Abstract: The main aim of current study is evaluating of relationship between self-monitoring, sensation seeking and mental health with general family function. Statistical sample includes 369 married students of Tabriz universities within the 2008-2009 and the method applied is correlation. In this research, self-monitoring, sensation-seeking and mental health are regarded as predictor variables and family function is regarded as criterion variable. For data collecting, researcher-made questionnaire, Snyder’s self-monitoring; Arnet’s sensation-seeking, Goldberg’s mental health and Family Analysis Device (FAD) are used. In data analysis, Pierson’s correlation and multi-variable regression with enter way by using SPSS software are applied. The results indicate that there is negative and meaningful relationship between family function and sensation seeking, mental disorder and their factors (p<0.05), but there is a positive relationship between family function and self monitoring (p<0.05). The results of multi-variable regression analysis, by using entrance method shows that the rate of prediction of family function by using variables like self monitoring, sensation seeking and mental health is meaningful but the rate of prediction of self-monitoring is more than others.

INTRODUCTION

Family as origin of emersion, evolution and planning and self-ordering of its members is one of the most important foundations of mankind’s social life (Ghamari and Ghaffari, 2008). Weak family function in recent decades is not only an alarm for married men and women and persons who want to make family, but also seems as one of the greatest social problems in our society (Nazari, 2008). Different factors influence family function and one of them is self-monitoring. Research on self-monitoring is based upon Snyder’s beliefs. He believes that in adjusting social behavior, individuals who are conducted by circumstantial factors (high self-monitoring) are sensitive to social signs and interpersonal relations in social relations and their behavior differ in different circumstances. In contrast to them, individuals who are conducted by rather inner tendencies (low self-monitoring), response weakly to interpersonal and circumstantial characteristics (Ghaffari, 2005). DeBono and Packer (1991) shown that individuals who are in extremes have less adaption, compared with the average. While, individuals with low self-monitoring remain the same in a consolidated manner, family inconsistency seems to be more in low self-monitored individual, compared to others (Narimani, 2008). High self-monitoring in couples increases family’s general function and brings marriage satisfaction (Ghaffari, 2009). Another factor influencing family function is sensation-seeking. Moradi and Dozhkam (2006) shown that there is a relation between sensation seeking and family function and marriage consistency. Sensation seeking in coherent families is less than that in incoherent families. And incongruence in sensation-seeking affects marriage satisfaction negatively. Sarabadani’s (2003) findings indicate that high rate of sensation seeking has negative impact on marriage satisfaction. High rate of sensation seeking in childhood leads to divorce in adulthood (Coie and Dodge, 1998; Kazdin, 2005). Family function in sensation seeker couples is less than that in others (Ghaffari, 2009). Many of the couples who have rate of sensation seeking and impulsivity, have been reported of have higher family violence (Holtzworth-Munroe et al., 2000a). The relation between marriage dissatisfaction and physical aggression with sensation seeking is negative (Lawrence and Bradbury, 2001). The results of the research made by Malamuth and et al. (1995) indicated that the relation between marriage dissatisfaction and physical aggression with impulsivity (sensation seeking factor) is meaningful. One of the main factors of marriage dissatisfaction and aggression in couples is high-rate of sensation seeking (Stuart and Holtzworth-Munroe, 2005). Wingrove and Bond (1997) believed that marriage dissatisfaction and weak family function is seen more in Sensation seekers and individuals with impulsivity is higher, compared with other groups. High rate of aggressiveness and lack of control on behavior in sensation seeking couples, increases marriage dissatisfaction (Testa and Leonard, 2001). Inability in controlling the sexual behavior outside matrimony limitations in sensation seekers leads to increase of marriage dissatisfaction (Bancroft, 2004). Divorce rate among sensation seekers is higher than the others for times (Hoyle et al., 2000). Another variable, which has been studied in this research is mental health. Rahmatollahi et al. (2006) shown in a research named pathology of Isfahanian couples that personality and mental disorders are among the main factors of marriage dissatisfaction and disorder in family function. Ceremonial and whimsical behaviors end in reduction of social relations and finally increase of marriage dissatisfaction (Schneier, 1992). Individuals with socio-phobia have lower position in terms of satisfaction and family function index (Stein and Keen, 2000). InAsghari and Rafiinia’s (2006) research, physical diseases, mental and moral problems have been taken as predictive variable of abnormal family efficiency. Correlation between mental health and marriage adaption in university students is higher (Taghavi and Fouroutan, 2006). There is a meaningful difference between general family function and its factors in schizophrenic and non schizophrenic patients (Ahmadi and Sheikhalizadeh, 2006). Mental illness of mothers and theme risk predicts family function in best ways (Dickstein et al., 2004). Extrovertivity, impulsivity, hyper-introvertivity, being controller, containment domineer and lack of efficient contrastive skills against stress are the personality factors that are related to divorce and weak family function (DeBono and Packer, 1991; Rodrigues and Hall, 2006).

