Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Adolescence And Stress: A Longitudinal Examination Of The Role Of Stress On Health Outcomes And The Moderating Role Of Self-Regulation And Social Support, Joshua T. Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Stress impacts all individuals during each developmental period of their lives. Stress has been linked to various physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. However, adolescence may prove to be a unique time to examine stress and its potential effects on various health outcomes, as well as possible mediating or moderating factors. The purpose of this study is to examine the link between stress and body mass index (BMI) percentile while incorporating the potential mediators of anxiety, depression, and externalizing behaviors as well as the moderators of social support and self-regulation. Using a sample of 500 adolescents living in …

Gendered Differences In The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Adolescent Substance Use, Emley A. Holcombe

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a high-risk period for substance use, and the prevalence of adolescent substance use is a public health concern. Contributing factors for adolescent substance use are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are potentially traumatic childhood events that have negative associations with health and risk behaviors. The purpose of this study is to examine how the accumulation, timing, and duration of early ACEs (by age 5) impacts adolescent substance use. In addition, this study examines differences in these relationships by gender. Data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCW) were used for the logistic regression analyses. The results …

Adolescent Religious Identity And Body Esteem, Megan Gale

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents experience a key developmental process of identity formation and try to understand who they are and how they feel about themselves. While research has found religiosity to often predict increased body esteem for religious adults, little is known about the association between religiosity and body esteem for adolescents. Using an Identity Theory lens, the current cross-sectional study (n=1,693) examined the relationship between adolescent religious identity (religious salience and belief being a child of God) and body esteem, mediated by one's attachment to God. Three structural equation mediation models examined 1) overall relationships; 2) relationships by gender; and 3) relationships …

Best Friends Forever And Family Ties: Continuity And Change In Closeness With Parents And Friends Among Australian Adolescents, Mckell A. Jorgensen-Wells

Theses and Dissertations

During adolescence, the need for social connection increases. Yet, fostering emotional closeness in relationships becomes more complex, as the need for autonomy also increases and social environments must adapt to become conducive to these seemingly competing needs. This complexity necessitates more research on what happens to close relationships during adolescence, so parents, scholars, and practitioners are better equipped to help individuals navigate the unique social atmosphere of adolescence. The current study draws upon multi-level modeling techniques to estimate growth models of Australian adolescents' closeness to parents and closeness to friends from ages 12-17 and examine predictors of these trajectories. Findings …

Executive Function, Eating, And Exercise Duration In Adolescents, Robyn C. Blackburn

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is an important developmental period for executive function as well as establishing lifelong health habits like diet and exercise. However, connections between exercise, executive function and dietary behaviors have not yet been adequately studied in adolescents, especially in terms of exercise duration. This research seeks to establish how 30 versus 60 minutes of exercise affects the association between executive function, calorie consumption and food-specific inhibition. The current research uses a within-participant design and linear mixed modeling to test the impact of exercise bout duration and executive function on calorie consumption and food-specific inhibition (food Go/No-Go accuracy and reaction time). …

Longitudinal Links Between Parents’ Mental Health, Parenting, And Adolescents’ Mental Health: Moderation By Adolescent Sex, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Hannah B. Apsley

Faculty Publications

This study explored mothering and fathering as possible mediators of the relationship between parent and adolescent mental health concerns and considered the adolescents’ biological sex as a potential moderator. Using structural equation modeling, the longitudinal links between parents’ mental health, parental psychological control, parent-adolescent connectedness, and adolescent mental health in 500 families— including 338 fathers and 500 mothers—were explored over the course of 5 years. The mean age of the adolescents (51.8% female, 69.6% European American) at Time 1 was 13.3 years. Mothers’ symptoms of anxiety directly predicted girls’ depression 5 years later. This relation was not mediated by parenting …

Be Good For Goodness' Sake: Parenting Practices That Promote Value-Congruent Behavior During Adolescence, Ryan David Mclean

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that adolescence is an especially crucial time for developing habits of values congruent behavior that will persist throughout the lifespan. Past research has suggested that parents may play an important role in socializing their children, however few studies have looked at the mechanism through which this socialization occurs. The current study explored associations between different types of proactive and reactive parenting and value congruent behavior using nationally representative data from across three years during adolescence. Additionally, the current study attempted to further explain these associations through the mechanism of extrinsic and intrinsic values regulation. The current sample included …

Developmental Predictors Of Adolescent Alcohol Intake: A Nonhuman Primate Model, Elizabeth Katherine Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse is one of the costliest human health problems in the United States. Studies assessing the etiology of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in adulthood suggest that these disorders are predicted by trait-like differences, such as low or impaired central serotonin or temperamental anxiety. Few studies, however, have assessed neonatal, infant, and adolescent characteristics that lead to alcohol abuse in adolescence. Given that the expression of AUDs is rooted in biological processes, the set of studies presented in this work investigate the early origins of excessive alcohol use in adolescence, with an overall goal of identifying risk factors that may …

