Improving Parent-Adolescent Relationships: Learning Activities For Parents and adolescents

Darrell J. Burnett

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9781559590341
• eBook ISBN:
  9781317766421
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Mental Health in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

First published in 1992. This book is based on experiences of the author from working with multifamily groups for parents and adolescents, in and out-patient clinics and juvenile court programs over a four year period. It covers a program that eventually evolved into 15 sessions covering three main topic areas: (1) perceiving each other (social perception), (2) communicating effectively, and (3) recognizing behavior as a function of its consequence.

Part I

PERCEIVING EACH OTHER

SESSION 1

PERSONALITY TRAITS

In this session you will have an opportunity to better understand how you “see” one another in terms of your personality traits.

You will have an opportunity to recognize how close or how far away you are from each other in the way you describe each other (parents describing adolescents and vice versa).

The paper and pencil activities will give you the chance to practice social perception exercises with family members and learn the importance of accurate social perception in family communications.

NOTES
Related to Session 1
(Add Your Notes)

SOCIAL PERCEPTION

ITS EFFECT ON FAMILY COMMUNICATION

When family members communicate with each other, their behavior communicates how they see themselves, but, more important, it communicates how they see the others. For example, if family members perceive another family member as an unworthy person, their behavior toward that family member may communicate rejection. Self-perception and the perception of others become central in understanding family communication in general, and communication in maltreating families in particular.

A person’s behavior at any given moment is influenced by that person’s current perceptions of self and other and by previously acquired and reinforced patterns of communication with the other person. Thus, in order to understand a family’s interaction patterns, we need to understand how the family members view themselves and each other. We also need to understand how the perception of self and others interacts with previously developed patterns of communication and with general personal characteristics of the family members to create altogether unique patterns of interaction and mutual behaviors.

Form 1. Family Social Perception: Parent Form

Form 2. Family Social Perception: Adolescent Form

SESSION 2

COMMUNICATING WITHIN THE FAMILY

This session continues to emphasize social perception, but this time, instead of discussing personality traits, you will have a chance to discuss how you communicate with each other.

Parents, you will be able to compare your view of yourself as a communicator in the family with your adolescent’s view of you as a communicator.

Adolescents, you will have the chance to compare notes with your parents on specific items of the family communication questionnaire. Please answer honestly and be sure to base your answers on current behaviors.

This session is another opportunity to see how close or how far away you are from each other (parents and adolescents) in the way you see the patterns of family communication.

NOTES
Related to Session 2

Form 3. Communication Questionnaire For The Parents*

* Adapted by Darrell J. Burnett, Ph.D., with permission from Brownstone, J.E., & Dye, C.J. (1973). Communication Workshop for Parents of Adolescents: Leader’s Guide. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

Form 4. Communication Questionnaire For The Adolescent*

* Adapted by Darrell J. Burnett, Ph.D., with permission from Brownstone, J.E., & Dye, C.J. (1973). Communication Workshop for Parents of Adolescents: Leader’s Guide. Champaign, IL: Research Press

SESSION 3

VALUES

In this session, continuing with the social perception activities, you will have a chance to compare and see how well you know each other’s values.

The traditional “generation gap” has been a topic of discussion between adolescents and parents since recorded history. In this session you will have the opportunity to discuss the specifics of some of your own values, and how you show your values to each other...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• DEDICATION
• PREFACE
• Table of Contents
• LIST OF FORMS
• INTRODUCTION
• PART I PERCEIVING EACH OTHER
• PART II COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
• PART III RECOGNIZING BEHAVIOR AS A FUNCTION OF ITS CONSEQUENCE
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR