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Full-Text Articles in Developmental Psychology

Cultural Competence Among Child Life Professionals, Rachel Burger Aug 2023

Cultural Competence Among Child Life Professionals, Rachel Burger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an ever-growing need for individuals to work towards cultural competence, especially when those individuals work in healthcare. As healthcare professionals with backgrounds in child development and who provide emotional and psychological support to diverse pediatric patient populations in a variety of different sectors, child life specialists (CLS) and Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) have an even greater need for understanding cultural competence (Thompson, 2009). The purpose of the current study was to examine the cultural competency levels of CCLSs, the type of cultural competence professional development units (PDUs) they participate in, and their perspectives on cultural competence in …


Children’S Disclosure Of School Bullying: The Relation Between Peer Victimization, Internalizing Symptoms, Negative Affect, And Gender, Julia L. Kiefer May 2023

Children’S Disclosure Of School Bullying: The Relation Between Peer Victimization, Internalizing Symptoms, Negative Affect, And Gender, Julia L. Kiefer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children who are bullied by their peers are at risk for several negative developmental outcomes and are therefore advised to tell an adult when they are. However, victims of school bullying are often reluctant to disclose to adults that they are being bullied. Some bullied children also experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, which could further reduce their likelihood of telling an adult. In this study, I tested the degree to which children’s internalizing symptoms predicted their likelihood of telling adults about being bullied at school, and if this relation was exacerbated by children’s negative feelings associated with telling an …


Collaborating With Big Brothers Big Sisters And Parents To Develop Caregiver-Initiated Mentoring, Meredith J. Scafe Aug 2022

Collaborating With Big Brothers Big Sisters And Parents To Develop Caregiver-Initiated Mentoring, Meredith J. Scafe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that youth enrolled in formal mentoring programs often wait months before being matched with a mentor. This paper describes the development and pilot test of Caregiver-Initiated Mentoring (CG-IM), a program originally designed to equip caregivers to assist Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) mentoring program staff in identifying and recruiting mentors from their social network. Using a mixed-methods design, the initial efficacy of the CG-IM program was evaluated via a small pilot test. I broadly explored caregivers’ experiences participating in the CG-IM program and a BBBS staff member’s experience implementing it. Caregivers completed a post-survey that included quantitative measures …


Children’S Social Judgments Of Others On The Basis Of Dialect-Specific Vocabulary, Madison Myers-Burg May 2022

Children’S Social Judgments Of Others On The Basis Of Dialect-Specific Vocabulary, Madison Myers-Burg

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many studies suggest that young children prefer speakers who speak similarly to them. Children demonstrate social preferences for speakers of their own native language over speakers of a non-native language as well as for speakers of a familiar accent over speakers of an unfamiliar accent. Recent research suggests that young children will similarly show preference for speakers who use familiar dialect-specific vocabulary over speakers who use vocabulary specific to an unfamiliar dialect. The current study investigated potential motivations behind young children’s preferences for familiar dialect-specific vocabulary. Fifty participants ages fifty-one months to ninety-five months (Mage =72.6 months) viewed an animated …


Does Whispering Improve Children’S Memory? Comparing Auditory Vigilance And Salience Hypotheses, Christina M. Barnes Dec 2021

Does Whispering Improve Children’S Memory? Comparing Auditory Vigilance And Salience Hypotheses, Christina M. Barnes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oral communication is one of the primary tools children use to learn new information and speech registers can deliver additional meaning to the words someone uses. Cirillo’s (2004) vigilance hypothesis states “Whispering can affect the psychobiological state of recipients, and in particular raise their auditory vigilance” (Cirillo, 2004, p. 76). Building on this theory, the current study investigates the role of whispering and children’s memory by examining a whispering vigilance, whispering salience which focused on the changes between normal and whisper registers, and combined vigilance and salience hypotheses to determine if whispering contributes to the recall of information. Using video …


