Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Nicu Experiences Of Adoptive Parents & Desired Preparation, Catherine J. Howe

MSU Graduate Theses

Parents who have newborns admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) have multiple experiences and emotions. Additional social and emotional layers are experienced by adoptive couples when the infant they wish to adopt needs specialized care. This research study was completed to find out what adoptive parents experience in the NICU and what preparation would have been helpful. The method included semi-structured, open-ended interviews with seven couples who adopted a newborn at a Midwestern adoption agency within the past three years and had a NICU experience. The results described adoptive couples’ experiences on the unit, bonding and attachment, fears …

Generations Of Pain: A Transgenerational Examination Of Trauma, Parenting Styles, And Attachment Of Black Women, Latoya Hampton

Dissertations

Historically, Black women have experienced horrendous acts of violence throughout the centuries and generations. The transmission of transgenerational trauma has impacted this community’s mental health, physical well-being, educational performance, and interpersonal interactions. Prior research has focused on general trauma and its effect on Black women; however, this review sought to explore transgenerational trauma and the implications of attachment and parenting styles of Black women. Previous studies have examined the majority population’s attachment, trauma, and parenting styles consecutively, though not simultaneously. With limitations found in the research of diverse populations, it is imperative that clinicians are culturally competent to implement effective …

An Integration Of Attachment And The Investment Model: Joint Predictors Of Accommodation In Romantic And Friendship Dyads, Samuel Y. Chung

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present two-wave research examines two frameworks for predicting relationship maintenance: adult attachment theory and the investment model of commitment. Expanding upon past work, I test models that integrate the two theories such that relationship satisfaction, alternatives, and investment size mediate the relationship between avoidance and commitment, and attachment anxiety moderates the investment model factors’ relationships with accommodation in romantic relationships and friendships. In romantic relationships, increasing partner anxiety reduced the relationship between actor relationship satisfaction and commitment whereas in friendships, increasing actor anxiety increased the relationship between actor relationship satisfaction and commitment. Further, increasing actor anxiety increased the relationship …

In Search Of A Simplified, Objective Attachment Style Assessment: The Attachment Implicit Measure, Lisa Savage

All NMU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

IN SEARCH OF A SIMPLIFIED, OBJECTIVE ATTACHMENT STYLE ASSESSMENT: THE ATTACHMENT IMPLICIT MEASURE

By

Lisa M. Savage

Attachment is a lasting bond between two people (Bowlby, 1958). Bonding starts at birth and lasts through the lifetime (Bowlby, 1958). Emotional and social development is impacted by attachment (Bowlby, 1976). Measuring attachment is beneficial to clinical psychologists and psychological research. There are both implicit and explicit measures of attachment. Explicit measures are subject to social desirability and other bias and require a person's honesty and understanding of self. Current implicit measures are lengthy and expensive to administer and score. The development …

Attachment Quality Across Contexts: The Mediating Role Of Cognitive-Affective Traits, Christian Ammons

Dissertations

Attachment quality throughout the lifespan has been found to be impacted by a variety of factors including prior attachments with parents and other adults (Rholes, Simpson, & Friedman, 2006). The mechanisms that impact the transmission of attachment to parent-child attachment quality has not been fully explored. Individual differences such as traits involving appraisal of self and others and affective components have been found to be important in relationship functioning across contexts (Eisenberg, 2000). Thus, the current study evaluated the relationship between adult attachment quality and parent-child attachment quality and specifically examined the mediating effects of cognitive-affective traits (i.e. trait forgiveness, …

Attachment And Intimate Partner Violence In Predominantly Hispanic Young Adult Couples, Deanna Pollard

Theses and Dissertations

Some research suggests that conflicting insecure attachment needs between romantic partners exacerbate the association between insecure attachment dimensions and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in men and women. However, the current literature examining this association are not without their limitations (i.e., small sample sizes, collapsing both partners' reports together to create their IPV variables, predominantly White samples, and utilizing attachment instruments that do not assess attachment dimensions directly). The present study aimed to address some of the limitations in previous research by examining the association between partners' opposing insecure attachment dimensions and male and female-perpetrated physical IPV in a …

