling psychologists may express bias against stepfamilies and against nuclear families that function outside a traditional nuclear model. They appear to use the traditional nuclear family as a standard against which other family interaction styles and types are found lacking. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Stepfamilies are shown by existing research as having multiple problems unique to this type of family, some of which include role ambiguity, role strain, role captivity, increased stress and adjustment problems in children. Stepparents are portrayed as evil, abusive and wicked in the media, literature or film, while stepchildren are variously portrayed as victims, naughty and manipulative. These popular perceptions of stepfamilies appear to be shaped by myths or dominant narratives which serve to shape stepfamily member's experience of and roles in the reconstituted family. Drawing on the work of postmodernism, social constructionism and the narrative theorists this study will expose those dominant narrative or myths which shape the experience of two stepfamilies. Using an emergent design, the experiences of these two families is described in an attempt to highlight some of the implications such an approach holds for both further research and psychotherapy. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Stepfamilies are shown by existing research as having multiple problems unique to this type of family, some of which include role ambiguity, role strain, role captivity, increased stress and adjustment problems in children. Stepparents are portrayed as evil, abusive and wicked in the media, literature or film, while stepchildren are variously portrayed as victims, naughty and manipulative. These popular perceptions of stepfamilies appear to be shaped by myths or dominant narratives which serve to shape stepfamily member's experience of and roles in the reconstituted family. Drawing on the work of postmodernism, social constructionism and the narrative theorists this study will expose those dominant narrative or myths which shape the experience of two stepfamilies. Using an emergent design, the experiences of these two families is described in an attempt to highlight some of the implications such an approach holds for both further research and psychotherapy. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Approximately 50 percent of all marriages end up in divorce according to estimates. Thirty percent of divorcees enter into wedlock again within one year from being divorced, thereby creating a reconstructed family. The child in the late middle childhood years experiences some unique challenges during the reconstruction of the family due to influences such as the parent-child relationship, parenting styles and the start of puberty. The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine the child's psychological experience within the reconstructed family and to provide guidelines to parents (and co-therapists) on how to deal with children during the reconstruction process. The qualitative method of research was applied as it is a more informal research procedure and the boundaries of the study subject are reasonably wide and undefined. The method provides an adaptable strategy regarding problem formulation and data collection, which allow semi-structured interviews, observations and field notes, and enable the researcher to obtain first hand knowledge and understanding of the problem. / Social Work / M. Diac.(Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Approximately 50 percent of all marriages end up in divorce according to estimates. Thirty percent of divorcees enter into wedlock again within one year from being divorced, thereby creating a reconstructed family. The child in the late middle childhood years experiences some unique challenges during the reconstruction of the family due to influences such as the parent-child relationship, parenting styles and the start of puberty. The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine the child's psychological experience within the reconstructed family and to provide guidelines to parents (and co-therapists) on how to deal with children during the reconstruction process. The qualitative method of research was applied as it is a more informal research procedure and the boundaries of the study subject are reasonably wide and undefined. The method provides an adaptable strategy regarding problem formulation and data collection, which allow semi-structured interviews, observations and field notes, and enable the researcher to obtain first hand knowledge and understanding of the problem. / Social Work / M. Diac.(Play Therapy)