First Advisor

Wright, Stephen L.

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

12-1-2016

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Applied Psychology and Counselor Education, APCE Student Work

Embargo Date

3-28-2019

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the essence of middle adolescents'; unique experiences of happiness within the family system from the multiple perspectives of adolescents, their parents, and their siblings. Another goal was to make thematic comparisons between and within families in order to better understand the complexity and development of the phenomenon for adolescents. Seven families participated in this study. Each family consisted of a middle adolescent, a parent, and a sibling, yielding a total of 21 participants. A semistructured interview was conducted with each participant. Data were analyzed using Moustakas's (1994) modification of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method. In addition, happiness experiences between and within families were compared. Nine themes emerged from the data: quality time, family support, outside influences, independence, family mood, humor, external expressions of happiness, more engaged when happy, and family has a big influence on happiness. Findings are discussed in relation to prior research. Theoretical, practice, and research implications are provided. Practice implications include specific suggestions for approaching therapy from a systemic perspective and conducting strengths-based, preventative care. Research implications include expanding the research to include more diverse populations and ideas for future research that builds on this study's findings.

Keywords

Adolescents, Family, Happiness, Qualitative research

Extent

342 pages

Local Identifiers

Cohen_unco_0161D_10520

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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