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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Does Attachment To Parents Mediate The Relationship Between Couple Conflict And Adolescent Self-Regulation?, Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen Dec 2012

Does Attachment To Parents Mediate The Relationship Between Couple Conflict And Adolescent Self-Regulation?, Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent self-regulation follows a developmental trajectory over time with ups and downs during maturation. This paper uses growth curve analysis to look at change in self-regulation over time. Although self-regulation scores may increase during latency, adolescents differ in levels of self-regulation due to biological and socialization factors. In addition, exposure to couple conflict has been shown to affect levels of self-regulation. The current study examined the role of attachment to parents as a mediator between couple conflict and adolescent self-regulation outcomes, controlling for gender of child. Participants were 681 families with a child between the ages of 11 and 13 …


Cost-Effectiveness Of Outpatient Treatment For Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, And Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Dwayne M. Horton Dec 2012

Cost-Effectiveness Of Outpatient Treatment For Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, And Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Dwayne M. Horton

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the cost effectiveness of treating Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS), as well as the effects that modality of therapy (i.e. individual, family, and mixed therapy), license of therapist, and secondary diagnosis had on recidivism and total cost of treatment in the care of these patients. One-thousand and thirty-eight patients (56 males, 982 females) diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, 1,674 patients (56 males, 1,618 females) diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa, and 1,997 patients (197 males, 1,800 females) diagnosed with Eating Disorder NOS were included in this study. Results revealed that family therapy was the …


Materialism And Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analytic Study, Kaylene Joy Fellows Dec 2012

Materialism And Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analytic Study, Kaylene Joy Fellows

Theses and Dissertations

The scholarly study of materialism is becoming more common in a variety of disciplines. This thesis provides an empirical review of this burgeoning body of literature by conducting a meta-analysis of the relationship between materialism and psychological well-being. A weighted overall effect size from 47 published and unpublished samples indicated that materialism was significantly related to lower psychological well-being. This effect size was modest in strength (r = .159). Materialism scale, psychological scale valance, age of sample, and publication status of the study did not moderate this relationship. Culture did moderate the relationship, with a stronger relationship in individualistic cultures …


Who Participates In Ethnic Organizations: Immigrant Children In Los Angeles, Beatrice Uilani Tiptida Morlan Dec 2012

Who Participates In Ethnic Organizations: Immigrant Children In Los Angeles, Beatrice Uilani Tiptida Morlan

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory descriptive study looks at the characteristics of immigrant children in the greater metropolitan Los Angeles area who participate in organizations associated with their parents' country of origin. By drawing on the 2004 Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA) survey dataset, I bring together aspects of the participation and assimilation literatures in order to better understand who participates in ethnic organizations. Results provide evidence that ethnic organization participants differ from the full sample and from respondents who participate in community organizations; they exhibit more ethnic resource characteristics. Significant determinants of participation in ethnic organizations include having …


Who Is An American? The Construction Of American Identity In The Utah Minuteman Project, Michele Elizabeth Bendall Dec 2012

Who Is An American? The Construction Of American Identity In The Utah Minuteman Project, Michele Elizabeth Bendall

Theses and Dissertations

The Minuteman Project is a national civilian border patrol group, founded in 2005 to defend the U.S.-Mexico border from "invasion" by illegal immigrants and protest the "blatant disregard of the rule of law" exhibited by government and politicians. This study explores one state chapter of this organization: the Utah Minuteman Project (UMP). The research questions I seek to address are: Who are the Minutemen? What motivates them? How do the Minutemen define what it means to be an American? Using a grounded theory approach, I explore the construction of American identity among the members of the UMP using a range …


Mom Blogs: Portrayals Of Contemporary Mothering Standards, Styles, And Secrets, Angela Nuttall Ward Dec 2012

