ABSTRACT

F A M I L Y S T R U C T U R E is one of the more important determinants of achieve­ ment motivation and skills.1 Many of the personal qualities and skills that enable chil­ dren to meet standards of excellence-selfreliance, competent judgment, problem-solv­ ing ability, and a questioning mind-are acquired in parent-child relations providing guidance and yet allowing the child freedom to develop independent mastery and respon­ sible decision-making.2 Parental dominance, on the other hand, often produces passivity, rebelliousness, and dependency. Domination is characterized by "a rigidity or inflexibil­ ity of purpose, . . . an unwillingness to admit the contribution of another's experi-

enees, desires, purposes or judgment in one's determining of goals which concern oth­ ers."3 Responsibility and confidence in in­ dependence are acquired through guided opportunities in independent problem solv­ ing and activity, and parental domination during late childhood and in adolescence largely denies these experiences.