Children's perceived control and adjustment to parental divorce
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Abstract
The main purpose of this dissertation was to explore the influence of perceived control on children's adjustment to parental divorce. The sample included 126 mother-custody families in which there was a child between the ages of 6 and 12. Control was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct by using TAT stories to assess control orientations. Rather than viewing beliefs in internal and external control as mutually exclusive, this conceptualization of control allowed one to derive a measure of "composite control". An orientation toward composite control reflects awareness of external contingencies as well as a belief in personal control. Although it is generally accepted that internal control is related to more effective functioning, it was hypothesized that this might be less likely in a situation where the outcome is beyond personal control, as is the case of parental divorce for children. Instead, it was hypothesized that composite control would be positively related to adjustment. As traditional locus of control scales have been found to be influenced by social desirability and verbal ability, a secondary focus of this dissertation was to explore alternative measures. Therefore, a hypothetical problem solving task was included, along with the TAT. In addition, the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility (IAR) Questionnaire was included to allow comparison with a traditional measure of control. Videotapes of mother-child interactions were examined to see whether particular control beliefs were related to different patterns of maternal behavior. The results provided support for a multidimensional conceptualization of control. In addition, the results indicated that the IAR was influenced by social desirability and verbal ability, while the TAT and the hypothetical problem solving task were not. There were few interrel a tions between the measures. Differences between the unidimensional and multidimensional models are discussed. Although an internal control orientation on the TAT was not related to adjustment, composite control and adjustment were related for some age and gender subgroups. Moreover, there were different patterns of maternal behavior associated with the different subgroups. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive differences as well as different socialization practices.
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Dissertation (Ph.D)--Boston University
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