Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Parenting Paused: Pathological Video Game Use And Parenting Outcomes, Laura Stockdale, Sarah M. Coyne

Faculty Publications

For most people, playing video games is a normal recreational activity, with little disruption to gamers’ emotional, social, or physical health and well-being. However, for a small percentage of gamers, video gaming can become pathological (Fam, 2018). Substantial research has examined pathological gaming in teens and young adults (Cheng, Cheung, & Wang, 2018; Choo, Gentile, Sim, Khoo, & Liau, 2010), yet pathological gaming in adults (c.f.Holgren, 2017), especially in the context of parenthood, has been relatively ignored. The current study sought to address this limitation by studying associations between pathological gaming characteristics and parenting outcomes in a sample of men …

The Effects Of Premarital Education Promotion Policies On U.S. Divorce Rates, Tiffany L. Clyde, Jocelyn S. Wikle, Alan J. Hawkins, Spencer L. James

Faculty Publications

Currently, 10 states have enacted policies to promote premarital education and counseling. However, no research has documented whether these policies have actually decreased divorce rates in implementing states. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of premarital education promotion policies on divorce rates. First, we conducted an implementation study to understand how well each state implemented the policy. A combination of methods was used, including reviewing the legislative documents and archival records, as well as interviewing academics and key persons knowledgeable of the legislation. Following the implementation study, we conducted an evaluation study to analyze the effects …

Are Father Depression And Masculinity Associated With Father Perceptions Of Maternal Gatekeeping?, Clare R. Thomas, Erin Kramer Holmes

Faculty Publications

Maternal gatekeeping has been associated with reductions in father involvement and can have a negative impact on the family. Few researchers, however, have focused on how characteristics of the father contribute to gatekeeping. Consequently, this brief report is focused on associations between father depression, father adherence to masculine norms, and father reports of maternal gatekeeping. We further test whether a father's adherence to traditional masculine norms interacts with the relationship between depression and father reports of maternal gatekeeping. This study adds to the current literature on both maternal gatekeeping and father mental health. Participants in this study include 2,214 fathers …

Adult Judges Use Heuristics When Categorizing Infants’ Naturally Occurring Responses To Others’ Emotions, Peter J. Reschke, Eric A. Walle

Faculty Publications

Inferring the motivations of others is a fundamental aspect of social interaction. However, making such inferences about infants can be challenging. This investigation examined adults’ ability to infer the eliciting event of an infant’s behavior and what information adults utilize to make such inferences. In Study 1, adult participants viewed recordings of 24-month-old infants responding to an actor’s emotional display (joy, sadness, fear, anger, or disgust) toward a broken toy and were asked to infer which emotion the actor expressed using only the infant’s behavioral responses. Importantly, videos were blurred and muted to ensure that the only information available regarding …

The Importance Of Relationship Processes For Lowering Bmi Over Time In Women With Type 2 Diabetes In A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Ruth S. Weinstock, Paula M. Trief, Lawrence Fisher, Danielle Hessler

Faculty Publications

Objective: Weight change may be affected by dyadic processes within couple relationships. The aim of this secondary data analysis was to explore trends in BMI across time, and assess whether relationship processes (i.e., relationship satisfaction, positive problem-solving), predict BMI trajectories in men and women.

Methods: Data are from 268 participants in the Diabetes Support Project, a randomized trial of behavioral intervention for individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in poor glycemic control. For secondary analyses, BMI was measured at pre-treatment (baseline), 4 months (post-treatment), 8 months, and 12 months. Multiple relationship variables were measured at all time points and were …

Longitudinal Study Of Externalizing Behaviors In Latino/A Adolescents: An Examination Of Parenting And Educational Factors, Sergio B. Pereyra, Roy A. Bean, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Chien-Ti Lee, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Richard B. Miller

Faculty Publications

As the Latino/a population increases externalizing behaviors among adolescents continue to concern researchers and clinicians. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data were used to analyze direct and indirect effects of parenting and academic factors on externalizing behavior among Latino/a adolescents over time, using latent growth curves and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that higher levels of maternal warmth, the adolescent-teacher relationship, and academic achievement were all negatively associated with initial levels of externalizing behavior and in some cases negatively predicted the rate of change of externalizing behavior. Some predictors were also all found to be positively …

Does Time Spent Using Social Media Impact Mental Health?: An Eight Year Longitudinal Study, Sarah M. Coyne, Adam A. Rogers, Jessica D. Zurcher, Laura Stockdale, Mccall Booth

