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Full-Text Articles in Sociology

Costs Of Treating Depression With Individual Versus Family Therapy, Sareta Dobbs Head Dec 2010

Costs Of Treating Depression With Individual Versus Family Therapy, Sareta Dobbs Head

Theses and Dissertations

Marital discord contributes to the development and continuation of depression and to the recurrence of depressive episodes for those in troubled relationships. Early research suggests that family therapy may reduce the severity and frequency of depressive episodes through modification of family interactional patterns. This would result in a reduction in the cost of treating depression. This study summarizes the literature linking family dynamics with depression. Then,using a sample taken from a large health maintenance organization, data was statistically analyzed to measure the effectiveness of both individual and family therapy as delivered by different types of mental health professionals. Results indicated …


Predicting Marital Dissolution Using Data From Both Spouses, Chao-Chin Lu Dec 2010

Predicting Marital Dissolution Using Data From Both Spouses, Chao-Chin Lu

Theses and Dissertations

The present research studies marital dissolution using data from both spouses from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) and uses the method of multiple imputation to handle missing data. Role theory and another four approaches (social exchange theory, stake theory, gender perspective and heterogeneity perspective) are used to make a methodological argument why using data from both spouses is necessary to study marital stability. Five data sets are imputed and there are 3,777 observations in each imputed data set. Main research findings are as followed. First, the model fits of the data from both spouses on marital dissolution …


An Analysis Of How Education, Age, Overseas Assignments, And Mavenism Impact Use Of New Media Technology, Thomas E. Enright Jr. Dec 2010

An Analysis Of How Education, Age, Overseas Assignments, And Mavenism Impact Use Of New Media Technology, Thomas E. Enright Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research into new media technology usage has typically been limited to young adults ages 18-24. However this study will include age, education, overseas assignments, presence of mavenism, and information security concerns as variables impacting new media usage. For the purpose of this study, new media is defined by devices, activities, and social arrangements (Lievrouw & Livingstone, 2006). While dozens of new media technology are available, the scope of this research examined individual’s use of blogs, online social networks, and downloadable content. Data about new media was gathered through a literature review and by conducting interviews with people that are …


Evaluation Of Relate Using Rasch Analysis, Keitaro Yoshida Nov 2010

Evaluation Of Relate Using Rasch Analysis, Keitaro Yoshida

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of valid and reliable couple assessment has been increasing with growth in research on couple and family relationships as well as in therapeutic and educational interventions for couples and families. However, self-report instruments–the most popular type of couple assessment–have been criticized at least partly due to limitations in Classical Test Theory (CTT) which has been used solely in developing and evaluating couple assessments for decades. In an effort to address the limitations in the sole use of CTT in developing self-report couple assessments, the present study integrated a modern test theory called Item Response Theory (IRT) and evaluated …


Parental Involvement And Academic Achievement Among Children Of Immigrants, Wade Clinton Jacobsen Nov 2010

Parental Involvement And Academic Achievement Among Children Of Immigrants, Wade Clinton Jacobsen

Theses and Dissertations

Using Bourdieu's model of social and cultural reproduction, I examine student achievement and parental involvement levels across seven immigrant nationalities: Cambodian, Cuban, Filipino, Laotian, Mexican, Nicaraguan, and Vietnamese. I then analyze the relationships between five parental involvement types and GPA, while controlling for student, family, and school characteristics. Finally, I test for interaction effects to examine variations across groups. Results point to parent expectations as a strong predictor of student success, especially among Cubans, Filipinos, and Vietnamese, while other dimensions of parental involvement have little or no effect. Bourdieu's model may not be adequate among immigrant parents and their children …


The Relation Of The Expression Of Offense To Forgiving, Laura Grace Hall Nov 2010

The Relation Of The Expression Of Offense To Forgiving, Laura Grace Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Forgiveness is an essential component of relationship growth and healing, with academic, professional, and public interest in research and writing on the topic continually increasing over the past two decades. Indignation is endemic to interpersonal offense, and a key component of the forgiveness process; few, however, have written about the potentially facilitative role that it may play. Disparate conceptualizations of indignation among researchers and therapists may impede therapeutic progress, individually and interpersonally. This study presents a review of social science literature on forgiveness and a new model of the emotional response to offense that positions corrective, protective indignation on a …


Clergy Marriages: Couple Perception Of Marital Adjustment As The Husband Serves As A Bishop In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Deena D. Strong Nov 2010

Clergy Marriages: Couple Perception Of Marital Adjustment As The Husband Serves As A Bishop In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Deena D. Strong

