Psychology Commons^™

Study Exploring Feelings Of Self-Blame And Shame Among Individuals Raised By Severely Mentally Ill Caregivers, Joanie Minion

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus of this quantitative research project is to explore feelings of self- blame and/or shame among people who were raised by a primary caregiver with severe mental illness. Examples of serious mental illness (SMI) that are used in this study are bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder (MDD) if psychotic symptoms are present, or it is treatment-resistant. Twenty-six adult participants were recruited via the researcher’s social media account and through others’ sharing the research project information. Demographic data and data regarding self-blame and shame as a child and as an adult and if they felt their family, friendships, …

Treatment Not Punishment: Youth Experiences Of Psychiatric Hospitalizations, Maira Ferrer-Cabrera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study aims to better understand adolescent psychiatric hospitalization regarding the use of coercion at the hands of clinical staff from the perspectives of former hospital staff and former patients' family members. This study was conducted from a critical theory perspective. The researcher surveyed a total of fourteen former staff members and former patients' family members. This research study emphasized quantitative data as the way data was collected. The methods utilized to gather data were online surveys that were collected through Qualtrics and further analyzed using SPSS statistic data editor. The findings of this study showed that 25% of former …

The Effects Of Parenting Styles On Communication Among Asian American Young Adults, Abigail Camarce

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between parenting styles and communication difficulties. Previous studies explored different types of parenting styles and their impact on both mental health and child behavior outcomes. However, the relationship between these styles and communication challenges has largely remained underexplored. This study aimed to fill this void by examining data collected from Asian American (AA) young adults aged 18 to 30, shedding light on how various parenting approaches influence communication difficulties in their families. Method: Quantitative data for this study was gathered through Qualtrics from participants meeting the criteria of AA aged 18 to 30, who …

Cultural And Structural Barriers Of Utilizing Mental Health Services In A School-Based Setting For Latinx Populations, Silvia Lozano, Bridgette Guadalupe Calderon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative research study aimed to reduce mental health service disparities in Latinx communities and helps fill in the gap by addressing cultural and structural barriers to utilizing MHS in a school-based setting for Latinx youth. There is limited research regarding Latinx parents’ perspectives and the reservations they have on utilizing school-based mental health services (MHS) for their children. This study identified six important themes: cultural factors, trust and rapport, reservations, access and awareness, parental involvement and challenges, and school-based resources. Implications for school districts are that they can use these findings to increase early intervention mental behavioral health programs …

Helping Your Child Manage Anxiety: A Parent Education Workshop, Clarissa Aglaén Gallardo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Anxiety has become one of the most common mental health disorders in young children, and it has been shown to have a significant impact on their development. Anxiety can make a child more susceptible to a number of negative effects, including a weakened immune system, developing “negative” habits such as nail biting, increased proneness to anger or crying, as well as difficulties in learning and retaining information. Conversely, when parents/caregivers can prevent or decrease anxiety in their children, children can better regulate their emotions, have more successful relationships, take more risks, and cope better with challenges. The purpose of this …

Impacts Of Poverty On Language Development How Low Socio-Economic Status Students Are At An Academic Disadvantage, Farbod Samari

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Socioeconomic status impacts a variety of mental health outcomes, including language development. Delays in language development have consistently been linked to poverty. Decreases in vocabulary and phonological awareness are among developmental delays in school-aged children living in poverty. This research aims to contribute to the field of human services by examining the negative impacts of poverty on language development from a social worker’s perspective. As social workers thrive to serve disadvantaged populations, this research brings awareness to how language development deficiencies occur in school-aged children living in poverty.