Faculty Publications

Many studies have found a link between time spent using social media and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. However, the existing research is plagued by cross-sectional research and lacks analytic techniques examining individual change over time. The current research involves an 8-year longitudinal study examining the association between time spent using social media and depression and anxiety at the intra-individual level. Participants included 500 adolescents who completed once-yearly questionnaires between the ages of 13 and 20. Results revealed that increased time spent on social media was not associated with increased mental health issues across development when examined …

Positive Youth Religious And Spiritual Development: What We Have Learned From Religious Families, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

In this article, we highlight the contributions of the findings from a branch of the American Families of Faith national research project that pertain to positive religious and spiritual development in youth. We present detailed findings from six previous studies on religious youth and their parents from diverse faith communities (various denominations in Christianity, three major branches of Judaism, and two major groups in Islam). We discuss what our findings suggest for positive religious/spiritual development, particularly in a family context. Finally, we suggest several ways to strengthen the literature on development in youth by exploring positive religious/spiritual development in relation …

Religion And Volunteering In Marital Relationships, Young-Il Kim, Jeffrey P. Dew

Faculty Publications

Married people are generally more religious and do volunteer work more frequently than unmarried people. However, little is known about which religious characteristics or domains predict volunteering behaviors among married couples. Using data from a U.S. national sample of heterosexual married couples, we examine which aspects of couples’ religiosity predicted husbands’ and wives’ reports of volunteering. Results from actor-partner interdependence models indicated that performing religious observances in the home was associated with wives’ reports of volunteering. Attending religious services regularly with one’s spouse was associated with higher levels of volunteering for both wives and husbands. Other domains of religiosity, such …

Exploring Multiple Dimensions Of Young Women’S Fertility Preferences In Malawi, Ashley Larsen Gibby, Nancy Luke

Faculty Publications

Introduction Standard survey measures of fertility preferences, such as the desire for and preferred timing of future births, do not capture the complexity of individuals’ preferences. New research focuses on additional dimensions of emotions and expectations surrounding childbearing. Few quantitative studies, however, consider the influence of all three dimensions of fertility preferences concurrently.

Methods Using longitudinal survey data from the Tsogolo la Thanzi project (2009–2012) in Malawi, this study employed logistic regression analysis to investigate the influence of young women’s emotions, expectations, and a standard measure of fertility preferences on pregnancy and modern contraceptive use.

Results Young women experienced high …

Somebody To Lean On: The Moderating Effect Of Relationships On Links Between Social Withdrawal And Self-Worth, Brandon N. Clifford, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Previous research has discovered different subtypes of social withdrawal based on motivations to approach or avoid social interactions. Each of these motivations are uniquely related to indices of maladjustment during emerging adulthood, including aspects of the self. However, research has yet to investigate whether or not relationship quality moderates these associations. The purpose of this study was to examine whether relationship quality with best friends, romantic partners, mothers, and fathers, respectively, serve as protective factors in the negative links between shyness and avoidance and self-worth. The participants included 519 college students (Mage = 19.87, SD= 1.99, 61% female) from four …

The Longest-Lasting Relationship: Patterns Of Contact And Well-Being Among Mid- To Later-Life Siblings, Alexander C. Jensen, Makayla K. Nielson, Jeremy B. Yorgason

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Adults in mid to later life experience shrinking social networks, which may hinder well-being. Siblings may be important sources of social contact. Yet, little is known about adults’ patterns of contact with siblings and how contact is linked to well-being.

Method: Participants included 491 adults from across the United States (M age = 58.96, SD = 6.25; 68% female) recruited online via Amazon Mechanical Turk; they reported on their contact with their sibling in person, over the phone, via email, texting, and social media.

Results: Latent class analysis found evidence for four patterns of contact (classes) among siblings: low, …

Profiles Of Religiousness, Spirituality, And Psychological Adjustment In Emerging Adults, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Jennifer L. Christofferson, Eric P. Boorman, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Although emerging adults are engaged in heightened levels of meaning-making (Barry and Abo-Zena (eds) in Emerging adults’ religiousness and spirituality: meaning-making in an age of transition. Oxford University Press, New York, 2014), research has focused on either religiousness or spirituality (R/S) in each study. While R/S individually have been associated with emerging adults’ psychological adjustment (Rew and Wong in J Adolesc Health 38:433–442, 2006), scholars have rarely explored the specific profiles of R/S adjustment. Thus, a diverse group of undergraduate students (N = 792; Mage = 19.61, SD= 1.86; 69% women) completed questionnaires online involving these constructs. Preliminary …

There's No Place Like Home: The Associations Between Residential Attributes And Family Functioning, Carly M. Thornock, Larry J. Nelson, Chris L. Porter, Cortney A. Evans-Stout