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was designed to produce a theoretical model to illustrate marital adjustment as a husband becomes a bishop (a lay-clergy position) in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Individual interviews were conducted with the husband and wife of six married couples wherein the husband was currently serving as a bishop. Grounded theory methods and elements of phenomenological research were used to collect and analyze the data. The model presented depicts the adjustment process that begins with the marital relationship prior to the husband becoming an LDS bishop. The husband then becomes an LDS bishop and begins …


Sibling Relationships, Stress, And Well-Being During Early Adolescence, Alisa Danielle Cox Van Langeveld Aug 2010

Sibling Relationships, Stress, And Well-Being During Early Adolescence, Alisa Danielle Cox Van Langeveld

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined whether the quality of the sibling relationship can alter the negative impact of stress on child well being. Participants were of 311 families (236 two parent families and 75 single parent families) with an adolescent child (M age of child at Time 1 = 11.25, SD = .99, 51% female) who took part in the Flourishing Families Project. Data were assessed using both a multiple time point cross-section and a two wave longitudinal design. Hierarchal linear regression suggested that when assessing the direct effects of sibling on well being, sibling affection is a better predictor of …


Sleep, Bmi, And Work-Family Conflict: A Gender Comparison Of U.S. Workers, Blake Lee Jones Aug 2010

Sleep, Bmi, And Work-Family Conflict: A Gender Comparison Of U.S. Workers, Blake Lee Jones

Theses and Dissertations

This study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine how sleep problems, Body Mass Index (BMI), and poverty were related to several work, personal, and family variables in a sample of married male and female workers in the United States. The data for this study came from the National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) 2008. This large, nationally representative dataset provided a resource for examining potential gender differences in variables that have been linked to sleep problems and increases in BMI, as well as how each of these variables relate to several work, personal, and family life outcomes, including …


Moral Identification: An Alternative Approach To Framing Second-Generation Immigrants' Ethnic Identity Ambivalence, Benjamin R. Brady Jul 2010

Moral Identification: An Alternative Approach To Framing Second-Generation Immigrants' Ethnic Identity Ambivalence, Benjamin R. Brady

Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary sociological research on second-generation immigrants living in the United States is lined with questions of ethnic inclusion and transnational participation. Many scholars are interested in how the children of immigrants relate to their parents' ethnic identity while being raised in a new land. Noting that the majority of scholars in this field approach ethnic identity within a social constructionist perspective, in this study I explore the ways that identity ambivalence and ethnic belonging are framed. Specifically, I critically question the ways that an ethnic identity is assumed to be valued and asserted in a constructionist model. After presenting a …


Parenting Dimensions And Adolescent Sharing And Concealment, Chelom Eastwood Leavitt Jul 2010

Parenting Dimensions And Adolescent Sharing And Concealment, Chelom Eastwood Leavitt

Theses and Dissertations

Given potential risk factors in the lives of adolescents, parents are usually motivated to monitor and protect their adolescents. There is a need to better understand what combinations of parental dimensions and practice best influence an adolescent's propensity to disclose or conceal personal information with their parents. This paper examines how parenting dimensions (warmth, psychological control, and harsh punishment) and the parenting practice of solicitation influence an adolescent's propensity to disclose or conceal information. Adolescents in 106 families (53 females; predominantly Caucasian) reported on their mothers' and fathers' parenting dimensions as well as their parents' effort to solicit information. Factor …


Age Differences In Marriage: Exploring Predictors Of Marital Quality In Husband-Older, Wife-Older, And Same-Age Marriages, Brandan E. Wheeler Jul 2010

Age Differences In Marriage: Exploring Predictors Of Marital Quality In Husband-Older, Wife-Older, And Same-Age Marriages, Brandan E. Wheeler

Theses and Dissertations

Using data from a nationally representative sample of 723 married adults, this study explored the association of age differences between spouses at the time of marriage on various aspects of marital quality years into the marriage. Four groups (full sample, husband-older, wife-older, and same-age marriages) were compared to see how marital quality was affected by age difference and several other moderating variables. Spousal interactions increased among wife-older marriages, but not among the other groups. An increased level of husband participation in household labor was linked with an increase in marital happiness and a decrease in marital problems for wife-older marriages. …


The Relationship Between Couple Attachment And Sexual Satisfaction With Covert Relational Aggression As A Mediator: A Longitudinal Study, Anthony Allen Hughes Jul 2010

The Relationship Between Couple Attachment And Sexual Satisfaction With Covert Relational Aggression As A Mediator: A Longitudinal Study, Anthony Allen Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Using questionnaires, self report, and partner report of spouse, this longitudinal investigation examined the relationship between couple insecure attachment, covert relational aggression, and sexual satisfaction of each partner one year after their initial assessment, while controlling for sexual satisfaction at the time of our initial assessment. Findings showed that wives were more impacted by both actor and partner effects of covert relational aggression. Wives' sexual satisfaction was predicted by the increase in insecure attachment of both self and spouse through covert relational aggression. Wives insecure attachment did not cause a significant decrease in husbands' sexual satisfaction at time 2. Husbands …


State Regulation Of Assisted Reproductive Technology, Jonathan J. Morgan Jul 2010

State Regulation Of Assisted Reproductive Technology, Jonathan J. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

State regulation of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been occurring since the inception of earlier technological advances such as artificial insemination to aid human reproduction. I provide a brief overview of the current regulation of ART in the U.S. and the literature on state regulation. Unlike previous studies of ART regulation which use content analysis or case studies of individual state laws I estimate ART regulation for the entire U.S. by using a series of random effects logistic regression models for the time period 1995-2006. To my knowledge this is the first quantitative analysis of ART regulation. I test the …


The Process Of Reintegration: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Realvictory Program And Criminogenic Factors, Celeste Marie Davis Jul 2010

The Process Of Reintegration: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Realvictory Program And Criminogenic Factors, Celeste Marie Davis

Theses and Dissertations

With prison populations on the rise, it is imperative to find re-entry programs that effectively decrease recidivism. Understanding the experiences of participants and the criminogenic factors that provoke and prohibit their successful reintegration is a vital aspect of evaluating re-entry programs. With sixteen in-depth interviews, this study evaluates the pilot re-entry program, RealVictory, by exploring the opinions and experiences of its participants including the key criminogenic factors affecting their successes and failures during the reintegration process. The two most pervasive criminogenic factors affecting recidivism for participants of this study were support systems and desire to change. While both the control …


A Different Voice: Nonadopted White Siblings Talk About Their Experiences Growing Up With Black Siblings, Andrea Genice Hardeman Jul 2010

A Different Voice: Nonadopted White Siblings Talk About Their Experiences Growing Up With Black Siblings, Andrea Genice Hardeman

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the notion of racial empathy and whether or not the nonadopted white siblings in transracially adoptive families develop the ability to empathize within the context of race. Specifically, I look at the following three questions: Do white siblings who have black adopted siblings develop racial empathy – the ability for one to personally identify with racially sensitive issues that affect persons of a separate racial category – toward blacks outside of their family by virtue of their interactions with the adoptee? What are the different dimensions of racial empathy? How is racial empathy displayed at each dimension? …


The Relationship Between Attachment Related Family-Of-Origin Experiences And Sexual Satisfaction In Married Couples, James G. Strait Jul 2010

The Relationship Between Attachment Related Family-Of-Origin Experiences And Sexual Satisfaction In Married Couples, James G. Strait

Theses and Dissertations

This study of married couples examined the relationship between perceptions of attachment related family-of-origin experiences and sexual satisfaction directly and when mediated by marital quality. The sample consisted of 3,953 married couples who responded to the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE). The nested model showed that more positive overall family-of-origin experiences and parent-child relationships were related to higher sexual satisfaction. When adding marital quality as a mediator, overall family-of-origin experience and the parent-child relationship were predictive of higher sexual satisfaction when mediated by marital quality but removed most direct effects to sexual satisfaction. There was a strong positive relationship between marital quality …


Humor As A Moderating Variable Of The Relationship Between Family Conflict And Self-Regulation In Children: A Two-Year Panel Study, Kristiane Madsen Jul 2010

Humor As A Moderating Variable Of The Relationship Between Family Conflict And Self-Regulation In Children: A Two-Year Panel Study, Kristiane Madsen

Theses and Dissertations

Conflict is a common problem among families, and children may be negatively affected by this family dynamic. Some family characteristics may protect children from negative effects, even in the midst of conflict. Though little research has been conducted addressing familial effects of humor, the current longitudinal study examined the moderating effect of humor on the relationship between family conflict and child self regulation. Two hundred ninety six two-parent families from the Seattle area were surveyed and observed as a party of Brigham Young University's Flourishing Family Project. Family conflict and coded humor from an observation task were assessed at time …


The Relationship Of Equal Division Of Labor And Satisfaction Of Division Of Labor To Positive Parenting As Mediated By Parents' Relationship Quality, Lauren Alyssa Bone Barnes Jul 2010

