Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Children In The Workplace: An Exploration In Library Policy Making, Sharolyn Swenson, Marissa Anne Bischoff, Ryan Lee

Faculty Publications

Children in the workplace are becoming a more common discussion in various work environments, including libraries. Since the university has no policy addressing this issue, a task force was charged to draft a recommended policy for the university library regarding bringing children to the workplace. The task force reviewed existing policies and conducted a survey and interviews with library employees. The resulting policy provided guidelines for employees and their supervisors without being overly prescriptive. This article provides a case study of how the task force used assessment methods and tools to create an appropriate and inclusive policy. While the specific …

Treating Children Exposed To Domestic Violence: Group-Based Intervention, Gary M. Burlingame, Rachel A. Arnold

Faculty Publications

D omestic violence is a serious societal problem that sadly threatens many children. Results from the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) demonstrate that nearly 26% of children are exposed to family violence during their lifetime, including psychological/emotional intimate partner violence, physical intimate partner violence, parental assault of a sibling, and/or other family violence (Hamby et al., 2011). The consequences can be significant. For instance, childhood exposure to intimate partner violence is associated with mental health issues, such as posttraumatic stress and anxiety symptoms (Hamby et al., 2011). While rates of domestic violence have been declining in the …

A Space For Every Student: Assessing The Utility Of A Family Friendly Study Room In A University Library, Tyler Graff, Bob Ridge, Holt Zaugg

Faculty Publications

Students currently in and returning to college are increasingly likely to have children. The demands of academic and family life can conflict, making it difficult for student parents to navigate both. Brigham Young University recently built a Family Friendly Study Room in the university library to provide a place for student-parents to care for their children while engaging in academic work. This study assessed the impact of the FFSR on patrons. Results show that the space is highly valued and offers both academic and relationship benefits. Moreover, students’ suggestions provide important feedback for future improvements. Recommendations for creating family-friendly spaces …

Project Sweat (Summer Weight And Environmental Assessment Trial): Study Protocol Of An Observational Study Using A Multistate, Prospective Design That Examines The Weight Gain Trajectory Among A Racially And Ethnically Diverse Convenience Sample Of Economically Disadvantaged School-Age Children, Laura C. Hopkins, Christine Penicka, Carly Evich, Blake Jones, Carolyn Gunther

Faculty Publications

Introduction Racial/ethnic minority school-age children are at risk for unhealthy weight gain during the summer, and there is a dearth of information regarding the underlying behavioural and environmental factors. The study objective is to provide an in-depth examination of dietary and physical activity behaviours and food, physical activity, and social environments of African American and Hispanic school-age children during the summer.

Methods and analysis An observational study will be conducted using a multistate (Ohio and Indiana, USA) prospective design examining the weight gain trajectory among a racially/ethnically diverse convenience sample of economically disadvantaged school-age children. In addition, a subset of …

Skin Carotenoid Response To A High-Carotenoid Juice In Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Sheryl S. Aguilar, Heidi J. Wengreen, Jeffrey P. Dew

Faculty Publications

Background Previous studies have shown an increase in serum carotenoid status among children when fed carotenoids. This study looked at the effect and dose–response of a known amount of carotenoid consumption on change in skin carotenoid status among children.

Methods Participants were children aged 5 to 17 years from Cache County, UT (n=58). Children were randomly assigned to one of three groups: high (n=18) or low (n=18) dose of a carotenoid-rich juice (2.75 mg carotenoids/30 mL juice), or placebo juice (n=22). Children were asked to drink an assigned dose of the juice (30 to 120 mL/day) based on the weight …

Gender Differences In Depression Across Parental Roles, Kevin Shafer, Garrett T. Pace

Faculty Publications

Prior research has focused on the relationship between parenthood and psychological well-being, with mixed results. Some studies have also addressed potential gender differences in this relationship, again yielding varied findings. One reason may be methodological choices pursued in these studies, including the lack of focus on combined parental roles (for example, biological parent and stepparent). The authors used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 (N = 6,276) and multinomial treatment models to address how combined roles influence depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers. Further, they explored potential gender differences. Their results indicated that having multiple parental roles …

Remarital Chances, Choices, And Economic Consequences: Issues Of Social And Personal Welfare, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen

Faculty Publications

Many divorced women experience a significant decline financial, social, physical and psychological well-being following a divorce. Using data from the NLSY79 (n = 2,520) we compare welfare recipients, mothers, and impoverished women to less marginalized divorcees on remarriage chances. Furthermore, we look at the kinds of men these women marry by focusing on the employment and education of new spouses. Finally, we address how remarriage and spousal quality (as defined by education and employment) impact economic well-being after divorce. Our results show that remarriage has positive economic effects, but that is dependent upon spousal quality. However, such matches are …

Married With Children: The Influence Of Parental Status And Gender On Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Adam M. Howard, Dustin Thoman

Faculty Publications

Background Although there is substantial evidence that social relationships and marriage may influence both psychological and physical health, little is known about the influence of children. Purpose This study examined the competing predictions regarding the directional influence of parental status and its interaction with gender—given that mothers are typically disproportionately more responsible for everyday care of children—on cardiovascular functioning. Method We examined ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) over 24 hours among 198 married males and females. Results Couples without children had significantly higher ambulatory SBP and DBP than those with children. Moreover, we found a significant interaction between parental status and …

Has The Marital Time Cost Of Parenting Changed Over Time?, Jeffrey P. Dew

Faculty Publications

Qualitative and quantitative research has suggested that married couples handle the increasing demands of intensive parenting norms and work expectations by reducing spousal time (e.g., the time that spouses spend alone with each other). Using nationally representative time-diary data, this study examined whether married individuals with children at home lost more spousal time in the years 1975–2003 than individuals without children at home. The analyses showed that on average married individuals have reduced their spousal time by 50 minutes a day. Contrary to expectations, however, individuals with minor children at home had lower time declines than individuals without children. The …

Tips For Working With Children And Youth With Disabilities, Mary Anne Prater

Faculty Publications

The following is adapted from a presentation at the 2006 BYU Women's Conference by Mary Anne Prater, PhD, chair of the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education. All children deserve to learn. Children with disabilities have needs as well as different learning styles that parents and teachers need to be aware of. When we understand what each student needs and how we can provide a positive learning environment, we can facilitate all children's learning and growth.