Do Shape And Volume Of Subcortical Neural Structures Involved In Reward Processing Correlate With Body Mass And Food Reward In Adolescent Females?, Kelsey K. Zaugg

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The prevalence of adolescent obesity has increased drastically in the last few decades, spurring research examining causes and consequences of this chronic health condition. Neuroimaging techniques are being used to determine possible neural correlates of obesity that could help inform research in this field. However, the research among adolescents is not as abundant and findings so far are contradictory. This study sought to examine the association of the shape and volume of subcortical brain structures involved in reward processing with weight status in adolescent females. Additionally, this study sought to determine if the shape and volume of these structures …

Adolescent Depressive Symptomology: Do Siblings Hurt Or Help?, Jared D. Thorpe

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents in the United States are currently experiencing a mental health crisis. While evidence shows that parents play an important role in shaping the mental health of youth, little has been done to understand how siblings may contribute to the psychological well-being of adolescents. I examine this association through the lenses of social capital and resource dilution perspectives. Social capital theory suggests that siblings may act as an additional source of resources, such as social support, which promote positive mental health. In contrast, resource dilution theory posits that the presence of siblings decreases the availability of parental resource in a …

Nature’S Pill: A Spotlight On Lifestyle And Adolescent Anxiety, Daniel Heckathorn

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

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 …

Media And Parents: Socializing Factors Of Relational Aggression, Kjersti Maye Summers

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to relational aggression in various contexts has been found to predict relationally aggressive behavior in adolescents. Past research has examined socializing factors of relational aggression separately. The current study expounds upon this research by looking at three important contexts for socialization of relational aggression during adolescence together: media relational aggression, parental psychological control, and couple relational aggression. Specifically, this study looked at how these different socializing factors combine to predict relational aggression. Participants consisted of 423 adolescents and their parents. A person-centered approach was used to determine different profiles. Latent profile analysis found three profiles, including "average" (78%), "high …

Social Withdrawal And Indices Of Adjustment And Maladjustment In Adolescence: Does Parent Warmth And Extraversion Matter?, Mallory Abigail Millett

Theses and Dissertations

Social withdrawal is often associated with a number of indices of adjustment and maladjustment, but little research exists that attempts to uncover potential protective factors. This study longitudinally examined the moderating role of parent extraversion and parent warmth on the association between two types of social withdrawal (shyness and unsociability) and later indices of adjustment and maladjustment. Participants were 463 families from the flourishing families project. Results showed no longitudinal associations between social withdrawal and later indices of adjustment or maladjustment. However, when parent extraversion was added as a moderator, shyness was positively associated with prosocial behavior for those with …

Successful Weight Loss Initiation And Maintenance Among Adolescents With Overweight And Obesity: Does Age Matter?, Diana Rancourt, Chad D. Jensen, Kara Mcrae Duraccio, E. Whitney Evans, Rena R. Wing, Elissa Jelalian

Faculty Publications

Background—Treatments for adolescents with overweight/obesity demonstrate mixed success, which may be due to a lack of consideration for developmental changes during this period. Potential developmental differences in weight loss motivations, weight maintenance behaviors, and the role of parents in these efforts were examined in a sample of successful adolescent weight losers.

Methods—Participants enrolled in the Adolescent Weight Control Registry (n = 49) self-reported demographic information and weight history, reasons for weight loss and weight control, weight loss approach and weight maintenance strategies, and perceived parental involvement with weight loss. Associations between age at weight loss initiation and the aforementioned factors …

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 …

The Longitudinal Impact Of Screen Time On Adolescent Development: Moderation By Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, Wesley Sanders, Justin Parent, Jamie L. Abaied, Rex Forehand, Sarah M. Coyne, W. Justin Dyer

Faculty Publications

Purpose: To date, little is known about underlying psychophysiological contributions to the impact of media content and overall screen time on adolescent psychological functioning. In the present study we examine respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as a moderator of the link between specific types of media content use, overall media exposure, and the development of internalizing and aggressive symptoms in youth.

