The relationship between family adaptability and cohesion and the competence and behavior of siblings of children who have disabilities.
Item
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Title
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The relationship between family adaptability and cohesion and the competence and behavior of siblings of children who have disabilities.
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Identifier
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AAI9618119
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identifier
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9618119
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Creator
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Winick, Ina Hodes.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Marian Fish
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Date
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1996
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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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Education, Guidance and Counseling | Education, Special | Sociology, Individual and Family Studies
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Abstract
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A systems approach, specifically the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems, was used to investigate the importance of family systems characteristics to the functioning of siblings of children who have disabilities.;The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACESII) was completed by the mother, father and an 11-18 year old non-disabled sibling in 39 families in which there is a child with a disability. Family averages of results on this measure established numerical rankings for Adaptability and Cohesion and a Family Type from the categories of Extreme, Mid-Range, Moderately Balanced and Balanced. The Family Satisfaction Scale, completed by each family member, evaluated the level of contentment with the family's manner of functioning.;Sibling functioning, represented by numerical ratings for Competence and Problem Behavior, was assessed by the Achenbach Scales. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklists, and the non-disabled adolescent sibling completed the Youth Self Report.;Correlational analyses showed that higher levels of Adaptability and Cohesion were associated with sibling Competence, but the relationships were not statistically significant. However, there were significant negative relationships between Adaptability and Cohesion and sibling Problem Behavior. Fewer problem behaviors were reported for siblings from families which ranked higher in Adaptability and Cohesion. Family Satisfaction was not significantly related to either outcome.;Analyses of Variance were used to determine if the mean scores of the families on the dependent variables differed as a function of their responses to questions on a demographic questionnaire. Only sibling gender and the chronological age of the disabled child accounted for significant differences.;Stepwise Multiple Regression procedures were employed to assess which were the key family systems and demographic predictors of the outcome variables. The gender of the non-disabled sibling and the chronological age of the disabled sibling were significant predictors of Competence with males scoring higher than female siblings and the younger the disabled sibling the greater the Competence of the brother or sister. Gender and Family Adaptability were the best predictors of Problem Behavior as male siblings from families ranking higher in Adaptability had fewer problem behaviors.;Among the implications for theory and practice discussed are the identification of conditions under which benefits for siblings can occur.
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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.
