• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.115-135
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to develop a "Family Play Therapy Program" using puppets to decrease attachment problems for families with children having attachment problems and to examine its effectiveness. The participants were an experimental group of 16 individuals(8 children with attachment problems whose ages ranged from 4 to 5 and 8 mothers) and a control group of 16 individuals (8 children with attachment problems whose ages ranged from 4 to 5 and 8 mothers). The experimental group was treated through the Family Play Therapy Program, which involved the use of puppets and was held for twelve sessions twice a week. The changes in the participants were measured in order to examine the effects of the program. The researcher measured children's emotional and behavioral expression(TBP), the mothers' sense of self(Self-Differentiation Scale), personal relationships(ECR-R), and the perception of family functions(ICPS-FFS) both before and after the FPT program and compared their differences. The MIM Rating Scale and Marschak Behavior Rating Scale were administered to examine the interactions between mothers and children, and 1:1 interviews were also conducted. The data thus gathered were used for non-parametric analysis(Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon rank sum test)using SPSS WIN 17.0. The results of this study were as follows: First, the program had a positive effect on children's emotional expression. After the problem were over, negative emotional and behavioral expression in the experimental group decreased. Second, the program had a positive effect on mothers' self-differentiation and personal relationships. Third, the program had a positive effect on changes in the interaction behaviors between the mother and child. Fourth, the program had a partially positive effect on the responses from their group developmental stages, especially on the subscale of both a program for the reinforcement of mothers' emotions and family play program utilizing puppets.