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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Experiences Of Christian Males' Attachment Style And Attachment Figure To God, Irene G. Insunza May 2024

The Experiences Of Christian Males' Attachment Style And Attachment Figure To God, Irene G. Insunza

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the present study was to describe the lived experience of attachment to God in Christian men, how men obtained a secure attachment, and what it means to their life. Attachment Theory explains the importance of attachment bonds formed in infancy between the parent and child. Surrogate attachment figures have gained support in studies, indicating mental representation in attachment to God can assist in developing secure attachment style. The participants consisted of 12 Christian males, ages 21 to 57, active in their faith, and experienced an attachment to God. Using a qualitative, phenomenological design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were …


Attachment (Avoidance And Anxiety) In Relation To Marital Satisfaction In Couples Born Between 1980 And 2000, Shevanthi Kanaganayagam Apr 2024

Attachment (Avoidance And Anxiety) In Relation To Marital Satisfaction In Couples Born Between 1980 And 2000, Shevanthi Kanaganayagam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study examined the relationship between attachment styles (Anxiety, Avoidance) correlated to marital satisfaction in heterosexual couples living in the U.S., born between 1980-2000, and the moderating role of social media use. Attachment styles develop during the infant stage through interactions with adult caregivers. It is apparent from research results that early attachment styles affect how a person interacts, impacting satisfaction in adult romantic relationships (Sandberg et al., 2015). The emergence of social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has given people new ways to communicate with each other, build networks, and share information. According to research, …


Moderated Mediated Model Of Religiosity, God Image, And Self Compassion, Amanda Strivings Mar 2024

Moderated Mediated Model Of Religiosity, God Image, And Self Compassion, Amanda Strivings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Religious engagement can be a protective factor as well as contribute to negative mental health outcomes in religious populations. Early experiences in the parent-child relationship influence how individuals view God, which influences how they emotionally experience and engage with religion. Previous research has explored the relationships between religiosity, view of God, and self-compassion. This study explored the influence of three separate views of God on the cross-generational maintenance of religiosity and as sociocultural factors that influence self-compassion within the context of religiosity. Results supported several direct and indirect relationships. The analysis included one simple mediation model to explore the mediating …


Moral Disengagement And Psychopathy: A Quantitative Correlational Study On Attachment To God And Empathy, Kimberly Essler Jan 2024

Moral Disengagement And Psychopathy: A Quantitative Correlational Study On Attachment To God And Empathy, Kimberly Essler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Moral disengagement and lack of empathy are rising concerns in the United States. Those who are morally disengaged or display limited empathy are often associated with anti-social personality disorder or psychopathy. Studies consistently show trauma and early childhood attachment are predictors for the development of behaviors associated with psychopathy. Current literature has demonstrated semi-effective therapeutic treatment and pharmacotherapy for comorbid disorders and symptoms such as anxiety. However, research fails to adequately address the prevention and treatment of lack of empathy – a major factor in the perilous behaviors of psychopathy. Psychopathy includes structural and functional brain abnormalities in the cortical …


The Relationships Among Number Of Service Member Deployments And Spousal Depression And Parental Attachment, Julia A. Priftis Aug 2023

The Relationships Among Number Of Service Member Deployments And Spousal Depression And Parental Attachment, Julia A. Priftis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research examined the relationship between the number of deployments and depression in military spouses, focusing on the correlations among service members' deployments, spousal mental health, and parenting attachment. A quantitative correlational study was conducted using 78 participants, of whom only 19 were veterans and 59 were spouses with no military background. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Protective Factors Survey (PFS) were used. It was found that military deployments do not negatively associate with parental attachment and spousal depression. It was found that military spouses who experience multiple deployments have less chance of experiencing depression and that deployment …


The Long-Term Effects Of Child Abuse And Neglect On Communication And Conflict Management Within The Military Marriage, Gennifer L. Van Pelt Aug 2023

The Long-Term Effects Of Child Abuse And Neglect On Communication And Conflict Management Within The Military Marriage, Gennifer L. Van Pelt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study utilized a qualitative, phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences of five active-duty military-affiliated couples within which at least one partner reported a history of moderate to severe childhood maltreatment. The goal was to identify thematic constructs that revealed themselves over the course of five interviews conducted with both individuals as well as with the couple in tandem that identify long-term effects of childhood maltreatment on relational functioning with a specific focus on communication and conflict management within the relationship. Interview data combined with the completion of an attachment questionnaire identified three primary themes and one subtheme including …


