2011 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Identity formation in adolescents brought up in single-mother families : Relations between children and non-residential fathers

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21530714
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Clinical psychology
Research Institution	Saitama University
Principal Investigator	HOTTA Kaori 埼玉大学, 教育学部, 教授 (10251430)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2011
Keywords	離婚 / 母子家庭 / 父子関係
Research Abstract	This study involved investigative research conducted into the development of children in divorced single-mother families, looking at the relationship between the children in such families and the non-residential fathers. Subjects were divided into three groups according to whether there was or was not a relationship between the child and father, and according to age. It was found that the most important psychological characteristics of those groups where a relationship between child and the father was successfully maintained were that the child had a positive image of the father : that the child was able to re-evaluate his or her parents' relationship and the existence of the father together with the attainment of psychological independence, and thereby consciously change his or her relationship with the father : and that the father was able to develop along with his child.