The Relationship Of Equal Division Of Labor And Satisfaction Of Division Of Labor To Positive Parenting As Mediated By Parents' Relationship Quality, Lauren Alyssa Bone Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Couples learn to negotiate a complex intersection between household labor and family processes. Using both observational coding and questionnaire self report, this study examined the relationship between father and mothers' reported equality with their division-of-labor, their satisfaction with division-of-labor and their respective positive parenting as observed in taped interaction with a target child while controlling for quality of the relationship between the parents. Findings showed that egalitarian division of labor was positively related to satisfaction in division of labor and that egalitarian division of labor was a significant predictor of mothers' relationship quality, but not fathers' relationship quality. It also …


Childhood Physical And Sexual Abuse And Their Effects On Adult Romantic Relationship Quality: Gender Differences And Clinical Implications, Carly D. Lebaron Jul 2010

Childhood Physical And Sexual Abuse And Their Effects On Adult Romantic Relationship Quality: Gender Differences And Clinical Implications, Carly D. Lebaron

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between self-reported childhood physical and sexual abuse, relationship quality, possible gender differences, and clinical implications. Three hundred thirty eight women and 296 men who sought services at a university mental health clinic in the northeast region of the United States completed a 30-minute self-report assessment questionnaire before their first therapy session. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of childhood physical abuse and sexual abuse, relationship stability, problems areas in the relationship, and other demographic information. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that childhood physical abuse influenced relationship quality for both men and women …


Emotional Intimacy, Coparenting, And Family Work: A Latent Class Growth Analysis, Adam Michael Galovan Jul 2010

Emotional Intimacy, Coparenting, And Family Work: A Latent Class Growth Analysis, Adam Michael Galovan

Theses and Dissertations

From a family systems theoretical view, this paper uses both variable-oriented and person-oriented research approaches to examine parental marriage as a dynamic, interdependent system, and extends the literature by examining parental marriage across a 15 year time span. Employing latent growth curve analysis of 490 mother-father dyads from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, this study considers multiple aspects of the relationship husbands and wives have together as spouses (emotional intimacy), parents (ideas about discipline and a child-centered vs. adult-centered orientation to childrearing), coparents (agreement regarding parenting beliefs and discipline), and household managers (agreement on the …


Early Adolescents' Forgiveness Of Parents: An Analysis Of Determinants, Katherine Janet Christensen Jun 2010

Early Adolescents' Forgiveness Of Parents: An Analysis Of Determinants, Katherine Janet Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined forgiveness within the parent-adolescent relationship. Theoretical foundations and definitions of forgiveness were examined, after which a relational approach to forgiveness was explored. The direct influences of the quality of mother- and father-child relationships (parent and observed reports) and modeled marital forgiveness on early adolescents' forgiveness toward both mothers and fathers (child report) were examined; the mediating roles of parent forgiveness of child and adolescent social-cognitive skills (empathy and emotional regulation) were also analyzed. Mother, father, and child self-reported questionnaires and in-home observational data were taken from Time 1 and Time 3 (two years later) of the …


Hostility In Marital Interaction, Depressive Symptoms And Physical Health Of Husbands And Wives, Stanley D. Hall Jun 2010

Hostility In Marital Interaction, Depressive Symptoms And Physical Health Of Husbands And Wives, Stanley D. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how hostility from either partner in a marital interaction affected marital partners' perceived general physical health, while investigating for indirect effects of partners' depression. A total of 296 married couples who participated in Waves 1 and 2 of the Flourishing Families Project were videotaped while completing a marital discussion task. Their interaction was coded for hostile behaviors using the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scales, IFIRS. Structural equation modeling was used to examine how hostility in marital interactions at Wave 1 was related to partners' self-reports of physical health as measured by the …


Individual And Family Predictors Of The Caregiver Burden Of Parents Rearing A Child With Diabetes, Joan Margaret Leishman Mar 2010

Individual And Family Predictors Of The Caregiver Burden Of Parents Rearing A Child With Diabetes, Joan Margaret Leishman

Theses and Dissertations

Caregiver burden results from the stress that parents feel due to their responsibilities as a caregiver. This study was performed to analyze a proposed model of variables that predict caregiver burden of parents raising a child with type 1 diabetes, as well as determine differences in mothers' and fathers' models of caregiver burden. The predictor variables of caregiver burden were based on mothers and fathers perceptions of marital conflict, marital satisfaction, depression, child externalizing behaviors, number of children in the family, and family income. The results showed that for mothers, marital conflict, depression, and child externalizing behaviors had significant direct …


