Thomas S. Parish

The Impact of Divorce and Subsequent Father Absence on Children's and Adolescents' Self-Concepts.

The self-concepts of 406 grade school and junior high school students were assessed in this study. It was found that children and adolescents who had experienced father loss through divorce and whose mothers hadnot remarried demonstrated significantly lower self-concepts than those who were from intact families. Interestingly, children and adolescents who had experienced father loss through divorce and whose mothers had remarried were found to possess lower self-concepts than those from intact families, but this difference was not statistically significant. These findings were found across grade levels (i.e., grades 3–8) and for both sexes. The importance of these findings are discussed in light of current trends toward an increasing divorce rate and an increasing presence of stepfathers in American families.

Evaluations of Self and Parent Figures by Children from Intact, Divorced, and Reconstituted Families

A total of 738 children in grades 5–8 from 14 school districts in Kansas voluntarily evaluated themselves, their mothers, and their fathers. The results of this study indicated that children from intact families tended to evaluate themselves and their parents more positively than those from divorced families. Children from remarried families, as opposed to children from nonremarried families, were found to evaluate themselves somewhat more positively, their fathers significantly more positively, and their mothers less favorably. Explanations are offered to account for these findings.

The Personal Attribute Inventory for Children: A Report on its Validity and Reliability as a Self-Concept Scale.

Forty seven third-grade children and 28 sixth-grade children were administered both the Personal Attribute Inventory for Children (PAIC) and the Piers-Harris (1969) Childrens Self Concept Scale (PHCSCS). A correlation of .67 (p < .001) was found between these two scales. Based on four week test-retest reliability coefficients for third grade pupils, the PHCSCS (r = .86, p < .001) was found to be more reliable than was the PAIC (r = .61, p < .001). For sixth grade pupils, however, both instruments were found to be about equally reliable (PHCSCS, r = .85, p < .001; PAIC, r = .83, p < .001). Researchers might wish to consider using the PAIC, as it provides not only a relatively valid and reliable measure of childrens self-concepts, but also one that is very easy to administer and to score.

Perceptions of Personal and Familial Adjustment by Children from Intact, Single-Parent, and Reconstituted Families.

The present study investigated childrens (N=566) personal and familial adjustment, and sought to determine if this varied as a function of familial configuration and gender. More specifically, these children were surveyed across a broad range of adjustment measures, including self-concept, perception of school adjustment, home adjustment, peer relationships, state and trait anxiety, as well as their evaluations of mother, father, and family. The results from these measures revealed: (a) less positive adjustment among children from divorced families (whether the remaining parent remarried or not) as opposed to children from intact families; (b) mixed findings regarding comparisons of psychosocial adjustment between single-parent and remarried groups; and (c) a pattern of effects related to significant interactions of family type and gender in which males appeared to be favorably affected within the single-parent configuration, while females were more favorably adjusted within the reconstituted family.

Perceived attributes of the terms client, patient, and typical person. .

Helping professionals most commonly refer to seekers of counseling services as clients or as patients. However, little has been known of the implied meanings of each of those labels. In this study, client, patient, and typical person were compared using semantic differential-type scales and the Personal Attribute Inventory. Although client and patient were each evaluated more negatively than was typical person, no significant differences were found between client and patient.

A Further Report on the Validity and Reliability of the Personal Attribute Inventory for Children as a Self-Concept Scale

A total of 390 elementary school students from grades three through eight of a Midwestern school system were administered both the Personal Attribute Inventory for Children (PAIC) and the Childrens Self-Concept Scale (CSCS). A correlation of .32 (p < .001) was found between these two scales. Over a four week interval a test-retest correlation of .88 (p < .001) was obtained for the PAIC. Researchers are urged to consider using the PAIC as it not only provides a relatively reliable and valid measure of childrens self-concepts, but also a very easy one to administer and to score.

The Personal Attribute Inventory as a Self-Concept Scale

A sample of 101 educational psychology students was administered the Gough Adjective Check List (ACL) and the Personal Attribute Inventory (PAI) both at the beginning and at the end of a ten week period. High correlations were found between the very short PAI measure and the Favorable and Unfavorable subscales of the ACL (PAI and F subscale of ACL, r = -.65; PAI and U subscale of ACL r = .77). Correlations between first and second administrations revealed slightly greater stability over time for the PAI (r = .70) than for the F subscale (r = .61) and U subscale (r = .61) of the ACL. The relative utility and efficiency of the PAI in relation to the corresponding properties of the ACL for research purposes requiring group assessment of self-concept is discussed.

Effects of Marital Status and Parents' Marital Status on Evaluation of Self and Parents

Summary A total of 980 college students from Kansas State University were asked to take part voluntarily in a study to determine whether or not marital status and prior family structure affected the way one evaluated self, mother, and father. The outcome suggests that evaluations of this triad tended to replicate those obtained in earlier studies upon populations whose ages ranged from about 10 years through young adulthood. Specifically, children from broken homes were found to rate themselves and their parents less favorably than did children from intact homes. Findings from the current study imply that these negative feelings, with respect to self and father, continue to have puissance regardless of the respondents marital status.

Mapping Sex Group Stereotypes of Elementary and High School Students.

This study investigated the sex group stereotypes of youths of elementary and high school age. A total of 60 males and 60 females evaluated “boys” and “girls” on a semantic differential type scale. The results indicated that younger members of both sexes were more positive about their own sex and more negative about the opposite sex than were their older counterparts. In addition, adolescent males, but not adolescent females, adopted more favorable evaluations of the opposite sex over their own sex group. Possible explanations are offered to account for these findings.

The Personal Attribute Inventory as a Self Concept Scale: A Preliminary Report

Self-concept scores on the 100-item Personal Attribute Inventory of 6 male and 36 female college students were significantly correlated (.80) with their scores on the 75-item “Unfavorable” subscale and (—.73) on the 75-item “Favorable” subscale of the Adjective Check List. In a second study with 16 males and 34 females, 4-wk. test-retest reliability for the inventory was .83.