A Family Therapist’s Research on the AFS Experience
In October 2008, Anthony (“Tony”) Issenmann completed his doctoral degree from Virginia Tech in the United States, defending his dissertation research that surveyed 188 AFS participants from the USA during 2007 and 2008, and 75 of their friends. Questionnaires were distributed before AFS students left for their year or semester abroad and again after the students’ return home.
We asked Tony to tell us about his research.
Q. What was the purpose of this research study?
A. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in levels of differentiation that occurred among U.S. high school students who participated in a semester-long or year-long AFS program, as well as similar students who did not study abroad. The term “differentiation” is used in psychology to refer to the ability to balance one’s connection to family members with one’s individuality and autonomy. While individuality and connection to others are both important, it is best to be able to balance the two, particularly when in stressful situations. It’s also about the ability to balance thoughts and feelings rather than become emotionally reactive or overly rational.
Q. Why is differentiation important?
A. Differentiation is important because it’s closely tied to anxiety. All individuals will experience symptoms of anxiety given stressful enough situations. Those less able to balance the tasks of differentiation are more susceptible to ongoing anxiety and further problem development. Those able to balance individuality with togetherness, and balance emotional functioning with intellectual functioning, are better able to handle stressful situations and are less likely to experience chronic problems.
Q. How does differentiation relate to an AFS experience?
A. The AFS experience is really about having two families. Family researchers have noted that, in close family systems, situations leading to increased anxiety lead to patterns where some family members may lean heavily on these connections. Teenagers may “borrow” the capabilities of their parents or a sibling to deal with a situation, rather than developing their own abilities.
During an AFS year of studying abroad, these family members are not around to lend their capacity to deal with the situations a student faces. This brief escape gives students a chance to develop new patterns of interacting with others. This, coupled with the many varying experiences involved with living in a foreign country, provides the AFS participant the chance to evaluate and challenge his or her beliefs, a vital component of defining oneself and experiencing an increase in differentiation.
Q. Did the AFSers differentiate?
A. The short answer is: YES! However, not everyone received the same benefit. Teenage girls who studied abroad experienced significantly higher levels of differentiation than did their peers who did not study abroad. On the other hand, teenage boys who studied abroad did not experience this same increase in differentiation over the male students who stayed in the United States. This does not mean that the study abroad experience was not beneficial for the male students; in fact they did experience a jump in their level of differentiation. But the male students who stayed in the U.S. also experienced a jump in their levels of differentiation.