• Human Ecology Research
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.325-336
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and the view of the afterlife of the elderly by focusing on mediating effects of positive satisfaction and death preparation. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of the rest of life and contributes as exploratory research toward strengthening the psychological and emotional well-being of the elderly. After using a structural equation model, we found that self-esteem influenced their view of the afterlife through mediating effects such as positive satisfaction and the level of death preparation. The results of this study will present not only in recovering from death anxiety through an understanding of the level of death preparation and, the view of the afterlife but also in the development of practical intervention materials, which can be useful in social work for the elderly. The elderly's view of the afterlife should be strengthened according to the educational programs on death preparation that deal with the existence of the afterlife and life after death. However, this study has the limitation that only people living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province and not in the other areas of the country were considered in this research. Nevertheless, within its limitation, this study's findings are promising, as they contribute to our understanding of the view of life and death of the elderly; further, the study has academic meaning with respect to helping the elderly successfully carry out their life development tasks and significantly prepare for the rest of their life.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.385-395
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• 2016

This study examines the effects of consumer socialization on Korean adolescent impulsive buying behavior. The current study used the third and sixth waves from the Korean Education and Employment Panel (KEEP) survey that has been administered by the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training since 2004. The subjects were high school juniors and university sophomores in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The final sample for panel regression analysis included 1,718 individuals. Two major agents of socialization (school and parents) were utilized in our model. Parent financial behavior (if the parents had savings) and the effectiveness/helpfulness of economics education in middle or high school were included in our estimation model. Two categories were included as individual factors: (1) psychological aspects and personal traits covering variables such as stress from self-image, academic stress, self-regulation, and a tendency of risky behavior and (2) financial behavior and attitudes, which include work experience, amount of money in hand, shopping habits, and if parental financial support is expected after high school graduation. The results from a random effects model revealed that the effects of consumer socialization through school was marginally significant, while through parents was not. Stress from self-image and the level of self-regulation were found to be significant. Neither risky behavior nor academic stress were a significant factor for impulsive buying behavior. The amount of money available in hand and shopping habits showed a significant influence. Implications for educators, parents and policy makers are identified.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.267-278
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• 2020

This study examined the longitudinal effect of preschool children's media exposure and maternal depression on first-grade children's school adjustment and the mediating effect of attention problem. Longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC) collected by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education (KICCE) was used to examine this hypothetical model. The subjects of the study included 2,150 children (1,091 boys and 1,059 girls) and their mothers across 2013 (5 yrs.) through 2015 (7 yrs.). The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was estimated using SPSS 25.0 and Amos 25. The results of this study were as follows. First, higher level of preschool children's media exposure and maternal depression were related to higher attention problems after a year and lower level of children's school adjustment during first-grade. Second, preschool children's media exposure and maternal depression had an indirect effect on first-grade children's school adjustment via attention problem. The results of this study will provide supporting evidence to many educators and parents for the implementation of effective practices for first-grade children to enhance their school adjustment. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of maternal psychological wellbeing and the risk of indiscriminate media exposure during early childhood on first-grade's school adjustment.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.9-18
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• 2010

As an aging population has increased vastly and nuclear families have been a dominating family type in modern Korean society, the numbers of the elderly who suffer Empty Nest Syndrome and LID (Loss Isolation Depression) syndrome have been accelerated. These syndromes involve psychological instability, melancholy, and lethargy. To make the elderly get out of this phenomenon and live actively, the scheme of converting their existing house into shared housing was set as a hypothetical solution in this study. This study sets out to find out responses of the elderly to alter their own house's function in housing improvement area. A Small Workshop Panel method was used and the elderly aged 55 years upwards took part and they own a detached house in a housing improvement area that is relatively large for the elderly or the elderly couple to live alone. Through the workshop, problems that the elderly have been experiencing within their houses were looked into and responses of the elderly on altering their house to shared housing by introducing developed schematic plans. Although, the first response was negative, positive responses from the house owners were carried out when a visual support i.e. developed shared housing plan was provided. The positive response was based on the fact that subsidies from the government on house renovation and tenants matching programs are supported as shared housing could provide home owners economical support with rents and help them to feel less lonely. This is a way of relieving the elderly from being neglected and supporting them to live and age actively in their later lives. Furthermore, by providing a visual media to the elder residents in housing improvement area, their greater understandings on the development and addressing their opinions were possible. Therefore, more tools that promote elder residents' participation are needed for future housing improvement projects and an aging society.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.175-188
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• 2014

This study examined the effects of demographic variables and psychological mechanisms (self-efficacy, need for closure, and fashion innovativeness) on each of the four types of impulsive buying, including suggestion impulsive buying, stimulus impulsive buying, pure impulsive buying, and reminder impulsive buying. In addition, the study analyzed the impact these four types had on evaluations after impulsive buying (i.e., diversion in mood, regret for buying decision and a sense of financial loss, and dissatisfaction of products). Data was collected by a marketing research company from five hundreds consumers in seven different cities of South Korea who experienced impulsive buying in the off-line apparel stores within the past three months. The results of regression analyses indicated that self-efficacy and gender significantly affected suggestion impulsive buying. That is, the higher consumers' self-efficacy, the greater their suggestion impulsive buying was. In addition, women had higher Suggestion Impulsive Buying than men did. However, in case of Stimulus Impulsive Buying, gender was the only significant antecedent. That is, women had higher stimulus impulsive buying than men did. In terms of pure impulsive buying, fashion innovativeness was a significant predictor, and for the reminder impulsive buying level, fashion innovativeness and need for closure were significant predictors. Finally, pure and suggestion impulsive buying were correlated with positive consumer evaluations, while both stimulus and reminder impulsive buyings were correlated with negative consumer evaluations. Implications and future studies were discussed.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.43-60
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• 2020

The literature on parent-child relationships in young adulthood lacks a systemic approach that considers the multifaceted nature of intergenerational relationships. In this paper, we identify the latent profiles of young Korean adults' relationships with their parents based on the six dimensions of intergenerational solidarity (structural, associational, affectual, consensual, functional, and normative solidarity) as indicators. We considered solidarity for the mother and the father separately for structural, associational, affectual, and consensual dimensions. In terms of functional and normative solidarity, we measured both upstream and downstream intergenerational support. The sample included 1,015 young adults who were 19-34 years old, never married, not in secondary school, and had both parents living. The latent profile analysis revealed four profiles: (a) independent but intimate (22.7%), (b) coresident, outwardly intimate (32.4%), (c) detached from father (6.7%), and (d) coresident, intimate (38.2%). The factors that predicted each profile included the young adults' education, income, subjective socioeconomic status, and experiencing the features of emerging adulthood along with the parents' marital status, father's employment, and overparenting. The "coresident, intimate" group reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms compared to the other three groups. The lowest levels of psychological adjustment were found in the "coresident, outwardly intimate" group and "detached from father" group.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.169-189
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• 2008

There are few studies on the characteristics of defaulters, though research in this field is needed. The purpose of this study was to find out social, economic and psychological characteristics of defaulters who are married and in their thirties. For this study, an in-depth interview was used. The major findings were as follows. The focus of this study is defaulters who are married, in their thirties, have managed small businesses by themselves or with their spouses and have experienced job fluctuation. There were a lot of reasons for their becoming defaulters. Most of all, a slump in business with the occurrence of individual events caused them to be enrolled as defaulters. The monthly mean income of defaulters was $1,800,000{\sim}5,000,000$ won, yet it was irregular. Moreover, they were dependent upon labor income or business income. The monthly mean expenditure of defaulters was $1,000,000{\sim}2,300,000$ won, which constituted about $26%{\sim}57.5%$ of their monthly mean income. The defaulters needed to budget a number of expenditures such as food and private education. Defaulters had $25,000,000{\sim}128,000,000$ won in debts and $300,000{\sim}3,000,000$ won per month in debt payments. Most of them didn't have any emergency funds, monetary assets or fixed assets. Interestingly, they showed high tendency to use debt and low skill for their money management. Defaulters had short time horizons and were likely to buy something on the spur of the moment.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.1327-1336
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• 2016

Most cases of child abuse in South Korea are caused by parents in the family home. Currently, these types of incidents are growing. Child abuse creates irreparable damage to a child's development and its effects are prolonged. This damage can create a maladjusted adolescent and adult criminal acts. Because of this damage and the long lasting effects on a person and society as a whole, special attention needs to be paid to this pressing issue. South Korea's rapidly changing social environment has created a variety of new family forms including dual-income families and single-parent families. With the current economic downturn and accompanying employment instability, many families exist in uneasy financial and emotional states. The children in these stressful family environments are the most vulnerable and live in risk of experiencing physical or psychological abuse from their parents. In the context of significant and often difficult social changes, this study identifies the characteristics of child abuse based on family status and parental mental health.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.107-127
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine demographic characteristics, psychological characteristics and patterns of supportive relationships with their children that affect the successful lives of the elderly. A survey was conducted of 410 people aged between 65 and 85, and 405 samples were used for the analysis. First, the supportive relation between the elderly and their children was categorized into four groups depending on the total amount and direction of support. The four groups consisted of the elderly who exchanged little or no support, those who only received support from their children, those who only gave support, and those who both gave and received support. Second, the more the elderly exchanged support and gave emotional support to their children, the better the chance that the elderly would lead a successful life in later years. Third, subjective health conditions most significantly affected the successful lives of the elderly who exchanged little or no support. The level of education was most significant for the elderly who only received support. The level of housing satisfaction mostly affected the elderly who only gave support. Mutual support primarily affected the elderly who both gave and received. Thus, we should provide health programs for the elderly who exchange little or no support to encourage a healthier lifestyle. In addition, opportunities for continuing education should be provided for the elderly who only receive support to make up any deficiency in education. Because spouses are mostly affected for those elderly who exchange little or no support and the elderly who only receive support, we should provide educational programs about how to be better lifetime companions to each other and also provide medical and in-home care for the remaining spouse even after the other partner is gone. Because housing satisfaction greatly affects the elderly who only give support, improvements in the residential environment are essential. Since the level of mutual support is crucial to the elderly who both give and receive support, programs on the development of human resources are needed for the elderly to interact dynamically and intimately with their children.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.329-340
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• 2019

The 'Sliver-Spoon-Discourse' is currently witnessing growing complaints about the polarization and a sense of despair among many young people in Korean society. The 'Sliver-Spoon-Discourse' that compares one's subjective socioeconomic status to a spoon implies a sense of psychological superiority or deprivation. The present study empirically tested the current popular 'Sliver-Spoon-Discourse' based belongingness and explored how subjective socioeconomic status may affect the psychology of young people. This study examined the effects of subjective socioeconomic status on individual relative deprivation and subjective well-being. Data were collected from 307 undergraduate students enrolled at universities located in Seoul with both parents alive. The findings of this study were as follows. First, student respondents reported moderate levels of subjective socioeconomic status, relative deprivation, and subjective well-being. Second, after controlling for respondents' gender, age and family income, the students' subjective socioeconomic status was negatively associated with their level of relative deprivation. Finally, after controlling for respondents' sociodemographic characteristics, the students' subjective socioeconomic status was not significantly related to all the three sub-factors of life satisfaction, positive emotion and negative emotion as well as total subjective well-being. The results indicate that 'Sliver-Spoon-Discourse' based belongingness may instigate relative deprivation of young people without affecting their subjective well-being. The implications of the results are discussed for youth programs and policies.