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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Latent Class Analysis Of Cognitive Empowerment And Ethnic Identity: An Examination Of Heterogeneity Between Profile Groups On Dimensions Of Emotional Psychological Empowerment And Social Justice Orientation Among Urban Youth Of Color, David T. Lardier, Verónica R. Barrios, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid Aug 2019

A Latent Class Analysis Of Cognitive Empowerment And Ethnic Identity: An Examination Of Heterogeneity Between Profile Groups On Dimensions Of Emotional Psychological Empowerment And Social Justice Orientation Among Urban Youth Of Color, David T. Lardier, Verónica R. Barrios, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Psychological empowerment (PE) encompasses key aspects of youth development and civic engagement. Empowerment scholarship has largely focused on the intrapersonal or emotional component of PE, which considers perceptions of control and self-efficacy, specifically in the sociopolitical sphere. Fewer studies have assessed the interactional or cognitive component of PE. Even less have examined the empirical association aspects of PE, including cognitive empowerment, with conceptually related variables, such as ethnic identity. Those studies that are present have shown that the association between aspects of PE and ethnic identity are complex. The current study of urban high school students of color (N = …


A Study Of Psychological Sense Of Community As A Mediator Between Supportive Social Systems, School Belongingness, And Outcome Behaviors Among Urban High School Students Of Color, David T. Lardier, Ijeoma Opara, Carrie Bergeson, Andriana Herrera, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid Jul 2019

A Study Of Psychological Sense Of Community As A Mediator Between Supportive Social Systems, School Belongingness, And Outcome Behaviors Among Urban High School Students Of Color, David T. Lardier, Ijeoma Opara, Carrie Bergeson, Andriana Herrera, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Psychological sense of community (SOC) has been examined minimally among the youth of color, and as a mediating variable, as well as construct implicated in promoting wellness. Using data from a sample of 401 students of color (M age = 16.55, standard deviation = 1.31; 54.7% female; 57% Hispanic/Latina[o]) from an underserved northeastern US urban community, we examined the mediating relationship of psychological SOC between social support, participation in youth-based community programs, and outcomes including school belongingness, risk behaviors such as substance use and violent behavior, and psychological symptoms, including depression. Results indicated that access to social supports and youth-based …


Race As A Carceral Terrain: Black Lives Matter Meets Reentry, Jason Williams May 2019

Race As A Carceral Terrain: Black Lives Matter Meets Reentry, Jason Williams

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In the United States, racialized people are disproportionately selected for punishment. Examining punishment discourses intersectionally unearths profound, unequal distinctions when controlling for the variety of victims’ identities within the punishment regime. For example, trans women of color are likely to face the harshest of realities when confronted with the prospect of punishment. However, missing from much of the academic carceral literature is a critical perspective situated in racialized epistemic frameworks. If racialized individuals are more likely to be affected by punishment systems, then, certainly, they are the foremost experts on what those realities are like. The Black Lives Matter hashtag …


“It All Starts With The Parents”: A Qualitative Study On Protective Factors For Drug-Use Prevention Among Black And Hispanic Girls, Ijeoma Opara, David T. Lardier, Robert Reid, Pauline Garcia-Reid May 2019

“It All Starts With The Parents”: A Qualitative Study On Protective Factors For Drug-Use Prevention Among Black And Hispanic Girls, Ijeoma Opara, David T. Lardier, Robert Reid, Pauline Garcia-Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Using intersectionality theory as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study uncovered the protective factors present among black and Hispanic adolescent girls living in an urban, underresourced neighborhood in the Northeastern United States. The sample used in this study includes eight focus groups that consisted of adolescent females only (N = 57). Female participants were sampled through six youth-serving summer programs throughout the target city. The female participants were between 11 and 17 years of age, with 73% self-identifying as black (n = 45) and 26% (n = 12) as Hispanic. Thematic analysis using an intersectional approach was used to analyze …


A Post-Intentional Phenomenological Exploration Of A Sense Of Safety In Three-Generation Low-Income Families, Kaitlin Brigid Mulcahy May 2019

