Adjustment Perceptions to Stepfamily Living - Research Proposal Example

An Empirical Study on the Perceptions of Adjustment to Stepfamily Living 0 Research Background Parental separation has become common now-a-days in almost all countries, especially in the UK and USA. In a step family system, children are separated from their biological parents after a remarriage by either mother or father. The tendency of remarriage and step family system has left many children divorced from their family and is increasing at a faster rate. Statistics from various studies and reports projects divorce take place in the range of 50-60 percent in the first marriages (Degarmo & Forgatch, 2002; Jones, 2003; Waite & Gallagher, 2000). It has also been observed by scholars that women (mothers) normally would prefer to remarry within 3-5 years after separation and men (fathers) within 1-2 years of separation (Hughes, 2000). When a separation is incurred, children are left with either father or mother as a second child. There are many barriers to stepfamily members that include educational, social, and economic factors (Aronson, 1992). Keeping this in view, the present study aims to assess the perceptions of the members of the stepfamily and examine how these perceptions affect the adjustment to remarriage and stepfamily living. The study also seeks to examine whether there are any associations between the perceptions of child, the biological parent who remarried, and the stepparent. 2.0 Literature review Many studies have been undertaken across the world on stepfamily and related issues. In a significant study undertaken by Wilkes and Fromme (2002) examined whether the themes in the experiences of members in the stepfamily over time is stable or not. Conducted among the adolescents, stepparents, and biological parent from different stepfamilies, the study has observed that areas that remained stable over time and areas of positive change and adjustment. In another study carried out by Cartwright (2003) among stepfamily therapists, the author observes that separated children feel loss of relationship and association with biological parents displaced by the new relationship. This area of knowledge has been empirically researched by many and several theories have been propounded. From the view point of the family systems theory, Berg (2003) addressed a question that whether the relative influence of each parent on adolescents’ self-esteem and adjustment depended primarily on their status as custodial, step-, or non-resident parents, and whether these influences differed for adolescents with stepmothers, compared to those with stepfathers. The study concludes that the perceived association of separated children with stepmother and stepfather families differently. 3.0 Research Questions From the literature on first marriages there is research evidence to suggest that cognitions, such as expectations, beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes, could account for a portion of the explanation. Findings from various studies have indicated that one’s expectations about how relationships function and perceptions about why they should function in a particular way influence one’s behavior in a relationship (Higgins, Strauman, & Klein, 1986). Entering into a stepfamily presents a new experience, with new perceptions, beliefs, expectations and family schemas. Just as instruments that identify general dysfunctional beliefs/expectations in first marriages have been invaluable to researchers who study relationships, and therapists who work with couples, a reliable and valid instrument that empirically assesses perceptions of dysfunctional and functional remarriage or stepfamily living would be of great value toward development of more informed interventions. Yet, despite the increasing number of individuals entering remarriages and/or stepfamilies (Bramlett & Mosher, 2002) and the existence of unique remarriage beliefs (Ganong & Coleman, 2004) and stepfamily perceptions, there are limited validated instruments of stepfamily living to guide empirical research on the effects of remarriage and stepfamily perceptions on remarriage quality. 4.0 Research Aims The present study is undertaken with two objectives in mind. Firstly, the researchers needs to investigate into the perceptions of stepfamily members that decide the extent to which these perceptions affect the adjustment to remarriage and stepfamily living. The study emphasises on the individual characteristics of perception, and therefore takes into consideration the often overlooked perspective of the child, as well as the perspective of the biological parent who remarried, and the stepparent. Secondly, the study aims to examine the possible connections between these individual characteristics of perception, from the child, the biological parent who remarried, and the stepparent, and the relationship with past and present utilization of therapeutic processes. 5.0 Hypotheses The present study has formulated the following hypotheses, the validity of which is checked and generalised by the researcher through his empirical study. 1. Step Family members have different perceptions as to their adjustment remarriage and stepfamily living; 2. Biological parents are more supportive and encouraging than stepparent to help the separated children’s education, family living and social life. 6.0 Research Design The research takes a descriptive research methodology to work out the objectives and come out with conclusions that can be generalised in similar family situations. The following elements are included in the methodology of the study: 6.1 Participants The participants in this study will be stepfamilies, in which biological parents with physical and legal custody of their children have entered into a new relationship with a spouse, defined as a stepfamily. Utilizing Moser and Kalton’s (1972) formula to calculate the size of the sample needed, with an acceptable error of two percent and an estimate of the proportion of the population that has the particular criteria described, it will be necessary to acquire a conservative sample of 30 participants from each category (adolescent, biological parent, stepparent). 6.2 Measures While self-report inventories are sometimes considered unreliable, due to social desirability factors, it also has been noted that self-report scores from well-constructed instruments are sometimes more useful and more accurate than clinical interviews or even behavioral observations (Ganong & Coleman, 1986). This current project will make use of a number of self-report inventories to assess various aspects of stepfamily life. Biological parents, stepparents, and children will respond to items about 1) demographic data, and 2) stepfamily adjustment. A detailed description of the measures to be utilized follows. 