Analysis of Single Motherhood Article by Taylor and Conger - Essay Example

? Article summary Single motherhood has become a common occurrence in this modern age, though studies have only focused on the negative outcomes of these families, such as poverty and lower child school competence, and the causes behind these results. This article looks into the optimism of single mothers to determine how influential the optimism is in not only raising their children, but in the outcome of the life of the child. Article summary Purpose of research This article serves a great purpose, allowing researchers and single mother families to gain insight into the positivity that can be found in situations such as single mother-headed households. It is vital to understand the methods implemented by single mothers to successfully cope with stress as mothers experiencing stress can be detrimental to the stressors of their children. Similarly, a link has been revealed that shows a correlation between the economic stress of a single mother, the way in which she responds to and raises her child, and the overall outcome of her child in regard to their own behaviors and future economic status. Understanding how economic pressure negatively influences a single mother will also help in gaining an understanding into how maternal optimism promotes positive parenting behaviors despite environmental adversity, thus promoting a positive life for the child. Another purpose that this article serves is to fill the gap of literature pertaining to dispositional optimism within minority ethnic groups, especially in relation to mother-headed homes. Very few studies have been undergone in regard to this; most studies have looked into the negative influences and outcomes of single-mother households, shunting aside the existence of maternal optimism in other families with similar structures. Methods The study began in the mid-1990s, using 889 African American children, their caregivers, and, when possible, an older sibling, all living in Iowa and Georgia. The participants of the study were taken on through telephone interviews. Data was collected between these families in four different waves, starting in 1997 and ending in 2006. Of the original 889 participants available during the first wave, only 86.7% were involved in wave two and three interviews. From this group, families run by single mothers, as opposed to caregivers, were chosen and the others were dismissed. The final sample group of the study consisted of 394 single mother families. During each interview, two two-hour home visits in a span of seven days were made to each family. The first visit involved the giving of consent, both of the mother and the children to participate in the study; name and locations of schools were also given, and children’s teachers were authorized to provide further information about the children’s functioning at school. The ages of the participating children varied from ten to fifteen years of age; the mean age of the mothers was thirty-five years of age. The mean education of the mothers was approximately twelve years, and the mean income was $20,689. The mean number of children per family varied between one and two. Various questions were asked of the mothers and children, each pertaining to certain economic situations or behavioral statuses. These variables would be used to measure the overall situations of the individual families. These variables are are follows: Mother’s childhood adversity, which asked eight questions to determine if the mother was subjected to specific adverse childhood advents such as a relative living at home having a serious drinking problem. Economic pressure, which measured four indicators (unmet material needs, cannot make ends meet, financial cutbacks, and no money), all dealing with the financial situation of the household. Mother’s dispositional optimism was then measured, offering yes/no questions to determine the mother’s level of optimism during times of hardship. Mother’s internalizing symptoms, which measured how depressed, discouraged, hopeless, or worthless they felt, as well as the level of anxiety the mother felt. Warm parenting, which was measured by the participating children, asked how often the mother engaged in seven hostile behaviors such as getting angry or criticizing; similarly, the children were also asked how often the mother engaged in numerous supportive behaviors, like being affectionate. Effective child management was then measured, which would determine both family routines and parenting skills, like how often the mother helps her child with homework or how often they talk. School competence included school performance and school attachment, focusing on how well a child was doing in school and if they were close to a teacher or other aspect of being a student. Control variables were also set up for the analysis, focusing on certain demographics. The mother’s age and marital status during the second wave of interviews, as well as the child’s age, gender, and school competence during the first wave of interviews. These control variables were established because it had been previously proven that they influence parenting behaviors and child outcomes in single mother homes. Results The expected and hypothesized associations were made in the factor analysis, with the sum that maternal optimism would result in greater child competence in single mother households facing economic pressures. Other correlations were found: a mother’s childhood adversity was linked to her internalizing symptoms; maternal optimism serves as a psychological resource, a well as being related to effective child management; a mother’s childhood adversity predicted economic pressure, and was also associated with maternal internalizing symptoms; and parenting behaviors were predictive of greater child competence. However, a mother’s childhood adversity was also negatively correlated with warm parenting and effective child management. One of the surprising results found was that maternal optimism increased as economic pressure also increased. Conclusion Although many studies have been undergone to assess how families become strong by looking at the ways that they are competent and successful, very little existed in the way of how underrepresented populations, like minority ethnic groups and single mothers, were strong and successful. On the contrary, more research was devoted to how they were vulnerable. It was important to grasp how those who are more optimistic show greater strength to the negative effects of economic pressure, which, in turn, helped to influence the outcome of a child’s competence in school and life. The findings of the study also add that how a single mother is raised is correlated to the stresses that she will incur during adulthood, which will influence how a mother tends to her own children. This childhood adversity brings about the risk of the mother’s children growing up with their own adversity, becoming a never-ending cycle. What all of these findings and facts accomplish is the creation of further literature that shows how interventions can reduce the effects of economic pressure on single mothers, and thus, their children. Personal thoughts While it is important to find and understand the negative implications of single mothers in economic situations, I believe that it is of even more vitality to understand the positive side. By doing this, methods can be formed to ensure that minority single mothers, and single mothers in general, can receive the help that they need to rise above economic hardship and to tend positively to the needs of their children. As this is a pattern that can continue on from generation to generation, it becomes a need to put an end to it as soon as possible. The researchers discovered that there is a connection between a mother’s childhood adversities and the way she raises her children, which then has an effect on her children’s adversities. There is no end unless someone finally puts a stop to the negativity and pessimism that can be found in relation to single motherhood. The researchers’ idea of focusing on the maternal optimism is an interesting concept. They still concentrated on the fact that these families were facing economic difficulties, but they approached it differently than from previous studies. Maternal optimism, especially in a household run by a single mother, is perhaps the most important aspect of keeping that family strong. Optimism in the face of hardship is a valuable tool, one that the researchers regard as being a psychological tool; as such, I feel that single, minority mothers can be taught to become optimistic during economic hardship for the sake of the well-being of them and their family. References Taylor, Z., Conger, R., Widaman, K., Cutrona, C., & Larsen-Rife, D. (2010). Life stress, maternal optimism, and adolescent competence in single mother, African American families. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(4), 468-477. Read More