Understanding The Importance Of Ambition In The Workplace, Jeff Bean Jul 2021

Understanding The Importance Of Ambition In The Workplace, Jeff Bean

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Though a common term, ambition is a multifaceted concept that is vastly under researched despite it being labeled necessary for success in the workplace. Of even greater irony is that several sources indicate a significant majority of the reason that employees leave organizations is due to a perceived lack of career development or opportunity, a problem that speaks directly to talent management practices. In light the costly nature of this problem and the presence of sophisticated talent management professionals in large and medium-sized organizations which comprise half or more of the workforce, it causes one to question the assumptions that …


Are Individual Differences In Media Multitasking Habits Associated With Changes In Brain Activation: An Erp Investigation Of Multitasking And Cognitive Control, Morgan Middlebrooks Dec 2020

Are Individual Differences In Media Multitasking Habits Associated With Changes In Brain Activation: An Erp Investigation Of Multitasking And Cognitive Control, Morgan Middlebrooks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the number of mobile phone users grows, understanding the impact of multiple streams of media on media multitasking and related neural correlates is especially pertinent. This research aims to understand the association between media multitasking tendencies on the neural correlates underlying cognitive control using event-related potentials (ERPs). Specifically, we were interested in the N2 and P3, ERPs that measure neural activation underlying aspects of cognitive control. Based on the literature, we predicted that participants who have high media multitasking scores would show more negative N2 activation and more positive P3 activation than their low media multitasking counterparts during an …


Children's Use Of Accent As A Cue For Cooperative Potential, Rachel Stevens Jul 2020

Children's Use Of Accent As A Cue For Cooperative Potential, Rachel Stevens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, several studies have shown that 5- and 6-year-old children make social judgments based on accent, consistently displaying a social preference for individuals who speak with a native accent. One theory hypothesizes that this preference to favor individuals who speak like us stems from our evolutionary history, during which accent and other language variations would have been strong, salient cues to group membership, and thus, cues to ones likelihood of cooperative behavior. The current study aimed to test this theory by determining if 5- and 6-year-old children use accent to make judgments about an individual’s cooperative potential. Participants …


Drinking To Cope: Effects Of Anxiety On Generation Of Self-Regulation Strategies, Lauren Hurd Jul 2020

Drinking To Cope: Effects Of Anxiety On Generation Of Self-Regulation Strategies, Lauren Hurd

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to utilize motivational and self-regulatory processes, specifically the principle of emotional transfer (PET), to elucidate mechanisms underlying the transition from casual alcohol use to dependence in young adults with elevated anxiety. Utilizing a script-driven imagery procedure, the proposed study examined the effects of manipulated state anxiety on 1) the amount, content, and commitment to freely generated anxiety reduction strategies, and 2) the level of craving for alcohol. Young adult college students (N = 69; ages 18-24; 76.8% women) were randomly assigned to either the high (n = 35) or low (n = 34) anxiety condition. After script …


Accelerating Leadership And Professional Development For Adults: Developing A New Measure For Assessing Kegan’S Constructive Developmental Orders, Tom Pierce Coker May 2020

Accelerating Leadership And Professional Development For Adults: Developing A New Measure For Assessing Kegan’S Constructive Developmental Orders, Tom Pierce Coker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much has been learned and theorized about adult development and its importance in leadership effectiveness and professional development interventions thanks to the framework proposed by Kegan’s Constructive Developmental Theory (CDT). However, research and practice in this area has been hindered by the difficulty of utilizing the current method for assessing constructive developmental Level, the Subject-Object Interview. The present study addresses this problem through the development and preliminary validation of a new self-report instrument that measures the Levels of development described in Kegan’s CDT. This new measure, the Constructive Developmental Self-Report (CDSR), was constructed through theoretical-based item generation that utilized both …


Relational Uncertainty In Romantic Relationships: The Influence Of Attachment And Relational Maintenance Behaviors, Jay Cruz May 2020