The Experience Of Sex Guilt: The Roles Of Parenting, Adult Attachment, And Sociosexuality, Jana Michelle Hackathorn, Esther Malm

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Sociosexuality, comfort with sex outside the confines of a committed relationship, and parent–child dynamics have been associated with experiences of sex guilt. However, the mechanisms through which family dynamics are related to sociosexuality and sex guilt are still unclear. Using a developmental framework, in a cross-sectional study, we examined whether attachment styles and parent–child relationships would be associated with the development and maintenance of sociosexuality. We hypothesized that insecure attachment styles and sociosexuality would independently and positively mediate the relationship between parent–child relationship quality (accepting/rejecting) and sex guilt. Findings support past research and suggests that parental rejection predicts insecure attachments, …

Attachment, Emotion Dysregulation, And Physical Ipv In Predominantly Hispanic, Young Adult Couples, Deanna L. Pollard, Arturo L. Cantos

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Insecure attachment has been found to be a risk factor for perpetrating physical intimate partner violence (IPV). However, this association is likely exacerbated by additional factors, such as conflicting insecure attachment in one’s partner and difficulties with overall emotion regulation and impulse control. The present study aimed to examine the associations between insecure attachment and physical IPV perpetration in male and female partners, as well as to examine whether these associations are exacerbated by involvement with a partner with opposing attachment needs and overall emotion dysregulation and impulsivity. Additionally, this study examined whether partners’ emotion dysregulation interacted to predict IPV. …

Tears Evoke The Intention To Offer Social Support: A Systematic Investigation Of The Interpersonal Effects Of Emotional Crying Across 41 Countries, J. H. Zickfeld, N. Van De Ven, O. Pich, T. Schubert, J. B. Berkessel, J. J. Pizarro, B. Bhushan, N. J. Mateo, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Tearful crying is a ubiquitous and likely uniquely human phenomenon. Scholars have argued that emotional tears serve an attachment function: Tears are thought to act as a social glue by evoking social support intentions. Initial experimental studies supported this proposition across several methodologies, but these were conducted almost exclusively on participants from North America and Europe, resulting in limited generalizability. This project examined the tears-social support intentions effect and possible mediating and moderating variables in a fully pre-registered study across 7007 participants (24,886 ratings) and 41 countries spanning all populated continents. Participants were presented with four pictures out of 100 …

The Impact Of The Transgenerational Cycle Of Prison On Attachment Among Black Individuals, Meagan Scott

Dissertations

This empirical study assessed the impact of incarceration on an individual’s attachment style and explored protective factors that moderate these overall outcomes. The study sought to answer the following questions: (a) Are there differences related to the gender of Black participants and the gender of their incarcerated parent? and (b) Will affective expression and/or sense of community serve as protective factors and mediate the attachment style of Black individuals who have been incarcerated? The sample consisted of 98 adults (45 of whom indicated being a part of the transgenerational cycle of prison) ranging from 18 to 68 years old. Participants …

A Closer Look At Relationship Structures: Relationship Satisfaction And Attachment Among People Who Practice Hierarchical And Non-Hierarchical Polyamory, Sharon M. Flicker, Flavia Sancier-Barbosa, Amy C. Moors, Lindsay Browne

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Although polyamorous relationships have received increasing attention from researchers over the past decade, little attention has been paid to differences in relationship configurations: some individuals arrange their relationships hierarchically, prioritizing a primary partner; other relationship structures are non-hierarchical with no relationships prioritized over others. Across two samples (N_Study1= 225; N_Study2= 360), we compared relationship satisfaction and attachment security between individuals in hierarchical and non-hierarchical configurations. Greater variability in attachment security was found between partners in hierarchical relationships than those in non-hierarchical relationships; no significant differences were found in variability in relationships satisfaction across these groups. …

