This research investigated the effects of mothers' and stepfathers'
parental behaviors on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating effects of
stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between stepfathers' parental
behaviors and late adolescent adjustment. In Study 1 a measure for parental
status (PSI: The Parental Status Inventory) was developed. Parental status, as a
social cognition, addresses the degree to which the stepparent is perceived as a
parent by the stepchild, the stepparent, and/or the residential parent. Findings
resulted in a 14-item scale with good reliability (Cronbach's alpha .97). The PSI
was moderately associated with attachment and closeness to the stepparent but
was not associated with peer attachments. The PSI had a low to moderate
association with the age of the respondent at the time the stepfamily originated.
In Study 2, the effects of late adolescent perceptions of parental behaviors
by mothers and stepfathers on late adolescent adjustment and the moderating
effects of stepfathers' parental status on the relationship between his parenting
behaviors and late adolescent adjustment were explored.
Results of a series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses with
interaction terms indicated that, of mothers' and stepfathers' parenting
behaviors, only mothers' connection explained a significant amount of variance
(10%) in female adaptive behaviors. The models explaining problem behavior in
late adolescents did not show significant results for either females or males.
Additional findings were that parental status did not moderate the effects
of stepfathers' connection, regulation or psychological control on late adolescent
adaptive or problem behaviors for either females or males.
In summary, parental status did not moderate the variables in question.
However, the evidence from this research suggests that the construct of parental
status is valid and that the PSI is a valid and reliable measure. Together the
construct of parental status and the PSI have the potential to contribute to the
development of knowledge in stepfamilies in theoretical, research and clinical
settings.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/11146 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Gamache, Susan |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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