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APPENDIX A














STUDY 1 – INTRODUCTION LETTER AND
QUESTIONNAIRE TO MOTHERS

132



Founded 1905
N ATIONAL U NIVERSITY of S INGAPORE
Psychology Programme, Department of Social Work & Psychology,
11, Law Link, Republic of Singapore 117570.


Parvathi N. Sivaraman,
PhD Candidate,
Department of Social Work and Psychology,
National University of Singapore,
Singapore 117570.


Dear Mother,

I am a Ph.D. candidate at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and
am studying parental disciplinary practices. I am interested in collecting data from
the Indian parent population, particularly from Chennai. The age groups of

children that I am interested in are 3-4 years (LKG students) and 5-6 years (Std. I
students). Since at least one of your children fall in this age group, I request your
participation in this project. If you have two children falling in these age groups,
please answer the questionnaire for only one child (you may choose which one).

I have enclosed a brief questionnaire that will take no more than 15
minutes of your time. Kindly read the instructions carefully and fill in your
responses. You can send the questionnaire back with your child to school. If you
encounter any difficulties, please do contact me at 2491 4686.

Your name and identity will be kept confidential. This is a purely academic
exercise and the data collected will be used only for research purposes.
However, please be informed that participation is voluntary and you may choose
not to participate. Your participation is greatly appreciated.

NOTE: THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IS TO BE ANSWERED BY THE MOTHER.



Thanking you,



(Parvathi N.S.) 8 July, 2003.

133

QUESTIONNAIRE

Imagine that you find your child in each of the scenarios listed below. Please

indicate how much each of the situations is either a safety or social skills
concern to you. Also please rate the scenarios on how urgent you they think
are i.e. how immediate is the response required from your part for each of the
scenarios. Finally, please indicate how close these scenarios are to those
faced by you with regards to your child in real life. You can answer each of
these questions by choosing from a scale of 1 (very much) to 5 (very little).

1 2 3 4 5
Very much Moderate Very Little


1) Trying to pet a stray dog/cat.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
2) Running down the stairs, two at a time.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5




134

How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
3) Playing with sharp objects.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
4) Playing too near an electric socket.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
5) Refusing to wear footwear while walking on the street.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5

135


How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
6) Running into a busy street.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
7) Insisting on going too deep into the water at the beach/playing too
close to the water.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5



136

8) Climbing a tree branch that is likely to break.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?

1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
9) Racing on a bicycle on a busy street.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
10) Leaning out of a balcony/window.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5

137

How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
11) Often leaves the water running after using the toilet.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?

1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
12) Refuses to co-operate with getting up and getting dressed for
school.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
13) Does not close the refrigerator door properly.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5


138

How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5

14) Turning away and refusing to greet guests to the house.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
15) Sometimes uses inappropriate language with adults.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5


139

16) Breaking another child’s toy on purpose.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?

1 2 3 4 5
17) Demands/whines for something at the department/toy store.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
18) Being impolite to a grandparent.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5

140

How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
19) Gets into fights with other children at school.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?

1 2 3 4 5
20) Lies about happenings at school so often that it seems to be
becoming a habit.
How much of a safety concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How much of a social skill related concern is this to you?
1 2 3 4 5
How urgent is the action required from you in this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5
How real-life like is this scenario?
1 2 3 4 5


THANK YOU