6.2.1Demographic Data 6.2.1.1Demographic Inventory (DI) The DI is a self-report instrument developed for the purpose of assessing predictor variables, such as demographic data associated within remarried families. The DI contains questions about characteristics of the participants, such as socioeconomic data, educational background, employment information, religious preference, and marital history. The questions are grouped pertaining to family, couple, and youth. As the inventory has been devised for use by parent, stepparent, and youth, it will be completed by each participant during this research study. A copy of the DI can be located in Appendix B. 6.2.1.2 Stepfamily Adjustment Stepfamily Adjustment Scale (SAS) The Stepfamily Adjustment Scale (SAS) (Crosbie-Burnett, 1984, 2003) is a self-report instrument developed for the purpose of assessing the criterion variable of stepfamily adjustment. There are three forms of the instrument: biological parent, stepparent, and adolescent (13-22 years). The SAS is designed in a Likert-format so as to be readily interpreted by researchers and clinicians. 7.0 Proposed Data Analyses All questionnaire data will be analyzed and tabulated for both positive and negative adjustment, the frequency of responses will be calculated and descriptive statistics will be reported as means + SD. Statistically, a measure of correlation analysis will be employed to evaluate the degree of relationship (correlation) between the scores in the distributions from the biological parent, stepparent, and the child. Since the SAS will be utilized with a population of test takers that differs from the population on which the test was standardized, validation studies will be necessary. Finally, variables associated with either past or present utilization of therapy, will be analyzed to further determine if these categorical variables have an influence on the outcome variable of adjustment to stepfamily living, for each of the stepfamily members, the biological parent, the stepparent, and the child. Since the mathematical procedures used in factor analysis are very complex, this researcher will utilize the SPSS statistical software package for all data analysis. 8.0 Ethical Considerations The respondents during this research process were made fully aware of the purpose of the study. Care was taken to ensure anonymity if desired by the respondents and informed consent was obtained prior to commencement of the research. Self-completion questionnaires were administered with details of the study and the researcher, and respondents were given sufficient time to read and sign consent forms agreeing to participate in the study prior to individual interviews. Respondents were also made fully aware of their right to withdraw during any part of the study and a copy was made available for all participants. Hart and Bond (1995) suggest that giving the respondents’ time to read the procedure at their own pace is a preferable method of obtaining consent and agreement, rather than the interviewer simply reading to them and asking them to sign. Any anxieties can be overcome when given time to understand what is required and consideration can be made to alter any aspect of the consent form which the respondent is not comfortable with (Blaxter et al 2001). 9.0 Anticipated Outcome This study will help stepfamilies themselves, by allowing them to gain a better understanding of their unique family situation and what differences in perception may contribute to adjustment outcomes. In addition, such information would be particularly valuable to professionals in the field who can draw on the findings to assist them as they work with stepfamilies in their daily practice, as they create treatment plans that are designed to meet the needs of this ever-increasing population, to begin to generate new models of stepfamily dynamics, and to ultimately determine to what extent the therapeutic process effects adjustment to stepfamily living. References Ahrons, C. R 1994, The good divorce: Keeping your family together when your marriage comes apart, New York, HarperCollins. Albrecht, S. L., Bahr, H. M., & Goodman, K. L 1983, Divorce and remarriage: problems, adaptations, and adjustments, Westport, Connecticut, Greenwood Press. Aquilino, W. S 2005, ‘Impact of family structure on parental attitudes toward the economic support of adult stepchildren over the transition to adulthood’, Journal of Family Issues, 26(2), 143-167 Beaudry, M., Boisvert, J., Simard, M., Parent, C., & Blais, M 2004, ‘Communication: A key component to meeting the challenges of stepfamilies’, Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 42(1/2), 85-104. Berg, E.C 2003, ‘The effects of perceived closeness to custodial parents, stepparents and non-resident parents on adolescent self-esteem’, Journal of Divorce and Remarriage Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., and Tight, M (2001) How to Research (2e) Buckingham: Open University Press Buunk, B. P. & Mutsaers, W 1999, ‘The nature of the relationship between remarried individuals and former spouses and its impact on marital satisfaction’, Journal of Family Psychology, 13(2), 165-174 Cartwright, C 2003 ‘Therapists’ perceptions of bioparent-child relationships in stepfamilies: What hurts? What helps?’, Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 38(3/4), 147-166. Degarmo, D. S., & Forgatch, M. S. (2002). Identity salience as a moderator of psychological and marital distress in stepfather families. Social Psychology Quarterly, 65(3), 266-285. Down. 2003 ‘Short-term marital adjustment and prediction tests: Their reliability and their validity’, Journal of Marriage and Family Living, 21, 251-255. Hart, E and Bond, M (1995) Action Research for Health and Social Care Buckingham: Open University Press Heatherington, E. M. & Kelly, J 2002, For better or for worse: Divorce reconsidered, New York, W.W. Norton & Company Hughes, J. (2000). Repartnering after divorce: Marginal mates and unwedded women. Family Matters, 55, 16-21 Jones, A.C. (2003). Reconstructing the stepfamily: Old myths, new stories. Social Work, 48(2), 228-237. Marquardt, E 2005, Between two worlds: The inner lives of children of divorce. New York, Crown Publishers Waite, L. J., & Gallagher, M. (2000). The case for marriage: Why married people are happier, healthier and better off financially. New York: Doubleday. Wilkes, C., & Fromme, D. K, 2002, ‘Stability and change in the experiences of parents, stepparents and adolescents in step families’, Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 38, 109-124 Read More