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which actual (e.g., density) and perceived (e.g., crowding and distance) elements of the spatial home environment act as predictors of family functioning. Data were gathered from 164 families whose child was attending a university's preschool/kindergarten facility in a mid-sized community in the Western United States. Structural equation modeling (SEM, AMOS 19.0) was employed to examine the strength of the relations within the model. Results showed that though actual elements of the home (i.e., density) affect family functioning outcomes, perceptions of the home environment (e.g., crowding and distance) were especially …

Forming Financial Vision: How Parents Prepare Young Adults For Financial Success, Bryce L. Jorgensen, David B. Allsop, Samuel D. Runyan, Brandan E. Wheeler, David A. Evans, Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

The current study used a multi-generational and qualitative approach to examine perceptions of what parents/grandparents taught their children/grandchildren about finances. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 98 participants consisting of 77 college students, 13 parents and eight grandparents. Team-based qualitative analyses of these interviews revealed three consistent themes: (1) the importance of setting financial goals, (2) planning and acting to meet financial goals, and (3) understanding the time value of money. About 70% of participants mentioned at least one of the three main themes in their interviews. In general, parents and grandparents held regret for not providing financial lessons earlier in …

Using Measurement Invariance To Study Social Withdrawal In Children With Developmental Language Disorders, Martin Fujiki, Bonnie Brinton, Craig H. Hart, Joseph Olsen, Maille Coombs

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Teacher ratings were used to compare children with developmental language disorders (DLD) and their typically developing peers on 2 subtypes of social withdrawal (shyness and unsociability). Measurement invariance analysis was utilized to determine if teachers rated the 2 groups using the same underlying construct for each of the rating scale items that have been designed to assess withdrawn behavior.

Method: The Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS; C. H. Hart & Robinson, 1996) was administered to the teachers of 173 children with DLD and 182 typically developing children (age range: 5;0-12;11 years;months) to compare 2 subtypes of withdrawal, shyness and …

Uniting And Dividing Influences Of Religion In Marriage Among Highly Religious Couples, Heather H. Kelley, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

Previous research has suggested that religion can be both helpful and harmful. However, much oof the research on religion and families has employed relatively simple, distal measures of religion and has focused on predominantly only one side of the dualistic nature of religion. Drawing upon interviews with 198 religious couples (N = 396 individuals), the purpose of this study was to better understand how religion can have both a unifying and a dividing influence on marital relationships. Three overarching themes, accompanied by supporting primary qualitative data from participants, are presented. These themes include (a) how religious beliefs unite and …

Existential Interventions For Adolescent Suicidality: Practical Interventions To Target The Root Causes Of Adolescent Distress, Ragan Lybbert, Samuel Ryland, Roy A. Bean

Faculty Publications

In this work we discuss common forms of treatment for suicidality and suicidality among adolescents. Vastly pervasive, crisis intervention-based treatment is found throughout nearly all suicidality treatments regardless of client age or intervention site. Crisis intervention-based approaches often overlook many crucial elements of suicidality in adolescents. We therefore explore elements of existential therapy and their potential merit in treatment for suicide among adolescents. These include existential angst and despair, meaninglessness and isolation. These elements are strong predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents. While the common crisis-based treatment appropriately addresses immediate safety needs, it can neglect and even exacerbate …

Beyond Religious Rigidities: Religious Firmness And Religious Flexibility As Complementary Loyalties In Faith Transmission, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks, Kate P. Babcock, Betsy H. Barrow, Andrew H. Rose

Faculty Publications

Research has found that intergenerational transmission of religiosity results in higher family functioning and improved family relationships. Yet the Pew Research Center found that 44% of Americans reported that they had left the religious affiliation of their childhood. And 78% of the expanding group of those who identify as religiously unaffiliated (“Nones”) reported that they were raised in “highly religious families.” We suggest that this may be, in part, associated with religious parents exercising excessive firmness with inadequate flexibility (rigidity). We used a multiphase, systematic, team-based process to code 8000+ pages of in-depth interviews from 198 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim …

Contributions Of Mainstream Sexual Media Exposure To Sexual Attitudes, Perceived Peer Norms, And Sexual Behavior: A Meta-Analysis, Sarah M. Coyne, L. Monique Ward, Savannah L. Kroff, Emilie J. Davis, Hailey G. Holmgren, Alexander C. Jensen, Sarah E. Erickson, Lee W. Essig

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Decades of research have examined the impact of exposure to nonexplicit portrayals of sexual content in media. There is only one meta-analysis on this topic, which suggests that exposure to “sexy media” has little to no effect on sexual behavior. There are a number of limitations to the existing meta-analysis, and the purpose of this updated meta-analysis was to examine associations between exposure to sexual media and users' attitudes and sexual behavior.

Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted to find relevant articles. Each study was coded for associations between exposure to sexual media and one of six outcomes …

Sex Guilt Or Sanctification? The Indirect Role Of Religiosity On Sexual Satisfaction, Nathan D. Leonhardt, Dean M. Busby, Brian J. Willoughby

Faculty Publications

With a Mechanical Turk sample of 1,614 sexually active individuals (62.6% women, 85% heterosexual, mean age of 34.47 years) who had been in a committed sexual relationship for a least two years, we used structural equation modeling to better understand how global religiosity may indirectly influence sexual satisfaction. Because religiosity has been linked to the way people make sense of sexuality, we assessed positive (sexual sanctification) and negative (sexual guilt) meaning making variables as mediators between religiosity and sexual satisfaction. Consistent with prior research, greater sanctification of sexuality was directly tied to greater sexual satisfaction, whereas greater sexual guilt was …

The Ties That Bind: Is Faith A Global Force For Good Or Ill In The Family?, W. Bradford Wilcox, Laurie Derose, Jason S. Carroll

Faculty Publications

Does religion foster solidarity—or fuel conflict and inequality? Today’s headlines suggest the answer is “yes” to both. Yes, as Emile Durkheim taught us, religion can be and is a force for solidarity, but at the same time, as Max Weber taught us, religion can be and is also a force for conflict and inequality. In The Ties that Bind, we consider a more specific question: is religion a force for good or ill in families around the globe?

Is It The Sex, The Romance, Or The Living Together? The Differential Impact Of Past Sexual, Romantic, And Cohabitation Histories On Current Relationship Functioning, Dean M. Busby, Brian J. Willoughby, Melissa L. Mcdonald

Faculty Publications

Before their current relationship, individuals may have had a variety of previous relationships such as romantic relationships, sexual relationships, and cohabiting relationships. In this study, we explored the common or shared influence of these 3 types of previous relationships, and the unique influence of each type, on current relationship functioning. With a sample oof more than 4,000 individuals we found that there was a significantly negative shared influence for previous romantic, sexual, and cohabitation relationships on current relationship attitudes, sexual satisfaction, commitment, and stability. The effects were largely similar for women and for men. It appears that on average the …

Online Blaming And Intimate Partner Violence: A Content Analysis Of Social Media Comments, Jason B. Whiting, Rachael Dansby Olufuwote, Jaclyn D. Cravens-Pickens, Alyssa Banford Witting

Faculty Publications

Social media has become a ubiquitous form of interacting and sharing information. However, comments on social media sites are often aggressive and contemptuous, especially when topics are controversial or politically charged. For example, discussion of intimate partner violence (IPV) tends to provoke strong reactions from outsiders, who make angry or blaming remarks about those involved. Although IPV is common, it has not been widely discussed in popular media until recent years when high-profile cases of abuse have come to light. In 2016, a celebrity accusation of domestic violence led to thousands of comments on social media, with outsiders weighing in …

Faith, Feminism, And Marriage: Institutions, Norms, And Relationship Quality, Jason S. Carroll, Spencer James, W. Bradford Wilcox, Richard Reeves, Laurie Derose

Faculty Publications

In this essay, we explore the links between religion and relationship quality for cohabiting and married couples. Our evidence from an 11-country sample suggests men and women in highly religious couples enjoy significantly higher levels of relationship quality and sexual satisfaction. Joint decision-making, however, is higher among men in shared secular relationships and women in highly religious relationships, compared to their peers in less/mixed religious couples. We also find a J-Curve in overall relationship quality for women such that women in shared secular, progressive relationships enjoy comparatively high levels of relationship quality, women in the ideological and religious middle report …

Longitudinal Influence Of Shared Marital Power On Marital Quality And Attachment Security, Nathan D. Leonhardt, Brian J. Willoughby, W. Justin Dyer, Jason S. Carroll

Faculty Publications

Spouses perceiving that they have shared power in marriage has been linked to higher marital quality and attachment security. Existing research, however, is limited in assessing how these perceptions influence both spouses and whether these influences endure over time. To address these limitations, we analyzed the longitudinal relationship reports from 319 couples from the Flourishing Families Project (FFP) to estimate biyearly (Waves 1, 3, and 5) and yearly (Waves 3–5) longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models. Reporting shared power in marriage was linked to the actors’ higher marital quality and lower attachment insecurity over time (although less consistently for attachment insecurity). Longitudinal …