Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-07, Section: A, page: 4262. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

The main concern of this research is to test a causal model of intergenerational transmission of attitudes toward divorce based on symbolic interaction and role theory. The study employs cross-sectional data. / Specifically, the study investigates the direct effects of relative divorce frequency among kin group members, gender and perceived parental marital happiness during childhood on the attitudes toward divorce and marital role expectations of Puerto Rican students enrolled in a vocational and technical school, a community college and a four-year college in Puerto Rico. Also, the indirect effects of perceived kin and perceived parental attitudes toward divorce, family of origin structure and marital role expectations are examined. / In general, relative divorce frequency among kin group members, the perception of parental marital happiness during childhood and gender seem to operate through perceived kin and perceived parents' attitudes toward divorce to affect attitudes toward divorce during late adolescence. Parental marital instability and perceived kin's as well as perceived parents' attitudes toward divorce have a liberalizing effect on children's attitudes toward divorce. / No differences are found between children from intact and unstable families in their marital role expectations. However, females are more androgynous than males in their expectations regardless of their family of origin structure. Interestingly, in the areas of expectations toward housekeeping and premarital sex, females report less androgynous expectations than do males. / Implications for marriage and family therapy and suggestions for future research are addressed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-08, Section: A, page: 2455. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

Navy couples often encounter separation periods of up to nine months as a fact of occupational choice. This study (1) investigated the effects of a six month separation on the marital functioning (MF) of navy spouses, (2) determined if gender or locus of control (LC) further specified (moderated) those effects, and (3) tested the validity of the predictions of general systems theory (GST) with regard to marital stress responses. Utilizing Hill's (1949) ABC--X and Lazarus' (1966) cognitive appraisal models of stress responses as special cases of GST, a pretest-posttest, control group design was employed to study 31 nonseparated and 20 separated junior enlisted navy couples. / Four pairs of hypotheses were tested regarding the main effects of separation, the separation x gender and separation x LC interaction effects, and the theoretical prediction of postseparation variance differences in the MF of the two groups. Significant findings were that the separated spouses had lower levels of postseparation MF, the separated spouses exhibited greater changes in MF, and separated spouses with internal LC's had higher postseparation marital adjustment levels. There were no differential effects based on gender, and LC was not related to postseparation marital communication levels. / Thus, the theoretical predictions of GST were not only supported, but the examination of variance also provided cautionary evidence regarding the interpretation of main effects. Although main effects of separation were present between groups, nearly 60% of the separated spouses did not exhibit a decline in MF as a result of separation. Additionally, it was noted that within-group gender differences did exist, which was consistent with previous separation studies, however with the inclusion of a control group, the gender differences could not be attributed to separation. Supplementary ex post facto analyses were performed in an attempt to identify demographic and attitudinal predictors of changes in, and postseparation levels of, marital functioning. Finally, implications were identified for reviewers of previous research, persons interested in conducting similar research, family service providers, and navy policy planners. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-09, Section: A, page: 2825. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

An alternative to the decision-making approach to the study of marital power was developed in order to observe empirically the link between structural and processual dimensions of power in marriage. Power was conceptualized as the ability to control the process by which a relationship is defined. Its structural dimension was measured primarily through a self-administered survey instrument completed by both husband and wife in 90 socioeconomically diverse couples. The processual dimension was explored through interviews with 15 of those couples, each conducted by a marriage and family therapist. / Based on a social exchange perspective, the survey instrument allowed computation of the relative dependence of husband and wife for provision of six types of resources: expressions of love and affection, respect for abilities and opinions, money or things it can buy, helpfulness, sexual pleasure, and companionship. Couples were then divided into three groups: wife more dependent, husband more dependent, and husband and wife equally dependent, according to the survey measure. Each of five therapists, unaware of the subgroup selection criterion, was then randomly assigned one couple in each relative dependence category to interview. The interview, defined as non-therapeutic in intent, was structured around an exploration of the history of the relationship. Therapists were charged with describing relative husband-wife control on two levels: in the development of the relationship definition over its history and in the interaction during the joint interview. The therapist's post-interview notes regarding these issues served as a data base for understanding the process of power. / Quantitative results support the theoretical argument that dependence is a meaningful indicator of the structure of power in marriage. The qualitative analysis reveals the processes by which those structures have been established and maintained, and in some cases challenged and changed over the history of the relationship. Thus, the argument is made that the conceptual and methodological approach of this study allows empirical understanding of the relationship between structural and processual dimensions of marital power to an extent that had not previously been achieved. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: A, page: 0322. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

