| Summary: | 碩士 === 中山醫學大學 === 心理學系暨臨床心理學碩士班 === 103 === The aim of this study was to investigate the adolescents’ perceptions of “interparental conflict”, “triangulation”, and “adolescents’ adjustment”. Their differences under demographic variables were also examined. Most importantly, the author explored the mediation effect of triangulation between interparental conflict and adolescents’ adjustment. The sample consisted of 959 students from junior high schools in Taichung City. Four questionnaires were applied, including “Marital Conflict Scale-Revised”, “Triangulation Scale”, “Parentification Scale”, and “Adolescent Social Behavior Scale”.
Since triangulation was defined as "the conflicts occurred between parents and the tension in marital relationship", the author selected a sub-sample of 685 students to analyze the relationships of triangulation, interparental conflict and adolescents’ adjustment. The sub-sample consisted of students who perceived their parents as relatively higher relationship conflict. In data analysis, the SPSS 18.0 for Descriptive Statists, t-tests, one way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were applied. The results of the study were as follows:
A. The adolescents’ perceptions of interparental conflict, triangulation, and adolescents’ adjustment:
a). Adolescents perceived the interparental conflict as lower than average. The frequency and intensity of interparental conflict were low and most of the conflicts could be effectively resolved.
b). Adolescent perceived the triangulation as lower than average. They did not perceive much “unstable cross-generational coalition”, “stable cross-generational coalition”, “detouring-supportive”, “detouring-attacking”, “arbitration caregiving”, “instrumental caregiving”, and “emotional caregiving” with their parents.
c). The adjustment of adolescent were relatively well and not evident in “externalizing problems”, “internalizing problems”, and “learning problems”.
B. The differences among interparental conflict, triangulation, and adolescents’ adjustment under different demographic variables:
a). The degree of interparental conflict were significantly different in “gender”, “grade level”, and “parent’s marital status”. Specifically, girls tended to perceive more intense and unresolved interparental conflict than boys. Grade 2 and Grade 3 students tended to perceive more frequent and intense interparental conflict than Grade 1 students. Grade 3 students tended to perceive more unresolved interparental conflict than Grade 1 students. Adolescents whose parents were divorced or separated would perceive more frequent, intense, and unresolved interparental conflict than whose parents were in the state of being married. If one of parent was dead, adolescents generally perceived more unresolved interparental conflict than whose parents were alive and in the state of being married.
b). The degree of Triangulation were significantly different in “gender” and “grade level”. Specifically, girls tended to perceive more “stable cross-generational coalition”, “emotional caregiving”, and less “supportive-detouring” than boys. Grade 1 students tended to perceive more “unstable cross-generational coalition” and “detouring-supportive” than Grade 3 students, and more “detouring-attacking” than the Grade 2. At last, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students tended to perceive more “arbitration caregiving” than the Grade 3.
c). The degree of adolescents’ adjustment were significantly different in “gender”, “grade level”, “parent’s marital status”, and “social economic status”. Specifically, boys tended to have more “externalizing problems” and “learning problems” than girls. Grade 3 students tended to have more “internalizing problems” than Grade 1 and Grade 2 students. Adolescents whose parents were divorced would have more “internalizing problems”, “externalizing problems”, and “learning problems” than whose parents were in the state of being married. Adolescents from upper-middle and lower-middle level tended to have more “learning problems” than those who have higher level of socioeconomic status.
C. The mediation effect of triangulation between interparental conflict and adolescents’ adjustment:
a) Interparental conflict could predict adolescents’ adjustment.
Interparental conflict could positively predict adolescents’ “internalizing problems”, “externalizing problems”, and “learning problems”. Adolescents who perceived more frequent, intense, and unresolved interparental conflict were more likely to experience adjustment problems.
b) Four types of Triangulation could predict adolescents’ adjustment.
i. “Stable cross-generational coalition” could positively predict adolescents’ “internalizing problems”. Adolescents who were closer with one of their parents and alienated with the other would have more “internalizing problems”.
ii. “Detouring-attacking” could positively predict adolescents’ “internalizing problems”, “externalizing problems”, and “learning problems”. If parents protect their marital relationship by attacking and criticizing their adolescent children, the adolescents would be more likely to have “internalizing problems”, “externalizing problems”, and “learning problems”.
iii. “Arbitration caregiving” could negatively predict adolescents’ “internalizing problems”. If adolescents perceived they have the responsibility to resolve interparental conflict, they would be less likely to have “internalizing problems”.
iv. “Emotional caregiving” could negatively predict adolescents’ “learning problems”. If adolescents perceived they have the responsibility to take care of family members’ emotion, they would be less likely to have “learning problems”.
c) Five types of Triangulation could predict adolescents’ adjustment.
i. Interparental conflict could positively predict “unstable cross-generational coalition”, “stable cross-generational coalition”, and “detouring-attacking”. Adolescents who perceived more frequent, intense, and unresolved interparental conflict would be more likely to perceive “unstable cross-generational coalition”, “stable cross-generational coalition”, and “detouring-attacking” with their parents.
ii. Interparental conflict could negatively predict “detouring-supportive” and “arbitration caregiving”. Adolescents who perceived more frequent, intense, and unresolved interparental conflict would be less likely to perceive “detouring-supportive” and “arbitration caregiving” with their parents.
d) The “detouring-attacking” could partially mediate the relationship between interparental conflict and adolescents’ adjustment.
i. The “detouring-attacking” could partially mediated the relationship between interparental conflict and adolescents’ “internalizing problems”, “externalizing problems”, and “learning problems”.
ii. The “stable cross-generational coalition”, “unstable cross-generational coalition”, “detouring-supportive”, “arbitration caregiving”, “instrumental caregiving”, and “emotional caregiving” could not partially mediate the relationship between interparental conflict and adolescents’ “internalizing problems”, “externalizing problems”, and “learning problems”.
Based on the above results, further discussions and suggestions are addressed
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