Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Mary Enright

Abstract

Nearly 50% of children younger than 18 years will be raised by a single parent at some point prior to adulthood. Of developed countries, the United States currently has the highest percentage of single parents. Although much research has examined factors that contribute toward the negative outcomes of single parents, few studies have focused on factors that contribute toward positive outcomes for single parents. Using the strength-based construct of resiliency as a theoretical framework, this study examined whether gender, age, income, and perceived familial social support individually or in linear combination could predict resiliency in single parents. This study involved 138 single parents and a correlational, nonexperimental design was used. The Resiliency Scale-25, a 25 item self-report measure of five resilience principles; purpose, perseverance, self-reliance, equanimity, and existential aloneness, was used to measure resilience. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) a 12-item self-report measure of perceived social support from family, friends, and a significant other, was used to measure perceived social support. Results from a multiple linear step-wise regression showed none of the predictor variables were significantly related to the outcome variable of resiliency. A lack of diversity in the sample, an internet-only recruitment design, instrumentation issues, and failure to include additional predictive factors may have contributed to the lack of statistically significant findings. However, the results of this study highlighted the need for additional research on factors that promote resiliency in single parents, which could then be incorporated into improved services for this growing demographic.

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