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Degree

Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Human Development and Family Science, 2008.

Abstract

The present effort provides concurrent validity evidence of parent reports of the family/parenting domain of the Global Risk Assessment Device (GRAD) by illustrating how levels of risk within this dimension are related to other established family measures, including parent and adolescent perspectives of: (1) the “unpleasant family events” subscale of the Family Events Checklist, (2) the Family Intrusiveness Scale and (3) the Perceived Social Support from the Family scale. Data gathered from a sample of N=102 court-involved adolescents and adult family members who attended a family-based diversion program were analyzed to evaluate the dimensionality of parent reports of the family/parenting domain of the GRAD. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, testing the relative fit of unidimensional vs. multidimensional models of the GRAD family/parenting domain. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses supported the use of a tridimensional model composed of items measuring disruptive “responses to parental monitoring,” the extent to which parent/caretakers “tip-toe” and fail to discipline their young person for fear of reprisal, and parent/caretakers’ concerns that their young person will “retaliate” when disciplined and victimize siblings or other family members. Further multivariate tests of the GRAD family/parenting domain were conducted utilizing this tridimensional model. Concurrent validity was evaluated by comparing the fit of structural equation models hypothesized to confirm specified relationships between the GRAD family/parenting domain and the other established family measures. Statistically controlling for demographic differences, adult reports of the Unpleasant Family Events Checklist and the Perceived Social Support from the Family Scale were significantly and positively related to the GRAD family/parenting domain. The results of this study confirm the findings of an earlier concurrent validity study on the positive relationship between adult reports of the GRAD family/parenting domain and adult reports of unpleasant family events. In addition, adult reports of perceived social support also were related to GRAD scores. However, youth reports of both unpleasant family events and perceived social support from the family were unrelated to adult GRAD scores, suggesting that GRAD scores may represent adult perceptions of family/parenting factors, yet may not represent youth perceptions of the same family functioning issues.

Keywords

Family Assessment; Multiple Perspectives; Validity

Advisor

Stephen Gavazzi

Pages

171p.

Document number: osu1199307174
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1199307174

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