Mom Blogs: Portrayals Of Contemporary Mothering Standards, Styles, And Secrets, Angela Nuttall Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Internet use is a routine element of daily life in the early 21st century for many middle-class Americans. Today, millions of middle-class American mothers read and write online web-logs detailing motherhood and domestic life and mom blogs, formerly known as "mommy blogs," facilitate substantial economic activity. Participants collectively invest millions of hours in these blogs, sharing information and experiences, and offering each other validation and support. The present qualitative study of American mom blogs uses traditional grounded theory methods as well as Netnography techniques to investigate the thematic content found in the publicly posted text of 25 different mom blogs …


Factors Affecting Relationship Quality In African-American/Caucasian Bi-Racial Couples, Joriann Lynn Mcgrath Dec 2012

Factors Affecting Relationship Quality In African-American/Caucasian Bi-Racial Couples, Joriann Lynn Mcgrath

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the direct actor/partner effects of self-esteem, coming to terms, and relationship quality and the indirect effects of self-esteem on relationship quality when mediated by coming to terms. The sample included 160 interracial couples of which 69.4% were made up of an African-American male and a Caucasian female, while 30.6 were made up of an African-American female and a Caucasian male. These couples completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE), a survey questionnaire. This study used three variables from the RELATE: self-esteem, coming to terms, and relationship quality. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that self-esteem had a negative effect …


School Integration And College Outcomes: Does Attending A Racially Diverse High School Positively Influence College Attendance And College Prestige?, Leila Jussara Nielsen Dec 2012

School Integration And College Outcomes: Does Attending A Racially Diverse High School Positively Influence College Attendance And College Prestige?, Leila Jussara Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

Early studies of school integration are limited to examining the impact of court-ordered integration on student outcomes. As districts are released from their court orders, the context within which integration operates has changed. As such, this study tests whether voluntary integration is a useful intervention for equalizing students' access to post-secondary education. I utilize data from the graduating class of 1997 from Jefferson County Public School District in Kentucky. Results indicate that student GPA is the largest and most influential predictor of both college attendance and prestige. Furthermore, results indicate that school diversity influences GPA differentially depending on students' race …


Never Put Your Head Down Unless You Pray: The Stories Of African American Men In The Wisconsin Prison System, Julia Marie Kirchner Dec 2012

Never Put Your Head Down Unless You Pray: The Stories Of African American Men In The Wisconsin Prison System, Julia Marie Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on offender narratives has not examined culture as a factor in how prisoners explain their crimes. This qualitative ethnographic research project explores the self-constructions of African American male prisoners using both participant observation with active gang members on the street and discourse analysis of over 300 letters written by incarcerated men. Focusing primarily on six prisoner consultants, this study investigates the claims that offenders make about themselves in reference to their identity. These convicted felons justify their crimes as rational under the circumstances prevalent in segregated inner cities. In reference to economic crimes such as drug dealing and …


Mental Health Treatment For Children And Adolescents: Cost Effectiveness, Dropout, And Recidivism By Presenting Diagnosis And Therapy Modality, David Fawcett Nov 2012

Mental Health Treatment For Children And Adolescents: Cost Effectiveness, Dropout, And Recidivism By Presenting Diagnosis And Therapy Modality, David Fawcett

Theses and Dissertations

As many as one in five children and adolescents may suffer from a mental health disorder, yet there are barriers that often prevent children from receiving optimal treatment. The current study explores the influence of practitioner license type, therapy modality, diagnosis, age, and gender on mental health therapy for children and adolescents. Data was provided by Cigna, a leading health care insurance provider in the United States. Participants include 106,374 boys (53.2%) and 93,753 girls (46.8%) ages 3 to 18 (M = 12.1, SD = 3.9) who were treated in outpatient facilities throughout the United States of America. Results indicate …


There's No Place Like Home: How Residential Attributes Affect Family Functioning, Carly Marie Thornock Nov 2012

There's No Place Like Home: How Residential Attributes Affect Family Functioning, Carly Marie Thornock

