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Academic Risk And Protective Factors Of Latinos Of Undocumented Status: A Narrative Approach, Claudio Rivera

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

There are currently 11 million immigrants of undocumented status in the United States, with over 80% comprising of Latinos. Latinos attain less education than other racial/ethnic groups, and immigrants of undocumented status face additional barriers to a higher education, such as being ineligible for federal financial aid. Using a resiliency framework, this study sought to identify the academic risk and protective factors affecting young Latinos of undocumented status in the United States. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 Latinos of undocumented status; eligible participants were between the ages of 16 and 30 who immigrated to the United States without …

Exploring Masculinity For A Healthy Campus Culture, Jason M. Gant

Master's Projects and Capstones

1 in 5 female students is and will be sexually assaulted in college. This is a public health issue as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sexual violence (SV) is a significant problem in the United States. SV refers to sexual activity when consent is not obtained or not given freely. Anyone can experience SV, but most victims are female. The person responsible for the violence is typically male and usually someone the victim is familiar with. The person can be, but is not limited to, a friend, coworker, neighbor, family member and even classmate. Boys …

Transgender Self-Attitudes: Formation And Change A Qualitative Study, Juliet Ezhil Meggs

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study explored attitudes of transgender people about being transgender and how these attitudes had formed and changed over participants’ lifetimes. Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2003), interviews with 11 transgender adults were coded and analyzed. Two primary categories of attitudes were identified: participant attitudes regarding acceptability of being transgender and attitudes regarding how possible they believed it is to be transgender and/or transition genders. Early in life, most participants had little exposure to the idea of being transgender, and those that knew of it often initially believed that it would too difficult or impossible to transition. …

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 …

Supportive Relationships As Protective For Children Exposed To Violence: Exploring Underlying Mechanisms, Jessica Houston

Dissertations (1934 -)

The present study examined supportive relationships with parents, teachers, peers, and neighbors as protective for youths exposed to violence. To explore how support promotes resilience, four potential mediators were examined: secure attachment, adaptive coping, processing traumatic experiences with a supportive person (parent, teacher, friend, or community adult), and an optimistic outlook on life. An at-risk sample of 107 students (71% male) aged 8-19 years (M=15) who were predominantly African American completed measures of violence exposure, social support, attachment security, coping ability, trauma-processing, and optimism. Resilience was assessed with multiple measures that included self-esteem, competence in several domains (social, scholastic, athletic, …

The Relationship Between Resilience, Attachment, And Emotional Coping Styles, Jennika K. Jenkins

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The construct of resilience has been widely associated with the ability to adequately cope with stressors, which leads to positive long-term health outcomes. Attachment and emotional coping style literatures have both been tentatively linked to resilience, with dismissive and secure attachment styles as well as the repressive coping style positively associated with resilience. However, both avoidantly attached and repressive individuals employ coping strategies that allow them to dissociate from negative emotions, which seems to contradict the stress adaptive quality of resilience. The goal of this study was to explore the theoretical parallel between the attachment and emotional coping styles literature …

The Influence Of Racial Socialization On The Academic Achievement Of Black College Students, Vanessa R. Laurent

Dissertations

Black college students continue to have difficulties reaching academic success in various domains; however, understanding the nature of how academic success is cultivated by Black college students is vital for counselors, educators, and university administrators. The objective of the study was to understand how racial socialization influenced academic success. Research suggests that racial socialization contributes to positive long-term outcomes among African Americans and may be connected to academic achievement (Bowman & Howard, 1985; Boykin & Tom, 1985; Davis & Stevenson, 2006; Neblett, Terzian, & Harriott, 2010; Stevenson, 1994, 1995). Participants were 349 Black college students from a predominately White institution …

Exploring The Associations Among College Students Self-Reported Resilience, Coping Behavior, Goal Orientation And Passion For Academics, Sara C. Mcmillan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The current study expanded research on resilience by examining associations between resilience, coping behaviors, goal orientation and passion for academics of college students. Participants were 252 undergraduate students (147 female, 105 male) with an average age of 19. Three resilience scales assessed in this study, Resilience Scale for Adults, Brief Resilience Scale and the Academic Resilience Scale, were positively correlated with each other. Resilience was positively correlated with adaptive coping, learning goals and harmonious passion. Resilience and maladaptive coping were negatively correlated. This study connected variables not previously examined in a college student population. Limitations and implications of the findings …

