Faculty Publications
A guide to publications produced by the faculty of Covenant Theological Seminary.
Books
A Path Analysis of Parental Apologies, Empathy, Shame, Guilt, and Attachment by Publication Date: 2015Ruckstaetter's Ph.D. dissertation for Regent University.
This study investigated the complex relationship of shame, guilt, parental empathy, parents’ attitudes toward apologies, and the path of those variables on the parent-child attachment relationship. A hypothesized model was developed based on attachment theory and prior research. A path analysis demonstrated a close model fit (RMSEA = .074, CFI= .934) supporting previous research on apologies as beneficial to relationships and expanding that research to parents and children. A parent’s proclivity to apologize was positively influenced by parental empathy and guilt, and negatively influenced by shame-withdraw behaviors, all producing a more secure attachment from the parent to the child.
Journal Articles
- Ruckstaetter, J., Sells, J., Newmeyer, M. D., & Zink, D. (2017). Parental apologies, empathy, shame, guilt, and attachment: A path analysis. Journal of Counseling and Development, 95(4), 389-400.The authors investigated the complex relationships of parental attitudes toward apologies, empathy, shame, guilt, and the parent's attachment orientation. Survey responses were obtained from 327 parents. A path analysis of the developed model demonstrated a close model fit (root-mean-square error of approximation = .07; comparative fit index = .93; incremental fit index = .94; χ2 = 30.71, p < .001), supporting previous research on apologies as beneficial to relationships. A parent's proclivity toward apologies, positively influenced by empathy and guilt and negatively influenced by shame-withdraw behaviors, produced a more secure parent-child attachment.