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which actual (e.g., density and openness) and perceptual (e.g., crowding and distance) elements of the spatial home environment act as predictors of family functioning. Data were gathered from 126 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 relationships within the model. Results showed that though actual home items (specifically density and great room openness) affect family functioning outcomes, perceived crowding was especially influential as a …


Desire And Opportunity To Marry Among Black South African Women, Colleen Rebecca Johnson Oct 2012

Desire And Opportunity To Marry Among Black South African Women, Colleen Rebecca Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how demographic and attitudinal variables are associated with Black South African women's desire to marry. Data from the South African Social Attitudes Survey are used to measure the impact of age, education, living standard, religiosity, urbanicity, cohabitation, and attitudes towards woman's careers, the acceptability of cohabitation, gender roles, unwed childbearing, and the financial and emotional security marriage provides on the desire to marry. Analyses indicate the following are associated with the desire to marry among Black South African women: age, cohabitation, attitudes towards cohabitation, and attitudes towards the financial and emotional security marriage provides. Secondly, data from …


The Effects Of Couple-Centered And Therapist-Centered Process On The Dyadic Attachment Of Distressed Therapy-Seeking Couples: A Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis, Justin Paul Zamora Sep 2012

The Effects Of Couple-Centered And Therapist-Centered Process On The Dyadic Attachment Of Distressed Therapy-Seeking Couples: A Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis, Justin Paul Zamora

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an empirical investigation of 35 clinically distressed therapy seeking couples receiving sequential sessions of both therapist-centered and, alternatively, couple- centered, enactment-based therapy processes. Using a mixed-level longitudinal analysis with a repeated measure design, analysis of secure attachment, and the interrelated dimensions of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were examined demonstrating that couple- centered, enactment-based sessions produced higher levels of post-session and within-session attachment gains than therapist-centered process for both males and females. Couple-centered, enactment-based process was observed to have a unique treatment effect after the second session, where both partners experienced higher levels of attachment followed by …


Couple Communication As A Mediator Between Work-Family Conflict And Marital Satisfaction, Sarah J. Carroll Jul 2012

Couple Communication As A Mediator Between Work-Family Conflict And Marital Satisfaction, Sarah J. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

Using a sample of married individuals employed full-time (N = 1,139), this study examined the mediating effects of constructive and destructive communication between partners on the relationship between work-family conflict and marital satisfaction. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that work-family conflict was significantly and negatively related to marital satisfaction. This relationship became insignificant when constructive and destructive communication were added to the model, evidence for full mediation. This was confirmed with Sobel's test for mediation. Results suggest that teaching communication skills may be a potent point of intervention for couples who experience high levels of work-family conflict.


An Analysis Of The Effects Of Types Of Afterschool Program Participation On Elementary Student Academic Performance, Chelsea Elizabeth Mazar Jul 2012

An Analysis Of The Effects Of Types Of Afterschool Program Participation On Elementary Student Academic Performance, Chelsea Elizabeth Mazar

Theses and Dissertations

Afterschool programs are seen as a solution to many of the problems facing our educational system today. In particular, afterschool programs are intended to help low income and at-risk students improve their academic performance. However, all afterschool programs are not created equally. Programs differ in the amount of time students participate, the length of time the program has operated, the types of activities offered, and programs vary depending on the school in which they operate. This paper will demonstrate the ways in which afterschool programs differ and the subsequent impact on academic achievement. Additionally, it will highlight the need for …


What Types Of After-School Programs Benefit Lep Students?, Patricia Grace Gaither Jul 2012

What Types Of After-School Programs Benefit Lep Students?, Patricia Grace Gaither

Theses and Dissertations

With the increase in federal funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) after-school program, more intricate evaluations are needed to assess the needs and successes of the programs. And with many programs targeting students of minority and limited-English proficiency (LEP) status, additional analyses should focus on these targeted populations. This study examines a regional 21st CCLC program with math and English standardized test scores (CRT scores) for students prior to participation and after two years of participation. These test scores were used to create a score change variable, which provides a unique approach to assessing after-school programs. …


