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RECIPROCITY COUNSELING IN THE EXTENDED FAMILY: A FIELD STUDY
Abstract
This research focused on a family counseling program, reciprocity counseling, as a programmatic effort directed to enhancing the level of satisfying interactions among multigenerational family members living and coping with the stresses of age. Research on intergenerational relationships indicate that a high number of elderly persons have adult children on whom they rely for mutually beneficial and satisfying relations. For the most part, aging adult parents live independently from their adult children with frequent contact maintained through visits or phone calls. Given an age related crisis, adult children may be called upon to provide increased support ranging from transportation services, financial aid or having the aging adult parent move into their home. Data from a number of sources (Murray, 1971; Soldo & Lauriat, 1975) suggested that 10-20 % of the aging population may reside with their adult children. Clearly, the family structure is a major source of support for older people. Despite our knowledge of the existence of the family support system, little is known about how the family adjusts to the introduction of the elder into the system. A number of programmed interventions (Herr & Weakland, 1979) and self help guides (Silverstone & Hyman, 1976) identified specific strengths and weaknesses of multigenerational living. In all instances the authors suggested family counseling as a method to support and strengthen this family unit. Reciprocity counseling is based on the work of several family counselors (Stuart, 1969; Azrin, Naster & Jones, 1973). It utilizes family counseling techniques and behavioral strategies to help families, first, identify satisfying and problematic patterns of interaction, second, arrange for the mutual contraction and exchange of behaviors, and third, provide ongoing monitoring and evaluation. With the aid of three community based social service aging agencies, eight families were recruited and screened for the research. Participating families attended six, one to one and one-half hour interviews in which the reciprocity counseling program was conducted. In addition to project activities, participants completed two scales, the Family Happiness Scale and the Family Life Assessment. Dependent measures for the research were satisfaction in family interactions and perceptions of competent interactions between family members. The research design was an experimental group-delayed treatment control group. Data obtained from outcome measures were not sufficient to demonstrate the effectiveness of the reciprocity counseling procedures. A review of evaluative data drawn from a project evaluation questionnaire and anecdotal case reports supported the usefulness of family counseling in general and reciprocity counseling specifically.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
CITRIN, RICHARD STUART, "RECIPROCITY COUNSELING IN THE EXTENDED FAMILY: A FIELD STUDY" (1980). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8100760.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8100760