Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gender Differences In Co-Rumination Processes In The Friendships Of Late Adolescents: Relations To Depression Vulnerability, Helen J. Day

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in problem content and dyadic problem talk duration as potential contributors to previously documented depressogenic effects of co-rumination in late adolescence. Participants (N = 176 undergraduate students) included pairs of same-gender female (n = 37), same-gender male (n = 15), and cross-gender (n = 36) friends who completed self-report measures assessing individual depressive symptom severity, as well as within-dyad co-rumination habits and friendship quality. Dyads also participated in an observational problem talk task, which asked each dyad member to identify a current personal problem and discuss it with …

Kids Killing Kids: A Look Into Mental Illness, Adolescence, And Mass Murder, Levi Cragun

Fall Student Research Symposium 2018

Violence in America has been on a decline since the 1990’s. Active shooters have seemed to be on the rise and ever present in the media (See Figure 1).

Society searches for the cause of these acts of violence. Typical answers to violence may not be sufficient to answering for violence on this scale. One hypothesis is mental illness.

Mental illness is not normally linked to violent behavior (Stuart, 2003). However, with differences in brain development and lack of literature, mentally ill adolescents may be an exception.

With this in mind, researchers ask the following questions; Are rates of mental …

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (Mmpi-A-Rf) With Juvenile Drug Court Adjudicated Outpatient Adolescents, Mary Caitlin Fertitta

Theses and Dissertations

Many psychological disorders have their beginnings or foundations during the critical developmental period of adolescence. Substance use is particularly problematic at this time because of its risk for continuation into adulthood and because of the many problems associated with it, such as delinquency, family conflict, and poor emotional adjustment. Accurate assessment of emotional and behavioral disturbances in adolescents is important for directing treatment and intervention. This study aimed to contribute reference data for this specific population to the growing body of research with the newly published Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A­RF). The central purposes of this study were to …

Are Mixed-Sex And Single-Sex Groups Equally Effective Across Males And Females? A Quasi-Experimental Investigation Of A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Program In Mixed-Sex High School Populations, Christina L. Verzijl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Body Project is a cognitive dissonance-based eating disorder (ED) preventive intervention program with ample empirical support among adolescent and undergraduate female samples. Recently, community stakeholders and data suggest that preventive efforts must also target body satisfaction and increasing ED symptomatology seen in males. The current study examined the efficacy of a male-only (MO), a mixed-sex (MS), and a traditional female-only (FO) Body Project program compared to a minimal attention control (AC) in a community sample. Participants included adolescents male and female students (N = 182) aged 13-19 years across three high school sites. Participants completed self-report measures assessing body …

The Longitudinal Impact Of Screen Time On Adolescent Development: Moderation By Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, Wesley Sanders, Justin Parent, Jamie L. Abaied, Rex Forehand, Sarah M. Coyne, W. Justin Dyer

Faculty Publications

Purpose: To date, little is known about underlying psychophysiological contributions to the impact of media content and overall screen time on adolescent psychological functioning. In the present study we examine respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as a moderator of the link between specific types of media content use, overall media exposure, and the development of internalizing and aggressive symptoms in youth.

Methods: A sample of 374 adolescents (mean age = 15) reported on their media use, internalizing behavior, and aggressive behavior at time 1 (2011) and 1-year follow-up (2012). RSA reactivity was gathered during a challenging laboratory task. Path analyses were …

Cannabinoid-Induced Behavioral Sensitization In Adolescent Sprague-Dawley Rats, Michelle Stone

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Adolescent cannabis use has grown because of increased availability and higher societal acceptance. This increase in cannabis use is problematic as adolescents who experiment with cannabis are more likely to abuse cannabis and experiment with other illicit drugs such as cocaine. The reason for the greater susceptibility to drugs use is unclear and may be the result of altered drug sensitivity after cannabis exposure. Thus, the present investigation used the behavioral sensitization paradigm to examine the behavioral response of early adolescent rats to the cannabinoid agonist CP 55,940 (CP) or cocaine after repeated cannabinoid administration. It was hypothesized that: (1) …

