This study used a qualitative methodology to investigate black first - year students’ perceptions of their families’ influence in their career decisions. This was motivated by the fact that, post 1994, the number of career options available to black students has increased. As more opportunities become available, it is vital that student s entering tertiary education are equipped with the necessary skills and support to make informed career decisions. There a re a number of individual and environmental influences on career decisions. This study focused specifically on family and community influences. Fifteen participants (aged 18 to 30 years) were interviewed in order to answer the research questions. There wer e nine female and six male participants. The data was analysed through thematic analysis and suggested that there is a strong link between a family’s socio - economic status and student career decisions. In addition, the availability of family socio-emotional support was also found to be a major influence in career decisions. The dissertation concludes that appropriate career education and guidance are essential for previously disadvantaged tertiary education students in order for them to maximise the opportunities available to them / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

The transition to college is usually the first time many late adolescents live apart from their parents for an extended period, making it an important developmental task (Kenny, 1987) that requires a variety of adaptational resources. Bowlby's (1969/1982, 1973, 1980) attachment theory has been refined by Kenny and Rice (1995) to explain how internal working models of late adolescents are the bases of the adaptational resources that determine the quality of adjustment to college. The Kenny and Rice model may be interpreted to suggest that external resources should include relationships with parents and friends, while internal resources can include self-concept. According to the authors, "these resources are assumed to moderate or buffer the effects of developmental challenges and stressful events on adjustment" (p.437). The purpose of the present study was to extend and further clarify the ways that quality attachment relationships and positive self-concept conjointly may promote healthy adaptation in the college milieu. In particular, the present study examined the influence of self-concept as a mediating variable with respect to attachment and healthy adjustment to college. Students from Freshman Psychology classes completed measures to assess their attachment relationships with each parent, their attachment relationships with peers, their level of self-concept, and their perceived adaptation to college. These measures were completed by students of traditional age (ages 18-20) within the first year of starting college. The results of the study indicate that: 1) a relationship exists between attachment and self-concept; 2) attachment is associated with college adjustment; 3) self-concept is related to college adjustment, and functions as a mediator variable between attachment and college adjustment; 4) there were no gender effects in the levels of mother or father attachment, and females reported higher levels of peer attachment; and 5) there were no gender effects in overall levels self-concept, but females reported higher levels of Moral Self-Concept.

The literature claims that, whilst hindering normal narcissistic development, a family of origin characterised by high levels of cohesion and low levels of adaptability, promotes individual proficiency in interpersonal skills. Coupled with unconscious motivations for interpersonal need gratification, a subsequent predisposition towards a career choice in psychotherapy is likely. This study set out to test these assumptions by comparing family of origin types, levels of narcissism and career self-efficacy in postgraduate Masters psychology students, postgraduate final year law students and final year electronic engineering students currently enroled in University of Natal training programmes (N=85). Informed by the literature, this study hypothesised that trainee psychotherapists would report more extreme family of origin types, predict career self-efficacy in the direction of social occupations and display higher levels of narcissism than students in other fields of specialisation. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin & Terry, 1988), FACES III of the Circumplex Model (Olson, McCubbin, Barnes, Larsen, Muxen & Wilson, 1985) and the Career Self-Efficacy Scale (Matsui & Tsukamoto, 1991) were utilised to assess the dimensions of narcissism, family of origin and career self-efficacy respectively. This study was unable to find significant connections between family of origin, narcissism and career self-efficacy, thereby failing to provide empirical support for the literature's claims. Results have been discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications and attempts have been made to account for the general lack of significant findings. Limitations of this study's research design and recommendations for future research in this area have been offered. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

Both educators and parents are concerned with how best to shape sexual development because of the myriad personal and social complications that can occur for adolescents along with becoming sexually active. Many variables have been shown individually to influence sexuality. Of specific interest in this study was parent-adolescent closeness and communication about sexuality. Past research has found parental communication about sexuality and parent-adolescent closeness individually to have a positive impact on adolescent sexuality. However, other studies have found no relation between parent-adolescent communication about sexuality and sexual outcomes. Still others have suggested that the combination of the two variables may have the most significant influence on adolescent sexuality. The main goal of this study was to see if a combination of parent-adolescent closeness and parental communication about sexuality was more strongly related to adolescent sexual knowledge, attidudes, and behaviors than either communication or closeness alone. Participants were 157 boys and girls in the ninth through twelfth grades from two suburban high schools in the midwest: Questionnaire measures of adolescents' perceptions were used. Canonical correlation analyses revealed two significant combinations of variables. First, age and maternal and paternal communication were significantly related to sexual behavior and sexual knowledge. Specifically, younger age and less maternal and paternal communication were related to less sexual behavior and less sexual knowledge. Second, gender, age, and maternal communication were significantly related to less sexual knowledge and more conservative sexual attitudes. Specifically, being younger and female and receiving less maternal communication was related to less sexual knowledge and more conservative attitudes. Four important findings are evident in these results. Implications for interpretation and future research are discussed. / Department of Educational Psychology

No description available.

