Psychology Commons^™

Material Encounters: Making Memory Beyond The Mind, Ariel Wills

Masters Theses

Can acts of making carry the memories of our embeddedness within the world? This thesis explores how making things can nurture a sense of kinship that cuts across the organic and inorganic, erasing the distinction between living and dead, material and spiritual. Through handwork such as art-making, sewing, knitting, cooking, woodworking, and beyond, the burden of remembering and of archiving is shared across human and non-human bodies, cultivated through practices of making, and through the materials themselves. By recounting the stories of my family’s experience as Jewish immigrants in the United States, I aim to reveal how their domestic practices …

Single Parent Households And The Effect On Student Learning, Asia Watt

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine if there is a relationship between single-parent households and the effect on student learning. A total of seven parents and three elementary teachers took a survey. Students’ scores in math and reading from report cards and PARCC scores were also used as data sources. Results revealed that the involvement of single parents at school varies depending on the type of involvement, however, data from the report card review showed all the parents review their child’s report card. Approximately 70 % or more assisted their children in math and English homework. In addition, …

Gay Emerging Adult Dating In College: A Feminist Grounded Theory Exploration, Kathryn Alexandra Conrad

Masters Theses

Research on intimate relationships has mushroomed as the definitions, practices, and contexts for dating change across generations. As an often overlooked population, sexual minorities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered individuals) have received increased scholarly attention within the social and family science research. Whereas this increased attention is warranted, still a lack of research exists regarding dating and romantic relationships among sexual minorities, particularly during emerging adulthood (ages 18-25). The purpose of this study was to explore the definitions, processes, and contexts for dating among a small, same-sex oriented sample of emerging adults (aged 18-25) currently enrolled in a large southeastern university …

"And Do You Take This Stranger To Be Your Lawfully Wedded Wife?": The Usefulness Of Social Penetration Theory Within Premarital Counseling, Katherine Beich-Forkner

Masters Theses

With fifty percent of today's marriages ending in divorce, one begins to wonder if engaged couples should be more prepared when entering into a marriage commitment. This mixed-methods study investigates the function of social penetration theory within premarital counseling programs. The research was designed to address three questions: (1) Do engaged couples believe they know the depth and breadth of their partner adequately enough to be prepared for marriage after receiving premarital counseling? (2) Do counselors indirectly support the basic premise of social penetration theory by actively using strategies to help engaged partners reveal important aspects of the breadth and …

Perform + Function: A Proposal For A Healthy Public Housing Community, Brandon M. Harvey

Masters Theses

PERFORM+FUNCTION: Proposal for A Healthy Public Housing Community

Architecture exists in Place, the integrated context of both the built and natural environments, including socio-economic, cultural, and political climates that influence our growth, development, and survival. As architecture necessitates around human purposes, it is important that architecture is built for and sited in an environment compatible for human well-being. My thesis focuses on human habitation and its immediate relationship with human health, assessing the performance and functionality of Place that have an impact on human health. Using public housing as the vehicle of my investigation, I will seek the appropriate application …

Child Characteristics, Parent-Child Interaction Style, And Self-Regulation As Predictors Of Externalizing Behaviors In Toddlers, Bridget Ellen Hatfield

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Depressive Symptomology On Women’S Childbearing Considerations, Andrea Darlene Marable

Masters Theses

Empirical literature dedicated to pursuing knowledge of the relationship between women who suffer from depression and their considerations of childbearing is lacking. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine the types of relationships that exist between depressive symptomology in women and their childbearing considerations.

Secondary data analysis was the chosen form of research analysis, and the National Survey of Families and Households (Wave 1) was the data set employed. There were a total of four independent variables (depressive symptomology, global life satisfaction, global optimism, and self-esteem) and two dependent variables (10 constraint items and 4 motivational factor …

Family Environment, Family Structure, And Personality Traits Of Adult Children, Michelle A. Rallins

Masters Theses

There have been several studies on the long-term impact of divorce on children; however there have been relatively few studies on the personality characteristics of adult children of divorce. This study investigates the personality traits and family environments of young adults from varied family structures. College students (n = 75) completed the Personality Research Form (PRF-E) and the Family Environment Scale (FES) and demographic forms. A multivariate of analysis (MANOVA) was conducted. The results revealed no significant differences in regard to personality or family environments between young adults from intact families and divorced families. There were, however, marginal differences in …

Parents' Consideration Of The Preschool Child's Perspective Prior To Discipline, Cindy Fritchley-Griffith

Masters Theses

This study begins to develop a measure assessing parents' willingness to consider their preschool child's perspective, and the parents use of this information when considering appropriate disciplinary strategies. The literature on parenting includes this construct among the skills parents could use to increase the relationship and communication between themselves and their children; however, no research prior to this study shows empirical support for this construct. Thirty-two participants, all mothers of children between the ages to two and four, completed three measures: the Parent Behavior Checklist (PBC; Fox, 1994) and two measures developed for this study: vignettes (PCCV) and a direct …

Effects Of Witnessing Domestic Violence On Children, Theresa L. Bundy

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of domestic violence on children. The main questions explored were the effects of domestic violence on the self-perception and behavior of children. The children at a shelter for domestic violence completed the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children and the Self-Perception Profile for Children, depending on the child's age. The children also completed a questionnaire on their views of relationships and their future. The mothers of the children completed a standardized scale that paralleled the scale completed by the children, along with questionnaires on the …

Dr. Professor Mommy: Working Mothers' Gender Role Self Images In The University Community, Dawn Renee Krywanio

Masters Theses

A common misperception exists that working mothers experience their professional lives differently than other working women. This is often the basis for differential treatment of mothers in the workplace. This thesis describes gender role self image among university women in administration, faculty, and staff positions who are also parents; it relates to professional relationship satisfaction in the workplace. Data were collected through the use of open ended surveys of 185 female employees at Eastern Illinois University, follow up interviews, and a Likert scale survey within the same population. Content analysis of the data and qualitative results are the descriptive basis …

Family Problems In The Background Of Mental Health Professionals, Linda Elaine Mccarter

Masters Theses

It has been proposed by some that students choose to study in mental health related fields in an effort to find solutions for their own personal emotional or family problems. Some believe that those who assumed or were assigned a family role of the good or parentified child (a role which requires that the needs of others be placed ahead of one's own) are over-represented among mental health professionals. Others contend that there are no significant differences in family background between psychotherapists and other individuals with a similar level of education. Little empirical investigation has addressed these issues. Studies which …

A Pilot Study Of A Sex Education Program In A Sheltered Workshop Using A Cognitive-Behavioral Model Based On Rational Emotive Therapy, Jacqueline A. Rieck, Thomas E. Frederick

Masters Theses

This pilot study was developed to teach people with mental retardation about their own sexuality, appropriate community behaviors, and to develop within them a basic sense of responsibility for their own actions. Problems in social/sexual behaviors have been consistently quoted as reasons for high recidivism rates, as well as difficulties in community living, vocational placement, and other generalized stereotypes about mental retardation. Often the public remains uninformed about, does not recognize, and/or feels that sexual rights for people with any mental differences should not exist. Additionally, when any form of sexuality was expressed by such people it resulted in shock …