Suchergebnisse

This study was designed to test whether there is a lack of social consensus about how stepparents should and will act as parents, and whether individuals in society perceive stepparent roles as similar to or different from the roles of biological and adoptive parents. Two-hundred and forty introductory psychology students were randomly assigned to complete one of three versions (biological parent, adoptive parent, and stepparent) of the Family Role Questionnaire and a demographic instrument. The Family Role Questionnaire consists of 16 vignettes describing a variety of situations calling for some degree of parental behavior. As hypothesized, there was greater variability in subjects' responses to how stepparents, in contrast to biological and adoptive parents, would actually respond and how they should behave in the situations in the vignettes. In addition, respondents thought that stepparents were less obligated and less likely than were biological and adoptive parents to engage in the supportive parental behaviors called for in the situations. Implications for future research and for interventions with members of stepfamilies are discussed.

AbstractThe authors identify four different models into which divorce mediation approaches and case studies fit: legal, labor management, therapeutic, and communication and information. Each model holds a unique central assumption regarding what will bring about change in parties' positions during divorce mediation. This assumption plays an important role in shaping mediators' intervention strategies and the interactions that develop during sessions. Given the differences in the models, the potential of divorce mediation may not be fully realized until practitioners and researchers, at some future point, develop ways to match parties with the approach that best suits their needs.