"My Dog Is In Teletherapy With Me": The Impact Of A Pet Dog On Their Owner's Teletherapy Session, Carlette Anne Layne May 2023

"My Dog Is In Teletherapy With Me": The Impact Of A Pet Dog On Their Owner's Teletherapy Session, Carlette Anne Layne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The connection between humans and animals has led to practices such as animal-assisted therapy, equine therapy, service animals, and pet ownership. Strong bonds and attachments can form between pet owners and their pets. It is no wonder that owning a pet is commonplace in the United States. Many pet owners identify their pet as a member of their family. In addition to companionship, research has indicated that pet ownership can have health benefits, reduce stress, increase empathy, and facilitate openness. In a therapeutic setting, the presence of a pet may comfort its owner simply by being near them. The ease …


Influence Of Childhood Social Media Use On Parental Attachment And Individual Self-Regulation As An Adult, Pamela Jean Corbin Apr 2023

Influence Of Childhood Social Media Use On Parental Attachment And Individual Self-Regulation As An Adult, Pamela Jean Corbin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The utilization of social media continues to rise as technology becomes more refined. Social media has become a topic for extensive research due to this continuing upward trend of use among its diverse set of users. Evidence indicates that there are positive and negative outcomes that originate from the use of social media, including the inability to self-regulate. Several research articles also indicate that the lack of parental attachment, results in the inability to self-regulate. Research shows that social media has a negative effect on self-regulation, but there is limited data on how this association affects all ages, including adults. …


Early Shame, Self-Esteem, And Christian Women, Teneka Guyrue Miles Mar 2023

Early Shame, Self-Esteem, And Christian Women, Teneka Guyrue Miles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences surrounding the self-esteem of evangelical Christian women with early shame experiences. The theory guiding this study was attachment theory as it explains self-esteem being rooted in early childhood through trust building, unconditional love, and security. The theoretical framework further illustrates the impact of self-esteem as life progresses due to a combination of positive and negative self-evaluations. Early shame experiences affect one’s self-esteem adversely. Low self-esteem could breed isolation once people fail to see their self-worthy in establishing meaningful connections, without which individuals lack the …


Who Is Leading Today’S Family? The Detrimental Effects Of An Absent Father, Kimberly J. Davis Mar 2023

Who Is Leading Today’S Family? The Detrimental Effects Of An Absent Father, Kimberly J. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Fathers have an enormous role in their families – it was God’s original design. This study considered the detrimental effects of a physically absent father as the leader, mentor, disciplinarian, and husband of the family home, using a quantitative research design. The theoretical framework used for this descriptive design was John Bowlby’s attachment theory, Dr. Murray Bowen’s family systems theory, Daniel Goleman’s psychological theory on emotional intelligence, and, last, Albert Bandura’s view on aggression theory and the General Aggression Model (GAM). Additionally, the concept of father hunger was explored and measured as this was a crucial construct during this study. …


The Effects Of Secure, Ambivalent, And Avoidant Attachment Styles On Number Of Codependent Behaviors And Relationship Satisfaction, Brittany Nicole Collins Mar 2023

The Effects Of Secure, Ambivalent, And Avoidant Attachment Styles On Number Of Codependent Behaviors And Relationship Satisfaction, Brittany Nicole Collins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Attachment is an important area of study within psychology as individuals learn how to attach and connect with others from childhood into adulthood. An individual’s attachment to parents and caregivers can impact how the individual is able to attach, connect, and trust others in relationships with friends and romantic partners. These attachment styles can impact an individual’s ability to connect and trust in romantic relationships. Examining secure, ambivalent, and avoidant styles; codependent behaviors; and relationship satisfaction is important as codependency continues to be a growing concern, causing unhealthy relationship patterns to develop. Fifty adult participants were recruited from Facebook groups …


The Relationship Between Young Adult Attachment And Loneliness Factors With Their Childhood Social Media Usage Patterns, Kenneth Walter Mark Dec 2022

The Relationship Between Young Adult Attachment And Loneliness Factors With Their Childhood Social Media Usage Patterns, Kenneth Walter Mark