An Investigation Of Developmental Precursors And Consequences Of Self-Sacrificing Behaviors In Young Adult Romantic Relationships, Emme Lis

Masters Theses, 2020-current

It has been well established that the early attachment relationship a child forms with their parent or caregiver is foundational in influencing subsequent relationships throughout life. Adolescence itself is also a critical developmental period for future relationship development. The current study therefore was interested in examining ways in which attachment orientations youth carry into adolescence combine with parental influences to shape teens’ future relational behaviors and attitudes in young adulthood. Specifically, the parental influences of promotion of autonomy and positive relatedness, as well as parental valuing of prosocial behaviors and self-directed behavior during adolescence were investigated in interaction with early …

The Relationship Between Parental Personality, Attachment, And Subjective Well-Being, Mia Nguyen

Psychology | Senior Theses

Parents play a critical role in helping children develop into happy and well-adjusted adults. Factors such as secure attachment, parental rearing behaviors, and parental personality all interact to create a developmental context that impacts a child’s experience. Attachment between parent and child, for instance, is the foundation of later relationships in life. However, a variety of other parent factors including parental rearing behaviors and parenting style can influence attachment (Roelofs et al., 2006). Parenting styles that are nurturing, authoritative, and emotionally involved have not only demonstrated more secure attachments in children but have also been reflective of parents who score …

Attachment Injury-Related Responses From The Offending Partner And Forgiveness In Romantic Relationships, Shruti Pillai

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Attachment injuries in romantic relationships carry the potential for several negative outcomes for the injured partner, the offending partner, and the relationship. Forgiveness can serve to repair the damage caused by such an injury. The concept of forgiveness, however, has predominantly only been studied as the responsibility of and of primary interest to the injured partner. There is a growing need for closer examination of what the offending partner can do to promote forgiveness. The Attachment Injury Resolution Model (AIRM) proposes eight distinct steps including actions for each partner that can lead a couple towards recovery. This study examined the …

Cultural And Psychosocial Moderators Of The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Alcohol And Marijuana Use Among Latinx College Students On The U.S./Mexico Border, Claudia J. Woloshchuk

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been historically associated with negative life outcomes among the general population. There has been no research, to the author's knowledge, on psychosocial and/or cultural moderators of the associations between ACEs and substance use among Latinx college students living on the U.S./Mexico border. This study assessed how specific constructs within the socioecological framework moderate the association between ACEs and alcohol and marijuana use. Participants (Females: N = 283, Mage = 20.86, SD = 3.71, Males: N = 111, Mage = 20.65, SD = 3.13) completed an online survey which included: demographics, the Center for Youth Wellness …

Helping Your Children Develop Positive, Successful Sibling Relationships: A 4-Session Parenting Workshop, Caitlin Marie Younger Sackett

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Decades of research studies have underscored the significant impact siblings have on life outcomes. Those with successful (e.g., positive, close, supportive) sibling relationships experience benefits such as more competent social and emotional skills, healthier well-being, and increased life satisfaction compared to those with unsuccessful (e.g., negative, distant, conflictual) sibling relationships who tend to be less skilled in social situations, have lower emotional regulation skills, decreased psychological well-being, and report higher levels of loneliness in old age. The quality of sibling relationships is strongly associated with parental behaviors beginning in early childhood. However, there are few research-based resources available for parents …

C.H.A.N.G.E.: Strengthening Resiliency In Pregnancy, Joanna L. Harbets

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Pregnancy and childbirth is a biologically, socially, and psychologically complex period in a woman’s life (Anda, 2010). Carrying an infant in the womb is made even more difficult if a mother has endured her own trauma, potentially transmitting a vulnerability to her child’s development through maternal behavior and emotions (Hudziak, 2018). Additionally, the transition to parenthood is a general life stressor which often activates her attachment system. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma may also interfere with her ability to bond with her child (Main, 2000). Although the complexity of pregnancy and motherhood can be daunting, a mother’s resilience may …

