A Comparative study on the social skills of adolescents and young adults with separated and non-separated parents.

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the level of social skills of adolescents and young adults with separated and/or non-separated parents, and determine whether the separation or unity (non-separation) of parents yields a low or high level of social skills of the respondents. Also, the study aimed to determine a relationship between the length of the separation of parents and the study habits and financial handling of the respondents. The sample for the study are adolescents and young adults, ages 12 to 24, residing in Metro Manila. The research utilized a survey questionnaire which consisted of three sections: a socio-demographic profile, a scale which measures the social skills of respondents (group skills, communication skills and emotional skills), and questions that will assess the study habits and financial handling of the respondents. The results revealed that based on the 119 sample, respondents who grew up with non-separated parents possessed a higher level of grouping, communication, and emotional skills than those who grew up with separated parents. Results regarding the study habits and financial handling of the respondents correlated to the length of separation of parents revealed that respondents whose parents are separated tend to study more frequently and spend more (for leisure); while respondents who grew up from parents living together or have separated in a lesser time tend to review more, maintain a to-do-list, have better organization when studying and spend less (for food, transportation and school supplies).