Pat Collinsworth

Strengths and Needs of Black Grandparents

This study was conducted to identify ethnic differences in grandparent performance and effectiveness so that an educational program called Becoming A Better Grandparent could be adapted to maximize its relevance for Black families. MANOVA procedures were used to compare perceptions of 204 Anglo grandparents and 204 Black grandparents as well as 175 Anglo and 295 Black grandchildren. Black grandparents perceived themselves more favorably than did Anglos on every subscale of the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory. Black grandchildren assigned grandparents significantly more favorable ratings for teaching and overall success, whereas Anglo grandchildren assigned their grandparents higher scores for coping with difficulty, managing frustration, and meeting information needs. Analyses of grandparent responses revealed significant main effects for age of grandparent, age of grandchild, time spent together, and geographical proximity. Grandchildren responses yielded significant main effects for age of grandchild and time spent together. Findings showed interaction effects for ethnicity by age of grandparent, ethnicity by age of grandchild, and ethnicity by distance. Implications for modifying the program to fit Black grandparents were identified.

Parent Competence in Families with Gifted Children.

This study examined parent influence as perceived by gifted junior high school students and their parents. Ninety-three adolescents reported on 171 parents; self-reports were provided by 172 parents. Both generations were administered parallel versions of the Parent Strengths and Needs Inventory which identifies (a) aspects of parenthood that are satisfying, (b) ways in which parents successfully perform their role, (c) the scope of teaching expected of parents, (d) problems with the obligations of parenting, (e) child behaviors which are upsetting to parents, and (f) information parents need to function more effectively. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine the effects of generation of respondent, gender of parent, and child school performance on parent effectiveness, Analyses revealed significant main effects for all three independent variables. Interaction effects emerged for school performance and parent gender. Implications are considered for planning parent education programs.

Improving Grandparent Success

Grandparents deserve access to classes that help them adjust to their changing role and build satisfying family relationships. Previous research resulted in the nations first educational curriculum for “Becoming a Better Grandparent.” This study was conducted to determine the benefits of the program. Self-selected grandparents, drawn from randomly paired sites within religions, reflected the national proportion of people over the age of 50 who classify themselves as Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish. A control group of 185 members was denied instruction but completed the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory at three different times. Twelve weekly classes were provided for 210 grandparents in an experimental group. Each of these persons chose one son or daughter and one grandchild to help evaluate changes in grandparent attitudes and behavior. All three generations completed separate versions of the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory before classes began, at the end of the intervention, and 3 months later. Posttest results of grandparents revealed significant improvement. The gains were corroborated by parents and grandchildren. Multivariate analyses identified the impact of 11 independent variables on grandparent performance. The control group showed no improvement during the project.

Black grandparents : Curriculum development

The performance of Black grandparents was examined to determine the most suitable content for an educational program intended to assist them in their role. A sample of 626 non-consanguineous subjects included 204 grandparents, 128 parents, and 294 grandchildren. Each generation group completed a separate version of the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory to identify the favorable qualities of grandparents and aspects of their relationships in which further growth was necessary. A combination of multivariate analysis of variance procedures, univariate analysis of variance tests, and t-tests were used to analyze scores, confirm results, and assist with interpretation of data. All groups described aspects of grandparents success and made known specific realms of learning that grandparents should acquire in order to become more effective. Analysis of the responses revealed significant main effects for generation, gender of grandchild, age of grandchild, and amount of time that grandparent and grandchild spent together. Considerations were identified for improving grandparent influence and guiding the development of grandparent education programs.

Parent Success Indicator: Development and Factorial Validation

Responses from 612 Parent Success Indicators (PSI) by parents and children were subjected to factor analysis. Data were factor analyzed to determine if the underlying factor structure of the instrument fit the hypothesized dimensions suggested by the position of 60 items on six subscales. The principal components extraction analysis produced 13 factors with prerotation eigenvalues greater than 1.0. A principal component solution set at six factors yielded the best fit, accounting for 49.6% of the variance. The pattern of item-to-factor correlation suggested that the 60 items tended to fit the hypothesized pattern of subscales.

DEVELOPING CURRICULA FOR GRANDPARENTS IN JAPAN

The purpose of this study was to determine how three generations view the contribution and needs of grandparents in Japan. A sample consisting of 239 grandparents, 266 parents, and 274 grandchildren from, urban and rural areas completed the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory (Strom & Strom, 1993). Grandparents reported more satisfaction, success, and involvement in teaching than was observed by parents or grandchildren. Grandparents experienced greater difficulty as well as frustration and saw themselves as less informed about their role than was reported by younger people. Significant main effects were generation, grandchild gender, grandchild age, generations living together, frequency of grandchild care by the grandparent, and amount of time the generations spent together. Implications for building curricula and guidelines for program development are identified.

Assessing the strengths and needs of minority parents

The Parental Strengths and Needs Inventory was administered to 60 Black mothers and their preadolescent children. Most of the mothers, despite a lower than average income, formal schooling and family stability enjoyed being parents, successfully performed the tasks expected of them, and effectively taught essential lessons about life. In the estimate of themselves and their children, these mothers qualify as good parents. Both generations identified similar and differing aspects of maternal behaviour that should be improved. Youngsters contradicted their mothers regarding how well the adults handled certain problems associated with childrearing. Significant differences between the groups were obtained for some of the inventory items, with children commonly assigning lower ratings to the mothers than mothers assigned to themselves. Becoming adequately informed about the growing up experience of individual sons and daughters was identified by both generations as the mothers’ most prominent weakness. The fin...

Perceptions of Parent Success in Gifted Families

This study examined parent influence as perceived by gifted junior high school students and their parents. The 172 parents and their children ages 12 to 14 responded to parallel versions of the Parent Strengths and Needs Inventory which identified: (a) aspects of parenthood that are satisfying, (b) ways in which parents successfully perform their role, (c) the scope of teaching expected of parents, (d) difficulties with the obligations of parenting, (e) child behaviors which are frustrating to parents, and (0 information that parents need to know to function more effectively. Multivariate analysis of variance was utilized to determine the effects of generation of respondent, gender of parent, and child school performance on parent effectiveness. Analyses revealed significant main effects for all three independent variables. Interaction effects emerged for child school performance and parent gender. Implications are considered for planning parent education programs.