To fulfill the purpose of this study, a quantitative, descriptive/explanatory design …

An Evaluation Of Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing Games For Psychological And Social Functioning Amongst Youth/Young Adults, Adam Thomas Soleski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are “a collaborative narrative game where group members role-play a character that they create in order to solve puzzles, uncover treasure, and defeat monsters in a fictional environment that is created together using formal rules and participation structures'’ (Davis & Kilmer, 2020). TTRPGs have begun to increase in popularity and evoke new interest in exploring whether these new treatment modalities result in positive mental health outcomes. Specifically, therapeutically applied role-playing games (TARPGs) are TTRPGs that integrate therapeutic mechanisms in order to promote improved psychological and social functioning. The goal of the present study was to examine …

The Importance Of Recess In The Lives Of Children, Kayla L. Villanueva

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Current research suggests that when children get the chance to play outdoors, they reap the benefits. However, in today’s society children aren’t outdoors very often. Children also don’t have very much time to play outdoors during recess time while in a school setting. The purpose of this project was to educate and inform elementary school principals about the importance and benefits that recess has on children, as well as help them become an advocate for recess. A video was created that focused on the benefits of outdoor play for children, the importance of recess for children, as well as ways …

The Importance Of Nutrition For Development In Early Childhood, Kaitlyn Sue Suha

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Understanding which foods contain the necessary vitamins and nutrients for a child’s health, and which ones are lacking, can decrease the likelihood of children developing nutritional deficiencies and promote their overall developmental health. It is important for parents of young children to have an understanding of nutrition and the effect that poor nutrition can have. this project presented information sessions to parents to educate them further about these important topics through four weekly online workshops. Participants were asked to complete a pre- and post-session survey. Survey results scores indicated that participants reported an increase in knowledge and understanding in regards …

Body Image Role On Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Maria Ceja, Stephani Aguiar-Vasquez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores the association between adolescents body image concerns and self-injurious behaviors among students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade. The study is exploratory in nature and uses a quantitative design. The study collected archival data from counseling services provided through alocal school district’s counseling program. More specifically, the archival data was retrieved from initial assessments gathered from students participating in the local school district’s counseling program. Additionally, this research is a call for action that seeks to examine and support the further development of programs geared towards students. This study seeks to expand on the research that guides …

Developmental Implications Of Parentification: An Examination Of Ethnic Variation And Loneliness, Bertha Preciado

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Parentification is a parent-child role reversal wherein the parent abdicates their parental responsibilities towards the child and the child responds by performing caretaking behaviors towards their parent. Parentification has previously been examined using a Western theoretical framework and with European/White Americans samples. Within the parentification literature, feelings of loneliness have been mentioned as an outcome of parentified individuals; however, the topic had yet to be examined empirically and with an ethnically diverse sample. The current study investigated parentification and feelings of loneliness across African/Black, Latinx, and European/White American individuals. It was found that ethnic minorities experienced higher levels of parentification …

Origins Of Self-Compassion: The Impact Of The Early Caregiving Environment, Nicoleta Dragan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of early attachment on self-compassion in early adulthood utilizing a causal model to assess the mediating effects of emotional regulation and shame (Figure 1). Participants were 133 undergraduate students (143 females and 90 males) between 18 and 28 years old (M = 22.7 yrs.) from a Southern California university. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using EQS (version 6.1) was used to analyze the data. Results showed an indirect effect of early attachment on self-compassion through emotional regulation and shame; a direct, moderate effect of early attachment on emotional regulation and …

Child Welfare: Trauma Informed Practice At Time Of Child Removal, Ester Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As of 2018, approximately 442,995 children are in the foster care system in the United States according to the federal statistics from the Children’s Bureau. Entry into the foster system involves the removal of children from their home, making it a traumatic experience. The purpose of this study was to examine social workers’ perceptions of what trauma informed practice means and what it looks like in child welfare removals. The study also clarifies what trauma informed practice (TIP) is and how it can be applied in child welfare’s organizational structure. This was a qualitative study in which child welfare social …

San Bernardino And Riverside County Foster Family Agency Social Workers' Awareness Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Cristin Elizabeth Campbell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking is a crime happening right in our own backyards. Social Workers are seeing this vulnerable population fall through the fingers of social services and into the clutches of traffickers at alarming rates. This research project analyzed San Bernardino and Riverside County Foster Family Agency Social Workers' Awareness of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking. This project was a quantitative exploratory research design. A paper survey was distributed to Foster Family Agency Social Workers within San Bernardino and Riverside County, California using a snowball sampling. A bivariate analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship that social work experience in …

