Date of Award

8-1985

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Counseling and Personnel

First Advisor

Dr. Robert L. Betz

Second Advisor

Dr. Chris Koronakos

Third Advisor

Dr. Jess Walker

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Robert Brushear

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an educational therapeutic group procedure to assist preadolescent children to understand and assimilate the process of parental divorce.

The group procedure is a short term therapeutic approach which focused on general problems experienced by children processing parental divorce. A prestructured format was developed, and the entire procedure was designed to occur in a small group setting.

The major goal of the study, developing the group procedure Things Have Changed At My House, was accomplished. The complete text of the procedure is contained in the appendix of the dissertation.

Both process and product evaluation methods were used to evaluate Things Have Changed At My House. Results of the process evaluation indicated a high degree of acceptance by pre-adolescent children who experienced the group in a field setting. Teachers observing Things Have Changed At My House also endorsed the procedure for the sample studied.

Product evaluation focused on results obtained in a posttest only design using the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale as the dependent variable. No significant differences were noted in global self-concept scores between experiments and control groups. One of 6 sub scales, Behavior, was significant at p = <.05.

Recommendations were directed towards the need for further research pertaining to the unique needs of preadolescent children processing parental divorce, and to the continued development and field testing of Things Have Changed At My House.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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