The Family As A Context For Religious And Spiritual Development In Children And Youth, Chris J. Boyatzis, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

Our chapter addresses how the family promotes or hinders transcendence of the self in children, that is, how the family is a context in which spiritual development occurs. Due to space limitations, our emphasis is on socialization and interaction processes within the family and not on other issues such as psychodynamic processes (e.g., Rizzuto, 1979) or faith development (e.g., Fowler, 1981). There are many motivations to explore family socialization of religious and spiritual development. One, family spirituality and religiosity are linked with many desirable outcomes and inversely with negative outcomes in children and youth. (Other chapters in this volume examine …

Social Withdrawal, Observed Peer Acceptance, And The Development Of Self-Perceptions In Children Ages 4 To 7 Years, Larry J. Nelson, Kenneth H. Rubin, Nathan A. Fox

Faculty Publications

Children who think poorly about themselves are considered at-risk for a myriad of negative outcomes. Thus, it is important to explore possible origins of such cognitions, particularly in young children. The purpose of this study was to examine the relations between various nonsocial behaviors (i.e., reticence and social withdrawal), observed peer acceptance at ages 4 and 7 years, and self-perceptions at age 7 years in both boys and girls, respectively.

Participants included 163 children (89 females, 74 males) who were seen at age 4 and then again at age 7 years. For girls, results revealed that nonsocial behavior (both reticence …

Maternal Psychological Control And Preschool Children’S Behavioral Outcomes In China, Russia, And The United States, Susanne Frost Olsen, Chongming Yang, Craig H. Hart, Clyde C. Robinson, Peixia Wu, David A. Nelson, Larry J. Nelson, Shenghua Jin, Jianzhong Wo

Faculty Publications

A growing body of Western literature has demonstrated the importance of three domains of socialization—connection with significant others, regulation of behavior, and the facilitation of psychological autonomy—in predicting outcomes in adolescents and children (Barber, 1997a, 1997b; Gray & Steinberg, 1999; Hart, Newell, & Olsen, in press; Nelson, 1997; Steinberg, Dornbusch, & Brown, 1992). Psychological control—parenting that does not allow children psychological autonomy, as has been defined elsewhere in this volume, has received increased attention in the past decade (for a discussion of definitions and research, see chapter 2, this volume).

Non-Social Play As A Risk Factor In Social And Emotional Development, Charissa S. L. Cheah, Larry J. Nelson, Kenneth H. Rubin

Faculty Publications

Children spend much of their youthful energy engaged in play. Indeed, play, in its various forms, represents a serious business – not only for the active participations, but also for students of the phenomenon. To many researchers, play is viewed as a generative fore in children's social, emotional, and cognitive development (see Rubin, Fein, & Vandenberg, 1983; Saracho & Spodek, 1998; Fromberg & Bergen, 1998). The extent to which children engage in play with others is of added developmental significance. In light of the complexity and developmental significance of children's play and especially play with peers, it seems important to …

Peer Contact Patterns, Parenting Practices, And Preschoolers’ Social Competence In China, Russia, And The United States, Craig H. Hart, Chongming Yang, David A. Nelson, Shenghua Jin, Nina Bazarskaya, Larry Nelson, Xinzi Wu, Peixia Wu

Faculty Publications

Research over the past decade has focused on ways that parents enhance or constrain the quantity and quality of their children's interactions with peers outside of the immediate family context (e.g., Ladd and Hart 1992; Mize et al. 1995; profiles and Ladd 1994; Russell and Finnie 1990). Much of this work indicates that parenting works in concert with a host of personality, familial, and extra familial variables in ways that facilitate or diminish children's socially competent behavior with peers (Hart et al. 1997). This line of research is important given evidence suggesting that the quality of peer relations stemming from …

The Effect Of The Postdivorce Relationship On Paternal Involvement: A Longitudinal Analysis, Constance R. Ahrons, Richard B. Miller

Faculty Publications

Longitudinal analyses of data from 64 pairs of former spouses indicate that the quality of their postdivorce relationship had a significant impact on fathers' involvement with their children. The strength of the influence declined over time, however, as the patterns of interaction in the reorganized binuclear family became more stable.

Creating Informal Play Opportunities: Are Parents' And Preschoolers' Initiations Related To Children's Competence With Peers?, Gary W. Ladd, Craig H. Hart

Faculty Publications

Preschoolers' social competence may depend on the frequency with which informal play activities are initiated by parents', children, and playmates. In this study, measures ofchildren's peer relations in informal and school contexts and the frequency of parents', children's, and peers' play initiations were obtained with 83 preschool children and their families on 2 occasions. Frequent parent initiations were associated with higher levels of prosocial behavior, lower levels of nonsocial behavior and, among boys, greater peer acceptance in preschool. Children who were more initiating of informal peer contacts displayed less anxious behavior in school and were better liked by their classmates. …