A comparative study of family functioning processes of families with a child with autism in Turkey and in the United States

Download
2009
Çelimli, Şeniz
This study aimed to investigate the differences in parenting stress, coping ways, and family functioning variables of families with a preschool-aged child with autism from Turkey and from the United States (U.S.) and to find out how the factors of parenting stress, coping ways, and social support predict the adaptability of the families in terms of cohesion and flexibility in families of children with autism from Turkey and from the U.S. For this study, only the mothers of a child with autism aged between two and seven years old are included from both cultures. Multivariate Analyses of Covariance (MANCOVA) were conducted for comparing the mothers from both cultures in terms of parentig stress, coping ways, and family functioning variables. According to these analyses, while mothers did not diffenentiate for parenting stress variable, both groups of mothers were found to use different coping ways and to show different family functioning characteristics. Turkish mothers were found to use more problem-focused coping ways than their American counterparts. Moreover, mothers from Turkey were found to report higher flexibility and enmeshment than mothers from the U.S. In order to find out the predictors of family cohesion and flexibility, series of Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analyses were conducted for both groups of mothers separately. These analyses revealed different predictors of family cohesion and flexibility for mothers of children with autism from Turkey and from the U.S. The differences in group comparison and regression analyses were discussed in accordance with the relevant literature.

Suggestions

The relationships between parental emotion expressivity, children’s temperament and children’s coping strategy
Eyüpoğlu, Hilal; Kazak Berument, Sibel; Department of Psychology (2006)
This study aims to investigate the relations between the dimensions of parental expressivity which are positivity, negative dominant expressivity, negative submissive expressivity, family environment and child’s coping strategies, and the effect of child temperament on this relation .111 preschool children between the ages of 4 and 6 years and their families participated in the study. Family expressivity as assessed with Halberstadt’s Self Expressivennes in the Family Questionnaire. Three subscales of Famil...
Examination of the roles of family functioning, coping styles and basic personality characteristics on depression and anxiety symptoms of mothers
Nadir, Ural; Gençöz, Tülin; Department of Psychology (2010)
This study aimed at revealing the role of the family functioning, coping styles, and basic personality characteristics on depression and anxiety symptoms of mothers. The participants were 155 mothers, having at least one child and living in Ankara. Beck Depression Inventory, Mc Master Family Assessment Device, Trait Anxiety Inventory, Basic Personality Traits Inventory, and The Ways of Coping Inventory were administered in addition to the demographic form. Firstly, it was expected that, there would be signi...
The effects of mothers' parental attitudes on their preschool children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems : \ the mediator role of mothers' psychological adjustment
Yurduşen (Acı), Sema; Gençöz, Tülin; Department of Psychology (2004)
This study aimed at revealing the mediational role of mothers̕ psychological adjustment between mothers̕ parental attitudes and their preschool children̕s behavioral problems relationship. The participants were 204 married mothers, 64 fathers, 195 chief teachers and 25 assistant teachers of preschool children aged between 1ư - 5 years-old, who are attending nurseries in different neighborhoods of Ankara. Prior to the main analyses, the reliability analyses of Child Behavior Check List - 1ư - 5 (CBCL ا 1ư - ...
The relationship between the social cognitive understanding and aggressive behaviors in children with hearing loss
Sarıkardaşoğlu, Aslı; Kazak Berument, Sibel; Department of Psychology (2010)
The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the social cognitive understanding, aggressive behaviors and behavioral adjustment of deaf children. Severely and profoundly deaf children between the ages of 6-11 participated in the study. Firstly, the social cognitive understanding of deaf children was assessed through picture sequence tasks. These tasks were designed to measure the first-order belief attributions, belief-based behavior prediction, intention understanding, intention conseque...
The mediator role of parenting behaviors between children's witnessing interparental violence and children's coping with interpersonal and academic stressors
Sarıot, Özge; Fışıloğlu, Hürol; Department of Psychology (2011)
The study aims to investigate the role of parenting behaviors as a mediator, between children's witnessing of interparental violence and coping ways of children with interpersonal and academic stressors. For the purpose of assesment, The Conflict Tactic Scale Adapted for Italian Youngsters and The Question Set about Parental Abuse towards Children have been translated into Turkish and their psychometric properties therein were tested on 10-12 year-old children. With the same aged sample group which involved...
Citation Formats
Ş. Çelimli, “A comparative study of family functioning processes of families with a child with autism in Turkey and in the United States,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2009.