Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The important role of interpersonal relationships in the adolescent developmental period has been
extensively demonstrated in the literature (e.g. Brown, 1991; Gottlieb, 1991; Larson, Wilson,
Brown, Furstenburg, & Verma, 2002). In the present study, adolescents’ relationships with their
mothers, fathers, romantic partners, and best friends were investigated. The sample consisted of
mainly White and Coloured late-adolescents from four schools in and around a large country
town, representing different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. Their relationships were
investigated by assessing in what relationships adolescents reported the most and least of certain
relationship qualities like support and intimacy. This was assessed with the use of two self-report
questionnaires.
The questionnaires used was the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI), a 33-item Likerttype
scale with which intimacy, companionship, affection, nurturance, satisfaction, relative
power, punishment and conflict (C1) was assessed, and the Quality of Relationships Inventory
(QRI), a 25-item Likert-type scale with which support and conflict (C2) was assessed (Touliatos,
Perlmutter, & Holden, 2001). It was found that adolescents reported the different relationship
qualities differently in all their relationships. The following are the main findings for the different
relationship qualities:
- Support: Support was found to be equally as high for mothers, best friends and romantic
partners, with fathers ranked lowest for support.
- Intimacy: Intimacy with romantic partners was reported as being the highest, followed by
best friends and then mothers and intimacy from fathers being the lowest.
- Companionship: The highest level of companionship was reported for best friends and
romantic partners, who did not differ significantly from each other. This was followed by
companionship from mothers and companionship from fathers was the lowest.
- Affection: The highest level of affection was reported for mothers, followed by romantic
partners and then fathers, with the lowest levels of affection coming from best friends.
- Nurturance: Romantic partners were rated highest for nurturance, followed by best friends
and mothers, who did not differ significantly from each other. The lowest level of
nurturance was reported for fathers.
- Satisfaction: Adolescents were most satisfied with their romantic relationships, best
friends and mother-relationships, as they did not differ significantly from each others.
Adolescents were least satisfied with their father-relationships.
- Relative Power: Adolescents felt most powerful in their mother-relationships, followed by
their relationships with their fathers. The third most power was reported in romantic
relationships and adolescents felt the least powerful in their relationships with their best
friends.
- Punishment: Adolescents were punished most by their mothers, then their fathers and then
their romantic partners and they were punished least by their best friends.
- Conflict: Conflict reported was equally as high for mothers, fathers and romantic partners,
with the lowest levels of conflict reported with their best friends.
Apart from the above findings, analyses were also done between the different relationship
qualities, relationships, and certain demographic factors. The results are supported by the
developmental-contextual framework, as it emphasizes how the different aspects of adolescents’
relationships and lives are interrelated. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrike rol wat interpersoonlike verhoudings in die ontwikkelingstadium van adolessensie
speel, is al breedvoerig gedemonstreer in die literatuur (bv. Brown, 1991; Gottlieb, 1991;
Larson, Wilson, Brown, Furstenburg, & Verma, 2002). In die huidige studie is adolessente se
verhoudings met hul ma’s, pa’s, romantiese vennote, en beste vriende ondersoek. Die steekproef
het bestaan uit hoofsaaklik Kleurling en Wit laat-adolessente van vier skole in en om ‘n groot
plattelandse dorp, verteenwoordigend van verskillende kulture en sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde.
Hul verhoudings is ondersoek deur te meet in watter verhoudings die meeste en minste van
sekere verhoudingskwaliteite soos ondersteuning en intimiteit, gerapporteer is. Dit is ge-asseseer
met die gebruik van twee self-rapporteer vraelyste.
Die vraelyste wat gebruik is, was die “Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI)”, ‘n 33-item
Likert-tipe skaal waarmee intimiteit, kameraadskap, toegeneentheid, versorging, tevredenheid,
relatiewe mag, straf en konflik (C1) ge-asseseer is, en die “Quality of Relationships Inventory
(QRI)”, ‘n 25-item Likert-tipe skaal waarmee ondersteuning en konflik (C2) ge-asseseer is
(Touliatos, Perlmutter, & Holden, 2001). Dit is bevind dat adolessente die verskillende
verhoudingskwaliteite verskillend gerapporteer het vir die verskillende verhoudings. Die
volgende is die hoofbevindings vir die verskillende verhoudingskwaliteite:
- Ondersteuning: Adolessente het die meeste en gelyke ondersteuning gerapporteer van hul
ma’s, beste vriende en romantiese vennote, met die laagste ondersteuning komende van
pa’s.
- Intimiteit: Intimiteit met romantiese vennote is gerapporteer as die hoogste, gevolg deur
beste vriende en dan romantiese vennote, en die minste intimiteit met pa’s.
- Kameraadskap: Die hoogste vlak van kameraadskap is gerapporteer vir beste vriende en
romantiese vennote wat nie beduidend van mekaar verskil het nie. Kameraadskap met
ma’s was derde en kameraadskap met pa’s was laaste.
- Toegeneentheid: Die hoogste vlak van toegeneentheid is gerapporteer vir ma’s, gevolg
deur romantiese vennote en dan pa’s, met die minste toegeneentheid gerapporteer vir
beste vriende.
- Versorging: Romantiese vennote is die hoogste ge-ag vir versorging, gevolg deur ma’s en
beste vriende, wat nie beduidend van mekaar verskil het nie. Die minste versorging is
gerapporteer van pa’s.
- Tevredenheid: Adolessente was mees tevrede met hul verhoudings met hul ma’s, beste
vriende en romantiese vennote, wat nie beduidend van mekaar verskil het nie. Hulle was
die minste tevrede met hul verhoudings met hul pa’s.
- Relatiewe mag: Adolessente het die meeste mag gerapporteer in hul verhoudings met hul
ma’s, gevolg deur hul pa’s en dan hul romantiese vennote, met die minste mag in hul
verhoudings met hul beste vriende.
- Straf: Adolessente is die meeste gestraf deur hul ma’s en dan hul pa’s, gevolg deur hul
romantiese vennote en laastens hul beste vriende.
- Konflik: Konflik was ewe hoog vir ma’s, pa’s en romantiese vennote, met die minste
konflik gerapporteer vir beste vriende.
Buiten bogenoemde resultate, is daar ook analises gedoen tussen die verskillende
verhoudingskwaliteite, verhoudings en sekere demografiese faktore. Die resultate word
ondersteun deur die ontwikkelings-kontekstuele raamwerk, aangesien dit beklemtoon hoe die
verskillende aspekte van adolessente se verhoudings en lewens verbind is.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6453 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | De Jager, Nadia |
| Contributors | Lesch, Elmien, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 151 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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