Family Relationships and Their Associations With Perceptions of Family Functioning in Mothers of Children With Intellectual Disability

Abstract We explored whether reports of three dyadic relationships (marital/partner, parent-child, sibling) were related to perceptions of family functioning in 467 mothers of children with intellectual disability aged 4–15 years. Structural equation models were fitted to examine associations between relationship indicators and family functioning. The final structural model showed that partner relationship satisfaction, partner disagreement, child-parent conflict, and sibling relationship warmth accounted for the most variance in family functioning, with partner relationship satisfaction having the strongest positive association. Dimensions of dyadic relationships appear to be associated with broader constructs of family functioning in this sample of mothers, signifying the potential for systemic intervention.

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Karantzas et al. (2020) COVID-19 Relationship Wellbeing & Loneliness

10.31234/osf.io/w2cps ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gery Karantzas ◽

Susan Chesterman ◽

Elizabeth Ferguson ◽

Laura Knox ◽

Nicholas Lawless ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Relationship Quality ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Stress Buffering ◽

The Impact

It has been assumed that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted parental and family relationships due to issues including economic problems, strains of home confinement and social isolation. Despite these assumptions, there has been little research to date investigating the impact of COVID-19 stressors on parents’ relationship wellbeing and loneliness. Hence, there is an insufficient evidence base with which to guide policy or action in this most critical arena. The current study reports data from a large national representative sample (N=1,829) of Australian parents, surveyed during the early phases of the COVID-19 lockdown. Drawing on widely studied relationship models of vulnerability-stress and stress-buffering, Structural Equation Models (SEM) were derived to test the extent that COVID-19 stressors, personal vulnerabilities (mental health problems, attachment insecurity), relationship adaptation processes (constructive communication, partner support), and the interactions between these variables, predicted relationship quality and loneliness. After controlling for pre-pandemic stressors, relationship adaptations buffered the negative effects of COVID-19 stressors and personal vulnerabilities on relationship quality and loneliness. The findings provide support for a model of stress-buffering over a model of vulnerability-stress. The findings have important implications for the identification of parents at risk of relationship difficulties and social disconnection during the pandemic, and for policy and practice in how best to strengthen relationships and human connection during COVID-19.

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Symptom Checklist-90-Revised: A structural examination in relation to family functioning

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247902 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0247902

Author(s):

Rapson Gomez ◽

Vasileios Stavropoulos ◽

Daniel Zarate ◽

Olympia Palikara

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

High School Students ◽

Family Functioning ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Symptom Checklist ◽

School Students ◽

Structural Examination ◽

Symptom Dimensions ◽

The Family

The accurate assessment of psychopathological behaviours of adolescents and young adults is imperative. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) is one of the most comprehensive and widely used scales addressing this purpose internationally. Interestingly, associations between the different SCL-90 symptoms and family functioning have been highlighted. Nevertheless, the scale’s factorial structure has often been challenged. To contribute in this area, this study scrutinizes the psychopathological dimensions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a large cohort of high school students (Mean age = 16.16; SD = .911) from Greece. It addresses this aim by: a) using first order and bi-factor confirmatory factor analysis, and exploratory structural equation models and; b) investigating the factors’ associations with family functioning. A total of 2090 public Greek High School students completed the SCL-90-R and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES-IV) covering family functioning, satisfaction and communication. Six different solutions, yielded by separate permutations of CFA, ESEM, and bifactor models, were evaluated. Based on global fit, the clarity, reliabilities and the family functioning links of the dimensions in the models, the ESEM oblique model with the theorized nine factors emerged as the optimum. This model had adequate fit, and symptom dimensions were well defined. Also six of the nine factors demonstrated external associations with family functioning, satisfaction and communication. The clinical assessment benefits of these results are discussed.

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Commitment and Dyadic Coping in Long-Term Relationships

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000112 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 139-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Marion Landis ◽

Guy Bodenmann ◽

Thomas N. Bradbury ◽

Veronika Brandstätter ◽

Melanie Peter-Wight ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Dyadic Coping ◽

Relationship Maintenance ◽

Heterosexual Couples ◽

Relationship Length ◽

High Satisfaction ◽

Maintenance Behavior

Background: Previous research focused on relationship commitment as the outcome of high satisfaction, poor alternatives, and high investments. We propose that commitment is a prerequisite in highly satisfied couples, fostering relationship maintenance behavior such as positive dyadic coping. Method: Structural equation models identified the relationship between commitment, relationship satisfaction, and dyadic coping with data from 201 heterosexual couples with an average relationship length of 34 years. Results: The common fate model confirmed that relationship satisfaction mediated the effects between commitment and dyadic coping on a latent dyadic level. Additional analyses revealed that women’s satisfaction was mainly responsible for mediating effects between both partners’ commitment and dyadic coping. Conclusions: Findings support the essentiality of commitment for couples’ maintenance strategies and for consistency in long-term relationships.