The Relationship Between Resilience And Sleep Quality, Tyler S. Mccuistion

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Complaints about sleep quality are common and some epidemiological surveys indicate that 15-35% of adults complain of frequent sleep disturbances. Impaired sleep is also a central feature in a number of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. This study was aimed at examining the relationship between sleep quality and resilience (the ability to cope and deal with stress). The hypothesis was that the two variables would be related; as resilience increased, it was predicted that sleep quality would also increase. Individuals (N = 167) were given the opportunity to complete a number of brief, self-report inventories assessing …

Resilience And Internalizing Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls In Residential Treatment: An Evaluation Of Strong Teens, Luke Andrew Marvin

Theses and Dissertations

Strong Teens is an evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum designed to target internalizing disorders by promoting emotional resilience and social competence. In this study, Strong Teens was implemented among 36 adolescent girls during group therapy in a residential treatment center (RTC). A non-equivalent, quasi-experimental wait-list control group design was used. The curriculum was evaluated by tracking the girls' social and emotional knowledge, internalizing symptoms, and resilience from the perspectives of the girls, group therapists, and a supervisor who was blind to the study. Although the results indicated that exposure to Strong Teens was not effective in increasing the …

Evaluating The Effects Of Strong Teens On High School Student Levels Of Internalizing Symptoms And Resilience, Austin J. Millet

Theses and Dissertations

Many adults suffering from mental health problems often report that the onset of these concerns began in adolescence, highlighting the importance of identifying and treating mental health concerns from an early age. In high schools, some students are identified as having externalizing or internalizing disorders. The majority of these students, especially those with internalizing symptoms, go untreated. One potential reason may be that limited school resources are used to correct behavior problems, leaving those with internalizing disorders to silently suffer, which often exacerbates the issues. Recent research suggests many individuals have high levels of resilience which can be taught, and …

Risk And Resilience Factors Among Low-Income Latino Adolescents: The Impact On Daily Ratings Of Mood, Stephanie Andrea Torres

Master's Theses

Given that Latino adolescents endorse more negative mood when compared to their counterparts of other backgrounds (CDC, 2012), it is especially advantageous to evaluate the impact of risk and resilience factors on mood among this population. The current study uses daily diary methodology to examine the impact that daily economic stress, daily family stress, familism, and ethnic identity commitment and exploration have on daily ratings of mood among 58 (M =13.31, 47% female) low-income Latino adolescents. Results show that daily family stress was strongly linked to daily mood while familism emerged as a salient resilience factor. Contrary to predictions, ethnic …

The Relation Of Exposure To Community Violence To Self- Efficacy Based On Neighborhood, Family, And School Effects In A Community Sample Of Latino-American Youth, Arie Zakaryan

Dissertations

Community violence is considered a “public health epidemic” in the US. Latino youth and families are a burgeoning population in the United States, and many of whom live in neighborhoods exposed to community violence. Multiple contexts should be assessed identifying developmental assets youth use to adjust positively when exposed to violence. This study examines how different environmental contexts, i.e., home, school, neighborhood and acculturation, influence the relationship between exposure to community violence and self-efficacy for Latino youth. The current study uses an archival dataset of a larger longitudinal study (Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods). A confirmatory factor analysis …

Assessing Risk And Resilience Factors For Early Childhood Development, Danielle Rioux

Honors Program Theses

Adequate early child developmental screenings are often not available in many child care centers despite considerable research that points toward the importance and necessity of such screenings in assuring quality educational and social outcomes for children. A wealth of influences can affect how a child develops, with both negative risk and positive resilience factors playing a key role in determining outcomes. The present study was conducted through chart review of 55 children attending Winter Park Day Nursery (WPDN). We explored the relationships between risk factors, resilience, and outcomes by using measures currently collected by the center, and combining them in …

Pathways From Childhood Abuse To Positive Adapation: The Moderating Roles Of Social Support And Coping Style, Sarah Elizabeth Cleary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies show that up to 50% of children worldwide are affected by physical, emotional, sexual abuse and/or neglect. While these traumatic events can have profound consequences on development across the lifespan, it is important to note that approximately 20-30% of childhood abuse survivors do not report negative impacts. One explanation for this difference in outcomes is the concept of resilience, defined as successful adaptation in spite of the experience of high-risk trauma. Many studies have been conducted to delineate factors fostering resilience. Some researchers argue that individuals' ability to achieve resilience is a direct result of the environment, while others …

