JOURNAL OF FAMILY AND RESEARCH
Year:2019 | Volume:16 | Issue:4 (45) |Papers Count:8

This study aimed to investigate the impact of transactional analysis training on parent-child conflicts among male high school students. This quasi-experimental research had a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all male first graders of high school in Central Marhamat Abad district, West Azerbaijan Province, in school year 2014-15. The sample of the study consisted of 30 pupils who had the most intense conflict with their parents. These students were randomly divided into two subgroups of experimental and control. Using the Conflict Tactics Scale for Parent and Child (Straus, 1990), both subgroups were asked about the quality of their parent-child relationship before and after the experimental group going through an eight-session course on transactional analysis. Covariance analyses of the data revealed a significant difference between the two groups indicating the effectiveness of transactional analysis training in reducing parent-child conflicts and the two components of verbal and physical violence. Moreover, TA promotes verbal reasoning component among male students (P<0. 001).

The present study set out to compare the effectiveness of psychological training based on Olson and McMaster models in enhancing family functioning of female teachers. This quasi-experimental research had a pretest-posttest control group follow-up design. The statistical population of the study was comprised of 550 married female teachers in the Khorramdarreh County in school year 2016-17. The sample was composed of 45 teachers who had obtained the highest scores on McMaster Family Assessment Device (Epstein, Bishop & Levin, 1978). The scores were indicative of low family functioning. These teachers were randomly assigned to experimental group 1 (N=15), experimental group 2 (N=15), and a control group (N=15). The experimental groups participated in training sessions and the control group did not receive any intervention. At the end of the training, the posttest was administered to all the three groups. The follow-up study was also carried out one month later. The collected data were analyzed via mixed MANOVA. Results showed that psychological training based on McMaster and Olson models was effective in enhancing family functioning of female teachers and this effectiveness lasted over time (P≤ 0. 001). Results also demonstrated that there was no difference between the effectiveness of the two models as to the family functioning of teachers. Therefore, it can be concluded that McMaster and Olson models can be utilized for improving family functioning of female teachers.

The main goal of the process of socialization is to prepare individuals for effective participation in society, in the sense of internalizing the values and norms of the ruling community to meet the needs and achieve collective goals. The present article seeks to investigate the functional comparison of the normative conflicts of the educational institution with the family institution and its impact on students’ socialization. The theoretical framework of research is based on functionalism theories and the dissonance theory of social institutions. This survey research was carried out using a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all 7th grade students in Karaj and the drawn sample (N=379) was selected by random multi-stage sampling method. The findings indicate that consensus on the values and norms of the family and school affects students' socialization, and vice versa. Contradictions in the values and norms of the family and school also impact the socialization of children. More specifically, families have more emphasis on cultural and moral values and norms, whereas schools emphasize religious values and norms more. The results of regression analysis show that the consensus as well as the contradiction in values and norms could account for 69 percent of the variance in the dependent variable, i. e., socialization.

This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between quality of parental homework involvement and academic functioning in the reading domain (reading score, homework effort, and academic procrastination) among students. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all sixth graders in Ardakan, Yazd Province, in school year 2014-15. The sample consisted of 366 students who were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method. The instruments included the Quality of Parental Homework Involvement Questionnaire (Dumont et al., 2014), Homework Effort Questionnaire (Trautwein et al., 2006), and the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984). In addition, students' reading scores were considered as a dimension of academic performance. To analyze the data, multiple regression analysis was utilized. The results indicated that among the dimensions of parental involvement, the control dimension could negatively predict homework effort and reading scores, while the structure dimension could positively predict reading scores and homework effort. It is worth mentioning that none of the parental involvement dimensions could predict academic procrastination. Hence, it can be concluded that parents can improve their children’ s academic performance in reading through reducing their controlling behaviors and creating home environments in which children can thrive.

Nowadays psychologists have decisively shifted their focus to well-being as a component of school life. Hence, this study was carried out to examine the mediating role of general causality orientation (and its three components, i. e., autonomy, control and impersonal) in the relationship between parental bonding and school well-being. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all 10th and 11th graders in Shiraz. The sample (N=474) was drawn through random multi-stage cluster sampling method. The instruments included General Causality Orientations Scale (Deci & Ryan, 1985), School Well-being Questionnaire (Konu & Lintonen, 2006), and the Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker, Tupling & Brown, 1979). Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. The results demonstrated that parental care had a significant, positive effect on autonomy and control orientations, whereas it had a significant, negative impact on impersonal orientation. Parental care could indirectly predict school well-being, while autonomy and impersonal orientations mediated this association. In general, the findings indicated that increased parental care can enhance students’ school well-being both directly and indirectly through autonomy and impersonal orientations. Accordingly, familial (parental bonding) and motivational (general causality orientation) factors can contribute to promoting students’ school well-being.

The purpose of this study was to examine the female-headed household empowerment based on social-cognitive career counseling and its impact on promoting their career self-efficacy and future orientation (time perspective, anticipation of future consequences, planning ahead). This quasi-experimental research had a pretest-posttest control group follow-up design. The statistical population of the study was comprised of female-headed households in Karaj supported by Imam Khomeini’ s Relief Foundation. Forty female-headed households were selected through random simple sampling method and were assigned to experimental and control groups. The instruments included the Career Decision Self-Efficacy scale (CDSES, Taylor & Betz, 1983) and the Future Orientation Scale (Steinberg et al., 2009). The experimental group went through a ten-session course on social-cognitive career counseling and the control group did not receive any intervention. At the end of the intervention, career self-efficacy and future orientation were measured during posttest and follow-up phases and the data were analyzed via repeated measures ANOVA. Results indicated that the level of career self-efficacy and the future orientation of the participants in the empowerment training course was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0. 01). These changes were also observed in the follow-up stage. Accordingly, it is suggested that empowerment based on social-cognitive career counseling be used as an optimal psycho-educational package for promoting career self-efficacy and future orientation among female-headed households.

This study sought to investigate the impacts of parenting styles on the symptoms of conduct disorder among high school students. In this descriptive research the statistical population was comprised of all parents of male high school students in Pakdasht in school year 2017-18. Purposive sampling was utilized and after diagnosing students with conduct disorder via the Child Symptom Inventory (CSI-4, Gadow & Sprafkin, 1994) and DSM-IV checklist (2013), a sample of 72 parents was selected. The sample was administered the Baumrind Parenting Style Inventory (PSI, 1991). Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results demonstrated that there was a significant, positive relationship between authoritarian and permissive parenting styles and symptoms of conduct disorder. However, there was a significant, negative association between authoritative parenting style and symptoms of conduct disorder. In contrast to permissive parenting style, authoritarian and authoritative styles could account for a considerable amount of variance in the symptoms of conduct disorder. Accordingly, it can be stated that parenting styles are among the most determining factors affecting childhood growth and development and play a vital role in children’ s healthy behavior.

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between the family emotional atmosphere, perceptions of classroom activities, and academic engagement among female high school students. The research design was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all female high school students in District 4 of Ahwaz from among whom 341 students were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling method. The instruments included Family Emotional Atmosphere Questionnaire (Hilburn, 1964), Academic Engagement Scale (Fredricks et al., 2004), and My Class Activities (Gentry et al., 2002). The data were analyzed using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) as well as inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis). The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between family emotional atmosphere and students’ academic engagement. The same holds true for the components of these two variables (p<0. 05). In addition, a significant relationship was observed between the components of perceptions of classroom activities and students’ academic engagement (p<0. 01). Nevertheless, the results of step-wise regression analysis showed that the components of family emotional atmosphere and perceptions of classroom activities were not good predictors of students’ academic engagement. In general, it can be stated that students’ academic engagement is largely correlated with the family emotional atmosphere and adolescents' perceptions of classroom activities.