The impact of psychological separation from parents upon goal-setting of students from single-parent families

Abstract

Psychological separation is viewed as a determinant of the development of goal-setting at student age. The subject of this research is the correlation between the characteristics of psychological separation (emotional, functional, attitude, conflict) and goal-setting (value semantic – values-goals, values-means, life-meaning orientations) and operational (system of self-regulation of voluntary activity) levels of young people from single-parent families. Sampling involved 49 students (18 males and 31 females). The following questionnaire-based surveys were used in the course of this research: “Psychological Separation Inventory (PSI)” by J. Hoffman, “Adaptation” by V. P. Dzukaeva and T. Y. Sadovnikova, “Value Orientations” method by M. Rokeach, “Life-Meaning Orientations” test by D. A. Leontyev, “Style of Self-Regulation of Behavior” by V. I. Mirosanova. The author determined valid differences between psychological separation from parents, value-semantic and operational characteristics of goal-setting among young people from single-parent families. The statistically significant correlations of the indicated characteristics are highlighted. The impact of psychological separation from parents upon values-goals and values-means, life strategies and individual characteristics of self-regulation of the activity of young people from single-parent families in the process of setting and achieving the goals, are analyzed in the context of logic of the functional approach of V .K. Shabelnikov. The novelty of this research consists in clarification of the role of psychological separation from parents in development of value-semantic and operational characteristics of goal-setting at student age.