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Physical Affection from Parents As Remembered from Childhood Ellen Senter Denny University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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Physical Affection from Parents As Remembered from Childhood Ellen Senter Denny University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Tennessee, Knoxville Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 12-2006 The Experience of Being Loved: Physical Affection From Parents As Remembered From Childhood Ellen Senter Denny University of Tennessee, Knoxville Recommended Citation Denny, Ellen Senter, "The Experience of Being Loved: Physical Affection From Parents As Remembered From Childhood. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2006. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4249 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Ellen Senter Denny entitled "The Experience of Being Loved: Physical Affection From Parents As Remembered From Childhood." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Psychology. Mark Hector, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Kathy Davis, Wes Morgan, Brian Barber Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) To the Graduate Council: I amsubmitting herewith a dissertationwritten by Ellen Senter Denny entitled "The Experienceof Being Loved: Physical AffectionFrom ParentsAs Remembered From Childhood." I have examinedthe final paper copy of this dissertationfor form and content andrecommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillmentof the requirements for the degreeof Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Psychology. We have read this dissertationand recommend its acceptance: Acceptancefor the Council: Vice Chancellor Graduate Studies THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING LOVED: PHYSICAL AFFECTION FROM PARENTS AS REMEMBERED FROM CHILDHOOD A Dissertation Presented forthe Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Ellen Senter Denny December 2006 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my loving and affectionatechildren, Kendra, Phillip, Jessica, Blake, and Meredith. What a marvelous privilege to mother such decent and authentic human beings. They were the inspiration forthis study ... and my most precious gifts. And to my dearest friend Katie Rea Smith Whose love, affection, listening, understanding, laughing, and beauty are priceless to me. Katie truly knows what the holding environment is all about. I am eternally grateful. 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sometimes words cannot adequately express the feelingswe have for those who have made such a differencein our lives. Thanking those who have been instrumental in myprogress toward the doctoral degree will seem inadequate as I attempt to convey the depth of my gratitude. The completion of this degree is the result of more than just my own efforts. I know that were it not forthose who have been a part of this process in varyingways of support, encouragement, love, and friendship, I would not have been able to accomplish my goal. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to: My major professorand committee chair, Dr. Mark Hector, who believed in me fromthe beginning and has offeredconsistent guidance throughout my doctoral program. He has been a mentor who teaches with wisdom and integrity, challenges with kindness, listens to the other's perspective, and invests much time and energy into student projects. The 21 participants who offeredtheir time to speak to me openly and candidly about their experience of physical affection fromchildhood. I owe them much, as this studywould not have been possible without their stories. My committee members, Dr. Mark Hector, Dr. Kathy Davis, Dr. Brian Barber, andDr. Wes Morgan, fortheir support, encouragement, and helpfulsuggestions. My research group, Dr. Mark Hector, Judy Hector, Doug Muccio, Mae Rav Edlis, I Wen Chan, Kim Kent, and Sandrine Bosshardt, fortheir time and effortin thoughtfully reviewing and thematizing my transcripts, and forappreciating my interest in the study. My parents, William Robert Senter and Bette Senter, who have been a constant source of love and support, provided in ways too numerous to describe here. I feelmost fortunateto be their daughter. lll My children, Kendra Denny Dixon, Phillip Denny, Jessica Denny, Blake Denny, and Meredith Denny, who have put up with a lot over the last fewyears. They have demonstrated much patience, and have encouraged and loved me throughout the process. The many excellent supervisors I've had throughout my psychology training, Dr. Dale Berry, Dr. Taro Karusu, Dr. Kathy Davis, Dr. Karen Swander, Dr. Bill Richards, Dr. Adair Allen, Dr. Tom Bishop, and Dr. Carter Miller. They have taught me much about the therapeutic process and have consistently encouraged me to trust my own instincts. What a wonderfulopportunity to learnfrom such accomplished clinicians. Dr. Lance Laurence, whose confidencein my workhas been a source of inspiration. I look forwardto a new beginning as his colleague. Those friends who have been a continual source of support and encouragement. I am especially gratefulto Katie and Mike Smith, Robin and Dan Sartor, Susan and Don Nalls, Susan and Pierce Alexander, Ed and Karen Pershing, Jacqueline Kracker, and Brian Spillman. Each of them, in their own way, has filled my cup. Dr. Dan Sartor, who touched me with his gracious offerto freelyprovide editing of this dissertation. I will always remember his (and Robin's) sacrifice.. and that long Saturday. Dr. David Winecoff, who joined me late in this process, but at a most critical time. I am gratefulfor his genuineness and trustworthiness, and forreally knowingwhat being with is all about. IV ABSTRACT This project provided a description of the experience of physical affectionas remembered from childhood. In-depth, non-directive interviews were conducted with 21 adult participants who were asked to describe their experiences of receiving physical affectionfrom their parents during childhood. The raw data consisted of transcriptions of the interviews, and a method informed by phenomenology and hermeneutics forthe purpose of describing the thematic structure of the experience was employed. The ground of Being Loved provided the context upon which three themes became figural. It included the awareness of feelingsthat participants experienced, such as love, security, being cared for,warmth, and so forth, as a benefitof physical affection. The firsttheme, From Whom the Physical AffectionWas Received, included descriptions of those giving the physical affection to the participant. The two sub-themes included physical affectionfrom Parents and physical affectionfrom Grandparents. The descriptions of physical affectionfrom parents typically included a comparison between the mother and father ( or stepfather). The second theme, Acts That Demonstrate Physical Affection,captured the participant's awareness of the acts of touching behavior directed toward them by their parents which were experienced as physical affection. The participantsdescribed a range of behaviors that were experienced as physical affection and included the following sub-themes: Kissing, Hugging, Holding Hands, and Holding, Snuggling/Cuddling, Rocking. The third theme, Non-Physical Expressions of Affection, captured the participant's awareness of non-touching behavior directed toward them by their parents that was nevertheless experienced as a part of the experience of physical affection. The theme of Non-Physical Expressions of Affectionincluded the sub-themes V of Verbal Affection and Play, Sports, Bedtime Routines, and Other Activities. In addition to the ground and three themes, there were two topics that sometimes emerged as participants described the experience of physical affection. First, punishment was described by the participants as either an awareness that punishment was oftenfollowed by physical affectionor an awareness that punishment was a part of physical affection as a demonstration of caring. Second, change in the experience of physical affectionover time, reflected the participants' awareness of the way in which physical affection changed during the period of adolescence as a result of the participants' growing autonomy from their parents. VI TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 1 IL REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 5 Introduction 5 Observational Studies of Physical Affection Deprivation in Infancy 5 Observational Studies on the Presence of Touch During Infancy 16 Physical AffectionDuring Childhood 21 Measures of Physical Affection 26 A Note on Appropriate Versus Inappropriate Touch 27 III. METHOD 29 Introduction 29 Phenomenology as a Research Method 29 Data Collection and Analysis 35 Bracketing 35 Selecting Participants 39 Interviewing 40 Data Analysis 41 IV. RESULTS 44 Introduction 44 Description of the Participants 44 Phenomenological Analysis 45 Ground 48 Being Loved 48 Themes 51 From Whom It Was Received 51 Parents 51 Grandparents 54 Acts that Demonstrate Physical Affection 56 Kissing, Hugging, Holding Hands 57 Holding, Cuddling/Snuggling, Rocking 5 8 Non-Physical Expressions of Affection 60 Verbal Affection 60 Play, Sports, Bedtime Routines, and Other Activities 61 V. DISCUSSION 66 Major Findings: Physical Affection from Parents as Remembered
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