A Post-Intentional Phenomenological Exploration Of A Sense Of Safety In Three-Generation Low-Income Families, Kaitlin Brigid Mulcahy

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Despite a wide body of literature that suggests safety as critical to human development and individual well-being (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Bowlby, 1969; Fosha, Siegel & Solomon, 2009; Marvin, Cooper, Hoffman & Powell, 2002; Porges, 2011; Tronick, 2007), a comprehensive review of the literature found a paucity of research that addresses the phenomenon of a sense of safety within family units. This study sought to fill this gap through an entirely strengths-based design that made use of post-intentional phenomenological methods and arts-based analysis. The research question that guided this study was: How is the phenomenon of a sense …


Exploring The Role Of Social Support, Ethnic Identity, And Psychological Empowerment On Drug Use And Sexual Risk Behavior Among Black & Hispanic Female Adolescents, Ijeoma Opara May 2019

Exploring The Role Of Social Support, Ethnic Identity, And Psychological Empowerment On Drug Use And Sexual Risk Behavior Among Black & Hispanic Female Adolescents, Ijeoma Opara

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Adolescent females of color, particularly Black and Hispanic adolescents, are often viewed as a homogenous group with adolescent boys of color, thus ignoring unique gender-racial specific risk and protective factors to drug use and HIV/AIDS that may be present. Such an absence can lead to flawed outcomes in HIV, STIs (sexually transmitted infections), and substance abuse prevention work that may continue to marginalize girls of color. Using empowerment theory and intersectionality as a framework, this study examines the extent to which ethnic identity, social support, and psychological empowerment is on drug use and sexual risk behavior. The study uses a …


Suicide In Younger And Older Adults : A Comparison Of Two Theoretical Models For Suicide, John F. Gunn Iii May 2019

Suicide In Younger And Older Adults : A Comparison Of Two Theoretical Models For Suicide, John F. Gunn Iii

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Suicide is a major public health concern claiming over 47,000 lives annually in the United States. Despite efforts at prevention, the rates of suicide have continued to climb. Due to this, research that can shed light on the potential causes of suicidal thoughts is of great importance. The present manuscript outlines three studies exploring two theoretical frameworks for suicide: (1) Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) and (2) Social Pain Model (SPM). Findings from Study 1 partially support the role of low self-worth and low social support in increasing risk for reporting suicidal thoughts in a racially diverse sample of African …


Associations Between Social Connectedness, Emotional Well-Being, And Self-Rated Health Among Older Adults: Difference By Relationship Status, Ashley Ermer, Christine M. Proulx Apr 2019

Associations Between Social Connectedness, Emotional Well-Being, And Self-Rated Health Among Older Adults: Difference By Relationship Status, Ashley Ermer, Christine M. Proulx

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

The present study investigates the association between social connectedness (i.e., social network characteristics, family and friend support, and social ties with neighbors), emotional well-being, and self-rated health and whether these associations differ based on respondents’ relationship status among adults aged 62 and older. A series of multigroup generalized structural equation models (GSEMs) were conducted using data from the National Social, Health, and Aging Project. Social connectedness items were mostly positively associated with emotional well-being and self-rated health, and several of these associations are stronger for older adults who are unpartnered versus those who are cohabiting or married. Cohabiting and married …


Sexual Negotiation Skills And Risky Behavior On Sexual Partnerships, Hiv Knowledge, And Risk Perception Among Urban Youth Of Colora Latent Class Analysis, David T. Lardier, Ijeoma Opara, Andriana Herrera, Melissa Henry, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid Jan 2019

Sexual Negotiation Skills And Risky Behavior On Sexual Partnerships, Hiv Knowledge, And Risk Perception Among Urban Youth Of Colora Latent Class Analysis, David T. Lardier, Ijeoma Opara, Andriana Herrera, Melissa Henry, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Adolescents of color in urban communities are at high risk for contracting HIV, unlikely to have access to HIV testing services, or any other form of screening services. Using latent class analysis among a sample of African American/Black (48.1%) and Hispanic/Latina(o) (42%) youth (N = 668; Mage = 16.30; 51% female), this study examined the association cluster group membership, based on sexual negotiation skills and risk behavior, had on HIV knowledge, perception of risk, and the number of sexual partners. Five distinct cluster groups emerged, with significant heterogeneity observed between cluster groups on select dependent variables. A larger proportion of …