Given the relation between self monitoring, sensation seeking and mental health with family function, the question, which arose was this: are their relations between self-monitoring, sensation seeking and mental health variable with family function?

To achieve the mentioned goal, these hypotheses are predicted:

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, correlation method is applied. Statistical population includes 18-40 years old students of Tabriz universities in 2008-2009. Statistical sample in this study includes 369 married students of Tabriz universities and were chosen randomly. For data collection, researcher made questionnaire, Schnider’s self-monitoring, Arent’s sensation-seeking, Goldberg’s mental health and Family Analysis Device (FAD) are used. The information regarding self-monitoring is gathered by Snyder's questionnaire, which is a 25-items scale. To measure its perpetuity, retesting method has been applied. So, the results show that the perpetuity scale is 0.72 (Snyder, 1974).Hmzelooi (1993) in his study, calculated correlation coefficiency of two halves of the test by using split of even and odd materials and after amending by Spearman-Brow formula, the result was 0.58 (p<0.001). The second measure used in this study is Arvent’s sensation-seeking scale, which has 20-items and includes two subscales of novelty and intensity. Internal stability of whole scale by Arent was 0.70, but subscales of intensity and novelty are reported to be 0.64 and 0.50, respectively. Poorvafai et al. (1997) obtained 0.50 correlations between this measure and Zakermen measure. The other questionnaire was mental health scale, which questionnaire has 28-items that has created by Goldberg and Hillier (1979) with factor analysis method and has four criterions. It evaluates somatization, anxiety, depression and social action disorder and every criterion has seven questions. Performed studies indicate high reliability and validity of this questionnaire. Results of meta-analysis of 43 surveys that have performed by Williams and Goldberg (1988) shown mean sensitivity and mean specificity of 0.84 and 0.82, respectively. Also, preliminary study of Yaghoobi and Shahmohammadi (1999) at Gilan shown that sensitivity of this test in best distinguishes between health and disorder score of 23 was 86.5% and its specificity was 82%. Reliability coefficient with Cronbach’s method in this study was 0.88 (Noorbala et al., 2001). In current study, internal consistency coefficient of GHQ-28 test with Cronbach’s α method was obtained 0.89 that is at optimum limit. Also, reliability coefficient of this questionnaire in each sub-scale (somatization, anxiety, social action disorder and depression) with Cronbach’s α method was 0.75, 0.73, 0.80 and 0.85, respectively. The last scale was FAD. The test includes 60-items and seven subtests, which consist: problem solving, relation, roles, emotional companionship, emotional converse, control of behavior and overall function, which in terms of justifiability with Philadelphia Oldster morale scale has the correlation of 0.60 and its predictive justifiability, is seen as suitable. α-coefficiency of subscales is reported to be 0.72-0.90 (Epstein et al., 1983). In data analysis, Pierson’s correlation coefficiency and multi variable regressions in entrance method using SPSS software were applied.

RESULTS

The results presented in Table 1 show that there is a negative and meaningful relation between general family function with anxiety (r = -0.132), disorder of social function (r = -0.150), depression (r = -0.135) and mental disorder (r = -0.114) and (p<0.05). In other words, the couples whose family function is balanced and suitable have fewer rates of mental disorder and physical disorder and its subsystems. But, the relation of this variable with somatization disorder in level 0.05 was not meaningful and the relation between mental disorder and its subsystem was meaningful.

