William K. Wilkinson

The impact of parental divorce on the attainment of the developmental tasks of young adulthood

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of parental divorce on young adult development. One hundred twenty-five participants provided demographic information and completed the PAFS-Q (college version) and the conflict subscale of the Family Environment Scale. Results indicate that parental divorce and family conflict significantly affect developmental task attainment. The interactions between sex and age and family structure (i.e., single-parent or stepfamily) were also significant predictors of post-divorce task attainment. Implications of these results for therapists as well as recommendations for future research are provided.

A Factor-Analytic Study of Epistemological Orientation and Related Variables

ABSTRACT A personal epistemology of dualism or relativism is a characteristic that may be related to other individual difference variables, especially those of dogmatism, locus of control, field dependence/independence, and cognitive complexity. In the present study, we examined the relatedness of these variables to interpret more adequately and clarify the construct of personal epistemology. Factor analysis revealed that personal epistemology is closely related to both dogmatism and locus of control, which we interpreted as a general belief system of external rigidity versus internal flexibility. The epistemology variable was not associated with specific perceptual and cognitive systems.

Training parents to observe and record: A data-based outcome evaluation of a pilot curriculum

Despite the prevalence of training parents in the use of child behavior management strategies, relatively little investigative attention has been devoted to promoting acquisition of parent observational and recording skills. In this study, we examined the efficacy of a brief curriculum designed to teach parents how to observe and record targeted child behaviors systematically. Subsequent to instruction, each of six participating parents demonstrated, in an analogue context, higher levels of both occurrence and nonoccurrence agreement, based upon their recordings of child behavior, when compared with those of a panel of experienced professionals. Agreement of parental recordings with those of professionals typically increased to a predetermined mastery criterion and stabilized subsequent to training, relative to a high degree of variability during baseline. Results are discussed in terms of directions for further refinement of the curriculum and additional study of its impact.

Empirical Study of Perry's Model: A Rejoinder

An operational definition of experience and improvement of psychometric characteristics of Perrys Adherence Scale are among issues requiring attention in the study of Perrys model of epistemological thinking.