Effect of Family Climate on Emotional Stability and Moral Judgement of Children

Emotion is the complex psycho-physiological experience of an individual‘s state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influence. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves, ―Physiological arousal, expressive behaviours and conscious experience‖ (Myers, 2004). In this study researchers tried out the effect of family climate on emotional stability and moral judgement of children. Because very important role of the family on children personality and her behaviour. The emotional climate that children experience daily has an important impact on overall emotional development and emotion regulation. The emotional climate of a family is reflected in relationship qualities (such as attachment, marital relationships and parenting styles) and in the amount of positive and negative emotion displayed toward members of the family. Emotional stability refers to Individuals' steadiness of mood, their ability to withstand minor setbacks, failures, difficulties, and other Stresses without becoming upset emotionally. Emotionally stable persons tolerate minor stresses and strains of day to day living Without becoming emotionally upset, anxious, nervous, tense, or angry. These actions, often referred to as inhibitory or negative morality, include violations of others' rights and welfare, such as hitting, harming, and otherwise injuring others physically or psychologically, actions viewed as bad which one ought not to do. Moral judgment is the ability to evaluate the situation and moral issues as right or wrong keeping in view the knowledge of moral standard.

Corinna et al. (2003) carried a study on ‗Conflict Resolution‘ Links with Adolescents‘ Family Relationships and Individual Well Being‘. Participants were 92 girls and 93 boys (mean age = 14.5 years) and their parents and siblings. Results showed that girls and boys used less effective conflict resolution strategies with siblings than with mothers or fathers and that adolescents' personal qualities were linked with effective conflict resolution. Effective conflict resolution was generally linked to better adjustment. Candice et al. (2004) studied on ‗Relations among Maternal Parenting Style, Academic Competence, and Life Satisfaction in Chinese Early Adolescents‘. The sample consisted of 346, 7th grade students (126 males and 220 females) in Hong Kong. The researchers found that perceived maternal concern, academic competence, and life satisfaction significantly declined from the beginning to the end of the 7th grade. Structural equation modeling found that adolescents‘ perceived maternal concerns and academic competences significantly predicted life satisfaction over time. Aleem (2005) evaluated the prevalence of emotional stability among male and female students. The sample consisted of 100 undergraduate and postgraduate students whose age group ranged from 17-21 years. The sample size of 100 was further categorized into 2 groups i.e. 50 males and 50 females. The results revealed that female students are less emotionally stable as compared to male

1. To study the effect of family climate on emotional stability of children. 2. To study the effect of gender on emotional stability of children. 3. To study the interaction between Family Climate and gender on emotional stability of children. 4. To study the effect of Family Climate on moral judgement of children. 5. To study the effect of gender on moral judgement of children. 6. To study the interaction between Family Climate and gender on moral judgement of children.

1. There will be significant effect of Family Climate on Emotional Stability of children. 2. There will be significant effect of gender on Emotional Stability of children. 3. There will be significant interaction effect between Family Climate and Gender on emotional stability of children. 4. There will be significant effect of Family Climate on moral judgement of children. 5. There will be significant effect of gender on moral judgement of children. 6. There will be significant interaction effect between Family Climate and Gender on emotional stability of children.

A. FAMILY CLIMATE

A1= Favorable family climate. A2= Unfavorable family climate.

B. GENDER

B1= Male • Emotional stability • Moral judgment

Sample The data was collected initially from 200 children. Out of which 100 students were randomly selected. These subjects were divided into two groups. Out of which 50 subjects were belong to favorable family climate and 50 belong to unfavorable family climate .In each group there were 25 male and 25 female.

Emotional Stability Test has been developed for the school going children. The preliminary form of the present test for children had 25 items. The reliability coefficient was 72. 1. Family Climate Scale (FCS). This scale was constructed by Dr. Beena shah .in this scale there were 10 dimensions.