本文以社會支持理論和工作的關係理論爲依據，通過兩個子研究分別探討了早年父母支持和當下父母支持與大學生生涯適應力及生涯决策困難的關係。通過這兩個子研究，本文希望實現以下三個目標：1) 對Blustein (2011)提出的“工作的關係理論給予初步的檢驗與細化(refinement)； 2)對父母支持與個體生涯發展之間的關係及其內在機制，做出更詳細、清晰的探討；3)對過往父母支持與個體生涯適應力、生涯决策困難研究結果的不一致做出部份回應。 / 本文研究一聚焦于早年父母支持與大學生生涯適應力及長期生涯决策困難的關係。研究涉及參與者455人，其中，男生203人(45%)，女生252人(55%)。研究二聚焦于當下父母支持與大學生生涯適應力及生涯决策確定性、生涯决策困難的關係。研究涉及參與者467人，其中，男生237人(51%)，女生230人(49%)。研究一主要依據社會支持理論的發展性視角建立理論模型；研究二主要依據社會支持理論的情境性視角建立理論模型。兩個研究均通過結構方程模型對理論模型進行檢驗。在驗證理論模型的過程中，本研究通過分別對男生、女生建立結構方程模型，單獨納入父親和母親各支持變量以及一系列中介效應的檢驗，詳細、清晰地剖析了父母支持與個體生涯發展的關係。 / 研究結果支持了“工作的關係理論。同時，揭示了父母早年支持與父母當下支持與個體生涯適應力及生涯决策困難的內在關係機制：1)早年父母支持能够通過個體對自我能力與價值的肯定，正向作用于個體的生涯適應力、負向作用于個體的長期生涯决策困難；2)當下父、母支持支持能够通過個體的生涯適應力，正向作用于生涯確定性，生涯確定性又進一步負向預測了個體的生涯决策困難。3)父母支持與個體生涯發展的內在關係機制存在性別差异。男、女生間比較一致的結論是，早年异性父母的支持以及進入大學後父親的生涯肯定支持、母親的一般肯定支持對男、女生的生涯發展具有重要的意義和價值。 / Based on Social Support Theory and Relational Theory of Working, two parallel sub-studies were conducted to explore the relationship among early parental support, contemporary parental support, university students’ career adaptability, and their career decision-making difficulties. The current study therefore pursues following three research objectives: 1) to verify and refine the Relational Theory of Working; 2) to explore and examine the mechanism of the relationship between parental support and university students’ career development; and 3) to respond to previous inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between parental support and individuals’ career adaptability, and the relationship between parental support and career decision-making difficulties. / Study 1 focused on the relationship among early parental support, university students’ career adaptability, and their chronical career decision-making difficulties. 455 college students participated in study 1, among whom 203 are male (45%) and 252 are female (55%). Study 2 investigated the relationship among contemporary parental support, university students’ career adaptability, career certainty, and their general career decision-making difficulties. 467 students were involved. Among them, 237 are male (51%), 230 are female (49%). The theoretical model of Study 1 was built mainly upon the developmental perspective of social support theory. The underlying theory of Study 2 was the contextual perspective of social support theory. The theoretical models of the two studies were examined through Structural Equational Model. The models were run separately for male and female students, with both fathers’ and mothers’ support data in the model, instead of treating parents’ data as a whole. A series of mediation models were also performed to get much detailed knowledge of the mechanism of the relationship between parental support and university students’ career development. / The results well supported the Relational Theory of Working. At the same time, the mechanism of the relationship between early parental support, contemporary parental support, students’ career development was revealed. Findings show that 1) early parental support could predict students’ career adaptability positively, while predict career decision-making difficulty negatively through students’ self affirmation of their own worth and competence; 2) contemporary parental support could predict career certainty through students’ career adaptation resources. Career certainty could further predict students’ career decision-making difficulty; 3) differences existed between male and female students’ mechanism of the relationship between parental support and career development. However, consistent findings were opposite-sex parents’ early support, fathers’ contemporary career related support, mothers’ contemporary general support played important roles for both male and female students. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 周司麗. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-164). / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Zhou Sili. / 摘要 --- p.i / Abstract --- p.iii / 致謝 --- p.v / Chapter 第1章 --- 問題提出 --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- 研究背景 --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- 研究貢獻 --- p.5 / Chapter 第2章 --- 文獻回顧 --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- 社會支持理論 --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- 社會支持的概念 --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- 社會支持的作用原理/機制 --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- 工作的關係理論 --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3 --- 父母支持與個體生涯發展關係的研究 --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- 早年父母支持與個體生涯發展的研究 --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- 當下父母支持與個體生涯發展的研究 --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4 --- 生涯適應力及其與“支持的關係 --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- 生涯適應力的概念 --- p.26 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- 生涯適應力的測量工具 --- p.27 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- 生涯適應力與支持的關係研究 --- p.29 / Chapter 2.5 --- 生涯决策困難及其與“支持的關係 --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- 生涯决策困難的概念與類型 --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- 生涯决策困難的測量工具 --- p.32 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- 生涯决策困難與支持的關係研究 --- p.35 / Chapter 2.6 --- 父親和母親在個體生涯發展中的不同角色 --- p.38 / Chapter 第3章 --- 本研究重點 --- p.40 / Chapter 3.1 --- 文獻回顧小結及本研究的研究問題與假設 --- p.40 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- 研究1的研究問題與假設 --- p.41 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- 研究2的研究問題與假設 --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2 --- 本研究各變量的操作化定義 --- p.49 / Chapter 第4章 --- 研究一 --- p.57 / Chapter 4.1 --- 研究參與者 --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2 --- 研究過程 --- p.57 / Chapter 4.3 --- 研究工具 --- p.58 / Chapter 4.4 --- 研究結果 --- p.65 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- 各變量的性別差异及其相關 --- p.65 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- 結構方程模型檢驗 --- p.66 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- 中介效應檢驗 --- p.71 / Chapter 4.5 --- 研究一的討論 --- p.75 / Chapter 第5章 --- 研究二 --- p.82 / Chapter 5.1 --- 研究參與者 --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2 --- 研究過程 --- p.82 / Chapter 5.3 --- 研究工具 --- p.84 / Chapter 5.4 --- 研究結果 --- p.92 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- 各變量的性別差异及其相關 --- p.93 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- 結構方程模型檢驗 --- p.95 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- 中介效應檢驗 --- p.101 / Chapter 5.4.4 --- 不同類型父母支持對大學生生涯發展的作用 --- p.105 / Chapter 5.4.5 --- 沒有感受到决策壓力的學生的分析 --- p.109 / Chapter 5.5 --- 研究二的討論 --- p.110 / Chapter 第6章 --- 總體討論與結論 --- p.115 / Chapter 6.1 --- 對理論和研究的啓示 --- p.116 / Chapter 6.2 --- 對本土實踐的啓示 --- p.121 / Chapter 6.3 --- 研究局限性 --- p.124 / Chapter 6.4 --- 結論 --- p.125 / Chapter 附錄： --- 研究問卷 --- p.126 / 參考文獻 --- p.142

