This study examined communication patterns between fathers and elementary students in connection with the students' strategy for resolving conflicts with their friends and found how they are related to each other. The purpose of the study was to provi...
This study examined communication patterns between fathers and elementary students in connection with the students' strategy for resolving conflicts with their friends and found how they are related to each other. The purpose of the study was to provide fundamentals for desirable growth of children and parents' education on their children by perceiving the importance of the conflict resolution strategy that affects children's adaptation and development and making father-child communication more open-minded and functional.
To this end, the following specific research questions were established.
First, how do communication patterns between elementary students and their fathers differ according to the students' gender?
Second, how does elementary students' strategy for resolving conflicts with friends differ according to the students' gender?
Third, how is communication patterns between elementary students and their fathers related to the students' strategy for resolving conflicts with friends?
A survey was conducted involving 390 sixth grade male and female students in three elementary schools in Jeonju city and one elementary school in Jinangun. In order to measure communication patterns, Min, Ha-yeong (1991)'s scale that was adapted from a questionaire for adolescents among Parent-Adolescent Communication Inventory by Barnes and Olson to suit Korean conditions was employed. In addition, Ha, Ji-won (2004)'s strategy for resolving conflicts was used to measure children's strategy for resolving conflicts with friends. It became composed of final 28questions after Ha, Ji-won (2004) added 12 questions to Bae, Seon-yeong (2000)'s scale that was adapted from scale of conflict resolution strategy for adolescents by Lee, Eun-hye, Go, Yun-ju, O, Won-jeong (2000) to suit senior students.
SPSS 12.0 for Windows was used to analyze the collected data, producing the mean and standard deviation. The Pearson product-moment correlation and one-way ANOVA were carried out as well.
The results of the research are summarized as follows.
First, communication patterns between fathers and children showed little difference according to the children's gender.
Second, strategies for resolving conflicts among friends were different according to the children's gender. Facing conflicts with friends, female children used the most efficient 'negotiation and cooperation' strategy more than male children. Whereas, male children more resorted to 'domination' strategy to resolve conflicts with friends.
Third, communication patterns between father and children were related to the strategy for resolving conflicts with friends. Specifically, the more open-minded communication children had with fathers, the more they used 'negotiation and cooperation' strategy. In the meantime, the more closed communication they had with their fathers, the less they used 'negotiation and cooperation' strategy. Father's excessive acceptance of children, unconditional regards, immediate presentation of a method to resolve a problem and overprotective attitudes make children care only about their desire and interests, leading them to take authoritative and domineering attitudes in conflicting situations with friends.
The results above presents that communication with father exerts a critical influence on children's development of ability to effectively cope with conflicting situation establish desirable friendship.