Psychology Commons^™

Flexibility In Parent-Child Interactions: The Application Of Dynamic Systems Methodology To Dyadic Processes In Children With Behaviour Problems, Vivien Lee

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dynamic systems theory (DST) can provide a comprehensive account for how parent-child interactions evolve over time to produce stable patterns of interacting and can result in seemingly divergent trajectories. Recent methodological advances using state space grids (SSGs) have provided a graphical means to examine real-time dyadic processes, as well as measures of dyadic flexibility, or the ability to adapt emotional and behavioural responding in response to contextual demands. Higher levels of dyadic flexibility have been associated with improvements in child behaviour problems after treatment (Granic et al., 2007), while its converse, rigidity, has been associated with increases in behaviour …

The Power Of Dialogue: Understanding Developmental Origins And Processes Underlying Mother-Child Conversations About Past Emotional Events, Celia Hsiao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mother-child emotion dialogues represent an integral medium through which children’s autobiography develops. This study sought to understand the developmental origins and processes underlying this co-construction process by examining the inter-relations between: mother-infant attachment relationships, maternal attachment representations, maternal sensitivity during interactions in infancy, maternal affective mindset during toddlerhood, and mother-child emotion dialogues.

Our findings are consistent with past research on the links between the three organized categories of mother-infant attachment relationships and later mother-child emotion dialogues. Children in disorganized attachment relationships displayed a lack of consistent and coherent strategy during emotion communication. Our results emphasize the important role of maternal …

The Nature And Origins Of Attachment In Infancy And Early Childhood: Constructing Life’S Foundations, Greg Moran

Psychology Presentations

No abstract provided.

An Observational Assessment Of Peer Group Contributions To Adolescent Identity Development, Tara M. Dumas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that interaction-based peer groups play an important role in adolescents’ identity development. Peer group members’ current identity development and peer group interaction processes were examined as predictors of teens’ later identity exploration and commitment. Participants (n = 1070; 522 girls; M_age = 15.45 years) reported on their identity development and a subset of participants took part in an interactive group decision task within peer triads (n = 258; 86 triads). Task-related interactions were coded for support (openness to opinions) or discouragement (teasing of opinions and controlling behaviours) of …

Dissociable And Dynamic Components Of Cognitive Control: A Developmental Electrophysiological Investigation, Matthew Waxer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One standard task used to investigate the development of cognitive control is the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS). Performance and patterns of brain activity associated with the DCCS show continued age-related advances into early adolescence. According to many theoretical accounts, the DCCS places demands on a single underlying executive control process. Three experiments examined the possibility that the DCCS places demands on multiple control processes that follow distinct developmental trajectories. In Experiment 1, rule switching and conflict processing made orthogonal contributions to DCCS performance. Rule switching was associated with a cue-locked late frontal negativity (LFN) event-related potential (ERP) and conflict …

Understanding Developmental Processes Underlying Mother-Child Conversations About Emotions, Celia Hsiao, Greg Moran

Psychology Presentations

No abstract provided.

Examining Associations Between Mothers' Early Adversity, Depression And Maternal Sensitivity, Rossana Bisceglia, Greg Moran, Jennifer Jenkins

Psychology Presentations

This study tested two models for the indirect influence of mothers’ early adversity on maternal sensitivity:

Model A:

• Mothers’ appraisal of infant temperament was hypothesized to mediate the influence of mothers’ early adversity and depression on maternal sensitivity
• There would be no direct influence of maternal depression

Model B:

• Mothers’ depression was hypothesized to have a direct influence on maternal sensitivity
• Mothers’ perception of infant temperament would not mediate the influence of maternal depression on maternal sensitivity

The Continuity Of Attachment Development From Infancy To Toddlerhood: The Birth Of A Sibling, Ya F. Xue, Kathleen A. O'Connor, Greg Moran

Psychology Presentations

This study investigates the impact of the arrival of a new infant on firstborn attachment. The patterns of attachment continuity and discontinuity are compared between children who transitioned to siblinghood for the first time and children who did not experience this transition.

The Puzzle Of Sibling Attachment Non-Concordance: Implications Of Categorical Versus Continuous Approaches To Attachment, Kathleen A. O'Connor, Ya F. Xue, David R. Pederson, Sandi Bento, Heidi N. Bailey, Greg Moran

Psychology Presentations

PURPOSE OF THE CURRENT STUDY:

• To determine whether characterizing the quality of attachment as a continuous measure impacts the extent to which siblings’ attachment relationships are judged concordant.
• To investigate whether continuous measures of attachment provide additional information regarding the similarity of more specific aspects of siblings attachment relationships.

Exploring The Development Of Adolescent Mother-Infant Attachment Relationships: The Contribution Of Ecological Factors, Tara Morley, Heidi Bailey, David Pederson, Greg Moran

Psychology Presentations

The current study set out to identify specific factors associated with adolescent motherhood that may reduce sensitivity and subsequently contribute to the development of non-secure mother-infant attachment relationships.