Psychology Commons^™

Improving The Subjective Well-Being Of Autistic Youth Utilizing A Positive Psychology Intervention, Nicolette Bauermeister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a single-case multiple-baseline design to analyze the effects of a ten-week multi-component positive psychology intervention, the Well-Being Promotion Program, on the subjective well-being of Autistic youth. This thesis addressed a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions when administered to Autistic middle schoolers. Three Autistic middle schoolers participated in this single-case design study. Dynamic decision-making was used to stagger intervention implementation across the three participants. Life satisfaction and positive/negative affect data were collected via a Qualtrics survey that was administered twice per week. Through visual analysis and Baseline Corrected Tau calculations, it was …

The Integration Of Positive Psychology And Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports To Improve Minoritized Students' Social, Emotional, And Behavioral Outcomes, Jasmine L. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a culturally adapted 9-session group positive psychology intervention with and without an added peer reporting intervention on student levels of social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Many studies have evaluated either school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) or positive psychology interventions (PPIs) in isolation, but very few studies have examined the extent to which combining these interventions and approaches may promote complete mental health. The Well-Being Promotion Program is a multitarget positive psychology intervention that has been evaluated in both elementary and middle school populations (Roth et al., 2017; Lenz et al., …

The Relationship Between Adolescents' Life Satisfaction And Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Analysis, Emily E. Esposito

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to replicate and extend recent research by Ng, Huebner, and Hills (2015) by investigating the longitudinal, bidirectional relationship between life satisfaction and academic achievement among adolescents. Specifically, students’ baseline (Time 1) life satisfaction was examined as a predictor of academic achievement (as measured by GPA, FCAT-reading DSS scores, attitudes toward school, and goal valuation) one year later (Time 2). The same four academic achievement variables at Time 1 were also examined as a predictor of life satisfaction one year later at Time 2. Positive affect and negative affect were examined as moderators of those relationships. An …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Positive Mental Health Indicators In Youth With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Sim Yin Tan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a chronic health condition that is increasingly affecting both children and adolescents (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Although many studies have investigated the impact of HIV on cognitive, physical, academic, and psychosocial functioning, little is known about the self-perception of health-related quality of life, subjective well-being, social-emotional well-being, and psychopathology risks of youth who are infected with HIV. This study is one of first to examine the presence of these positive and negative health indicators and the relationship among these factors in youth with HIV and a community-based sample.

A total of 84 …

A Dual-Factor Model Of Mental Health In High School Students: Group Characteristics And Social Functioning, Amanda Lynn Thalji

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A dual-factor model of psychological functioning examines the presence of wellness (i.e., subjective well-being; SWB) and psychopathology (i.e., internalizing and externalizing behavior problems) in explaining youth mental health functioning. Using a dual-factor model, previous research has yielded four unique groups of elementary and middle school youth as well as college-age adults with distinct levels of wellness and psychopathology. The present empirical investigation included valid data from 500 adolescents from two high schools (grades 9 to 11). This exploratory study produced four groups of students with unique mental health profiles aligned with previous studies investigating the dual-factor model. Tukey-Kramer comparisons determined …

A Longitudinal Examination Of High School Students' Group Membership In A Dual-Factor Model Of Mental Health: Stability Of Mental Health Status And Predictors Of Change, Melanie M. Mcmahan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A dual-factor model of mental health includes indicators of wellness (i.e., subjective well-being; SWB) and psychopathology (i.e., internalizing and externalizing behavior problems) in defining youth mental health. In this model, four categories of psychological functioning with distinct levels of SWB and psychopathology emerge, including two that are overlooked (i.e., Vulnerable and Symptomatic but Content) in traditional assessments that assume SWB and psychopathology are opposite ends of the same continuum. The present study investigated the 1-year stability of adolescent mental health as classified by a dual-factor model, and identified predictors of stability and change, in a sample of 425 high school …

Associations Between Adolescents' Family Stressors, Life Satisfaction And Substance Use, Ashley Chappel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current literature suggests that family stressors are positively related to adolescent psychopathology; however, few studies have examined the relationship between family stressors and positive indicators of mental health, such as life satisfaction. Additionally, past literature has found support for life satisfaction as a mediating variable between environmental experiences (i.e., parent-child relationships, major life events) and adolescent psychopathology. Research questions answered in the current study pertain to: (a) the relationship between family stressors (i.e., socio-economic status, family structure, major life events, interparental conflict) and adolescents' life satisfaction, (b) the overall contribution of family stressors to life satisfaction and which stressors are …

Relationships Between Life Satisfaction, Symptoms Of Adhd, And Associated Outcomes In Middle School Students, Lisa Paige Bateman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given increased evidence related to the importance of fostering life satisfaction in the overall population (Diener & Diener, 1996), as well as recent suggestions regarding the importance of increasing positive academic and social outcomes for youth with ADHD (DuPaul, 2007), it is important to gain a clearer understanding of how life satisfaction may be related to ADHD symptoms. Although research has examined the relationship between life satisfaction and externalizing behavior (Suldo & Huebner, 2004a), research on the relationship between life satisfaction and ADHD is currently limited. This study examined if levels of ADHD symptoms predicted reports of life satisfaction in …