Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Genetically-Informed Study Of The Predictors And The Development Of Delinquency, Albert J. Ksinan

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Although the rates of delinquent behavior have been decreasing since the 1990s, adolescent delinquent behavior continues to take a great toll on society as well as on perpetrators themselves. In this way, it is essential to understand the process of delinquency development. The current dissertation is comprised of three studies that analyzed the predictors and the development of delinquency using genetically-informed designs. The sample used for all studies comes from the Add Health dataset, a nationally-representative data on adolescents followed across 14 years.

The first study modeled the longitudinal development of delinquency in three adolescent cohorts: early, middle, and late …

Gender-Based Harassment In Early Adolescence: Group And Individual Predictors Of Perpetration, Michelle Jennine Tam

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The current study examined gender-based harassment in early adolescence and the characteristics of individuals who perpetrate such harassment (specifically, experiences with witnessing gender-based harassment and gender identity). Students in seventh and eighth grade (n = 483; 247 girls, 236 boys) completed surveys containing measures of gender identity (perceived same and other-gender typicality, felt pressure to conform to gender norms, and gender contentedness), and questions about witnessing and perpetrating teasing, bullying, and rejection because of a peer’s gender typicality or atypicality. Results revealed that the more GBH an individual had previously witnessed in their classroom, the more likely they were …

Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep Functioning And Adolescent Adjustment, Gabriela Ksinan Jiskrova

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The current dissertation consists of three interrelated studies examining the relationship between sleep functioning and adolescent adjustment. Although links between sleep patterns and internalizing problems and externalizing or problem behaviors in children and adolescents have been established in literature, several gaps remain in this research. This dissertation addressed these by: (a) testing sleep problems, quantity, and chronotype in childhood as predictors of internalizing problems in adolescence (Study 1), (b) testing sleep problems, quantity, and chronotype in childhood as predictors of problem behaviors in adolescence (Study 2), and (c) testing sleep problems and quantity as mediators of the chronotype-adjustment link (Study …

Effects Of Social Interaction On Morphine Conditioned Place Preference In Adolescent Male Rats, Virginia G. Weiss

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The fact that adolescents commonly initiate drug use in social settings is well established. Both clinical and preclinical research has investigated how social interaction is altered by a variety of drugs of abuse. What is less understood is how the rewarding value of drugs of abuse is affected by the presence of social peers. This dissertation aimed to investigate the interaction of morphine and social play on conditioned place preference (CPP) in adolescent male Sprague Dawley rats, using both behavioral and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. Rats were exposed to morphine (0, 1, or 3 mg/kg; s.c.), social interaction, or a combination …