Digital Commons Network^™

Attachment And Resilience In Military Families Throughout The Deployment Cycle, Jason A. Kacmarski

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The number of military deployments in the United States of America has been on the rise since the United States attacked Iraq in 2003 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Ongoing combat operations over the last few years have meant a growing number of military families have experienced the deployment process. This research paper utilizes the concepts of attachment and resilience to explore the deployment process within the framework of the emotional cycle of deployment. Integrating current knowledge within the field of mental health related to attachment theory, resilience, and the deployment process, I explore the potential risks military …

The Infant Orienting Response As It Relates To Mother-Infant Co-Regulation And Attachment, Sarah Ann Ahlander Stone

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between 6-month old infants' orienting response to maternal arm-restraint (as measured by bradycardia), the quality of mother-infant communication at 6 and 9 months (as measured by the Relational Coding System) and attachment at 12 months (as measured by the Strange Situation Procedure). As positive mother-infant communication increases, the chances the infant will experience bradycardia increases. As negative mother-infant communication increases, the chances that the infant will experience bradycardia decreases. For mothers and infants who have more positive communication patterns, orienting response to the maternal arm-restraint suggests that maternal disruption of infant activity was a novel …

A Brief Content Analysis Of Attachment And Sexual Relationships In Sex Therapy And Research Journals, Kathryn Zambrano Devis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A surge of scholarly publications on attachment within couple relationships prompted this content analysis of attachment articles published in six sex therapy and sex research journals. This study investigates the extent to which these journals attend to attachment in the context of adult sexual relationships. The researcher found 2257 articles published within these journals; 64 of which attend to attachment and 9 of which attend to attachment and sex. Implications for couples therapy in the field of sex therapy and future directions are discussed.

Effect Of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder On Romantic Attachment In Adolescence, Christopher Daniel Watkins

Masters Theses

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and chronic disorder that has been described as a disorder of attachment. The present study examined the effect of maternal BPD and borderline personality features on the romantic attachment styles of mothers with BPD and their 14-17 year old offspring. In a low socioeconomic status (SES) sample of n=28 adolescents whose mothers have BPD and n=28 normative comparisons, groups were compared on maternal and adolescent self-reported romantic attachment styles. Across the sample as a whole, the relationship between borderline features and romantic attachment styles were assessed. Also, the relationship between maternal …

Parents With Children In Therapy : Is There A Relationship Between Parental Attachment Styles And The Parent-Therapist Alliance?, Jessica Ruth Taylor-Pickford

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Over 2,000 studies have been completed exploring the working alliance in adult psychotherapy (Horvath and Bedi, 2002); by comparison, only 23 studies have explored the working alliance in psychotherapy with children (Shirk and Karver, 2003). However, the alliance in youth therapy may be more complex than in adult psychotherapy because it also involves the alliance between the child's parent(s) and the therapist (Hawley and Weisz, 2005). The parenttherapist alliance is one of the least emphasized relationships in theoretical or empirical literature referring to child therapy, and was the focus of the current study. Using a cross-sectional, quantitative research design and …

Borderline Features And Attachment In Adolescents Whose Mothers Have Borderline Personality Disorder, Stevie Nikell Grassetti

Masters Theses

The current study examined attachment and borderline features in a sample of adolescents whose mothers have Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (n=28) and normative comparison adolescents (n=29) using self-reports of parental attachment and borderline features. Statistical analyses revealed, with marginal significance, that adolescents of mothers with BPD provided lower ratings of parents as sources of support than comparison adolescents, but no difference for parents as facilitators of independence. However, adolescents of mothers with BPD did provide lower ratings of affective quality of parental attachment relationships. Dichotomous group differences were not found in adolescent borderline features. However, every …

Effects Of Parent-Child Attachment On Social Adjustment And Friendship In Young Adulthood, Kristen Lee Gray

Psychology and Child Development

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Parent And Peer Attachment On Risky Behavior In First-Year College Students, Jamie L. Callahan

Senior Theses and Projects

National statistics show that there is a marked increase in risky behaviors, such as substance use and risky sex, when students enter college (Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2009). In order to explain this phenomenon, researchers have explored multiple individual and environmental factors that might explain why some students are at higher risk for engaging in these behaviors. The quality of one’s relationship with a parent(s) has emerged as one key predictor of student adjustment (Larose, Bernier, & Tarabulsy, 2005; Larose & Boivin, 1998). Accordingly, in the current study it was hypothesized that the quality of first-year students’ relationships with parents …

Boundary Ambiguity And Borderline Personality Traits : Implications For Adolescent Girls In Foster Care, Maureen Ann Kaplan

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explores the relationship between boundary ambiguity (the level of certainty of a person's presence and role in a family) and borderline personality traits in adolescent girls in foster care. The sample consists of a total of 40 caseworkers from New England's child protection departments and psychotherapists from residential programs working with adolescent girls. They completed by email the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure for Adolescents (SWAP-200-A), a variation of Pauline Boss's Boundary Ambiguity Scale #1 (BAS), and demographic questionnaires. The results find that the primary hypothesis has a significant correlation, r(38)=.451, p=.003. Subordinate hypotheses also significant include: relationship between boundary …