The Positive Side Of Negative Interactions: Anxious And Avoidant Attachment As Moderators, Megan E. Parmenter, Katherine L. Fiori

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Although research has historically focused on the positive aspects of social ties, relationships inevitably involve a combination of positive as well as negative interactions. For the present study, we conducted a series of hierarchical linear regressions using longitudinal data from 108 first-year college students to test whether attachment anxiety and avoidance acted as moderators of the association between positive and negative social exchanges (assessed with the PANSE; Newsom et al., 2005) and changes in life satisfaction across the first year of college. We found that for individuals high on attachment avoidance or attachment anxiety, negative social exchanges were associated with …

Innate Longing For Connection: A Biopsychological View Of Spiritual Longing Mediated By Oxytocin, Megan Hamilton

Honors Projects and Presentations: Undergraduate

Humans have an innate longing for connection with someone or something. Upon analysis of current literature, it was found that this longing correlates with biological and psychological pathways that influence human behavior. Among many factors, the hormone, oxytocin (OT), contributes to these systems and even mediates or buffers them. The effects of OT are evidenced by bonds formed with caregivers, romantic partners, God, and at times harmful substances. The onset and severity of mental illnesses are also partially impacted by this human need for social support and connection. After reviewing and analyzing literature from many domains, this internal hardwiring suggests …

Perceptions Of Substance Abuse, Attachment Style, And Personality, Kristina Betz, Patrick Finegan, Jinanne Haddad

Psychology Student Scholarship

There is substantial, empirical research on the bidirectional relationship between personal substance abuse and one’s attachment style and personality traits. For example, insecure attachment and impulsivity correspond with greater substance abuse. However, it is not known whether attachment style and personality traits are related to people’s attitudes towards others’ substance abuse. In a sample of 166 participants, we examined whether attachment and personality showed a similar pattern of results with attitudes towards other people abusing substances as they do with personal substance abuse. Results mostly implicated the same attachment and personality variables, and exploratory analyses suggest that impulsivity is a …

Witnessed Intimate Partner Abuse And Later Perpetration: The Maternal Attachment Influence, Kendra Lee Wiechart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Witnessing intimate partner abuse (IPA) as a child is linked to later perpetration as an adult. Questions remain regarding why some men who witnessed abuse go on to perpetrate, while others do not. The influence maternal attachment has on IPA perpetration after witnessed IPA has not been thoroughly researched. Maternal attachment is a complex variable grounded in attachment theory and may explain why some men fail to relate to their victimized mothers. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence maternal attachment has on men who witnessed IPA as a child and later perpetrated IPA as an adult. …

Exploring The Parenting Styles In Juvenile-Facilitated Parricide, Justess Jacobson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile-facilitated parricide is a rare crime when a juvenile child murders their parent. Parricide cases are unique in that the offender defies the normal parent-child relationship when they kill their own parent. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting styles that occur in juvenile-facilitated parricide. By using a qualitative case study analysis methodology, this study examined the effect of parenting styles on the bonds between a parent and child, which creates the necessary tension for a child to be able to kill their parents. Attachment theory was used to understand how a child bonds through parenting styles …

Caregiver Cues: The Role Of The Body In Infant-Caregiver Relationships, Anamaria Alvarez

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Touch, gaze, posture, and their synchrony between an infant and their caregiver are the means by which an attachment between the two is formed. The nonverbal elements of communication between the infant-caregiver dyad can explain the nature of their relationship and can serve as a tool for classifying attachment styles. Attachment Theory (AT) proposes that the attachment the infant forms with their caregiver establishes a model for relationships that the infant will carry into adulthood. This paper will untangle the underlying processes of the infant-caregiver relationship to make a case for refining the corporeal lens through which we view AT. …

“Soldiers Of The Same Struggle”: A Comparison Of Attachment And Personality Between Justice-Involved Youth In Gangs And Not In Gangs, Lyndsey Keyte

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Risk factors for juvenile delinquency and gang membership are essentially identical, although only a certain subset of justice-involved youth join gangs. In an attempt to identify factors that differentiate justice-involved youth in gangs from justice-involved youth not in gangs, the present study compared attachment styles and personality traits of 406 detained justice-involved youth, 154 of whom were gang-involved and 252 of whom were not. Results showed no significant differences in personality traits or attachment styles between justice-involved youth in gangs and not in gangs. However, results demonstrated attachment styles and personality traits characteristic of both groups of justice-involved youth.

