ORIGINAL STUDY | Thornock, C. M., Nelson, L. J., Porter, C. L., & Evans-Stout, C. A. (2019). There’s no place like home: The associations between residential attributes and family functioning. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 65, 39-47.
Y NEWS REVIEW | June 20, 2019 | How You Feel About Your Home is More Important Than Size
Although home environments affect the way many feel which, in turn, has the potential to influence family relationships, researchers at BYU recently found that how individuals perceive the space (too crowded or too spread out) in their homes has more of an effect on family functioning than actual characteristics, such as the size of the house or number of bedrooms.
ORIGINAL STUDY | Chelladurai, J. M., Dollahite, D. C., & Marks, L. D. (2018). “The family that prays together . . .”: Relational processes associated with regular family prayer. Journal of Family Psychology.
Y NEWS REVIEW | 07.30.2018 | The Family that Prays Together...Feels Connected, Unified and Bonded with Less Relational Tension
In a recently-published study in the Journal of Family Psychology, BYU researchers explored how family prayer influences family relationships, finding a connection between prayer and a number of benefits for families.
ORIGINAL STUDY | LeBaron, A.B., Kelley, H.H. & Carroll, J.S. (2018). Money over marriage: Marriage importance as a mediator between materialism and marital satisfaction. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 39(2), 337-347.
Y NEWS REVIEW | 02.13.2018 | Study: Materialism in Marriage Linked to Devaluation of Marriage
Madonna may have loved living in a material world as a material girl, but a recent study shows that married couples should avoid living according to this '80s jam at all costs.
Jason Carroll... provides more insight into what may be one of the roots of the dissatisfaction caused by materialism — a diminished view of the importance of marriage itself.
ORIGINAL STUDY | Gibbs, B.G., Workman, J. & Downey, D.B. (2016). The (conditional) resource dilution model: State- and community-level modifications. Demography, 53(3), 723-748.
Y NEWS REVIEW | 05.19.2016 | Family Size and Education Levels: the Right Support Could Reverse Long-held Theory
If you have three or more siblings, odds are that you have at least one year less of education than someone who has no siblings.
More kids in your family. Less education...One group that is a major outlier is Mormons.
ORIGINAL STUDY | Padilla-Walker, L. M., Son, D., & Nelson, L. J. (2019). Profiles of helicopter parenting, parental warmth, and psychological control during emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood, 7, 1-13. doi: 10.1177/2167696818823626
Y NEWS REVIEW | June 18, 2019 | Helicopter Parenting: Control vs. Support Makes All the Difference
There are certain things individuals should handle without their parents’ total control, especially as they emerge into adulthood, such as contacting professors about grades, resolving roommate conflicts or lining up job interviews.
When parents over-involve themselves in these kinds of activities, it’s called helicopter parenting. The challenge for many parents lies in knowing the difference between supporting their children and controlling their children.
ORIGINAL STUDY | Petts, R. J., Shafer, K. M. and Essig, L. (2018). Does Adherence to Masculine Norms Shape Fathering Behavior? Journal of Marriage and Family, 80, 704-720.
Y NEWS REVIEW | 06.11.2018 | Study: Today’s Dads are Engaging More with Their Kids
Sociologists at BYU and Ball State have found that a majority of fathers today are relatively involved in their children’s lives.
Whether it’s physically being there for a baseball game or piano recital, or emotionally being there to provide warmth or support in a tough time, there appears to be a shift in how fathers are viewing their roles.
ORIGINAL STUDY | Jensen, A. C., & McHale, S. M. (2017). Mothers', fathers', and siblings' perceptions of parents' differential treatment of siblings; Links with family relationship qualities. Journal of Adolescence 60, 119-129.
Y NEWS REVIEW | 11.01.2017 | Family Favoritism: Younger Siblings Impacted More
A new study by BYU School of Family Life assistant professor Alex Jensen revealed that the perception of favoritism may have more effect on a child-parent relationship than was previously considered.
Specifically, Jensen found that favoritism is linked more to younger siblings' parent-child relationships than with the older siblings'.