FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2015 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:6

Regarding the role of the family in the development of behavioral and emotional problems in adolescence, the purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of couples’ communications patterns in the relationship between marital conflict and internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescent girls. For this purpose, 320 high school female students of Tehran and their mothers completed the marital conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), the Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ) and the Achenbach Adolescent Youth Self Report (YSR). The data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach. The results showed that in relative intermediary pattern, the relationship between the manufacturer and the non manufacturer of the pattern, all paths were statistically significant, except the path of between manufacturer, non manufacturer communication pattern and externalizing problems. There was a negatively significant relationship between the interactive constructive communication pattern and internalizing problems. Also, there was a negatively insignificant relationship between the interactive constructive communication pattern and externalizing problems. In the non-constructive pattern, the relationship between marital conflict and non constructive communication pattern was significantly positive and with internalizing problem was positive and significant. Also, with externalizing problems was positive and insignificant. Based on the results, it seems that marital conflict disrupts the couples’ communication patterns, leading to internalizing problems in adolescent girls.

One of the most important factors in communication is how to deal with stressful situations and problems. People can overcome physical and emotional problems as well as interpersonal, social and personal conflicts by using effective coping responses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of group reality therapy in coping strategies. Ninety-one female married employees in Mashhad participated in this study and completed the Lazarus and Folkman's Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). Thirty persons with higher scores in emotion focused coping and lower scores in problem focused coping were selected and assigned to experimental and control groups (15 each). Results showed a reduction in the total scores of the emotion focused coping and "escape-avoidance" subscales, and an increase in the total score of problem focused coping, "plan-full problem solving" and "positive reappraise" subscales in the experimental group. Changes in the 45-day follow-up persisted. The findings provide useful information on reality therapy and coping strategies and how it improves. Reality therapy can be used in marital counseling patterns for improving coping strategies and reducing marital conflicts.

Studies show that attachment styles can have a significant impact on the couple’s marital quality. This impact can be direct or indirect and can be in interaction with other significant psychological variables including the spouse’s perception of sacrificing behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of attachment styles on women’s marital quality through spouse’s perception of sacrificing behaviors as a mediator. 130 married female students of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz participated and completed the Experiences in Close Relationships- Revised (ECR-R) Questionnaire, the Perception of Sacrificing Behaviors Measure (PDM), and the Measure of Marital Quality (MMQ). The tested model in the sample had a good fit. Results of the structural equation showed that style had direct and indirect effects on marital quality, through spouse’s perception of sacrificing behaviors, though avoidance attachment style had a negative indirect effect on marital quality through sacrificing behaviors. Findings of the present study showed that the relationship between attachment styles and marital quality was not a simple linear one but spouse’s perception of sacrificing behaviors could play a mediating role in this relationship. Findings of the present study suggest that the impact of attachment styles on spouse’s perception of sacrificing behaviors should be taken into account by therapists when working on family relationships enhancement.

The main purpose of the present study was to explain adjustment to infertility indices in terms of relationship quality, couples' beliefs, and social support. A total of 100 couples (100 men, 100 women) participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete the Adjustment to Illness Scale (AIS), the Golombok Rust Inventory of Marital state (GRIMS), the Survey of Personal Beliefs (SPB), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The results showed a significant negative association between marital problems and adjustment to infertility. Irrational beliefs and social support showed negative and positive correlations with adjustment to infertility, respectively. No significant difference was shown between men and women in terms of adjustment to infertility. The results revealed that adjustment to infertility could be explained by indices of marital relationship quality, personal beliefs, and social support. Based on the results of the present investigation, the importance of psychosocial characteristics of infertile couples, as well as routine medical services, is suggested. This can lead the couples to more adjustment to infertility and improvement of their mental health state.

The failure of couples in resolving marital problems could be expressed in various forms so that each of them can be a threat to the health of marital relationship. One of the causes of marital disputes is disaffection which is common in many couples and is influenced by many factors including differentiation, neuroticism, forgiveness and martial conflict. The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationship between differentiation, neuroticism and forgiveness and marital disaffection by mediation of marital conflict. For this purpose, a sample of 300 married male teachers in elementary, middle and high schools of Estahban participated in this study. Participants were asked to respond to the Marital Disaffection Scale (MDS), the Revised Differentiation of Self Questionnaire (DSI-R), the Neuroticism of NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI), the Forgiveness Scale (FS) and Sanai’s Revised Marital Conflicts Questionnaire (MCQ-R). The results showed that all coefficients of the path between variants were statistically significant. Moreover, the direct paths of differentiation, neuroticism, forgiveness and marital conflict to marital disaffection were statistically significant. The direct paths of differentiation, neuroticism and forgiveness to marital conflict were significant as well. Also, the results of this study revealed that the indirect relationship between differentiation, neuroticism and forgiveness and marital disaffection was also significant through marital conflict. It seems that marital disaffection is a complex phenomenon which is influenced by various factors such as differentiation, neuroticism, forgiveness and martial conflict.

The family as the first and most important factor in child development has a major impact on the child's mental health and psychological problems. Evidences suggest that emotional security has a mediating role in the relationship between family functioning and child’s behavioral problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the mediatory role of child’s emotional security in the relations between family functioning and children’s behavioral problems. The sample consisted of 262 fifth and sixth graders of Tehran (117 girls and 145 boys) and their mothers who were selected according to cluster sampling method. The students completed the Security on Family Scale (SFS), the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III), and the mothers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results of the analysis showed that both dimension of family functioning (cohesion and adaptability) correlated with all emotional security dimensions, and they also could play a mediatory role in relation between family functioning and child’s behavioral problems. In fact, effective functioning of the family increases security and decreases preoccupation and disengagement. Through increasing security and decreasing insecurity family functioning can reduce child’s behavioral problems. With respect to the results of this study, teaching the basic functions of the family and their effects on children's emotional security seems useful in preventing problems between children and parents.