by Chun-fat Lin. / Thesis submitted in: December 1997. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-108). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgments --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.vii / List of Figures --- p.viii / List of Appendices --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1 --- Background of the Problem / Chapter 1.1 --- Stress and Secondary School Students --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Coping Behaviour of Secondary School Students --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3. --- Gender and Age Difference in Coping Behaviour --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4. --- The Influence of Family Environment on Coping Behaviour --- p.4 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW / Chapter 2.1. --- Adolescent Coping / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Conceptualization of Adolescent Coping --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Situational and Dispositional Factors in Adolescent Coping --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Development of Adolescent Coping Instrument (COPE) --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2 --- Gender and Ethnic Differences in Coping / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Coping Behaviour of Males --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Coping Behaviour of Females --- p.15 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Age Differences in Coping --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Ethnic Differences in Coping --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3 --- Family Environments and Adolescent Coping / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Family Environments as Sources of Stress and Support --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The Influence of Parenting Styles on Adolescent Coping --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- The Influence of Family Environments on Adolescent Coping --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.3.1 --- Family Environment Scales ( FES ) --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.3.2 --- Relationships Between Family Environment Subscales and Coping Strategies --- p.31 / Chapter 2.3.3.3 --- Relationships Between Family Environments and Coping Strategies --- p.34 / Chapter 2.4 --- "Chinese Confucian Culture, Family Relations and Adolescent Socialization" / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Essences of Chinese Confucian Culture --- p.38 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Family Structure and Adolescent --- p.39 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Adolescent Socialization in Family Context --- p.40 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY / Chapter 3.1. --- Overview of the Study --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2 --- Significance of the Study --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3. --- Subjects / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Pilot Study --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Main Study --- p.49 / Chapter 3.4 --- Instruments / Chapter 3.4.1 --- COPE --- p.49 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Family Environment Scale (FES) --- p.52 / Chapter 3.5 --- Procedure --- p.54 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- RESULTS / Chapter 4.1 --- Descriptive Statistics of the Whole Sample --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2 --- Coping Strategies of Adolescents / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Rank Order of Question Items of COPE --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Descriptive Statistics of COPE --- p.60 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Gender and Age Difference in Coping --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2.3.1 --- Gender Difference in Coping --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2.3.2 --- Age Difference in Coping --- p.64 / Chapter 4.3. --- Family Environments Perceived by Adolescents --- p.66 / Chapter 4.4 --- Family Environment Types (FETs) / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Demographic Information of FETs --- p.68 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Description of FETs Based on FES Subscales --- p.70 / Chapter 4.5 --- Family Environment Types and Coping Strategies --- p.74 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- DISCUSSION / Chapter 5.1 --- Coping Strategies of Adolescents --- p.77 / Chapter 5.2 --- Family Environments Perceived by Adolescents --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3 --- Relationship between Coping Strategies and Family Environments --- p.80 / Chapter 5.4 --- Family Environment Types --- p.81 / Chapter 5.5 --- Family Environment Types and Coping Strategies --- p.82 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- Expressive FET --- p.83 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- Conflictual-Controlling FET --- p.84 / Chapter 5.5.3 --- Permissive FET --- p.84 / Chapter 5.5.4 --- Cohesive-Organized FET --- p.85 / Chapter 5.5.5 --- Crucial Role of Control in FETs --- p.86 / Chapter 5.6 --- Implications of Findings --- p.87 / Chapter 5.7 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.91 / Chapter 5.8 --- Directions of Future Research --- p.92 / REFERENCES --- p.95 / APPENDICES / Appendix 1 Number of Items and Descriptions of Items of COPE Subscales --- p.109 / Appendix 2 Number of Items and Descriptions of Items of FES Subscales --- p.110 / Appendix 3 Reliability Coefficients of COPE in Other Studies --- p.111 / Appendix 4 Inter-correlations between subscales of COPE --- p.112 / Appendix 5 Reliability Coefficients of FES in Other Studies --- p.113 / Appendix 6 Inter-correlations between subscales of FES --- p.114 / Appendix 7 Inter-correlations between subscales of FES and COPE --- p.115