Methods: A sample of 374 adolescents (mean age = 15) reported on their media use, internalizing behavior, and aggressive behavior at time 1 (2011) and 1-year follow-up (2012). RSA reactivity was gathered during a challenging laboratory task. Path analyses were …

A Content Analysis Of The Journal Of Adolescent Health: Using Past Literature To Guide Healthcare Research Of Us Ethnic Minority Adolescents, Kate Amanda Handy

Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic minority research in the U.S. is important given the increase in ethnic minority populations, particularly within the adolescent population. Content analyses are useful in guiding researchers as they document representation and progress of research on ethnic minorities within many fields, including healthcare. The Journal of Adolescent Health was coded for the following variables: ethnic minority focus, article topic, article funding by topic, geographic location of sample, and inclusion of measures (ethnic identity and acculturation). The results indicated that the percentage of published articles focused on each specific ethnic minority group were lower than the current U. S. percentages, including …

Associations Among Different Types Of Prosocial Behavior Toward Friends, Friendship Quality, And Mental Health Outcomes During Adolescence, Daye Son

Theses and Dissertations

The current study used a multidimensional approach to prosocial behavior by a) exploring various types of adolescent prosocial behavior toward friends (physical helping, sharing, defending, emotional support, including) using both qualitative and quantitative data, and b) examining longitudinal associations among prosocial behavior toward friends, friendship quality, and mental health (anxiety, life satisfaction, depression). The data were taken from Waves 8, 9, and 10 of the Flourishing Families Project. Participants at Wave 8 consisted of 470 adolescents (M age = 18.4 years, SD = 1.04, 49% male, 32% high school students, 33% single-parent families) from the United States. Results revealed that …

Parental And Relational Aggression, David A. Nelson, Craig H. Hart

Faculty Publications

Where do children get their basic tendencies to act aggressively? One possibility is that it varies by the type of parenting received, particularly for young children, who tend to spend more time with their parents than do older children and adolescents. This chapter considers the expanse of research focusing on parenting as it corresponds with relationally aggressive tendencies in children, adolescents, or emerging adults (including similar constructs labeled as indirect or social aggression). Relational aggression subsumes indirect, covert, hostile behaviors where target children are not directly confronted (e.g., gossiping, talking behind one's back; see Chapter 2). It can also be …

A Longitudinal Growth Mixture Model Of Child Disclosure To Parents Across Adolescence, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Daye Son, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

The present study used in a person-centered approach to examine heterogeneity in children's patterns of routine disclosure (i.e., sharing information regarding their whereabouts and activities to parents) across adolescence and explored predictors and outcomes of different trajectories. Participants included 500 adolescents (51% female, 67% White, 33% single-parent families) who completed questionnaires every year from age 12 to age 18. Growth mixture modeling suggested that the majority of adolescents (82%) reported low and stable disclosure, and a third party (5%) a steep decrease and leveling out over time. Group membership varied as a function of predictors at age 12 (delinquency, prosocial …

Screen Violence And Youth Behavior, Craig Anderson, Brad J. Bushman, Bruce D. Bartholow, Joanne Cantor, Dimitri Christakis, Sarah Coyne, Edward Dnonnerstein, Jeanne Funk Brockmyer, Douglas A. Gentile, C. Shawn Green, Rowell Huesmann, Tom Hummer, Barbara Krahé, Victor C. Strasburger, Wayne Warburton, Barbara J. Wilson, Michelle Ybarra

Faculty Publications

Violence in screen entertainment media (ie, television, film, video games, and the Internet), defined as depictions of characters (or players) trying to physically harm other characters (or players), is ubiquitous. The Workgroup on Media Violence and Violent Video Games reviewed numerous meta-analyses and other relevant research from the past 60 years, with an emphasis on violent video game research. Consistent with every major science organization review, the Workgroup found compelling evidence of short-term harmful effects, as well as evidence of long-term harmful effects. The vast majority of laboratory-based experimental studies have revealed that violent media exposure causes increased aggressive thoughts, …

An Evaluation Of A Smartphone–Assisted Behavioral Weight Control Intervention For Adolescents: Pilot Study, Chad D. Jensen, Kristina M. Duncombe, Mark A. Lott, Sanita L. Hunsaker, Kara Mcrae Duraccio, Susan J. Woolford

Faculty Publications

Background: The efficacy of adolescent weight control treatments is modest, and effective treatments are costly and are not widely available. Smartphones may be an effective method for delivering critical components of behavioral weight control treatment including behavioral self-monitoring.

Objective: To examine the efficacy and acceptability of a smartphone assisted adolescent behavioral weight control intervention.

