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The Role Of Autonomy, Attachment, And Co-Construction In Early Adolescent Meaning Making, Amanda J. Letard

Doctoral Dissertations

The primary goal of this study was to examine the impact of autonomy, maternal co-construction, and attachment representations on early adolescents’ meaning making. Meaning making is important for positive coping and developing a sense of self. Among 51 low-risk early adolescents, a high rate of unresolved (38%) and a low rate of secure (4%) attachment representations occurred. In the present sample, the amount of new information that a mother contributed to the conversation (i.e., elaborations) was found to significantly differentiate those adolescents who were judged to have made meaning from those who did not make meaning. Otherwise, autonomy and both …

Convergence Versus Divergence Of Social And Developmental Measures Of Adult Attachment: Testing Jay Belsky’S Proposals, Christopher Daniel Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study assessed the empirical relationship between two social and developmental attachment measures in a sample of female adults, half of whom were diagnosed with BPD. Following Belsky (2002)’s conceptualization of the possible relationship between these two attachment traditions, the current study assessed two mutually exclusive propositions regarding the Adult attachment interview (AAI) and the experiences in close relationships (ECR) questionnaire. First, it is possible the AAI and ECR assess the same mental representations of attachment, but empirical correspondence does not emerge unless accommodations for method variance are made. Or second, AAI and ECR are not related to each …

Native American Young Adults In Their Transition To College, And Persistence Through The First Year, Adrian Alexander Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation study focused on a mixed-methods exploration of Native American students’ perceptions of risks and protective factors as they transitioned to college at a predominately White institution (PWI), and navigated through their first year. Due to low numbers of Native Americans at PWIs, individuals have described feeling invisible, which negatively impacts their ethnic identity development, sense of belonging, wellbeing, and retention in college. Factors involving respect, positive relationships, cultural affirmation, and resiliency are associated with success and retention for Native American students.

A mixed-methods model, guided by grounded theory and principles of social justice advocacy provided a reflection on …

Correspondence Between Change In Adult Attachment Patterns And Change In Depression Symptoms In Early Marriage, Cassandra C. Devito

Doctoral Dissertations

Countless studies have demonstrated the association between attachment styles and depressive symptoms; however, thus far, none have examined concurrent change. That is, does change in attachment style predict change in depressive symptoms over time? This question was examined in a sample of 229 heterosexual newlywed couples from Western Massachusetts. It was found that changes in attachment avoidance in particular predicted changes in depressive and anxious symptoms over time. Being a parent also played a role in participants' overall attachment styles, depressive symptoms and anxious symptoms on average, with differences observed by gender. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.