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Perceived versus actual parent-adolescent assimilation disparity among hispanic refugee families

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Abstract

This study compared the perceived and actualdegree of family assimilation disparity among50 Hispanic refugee parent-adolescent dyads. Participants completed a behaviourquestionnaire requiring them to rate theacceptability of prototypical assimilativeadolescent behaviours from both their ownperspective and that of the other familymember. Dependent sample t-tests revealed thatthe Hispanic parents and adolescentssignificantly underestimated or overestimatedthe actual degree of intergenerational gaps.These findings attest to the existence ofhealth-promoting and health-compromisingbeliefs about assimilation disparity, asincongruence between parents' and adolescents'levels of assimilation is associated with avariety of negative individual and familyoutcomes. Implications for counselling arediscussed.

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Merali, N. Perceived versus actual parent-adolescent assimilation disparity among hispanic refugee families. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 24, 57–68 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015081309426

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