Grief And Its Implications In Childhood And Adolescence, Electa C. Willander

Student Publications

Death has always been a taboo subject. However, it is impossible for anyone to avoid death in terms of their loved ones or their own mortality. Therefore it is impossible to avoid the at times overbearing emotion of grief. Grief can be exposed in the light of someone passing, loss of a relationship, diminishing health, loss of a job, and even loss in athletic ability. There is no singular reason for grief to be present, nor are there simple and straightforward ways to cope and move forward. Grief on the individual and universal scale has no time frame. It is …

A Narrative Approach To Investigating The Contextual Nature Of Adolescent Self-Regulation, Kelly Conover

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Self-regulation has been identified as important for academic achievement, positive mental health, and social success (Steinberg, 2014, Mischel, 2014). This inquiry begins with self-regulation defined traditionally as “modulation of thoughts, emotions and behaviors working in conjunction, with deliberate or automated use of specific mechanisms and skills" (Karoly, 1993, pg. 25) and extends beyond that and similar definitions to a definition that adds “as enacted in relationships and situations with culturally-relevant media.” The need for such an expansion urgently accounts for the fact that young people are living in high-risk settings, where trauma, violence and economic difficulty are implicated not only …

Biological Stress Response And Cognitive Vulnerability To Depression In Adolescence, Bridget M. Brush

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Depression is the leading cause of worldwide disability. Rates of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) increase exponentially over the adolescent transition, suggesting adolescence represents a key period of risk for the onset of depression. Previous research has associated both biological stress response and cognitive vulnerability with symptoms of depression; however, there is little research examining the joint effects of these two risk factors and symptoms of depression, especially during adolescence. The present study examined the association between symptoms of depression and two established risk factors for depression: cognitive vulnerability, as measured by negative cognitive style, and biological stress response, as measured …

A Multimodal Assessment Of Disgust In Response To Traumatic Event Reminders Among Adolescents, Teah-Marie R. Bynion

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The majority of youth will report traumatic event exposure by the time they reach adulthood. Research suggests exposure to such events is linked to myriad negative outcomes. Not all traumatic events are alike, however; evidence suggests that, compared to non-interpersonal events, interpersonal events in which another person intentionally perpetrates harm are linked to elevations in the likelihood of negative outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One reason for this discrepancy is that interpersonal traumatic events may elicit greater levels of disgust. However, this is a very under-developed research base, no study has examined this question among youth. The current study …

The Double Bind Of Siblings In Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Jonathan Caspi, David T. Lardier, Veronica R. Barrios

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Siblings have been found to be perhaps the greatest source of social risk for adolescent substance abuse, particularly when the relationship is close. But, close sibling relationships are also linked to an array of important developmental and lifelong protective benefits. Sibling closeness simultaneously poses considerable risks and benefits. These conflicting findings suggest opposite treatment directions, or a “double bind” for practice. That sibling closeness risks contagion suggests treatment that aims to decrease sibling closeness. On the other hand, the many lifelong and protective benefits of close sibling relationships suggests increasing sibling closeness when possible. Family-based treatment is recommended for adolescent …

Associations Among Different Types Of Prosocial Behavior Toward Friends, Friendship Quality, And Mental Health Outcomes During Adolescence, Daye Son

Theses and Dissertations

The current study used a multidimensional approach to prosocial behavior by a) exploring various types of adolescent prosocial behavior toward friends (physical helping, sharing, defending, emotional support, including) using both qualitative and quantitative data, and b) examining longitudinal associations among prosocial behavior toward friends, friendship quality, and mental health (anxiety, life satisfaction, depression). The data were taken from Waves 8, 9, and 10 of the Flourishing Families Project. Participants at Wave 8 consisted of 470 adolescents (M age = 18.4 years, SD = 1.04, 49% male, 32% high school students, 33% single-parent families) from the United States. Results revealed that …

A Content Analysis Of The Journal Of Adolescent Health: Using Past Literature To Guide Healthcare Research Of Us Ethnic Minority Adolescents, Kate Amanda Handy

Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic minority research in the U.S. is important given the increase in ethnic minority populations, particularly within the adolescent population. Content analyses are useful in guiding researchers as they document representation and progress of research on ethnic minorities within many fields, including healthcare. The Journal of Adolescent Health was coded for the following variables: ethnic minority focus, article topic, article funding by topic, geographic location of sample, and inclusion of measures (ethnic identity and acculturation). The results indicated that the percentage of published articles focused on each specific ethnic minority group were lower than the current U. S. percentages, including …

Understanding Relationships Between Early Life Toxic Stress, Childhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage, And Allostatic Load In Adolescence, Amanda King

Dissertations (1934 -)

Chronic disease prevalence among children and adolescents is rising, which is thought to result in part from elevations in allostatic load (AL). AL is the cumulative physiological dysregulation that results from exposure to biological, social and environmental stressors over time. Socioeconomic disparities in chronic disease and AL have been well-documented in adult populations, including links between childhood socioeconomic disadvantage (CSD) and AL, yet little is known as to whether CSD may begin to impact AL earlier in life. Differential exposure and vulnerability to stress among racial/ethnic minorities may increase risk for elevated AL among those experiencing CSD. Framed by the …

Pathways Over The Life Course: Patterns Of Depressive Symptoms In Adolescence And Their Potential Impact On Educational Attainment, Stephen Carneiro Fernandes

MA Research Paper

This analysis draws on life course sociology to investigate the association between depression in adolescence and postsecondary completion in young adulthood. Three gaps in the mental health and education literature are addressed: lack of attention to the duration and timing of depressive symptoms, the overuse of high school degree receipt and college entry as outcome variables, and the exclusion of theoretically important confounders, such as self-rated health. Using panel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, distinct mental health pathways that are based on a 12-item revision of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale are …

Purposeful Explorers: Adolescents Finding Their Purposes In A Catholic High School, Brandy P. Quinn

Journal of Catholic Education

Contemporary research about purpose suggests that adolescents benefit in multiple ways when they develop purpose, and at the same time, that many adolescents are not purposeful. Adolescents in Catholic high schools may receive a unique set of contextual supports that help them develop a sense of purpose and understand what that purpose is. This study was designed to understand the content and organization of purpose for young adolescents during their first year in a Catholic high school. The sample included 153 ninth grade students from a Catholic high school in the United States (M age at T1 = 14.02 …

Parental And Relational Aggression, David A. Nelson, Craig H. Hart

Faculty Publications

Where do children get their basic tendencies to act aggressively? One possibility is that it varies by the type of parenting received, particularly for young children, who tend to spend more time with their parents than do older children and adolescents. This chapter considers the expanse of research focusing on parenting as it corresponds with relationally aggressive tendencies in children, adolescents, or emerging adults (including similar constructs labeled as indirect or social aggression). Relational aggression subsumes indirect, covert, hostile behaviors where target children are not directly confronted (e.g., gossiping, talking behind one's back; see Chapter 2). It can also be …

Understanding Identities Of Internationally Adopted Adolescents Through The Use Of Art Therapy: A Literature Review, Joselin Acosta Toledo

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

As international adoption becomes more popular and widely used in the United States, there is more evidence of the impact that adoption and the process of adaptation can have on an individual in both the long and short term, especially in the development of their identity. While adolescence tends to be a time when the individual is focused on creating and understanding their uniqueness, being an adoptee adds even more complexity to this task. Adopted children often struggle with issues of self- esteem, sense of belonging, identity formation, and safety (Harris, 2012). Art therapy has been successfully used with adolescents …

Dance/Movement And Drama Therapy Methods To Assess Resistance In Adolescents With Low Sense Of Identity And Self-Esteem: Development Of A Method, Victoria Mancini

