Child Development Research

The article entitled An Analysis of Schema Theory and Learning Theory as Explanations for Variance in Adolescent Adjustment to Divorce is a research done with adolescents to see how well a child and his or her parents adjust to divorce. The researchers are trying to find a way to help children deal with divorce. The researchers are trying to see if there is a connection between a child's age and their sex that affects the way they adjust to divorce. After trying to see if these two factors are connected, researchers then also study to see if a child's relationships with his or her parents also have a role in the child's adjustment. This research was done to help understand if schema theory had something to do with the children's adjustment when it came to divorce. With all the possibilities, the researchers wanted to narrow it down using the schema theory. The schema theory is said to be a way of thinking, and not wanting to change what you know.

Another article entitled Assessments of Trust in Intimate Relationships and the Self Perception Process is about trust and how every health human relationship should have it. This article tells about how trust is what gets two people to work together, side by side, and help make their bond stronger.

Holmes and Rempel looked at the different issues people had with trusting their partner. The participants had to go through a couple of different tests to see how trust issues interfered with the relationships they shared. This research goes over how an individual gains trust and how certain factors can affect it. An individual's personal experiences could even affect a relationship they share. They may have gotten traumatized before. This also shows how one person in a relationship trusts their partner, and then how another set of participants in another relationship have problems.

Article 1: Abstract

An Analysis of Schema Theory and Learning Theory as Explanations for

Variance in Adolescent Adjustment to Divorce

Learning theory and schema theory were used as different reasons for how adolescents deal with divorce. Different types of questionnaires were given to children by the students at Stellenbosch University. The adolescents who participated in the study took Antonovsky's Life Orientation Questionnaire, Hudson's CAM and CAF questionnaires, a bunch of questions that measured how the adolescents felt about divorce, and questions about the adolescent's life. The schema theory was not found as the main reason, the results stated very little proof of the way an adolescent acted as being the means by which the adolescent dealt with his or her relationship with its parents, or the how the child adjusted to the divorce. The learning theory on the other hand did serve as a positive factor; there was a good connection between the learning theory and the parent-adolescent relationship, and the adolescent's adjustment. To inform parents about divorce, and how much of an impact it can have on an adolescent, the parent must know that the learning theory can have different impacts on their adolescent's adjustment. Families going through divorce can actually use this information as a way of dealing with it.

Article 1: Literateture Review

Researchers are worried about high divorce rates. There are many things out there to help a child deal with their parent's divorce, there is however a lack of help for adolescents who are dealing with divorce. Both children and adolescents can experience problems when dealing with divorce. Researchers feel that this topic must be studied more.

There are two variables that have been found after studies on children and adolescents who have gone through a divorce with their parents were done. The first variable is the age which the child was when the divorce happened, and whether the child was male or female. The results from these variables have caused many problems, and to date there are no same patterns.

A major factor that researchers have identified is the relationship the child shares with the parents. The way a child adjusts to divorce is greatly impacted by the parent-child relationship. This relationship a child shares with his or her parents is a way for culture to be passed on, and a child's relationship with the mother helps the child's well being, as opposed to the father's relationship, where there is no such impact.

This study was done to see if the learning theory and schema theory could tell researchers why there are so many different ways a child can adjust to divorce.

The schema theory is when a person believes that things happened a certain way and don't want to change what they know. They feel this way about the situation, and about people. This study tried to change how, and what people think. If family relationships are like this, a child who has a good relationship with his or her parents will see a divorce as a good thing. It will be seen as good resolution to an ultimate problem.

The learning theory is when a child sees what is going on and imitates the behavior they see. The child will imitate their parent's actions because the parent is the role model. So if there is a good relationship between the child and the parent, thy child will see how well the parent has adjusted and will imitate the parent's behaviors.

Article 1: Methods

Methods

To get a teenager's view on the different things that affect the way they respond to divorce, a cross sectional co relational research was made up. Teenagers who come from intact and divorced families filled out self report questionnaires.

Participants

293 students studying psychology and economics at Stellenbosch University were part of the study.

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