Identifying Profiles Of Resilience Among A High-Risk Adolescent Population, Anna W. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether distinct patterns of adolescent adjustment existed when four domains of functioning were considered. The study included a sample of 299 high-risk urban adolescents, predominantly African American, ages 9-16 and their maternal caregivers. Cluster analysis was used to identify patterns of adjustment. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore whether variations in levels of five theoretically and empirically supported protective factors predicted cluster membership. A four-cluster model was determined to best fit the data. Higher rates of goal directedness and anger regulation coping predicted membership within the highest functioning cluster over …

The Role Of Loneliness And Resilience In Psychosocial Health For Victims Of Cyberbullying In A College Population, Alicia Luscomb Autry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that bullying, especially chronic levels of bullying, during childhood may lead to negative outcomes, such as anxiety and depression in adulthood. Cyberbullying, or bullying through electronic media, is a recent phenomenon that has sparked interest in examining bullying with young adults, as early research suggests cyberbullying is becoming increasingly problematic within the young adult population and has the potential for negative psychosocial outcomes. Data indicate a relationship between loneliness and negative psychosocial outcomes, suggesting loneliness may be a key factor in the relationship between stress resulting from cyberbullying victimization and psychological distress. Moreover, although cyberbullying may lead …

Self-Efficacy And Coping In Transition Of Care After Remission Of Cancer In Adolescents, Leah M. Mcdonnell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The improvement in cancer remission rates in children and adolescents due to advances in cancer treatment and therapy has led to the development of guidelines that address long-term follow up for survivors of childhood cancers. Adolescents often experience negative emotions related to the fear of uncertainty about long-term survival after cancer remission, yet often report feelings of hope and optimism for the future more than adult cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to understand the role of self-efficacy and coping in adolescents after remission of cancer. A secondary purpose was to analyze which coping strategies supported long-term survival …

Evaluating The Implications Of Parental Mental Illness For Children Using An Ecological Perspective, Jessica Elizabeth-Rose Carroll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have extensively studied the experiences and potential consequences of being a child whose parent has a mental illness (COPMI). However, there is no consensus on the best way to support these children, in general or in schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of parental mental illness on children by using an ecological approach. Researchers have used ecological theory to illustrate the importance of internal characteristics, skills, and supports for children to enhance resiliency. This study looked at whether COPMI differed significantly from the children of parents of parents with no current or past …

Examining Hope And Resilience Among Mississippi Adolescents, Kristie Vail Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hope theory involves the way in which individuals perceive their abilities in relation to three factors: 1) clearly defined goals, 2) the specific strategies necessary to obtain those goals (called “pathways”), and 3) the sustained motivation necessary to use those specific strategies (called “agency thinking”) (Snyder et al., 1991; Snyder, Lopez, Shorey, Rand, & Feldman, 2003). Hopeful thinking is defined as a belief that an individual can find the pathways to reach a desired goal and the belief that one can use those designated pathways effectively (Snyder, 2002; Rand & Cheavens, 2009). Research shows that hope in adolescents is positively …

Interdependent Self-Construal: A Link To Psychological Resilience, Tyler West

CMC Senior Theses

In the course of figuring out one’s identity, the proactive manner in which an individual defines one’s self or builds one’s character is an important aspect of the venture. Markus and Kitayama (1991) described and contrasted interdependent self-construal and independent self-construal, two forms of self-construction. This paper presents the theoretical link between interdependent self-construal and psychological resilience. Identity development is viewed through the interdependent self-construal perspective and it is explained how interdependence provides an individual with more and better opportunities for identity development. Through a conceptual tie to self-compassion, interdependent self-construal may be a key component to experiencing psychological resilience.

The Effect Of Aphasia On Quality Of Life, Coping Style, And Resilience, Nelson J. Hernandez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Approximately one million people in the United States suffer from aphasia. There are multiple types of aphasia, however they are usually placed into two categories: non-fluent or fluent. The psychosocial factors that are impacted due to the type of aphasia has not been systematically investigated. The purpose of this study is to examine how non-fluent and fluent Individuals With Aphasia (IWA) compare or contrast across three psychosocial factors, Quality of Life (QoL), coping style, and resilience. The World Health Quality of Life- BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Assimilative-Accommodative Coping Scale (AACS), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 item version (CD-RISC-10), were administered once to …

Adjustment Profiles Among Youth In Diverse Cultural Contexts: Individual, Family, And Contextual Influences, Alicia Borre

Theses and Dissertations

Recent literature has noted that not all youth who experience adverse circumstances (e.g. poverty, exposure to violence, maltreatment) end up displaying expected unfavorable outcomes (e.g. academic failure, depression, drug dependence); in fact, some youth display “resilience,” broadly understood as adaptive functioning in the face of adversity (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000). Overall, research on resilience has offered a new approach to the study of at-risk populations, emphasizing the study of strengths, processes, and mechanisms among individuals and communities that may favor positive adaptation, rather than emphasizing deficits among those experiencing adversity (Schoon, 2012). Although resilience research has come a long …