The Role Of Trait Forgiveness In Moderating The Relationship Between Materialism And Relationship Instability In Couples, Lance J. Dome Jul 2012

The Role Of Trait Forgiveness In Moderating The Relationship Between Materialism And Relationship Instability In Couples, Lance J. Dome

Theses and Dissertations

With evidence growing of the negative impact materialism exerts on the individual and the marital relationship, this study examines the effects of materialism on the marital relationship as well as the potential moderating effects of forgiveness. Specifically examined is the association between materialism and marital instability considering trait forgiveness as a potential moderating variable. The data for this study were taken from the Flourishing Families Project. Materialism, forgiveness, and marital instability measures with actor effects, partner effects, and moderation effects are analyzed. The findings of this study supported the hypothesis that materialism is related to marital instability and that forgiveness …


The Mediating Influence Of Child Self-Regulation On The Relationship Between Couple Attachment Security In Parents And Anxiety In Their Children, David P. Adamusko Jul 2012

The Mediating Influence Of Child Self-Regulation On The Relationship Between Couple Attachment Security In Parents And Anxiety In Their Children, David P. Adamusko

Theses and Dissertations

This two wave panel study examined child self-regulation as a potential mediator of the relationship between marital attachment security in parents and anxiety in their adolescent child. Data for this study were taken from the two parent families in waves three and four of the Flourishing Families project which included 335 two-parent families with children between the ages of 14 and 16. Both parents and child completed the Novak and Clayton (2001) Self-regulation Scale with the child's self-regulation as the target, and both husbands and wives completed a modified version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire (Fraley, Waller, & …


Indicators Of Fertility Change In A Developing Nation: Examining The Impact Of Motorcycles As A Distance Demolishing Technology On Fertility Change In Rural Indonesia, Jonathan A. Muir Jun 2012

Indicators Of Fertility Change In A Developing Nation: Examining The Impact Of Motorcycles As A Distance Demolishing Technology On Fertility Change In Rural Indonesia, Jonathan A. Muir

Theses and Dissertations

Given the consistent findings in the development literature that fertility is associated with economic growth for individuals, families, and even influences a country's Gross Domestic Product, I explore to what degree motorcycles impact changes in fertility in rural Indonesia. I argue that motorcycles function as a "Distance Demolishing Technology" (Scott 2009:11) and therein empower individuals, particularly young rural women from lower socioeconomic groups who are socially and economically isolated, through increasing their access to labor markets, educational opportunities, non-familial social organizations, and more diverse social networks—key indicators in affecting fertility decisions identified in the existing literature. I examine this relationship …


Do Extracurricular Activities Help Adolescents Develop Academic Self-Efficacy? Evidence For How And Why, Brianne Louisa Burr Jun 2012

Do Extracurricular Activities Help Adolescents Develop Academic Self-Efficacy? Evidence For How And Why, Brianne Louisa Burr

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has linked extracurricular activities to academic performance for adolescents, but it remains unclear through what mechanisms they are linked. I posit that extracurricular activities lead to the development of academic self-efficacy, which in turn improves academic performance. This study examines the nature of the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and academic self-efficacy for adolescents. Using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, I find that academic self-efficacy is positively related to participation in extracurricular activities. Results indicate that participation in a diversity of types of extracurricular activities such as in both sports and student government is …


Clarifying The Relationship Between Bullying And Fear Of Victimization: The Contribution Of Collective Efficacy, Karen R. Spence Jun 2012

Clarifying The Relationship Between Bullying And Fear Of Victimization: The Contribution Of Collective Efficacy, Karen R. Spence