Relational Uncertainty In Romantic Relationships: The Influence Of Attachment And Relational Maintenance Behaviors, Jay Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of attachment and relational maintenance behaviors on relational uncertainty. Ninety individuals currently involved in romantic relationships completed measures assessing their attachment (i.e., secure, preoccupied, dismissive, fearful), relational uncertainties (i.e., self, partner, relationship), and relational maintenance behaviors (i.e., shared tasks, shared networks, positivity, openness, assurances). Findings demonstrated that both secure attachment and fearful attachment were not significantly associated with self, partner, or relationship uncertainty. In addition, dismissive attachment was negatively associated with partner uncertainty and positively associated with relationship uncertainty. Preoccupied attachment was positively associated with both partner and relationship uncertainty. Furthermore, secure attachment was positively …


Peer Acceptance In The Lunchroom And Children’S Internalizing Symptoms, Jake Steggerda May 2020

Peer Acceptance In The Lunchroom And Children’S Internalizing Symptoms, Jake Steggerda

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence to suggest that the context of the school lunchrooms provides children with rich opportunities for enhancing or hampering the quality of their relationships (Craig, Gregus, Elledge, Pastrana, & Cavell, 2016; Steggerda et al., in preparation). Although past research has linked children’s peer acceptance to their level of internalizing symptoms, few studies have examined peer acceptance within the lunchroom context. This study extends that work by examining associations between lunchroom peer acceptance (assessed via self- and peer-reports) and children’s internalizing symptoms. Participants were 676 fourth-grade students (50.7% female; 42.7% Hispanic/Latino, 30.3% White, 10% Pacific Islander, and 17% other) …


Emotion Identification And Beliefs About Emotions As Mediators Of Ptsd And Parenting Meta-Emotion Philosophies, Maegan Calvert Aug 2019

Emotion Identification And Beliefs About Emotions As Mediators Of Ptsd And Parenting Meta-Emotion Philosophies, Maegan Calvert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 20% of women are sexually victimized and incarcerated women’s rates of victimization are much higher. In addition, women have a higher rate of PTSD and trauma-related sequelae than men. Interpersonal trauma experiences can have a negative impact on emotional processes such as alexithymia, recognizing others’ emotions, and healthy beliefs about emotional experiences. These difficulties are associated with problematic parenting. However, the mediational processes by which PTSD and disruptive emotional processes affect parenting is unclear. The current study examines the associations among PTSD, alexithymia, negative beliefs about emotions, emotion recognition in children, and parenting meta-emotion philosophies in incarcerated women presenting …


Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Enhanced Mentoring For Delinquency Prevention, Allison Smith May 2019

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Enhanced Mentoring For Delinquency Prevention, Allison Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Youth with certain risk factors (e.g., from a minority group, low-income status, previous contact with the juvenile justice system) are particularly at risk for juvenile delinquency and associated problems (e.g., school failure, mental health problems). In addition, these problems are quite costly to youth, their families, and society as a whole. Mentoring programs have shown modest, but consistent, effects in the prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency and associated problems. Previous research has identified promising enhancements (i.e., advocacy/teaching roles for mentors, rigorous match processes, comprehensive mentor training, ongoing mentor support) that may increase the effectiveness of mentoring in producing positive …


Parametric Indices Of Peer Victimization As Predictors Of Children’S Internalizing Outcomes, Freddie Aníbal Pastrana Rivera Jan 2019

Parametric Indices Of Peer Victimization As Predictors Of Children’S Internalizing Outcomes, Freddie Aníbal Pastrana Rivera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Peer victimization has been linked to maladjustment in school-age children. However, the field is less clear about how different parameters of peer victimization (e.g., frequency, stability) confer risk to children. In this study, I evaluated the extent to which key parameters (operationalized as distinct peer victimization indices) predicted internalizing maladjustment in 4th grade children (N = 445). From self-, teacher-, and peer-reported victimization data gathered at three time points within an academic year, I generated the following indices: Mean Level, Stability, Cross-Informant Agreement, and Informant Source. Controlling for baseline internalizing scores, hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that: a) only self-reported Mean …


