Beyond COVID-19 Pandemic: How Did Interaction Balances Change Between Children and Caregivers

We are going through hard times that remind us that good health is the most important thing in life. The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely affected everybody. Measures taken by all countries, including Turkey, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus have deprived students (from preschool to university) of face-to-face education. While the pandemic has had a profound impact on parents and educators, children's lives have been stuck between the “new normal” and the pandemic. This paper investigated how children and their parents experienced the pandemic, how they interacted, and managed educational activities at home. This was a case study, which is a qualitative research method. The sample consisted of 15 families with different sociocultural and socioeconomic status (SES) living in five cities in four regions of Turkey. Data were collected through video-audio recordings, observation notes, and e-interviews. Data were analyzed using second-cycle coding and inductive content analysis. The COVID-19 pandemic caused economic problems, especially in low- and middle-SES families. Economic problems and mental stress impeded the marital interaction patterns of couples, negatively affecting children the most. Upper-SES parents received support from teachers for homeschooling, but other parents faced numerous setbacks and made numerous errors during home-based education, causing parents despair and concern for their children's future. Of all participants, the children of the parents with COVID-19 related health problems were affected by outbreak measures the most. These results can help raise all stakeholders' awareness of the current situation. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic may continue for the foreseeable future, it is believed that the suggestions made to parents and educators for homeschooling can help mitigate the future impacts of the pandemic, especially on preschoolers.

Personality Types and Patterns of Marital Conflict among Married Staff of Selected Universities in Southwest Nigeria

This study investigated the personality types and patterns of marital conflict among the staff of universities in southwest Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. 1330 married staff members, proportionately selected from nine universities, using a multi-stage sampling technique, constituted the study sample. Prevalence of Patterns of Marital Interaction Questionnaire (PPMIQ) and Personality Type Questionnaire (PTQ) were used to collect data for the study. The results showed that 67.1% of the staff indicated that they experienced demand-withdraw pattern, while 26.8% experienced constructive pattern. Only 6.1% experienced a destructive pattern. The results also showed that the largest percentage of the staff (20.3%) indicated that the possessed Introverted Intuitive personality while 16.9% and 16.8% demonstrated Extroverted Thinking and Extroverted Feeling personalities respectively. The smallest percentage (1.9%) demonstrated Introverted Sensational Personality. Also, from the result of this study, it is obvious that married staff in universities in southwest Nigeria have one form of marital conflict or the other. Furthermore, based on the results of the analysis, it could be concluded that all three patterns of marital conflict are being experienced by the married staff. The demand-withdraw pattern, however, appeared to be the typical pattern among the married staff.

Protective factors of marital stability in long-term marriage globally: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES: In recent decades, due to the high prevalence of divorce in numerous countries and the detrimental aftermath thereof, it has become increasingly important to study the components of marital stability. The current study explored fundamental protective factors in long-term marriage through a systematic review.METHODS: Searches for relevant publications were conducted in Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Magiran, and Scientific Information Database from their inception through January 30, 2019. Through the keyword search, 1,706 articles were found, of which 25 articles remained after screening based on the eligibility criteria.RESULTS: The extracted protective factors associated with marital stability in long-term marriage were classified as interpersonal and intrapersonal. Notable extracted factors included spirituality and religion, commitment, sexual relationship, communication, children, love and attachment, intimacy, and conflict resolution approach. These findings show that some aspects of relationships, such as commitment, act to preserve the pillars of marriage in critical situations, while other aspects, such as intimacy, help to construct marital identity and satisfaction.CONCLUSIONS: The identified components of marital stability are structures that enhance a couple’s identity and sense of togetherness. Identifying the specific aspects of marital relationships that contribute to marital stability may help specialists and researchers to target specific types of marital interaction that may enhance the happiness and longevity of relationships, thereby preventing avoidable divorces.