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Child Psychology

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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Slasher Films And Self-Harm: A Relationship Of Self-Hatred And Trauma, Stevie Lee Steers Jan 2020

Slasher Films And Self-Harm: A Relationship Of Self-Hatred And Trauma, Stevie Lee Steers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This paper’s purpose is to look at slasher films and the potential relationship of trauma and self-hatred that these films hold to adolescents aged 14-20 who commit self-harm. The type of self-harm examined in this paper is cutting and the films that will be studied will have to be from 1979 to 1989, which is the “golden age” for slasher films. The films that will be studied are The Nightmare on Elm Street series, Hellraiser series, and Friday the 13th series. This paper will be using multiple literary lenses to discuss how slasher films convey trauma and self-hatred and how …

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School Administrator Perceptions And Actions Toward Reducing Mental Health Factors To Learning, Andrew Charles Teti Jan 2020

School Administrator Perceptions And Actions Toward Reducing Mental Health Factors To Learning, Andrew Charles Teti

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Approximately one in five children have a mental health need that impacts their academic functioning (World Health Organization, 2004). This study investigated what actions school administrators who oversee kindergarten through eighth grade, and how their perceptions of mental health have impacted those decisions. Both a survey and an interview were conducted with current school administrators in three counties in Western Pennsylvania. Findings suggested that administrators take mental health factors to learning very seriously and place a significant amount of pressure on themselves to address this barrier. Additionally, school administrators utilize a team approach to focus on mental health in the …

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An Evaluation Of A Middle School's Bully Prevention Program, Jennifer Lynn Frazier Jan 2013

An Evaluation Of A Middle School's Bully Prevention Program, Jennifer Lynn Frazier

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study examines the effectiveness of a positive behavior support intervention program on the behavior of students in a middle school in a rural county in southern West Virginia. The study used a Pretest-Intervention-Posttest design using a single group of subjects across the span of four academic school years. The researcher measured the frequency of Office Discipline Referrals (ODR’s) pre and post intervention to determine if the intervention program was effective in improving bullying behavior. Data were analyzed using the Chi Square statistic. Results indicated an increase in total ODR’s post-intervention.

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The Level Of Parental Conflict And Children's Behavioral Reactions To Divorce, Cindi Jo Settle Jan 2010

The Level Of Parental Conflict And Children's Behavioral Reactions To Divorce, Cindi Jo Settle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research investigated the level of parental conflict as a contributor to children’s behavioral difficulties up to one year after parental separation. Participants were parents who had been court ordered to attend the parent education class sponsored by the Kanawha County Family Court in Charleston, West Virginia. The Conflict Tactics Scale 2 (CTS2) was used to identify marital conflict and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 (CBCL) parent report was used to determine childhood behavior problems. Correlation and multiple linear regression analysis found that children who were traumatized by domestic violence suffered from anxiety, depression, withdrawal symptoms, attention problems, somatic complaints, …

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Exploring Obesity And After-School Supervision With Adolescents In Rural West Virginia, Sallie Dawn Richards Jan 2010

Exploring Obesity And After-School Supervision With Adolescents In Rural West Virginia, Sallie Dawn Richards

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Both childhood obesity and the number of children in self-care have increased during the past several decades. Child care arrangements for working parents of middle school children can be a complex problem because unsupervised children who “hang out” with peers after school are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, although unsupervised children at home after school tend to watch more television than their supervised peers. Because children in self-care at home after school tend to engage in more sedentary activities, they may be at greater risk for becoming overweight or obese. The purpose of the present study was to …

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Cross-Informant Agreement Among Parents And Children, Staci S. Mullins Jan 2010

Cross-Informant Agreement Among Parents And Children, Staci S. Mullins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Rating scales are often used by school psychologists to assess for emotional and behavioral disorders in students. While one advantage of rating scales is that data can be collected and assessed from multiple informants, research has shown that agreement between multiple informants is usually low to moderate, with the lowest being between parents and youth. The Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) is a new multi- dimensional rating scale claiming to have moderate parent/youth agreement. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cross-informant agreement between youth and parents using the Conners CBRS and then compare the correlations from …