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social media use has become an integral and often ignored part of children’s lives because it is rationalized not to be detrimental to their future development. However, childhood social media use was associated with insecure attachment styles and possible loneliness issues emerging in young adulthood. Past research examined social media use and secular attachment in the present only, without examining spiritual attachment or loneliness levels. This is the first research study to explore longitudinally the relationship between past childhood social media use and current young adult (aged 18-24) secular attachment, spiritual attachment, and loneliness levels. The population (N = 149) …


The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Emotional Intimacy And Attachment In Marriage Among Heterosexual Women Who Are Regular Church Attendees, Elizabeth Morten Oates Apr 2022

The Impact Of Childhood Trauma On Emotional Intimacy And Attachment In Marriage Among Heterosexual Women Who Are Regular Church Attendees, Elizabeth Morten Oates

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the impact of childhood trauma on emotional intimacy and attachment style in marriage among heterosexual women who are regular church attendees. Two research questions drove this current study: (a) How would women who have experienced childhood trauma describe their attachment style in marriage?, and (b) What challenges do women who have experienced childhood trauma face in marriage regarding emotional intimacy with their spouse? Participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire (n.d.), the Adult Attachment Scale, and participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were categorized and analyzed using inductive and …


The Effectiveness Of Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (Airp) In Reducing Marital Distress And Improving Marital Satisfaction In The Areas Of Communication, Commitment, And Trust In High-Conflict Couples Affected By Infidelity, Sarah R. Cordonnier Apr 2022

The Effectiveness Of Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (Airp) In Reducing Marital Distress And Improving Marital Satisfaction In The Areas Of Communication, Commitment, And Trust In High-Conflict Couples Affected By Infidelity, Sarah R. Cordonnier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A quasi-experimental pilot study of fourteen heterosexual couples, twenty-eight participants, was conducted to assess whether Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (AIRP) was effective in reducing marital distress and improving marital satisfaction in the areas of communication, commitment, and trust post infidelity for high-conflict couples. This study was important due to the fact that roughly thirty percent of couples engaged in marital infidelity (Norona et al., 2018). Fourteen heterosexual couples volunteered and were chosen from the clinician’s private mental-health practice to participate in a quasi-experimental pilot study. Four self-report assessments were implemented, including the Kansas Marital Conflict Scale (KMCS), Interpersonal Communication Skills …


Christian Devotional Meditation And Holistic Well Being, Raymond D. Paxton Jan 2022

Christian Devotional Meditation And Holistic Well Being, Raymond D. Paxton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Holistic well-being is a concept that implies humans are multidimensional and require a broad approach to help them achieve life contentment and satisfaction. Spirituality, relationships, emotional functioning, and biology all play a part in achieving this life balance and satisfaction. Interpersonal neurobiology suggests that early life experiences can contribute to underdeveloped brain structures resulting in the diminished ability to form meaningful attachment relationships that help foster contentment as an adult. This ability to engage in positive and supportive relationships has impact on life and holistic well-being. Further, the inability to form close relationships, engage, and emotionally connect with others has …


Overall Level Of Marital Satisfaction In Christian Individuals Based On Marital Setting And Ethnicity, Rafael Dejesus Acosta Dec 2020

Overall Level Of Marital Satisfaction In Christian Individuals Based On Marital Setting And Ethnicity, Rafael Dejesus Acosta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research on marital satisfaction has been limited to Caucasian couples in a middle and upper socioeconomic status. Because values differ throughout ethnicities, and religious commitment rather than personal satisfaction contributes to higher levels of marital satisfaction, understanding these values and differences may help developers in the field of couple relationship education programs strengthen their approach to helping Christian couples develop skills that contribute to marital satisfaction. The purpose of this research is to examine if marital setting, ethnicity and Couple Relationship Education (CRE) and Marriage Relationship Education (MRE) affect marital satisfaction in Christian couples. The participants in this study will …


The Impact Of A Christian Accommodated Mindfulness Protocol On Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Spiritual Well-Being, And Attachment To God, Tonya Thompson Gardner Dec 2020

The Impact Of A Christian Accommodated Mindfulness Protocol On Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Spiritual Well-Being, And Attachment To God, Tonya Thompson Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Best practices require those who work in the counseling field to ensure sensitivity to cultural norms and preferences among clients. While considering appropriate therapeutic interventions and treatment protocols, it is imperative that counselors remain aware of the personal beliefs of their clients. Thus, accommodating treatments to incorporate clients’ religious preferences seeks to enhance the effectiveness and provide the greatest benefit to each client as an individual. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a Christian accommodated mindfulness (CAM) protocol in a Christian sample and provide further evidence of the impact of Christian accommodated mindfulness protocol by …