The Early Parent-Child Relationship And Aggression: The Mediating Role Of Language, Christopher R. Harper

Psychology Theses

Multiple theories suggest that the early parent-child relationship plays an important role in development. Past research has shown linkages between parenting style and aggression as well as between language and aggression. Emerging evidence suggests that attachment security is an important predictor of language development. It was hypothesized that there would be an effect of parent-child relationship quality at 36 months on aggression at school entry via language ability at 54 months. To test this hypothesis, path analysis in M-Plus was used. Data for this study were collected as a part of the NICHD, Study of Early Child Care and Youth …

Role Reversal Between Mothers With Borderline Personality Disorder And Their Children During Reunion, Sean M. Holden

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

In Their Own Words : A Comparative Study Of The Attachment Experiences Of Special Needs Adoptive Families, Colette Lynn Duciaume-Wright

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which adoptive families are able to form attachments with children who have suffered trauma (abuse and neglect) and instability (multiple moves, school changes and people who come and go). The question that this study attempted to answer is: How do families describe the process by which attachment is re-organized in successful special needs adoptions? This study was part of a large-scale nation wide study (AdoptUSKids) conducted by Dr. Ruth McRoy, Ph.D. and was funded by the U.S. Children's Bureau . One hundred sixty one successful adoptive families who adopted …

Interpersonal Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress And Depression, Brennan J. Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dating aggression is common among emerging adults, and women who experience aggression from a dating partner are at risk for elevated depression and posttraumatic stress (Dutton et al., 2006). Although some women end their relationships as a result of aggression, other women remain committed to their partner, and aggression tends to escalate over time. The current study explored the role that depression and posttraumatic stress play in ending aggressive dating relationships as well as changes in these symptoms after ending such a relationship. The current study also sought to identify factors predictive of individual differences in emerging adults' commitment to …

The Psychological And Emotional Experiences Of Pregnant And Postpartum Incarcerated Women, Kimberly Erin Gillette

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This theoretical thesis explores the experiences of pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women, with particular emphasis on the impact of attachment insecurity, relational trauma, and forced separation from their infants. The majority of incarcerated women are dually diagnosed with substance abuse disorder and other clinical disorders on Axis I or II of the Diagnostic Statistic Manual IV. Often the symptoms displayed from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder are mistaken for personality disorders which prejudice staff and providers against these women. Thorough assessments need to be conducted using a compassionate lens to accurately interpret the psychological effects of interpersonal violence and other traumas and …

The Relationship Between Patterns Of Relating And Academic Self-Concept, Ji Woong Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between patterns of relating to both parents and academic self-concept. Also, this study examined the differences between academically high-achieving college students and academically at-risk college students in patterns of relating and academic self-concept. One hundred sixty one college students participated in this study. Of the 161 participants, 90 were recruited from an academic support program and 71 were recruited from an honors college. Participants completed a research packet including the Adult Scale of Parental Aattachment (Snow et al., 2007), Self Description Questionnaire III (Marsh, 1992), and the Demographic Questionnaire. Results …

Adult Memory And Appraisal Of Maltreatment In Childhood : Implications For Problem Substance Use, Laura J. Elwyn

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Objective: Alcohol and drug abuse are major public health concerns. Child maltreatment has been identified as a risk factor that increases the likelihood of substance use problems in adulthood. However, most studies have used retrospective reports of maltreatment and the few studies that have used prospective measures of maltreatment have found a weaker association with adult substance use problems. This study examines whether adult memory and appraisal of maltreatment is the primary pathway through which substantiated child maltreatment effects adult substance use problems.

From Fur Baby To Chick Magnet: A Sociological View Of Dogs And Their People, Ariel Teresa Leigh Petersen

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Since their domestication, dogs have played an important role in human society. People put them to work hunting game, herding livestock and guarding the home, and also keep them as companions. As dogs increasingly occupy a meaningful position in the lives of their owners, the startling lack of research on dog-human interaction becomes increasingly apparent.

This research discovers different ways people relate to their dogs, and the meaning dogs hold for their owners. While conducting observations, I identified and interviewed owners who exhibited an emotionally meaningful attachment to their dogs. I then used Glaser and Strauss’ grounded theory approach to …

The Influences Of Gender And Race On The Attachment Styles Within A Criminal Population, Morgan Litchfield Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study utilizes tenets of attachment theory to examine how patterns of relating to parental figures vary according to the race and gender of subjects residing in a correctional facility. The study can perhaps influence rehabilitation services within the prison system and modify anti-recidivism programs attended by individuals released from a correctional facility. Second year doctoral students originally collected the data. The participants in the study were given the Adult Scale of Parental Attachment (ASPA) and a general questionnaire in an effort to gather information regarding race, gender, and patterns of relating. The participants were above the age of 18, …

Maternal Representations Of Attachment As Affected By Conditions Of Proximity And Separation, Karen V. Monaco

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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