FAMILY VERBAL STYLE AS A FACTOR OF PEER STATUS AMONG HIGH RISK CHILDREN.
Item
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Title
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FAMILY VERBAL STYLE AS A FACTOR OF PEER STATUS AMONG HIGH RISK CHILDREN.
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Identifier
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AAI8629751
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identifier
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8629751
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Creator
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VILLAR, IVIS LIGIA.
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Contributor
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Vera S. Paster
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Date
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1986
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical
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Abstract
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Aspects of family interaction were investigated as factors possibly related to peer status. The study population included 90 ten year old, white males, each of whom had a psychiatrically-impaired parent. The children and their families were participants in the University of Rochester Child and Family High Risk Study. A Family Rorschach procedure was used to elicit family interaction, aspects of which were quantified by reviewing videotapes of the sessions. Peer status was measured by use of role nominations made for a class play.;The family interaction variables that were correlated with peer status were (1) the amount of verbal communication, (2) the degree of acknowledgment, (3) the amount of behavior commands, and (4) positive versus negative verbal exchange. It was hypothesized that parents who were attentive, responsive, open-ended and positive would have children who would be popular, while parents who were inattentive, unresponsive, directive and negative, would have children who would be unpopular. No meaningful correlation was found between peer status and the family interaction variables as measured.;A novel index of peer status, called "pro-pref", was developed. Pro-pref, unlike more traditional indices of peer status, looks only to the percentage of a child's nominations that are positive, rather than to the absolute number of positive nominations (less the number of negative ones). This index correlated significantly with family acknowledgment.;Significant differences were found between peer status and demographic variables, such as intelligence and number of older siblings. Further observations were made concerning the relationships between the family interaction variables and peer status to suggest the existence of a non-linear relationship.;These results may have been affected by the "at risk" nature of the children studied, since each had a psychiatrically-impaired parent. No difference was apparent, however, between peer status of these children and that of their classmates.;Future investigations into these relationships may seek to improve on the quality of the family interaction data by using a more realistic setting, than a Family Rorschach, such as home-based observations.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