The purpose of this study was to examine the financial management practices of families in the United States Army and the relationship of those practices on key variables affecting family life. Variables analyzed included financial well-being, general well-being, life satisfaction, depression, attitude toward the Army, military related life stress conditions, sense of support, and receptivity to financial management and consumer assistance programs. Conceptual frameworks used were family systems and family development theory. The sample consisted of 54 intact families whose sponsor was serving in the U.S. Army at a military installation located in the Western United States. / Data were obtained through two methods. The first method utilized personal interviews regarding family demographics, household income, expenditures, money management practices, financial planning background, and perception of financial well-being (FWB). The second method was through structured questionnaires provided by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between a family's FWB with marital satisfaction and general well-being. Level of depression and FWB had a significant negative relationship. Further analysis revealed a significant, positive relationship between a family's FWB with amount of money it invested in its financial future and amount of its household income. Amount of money a family invested and its attitudes toward the Army had a significant positive association. A significant negative relationship existed between total consumer debt and receptivity to financial management and consumer assistance programs. Families reporting the lowest levels of financial well-being were in the first two stages of the family life cycle. Household income and expenditures are compared to national data. Amount of unpaid consumer debts were considerably larger for Army families when compared to U.S. households. Relocation expenses were a major contributing factor for the difference. Research implications and recommendations are provided regarding Dept. of Defense family policies, family education, and consumer assistance efforts. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-09, Section: A, page: 2827. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

In the past decade, both public and private interest in the father's role in child rearing has increased dramatically. There is now a large body of literature regarding fathers with a recent emphasis being given to the "new" father, defined as one who is highly nurturant toward his children and increasingly involved in their care. In comparison, the "traditional" father has been depicted as one who believes that mothers have the majority of responsibility for child care. / The theory of reasoned action was utilized to examine the choice between traditional versus more involved fathering styles. This choice was predicted from beliefs and attitudes related to outcomes of adopting a given fathering style (attitude component) and specific others who might pressure one to adopt a given parenting style (subjective norm component). / The sample was comprised of 190 male undergraduate students who intended to be fathers. Two path models were used for analyses, a restricted path model and a saturated path model, with the saturated model found to be more useful for explaining the data. / Two predominate findings were noted. First, there appeared to be significant inter-relationships between components of attitude and subjective norm. Secondly, the attitude components were generally found to be more useful in the prediction of intention than were components of subjective norm. / Significant differences related to age, satisfaction with their own fathers' roles, and parenting choice intention were found between groups of subjects who described their fathers as being either traditional or more involved parents. Finally, implications were presented. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-03, Section: A, page: 0959. / Major Professor: Carol Anderson Darling. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

This study examined the influence of variables such as age, gender and family adaptability and cohesion as they influence styles of conflict management utilized between parents and adolescents. A convenience sample of thirty families from the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area was selected in order to participate in a simulation format for the purpose of studying the process of filial conflict and how such conflict is managed. A modified version of Osmond's Reciprocity Game provided a structural arrangement whereby conflict processes could be monitored by both audio-tape and written form. Categorization of such variables as age and gender were derived from demographic information, while family cohesion and family adaptability scores were measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES III). Conflict styles were based upon those styles set forth by Kilman and Thomas (1975). In this study, participants tended to utilize the style of accommodation (i.e., the tendency to give in to demands of others) and competition (i.e., the tendency to push for one's own demands over those of others). In addition, a mixed style was used in which one equally used accommodation and competition. / Research questions were explored by the use of Chi-square and discriminant analysis. Findings included the following: (1) adolescents tend to compete rather than accommodate in "balanced" families in terms of cohesion and adaptability; (2) female adolescents tend to compete with parents at an earlier age than adolescent males, especially when in conflict with fathers; (3) mid teens tend to compete heavily with younger parents; (4) fathers tend to compete more with sons than with daughters; and, (5) mothers tend to compete more with early teen daughters than do fathers. Although there were too few cases to reach any definite conclusions concerning families typed as "rigid" in adaptability, from cases which were presented it was found that fathers in rigid families who perceived their families as less adaptive or emotionally distant tend to compete, while fathers who perceived their families as emotionally connected tend to accommodate. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-07, Section: A, page: 1899. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

