The Significance of Family Group Synergy in the Shaping of

Self-Concept in Adolescents

Naira Odilova

National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Keywords Adolescent, Family-Group Synergy, "I" Concept.

Abstract In the intricate fabric of society, familial bonds, especially parent-child relationships, have perennially held

significance. As civilization progresses, their relevance intensifies; family ties, particularly parent-child

interactions, assimilate human achievements most effectively. These relationships, conduits of tradition and

spiritual heritage, profoundly shape the future of societies, populations, and nations. Synergy within families,

originating from interactions between parents and children or between spouses, signifies the emergence of a

'third entity'—a shared cultural foundation embodying values, principles, and mutual responsibilities. This

study, referencing psychological diagnostics, probes how parental attitudes affect adolescents' self-concept,

underscoring the family's pivotal role in nurturing a mature and cohesive society.

1 INTRODUCTION

Family bonds, particularly parent-child relationships,

have been central concerns since society's inception.

With societal progress, the prominence of these issues

is set to escalate. This is because, compared to any

other social institutions, family ties, specifically

parent-child interactions, assimilate human

accomplishments more effectively. These relations

pass on traditions from generation to generation as

part of our spiritual heritage. Thus, the future of any

society, populace, and nation is significantly reliant

on the state of these relationships. It necessitates a

nurturing and spiritually robust family environment,

where synergy plays a crucial role [Burmenskaya

G.V. Karabanova O.A., (1990), 45-46].

Synergy suggests that the interaction of individual

elements results in the emergence of an additional

component or structure. Within a family, this added

component represents the quality of interpersonal

relationships. Synergy originates from the interaction

between spouses and between parents and children.

Interaction stimulates creativity, new possibilities,

and alternative solutions.

Corresponding author

One can visualise this additional component as a

'third entity'. When a sense of 'us' develops in a pair,

they appear to transform into not just two, but three

entities - the connection between the pair becoming

the 'third entity'. The same applies to the parent-child

relationship. The 'third entity', produced through

relationships between close individuals, represents a

family culture characterised by a deeply rooted sense

of purpose and a value system centred on principles.

Therefore, synergy not only implies mutual openness

and the emergence of shared values and goals,

innovative solutions, and superior alternatives but

also fosters a sense of shared responsibility for

upholding the norms and values underpinning this

process. It incorporates a moral code into the family

culture, encouraging individuals to be more truthful,

more open, and more courageous in resolving

challenging matters, rather than shying away from

them or avoiding those with whom interaction may

raise these issues.

This 'third entity' serves as a sort of supreme moral

authority, representing the collective conscience, a

shared system of values and goals, and familial

traditions and customs. It dissuades family members

from engaging in immoral activities, from excessive

power lust, and from power abuse. While individuals

Odilova, N.

The Signiﬁcance of Family Group Synergy in the Shaping of Self-Concept in Adolescents.

DOI: 10.5220/0012477600003792

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 70-73

ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3

live in harmony with this moral authority, they

comprehend that status, power, wealth, and prestige

do not belong to them. Instead, these are entrusted to

them for the betterment of people, and they are

accountable for their stewardship. However, when

individuals live at odds with this supreme authority,

becoming their own judge and jury, this 'third entity'

feeling fades. Individuals become self-focused and

possessive, distancing themselves from others. The

family culture transforms from one of

interdependence to independence, causing the

synergy miracle to evaporate.

2 METHODS

Our study operates on the scientific hypothesis that

the formation of the concept of "I" in adolescents can

be influenced by the psychological atmosphere within

the family and interpersonal relationships, parental

attitudes towards the child, i.e., the degree of child

acceptance and healthy psychological collaboration.

The study encompassed 80 ninth-grade students and

their parents from general secondary schools, making

a total of 80 respondents.

It's widely recognised that a parent's personality

greatly impacts an individual's self-perception. This

is why the test questionnaire developed by

A.Ya.Varga and V.V.Stolin takes precedence. This

questionnaire serves as a psychodiagnostic tool

employed to ascertain parents' attitudes towards their

children.

We know from developmental psychology laws that

a parent's attitude towards a child becomes apparent

in the earliest months of childhood, even during

infancy. This is because, according to the "recovery

complex", the initial signs of socialisation in a child's

life are manifested as expressions of laughter and

positive emotional vocalisations within the first six

weeks. However, the object of our study requires an

examination of situations at a considerably advanced

stage of social influences, aiming to analyse the

impact of family relationships on adolescents' social

perception.

Parents' attitudes towards their children can be

understood as a system of varying adult feelings and

behaviours directed towards children. From a

psychological perspective, the parents' attitude

towards their children is a pedagogical social

orientation established in relation to children,

encompassing rational emotional and behavioural

components. These components are evaluated

through a questionnaire, which, to an extent, forms

the foundation of this methodology. R.S.Nemov's

usage of specific terms has brought about certain

modifications in the processing and recommendation

of the resultant data. The methodology comprises 61

questions across five scales that reflect parents'

attitudes towards their children.

1. "Acceptance - rejection". This measure

generally denotes an emotionally positive

(acceptance) or emotionally negative (rejection)

stance towards a child.

2. "Cooperation". This scale signifies adults'

willingness to cooperate with the child, displaying

interest in their activities and participating in them.

3. "Symbiosis" - the scale mirrors the interpersonal

distance in communication with the child. This trend

is described as the parent feeling unified with the

child, striving to meet all of the child's needs and

shield them from life's difficulties and adversities.