Adults’ Knowledge Of Child Development And Child Guidance, Daniela Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Decades of research studies suggest that the quality of parenting skills and parenting knowledge about children’s development have profound effects on children’s development. Studies to date show that most adults lack knowledge of child development and developmentally-appropriate child guidance. These studies, however have focused on white, middle-class, well-educated women and are limited in the range of issues addressed. The purpose of this study was to gain a more accurate understanding about adults’ knowledge of child development and child guidance by assessing female and male adults using an ethnically diverse population. Data from 705 adult participants showed that adults knew more …

A Physical Education Curriculum For Promoting Sociomoral Development, Daniel N. Masarsky

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One area of development that can be facilitated in the context of youth sports and physical education is sociomoral development. Sociomoral development is defined as moral development in the context of social groups. The physical education classroom today lacks the content, structure, and teaching style that middle school students need in order to cement their sociomoral development so that they can experience positive developmental growth as they mature into adulthood. The purpose of this project was to educate future physical education teachers about the importance of including sociomoral development activities in their standard PE curricula. The presentation focused on teaching …

A Collaborative Approach To Address Student Behavior And Academic Achievement Across Systems, Beverly Ngozi Okereke

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Academic achievement and in-classroom behaviors are two significant child outcomes that affect student success in school. According to Systems Theory, in order to truly understand the factors that affect these outcomes for children, one must look to the major systems that encapsulate the child (including their school and home environments). This project is a meta-analytic review that examined the effectiveness of measures representing each system in predicting child achievement and behavior: School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) for the school as a system, level of parent involvement (high versus low) for the home system, and student motivation (intrinsic versus extrinsic) for …

Maternal Scaffolding And First Graders' Near And Far Transfer On Problem-Solving Tasks, Andria R. Clausell

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined correlations between four dimensions of maternal scaffolding, maternal beliefs and values, children’s temperament, and children’s performance and use of self‑regulation strategies on problem‑solving tasks. There are two foci of this study: examining factors that predict the quality of maternal scaffolding, and assessing the relationship between quality of maternal scaffolding and children’s problem solving. Participants consisted of 10 mother‑child dyads in the experimental group and 10 children in the control group. Using a pre- and post‑test design, children were given near and far transfer independent problem‑solving tasks. The experimental group also worked with their mothers on one task …

Social Workers Perspectives Of The Protective And Risk Factors That Affect Youth In The Juvenile Justice System And Child Welfare System, Guadalupe Citlalli Torres, Victoria Vanesa Mariscal

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Youth who have experienced maltreatment and the dysfunction of multiple placements are at risk of engaging in delinquent behaviors. Studies from various professionals found specific risk and protective factors that affect youth from being involved in the juvenile justice system. The current study adds significantly literature by identifying the risk and protective factors that affect foster youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice system based on social workers perspectives. The results indicate almost 93% of the participants agreed that multiple placements, 74% agreed that physical abuse, 61% agreed that group homes, and 67% agreed that sexual abuse serve as …

Bringing The Wonder Of Nature Back To Early Childhood Classrooms, Heather I. Claffey

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Current research suggests that time spent in nature benefits all aspects of children’s development. However, children are spending little time outdoors. Additionally, there are few preschool programs that recognize the outdoors as an extension of the traditional classroom and even fewer college courses and training programs that specifically address outdoor education. The purpose of this project was to educate early childhood teachers about nature’s benefits and provide them with the knowledge necessary to implement their own outdoor classrooms. The trainings focused on seven topics related to the importance and development of an outdoor classroom: introduction to the outdoor classroom, benefits …

Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Over Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? A Meta-Analysis Of Effective Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders In Middle Childhood, Emily A. Edwards

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Anxiety is a commonly diagnosed disorder in middle childhood that affects many aspects of the child’s life. Effective treatment is needed so that children are able to experience fewer or no symptoms of anxiety and to manage anxiety. Cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) is widely used as a treatment for children with anxiety. CBT can either be facilitated in an individual or group format but there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding which modality is most effective. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effectiveness of individual CBT (ICBT) and group CBT (GCBT) in treating school-aged children with anxiety disorders. Eligible …