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Social Influence and Intentional Social Action in Dyadic Relationship Decisions under a Key Informant Methodology

Archives of Psychology ◽

10.31296/aop.v2i6.60 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Richard P. Bagozzi ◽

Sanjaya S. Gaur ◽

Shalini Pathak Tiwari

Keyword(s):

Social Influence ◽

Social Action ◽

Regulatory Focus ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Dyadic Relationships ◽

Dyadic Relationship ◽

Joint Decision ◽

Relationship Decisions ◽

Matrix Design

Drawing upon seminal and recent foundations of joint-decision making and social influence, we develop a model of dyadic relationships and test it in a family consumption context. Three kinds of social influence – social identity, group norms, and mutual expectations—were used to explain shared intentions to eat together in a restaurant with one’s family. Shared intentions in turn, were found to significantly predict behavior a month later. One hundred and fifty husbands and their wives provided data. A multi-trait, multimethod matrix design was employed to establish construct validity of measures, and structural equation models were applied to test hypotheses, while explicitly controlling for random and systematic error. Prevention regulatory focus was found to moderate the effect of mutual expectations on shared intentions.

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Measuring the Big Five in Self-Report and Other Ratings

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027//1015-5759.16.1.31 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 31-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Claudio Barbaranelli ◽

Gian Vittorio Caprara

Keyword(s):

Big Five ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Error Variance ◽

The Self ◽

Self Report ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Third Person ◽

Fit Indexes ◽

Response Modes

Summary: The aim of the study is to assess the construct validity of two different measures of the Big Five, matching two “response modes” (phrase-questionnaire and list of adjectives) and two sources of information or raters (self-report and other ratings). Two-hundred subjects, equally divided in males and females, were administered the self-report versions of the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) and the Big Five Observer (BFO), a list of bipolar pairs of adjectives ( Caprara, Barbaranelli, & Borgogni, 1993 , 1994 ). Every subject was rated by six acquaintances, then aggregated by means of the same instruments used for the self-report, but worded in a third-person format. The multitrait-multimethod matrix derived from these measures was then analyzed via Structural Equation Models according to the criteria proposed by Widaman (1985) , Marsh (1989) , and Bagozzi (1994) . In particular, four different models were compared. While the global fit indexes of the models were only moderate, convergent and discriminant validities were clearly supported, and method and error variance were moderate or low.

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Collective Efficacy and Organizational Commitment in an Italian City Hall

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040.14.4.363 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 363-371 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Laura Borgogni ◽

Silvia Dello Russo ◽

Laura Petitta ◽

Gary P. Latham

Keyword(s):

Organizational Commitment ◽

Collective Efficacy ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Practical Significance ◽

City Hall ◽

Italian City ◽

Public Sector Managers ◽

The Individual ◽

Level Group

Employees (N = 170) of a City Hall in Italy were administered a questionnaire measuring collective efficacy (CE), perceptions of context (PoC), and organizational commitment (OC). Two facets of collective efficacy were identified, namely group and organizational. Structural equation models revealed that perceptions of top management display a stronger relationship with organizational collective efficacy, whereas employees’ perceptions of their colleagues and their direct superior are related to collective efficacy at the group level. Group collective efficacy had a stronger relationship with affective organizational commitment than did organizational collective efficacy. The theoretical significance of this study is in showing that CE is two-dimensional rather than unidimensional. The practical significance of this finding is that the PoC model provides a framework that public sector managers can use to increase the efficacy of the organization as a whole as well as the individual groups that compose it.

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A Cautionary Note on Incremental Fit Indices Reported by LISREL

Methodology ◽

10.1027/1614-1881.1.2.81 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 81-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Stefan C. Schmukle ◽

Jochen Hardt

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Maximum Likelihood ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Null Model ◽

Likelihood Estimation ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Cautionary Note ◽

Confirmatory Factor

Abstract. Incremental fit indices (IFIs) are regularly used when assessing the fit of structural equation models. IFIs are based on the comparison of the fit of a target model with that of a null model. For maximum-likelihood estimation, IFIs are usually computed by using the χ2 statistics of the maximum-likelihood fitting function (ML-χ2). However, LISREL recently changed the computation of IFIs. Since version 8.52, IFIs reported by LISREL are based on the χ2 statistics of the reweighted least squares fitting function (RLS-χ2). Although both functions lead to the same maximum-likelihood parameter estimates, the two χ2 statistics reach different values. Because these differences are especially large for null models, IFIs are affected in particular. Consequently, RLS-χ2 based IFIs in combination with conventional cut-off values explored for ML-χ2 based IFIs may lead to a wrong acceptance of models. We demonstrate this point by a confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 2449 subjects.

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Forced Zero Cross-Loading Misspecifications in Measurement Component of Structural Equation Models

Methodology ◽

10.1027/1614-2241/a000084 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 138-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Hsien-Yuan Hsu ◽

Susan Troncoso Skidmore ◽

Yan Li ◽

Bruce Thompson

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Model ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Equation Model ◽

Model Fit ◽

Model Specification ◽

Simulation Design ◽

Measurement Models ◽

Fit Statistics ◽

Path Coefficients

The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate the effect of constraining near-zero parameter cross-loadings to zero in the measurement component of a structural equation model. A Monte Carlo 3 × 5 × 2 simulation design was conducted (i.e., sample sizes of 200, 600, and 1,000; parameter cross-loadings of 0.07, 0.10, 0.13, 0.16, and 0.19 misspecified to be zero; and parameter path coefficients in the structural model of either 0.50 or 0.70). Results indicated that factor pattern coefficients and factor covariances were overestimated in measurement models when near-zero parameter cross-loadings constrained to zero were higher than 0.13 in the population. Moreover, the path coefficients between factors were misestimated when the near-zero parameter cross-loadings constrained to zero were noteworthy. Our results add to the literature detailing the importance of testing individual model specification decisions, and not simply evaluating omnibus model fit statistics.

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