The Role Of Dialect Words In Children’S Social Decisions, Madison Rose Myers-Burg Dec 2018

The Role Of Dialect Words In Children’S Social Decisions, Madison Rose Myers-Burg

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent research suggests that young children are capable of distinguishing between phonetically dissimilar spoken accents, yet have difficulty distinguishing between phonetically similar accents (Wagner, Clopper, & Pate, 2013). The present study aimed to determine whether the presence of dialect-specific vocabulary enhances young children’s ability to categorize speakers. Participants completed four training trials in which they were familiarized with photos of two children: one of whom used American English labels for test objects and one of whom used British English labels. After training trials, participants completed eight test trials in which they were asked to infer which target child would use …


Mental Health Counselors Working With Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: A Phenomenological Investigation, Syard G. Evans May 2017

Mental Health Counselors Working With Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: A Phenomenological Investigation, Syard G. Evans

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often not included in traditional mental health treatment services due to beliefs that these individuals cannot benefit from mental health counseling and that mental health clinicians are not capable of treating this population. Some research exists that discusses techniques and interventions recommended to serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in mental health; however, there is little information on the specific counselors who are willing and able to support this population. A qualitative methodology was utilized to examine the phenomenon of mental health practitioners with experience serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. …


Monolingual And Bilingual Children's Language-Based Social Preferences In A Predominantly Monolingual Environment, Rachel Marie Stevens May 2017

Monolingual And Bilingual Children's Language-Based Social Preferences In A Predominantly Monolingual Environment, Rachel Marie Stevens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Monolingual children consistently display Social preferences for individuals who speak their native language with a native accent compared to individuals who speak a foreign language or speak their native language with a foreign accent. Two explanations have been proposed for these language-based preferences. The first explanation is that language cues a child to in-group membership and children prefer to affiliate with individuals who are members of the same in-group. The second explanation is that children display preferences for their native language and accent because that is what they are most familiar with, and children prefer familiarity over the unknown. The …


Teachers And The Development Of Student Noncognitive Skills, Albert Cheng Aug 2016

Teachers And The Development Of Student Noncognitive Skills, Albert Cheng

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars of education policy are increasingly aware of the independent role that noncognitive skills (e.g., self-regulation, Social skills, and other personality or character traits) play in long- and short-run student well-being. However, little is known about how these skills are effectively developed. One theory is that noncognitive skills are developed through role modeling by teachers. A student, by virtue of observing and sharing a Social connection with his or her schoolteachers, begins to emulate noncognitive skills that they exhibit. In this dissertation, I test this theory. I focus specifically on noncognitive skills related to conscientiousness and measure them using new …


Test Of An Adolescent Anxiety Sensitivity Amelioration Program (Aasap) For At-Risk Youth, Ashley Arehart Knapp Aug 2016

Test Of An Adolescent Anxiety Sensitivity Amelioration Program (Aasap) For At-Risk Youth, Ashley Arehart Knapp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adult research supports the effectiveness of targeting the malleable vulnerability factor of anxiety sensitivity (AS) in terms of preventing panic specifically and anxiety psychopathology generally. Risk factor research suggests AS modification among youth has implications for panic as well as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). However, very little work has evaluated the impact of AS reduction among youth, which is unfortunate given adolescence is a period of “core risk” in terms of anxiety disorder onset. Further, no work has considered the effect of such a program on GAD-relevant outcomes, nor has any work included family-level intervention factors, despite evidence suggesting parents …


Developmental Traits And Patterns Emerging From Dependent Nurturing Individuals In Narcissistic Relationship, Gregory D. Roberts May 2016

