FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2019 | Volume:5 | Issue:2 |Papers Count:6

Parents play an important role in the education status of their children. Academic achievement of single-parent students in the parent-child relationship context is one of the most controversial issues considered by students and families. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the parent-child relationship in students’ academic achievement path among mother-headed families. Participants were 10 high school girl students sponsored by Sahib Al-Zaman (AJ) institute selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected during semi-structured interviews and analyzed by the thematic analysis method. Results included one main theme called the parent-child relationship in students’ academic achievement path and six categories called paternal and maternal role integration, family relationship-oriented, maternal support, provision of developmental needs, pattern of mother, and success seeking. This research provides a new understanding of the parent-child relationship in the academic achievement experience of mother-headed students. Paternal and maternal role integration along with mother’ s support, making relationship-oriented environment in family, and provision of the child's developmental needs are the most important responsibilities of mothers. Also, pattern of mother and success seeking can have a positive effect on educational status of the students.

Bullying, as the most prominent type of violence in schools, is defined as a state of power imbalance between two individuals in which the stronger person hurts the weaker person through repeatedly physical, verbal or psychological causes. The present study aimed at identifying the role of family functioning in bullying behaviors by affective empathy. Statistical population of the study included all the first grade male high school students of Bostan Abad city in the academic year of 2018/2019. 245 student participants completed the Family Functioning Device (FAD), the Bullying/Victim Questionnaire (B/VQ) and the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES). The results indicated that poor family functioning was correlated negatively with empathy and positively with bullying behaviors. The results also showed a negative correlation between empathy and bullying behaviors. Path coefficients indicated that weak family functioning had a negative effect on empathy. It also had a meaningfully positive effect on bullying behaviors. Moreover, the effect of empathy path coefficient on bullying behavior was meaningful. In other words, poor family functioning could directly affect bullying behaviors through the mediation of empathy. According to the results, family functioning affects bullying behaviors through empathy both directly and indirectly. The findings of the present study can be used by psychologists and professionals to prevent bullying-related behaviors.

Emotional divorce is one of the most important traumas that the family faces and is the most important factor in family breakdown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of family communication patterns and motivational structure in predicting emotional divorce of couples. One hundred sixty-one married individuals (87 males and 74 females) participated in the study. Participants completed the Revised Communication Patterns Questionnaire (FCPQ-R), the Aspects Questionnaire (PCI) and the Emotional Divorce Scale (EDS). The results showed that emotional divorce was correlated negatively with adaptive motivational structure and communication pattern, but positively with non-adaptive motivational structure and conformity pattern. The results of regression analysis also showed that 45% of the variance of emotional divorce was explained by the motivational structure variables of family communication patterns. Based on the results, it can be stated that by providing the necessary training to improve family communication patterns and adaptive motivational structure of couples who have emotional divorce or are seeking divorce, emotional divorce can be reduced.

Intimacy in marriage is essential for maintaining marital and family relationships. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Gottman Couple Therapy (GCT) and the Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) methods on marital intimacy. For this purpose, 36 couples were selected from among all couples referring to Aramesh, Ofogh, and Khanevadeh in Shahrood counseling centers in 2017. The subjects were matched based on having a score of Spanier (DAS) below average. They were then randomly assigned to two experimental and one control groups. Participants were asked to complete the marital intimacy Needs Questionnaire (Bagarozzi, 2001) in the pretest and posttest stages. Afterwards, one group received GCT for 10 weeks, and the other group was subjected to EFCT for 9 weeks, while the control group was on the waiting list. The results showed that both experimental groups showed improvements in Marital Intimacy than the control group. A significant difference was also found between the effectiveness of GCT and EFCT methods on Marital Intimacy in couples, so that the GCT group was more successful in Marital Intimacy. Although significant changes were observed in all components of marital intimacy in both experimental groups compared to the control group, the two experimental groups were significantly different in four components namely, Emotional, Psychological, Sexual, Physical and Recreational. Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that GCT couple therapy is more effective on couple's intimacy than the emotional couple therapy.

The presence of children with learning disabilities often affects family system and creates significant changes in the lives of family members, especially mothers. It is important to examine such experiences and their effects from the view of parents, especially mothers. Accordingly, this study was aimed at investigating the experiences of mothers of children with learning disabilities. This qualitative research was carried out using a phenomenological method with purposeful sampling. According to the study criteria, 10 mothers with children affected by learning disabilities were selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by Colaizzi method. The findings revealed three main common concerns of these mothers: unpleasant emotional experiences: a) feeling of worthlessness, shame and guilt, b) feeling of depression, c) aggression and anger, d) feeling hopeless and lonely; social and educational concerns: a) weakness in some lessons, b) secrecy and lack of social connection, c) fear of having a baby; family tension and conflict: a) conflict with spouse, b) conflict with child interaction. These findings can provide information regarding supportive resources and therapeutic strategies for mothers of children with learning disabilities to improve their mental health and lives.

Since identifying the influential variables of psychological well-being is of significance, the purpose of this study was to investigate the causal relationship of work-family enrichment with psychological well-being, considering the mediating role of work-life balance. The participants of this study were 363 (222 males; 141 females) employees of NIDC who completed the Work-Family Enrichment Questionnaire (WFE), the Work-Life Balance Questionnaire (WLB), the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ), the Family Satisfaction Questionnaire (FSQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Findings showed that the proposed model fit the data properly. Better fit and more meaningful results were obtained by using modification indices. The results also indicated positive relationships between work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment with psychological well-being and between work-life balance and psychological well-being. The indirect relationships between work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment with psychological well-being through work-life balance were supported. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the relationships between work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment with psychological well-being is not a direct relationship, and the work-life balance can play a mediating role. Highlighting the ways of increasing positive spillover from work to family by managers is one of the important practical implications of the present study.