Time Spent Gaming And Marital Quality: The Effect Of Mmorpgs, Kimberly J. Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is not known if, or to what degree, time spent playing massive multi online roleplaying games (MMORPGs) and adult attachment style affect marital quality. This study attempts to deliver a clearer image about the statistical links between MMORPGs and marital quality to better understand how MMORPGs can affect this relational area. Attachment theory is the theoretical model used in this study. The Hayes mediation analysis was used to answer the research questions. However, correlations were performed initially, to evaluate the suitability of the mediation analysis. The 240 respondents were selected using a convenience sampling approach, through the use of …

“They Let Me Loose, Will You Hold Me Tight?” Adult Adoptees And Their Romantic Partners' Experience Of Attachment After Participating In The Hmt Program, Bethany Baker

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Adult adoptees may be blocked from feeling securely attached to their romantic partners and they may not even know it or what to do about it. The literature shows adult adoptees being overrepresented in insecure attachment styles, and not enough attention has been paid to the effect this has had on adoptees in their romantic relationships. In fact, no known study, to date, has provided an attachment-based psychoeducational approach for this marginalized population. The purpose of this introductory qualitative study was to explore the experiences and meaning-making of attachment, specifically related to adoption, for the adult adoptee and their romantic …

Divine Narcissism: Raising A Secure Middle-Aged Adult, Rachel Sachs Riverwood

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Utilizing an arts-based feminist autoethnographic stance and method, this dissertation is an evocative exploration of the process and experience of attempting to develop a cohesive identity and build a secure attachment to the self. The author uses countercultural methods—prioritizing and centralizing her experience and uncovering and acting in defiance of oppressive norms—to identify and experience their impact on her identity and intra- and inter- personal relationships. Various tensions are explored, including the suppression of self and desire, self-objectification, fearful-avoidant attachment, and shame; and their influence on engaging in emotional and sexual intimacy is examined. Critique on the role of female …

The Contribution Of Adverse Childhood Experiences To The Interplay Between Insecure Attachment Characteristics, Trait Emotional Intelligence, Difficulties In Emotion Regulation, And Personality Organization, Kseniia Gvozdieva

Dissertations and Theses

There are well-established connections between unfavorable attachment experiences and subsequent personality pathology. Individuals with adverse attachment experiences and those with personality pathology have been found to have difficulty with emotional awareness and emotion regulation. Attachment characteristics inform emotional intelligence and emotion regulation, while emotional intelligence and emotion regulation capacities can be protective against personality pathology and serve as a potential mechanism of positive change in one’s attachment. Complex trauma disrupts attachment and the subsequent development of emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, as well as personality structure.

In this dissertation, we examine the ways in which individual attachment patterns can be linked …

Development Of Adolescent Romantic Competencies: Interaction Of Parental Management, Adolescent Perceptions Of Marriage, And Attachment, Lauren Elizabeth Hauck

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Adolescent dating behaviors are associated with romantic behaviors in adulthood. The Development of Early Adolescent Romantic Relationships model proposes that indirect parenting behaviors are associated with the development of adolescent romantic competencies. Other evidence has started to accumulate suggesting that direct parenting practices also influence the development of adolescent romantic competencies. The current study used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between adolescents’ attachment orientations, parents’ romantic behaviors, and direct parenting practices and adolescents’ romantic competence (i.e., love, conflict, and poor problem solving). Additionally, adolescents’ ethnic group identity (i.e., Latino or non-Latino) was considered as a moderator of these …