Theses and Dissertations

The rate of fear of victimization has declined in recent years but remains a prevalent problem among adolescents. Fear has been explained in past literature by three main theories: victimization theory, social integration theory, and social disorganization theory. However, the prediction of fear of victimization can be done more concisely by the contribution of collective efficacy, a concept that combines a community's feelings of social cohesion with a willingness to intervene for the common good. Using data collected from Philadelphia middle schools in 1993-1994, this study tested the direct and interacting effects of bullying and collective efficacy on fear of …


Interracial, Yet Intrafaith: Does A Common Religion Predict Higher Relationship Quality In Interracial Romantic Relationships?, Danielle Fenn Jun 2012

Interracial, Yet Intrafaith: Does A Common Religion Predict Higher Relationship Quality In Interracial Romantic Relationships?, Danielle Fenn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between relationship quality and religious discrepancy of interracial couples who are either married or cohabiting. Two variables of religious discrepancy (religious affiliation discrepancy and religiosity discrepancy) were studied. The sample included three groups of interracial couples: Hispanic-white, Asian-white, and Black-white. The data were analyzed using a structural equation model and regression estimates of the three groups were compared. Results showed a significant relationship in only three of the 12 relationships between the two variables of religious discrepancy and relationship quality. Significant negative relationships were found between religious denomination discrepancy and …


Open (Adoption) For Business: Opposing Movements And Environmental Opportunity Structures In The Adoption Organizational Field, 1972-2000, Krista Marie Frederico Jun 2012

Open (Adoption) For Business: Opposing Movements And Environmental Opportunity Structures In The Adoption Organizational Field, 1972-2000, Krista Marie Frederico

Theses and Dissertations

Recent directions in organizational studies have demonstrated progressive social movements' ability to generate rewarding enterprises or environmental opportunity structures (EOS) in receptive markets. However, more nuanced opposing movements (Meyer and Staggenborg 1996), such as the pro-choice and pro-life movements, receive far less attention, leaving scholars to postulate that there is much yet to know about the impact of movements other than those with strict progressive orientations (Zald, Morrill, and Rao 2005). To better understand how opposing movements contribute to environmental opportunity structures, this thesis examines dramatic growth in the number of adoption agencies advertising services in the Yellow Pages during …


The Personal Characteristics And Pedgagogical Styles Of Effective Abstinence Education Instructors, Karen D. Hill Jun 2012

The Personal Characteristics And Pedgagogical Styles Of Effective Abstinence Education Instructors, Karen D. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal characteristics and pedagogical styles of effective abstinence instructors. Abstinence instructors receive regular training and evaluation and tend to remain in the abstinence education field for multiple years. Abstinence education programs are offered throughout the United States and present a pool of participants in which to sociologically examine the dynamics of the relationship of adolescents and instructors in a youth prevention program. This qualitative study is based on in-depth personal interviews of eight abstinence instructors who shared insights into their own teaching experiences, expressed their thoughts about who they are as …


A Comparison Of The Effects Of Negative Communication And Spirituality On Relationship Quality Among Different Groups Of Latino And Anglo Couples, Sergio Benjamin Pereyra Jun 2012

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Negative Communication And Spirituality On Relationship Quality Among Different Groups Of Latino And Anglo Couples, Sergio Benjamin Pereyra

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the direct relationship between actor/ partner effects of negative communication, spirituality and relationship quality and also examined negative communication when mediated by spirituality among four types of couples. The sample included 300 heterosexual Anglo couples (AC), 319 heterosexual female Anglo/ male Latino couples (FAML), 292 heterosexual female Latina/ male Anglo couples (FLMA), and 177 heterosexual Latino couples (LC) who completed a survey questionnaire known as the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE). Variables from this questionnaire that were used in the study included measures of negative communication, spirituality, and relationship quality. Results from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that negative communication …


Relational And Social Contexts As Predictors Of Satisfaction And Stability Among Asian-White Couples, Jerevie Malig Canlas Jun 2012

