This study was an attempt to better understand the antecedents of epileptic children's overdependency. To provide a conceptual and empirical basis for investigation of the problem, the general problem of overdependency in children was examined in some detail. Then this general discussion was applied to the specific problem of epileptic children's overdependency. The following hypotheses were developed for the study: Overdependency in epileptic children will be: 1) directly related to the severity of the child's seizures; 2) inversely related to the age of onset of seizures; and 3) directly related to the degree of maternal overrestrictiveness and overprotectiveness. To test these hypotheses, 40 8-11 year old female subjects were randomly selected from the Seizure Unit of Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Boston. To measure instrumental dependency (ID) - i.e., the seeking out of another individual as a means toward the attainment of some other goal , e .g. , being fed - the Anchor Referral technique (Mostofsky, 1972) was used . This is an interactional measure whereby the subject is afforded an opportunity to ask t he experimenter for help on a color comparison task . To measure emotional dependency (ED) - i. e., the seeking out of another individual as a goal in itself, e. g., for affection and praise - the Children ' s Dependency Scale (Golightly, et al., 1971) was employed. This is a 65- item self-report pencil-and- paper measure developed for latency age children. Maternal child-rearing attitudes were measured by the Parental Attitude Research Instrument (Schaefer & Bell , 1958), a 110- item survey of a wide range of child-rearing attitudes. Both seizure severity and frequency were measured by ad hoc scales developed for the study; age of onset of seizures was expressed in months . Data analysis employed the Pearson r and chi-square. Results were that none of the hypotheses was confirmed f or the total sample . However , after breaking down the sample into 2 Age Groups , a number of significant relationships appeared following an exploratory look at the data . These relationships are best summarized in terms of three patterns: 1) Age Group differences : Whereas both maternal attitudes and seizure parameters were related to degree of dependency among the older Ss, only seizure parameters were so related in the younger group . 2) Significant relationships of different form or in different direction from prediction: Maternal overrestrictiveness and type and onset age of seizures covaried significantly with dependency; however, relationships obtained were either negative Pearson r's or chi-squares, as opposed to the predicted positive Pearson r's. 3) ED-ID differences: ID was significantly related to all of the independent variables (maternal attitudes,seizure severity, onset age) in some way; ED was only related somewhat to seizure parameters, and almost not at all to maternal attitudes. Results were discussed in terms of the variables hypothetically antecedent to children's overdependency. Specifically, two such variables - latency age counterdependency and preadolescent sex-typing of dependency - seem to contribute more to overdependency than do two of those variables which were originally hypothesized to be major contributors (i.e., oral fixation and regression fostered by maternal child rearing attitudes). In the discussion it was also suggested that seizure parameters, including onset age, type of seizures, and frequency of seizures, do in fact influence the degree of epileptic children's overdependency. However, the nature of this influence is not as simple as was hypothesized. Each parameter has a different effect, and each effect in turn is influenced by the age of the individual. Further discussion dealt with causative processes in emotional vs instrumental dependency; implications of the study for further research; and the clinical implications of the study.

M.A. (Social Work) / The study focuses on the meaning of divorce for mothers of divorced women, and consists of two parts : * A review of literature related to the extended family, social networks, research, families of origin and divorce; * an empirical investigation. During the latter, practicing social workers assisted with the identification of the sample group consisting of 25 mothers. The major findings of the empirical part of the study are summarised as follows On the whole mothers reported that : At an early stage of their daughters marriage they were aware of the likelihood that the marriage would end in divorce; - approximately 50 percent of mothers maintained a stable relationship with their son-in-laws after the divorce; - the most common reaction of mothers after having been informed of the divorce was one of sorrow and the second most common reaction interestingly enough was relief that the divorce would bring an end to disharmony; - the mothers preferred to discuss the divorce of a daughter with a family member for emotional support; - most mothers found it necessary to financially uphold their daughters after the divorce; - sixty-eight percent of the mothers accepted the divorce of a daughter within one year after the divorce took place...

Thesis (M. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-239). Print copy also available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Leaves iv and vi are blank. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaf xviii). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 185-191).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Leaves iv and vi are blank. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaf xviii). Also available on the Internet.

No description available.

Thesis (MEd) -- University of South Australia

Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract.