The Relationship Between Dyadic Parent-Child Cohesion and Adolescents' Self-Concept

Date

2016

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Abstract

The current study investigated the relationships between mother-child, father-child, parent-cohesion, and children’s self-concept. Participants included 30 early adolescents (ages 10 to 15 years) from intact family arrangements. Children completed a modified version of the Family System Test (FAST) to assess levels of parent-child cohesion. The Piers-Harris 2 was used to evaluate dimensions of self-concept. A series of sequential multiple regressions were performed to determine the relationships parent-child cohesion variables had with self-concept constructs, after controlling for the children’s sex and typical grades. Only father-child cohesion scores significantly related to adolescents’ ratings on specific facets of self-concept (i.e., Behavioral Adjustment, Intellectual and School Status), suggesting that children who report feeling closer to their fathers also endorsed items reflecting less problematic behavior and more intellectual/academic competence. Findings suggest mothers and fathers contribute differentially to adolescents’ self-concept. Implications for parental education and ensuring children have a caring, male role model are discussed. Limitations to the study included issues with sample size, generalizability, and data collection.

Description

Dissertation completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Psychology degree in School Psychology at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.

Keywords

Psychology, Parent-child cohesion, Self-concept

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