Relational And Social Contexts As Predictors Of Satisfaction And Stability Among Asian-White Couples, Jerevie Malig Canlas

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that interracial couples are more distressed and have lower stability compared to their endogamous counterparts. Interracial relationships involving Whites and Asians, however, seem to be an exception. To explore this exception, the pathways to relationship stability among endogamous and exogamous Asian-White couples were compared. Using Analysis of Covariance, partner empathy, social approval, relationship satisfaction, and relationship stability for endogamous and exogamous Asian-White couples were compared, while holding length of relationship constant. Actor and partner effects of partner empathy and social approval on relationship satisfaction and relationship stability, as well as that of relationship satisfaction on relationship stability, were …


I Just Can't Do It! The Effects Of Social Withdrawal On Prosocial Behavior, Ashley Michelle Fraser May 2012

I Just Can't Do It! The Effects Of Social Withdrawal On Prosocial Behavior, Ashley Michelle Fraser

Theses and Dissertations

While there has been research published on social withdrawal during childhood, little work has been done on the effects of social withdrawal during emerging adulthood. Since emerging adulthood is a time of transition and initiation to new environments and social contexts, it would be expected to be a time of great anxiety for individuals predisposed to social withdrawal (shyness). Shyer emerging adults are at risk for internalizing behaviors, lowered self-concept, and delayed entry into romantic relationships, therefore, they may also be more challenged when it comes to enacting prosocial behaviors. In addition, the inability to self-regulate emotions may mediate this …


Relationship Between Observed Parental Optimism And Adolescent Optimism With Parental Involvement As A Mediating Variable: Two Wave Panel Study, Allison Ellsworth May 2012

Relationship Between Observed Parental Optimism And Adolescent Optimism With Parental Involvement As A Mediating Variable: Two Wave Panel Study, Allison Ellsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Using coded data from parent-child interaction tasks and questionnaires, this longitudinal study examined the relationship between observed mother and father optimism and self-reported and observed optimism of their adolescent child one year later with mother and father involvement as mediators. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that while there was not a direct association between maternal optimism and child optimism, that father involvement mediated that relationship, and that father involvement further mediated the relationship between father involvement and child optimism.


Going International: The Development And Operations Of Al Qaãida In The Islamic Maghreb, Sarah Faye Mangrem May 2012

Going International: The Development And Operations Of Al Qaãida In The Islamic Maghreb, Sarah Faye Mangrem

Theses and Dissertations

Since 2006 there has been a uniquely independent and autonomous branch of al Qa’ida operating in the Sahel and Sahara region of North and West Africa. Relative to associated movements elsewhere, al Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb is geographically and financially isolated, dependent on its own members to mobilize both human and financial resources. Yet at this they have been particularly successful; smuggling contraband across African borders, kidnapping Europeans for ransom and playing middleman for Latin American cartels transporting huge amounts of drugs to Europe. The 2012 Tuareg rebellion and subsequent military coup in Mali has provided opportune timing as …


Post-Conflict Governance In Nahr El Bared Palestinian Refugee Camp: The State's Technologies Of Control And Shifts In Unrwa Practices, Sheeraz Moujally May 2012

Post-Conflict Governance In Nahr El Bared Palestinian Refugee Camp: The State's Technologies Of Control And Shifts In Unrwa Practices, Sheeraz Moujally

Theses and Dissertations

On the fifth anniversary of the Nahr El Bared War, this thesis seeks to historicize the re-establishment mechanisms of the post-conflict governance of the Nahr El Bared Palestinian refugee camp, almost razed to the ground following a fierce battle between the Lebanese Army and the Salafi multinational militia Fatah Al Islam in May-September 2007. In Lebanon, Palestinian camps are deprived of classical state-like governance, as Palestinian refugees are excluded from legal protection and civil rights and their spaces have been de-domesticated since 1969. In this context, this thesis captures the interplay of the competing sovereignties, each trying to impose its …