At The Crossroads Of Divorce: A Formative Evaluation Of A Self-Directed Intervention For Utah's Divorce Orientation Education Class For Divorcing Parents, Carma Martino Needham Mar 2010

At The Crossroads Of Divorce: A Formative Evaluation Of A Self-Directed Intervention For Utah's Divorce Orientation Education Class For Divorcing Parents, Carma Martino Needham

Theses and Dissertations

This formative evaluation focuses on feedback regarding a self-guided educational intervention for those at the crossroads of divorce. Entitled Should I Keep Trying to Work It Out? A Guidebook for Individuals and Couples at the Crossroads of Divorce (And Before), this Guidebook aims to help individuals minimize possible ambiguity in the decision-making process surrounding divorce. Fifty-three participants were recruited through divorce orientation education classes to provide formative feedback via brief phone surveys. Eighteen of these provided in-depth interviews for additional feedback. Though the participants in this study were largely past the crossroads of divorce, most agreed or strongly agreed …


Generational Differences In Knowledge Markets, Anthony B. Paulson Mar 2010

Generational Differences In Knowledge Markets, Anthony B. Paulson

Theses and Dissertations

The US workforce faces an impending mass exodus of experienced workers as the Baby Boomer Generation prepares to retire. Generation X is entering upper management positions but their numbers are small—approximately half the Baby Boomer population—and they’ll be leading Generation Y which is three times their size. This ‘age wave’ phenomenon has unsettling implications for organizations. Will organizations lose knowledge as their most experienced workers depart? Can that knowledge be captured before they leave? This study examines the differences between the ways members of each generation in the workforce transfer knowledge using semi-structured interviews to understand and diagnose challenges to …


Parental Factors As A Moderator Of The Co-Occurrence Of Substance Use And Depression In Hispanic Adolescents, Rebecca Shoff Mar 2010

Parental Factors As A Moderator Of The Co-Occurrence Of Substance Use And Depression In Hispanic Adolescents, Rebecca Shoff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parenting factors and Hispanic adolescent substance use and depression. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between parental support, parental knowledge, and parental psychological control among Hispanic adolescents' use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, hard drugs and depressive symptoms. The sample included 839 Hispanic (primarily Mexican) 9th – 12th graders from west Texas area school districts who were given a self-reported survey to assess parental behaviors, substance use, and adolescent depression. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), findings indicated that higher levels of maternal support were related to lower levels of depressive …


Anchors Of Religious Commitment In Adolescence, Emily Gwilliam Layton Mar 2010

Anchors Of Religious Commitment In Adolescence, Emily Gwilliam Layton

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents from California and New England. It identifies a new construct, "anchors of religious commitment," to describe what adolescents are committing to as a part of their religious identity. Seven anchors of religious commitment are discussed: (a) religious traditions, rituals, and laws; (b) God; (c) faith traditions or denominations; (d) faith community members; (e) parents; (f) scriptures or sacred texts; and (g) religious leaders. Various forms of expression are identified within each anchor of religious commitment, with issues of relationships …


Livelihoods And Family Formation Among Eritrean Refugees In Cairo, Erin A. Ajygin Jan 2010

Livelihoods And Family Formation Among Eritrean Refugees In Cairo, Erin A. Ajygin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses data gathered from a survey conducted in November and December of 2009 to provide an overview of the demographic profile and livelihoods strategies of a sample of Eritrean refugees in Cairo. Study results revealed that the Eritreans surveyed were predominantly single, childless and living in Cairo without family. While much of the existing literature on refugee livelihoods has focused on refugees living in camp settings and/or on refugees’ roles as spouses and parents, this study examined the strategies engaged by a group of single, urban refugees. Using a livelihoods framework comprised of capabilities, assets and activities, survey …


Between Return And Resettlement: The Formation Of Iraqi Refugee ‘Communities’ In Cairo And Amman, Emilie K. B. Minnick Jan 2010

Between Return And Resettlement: The Formation Of Iraqi Refugee ‘Communities’ In Cairo And Amman, Emilie K. B. Minnick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether or not there is community formation among Iraqi refugees living in Amman, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt. These two countries were chosen as case studies because they offer an opportunity to analyze how different host country conditions in the Global South have an impact on the process of community formation. While Egypt is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and Jordan is not, access to rights in both countries is similarly restrictive. Furthermore, whereas there has been a long history of forced migration from Iraq to Jordan and Iraqi social networks …