A Sibling Support Group For Children With A Sibling With Autism, Audrey G. Venegas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to create a research‑based sibling support group for 7 to 12 year‑old children who have a sibling with autism. Typically‑developing children (N = 3) and their parents attended a four‑week, once‑weekly sibling support group. The program focused on topics found to be the key issues of typically‑developing siblings who have a sibling with autism: discovering that others share similar family circumstances, learning about their sibling with autism’s special needs, discussing issues and problems children with siblings who have ASD typically face (and developing effective coping strategies to deal with these issues), and having an …

Addressing The Dual Primary Attachment Figure Model: An Exploration Of Father Attachment, Vanessa N. Greenwood

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study attempted to investigate father attachment using the dual primary attachment figure model by examining caregiving and exploration behaviors of mothers and fathers as they relate to attachment security utilizing an archival data set of 177 young adult females. A subsequent factor analysis of the involvement scales revealed four distinct items creating the caregiving variables (one for mother and one for father) and six items creating the exploration variables. Results showed that mothers engaged in caregiving and exploration behaviors more than fathers, but their exploration predicted mother attachment more than caregiving. Fathers engaged in more caregiving than exploration, but …

A Spanish Version Of The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (Cshq), Duvia Lara Ledesma

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study was done to validate a widely used parent questionnaire that assesses sleep problems in children ages 4‑10. To date, no Spanish‑language sleep questionnaire is available for the Spanish‑speaking population. Research has found that sleep problems affect both typically developing children and children with developmental disabilities, potentially detracting from their quality of life. Spanish is the second most frequently spoken language in the United States, so it is of high importance to make available a Spanish‑language sleep questionnaire. The Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) was chosen to be translated. The norming data for validation of the CSHQ‑S included 151 …

Ethnic And Immigration Status Differences On Child Indicators Of Health For European Americans And Latinos, Christina Granillo, David V. Chavez, Donna M. Garcia, Kelly Campbell

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study examined the effects of ethnicity and immigration status on subjective and objective health (Body Mass Index; BMI) for Latino and European American children. Social identity and comparison theories were used to frame the investigation. Southern California parents were randomly selected to complete a telephone interview about their children’s health yielding a sample of 165 European American and 152 Latino participants. Compared to European Americans, Latinos evidenced poorer subjective and objective health. Latino children who had a caregiver who was a citizen had better subjective health than Latino children whose caregiver was not a citizen. BMI was correlated with …

The Effect Of Neglect In Infancy On The Ability To Attach To Adoptive Caregivers, Lisa Marie Christoffer

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between neglect in infancy and the child's ability to form attachments in an adoption context. Most of the current research assesses the effect of all forms of maltreatment on attachment behavior. However this study aimed to investigate one type of maltreatment, neglect, on attachment behavior.

Horses And At-Risk Youth: An Alternative Approach To Reconnect Adolescents, Christiane Deaton

Theses Digitization Project

The author developed a model for at-risk youth that outlines processes and incorporates best practices of an equine-facilitated program. The Horse Program Model (HPM) is designed to determine if and how participating in a horse program can help change attitudes, skills and behaviors of at-risk youth.

Efficacy Of Early Literacy Intervention Project For Early Literacy Development In Family Child Care Homes, Gloria Ruth Kinzler

Theses Digitization Project

This project focused on the concept that family childcare providers who completed "Building Literacy Bridges" intervention project, which included interactive early literacy classes on phonological and print awareness, dialogic and shared reading skills, as well as providing a literacy rich environment, would implement those concepts into their daily care with children. Nine family childcare providers completed the four-hour per week, four-week intervention project.

Role Of Parent Negative Affect As A Predictor Of Child Cardiovascular Reactivity And Child Internalizing Symptoms, Emily Anne Wear

Theses Digitization Project

The goal of this study was to explore a psychophysiological model of negative parent-child interactions particularly with daughters which include child cardivovascular response and mental health outcomes.

The Impact Of Early Attachment Security On Perspective-Taking In Young Adults, Lisa Ann Kanthack

Theses Digitization Project

The primary goal of the present study is to explore the relationship between early attachment experiences and later perspective-taking ability in young adults. Perspective-taking is important for the development of social skills, prosocial behaviors, and to ensure positive social interaction with others. A total of 165 undergraduate students were recruited from a midsized southwestern university and were asked to complete a questionaire assessing attachment security, perspective-taking, egocentrism, empathy, and narcissism.