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Codependency in Master's-Level Counseling Students

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Codependency in Master's-Level Counseling Students Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2007 Codependency in Master's-Level Counseling Students Terri Lynne Pardee Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the School Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Pardee, Terri Lynne, "Codependency in Master's-Level Counseling Students" (2007). Dissertations. 619. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/619 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. Andrews University School of Education CODEPENDENCY IN MASTER’S-LEVEL COUNSELING STUDENTS A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Terri Lynne Pardee March 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3261212 Copyright 2007 by Pardee, Terri Lynne All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 3261212 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CODEPENDENCY IN MASTER’S-LEVEL COUNSELING STUDENTS A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by Terri Lynne Pardee APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: Chair: Frederick A. Kosinski, Jr. Of , M em b ^ JinAny Kijai Deanin, Sdhool of Education James R. Jeffrey Member: NanfeV J. Carbonell External EWaminer: Date approved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT CODEPENDENCY IN MASTER’S-LEVEL COUNSELING STUDENTS by Terri Lynne Pardee Chair: Frederick A. Kosinski, Jr. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title; CODEPENDENCY IN MASTER’S-LEVEL COUNSELING STUDENTS Name of researcher: Terri Lynne Pardee Name and degree of faculty chair: Frederick A. Kosinski, Jr., Ph.D. Date completed: March 2007 Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to examine codependency in master’s-level counseling students, to determine if there was a significant difference between incoming and exiting students, and to investigate codependency as related to age, gender, and religious preference. Method The Codependency Assessment Tool was administered to 275 Spring Arbor University master’s-level counseling students to measure codependency in five core areas: Other Focus/Self-Neglect, Low Self-Worth, Hiding Self, Medical Problems, and Family of Origin Issues. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Results Respondents’ CODAT mean score showed a minimal level of codependency. There were no significant differences between incoming and exiting students on the CODAT composite scores or on each of the core areas. Scores were not significantly different for the composite or the core areas among different age groups. A significant interaction effect existed between student status and age on the composite score. Incoming students ages 22 to 27 scored significantly higher on the composite score than exiting students of the same age. In the core area Low Self-Worth, exiting students ages 22 to 27 reported significantly more positive self-worth than students ages 28 to 34. Among students ages 22 to 27, exiting students reported higher self-worth than incoming students. There were no significant interaction effects between student status and age on the other core areas. There was no significant difference between males and females on the composite score. On the core area Hiding Self, males were significantly more likely to hide their true selves than females. There were no significant interaction effects between student status and gender on the core areas. There were no significant differences among the religious preferences with regard to the composite or the core area scores. There were no significant interaction effects between religious preference and student status on the core areas. Conclusion The self-report of respondents did not indicate that there were high levels of codependency present. However, students’ composite scores did suggest that some codependent tendencies were present in a majority of the students. In considering Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. codependency, counselor education programs can assist students to identify and manage any limiting codependent tendencies. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I dedicate this effort to my mother who taught me the value of education, to my husband who taught me the meaning of unconditional love, and to my two sons, Spencer and Eli, who taught me the importance of perspective. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................................vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................................................x Chapter I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 Rationale.............................. 2 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study...........................................................................................6 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................6 Research Questions........................................... 8 Research Hypotheses.......................................................................................... 9 Significance of the Study....................................................................................9 Delimitations......................................................................................................10 Limitations.......................... 10 Assumptions.......................................................................................................11 Definition of Terms............................................................................................11 Organization of the Study.................................................................................12 11. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .......................................................................14 Introduction........................................................................................................ 14 Background Information ................................................................................... 15 Codependency Defined...............................................................................16 Codependency Characterized..................................................................... 17 Codependency as a Personality Style..............................................................21 Codependency Compared to Borderline Personality Disorder...............21 Codependency Compared to Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder........................................................ 22 Codependency Compared to Depressive Personality Disorder..............23 Codependency Compared to Dependent Personality Disorder...............24 Inclusion of Codependency in the DSM -IV-TR ...................................... 25 Codependent Personality Style and Personal Vulnerability ................... 29 Etiology...............................................................................................................30 Influence of the Family of Origin .................................................31 Learning Theory.......................................................................................... 37 Developmental Theory................................................................................38 Object Relations Theory .............................................................................38
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