This study examined family of origin variables and length of courtship, as related to mate selection patterns and marital satisfaction. The instruments used were the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire (PAFS) and a demographic data sheet. Subjects selected for participation in this investigation met the following criteria: couples in their first year of a first and only marriage, no children, with one or both spouses attending the university. A list of marital couples was obtained from the Registrar's Office, graduate departments, and Alumni Village (university married student housing) at Florida State University. / From these lists the researcher, in person, contacted couples and proceeded to identify those who met the specified criteria. Sixty couples (meeting the specific criteria) were asked to participate in a research project designed to investigate aspects of their families of origin and their current marital relationships. Each couple was then administered the questionnaires and asked to complete them independently. The couple was assured of the confidentiality of their scores. / Following the administration and collection the questionnaires were then scored and the data analyzed through a Pearson Product-Moment correlation, a one-way analysis of variance, and a multiple regression analysis. / Three hypotheses were put forth for examination in this study: a relationship would exist between the PAFS and length of courtship; a relationship would be demonstrated between the PAFS and marital satisfaction (DAS); and a relationship would exist between marital satisfaction (DAS) and length of courtship. All hypotheses were tested at the p < .05 level of significance. Partial support was found for hypothesis 1. Specifically two scales of the PAFS (spousal fusion scale and spousal intimacy) were related to length of courtship. Hypothesis 2 was partially supported. Hypothesis 3 failed to be confirmed through several analyses. / Further analyses and results are discussed with regard to their implications for therapy and future research. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: A, page: 4520. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

In this study, the relationship between metabolic control and family characteristics among couples with one partner diagnosed with Type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was explored within the framework of systems theory. The sample included 62 diabetic individuals and their partners. Most of the subjects came from the lower-middle socioeconomic class, were male and of the Caucasian race, and had a mean age of 62. / Mean blood glucose levels of the diabetic partner, used to measure the dependent variable, were correlated with couples' combined scores on all subscales of the Moos Family Environment Scale. A significant relationship was found in only one variable, Moral-Religious Emphasis (r = .26, p = .02). The positive direction of this relationship suggests that lower blood glucose levels will be found in those partners whose relationships reflect a greater emphasis on Moral and ethical issues and values. / Correlations between the dependent variable and partners' incongruence scores on all subscales of the same instrument also revealed significance in only one variable. Organization was inversely related to blood glucose levels (r = -.28, p = .01). It can be conjectured that greater disagreement among couples in the planning and structure of daily activities and responsibilities will contribute to lower bood glucose levels in the diabetic partner. / Other relationships, explored between blood glucose levels and demographic and clinical variables, are reported in the study, with the strongest correlations shown in the variables of Age and Income. Such findings suggest that lower blood glucose levels are characteristic of younger individuals with higher incomes. / Limitations of the study include problems of instrumentation and uniform data collection. Implications suggest that additional research is needed to explore family variables in Type II diabetes mellitus with other populations, other forms of instrumentation and greater methods of control. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-05, Section: A, page: 1896. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of parental patterns of chemical abuse, family of origin stress management style, family of origin use of ritual, gender role identity and family of origin role identity to the intergenerational transmission of chemical abuse and dependency problems and specifically, alcoholism. / One hundred adult alcoholics and one hundred adult nonalcoholics were given a questionnaire which asked them to retrospectively assess their families of origin on stress management style, the continuity of rituals and routines and the character roles they had played in their families as adolescents. Also, subjects were asked to assess their current gender role identity. The quantitative data obtained were analyzed through discriminant analysis and analysis of covariance. / The findings of this study revealed that all but two of the nine variables contributed significantly to the explanation of variations in alcohol use patterns among the subjects. The Mascot family role identity and gender role identity were the two exceptions. It was also found that predispositional family of origin patterns were different for males and females. Females were more affected by stress management style and rituals and males by parental chemical abuse, especially when compounded with a Scapegoat or Lost Child role identity in the family of origin. Finally, a list of optimal discriminators was derived for each sex which could be used to assess the likelihood of chemical abuse problems in children and adolescents. For females the list included Scapegoat role identity, Stress Management Style, Lost Child role identity and Father's Chemical Use. For males, Scapegoat role identity, Father's Chemical Use, Lost Child role identity, and Mother's Chemical Use combined to make-up the optimal list of discriminators. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-06, Section: A, page: 1588. / Major Professor: Mary Hicks. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.