A comparative study of mindfulness, assertiveness skills as well as behavioral activation and behavioral inhibition among 15 year old boys of single parent families and those without parents in Gorgan city

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MA. in family therapy psychology, Family Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 MA. student in psychology, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Single parent families have been recently increased. Due to the prevalence of divorce and increased single-parent families and those with no parents, the present study aimed to compare the mindfulness, behavioral inhibition and assertiveness skills among 15 year old boys of single parent families and those without parents in Gorgan city.
 
Materials and Methods: The statistical sample of this comparative descriptive study includes 76 15-year-old single-parent and parentless boys (40 single-parent and 36 parentless) in Gorgan city, who were randomly selected in the fall of 2016. They were selected and asked to answer the behavioral inhibition/activation systems scale questionnaires, Gambrill and Ritchie's assertiveness (1975), and mindfulness questionnaire. The data was analyzed using the method of multivariate analysis of variance.
 
Results: Overall, there is a difference between observation, and non-judgment, among the variable dimensions of mindfulness, assertiveness, and behavioral activation/behavioral inhibition in two groups of single-parent and non-parent boys according to one-way variance analysis. There is significance at the level (P< 0.001). Also, there is no significant difference in other areas of mental awareness, such as non-reaction, description, and action with awareness, in two groups of boys with single parents and without parents.
 
Conclusion: Due to the results obtained from the study, it can be concluded that lack of two parent families can highly affect the cognitive and behavioral process of the individual’s growth, and even single parent family plays an undeniable role in such relationships.

Keywords


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