Developmental Traits And Patterns Emerging From Dependent Nurturing Individuals In Narcissistic Relationship, Gregory D. Roberts

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of personality theories and personality disorders has developed in modern times from deep roots in philosophy and psychodynamic theory. This theory orientation has evolved to diagnostic and treatment application. Much of the literature has focused on personality disorders as independent and singular constructs. Phenomenological discussions and deeper understandings of dysfunctional relationships between the two specific disorders of dependent personality and narcissistic personality are lacking. Significant longsuffering, abusive, and pathological behaviors at times are observed among dependent personality types in bad relationships. The objective of this study was to gather data from a sample of dependent types to discover …


The Role Of Child Anxiety In Parent Sick Role Reinforcement, Sarah Ann Bilsky May 2016

The Role Of Child Anxiety In Parent Sick Role Reinforcement, Sarah Ann Bilsky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A large body of evidence suggests that parents can facilitate offspring anxiety in response to bodily arousal. These learning experiences are referred to as “sick role reinforcement,” and are particularly important during adolescence, given the profound bodily changes (e.g., puberty) that characterize this period. Sick role reinforcement is likely important in the context of panic disorder (PD). Panic theorists suggest that parents may enhance panic vulnerability by increasing the threat value of bodily sensations. Although a sizeable body of work has examined the role of parent behavior in these processes, few have examined offspring factors in this process. Additionally, little …


Influences Of Temperament, Symbolic Gesture, And Caregiver Beliefs On Infant Emotional Expression, Mary Sugg Bassett May 2016

Influences Of Temperament, Symbolic Gesture, And Caregiver Beliefs On Infant Emotional Expression, Mary Sugg Bassett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the cross-sectional study was to analyze the relationships of infant temperament, communication through symbolic gesture, caregiver beliefs with emotional expression in infants. Participants were the parents and childcare teachers of sixteen infants and toddlers, between the ages of six and 25 months, currently enrolled at the University of Arkansas child development study center. The independent and combined influence of infant temperament, use of symbolic gestures, and the beliefs of parents and teachers were significantly related to infants’ emotional expression in the study. Parent-reported scores of emotional expression competence were positively correlated to teacher-reported positive temperament levels (r …


The Role Of Sharing And Information Type In Children's Categorization Of Privileged And Conventional Information, Helana Girgis Dec 2015

The Role Of Sharing And Information Type In Children's Categorization Of Privileged And Conventional Information, Helana Girgis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Categorization is an essential part of our daily lives and an integral part of humans’ ability to function and interact within society. There are large bodies of research that document children’s categorization in domains such as natural kinds, artifacts and human kinds. One domain that has not been investigated is children’s ability to categorize different types of information; specifically conventional information, shareable to others with no restrictions, and privileged information, shareable to only a few. Study 1 investigated 4- and 5-year-olds and adults’ ability to categorize conventional and privileged information. All participants correctly categorized both types of information equally well …


A Comparison Of Infant And Toddler Reactions To Strangers Who Have Similar Attributes To An Established Attachment Figure Vs. Strangers Who Have Different Attributes, Jessica Hamilton May 2015

A Comparison Of Infant And Toddler Reactions To Strangers Who Have Similar Attributes To An Established Attachment Figure Vs. Strangers Who Have Different Attributes, Jessica Hamilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A child's early attachment experiences can have a lasting impact on later development. Early attachment relationships often result in greater Social and cognitive skills, as well as better school performance (Peisner et al., 1999). For these reasons, it is important to address those components that may contribute to secure attachments with care givers in the child care setting. The current study looked at the reactions of infants and toddlers when presented with two previously unknown individuals: one who physically resembled an established caregiver with whom they had already established attachment and one who looked different from this caregiver. The study …


Failure To Launch? Understanding Variations In Emerging Adult Flight Patterns, Christina Ashley Williams May 2015