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Parental Perceptions Of Weight In Their Own Children And In Other Children, Tammy Corbett-Alderman Jan 2009

Parental Perceptions Of Weight In Their Own Children And In Other Children, Tammy Corbett-Alderman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Childhood obesity rates have risen dramatically in the past 50 years. Interest in the issue of obesity in the United States has grown significantly as our population has become increasingly heavier and our obesity associated health issues have become ever more apparent. Childhood obesity is a persistent problem as 80% of obese children grow up to be obese adults. Despite the alarming increase in childhood obesity little has been done to reverse this epidemic. The purpose of the present study was to determine if parents are able to identify excess weight in children other than their own. It was hypothesized …

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Effects Of Father Absence On Adolescent Depression, Sexual Attitudes, And Substance Use, Nicole M. Hurtack Jan 2008

Effects Of Father Absence On Adolescent Depression, Sexual Attitudes, And Substance Use, Nicole M. Hurtack

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between father absence and depression, sexual attitudes, and substance use on adolescents. Data were collected from forty-nine high school students (28 males, 21 females) from ninth to twelfth grade from a private high school in Pennsylvania. The Beck Depression Inventory-II was used to measure levels of depression. A sexual attitudes and substance use, and family demographic survey were also administered. The results of this study provided no support for the hypothesized relationship between adolescent adjustment and father absence. Father absence did not significantly predicted sexual attitudes, depression or substance …

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Childhood Obesity And Depression, Leslie N. Horton Jan 2008

Childhood Obesity And Depression, Leslie N. Horton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Obesity is a commonly experienced health issue. Children who suffer from obesity may experience medical concerns such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension (American Obesity Association, 2006). Obese children may also face psychological consequences. An overweight child may experience criticism from peers while finding it difficult to participate in age-related activities. Considering this fact, one can understand why psychological effects of childhood obesity are of concern. The purpose of this study is to examine the links between obesity and childhood depression, rated by the Childhood Depression Inventory (CDI-2). Twenty-nine children were administered the CDI-2. Activity level and age of children …

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Attachment And Adolescent Psychopathology In A Correctional Setting, Lindsay A. Lounder Jan 2007

Attachment And Adolescent Psychopathology In A Correctional Setting, Lindsay A. Lounder

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

It was the purpose of this research to better understand the role of attachments and related clinical issues in relation to the development of criminality in late adolescence. This study involves designs comparing the youth at a maximum-security correctional facility versus controls matched on demographic variables using the Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ). Within group data is also analyzed to study differences and similarities among the offenders. Significant differences were found between the offenders and control group on attachment classifications as well as other clinical scales. Offenders are more likely than controls to have insecure attachments to their mother, …

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Variables That Influence The Quantity Of In-Home Services For Children, Adrienne A. Bean Jan 2007

Variables That Influence The Quantity Of In-Home Services For Children, Adrienne A. Bean

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

There are many reasons in-home services are being implemented and having success with young children. Part of this success may be due to the practitioners’ access to the family and home environment. Previous studies have addressed the quality of these services; however, few studies examine how the quantity of services is dispersed and/or how quantity of services is related to various characteristics of, or surrounding, the child. This dissertation attempts to examine factors that may influence the amount of time practitioners are willing to spend in homes when children have comparable concerns or delays. Parental qualities, environmental conditions, and other …

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Social Cognition In Children From Rural Appalachia: Defining, Predicting And Discovering, Conrae J. Lucas-Adkins Jan 2006

Social Cognition In Children From Rural Appalachia: Defining, Predicting And Discovering, Conrae J. Lucas-Adkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study, as part of longitudial Rural Appalachian Infant Temperament Project, investigated social cognition in a group of 10 and 11 year old children. We looked at two aspects of social cognition 1) the extent to which children could generate two different explanations for the behavior of others (perspective-taking) and 2) children's interpretations of the reasons for the behaviors of others. We established a measure of social cognition, based on the earlier work of Dodge & Frame(1982), that asked children to explain the reasons for the behavior of others as presented in six hypothetical situations. Children were also asked to …

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The Effects Of Childhood Obesity On Self-Esteem, Heather L. Paxton Jan 2005

