Journal of Family Research
Year:2010 | Volume:6 | Issue:22|Papers Count:10

There has been extensive research on cultural differences in attachment phenomena in recent years. The present study aims to explore the perception of Iranian mothers of desirable and undesirable characteristics in their childhood and adulthood, as one of the related components of attachment.This research replicates that of Rothbaum et al. (2007) and intends to compare and contrast the results in the Iranian context with those displayed in the Japanese and American cultures. This research is a qualitative study.30 Iranian mothers of 3-5 year-old children attending nursery schools in Tehran participated in this study.Mothers were asked individually through a semi-structured interview about characteristics which they like and dislike for their children to have in their childhood and adulthood. Results were analyzed by a qualitative method and show that positive mood and naughtiness in childhood, and socially desirable behaviors, good academic achievement and independency in adulthood were the most frequently mentioned desirable characteristics. Maladjustment, negative mood (bad temper) and isolation in childhood, and aggression, negative mood and socially undesirable behaviors in adulthood were the most frequently mentioned undesirable characteristics.The Iranian results were also com-pared with the results of the Rothbaum et al. (2007) report, and revealed cultural similarities as well as differences in this field. Faith, modesty and patience as desirable characteristics, and disability in expressing demands, low academic achievement and pertinacity as the undesirable characteristics were found as new categories in this study, which were not reported by American and Japanese mothers. These results are discussed in the context of the Iranian culture.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the parenting style in different types of family in the family process and content (FPC) model. The sample consisted of 770 secondary and high school students in Shiraz city. The Parenting Style Questionnaire (children form), Family Process Scale and Family Content Scale were used in this research.The last two scales were applied for the differentiation of family types in FPC Model (healthy family, unhealthy family, and two types of problematic families). To compare the different dimensions of parenting style in these types of family, the MANOVA test was used. The findings of the research showed that healthy families have a high positive parenting, high father involvement, and a low implementation of physical punishment on their children. In contrast, unhealthy families showed a high rate of physical punishment, and weakness in monitoring. In sum, the results of this study revealed that different types of family in the FPC Model used different parenting styles.

The most important objective of this study is recognizingpower distribution in the family by using qualitative researchof Grounded Theory andanalyzing it by conducting focus group workshops and semi-structured interviewswith married men. In order to achieve this objective, focus group workshops wereheld with theparticipation of some groups of married men. Necessity ofusing a qualitative research in this article is the recognition of contextfactors.Research data analysis and the theoretical model used show that causal conditions, including (1) cultural norms and (2) exclusionoffinancial resourcesled tothephenomenon ofpowerinequality. The main phenomenon of powerinequality under the intervening conditions ofawareness, attitude, marriage age, types of communication, habits and types of a man' s relations with his sister and mother led to the development of two main strategies: (1) power enforcement mechanism and (2) household chore division.The participants were shown to use these factors to control and enforce their power. The consequences of these strategies were different domains of men and women' s power, women' s participation in the decision-making process and women' s obedience. In this article we present a paradigm model of power distribution in the family.

Objective: This research intends to provide a meta– analysis of previous research on familial maladjustment of families of Iranian martyrs and veterans and present an applied model to increase their familial adjustment. Therefore, one main question about familial maladjustment of families of martyrs and veterans and one secondary question about the effect of gender on the familial maladjustmentwere posed.Method: To answer these questi-onsfrom among all research on familial maladjustment of families of martyrs and veterans previously carried out throughout Iran, 5 rese-arch studies which were acceptable in terms of methodology and ex-hibited inclusive criteria, were sele-cted for the meta – analysis. Results: Based on the results of this meta– analysis, theeffect size of the rate of familial maladjustment (0/231) was moderate; Moreover the effect size of children' sgender (0/078) rated to familial maladjustmentof the families was weak.Based on the findings reported in research' s literature and results of the meta- analysis, an applied model for the increase of familial adjustmentof families of martyrs and veterans was proposed, which consists of interventions for general factors and factors rated to marital life and parenting.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess family functioning of 7-15 year-old children with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Tabriz in 2008.Method: We used causal-comparative method with 150 families. 75 of them were families of children with ADHD referred to the clinics of Tabriz and the rest of them were the families of ordinary students of Tabriz. We used Random Cluster sampling and used the Family Assessment Device questionnaire with them, and analyzed the data using t-test.Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the 2 groups in problem solving, communication, roles, affective responseveness, behavioral control, affective involvement and general functioning. The average score of families with ADHD children was higher than the control group. It was found out that ADHD group displayed less healthier functioning compared with the control group.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Bowen Family System therapy in increasing self-differentiation and improving family function in families with addicted children. Based on previous studies, addicted persons and their families exhibit low self-differentiation, which makes them dysfunctional. The design of this research was an experimental one with a pre-test, post-test and randomized control group. The samples (10 addicted families) were selected voluntarily of single addicted persons and their families in 4 addiction clinics in Tehran. The samples were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a therapy based on Bowen Family System theory in 8 sessions along with the standard treatment and addiction based on national protocols of Ministry and Health and Social Welfare Organization, while the control group was not exposed to such a therapy. Pre-and post- test data were investigated using a covariance analysis test. The results showed that Bowen Family System therapy increases self differentiation and improves the functioning of addicted persons and their families.

Objective: The present research aims to examine the effectiveness of two kinds of case management intervention (a health worker and a family member of a Schizophrenic patient).Method: The design of this study was quasi-experimental. 176 schizophrenicpatients received case management interventions in two groups: family members and health workers. Before and after the interventions, the Wisconsin Quality of Questionnaire was completed by the participants.Results: No difference in the subscale of quality of life questionnaire was observed between the two groups. However, in some subscales, like symptoms of disease, economic status and satisfaction, the family member intervention showed a higher score. Community- based intervention and case management improves the quality of life in both groups.Conclusion: Case management could be achieved successfully by family members of Schizophrenic patients who have a high-school diploma, which consequently may result in saving money and resources.

AttachmentTheory and the Big-Five Factors of Personality exhibit commonalities in explaining individual differences. There is a sizeable amount of research which studied the relationship between attachment dimensions and personality factors. The purpose of this research was to study the simple correla tion between attachment dimensions and personality factors, the relationship between attachment dimensions and personality factors at the individual level, and also the relationship between attachment dimensions and self-personality, spouse’ s personality, and spouse’ s attachment dimensions at the couple level. The population of this research included Isfahani couples. The sampling method was available selection. From this population 180 available married persons (90 couples) were selected. The ECR-R and the NEO-FFI were used to collect the required data. To analyze the data, descriptive analysis, simple correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis (stepwise) were used. The results showed that there is a significant positive relationship between attachment anxiety and self neuroticism, spouse’ s neuroticism, and spouse’ s attachment dimensionns. Also there is a significant negative relationship between attachment anxiety and spouse’ s extraversion. Attachment avoidance has a negative relationship with self extraversion, agreeableness, and conscienti-ousness and spouse’ s extraversion. The relationship between attachment avoidance and spouse’ s attachment dimensions is positive and significant. At the individual level, attachment anxiety is explained mainly by neuroticism. And attachment avoidance is explained by extraversion and agreeableness. At the couple level, attachment anxiety is predicted by self neuroticism and spouse’ s attachment avoidance respectively. Attachment avoidance is predicted by self extraversion, spouse’ s attachment anxiety, and spouse’ s extraversion. In general, it can be concluded that attachment dimensions are individual and relational characteristics.