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Drama and Dance/Movement based therapies have the ability unlock the psyche through the mind/body connection by gaining access to innate creativity that is prevalent in childhood and often begins to diminish in adolescence. For this thesis, adolescents from a low socio-economic background participated in an Expressive Arts Therapy processing and support group, aimed to build self-esteem, strengthen communication skills, alleviate social anxiety and become part of a community. Dance/movement and Drama therapy techniques were implemented, due to their social nature which promotes embodied self-expression and strengthens verbal problem-solving communication. These two particular modalities have proven to enable deep self-awareness and …

Adolescents, Empathy And Dance Movement Therapy, A Literature Review, Jessica Tokarchuk

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Aggression and violence among adolescents in the school setting has continued to increase in the past several years. Empathy is related to decreased aggression in adolescents. Teaching empathy and other prosocial skills in school has been shown to decrease aggression. Several researchers have presented curriculum and methods to teach these skills, however violence and aggression continue to occur at high rates in schools in America. Current methods used in schools in America need to be developed with different approaches. The development of a strong sense-of-self, self-esteem and emotion-regulation are needed to support the development of empathy. Secure attachments throughout …

The Use Of Role Theory To Build Identity In Adolescents, Jordan Crawford

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper discusses how role theory introduced through the arts can aide adolescents in understanding the many parts of their own identity. The research focuses on the idea that through strengths based identity building, teens can increase their self-knowledge and self-esteem which will in turn decrease the chances for each individual developing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Relevant literature and research were used in order to develop evidence based expressive art therapy interventions to further explore identity using a strengths based approach. The intervention was introduced to an adolescent client who has a diagnosis of adjustment disorder with anxiety and …

Dance Movement Therapy With Adolescents In A Partial Hospital Program: A Method For Engagement, Claude Michelle Aubourg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Therapeutic engagement during adolescence can be a major challenge in adolescent mental health. Research has indicated therapeutic techniques designed for engaging clients are often ineffective for adolescents because adolescents bring distinctive qualities to the therapy process that differentiate them from other therapy populations. There is also limited research showing effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) with the adolescent population. This capstone will present an adaptable method utilizing dance/movement therapy interventions with participants ages 12-17 in a Partial Hospital Program. The objective of this project was to examine how DMT can improve engagement in treatment with adolescents in a partial hospital program …

The Immediate And Long-Lasting Cognitive Consequences Of Adolescent Chronic Sleep Restriction, Kerry Howard

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Adolescence is a critical developmental period. An important change that occurs in adolescence is the neurological maturation for adult-type cognitive abilities. Research has linked adequate sleep quantity to successful learning and memory capabilities. However, due to a shift in sleep timing drive in adolescence, in combination with early awakening for school, the adolescent population is experiencing chronic sleep restriction (CSR). What repercussions to long-term memory capabilities could CSR in adolescence have immediately and are the consequences long-lasting? The present study modeled human adolescent CSR in rats through four hours of sleep deprivation for five days, followed by two days of …

Mindfulness, Self-Compassion And Threat Related Attentional Bias: Implications For Social Anxiety And Loneliness In Late Adolescent College Students., Kimberly Raymond

Dissertations - ALL

The present study examined associations among mindfulness, self-compassion, social anxiety, loneliness and attention bias toward threat in a community sample of undergraduate university students (n = 176). Of interest was whether threat bias would mediate the independent effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on social anxiety and loneliness. Threat bias is characterized by the display of exaggerated attention toward threatening cues in the environment and has been repeatedly linked to the origin and continuation of anxious symptoms. Given the focus of contemplative practices on attentional awareness and control, this study examined whether mindfulness and self-compassion may contribute to decreased levels of …

A Program Evaluation Of Zgirls: The Role Of Cognitive Emotion Regulation In Predicting Mental Health Outcomes In Adolescent Girls, Julie Vieselmeyer

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

This study investigated the impact of ZGiRLS, a sport-based youth development program (YDP) that seeks to empower adolescent girls by teaching psychological skills. Sport-based YDPs have shown great potential for promoting healthy psychological development (Anderson-Butcher et al., 2013), and may even serve a preventative function by providing an effective setting for developing positive traits, attitudes, and skills (Weissberg, Kumpfer, & Seligman, 2003). The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation to explore the effectiveness of ZGiRLS. Four specific aims of the study were to examine (a) a change in psychological skills (i.e., self-talk and goal setting), (b) …