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

A primary task of adolescence and young adulthood is to form and develop healthy romantic relationships. While the importance of sibling and romantic relationships have been examined separately, only recently have researchers begun to explore links between the two. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the connection between romantic competence and sibling relationships, especially sibling warmth and sibling conflict, as well as the role of sibling gender constellation in college-aged young adults. This study aimed to examine (a) whether there is an association between sibling relationship quality, such as sibling warmth and sibling conflict, and perceived romantic competence, and (b) the role of sibling gender constellation on the relationship between sibling relationship quality (sibling warmth and sibling conflict) and perceived romantic competence among undergraduate students. Correlation analyses indicated there was no statistically significant correlation between sibling warmth and perceived romantic competence (p > .05), whereas sibling conflict was statistically negative correlated with perceived romantic competence (p < .01). While sibling gender constellation did not have an interaction effect with sibling conflict on perceived romantic competence, which means sibling gender constellation did not have a moderating effect on the relationship between sibling conflict and perceived romantic competence. Limitations and applications of the present study were also discussed.

There is an extensive amount of research on academic success and career development, but most of the literature has focused on the process of White participants. While some of the studies have examined samples from ethnic minority populations, the majority of studies use these populations as comparison groups, studying between-group differences as opposed to within-group differences. The literature is especially lacking in the area Latino academic success and career development. The current study examined how family and culture, specifically socioeconomic status, acculturation, and the quality of the parent-emerging adult relationship, influence the academic success and career development of Latino emerging adults. Eighty-three Latino undergraduate students ages 18 – 24 were recruited for participation in this study. Results indicated that valuing the role of work (career salience) significantly predicted the maturity and positivity of attitudes toward work (career maturity) in Latino emerging adults. Additionally, while family demographic and cultural variables did not seem to have a significant impact on academic success and career development, first-generation college student status, career salience, and conflict in the parent-emerging adult relationship lent some insight into the variation of levels of career maturity in a Latino sample. Furthermore, first-generation student status also impacted the relationship between career maturity and GPA.