The Effects Of Childhood Obesity On Self-Esteem, Heather L. Paxton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Obesity is a growing health problem affecting children in the United States. The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically over the past 10 years across virtually all populations and age groups. Recent data suggest that 15 percent of U.S. children are severely overweight or obese (National Center for Health Statistics, 2002) . Obese children are at risk for significant health problems, but also face many psychological and social consequences, including low self-esteem. Children who are obese face an increased risk of emotional problems lasting well into adulthood. Factors such as peer rejection, weight-related teasing, and internalized social standards play a …

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Differences In Self-Esteem Between Genders: A Look At Middle School, Beth S. Michael Jan 2005

Differences In Self-Esteem Between Genders: A Look At Middle School, Beth S. Michael

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Most theorists suggest that the developement of self-esteem is found through interactions and experiences. However, these experiences may greatly differ between males and females in early adolescence because of developmental differences between the genders. Socialization may also play an important role in the self-esteem differences between genders. Overall, males and females have different developmental levels at the middle school age. Early or late development may impact the adolescent's self-esteem. This study will examine the differences in self-esteem between genders in middle school adolescents.

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The Relationship Between Juvenile Delinquency And Family Unit Structure, Angela D. Mullens Jan 2004

The Relationship Between Juvenile Delinquency And Family Unit Structure, Angela D. Mullens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental absence and juvenile delinquency and to determine if a link exists between the two variables. Data was collected from male juveniles who were alleged to have committed status or delinquent offenses between 1996 and 2004. Each offense was categorized according to the family unit (e.g., intact, father only, mother only, etc.), offense type (e.g., underage consumption, petit larceny, breaking and entering, etc.), offense level (e.g., status misdemeanor, and felony), the victim (e.g., crimes against the person, crimes against property, etc.) and the juvenile’s age at the time the …

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The Impact Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) On Families: The Perceptions Of Families With An Adhd Child, Patrick Whaley Jan 2004

The Impact Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) On Families: The Perceptions Of Families With An Adhd Child, Patrick Whaley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study extended the research to include a more complete description o f parents’ perceptions and the impact had on their family functioning. The researcher selected the participants with two categories in mind: (A) Parents must live or not live with an ADHD diagnosed child; (B) Parents will provide their consent for this study. The researcher used the Parenting Stress Index (PSI). The PSI is used to identify stress levels in parent-child systems. By using a t-test for independent samples, the treatment group responded with more stress than the control group (T= 10.143, 28). The researcher found a statistically significant …

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Identifying At Risk Youth For Delinquency In Southern West Virginia, Roderick Q. Neal Jan 2004

Identifying At Risk Youth For Delinquency In Southern West Virginia, Roderick Q. Neal

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Juvenile delinquency has been an important area of study. Academics, practitioners, politicians, and legal scholars have devoted their attention to basic questions about the nature of youth crime. This report was designed to identify which psychological and social variables are statistically reliable predictors of significant juvenile delinquency in southern West Virginia. In an effort to identify at risk youth, 200 subjects were administered a 16-question survey. This survey had a mixture of continuous and categorical psychological and social variables and the data was analyzed using Logistic Regression strategies. One hundred of the subjects had been referred to a juvenile probation …

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Gender Differences In Gross And Fine Motor Abilities In Preschool Aged Children In West Virginia, Kelly R. Pennington Jan 2002

Gender Differences In Gross And Fine Motor Abilities In Preschool Aged Children In West Virginia, Kelly R. Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in gross and fine motor abilities in preschool aged children in West Virginia. Subjects consisted of 21 males and 16 females. Data was collected via the West Virginia Educare Initiative using the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs. Results of this study indicate that there are no significant gender differences in either gross motor or fine motor abilities in preschool aged children.

