A basic purpose of this study was to test whether self-esteem and/or adjustment of separated or divorced persons can be improved by participation in a postseparation/postdivorce counseling group. An additional objective was to examine whether a professional-directed format or a self-directed format is more effective in fostering these changes. An experimental pretest-posttest design was followed. The Raschke Postdivorce Problems and Stress Scale was used to measure the dependent variable of divorce adjustment. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale was utilized to measure the dependent variable of self-esteem. / The sample was composed of subjects volunteering for counseling. After stratifying for sex, the sample was randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups: 11 subjects were assigned to a professional-directed (PD) group, 11 subjects to a self-directed (SD) group, and 11 subjects to a minimal contact (MC) group. The treatment groups met for an eight week period. / The PD group met with professionally trained therapists and followed the format designed by Kessler for her "Beyond Divorce" groups. The SD group met without a professionally trained therapist and followed the same format as the PD group. / Analysis of covariance, with pretest scores as the covariate, revealed a significant difference among the three groups in improved divorce adjustment. The Least Significant Difference (LSD) procedure was used as a multiple comparison test, and revealed that the PD group experienced significantly greater mean improvement than did the MC group. A linear association among the three groups was noted, with the PD group realizing the greatest mean improvement, followed by the SD and the MC groups. / Analysis of covariance, with pretest scores as the covariate, revealed a significant difference among the three groups in self-esteem improvement. The LSD procedure revealed that both the PD group and the SD group were significantly different from the MC group. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-07, Section: A, page: 2260. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75125 |
| Contributors | GOFF, DOYLE ROGER., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 198 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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