The Application of Positive Psychology in Promoting Family Flourishing in High-Risk Families

• Main Authors: Chang, Ya-Chun, 張雅淳
• Other Authors: Chou, L-T
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/eq2nc7

博士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 人類發展與家庭學系 === 105 === The current study aimed at understanding the behaviors and attitudes toward family flourishing in high-risk families, developing positive psychology-based family education program, and evaluating the program effects on in behavioral and attitude changes toward family flourishing among high-risk families. Experimental design was conducted in the current study, in which 68 participants form 30 families were given a 2.5-day “positive psychology-based family education program”. Each participant, regardless of a parent or a child from the high-risk family, was asked to fill out the “family flourishing questionnaire” in the beginning, at the end, and three weeks after completing the program. The “high-risk family interview”, the “high-risk family interview from social worker”, as well as program materials including “activity sheets” and “course feedback forms” were also used in the study to evaluate and record participants’ learning status, performance, within-family interaction, feedbacks, and accomplishments of the program assignments. Statistical analysis were carried out to examine the effectiveness of the program, and the results were as follows: 1.The behaviors and attitudes towards family flourishing were both above average on the response scales among high-risk family members. Both outcomes left rooms for further improvements. 2.There were significant differences in family flourishing questionnaire between the pre-and the post-program measures. This differences were both observed in parent’s and children’s responses. The post-program scores on the behavior and attitude family flourishing were significantly higher than those in the pre-program questionnaire. This result suggested that the developed positive psychology program could improve high-risk family member’s attitude and behavior towards family flourishing. However, significant differences were not identified in the “parents’ attitude and behavior of meaningful-accomplishment” and the “children’s attitude of positive emotion” sub-scores between the pre-and the post-program. 3.Based on the three-week follow-up questionnaire, the scores in engagement, positive emotion, and attitudes and behaviors toward family flourishing seemed to decrease, while the scores were still greater than the baseline assessment. This result provided preliminary evidence of the continuous effect among the program receivers. 4.The administration of the designed positive psychology-based family program overall resulted in positive outcomes including increased family attachment, family strength, a sense of family belonging, transitions in family roles and stronger connections in social resources. Finally, based on the above results, main suggestion from this study was that family education courses should be promoted in high-risk families. Future directions for families, educators, and future research were also provided.