The parent is persistently concerned about the child,

viewing the child as small and vulnerable. Parental

anxiety escalates when the child starts to become

autonomous due to circumstances, as the parent does

not willingly grant the child independence.

4. "Authoritarian hypersocialisation" - reflects the

form and direction of control over the child's

behaviour, indicating whether the relationship with

the child is constructed in a democratic or

authoritarian style.

5. "Little loser" - mirrors the attributes of a parent's

perception and comprehension of the child. This final

scale illustrates how adults react to the strengths and

weaknesses of the child's capabilities, and to their

successes and failures.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of the methodology are presented below:

The Signiﬁcance of Family Group Synergy in the Shaping of Self-Concept in Adolescents

Note: I - "Acceptance - rejection"; II - "Cooperation"; III - "Symbiosis"; IV - "Authoritarian hypersocialization", V - "Little loser".

Figure 1: Examination of results utilising the method of diagnosing parental attitudes towards children.

Our research is premised on the scientific hypothesis

that the shaping of the "I" concept in adolescents can

be influenced by the psychological environment

within the family, interpersonal relationships, and

parental attitudes towards the child, such as the level

of acceptance and healthy psychological cooperation.

The study involved 80 students from the 9th grade

and their parents from general secondary schools,

totalling 80 respondents.

It's well established that a parent's personality has a

significant impact on forming a person's self-

awareness. Hence, the primary test questionnaire is

the one developed by A.Ya.Varga and V.V.Stolin,

which serves as a psychodiagnostic tool used to

ascertain parents' attitudes towards their children.

Developmental psychology tells us that a parent's

attitude towards a child begins to manifest in the early

months of childhood, even during infancy. This is

because, according to the "recovery complex", the

first indications of socialisation in a child's life, such

as the emergence of laughter and a positive emotional

tone of voice, appear in the initial 1.5 months.

However, our study object requires an analysis of

more advanced stages of social influences,

specifically the impact of family relationships on

adolescents' social perception.

Parents' attitudes towards their children are

interpreted as a system of diverse feelings and

behaviours from adults towards children.

Psychologically, parents' attitudes towards their

children is a pedagogically social setting established

concerning children, which includes rational,

emotional, and behavioural components. These

components are evaluated using a questionnaire that

forms the basis of this methodology to some extent.

R.S.Nemov's use of certain terms necessitated slight

changes in processing and recommending the

obtained results. The methodology comprises 61

questions, spanning five scales reflecting parents'

attitudes towards their children.

1. "Acceptance - Rejection". This measure typically

represents an emotionally positive (acceptance) or

emotionally negative (rejection) attitude towards a

child.

2. "Cooperation". This scale represents the adults'

willingness to cooperate with the child, showing

interest in their work and participating in their

activities.

3. "Symbiosis" - the scale indicates the interpersonal

distance in communication with the child. This

tendency is described as the parent feeling one with

the child, seeking to fulfil all of the child's needs and

protect them from life's difficulties. The parent

consistently worries about the child, who they

perceive as small and defenceless. The parent's

anxiety increases when the child begins to become

autonomous due to circumstances, as the parent

doesn't willingly allow the child to have

independence.

4. "Authoritarian Hypersocialisation" - reflects the

form and direction of control over the child's

behaviour. Describes how the relationship with the

child is constructed in a democratic or authoritarian

style.

5. "Little Loser" - reflects the features of the parent's

perception and understanding of the child. This final

scale shows how adults react to the strengths and

weaknesses of the child's abilities, their successes and

failures.

PAMIR 2023 - The First Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies- | PAMIR

4 CONCLUSION

As per researchers like G.S. Krasnitskaya, Y.

Langmeyer, and Z. Mateychek, the primary factor in

a child's personal development is the fulfilment of

their need for emotional security. A significant

psychological resource for an adult manifest itself in

the role of competent authority, characterised by a

desire for "closeness" and "common interests", as

well as parental and adolescent trust. This involves

being attentive to the child, supporting their

successes, correctly appraising their capabilities, and

essentially, accepting the child for who they are. One

must also refrain from actions or words that could

cause offence or anger to the child. In the context of

our study, excessive emotional distance manifests as

follows: adults anticipate socially approved

behavioural elements from children, expect

unquestioning compliance with instructions, and

require obedience. Children's disobedience or

defence of their own position often leads to adult

discussions of their behaviour, demonstrating

irritability and undue severity. From these findings,

it's clear that an individual's self-perception is heavily

influenced by the psychological environment within

the family and the parents' personal example. The

formation of the "I" concept within a teenager's

personality is reliant on their family relationships and

their position within the parental system. The

teenager's "I" concept is directly moulded by their

surroundings and their community of people. The

impact of parents on a child's personality is often

intertwined with the child's "I" concept, and a parent's

role within the family and their status are vital in

ensuring a teenager's personality maturity.

Considering that breaches in the family's

psychological atmosphere can create negative traits in

a child's behaviour, it is recommended for parents to

cultivate an environment of cooperation within the

family.

REFERENCES

Burmenskaya G.V. Karabanova O.A., (1990).

Leaders A.G. Age-related psychological counseling:

problems of mental development of children. M.:

Publishing House of Moscow State University,

Ginott H.J. (1986) Parents and children / Per. from English.

– M.: Knowledge..

Smirnova E.O., Sokolova M.V. (2007). Structure and

dynamics of parental relationship in the child's

ontogeny // Vopr. Psych. No. 2.

Eidemiller E.G., Yustitsky V.V. (1996)Methods of family

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The Signiﬁcance of Family Group Synergy in the Shaping of Self-Concept in Adolescents