Methods: A total of 16 overweight or obese adolescents (mean age=14.29 years, standard deviation=1.12) received 12 weeks of combined treatment that consisted of weekly in-person group behavioral weight control treatment sessions plus smartphone self-monitoring and daily text messaging. Subsequently they received 12 weeks of electronic-only intervention, …

Longitudinal Bidirectional Relations Between Adolescents’ Sympathy And Prosocial Behavior, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Gustavo Carlo, Matthew G. Nielson

Faculty Publications

Despite the importance of understanding sympathy and prosocial behaviors, research on the development of these tendencies in adolescence remains relatively sparse. In the present study, we examined age trends and bidirectional longitudinal relations in sympathy and prosocial behaviors across early to middle adolescents. Participants were 500 12-year-olds at Time 1 (52% girls, 70% European American) who completed measures of sympathy and prosocial behaviors at 5 different time points, each approximately 1 year apart. Results showed significant bidirectional relations between sympathy and prosocial behaviors across all time points, and an initial decrease of prosocial behaviors followed by an increase into middle …

The Role Of Parental Warmth And Hostility On Adolescents’ Prosocial Behavior Toward Multiple Targets, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Matthew G. Nielson, Randal D. Day

Faculty Publications

The current study examined the influence that parental warmth/support and verbal hostility had on adolescents’ prosocial behavior toward multiple targets (stranger, friend, family) using multiple reporters (self, parent, observations). Data were taken from Times 2 and 3 of a longitudinal project and included 500 adolescents and their parents (M age of child at Time 2 12.34). Structural equation models suggested that mother warmth was associated with prosocial behavior toward family, while father warmth was associated with prosocial behavior toward friends. Findings also suggested that adolescents’ prosocial behavior was more consistently influenced by father hostility than it was by father warmth. …

How Do Boys And Girls Help? Validation Of A Multidimensional Measure Of Prosocial Behavior, Matthew Glade Nielson

Theses and Dissertations

The study of prosocial behavior is growing increasingly multidimensional in the way that it considers whom is helped and how. One area of concern is the effect of gender on prosocial behavior. Is masculine behavior more physically oriented, and if so, are measures neglecting these behaviors and biasing results toward more feminine prosocial behaviors? The current study sought to answer these questions by creating and validating a new multidimensional measure of prosocial behavior that includes behaviors more common to males. An EFA was performed on a sample of 463 adolescents and emerging adults from Amazon Turk (US citizens, 16-25, 60% …

Longitudinal Relations Between Prosocial Television Content And Adolescents’ Prosocial And Aggressive Behavior: The Mediating Role Of Empathic Concern And Self-Regulation, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Sarah M. Coyne, Kevin M. Collier, Matthew G. Nielson

Faculty Publications

The current study examined longitudinal cross-lagged associations between prosocial TV (content and time) and prosocial and aggressive behavior during adolescence, and explored the mediating role of empathic concern and self-regulation. Participants were 441 adolescents who reported on their 3 favorite TV shows at 2 time points, approximately 2 years apart (M age of child at Time 3 􏰀= 13.31, SD 􏰀= 1.06; 52% female; M age of child at Time 5 =􏰀 15.27, SD =􏰀 1.06). Results suggested that prosocial content at Time 3 was negatively associated with aggressive behavior 2 years later, and aggressive behavior at Time 3 was …

Physiological Indicators Of Pathologic Video Game Use In Adolescence, Sarah M. Coyne, W. Justin Dyer, Rebecca Densley, Nathan M. Money, Randal D. Day, James M. Harper

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Pathologic video game use (PVGU) has been associated with a host of negative psychological, physical, and social outcomes during adolescence; however, little research has examined physiological predictors of such use. The purpose of the study was to examine physiological predictors of the development of PVGU across adolescence.

Methods: The article involves a 1-year longitudinal study across midadolescence. Participants were 374 adolescents and their parents from a large metropolitan area in the Northwest United States. PVGU was assessed via questionnaire, as were a number of control variables. A number of physiological indicators including respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and galvanic skin …

Social Withdrawal During Adolescence And Emerging Adulthood, Julie C. Bowker, Larry J. Nelson, Andrea Markovic, Stephanie Luster

Faculty Publications

Peer relationships are of central importance for healthy psychosocial development and functioning during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Peers provide unique opportunities for social-cognitive growth and the development and maintenance of social skills. They also serve as important sources of emotional and social support, can foster positive feelings about the self and others, and function protectively against the effects of interpersonal stressors (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006). Without peer relationships, individuals might miss out on developmentally formative opportunities and experiences, such as acquiring certain socially competent skills and behaviors and forming intimate best friendships (Rubin, Coplan, & Bowker, 2009). It is …

Adolescent Self-Disclosure And Father Involvement Transactions Across Early To Midadolescence, Stephanie Blickfeldt

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the transactional relationship between father involvement and adolescent self-disclosure from early to midadolescence. Four hundred and ninety-six adolescents reported on their general self-disclosure to fathers, and mothers reported on father involvement behaviors and maternal involvement behaviors at ages 11, 13, and 15. Results from a longitudinal cross-lagged model indicated a unidirectional relationship from father involvement to child self-disclosure in both early and midadolescence, and a transactional relationship from adolescent self-disclosure to father involvement in early adolescence. A multiple group analysis by gender revealed that both unidirectional and transactional relationships were significant for boys only. Future research efforts …