This study examined the actor effects and the partner effects of self-differentiation on marital conflict, and the mediating effects of constructive and dysfucntional communication among these relationships. To analyze the data from 127 married couples, path analyses applying Actor-Partner Interdependence Model were conducted. The results of this study are as follows. First, the actor effects of self-differentiation on marital conflict were negatively significant for both husband and wife. Second, the partner effect of husband’s self-differentiation on wife’s perceived marital conflict was negatively significant, while the partner effect of wife’s self-differentiation on husband’s perceived marital conflict was not significant. Third, the actor effects of self-differentiation on marital conflict were mediated by one’s own dysfucntional communication, but not by one’s own constructive communication for both husband and wife. Fourth, there was mixed effect and the effect of husband’s self-differentiation on husband’s perceived marital conflict was mediated by wife’s constructive communication. Fifth, the partner effect of husband’s self-differentiation on wife’s perceived marital conflict was mediated by husband’s dysfunctional communication, wife’s constructive communication and wife’s dysfucntional communication. The results of this study were discussed and the theoretical and practical implications were included.
Studies involving Westerners as subjects have indicated that women are superior to men in verbal memory capacity, whereas men are superior to women in spatial memory capacity. Given that sex differences in cognitive abilities are sensitive to various sociocultural variables, Korean men and women may or may not show similar sex differences. While some domestic studies have addressed sex differences in memory capacity using Koreans as subjects, it is unknown to what extent sex differences found in these studies are collectively similar to those found in Western studies. To clarify this issue, the present study performed a meta-analysis of 12 domestic studies that have reported relevant data. These studies collectively involved 1876 men and 2936 women. Major results were as follows. First, the meta-analysis provided clear evidence that Korean women are superior to Korean men in verbal memory capacity. Second, the meta-analysis provided partial evidence that Korean men are superior to Korean women in spatial memory capacity. Korean men were superior to Korean women in spatial memory tasks that involved relatively short, but not long, learning time. Lastly, in studies involving adult or elderly samples, men had significantly greater years of education than women. This factor tended to reduce women’s advantage for verbal memory performance and increase mens’ advantage for spatial memory performance. Given that both Western and Korean data indicate female superiority in verbal memory capacity and male superiority in spatial memory capacity, such sex differences are relatively cross-cultural. The causes of these sex differences may include gender differences in hemispheric development and those in social learning, and interactions between the two factors.
This study composed and developed a counseling program for a husband to intervene in* the postpartum depression of a wife based on the psychosocial experience of a husband, who had a wife suffering the postpartum depression, and the support demands for overcoming the postpartum depression. Moreover, this study evaluated the effects of the program. The results of this study showed that study subjects were experiencing marital conflicts caused by the stress due to unplanned pregnancy and childbirth and the lack of awareness about the postpartum depression. Therefore, subjects wanted to have socioeconomic help, parenting coaching, psychoeducation, marriage counseling, and a method to communicate with other husbands in the same situation. Furthermore, after treatments application, the postpartum depression of wives, marital satisfaction, husbands’ depression, husbands’ efficacy, and job demand were significantly different between the treatment group and the control group. Additionally, the postpartum depression of wives decreased in the treatment group, while it increased in the control group. Thirdly, when the pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up results were compared, the postpartum depression of wives, husbands’ depression, anxiety, and the frustration as parents decreased and husbands’ efficacy as fathers increased in the treatment group. On the other hand, in the control group, husband’s depression increased, while the marital satisfaction of wives decreased. Lastly, the results of the quality interview, which was a topic related to the effectiveness of the program, showed that effective topics were ‘understanding the postpartum depression better’, ‘enhanced communication with a spouse’, ‘empathy and purification with group members’, and ‘promoting reflective thinking’. The importance of this study was to compose and develop a short-term counseling program to intervene in the postpartum depression based on facts and knowledge for husbands, because it is the first program in this category in South Korea and there were not enough structured counseling programs in the postpartum depression intervention counseling field.