Children Of Holocaust Survivors On Middle-Age: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Elizabeth Rosenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children of Holocaust survivors are vulnerable to experiencing secondary trauma which typically manifests in emotional and psychological difficulties. Despite,their exposure to a traumatized family environment, many children of Holocaust survivors do not develop emotional or adaptive difficulties. Some demonstrate psychological resilience, reflected by their ability to adapt,to adversity and problems. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into how well-adjusted,middle aged children of Holocaust survivors developed and maintained resilience.In line with resilience theory,which explains how an individual bounces back from negative circumstances, the research questions for this study examined the factors that the participants used to develop and …

The Relationship Between Resilience And Academic Success Among Bermuda Foster Care Adolescents, Zina Denise Zuill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The primary goal of this study was to explore whether individual resiliency factors measured by the Resilience Scale (RS) influence academic success for Bermudian foster care adolescents, a population previously unstudied in the literature. Academic vulnerability is a concern for foster care adolescents, and more empirical studies need to be conducted to increase understanding of the variables that affect academic success for this population. Resiliency is a conceptual framework based on a positive developmental focus. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the relationship between resilience and academic success among 51 Bermudian foster care adolescents who attended …

A Comparison Of Resilience And Performance Among Returning Veterans Of The Wars In Afghanistan And Iraq, Roy T'Comas Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Helping individuals develop, foster, and maintain resilience skills is particularly important with Service members as they face multiple deployments and the stress caused by long periods of separations from home and support systems. These separations and prolonged time spent in dangerous environments with the possibility of death and injury can make soldiers more susceptible to stressors that might affect their morale and ability to perform necessary duties required in combat. This study used a quantitative research method approach to better understand how resilience influences performance outcomes among combat veterans. The study was comprised of 76 participants that have served at …

The Relationship Between Parental Rearing, Self-Efficacy And Resilience In The Development Of A Coping Style, Hillary Koskinen Vescio

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study investigated the relationship between self-efficacy, resilience, perceived parental rearing and the use of adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies. The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief COPE; Carver, 1997) was used to assess participant's coping styles. The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES; Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) was utilized to assess a participant’s self-efficacy. The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS, Smith et al., 2008) was used to measure resilience, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ; Buri (1991) was used to assess perceived parental rearing. A between-subjects design with two multiple regressions was used to evaluate the relationship between these …

From Entrenched To Empowered : The Factors Promoting Resiliency And Healing For Lgbtqia Identified Adult Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Assault, Hal Brown

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The objective of this study was to examine the experiences of adults, who as a result of their incidents of childhood sexual abuse were predisposed to present with a variety of negative outcomes, in pursuit of identifiable interventions, practices, and supportive factors effective in mitigating the negative outcomes and promoting survivor resiliency. The bulk of the previous studies of the critical elements for survivor resiliency had been conducted in religious communities. Ensuring a sample composed of individuals with access to an identity-based community, noting that community and connectedness had frequently been considered significant, this study was limited to LGBTQIA identified …

The Association Of Internalized Stigmas, Culture-Specific Coping, And Depression In Gay And Bisexual Black Men, Duane Glen Khan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Gay and bisexual Black men experience higher lifetime depression rates than both White and Black heterosexual men. Some social stress researchers argued that this rate may be due to having two stigmatized minority identities and therefore being at greater risk. However, gay and bisexual Black men also experience lifetime depression rates significantly below White LGB people, suggesting resilience to depression for those with these intersecting identities, race and sexuality. This study attempted to address the debate between greater risk versus resilience in gay and bisexual Black men.

The Moderating Effects Of Positive And Negative Automatic Thoughts On The Relationship Between Positive Emotions And Resilience, Michael W. Judd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resilience is generally characterized as the ability to recover and grow following adversity (Connor & Davidson, 2003) and is considered an integral factor in the promotion of overall physical and psychological health (Masten & Reed, 2002). One factor thought to be associated with resilience is more frequent positive emotions, but the relationship between positive emotions and resilience varies (Tugade, Fredrickson, & Feldman-Barrett, 2004), suggesting moderating factors may be involved. Cognitive factors may be involved in determining the parameters that define when and to what degree this relationship occurs (Troy & Mauss, 2011). The current study was designed to further elucidate …