Parental Maladjustment and Functional Articulatory Defects in Children

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Abstract
50 pairs of parents were selected who had children with defects of the articulatory type not assignable to low mentality, hearing loss or organic malformations. These parents were normal in intelligence, hearing and speech. The California Test of Personality and the Bernreuter Personality Inventory were given to all 100 parents and the scores compared statistically with the test norms. The speech-defective children were given the California Test of Personality and the Aspects of Personality Test (Pintner); some were given the Murray Thematic Apperception Test. Two clinical groups were established on the basis of paired neurotic tendency ratings of the mothers; and a program of parental counseling was carried on in one group in addition to treatment of the children. Results were as follows:[long dash]Maternal scores on the Bernreuter Inventory differed significantly from test norms showing that mothers of speech-defective children were more neurotic in tendency, more submissive and more self-conscious. The scores of fathers did not differ. No correlation was found between the personality test scores of children and those of their parents. Of the group of 50 speech-defective children, 72% had at least one parent above the 60th percentile in neurotic tendency and 64% at least one above the 70th. Maternal scores on the California Test of Personality differed significantly from test norms, indicating that mothers were lower in self-adjustment. Fathers rated lower than the test norms in self-adjustment. Of the group of 50 speech-defective children, 86% had one or both parents who were below the 35th percentile in self-adjustment, and 64% had one or both parents below the 35th percentile in social adjustment. Social standards of mothers were found to be very high in comparison with other adjustment scores. The speech-defective children did not differ significantly from the test norms. As a group they seemed better adjusted than did either the mothers or the fathers. Results of the Thematic Appereeption Test administered to about 25% showed a sense of frustration, withdrawing and lack of affection, anxiety-insecurity, lack of belongingness, achievement, aggressiveness, hostility and escape. Case history data obtained for the most part from the mothers revealed 13 salient factors in home environment. Most frequent factors were lack of recreational outlet, ignorance of child behavior problems, overly severe child discipline methods and defective home membership. When the mothers themselves were clinically treated for the purpose of alleviating their own problems, their children improved more rapidly than did the control group. Functional articulatory defects of children are associated with maladjustment and undesirable traits on the part of the parents.