Study On The Relationship Among Family Functioning, Parent-child Relationship And Adolescents’ Psychological Reactance

The adolescent period is very important in individual’s development stages. During this period, the independent-consciousness and self-consciousness of youngsters increase rapidly. They often hold a rebellious attitude to the influence of others, such as their parents or friends, it’s easy to arouse the psychological reactance in this time. Psychological reactance can be affected by many factors, family is one of the most important factors. Based on the Family System Theory and Person-Environment Theory, this research choose the family functioning and parent-child relationship as the distal and proximal factors which may affect the psychological reactance of adolescents. This current study assessed the interrelationship of family functioning, parent-child and adolescents’ reactance. Using questionnaire method with a total of685participants collected from five middle schools in Tianjin. Participants completed three self-report instruments:Psychological Reactance Scale, Family Adaption and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, Family Adaption and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III. Conclusions are as follows:(1) Students in grade7has a significantly higher family cohesion level than grade8, grade9, grade11and grade12. The family adaption and the whole family functioning level in cities are obviously higher than towns and countries. Family adaption and the whole family functioning level also shows obvious differences in maternal occupation, civil servants, middle-level managers, scientific and technical personnel have significantly higher family adaption and the whole family functioning level than temporary workers, non-technical and agricultural laborers. Mothers with a college degree and junior college or higher degree are obviously higher than those hold a middle school qualification. The whole family functioning level and family adaption level appear significantly differences in family annual income.(2) Mother-child relationship is significantly better than father-child relationship. The relationship between mothers and daughters is obviously better than mothers and sons. Students in grade7have higher father-children relationship than grade8, grade11and grade12. There is significant father-child relationship differences in family annual income.(3) Boys has significantly higher whole reactance level and the reactance to advice and recommendations level than girls. In different grades, the whole reactance level and the four dimensions shows notable differences. Significant maternal education level differences appear in the reactance, Maternal education of middle school graduate type is obviously higher than those whose education is less than primary school graduate in the resisting influence from others, emotional response toward restricted choice, reactance to compliance.(4) There is significantly correlation among family functioning, parent-child relationship and adolescents’ psychological reactance; Family cohesion has significantly positive effect predicted to psychological reactance, and parent-child relationship plays a partial intermediary role between family functioning and psychological reactance.