Failure To Launch? Understanding Variations In Emerging Adult Flight Patterns, Christina Ashley Williams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

What does the transition to adulthood look like for emerging adults? This study proposes that popular cultural ideas like "failure to launch" imply an oversimplified dichotomy that does not account for the multiple "flight patterns" into adulthood. Focusing on the narratives of six interview cases selected from the larger sample of interviewees from Wave 4 of the National Study of Youth and Religion and drawing on the quantitative data from the broader survey sample, this mixed-methods approach examines in-depth, narrative experiences and the ways structural barriers vary between upper-middle, lower-middle, and working class emerging adults. We find that emerging adulthood …


The Utility Of The Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire In Identifying Stably Peer-Victimized Children, Freddie Aníbal Pastrana Rivera Dec 2014

The Utility Of The Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire In Identifying Stably Peer-Victimized Children, Freddie Aníbal Pastrana Rivera

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I evaluated the utility of using the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) in identifying stably peer-victimized children. Participants were 676 fourth grade students from 37 classrooms in ten public schools. Stable peer victims were identified as children who met elevated levels of peer victimization at both fall and late spring assessments from at least one source (i.e., self, peer, teacher). Four potential screeners using the OBVQ were evaluated. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify how well a recommended cutoff point from the global item of the OBVQ (i.e., being bullied 2 or 3 times a month) identified stable victims. Additional …


Effects Of Parental Modeling On The Development Of Panic-Relevant Escape And Avoidance Among Adolescents: An Experimental Study Using A Biological Challenge Procedure, Liviu Bunaciu Aug 2014

Effects Of Parental Modeling On The Development Of Panic-Relevant Escape And Avoidance Among Adolescents: An Experimental Study Using A Biological Challenge Procedure, Liviu Bunaciu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Escape and avoidance behaviors play a prominent role in the maintenance of panic-spectrum difficulties and may also be implicated in the development of such problems. Although the current state of the literature regarding the etiology of these emotion-regulation strategies is relatively underdeveloped, it appears that learning experiences involving parental modeling of such behaviors may be instrumental in the development of panic-relevant escape and avoidance. Given that no tests of such a conceptualization exist at this time, the current study proposed an initial experimental examination of whether parental modeling of defensive reactivity during a well-established biological challenge could impact panic-relevant escape …


A Conceptual Model Of Exploration Wayfinding: An Integrated Theoretical Framework And Computational Methodology, Matthew Lee Tenney May 2013

A Conceptual Model Of Exploration Wayfinding: An Integrated Theoretical Framework And Computational Methodology, Matthew Lee Tenney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an attempt to integrate contending cognitive approaches to modeling wayfinding behavior. The primary goal is to create a plausible model for exploration tasks within indoor environments. This conceptual model can be extended for practical applications in the design, planning, and Social sciences. Using empirical evidence a cognitive schema is designed that accounts for perceptual and behavioral preferences in pedestrian navigation. Using this created schema, as a guiding framework, the use of network analysis and space syntax act as a computational methods to simulate human exploration wayfinding in unfamiliar indoor environments. The conceptual model provided is then implemented …


Managing Sibling Conflict And The Relation Between Mothers' Emotion Socialization Beliefs And Children's Coping With Peer Victimization, Melissa Anne Faith Aug 2012

Managing Sibling Conflict And The Relation Between Mothers' Emotion Socialization Beliefs And Children's Coping With Peer Victimization, Melissa Anne Faith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the degree to which children's strategies for coping with peer victimization were related to their strategies for coping with sibling victimization. Also examined were the relations among mothers' sibling conflict management strategies, their emotion Socialization beliefs, and children's coping with peer and sibling victimization. Data were obtained from 98 4th grade children and their mothers. Results indicated that children's peer victimization coping strategies were significantly related to their sibling victimization coping strategies. I found that mothers who value and accept children's negative emotions were more likely to coach their children through sibling conflict. Unexpectedly, I found that …