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Relation Of Age Beginning Delinquency, Chemical Dependency, Family History Of Substance Use And The Likelihood To Display Elevated 49/94 Two-Point Codetype On The Mmpi-A With Juvenile Delinquents, Jay Cunningham Jan 2001

Relation Of Age Beginning Delinquency, Chemical Dependency, Family History Of Substance Use And The Likelihood To Display Elevated 49/94 Two-Point Codetype On The Mmpi-A With Juvenile Delinquents, Jay Cunningham

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A data search of male juvenile delinquents (N=40) who had taken the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A) was undertaken from archival data at the Industrial Home for Youth Division of Juvenile Services at Salem, West Virginia. The Industrial Home for Youth is a 120 bed maximum security correctional facility for males age 10 through 20 and females age 12 through 20. Subjects’ files were placed into two groups, 20 in each group. The study group is males whose MMPI-A profile had a two-point codetype of elevated 49/94, T-score being 65 or above. The comparison group did not have …

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Student Victimization And Its Relation To School Violence, Heidi Gregoire Jan 2001

Student Victimization And Its Relation To School Violence, Heidi Gregoire

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The frequent depiction of school violence in the media today has led some to believe that violence in our schools is an increasing problem. Those who are most prone to be influenced by the media’s perception of school violence may include those most affected by school violence such as parents, educators, and students. This influence may increase parents’ concerns about sending their children to school, and create a fear of going to school on a daily basis in educators and students. Despite such fears, research suggests that school violence is, in fact, decreasing, at least with regard to school shootings. …

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The Relationship Between Language Development And Self-Help Skills In Developmentally Delayed Infants And Young Children, Tammy M. Roberts Jan 2001

The Relationship Between Language Development And Self-Help Skills In Developmentally Delayed Infants And Young Children, Tammy M. Roberts

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The author explored the relationship between language skills and self-help skills in young children diagnosed as developmentally delayed. Twenty-eight children from the West Virginia Birth to Three Program at Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center in Princeton, West Virginia, were involved in the research. The data was analyzed using the Spearman r formula. The analysis found a strong positive relationship between language skills and self-help skills. The results indicated that developmental interventions need to be global and not delay-specific. Young children learn skills in the various areas of development concurrently. Recommendations for future research were made.

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The Relationship Between Attention And Memory And School Readiness In West Virginia Preschoolers, Brenda Carol Parker Jan 2001

The Relationship Between Attention And Memory And School Readiness In West Virginia Preschoolers, Brenda Carol Parker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current study investigated the relationship between memory and attention and academic readiness in children between the ages of 2 ½ and 5. Forty-two preschool children were involved in the study and were selected from childcare centers participating in the Educare project in West Virginia. All subjects were tested with the Bracken and the Carolina Curriculum. The Bracken measured the academic readiness and the Carolina Curriculum measured memory and attention levels of the children. The results indicated a positive correlation between memory and attention and academic readiness. The findings supported the position that there is a positive correlation between mastery …

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Locus Of Control And Aggression, Glenna Anderson Jan 2001

Locus Of Control And Aggression, Glenna Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The relationship between locus of control and aggression in children was investigated. Twenty-five students from grades 5 through 8 from a rural public school in southern West Virginia were involved in the research. The students - completed the Children’s Nowicki- Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control scale, and the students’ teachers completed the Conners’ Global Index for measuring psychopathology and hyperactivity. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was utilized to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Alpha was set at .05. There was no significant relationship between locus of control and aggression in the children. Research suggests that the expression of aggression is …

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Cognitive And Emotional Variables In Childhood Anxiety, Robin L. Browning Jan 2001

Cognitive And Emotional Variables In Childhood Anxiety, Robin L. Browning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research was conducted on 60 subjects from mental health agencies in order to determine that childhood anxiety and depression can be differentiated. The 60 subjects were given the CDI and the RCMAS self-report measures in order to be placed in groups. This allowed the subjects to be divided into 4 groups: Anxious, Anxious/Depressed, Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed. The 4 groups were then given 2 additional self-report measures, the STAIC and FSSC -R to measure whether Anxious and the Anxious/Depressed children exhibited more fears and anxious traits than did the Depressed and Not Anxious/Not Depressed children. Analyses of variance revealed …

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Does The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children / 3rd Edition Discriminate Between Ld And Non-Ld Children, Ages 9 To 16 Years Old?, Matthew E. Dehmlow Jan 2000

Does The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children / 3rd Edition Discriminate Between Ld And Non-Ld Children, Ages 9 To 16 Years Old?, Matthew E. Dehmlow