The Examination Of Cognitive Empowerment Dimensions On Intrapersonal Psychological Empowerment, Psychological Sense Of Community, And Ethnic Identity Among Urban Youth Of Color, David T. Lardier, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid Jan 2019

The Examination Of Cognitive Empowerment Dimensions On Intrapersonal Psychological Empowerment, Psychological Sense Of Community, And Ethnic Identity Among Urban Youth Of Color, David T. Lardier, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this investigation is to examine heterogeneity and membership with subgroups of cognitive empowerment among youth of color. Within this heterogeneity, this study hopes to identify the relationship each of these subgroups of youth have with conceptually related variables including intrapersonal psychological empowerment, psychological sense of community (SOC), and ethnic identity. The participants were 383 urban youth of color in grades 9 through 12. The results showed significant variation between profile groups of youth and the association higher levels of cognitive empowerment have with intrapersonal psychological empowerment, psychological SOC, and ethnic identity; albeit, some variation was present. This …


The Impact Of Widely Publicized Suicides On Search Trends: Using Google Trends To Test The Werther And Papageno Effects, John F. Gunn, Sara Goldstein, David Lester Jan 2019

The Impact Of Widely Publicized Suicides On Search Trends: Using Google Trends To Test The Werther And Papageno Effects, John F. Gunn, Sara Goldstein, David Lester

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of widely publicized suicides on the Werther and Papageno Effects using internet search trends. A list of widely publicized suicides from 2010 through 2018 was compiled along with dates of death for each of these individuals. Google.com/trends data were then collected for searches for “how to suicide” and “suicide prevention” for 14 days prior to a widely publicized suicide/14 days after a widely publicized suicide and 7 days prior to a widely publicized suicide/7 days after a widely publicized suicide. Comparisons were then made between these time periods for “how …


Validation Of The Abbreviated Socio‑Political Control Scale For Youth (Spcs‑Y) Among Urban Girls Of Color, Ijeoma Opara, Elizabeth I. Rivera Rodas, David T. Lardier, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid Jan 2019

Validation Of The Abbreviated Socio‑Political Control Scale For Youth (Spcs‑Y) Among Urban Girls Of Color, Ijeoma Opara, Elizabeth I. Rivera Rodas, David T. Lardier, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

This study tested and validated the factor structure of the abbreviated Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS-Y) among a sample of urban girls of color. Participants include (N = 830) urban girls of color from a northeastern United States community. Confirmatory Factor analyses (CFA) were conducted using AMOS Structural Equation Modeling Software. Cluster groups were created using Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCA) and tested using Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with conceptually related variables. CFA results supported the two-factor structure of the abbreviated SPCS-Y among the sample. Following the creation of cluster groups, MANCOVA analyses revealed significant heterogeneity among cluster …


Youth Cognitive Empowerment: Development And Evaluation Of An Instrument, Paul W. Speer, N. Andrew Peterson, Brian D. Christens, Robert Reid Jan 2019

Youth Cognitive Empowerment: Development And Evaluation Of An Instrument, Paul W. Speer, N. Andrew Peterson, Brian D. Christens, Robert Reid

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Psychological empowerment (PE) is a multicomponent construct that involves the mechanisms through which people and groups gain control over their lives and environments. Psychological empowerment has previously been operationalized using measures of sociopolitical control among young people, with findings indicating links between PE and other positive developmental outcomes. Sociopolitical control, however, is only an indicator for the emotional component of PE. Research has largely neglected the cognitive component of PE, particularly in studies of younger people. In fact, few studies to date have presented and empirically tested measurement instruments for the cognitive component of PE among youth. In this study, …