Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Affirming or positive family communication is an important aspect in helping families and
individuals protect themselves against various life challenges (Greeff & Du Toit, 2009; Greeff &
Van der Merwe, 2004; Norman, 2000). According to Barnes and Olson (1985), affirming family
communication plays an important role in an adolescent’s development. The present study aimed
to determine the relationship between affirming family communication and family functioning.
The relationships between family functioning and the quality of communication between the
adolescent and the father and mother respectively were also investigated. Then, as the main
focus of the present study, affirming family communication was explored qualitatively from the
perspective of the adolescents.
A quantitative survey research design was combined with an exploratory, qualitative design. The
quantitative data was collected with self-report questionnaires, while the qualitative data was
gathered by recording a discussion of affirming family communication in focus groups. The
participants were first-year Psychology students of the University of Stellenbosch in South
Africa. A total of 83 females and 17 males took part in the quantitative component of the present
study (N = 100). Fourteen of these 100 students also took part in the focus group discussions.
Pearson correlation coefficients revealed a significant positive correlation between affirming
family communication and family functioning. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation
was found between family functioning and openness in communication between the adolescent
and the mother and father respectively. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed
that openness in communication with the mother, affirming family communication and problems in communication with the father were important predictors of family functioning. Three core
categories (with sub-categories) emerged from the content analysis of the focus group
discussions on affirming family communication. These core categories were verbal affirming communication, non-verbal affirming communication and functional affirming communication.
The findings of the present study highlight the importance of affirming family communication,
especially in families with adolescent children, while also providing a description of affirming
family communication from the adolescents’ perspectives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bevestigende of positiewe gesinskommunikasie is ’n belangrike aspek wat gesinne en individue
in staat stel om hulself teen verskeie lewensuitdagings te beskerm (Greeff & Du Toit, 2009;
Greeff & Van der Merwe, 2004; Norman, 2000). Volgens Barnes and Olson (1985) speel
bevestigende gesinskommunikasie ’n belangrike rol in die ontwikkeling van ’n adolessent.
Hierdie studie het gepoog om die verhouding tussen bevestigende gesinskommunikasie en
gesinsfunksionering te bepaal. Die verhoudings tussen gesinsfunksionering en die kwaliteit van
kommunikasie tussen die adolessent en elk van die ouers is ook ondersoek. Laastens is
bevestigende gesinskommunikasie, as die hoof fokus van hierdie ondersoek, op ’n kwalitatiewe
wyse vanaf die adolessent se perspektief ondersoek.
’n Kwantitatiewe opname-navorsingsontwerp is gekombineer met ’n eksploratiewe, kwalitatiewe
ontwerp. Die kwantitatiewe data is met behulp van selfrapporteringsvraelyste ingesamel en die
kwalitatiewe data is ingesamel deur ’n opname te maak van ’n bespreking van bevestigende
gesinskommunikasie in fokusgroepe. Die deelnemers was eerstejaar Sielkunde-studente van die
Universiteit van Stellenbosch in Suid-Afrika. ’n Totaal van 83 vroue en 17 mans het aan die
kwantitatiewe komponent van die ondersoek deelgeneem (N = 100). Veertien van hierdie 100
studente het ook aan die fokusgroepbesprekings deelgeneem.
Pearson korrelasiekoëffisiënte toon hoogs beduidende korrelasies tussen bevestigende
gesinskommunikasie en gesinsfunksionering. Verder is daar ook hoogs beduidende korrelasies
gevind tussen gesinsfunksionering en openheid in kommunikasie tussen die adolessent en die ma
en pa onderskeidelik. Die resultate van die meervoudige regressieontledings het getoon dat
openheid in kommunikasie met die ma, bevestigende gesinskommunikasie en probleme in kommunikasie met die pa belangrike voorspellers was van gesinsfunksionering. Op grond van
die fokusgroepbesprekings oor bevestigende gesinskommunikasie het drie kernkategorieë (met subtemas) deur ’n inhoudsanalise na vore gekom. Hierdie kernkategorieë is verbale bevestigende
kommunikasie, nie-verbale bevestigende kommunikasie en funksionele bevestigende
kommunikasie. Die bevindinge van hierdie ondersoek beklemtoon die belangrikheid van
bevestigende gesinskommunikasie, veral in gesinne met adolessente kinders, terwyl dit ook ’n
beskrywing bied van bevestigende gesinskommunikasie vanuit die perspektief van adolessente.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17995 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Jordaan, Cabriere |
| Contributors | Greeff, A. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 99 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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