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether the Wechsler’s Intelligence Scale for Children / 3rd Edition (WISC-III) can discriminate between students with learning disabilities (LD students) and students without learning disabilities (non-LD students). Although the WISC-III has established itself as a valuable psychological instrument for measuring intelligence, the subtests of the WISC-IH have been selected to examine possible differentiating patterns when examining a group of LD subjects and comparing their subtest results to a group of non-LD subjects. The current study proposes to examine the capability of the WISC-HI’s subtests to discriminate between a population of …

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The Grooved Pegboard Test With Ld And Non-Ld Children, Aimee H. Earley Jan 2000

The Grooved Pegboard Test With Ld And Non-Ld Children, Aimee H. Earley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) at identifying learning disabled (LD) children between the ages of 9 and 16. Fifty-six children were involved in the study: 27 in the LD group and 29 in the non-LD group. All subjects had a full scale IQ that fell in the 80 to 120 range. A battery of neurological tests was administered to all subjects and the data gleaned from each test was individually analyzed. Findings showed that the administration of the Grooved Pegboard Test produced statistically significant results in determining LD when subjects used their dominant hand …

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The Ability Of Trail Making Test Parts A And B For Children And Adolescents To Discriminate Between Learning Disabled Students And Non-Learning Disabled Students, Glorene K. Evilsizor Jan 2000

The Ability Of Trail Making Test Parts A And B For Children And Adolescents To Discriminate Between Learning Disabled Students And Non-Learning Disabled Students, Glorene K. Evilsizor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Trail Making Test Parts A and B is a neuropsychological test that has long been thought to be a highly reliable and valid test that is able to discriminate cerebral dysfunction. In the present study, an investigation was completed in order to determine whether or not the Trail Making Test Parts A and B could differentiate learning disabled students from non-learning disabled students in four counties in West Virginia. Fifty-six students ranging from ages 9-16 (mean age 9.9) were involved in the study. The convenience sample consisted of 27 learning disabled students and 29 controls or non-learning disabled students. …

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The Creative Writer: An Examination Of Early Childhood Environment, Psychopathology, And Personality Traits, Cynthia I. Hagan Jan 2000

The Creative Writer: An Examination Of Early Childhood Environment, Psychopathology, And Personality Traits, Cynthia I. Hagan

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The early childhood environment, the pathology, and the personality traits of non-eminent creative writers were compared to those of non-creative artists. The stated issues were examined using a thirty-item, forced choice questionaire. The results indicated that the non-creative writer group experienced more early childhood trauma than did the non-creative artist group. The findings are congruent with previous research and supports the position that early childhood environment plays a significant role in the development of creativity.

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The Effects Of Early Childhood Sexual Abuse On Substance Use Among Adolescent Females Housed In An Emergency Shelter, Randa Bahmed Jan 2000

The Effects Of Early Childhood Sexual Abuse On Substance Use Among Adolescent Females Housed In An Emergency Shelter, Randa Bahmed

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research studied the effects of childhood sexual abuse on substance use in adolescent females. Eighty females from The Cherry Hill Shelter located in Daniels, West Virginia were involved in the research. This research involved a between-subjects random design. The data was analyzed using the chi-square technique. Race, history of sexual abuse, history of substance use, and residence were involved in the analysis. The results of the chi-square technique indicated that early childhood sexual abuse and substance use among adolescent females are independent of each other. Recommendations for future research were made

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Macarthur Story-Stem Battery And Gender Differences, Gina Arnett Jan 2000

Macarthur Story-Stem Battery And Gender Differences, Gina Arnett

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In this study the MacArthur Story-Stem Battery (MSSB; Bretherton, Oppenheim, Buchsbaum, Emde, & The MacArthur Narrative Group, 1990), an assessment tool that examines childrens’ ability to cope with conflict laden situations, was used to study gender differences in avoidance and aggression. Forty-three children (22 girls, 21 boys) participated in the third phase of a longitudinal study when they were between 7.5 and 8 years old (mean = 7.8). Results showed that males scored significantly higher than females on the variable of aggression in their story completions on the MSSB; however, gender differences for avoidance, while in the hypothesized direction, did …

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