The first problem was to study the effect of family climate on emotional stability of children. For this purpose the hypothesis was there will be significant effect of Family Climate on Emotional Stability of children. The results show that F value is 4.14.This value is more than table value at .05 level. It indicates that family climate have significant effect on emotional stability. Mean scores indicates that the mean value of emotional stability of children who have favorable comparison of those subjects who have favourable family climate. Now the question arises, how to unfavorable family climate increases emotional stability. The reason may be that from their childhood such type of children do their work themselves and face all challenging tasks themselves. that‘s why they have more emotional stability as compared others the children of unfavorable family climate learn how to adjust in aversive situations and how to behave in different –different conditions. On the other side children of favorable family climate totally depend on others, they do not take any decision without any help and never face any critical conditions. Barry et al. (2008) studied on child versus parent reports of parenting practices implications for the conceptualization of child behavioral and emotional problems. The investigator examined parent and child reports of parenting practices separately to predict child and parent reports of child externalizing and internalizing features, as well as delinquent activity. Results revealed that negative parenting was concurrently related to internalizing characteristics. The second problem was to study the effect of gender on emotional stability of children. For this purpose the hypothesis was ―there will be significant difference in emotional stability of male and female.‖ The results show that F value is 6.58.This value is more than the table value at .05 level. It indicates that the gender have significant effect on emotional stability. So it can be said that the hypothesis accepted. Mean scores of males are 6.32 and females are 7.48. That means so male children have more emotional stability than female. The reason may be that male and female hold different social responsibilities. Boys take more interest in political activities, play outdoor games and many outside work like earning money and other social responsibility. On the other hand mostly female have responsibilities like preparing food, washing clothes, cleaning home etc. So male have different experiences and they can control their emotions easily. Dubas and semo (1990) studied job stress and family functioning .the mediating role of parental depression and the explaining role of emotional stability. Results indicate that job stress has direct influence on parental depression and indirect effect on marital strain, parent adolescent relation and problematic adolescent behavior. Wester et. al. (2002) study the social influences on emotion expression involves the idea that a society's gender roles reinforce gender differences. grow up in the context of gender roles that naturally place them in role-specific situations, influencing their emotion expression in that context. Gender stereotypes in hetero normative societies enforce expectations for women to suppress anger and contempt, but express other emotions using words and facial expressions. Simultaneously, these same cultural norms discourage men from verbally expressing emotions, with the exception of anger or contempt. The third problem was to study the interaction effect between family climate and gender on emotional stability of children. For this purpose the hypothesis was there will be significant interaction effect between family climate and gender on emotional stability of children. The results show that F value is 6.58 this value is more than table value at .05 level, so the difference is significant family climate and gender has different effect on emotional stability. In female of favorable family more emotional stability than male. While in male of unfavorable family climate there is more emotional stability than female. The fourth problem was to study the effect of family climate on moral judgement of children. For this purpose the hypothesis was ―there will be significant effect of Family Climate on moral judgement of children‖ The results show that F value is 0.141 this value is less than table value at .05 level. It indicate that the family climate have no significant effect on moral judgement of children. So it can be said that the hypothesis is rejected. Mean scores of male are 28.14 and females are 27.38. The mean scores show that there is minor difference between male and female children. The reason behind it that family climate play an equator role in moral development of the child. Society, culture and religion also affect the moral judgement to an equator extent. If the children whether male of female are involved in wrong or illegal act they have to be ashamed before their family and society. If they do acts in accordance with society they considered as good children. Hence, it is expressively clear that society, culture and religion play an important role in moral judgement. Similar results found by Varma (1976) The positive values were ahinsa, sense of duty, respect, purity, forgiveness, truthfulness and virtues. The negative values were greed, anger, lying, stealing, revenge, betrayal and sin at the 10-11 years level, the girls gave a higher value of ahinsa, duty, respect and sin than the boys, and lower values for forgiveness, anger and revenge than the boys. It was found that there was hardly any relation between intelligence and moral knowledge. The fifth problem was to study the effect significant effect of gender on moral judgement of children. For this purpose the hypothesis was there will be female .The results shows that F value is 1.27, this value is less than table value at .05 level. It indicates that gender have no significant effect on moral judgement. So it can be said that the hypothesis is rejected. Mean scores of males are 28.90 and females are 26.62. The mean scores show that there is minor difference between male and female children‘s moral judgement. The reason may be that schooling, Nurturing, Diet, Family atmosphere are similar for male and female now a days. Research also shows that awareness of education and gender discrimination faded away from the society. Other factors are print media and electronic media also motivating factor in enhancing the morality for both male & female. Hence, it is clear that there is no gender difference in the society. Similar results found by Saraswathi et al. (1977) The age trend in the development of moral judgement observed in the study was supportive of the invariant stage wise sequential progression postulated by the cognitive developmental theory. There was no sex difference in the development of moral judgement another study done by Tripathi and Misra (1979) found in his study that the capacity to make moral judgement increases with age. However the effects of sex and economic status were not significant. Daulta (2008) found that home environment had positive impact of scholastic achievement of both boys and girls .parenting style and family environment also contribute to the development of personality characteristics.

The aim of the present study was the effect of family climate on emotional stability and moral judgment of children. Results indicated that who have unfavorable family climate have more emotional stability in comparison of those subjects who have favourable family climate and male have more emotional stability than female, on the other hand family climate and gender have no significant effect on moral judgment.

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Aleem, S. (2005). Emotional stability among college youth. Journal of The Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 31, pp. 100-102. Barry et al. (2008). Family environment and behaviour problems in children, adolescents, and adults with fragile X Syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 117(4): pp. 331–346. Margets, K. (2003). Personal, family and social influences on children‘s early school adjustment. The University of Melbourne, pp. 1-8. Wester et. al. (2002). Impact of family environment on social influences on emotion expression involves the idea that a society's. International Journal of Research in Economics & Social Sciences, 2(5): pp. 42-49. Varma (1976). Adjustment Problems among missionary and non-missionary schools ranging from 6 to 11 years of age. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 33(1): pp. 73-79. Saraswathi et. al. (1977). Adjustment and attitude of parents of children with mental retardation. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 33(1): pp. 137-141.

Daulta (2008). The Learnt Factors in Stress: The Role of Family home environment impact of scholastic achievement of both boys and girls. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 36(2): pp. 215-223.

PhD Scholar, Department of Psychology, C.C.S. University (Campus), Meerut Uttar Pradesh, India