Table 1:	Simple correlation coefficiency of somatization disorder, anxiety, disorder of social function, depression and mental disorder with general function of family

Table 2:	Simple correlation coefficiency of intensity, novelty and sensation-seeking and self-monitoring with general function of family

Table 3:	Multi variable regression coefficiency with entrance method for predicting general family function regarding variables like, sensation-seeking, self-monitoring and mental disorder

Results presented in Table 2 indicate that there is a negative and meaningful relation between general function of family and categories like intensity (r = -0.378) novelty (r = -0.473) and sensation-seeking (r = -0.448), (p<0.05). In other words, the couples with balanced and suitable family function have less sensation-seeking and its categories, but the relation between this variable and self-monitoring is positive and meaningful.

As shown in Table 3, one can say that self-monitoring is the most powerful variable in predicting general family function (df = 3.365, f = 66.961; p<0.005, r = 0.596).

DISCUSSION

The first finding of the research was that there is positive and meaningful relation between self-monitoring and general family function. Obtained results, along with DeBono and Packer (1991), Narimani (2008), Ghaffari (2009) studies, which indicate that family inconsistency in families with very low self-monitoring is higher than that of other groups is consistent. To clarify these findings, we can say that individuals with high self-monitoring react to control and regulation of their own behavior to their spouse view point and ideas and display pragmatism and they don’t act much according to their inner manners and values and beliefs. This factor increases family function and marriage satisfaction in couples. Another finding was that there is negative and meaningful relation between sensation-seeking and general family function. The obtained results are congruent with studies of Sarabadani (2003), Coie and Dodge (1996), Kazdin (2005), Ghaffari (2009), Holtzworth-Munroe (2000b), Lawrence and Bradbury (2001), Malamuth et al. (1995), Stuart and Holtzworth-Munroe (2005), Wingrove and Bond (1997), Testa and Leonard (2001), Bancroft (2004) and Hoyle et al. (2000). Research evidences prove that sensation-seeking is linked with hypomania and impulsive tendencies. Zakermen have found positive and meaning-ful relation among sensation-seeking with psychopathic, antisocial, aggressiveness and lack of discipline and impulsivity. Therefore, these factors impede warm and favorite family relations in sensation-seeking individuals and ends in increase of marriage dissatisfaction. The obtained results also show that there is negative and meaningful relation between mental disorder and general family function. These findings are consistent with studies of Rahmatollahi et al. (2006), Schneier (1992), Stein and Keen (2000), Asghari and Rafiinia (2006), Taghavi and Fouroutan (2006), Ahmadi and Sheikhalizadeh (2006), Dickstein et al. (2004), Marvin et al. (1994), DeBono and Packer (1991) and Rodrigues and Hall (2006). To explaining this result, we can say that low function of family and marriage inconsistency disturbs families’ emotional balance and hinders meeting their emotional needs and this leads to low mental health in couples of inefficient families. But, if family and environment, acts as a supportive environment for them and couples help each other in hardship, this factor in turn brings about mental growth and personality balance and the results of multivariable correlation coefficiency indicate the meaningfulness of rate of productivity of self-monitoring, sensation-seeking and mental health in predicting family function. But, rate of productivity of self-monitoring is more powerful than the others.

CONCLUSION

The results show that there is a positive and meaningful relation between general performance of family and self-monitoring and a negative and meaningful relation between general performance of family and sensation-seeking and mental disorder. On the other hand, high self-monitoring among couples will increase general performance of family and high sensation-seeking and mental disorder will increase couples inability in solving the problems. Whereas, surveying the quality of family performance is one of the major indices of development, if the family knows how to deal with problems and has required flexibility for adapting with situation, it will survive. So, it is necessary for the development of societies to increase self-monitoring and mental health of couples and to modify their sensation-seeking by the help of sport and teaching required skills.