Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

This study examined the effect of videotaped normative information regarding stepfamily development and functioning on level of perceived stepfamily adjustment. Secondarily, the study attempted to identify demographic variables to discriminate between high and low perceived stepfamily adjustment. Participants were 132 clinical and nonclinical stepfather families formed after divorce and recruited in York County, Pennsylvania and Baltimore County, Maryland. Biological mothers, stepfathers, and adolescent children aged 14–17 rated their perceptions of stepfamily adjustment at pre-test, viewed the videotape, and/or rated their perceptions of stepfamily adjustment at post-test. ANOVAs revealed a significant main effect for treatment in both the pre-test ( F (1, 65) = 8.45, p < .005), and the post-test groups ( F (1, 65) = 8.94, p < .004). The main effect for pre-test was significant in the treatment ( F (1, 65) = 5.25, p < .025), but not the no-treatment groups ( F (1, 65) = 1.30, p < .259). There was a significant treatment by pre-test interaction ( F (1, 128) = 7.66, p ≤ .001). A stepwise discriminant analysis procedure was used with pre-test family SAS scores to discriminate between high and low perceived stepfamily adjustment. Length of remarriage was a significant predictor of perceived adjustment ( F (1, 58) = 6.50, p < .01), as was child's visitation arrangement ( F (1, 58) = 5.58, p < .02). Cross-validation was conducted using the post-test family SAS scores of the no pre-test groups. Stepfamilies receiving normative stepfamily information perceived their families as better adjusted than did stepfamilies who did not. Pre-test stepfamilies receiving normative stepfamily information perceived their families as better adjusted than did all other stepfamilies in the study. Level of perceived adjustment increased as the length of the remarriage increased. Level of perceived adjustment decreased as frequency of visitation decreased.

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