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate influences of self-oriented romantic perfectionism and partner-prescribed romantic perfectionism on relationship satisfaction of college students. In particular, the mediating effect of self-disclosure in the relationship between romantic perfectionism and satisfaction in romantic relationship was examined. For this purpose, questionnaires measuring self-oriented and partner-prescribed romantic perfectionism, self-disclosure tendency, and relationship satisfaction were administered to 228 undergraduate students who are or have ever been in romantic relationship. A multiple regression analysis revealed that self-disclosure partially mediates the relationship between partner-prescribed romantic perfectionism and relationship satisfaction. Also, this mediating effect was significant for participants who has been in the romantic relationship more than six months. On the other hand, self-disclosure did not mediate the relationship between self-oriented romantic perfectionism and relationship satisfaction. These results showed that concerns about partner’s perfectionistic expectation can leads to dissatisfaction in romantic relationship. In addition, psychological burden caused by partner-prescribed perfectionism can prevent the individual from disclose him- or herself, which impedes positive romantic relationship. Clinical implications and limitations of the present study as well as suggestions for future study were discussed.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of the mindfulness program of female college students, using meta–analysis. To do this, fifteen related studies conducted in Korea were selected and the effect sizes of various variables included in each study were calculated. In addition, the total effect size of the mindfulness program effect of female college students, and the effect size of major variables were derived. The results of the study are as follows. First, the total effect size of the mindfulness program was –0.2385. Second, to examine the variables related to the mindfulness program, we analyzed the effect size based on major variables. As a result, the effect size according to the type of publication was in the order of publication of journal after publication of the dissertation, dissertation, and journal publication. The effect size according to the program participants was in the order of physical symptom group, psychological symptom group, and general college students. The effect size according to the measurement method of effectiveness was in the order of measurement of physical variables and measurement of psychological variables. The effect size according to the program participants was in the order of 10 or less, 11 or more, and 20 or less. The effect size according to the number of sessions was in the order of 8 sessions and 9 or more. Finally, the results of this study were discussed. Through the results of this study, implications for constructing and developing a mindfulness program for female college students were derived and points for future research were proposed.
Even though child abduction invokes extreme fear of the victim and their family as well as the fear of their community and nation, there is only a paucity of research on child abduction and perpetrators. The study aims to investigate the characteristics of child abduction committed by females, and compare them with those committed by male perpetrators. We compared 55 child abduction cases committed by female perpetrators with 135 child abduction cases committed by male perpetrators between 1997 and 2009. Compared to male perpetrators who committed child abduction, a significantly greater number of female perpetrators who committed child abduction were divorced at the time of offense, abducted preschoolers, and abducted male children. By contrast, male perpetrators who committed child abduction were more likely to be single, to have criminal record, and to abduct female children than female perpetrators. A majority of female perpetrators abducted their own child, mainly for the purpose of bringing up. By contrast, a significantly greater number of male perpetrators targeted victims who were unknown to them, and child abduction committed by male perpetrators was more likely to be unplanned. Finally, the limitations of the study were discussed and suggestions for subsequent studies were made.
The present study explored multiple-role coping strategies(MCS) of working mothers with child(ren) under age 18, and examined group difference in situational context in work and family domains, personal characteristics, multiple-role experience and adjustment. A total of 271 working mothers participated in the study. Six-clusters were identified usiong cluster analysis based on participants’ scores on the MCS factors; “Role-detached Strategy Group(group 1), Coping within Family Group(group 2), Low Self-rewarding Group (group 3), Low Cognitive Restructuring Group(group 4), Active Coping Group(group 5) and Passive Coping Group(group 6). Significant differences among groups were found on observed variables. This study contributes to the understanding of various patterns in MCS and suggests effective interventions for each group in multiple role accomplishment. Finally, the implications and limitations of these findings and recommendable topics for future study are discussed.