Coping strategies in response to parental stress experienced as a result of intergenerational conflicts between parents and adolescents
Abstract
In this study, the degree of parental self-efficacy, the type of conflict situation (autonomy-related, drug-related, and sex-related), the adolescents' sex, and the parents' age and sex were chosen as variables that influence coping strategy selection and perceived effectiveness in decreasing the parental stress generated by intergenerational conflicts. Using these three conflict situations, nine vignettes were developed for inclusion on the Parental Coping Strategy Questionnaire (PCSQ). The PCSQ is a 45 item, self-administered instrument developed by the researcher which yielded respondent ratings for the seriousness of the conflict, the stress this conflict would generate for the parent, the perceived self-efficacy the parent felt in facing this conflict, and the likelihood of selection and perceived effectiveness of each of the six coping strategies selected for this study. Questionnaires were sent to 225 potential respondents and 158 completed questionnaires were returned. Respondents were all parents of at least one adolescent and resided in households with both parents in residence. Results of linear multiple regression indicated that only perceived parental self-efficacy and type of conflict situation significantly predicted both coping strategy selection and perceived effectiveness. Furthermore, analyses of variance indicated that parents with high perceived self-efficacy were significantly ($p <$.01) more likely to select and rate as effective the problem-focused coping strategies than parents with low perceived self-efficacy. Conversely, parents with low perceived self-efficacy were significantly ($p <$.01) more likely to select and rate as effective the emotion-focused coping strategies than parents with high perceived self-efficacy. In addition, parents were significantly ($p <$.01) more likely to select and rate as effective the problem-focused coping strategies when encountering autonomy-related conflicts. Conversely, when encountering both drug and sex-related conflicts, parents were significantly ($p <$.01) more likely to select and rate as effective the emotion-focused coping strategies. A significant ($p <$.01) interaction was also found between perceived parental self-efficacy and type of conflict situation which suggested that these variables share a synergistic relationship. Future research suggestions and the role of the psychologist as a facilitator of successful coping strategies were also discussed.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology
Recommended Citation
Garritan, Dennis John, "Coping strategies in response to parental stress experienced as a result of intergenerational conflicts between parents and adolescents" (1988). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8821954.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8821954
