Date of Award

1989

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of a time-limited, parent group therapy model for reducing aggressive and disruptive behavior in seven- to thirteen-year-old boys. Comparative differences between an individual counseling versus a parent group implementation of a social learning family counseling model were studied. Twenty families completed the parent group treatment program offered by the Family Therapy Project at Indiana State University. These families completed pre- and post-treatment assessments in order to determine treatment gains in the areas of child behavior, family environment/relationships, family problem-solving abilities, and marital adjustment/satisfaction. These treatment results were then statistically compared using an analysis of covariance to existing data collected by the Family Therapy Project staff. They had also employed 20 families in an individual family/therapist treatment modality of the same treatment model and 20 additional families in a control condition. The following instruments were used to determine treatment gains and supply the comparative data: Daily Behavior Checklist, Parent Daily Report, Child Behaviour Checklist, Family Environment Scale, Beavers-Timberlawn Family Evaluation Scale, Family Problem-Solving Behavior Coding System, Problem-Solving Efficiency Scale, and Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test. The four dependent variables were analyzed by a one-way analysis of covariance in order to equate pre-treatment group variable differences between the individual family application and parent group treatment. The previous individual family therapy data indicated significant increases were obtained for positive child behaviors at home and school, family cohesion, empathy, problem-solving efficiency, total positive family relationships, and marital satisfaction (for parents reporting low scores). When these previous data were added to data collected from the parent group condition and each condition adjusted for pre-test means, neither treatment condition was able to produce significant changes in school-related behavior or marital satisfaction. Analysis revealed the parent group treatment component to be less effective in reducing parent reported family environment variables and family problem-solving skills. It was generally concluded that the parent group application was effective in reducing aggressive/disruptive child and family behaviors at home, but individual family therapeutic approaches were somewhat more effective when employing this same model for helping families improve family environment and relationship skills.

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