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Ann Aibor, MI 48106 The Relation of Children's Everyday Stressors to Parental Stress DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State U niversity By Yvonne Elaine Gustafson, B.S., M.A. The Ohio State University 1993 Dissertation Committee: Approved by William D. Dowling, PhD. Elsie J. Alberty, PhD. Adviser Kathryn Beckham Mims, PhD. Department of Educational Studies College of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The work represented here is a commitment to families. The product is possible only because others have shared so much of themselves in the process. I express my appreciation to the members of my dissertation committee, Dr. William Dowling, Dr. Elsie Alberty and Dr. Kathryn Beckham Mims, for their time, commitment, and skill in guiding me through this process. Further appreciation is extended to Dr. Paul Jose and Dr. R. Richard Abidin for the permission to use the Children's Everyday Life Event Scale and the Parent Stress Index. Thanks go to the Administration, Faculty, and Staff of the Southwestern City School District for their assistance. I am grateful to all the parents and children who shared the intimate knowledge of their lives with me. To all of you, with special acknowledgement of the family that most closely surrounds me, I offer my heartfelt thanks. VITA August 12, 1949............................................................Bom Ypsilanti, Michigan 1971 .................................................................................B.S., Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan 1971 .................................................................................Middle School Mathematics, North Branch Area Schools, North Branch Michigan 1971-197 2 ....................................................................... Teaching Assistant Mathematics Department, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti M ichigan 1972-197 4 .......................................................................Wayne-Westland Public Schools, Wayne Memorial High School Mathematics Department, Wayne, Michigan 1974 ................................................................................. M.A. Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan 1975-1976 .......................................................................Minneapolis Public Schools, North High School Mathematics Department, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1981 ................................................................................. Parent Education Leadership Training 1981-Present ............................................................... Self-Employed: Workshops: Parent Education, Professional Staff Development, Community Education Programs 1985-1986....................................................................Student Teacher Supervisor, Mathematics Education, University of Minnesota FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Education Studies in Educational Studies: Humanities, Science, Technological and Vocational, William D. Dowling, PhD. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................................ii VITA ................................................................................................;...................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................................................x CHAPTER 1............................................................................................................ 1 Introduction..............................................................................................................1 S tre ss.......................................................................................................... 1 Nature of parental stress..................................................................... 2 Childhood stress and the school environment .............................. 8 Purpose and significance of this study............................................14 Population of interest............................................................................ 15 Problem statement .................................................................................15 Definitions.....................................................................................................15 Assumptions and Limitations.............................................................16 The major aims of the study ...............................................................18 H ypotheses................................................................................................ 18 CHAPTER II...........................................................................................................20 Review of Literature..........................................................................................20 Parenting Stress.......................................................................................20 Family characteristics variables ........................................................ 21 Socioeconomic Status as a Family Characteristic Variable 22 Child attribute variables relevant to the study of stress and resilience in children.....................................................................25 Age................................................................................................................ 25 G ender.........................................................................................................26 Genetic Factors.............................................................................................27 Temperament................................................................................................27 Intelligence and cognitive style ......................................................... 28 v Children's development over the elementary school ex p erien ce...................................................................................................28 Children's everyday school experience as potential for parent concem/Havighurst's unique set of potential stre sso rs.......................................................................................................32 Peers as significant others...........................................................................33 The parent in developing intellectual skills and personal autonom y .....................................................................................................35 School age children's stress........................................................................ 36 Summary........................................................................................................ 42 The major aims of the study ................................................................43 H ypotheses................................................................................................. 43 CHAPTER III.......................................................................................................... 45 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 45 Selection of Subjects .....................................................................................45 Description of Instruments...................................................................47 The Parent Stress Index..............................................................47 The Everyday Life Event Scale ....................................................49 Procedures...................................................................................................... 51 Post administration