Risk And Resilience: Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Factors Influencing Adolescent Peer Rejection And Depression, Tyler Hicks

Honors College

This study aimed to examine James C. Coyne’s (1976) interpersonal theory of depression, which supposes that individuals with depression engage in aversive behaviors, causing those around them to reject the relationship in a group of adolescents aged 11-18 (N = 82). Data from the North Yarmouth Academy Peer Project, collected by Dr. Rebecca Schwartz-Mette was used to assess the effect of peer rejection on adolescent depressive symptoms. Participants were surveyed on a number of scales rating emotional adjustment, psychosocial function, internalizing problems, and friendship behaviors. Moderator variables, including three interpersonal behaviors (excessive reassurance-seeking, negative feedback-seeking, conversational self-focus) and one social-cognitive …

Pathways Linking Family Stress To Youth Delinquency And Substance Use: Exploring The Mediating Roles Of Self-Efficacy And Future Orientation, Dexter R. Voisin

Faculty Scholarship

African American adolescents in poorer neighborhoods experience significant sanctions related to drug use and delinquency. Parental stress (i.e. substance use, mental distress, and incarceration) is associated with youth drug use and delinquency. We examined whether high self-esteem and positive future orientation mediated parental stress and youth substance use and delinquency. Demographic, family stress, future orientation, self-esteem, and drug use data were collected from 578 youths. Major findings indicated that self-esteem mediated the relationship between family stress and both drug use and delinquency. Future mediated the relationship between family stress and delinquency. Resiliency factors may promote positive development for low-income youth.

Changes In Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents With Asd Completing The Peers® Social Skills Intervention, Hillary Schiltz, Alana J. Mcvey, Bridget Kathleen Dolan, Kirsten S. Willar, Sheryl Pleiss, Jeffrey S. Karst, Audrey M. Carson, Christina Caiozzo, Elisabeth M. Vogt, Brianna D. Yund, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Depression is a common concern among people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is often associated with social skills and relationship challenges. The present data, from a randomized controlled trial, examined the effect of PEERS^® on self-reported depressive symptoms via the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) among 49 adolescents with ASD. Findings revealed that many CDI subscale scores declined (p’s < 0.05) and were related to direct social contact on the Quality of Socialization Questionnaire at posttest (p’s < 0.05). Exploratory analyses uncovered that suicidality was less evident following PEERS^®. Findings support the notion that social functioning and depression may be intimately intertwined in ASD; therefore, bolstering social skills in ASD may positively influence other domains of functioning, including mental health.

The Role Of Parenting And Attachment In Identity Style Development, Kaylin Ratner

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The present study set investigates the role of the parent-child relationship in identity formation using a sample of 264 students collected from two high schools in the central Florida area. Maternal responsiveness fosters both the informational and normative identity style, as well as positive attachment. Such results suggest that a warm and loving maternal figure allows children to feel safe in their environment, which encourages exploration. Furthermore, positive attachment was found to significantly predict a normative identity style. Despite both responsiveness and attachment independently predicting a normative identity style, issues were raised in regards to multicollinearity of the variables utilized …

“I Want Her To Make Correct Decisions On Her Own:” Former Soviet Union Mothers’ Beliefs About Autonomy Development, Masha Komolva, Jane Y. Lipnitsky

Publications and Research

This qualitative study examined Former Soviet Union (FSU) mothers’ explicit and implicit attitudes and parenting practices around adolescents’ autonomy development. Interviews were conducted with 10 mothers who had immigrated from the FSU to the US between 10 and 25 years ago, and who had daughters between the ages of 13 and 17 years. Mothers predominantly defined autonomy in terms of adolescents’ ability to carry out instrumental tasks, make correct decisions, and financially provide for themselves, but rarely mentioned psychological or emotional independence. Mothers reflected on the various aspects of autonomy emphasized in their country of origin and America, and balancing …