Attachment And Burnout: Exploring The Predictive Nature Of Self-Efficacy In A Sample Of Direct-Care Staff Members, Eric Jason Camden May 2019

Attachment And Burnout: Exploring The Predictive Nature Of Self-Efficacy In A Sample Of Direct-Care Staff Members, Eric Jason Camden

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The push for least-restrictive care and associated policies has increased the prevalence of youth with higher levels of acuity requiring admission to residential treatment centers. This increased psychiatric severity of children and adolescents served in residential centers places the largest burden on direct-care staff members. As a result, direct-care staff members experience workplace stressors such as staff-member shortages/unplanned call-outs, poor morale, high stress, and burnout. Burnout is widely recognized as a significant hazard for professional caregivers and is a potent barrier to clinical effectiveness. Extant literature on burnout examines individual and organizational factors that lead to burnout experiences, and this …


Examining The Effect Of Parental Attachment, Emotional Maturity, Spiritual Maturity, And View Of Suffering On Sense Of Coherence, Alyssa M. Gavulic Jun 2018

Examining The Effect Of Parental Attachment, Emotional Maturity, Spiritual Maturity, And View Of Suffering On Sense Of Coherence, Alyssa M. Gavulic

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Suffering and loss are inevitable parts of the human experience. Nonetheless, the ability to find meaning in various forms of suffering has been shown to impact individual responses to diverse experiences of pain, distress, and loss. Despite the ubiquitous nature of human suffering, perceptions of the cause, purpose, impact, and outcome of experiences of suffering can vary greatly among individuals. Consequently, this inquiry-oriented, descriptive dissertation research examines how emotional maturity, spiritual maturity, and views of suffering mediate the relationship between parental attachment and sense of coherence. This study employs a correlational research design that examines the scores on a variety …


Emotional Re-Engagement After Deployments: Using Attachment Principles With Relationship Resources For Post-Deployment Relational Enhancement, Rob Fasnacht Apr 2018

Emotional Re-Engagement After Deployments: Using Attachment Principles With Relationship Resources For Post-Deployment Relational Enhancement, Rob Fasnacht

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The understanding of attachment theory helps one to overcome personal and relational problems that are exacerbated by past traumas. This thesis project focused on how long durations of separations, especially in a military setting, may trigger symptoms from past traumas, which may impede relational secure attachments to friends and family. A survey was crafted and answered by over 100 adults, including military members, military dependents, and non-military civilians. The results were analyzed to discover how often people were separated from loved ones, the length that perhaps caused problems, and the feelings that developed. A literary review of books and scholastic …


A Phenomenological Analysis Of God Attachment, Romantic Attachment, And Relationship Satisfaction In Christian Couples Completing An Emotionally-Focused Marital Intensive, Shanon Roberts Dec 2017

A Phenomenological Analysis Of God Attachment, Romantic Attachment, And Relationship Satisfaction In Christian Couples Completing An Emotionally-Focused Marital Intensive, Shanon Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With professional counseling ethics and organizations moving to more spiritual and cultural sensitivity on behalf of their clients, there is limited research on Christian couples in the area of marital intervention. This phenomenological study examined the shared experiences of five Christian couples who participated in a Christian emotionally-focused therapy marital intensive and who reported maintaining relationship satisfaction one year later. The study assessed the effectiveness of this Christian marital counseling intervention; and identified emergent processes and themes that occurred specific to Christian couples in a marital intervention setting; and added to the God attachment and romantic attachment literature through a …


Ptsd From Childhood Trauma As A Precursor To Attachment Issues, Christy Owen Sep 2016

Ptsd From Childhood Trauma As A Precursor To Attachment Issues, Christy Owen

Fidei et Veritatis: The Liberty University Journal of Graduate Research

The past 20 years have been turbulent regarding Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), with conflicting research about its causes, effects, treatment, and prognosis. The current diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 fails to adequately address this disorder. A number of deviant and maladaptive behaviors common amongst children with RAD are not even mentioned in the diagnostic criteria. As such, the diagnostic definition is almost unidentifiable or incompatible with real-life conduct manifestations of the disorder. Rather, this author contends that RAD is foundationally a unique and extreme form of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from Early Childhood Trauma. The child endured unspeakable neglect and/or …


