The relationship of family structure and family conflict to adjustment in young adult college students.
This study examined whether the structural intactness of the family and/or perceived family conflict was related to young adult adjustment as assessed by measures of ego identity status and psychological distress. The physical-wholeness model holds that family structure is the major variable affecting adjustment, while the psychological-wholeness model posits family conflict as the critical variable. In the present study, undergraduate college students (N = 285) were classified as belonging to an intact two-parent family or a nonintact family, and as coming from homes characterized by low, medium, or high levels of conflict. A statistically significant relationship between family conflict and adjustment was observed; there was no significant association between family structure and adjustment. Individuals from families perceived as being low or medium in level of conflict reported fewer psychiatric symptoms and demonstrated higher levels of ego identity than did those from families perceived as high in conflict. These findings support the psychological-wholeness model. It is suggested that future research be directed toward developing more refined measures of interpersonal conflict.
Nelson
W L
WL
Saint Louis University, Missouri 63103.
Hughes
H M
HM
Handal
P
P
Katz
B
B
Searight
H R
HR
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*