Priming And The Activation Of The God Attachment System, Kevin Conner May 2016

Priming And The Activation Of The God Attachment System, Kevin Conner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Attachment theorists seek to understand the development of attachment bonds in childhood and how these bonds serve as the foundation of continued close-relationship development in adulthood. These attachment bonds are established early through the development of internal working models of attachment, yet they may continue to be susceptible to change when opposing attachment information is received. Due to the potential plasticity of attachment bonds, researchers have considered priming, the introduction of cues in order to interact with attachment working models, as a means to stimulate change toward more secure attachment representations, resulting in potential health benefits. In religious individuals, one …


Association Between Sensory Responsiveness And Attachment Style In College Students With And Without Adhd, Madeline Alderfer Apr 2016

Association Between Sensory Responsiveness And Attachment Style In College Students With And Without Adhd, Madeline Alderfer

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore possible correlations between overall sensory processing responsivity and relationship attachment, as well as between sensory subscales and relationship attachment. It also tested for a difference between sensory processing patterns among young adults with and without ADHD. The sample included 370 college students: 32 who had received an ADHD diagnosis and 338 who had not. Participants completed an online self-report survey made up of various demographics questions, the Sensory Processing Quotient (SPQ), and the Experiences in Close Relationships – General/Global Scale (ECR-General). A significant correlation was discovered between general SPQ scores and relationship …


Effects Of Child-Parent Attachment And God Attachment On Depression In Adolescent Christians, Soloman Aifuwa Jan 2016

Effects Of Child-Parent Attachment And God Attachment On Depression In Adolescent Christians, Soloman Aifuwa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis contains a description of a study that examined the relationships between parent attachment, God attachment, and depression in adolescent Christians. It was predicted that secure parent and God attachment are related, and that they will have positive effects on depression and that God attachment will mediate the effects of parent attachments on depression. The study was a cross-sectional correlation study that employed 75 adolescents in youth ministries in North-east Jersey. Depression and attachment measures were administered and the results were analyzed using hierarchical and simultaneous multiple regression, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient. The study findings demonstrated that parent …


The Relationship Of Prayer And Forgiveness To God Attachment, Romantic Attachment, And Relationship Satisfaction In Christian Married Adults: A Mediation Study, Joshua Michael Myers Jun 2015

The Relationship Of Prayer And Forgiveness To God Attachment, Romantic Attachment, And Relationship Satisfaction In Christian Married Adults: A Mediation Study, Joshua Michael Myers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research demonstrates that one's attachment to God accounts for unique variance in Relationship Satisfaction after accounting for the effects of Romantic Attachment. To date, only one study has sought to find a similar finding within a predominately married population. However, no study has attempted to partially explain this effect. This study seeks to answer the following research question: does Prayer and Forgiveness partially mediate the relationship between God Attachment and Relationship Satisfaction in a married population? It is hypothesized that Prayer and Forgiveness will partially mediate the relationship between God Attachment and Relationship Satisfaction in a married population. The study …


Emotion Focused Therapy For Couples In Addiction Treatment: The Relationship Between Quality Of Recovery, Attachment Style, And Relational Satisfaction, Bonnie Bassett May 2014

Emotion Focused Therapy For Couples In Addiction Treatment: The Relationship Between Quality Of Recovery, Attachment Style, And Relational Satisfaction, Bonnie Bassett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigates the efficacy of Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples in an addiction recovery program. The literature review revealed that individuals with a secure attachment style experience increased relational satisfaction and report better ability to manage life's challenges as compared with individuals with an insecure attachment style. A pretest-posttest design was used to investigate the effect of EFT on quality of recovery from addiction. The primary measure's percentile rank scores were comparatively analyzed. A single case multiple baseline design was implemented to draw inferences based on examining the participants' assessment scores across baseline and intervention phases. The purpose …


Attachment: The Antidote To Trauma, Joshua Straub Sep 2009

Attachment: The Antidote To Trauma, Joshua Straub

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Trauma and loss in life are inevitable. And all too often the traumatic experience itself can be enough to paralyze the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of any given person. Unable to interpret the traumatic experience, many instead are left defined by it. Helping clients discern the objective experience and their subjective reactions to it will help free them from the emotions and beliefs that subsequently control their lives. Based on the most relevant attachment theory research and clinical techniques, this workshop teaches the attentional strategies necessary to helping clients overcome trauma.