Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Perceived Parental Attachment And Coping Styles., Leslie C. Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of all relational bonds, perhaps the strongest and most complex is the one between parent and child. The dynamics of this relationship potentially hold the key to understanding the future psychological adjustment of the child. The current study was conducted to assess the relationship between perceived parental attachment and coping styles. Undergraduate psychology students (n=300) were administered a survey to examine perceived parental attachment, coping style, and gender. In conflict with previous studies, results indicated that neither respondents' gender nor level of perceived parental attachment was significantly related to participants' reported coping style. Increased knowledge and understanding of parental attachment …

Marital Problems And Marital Satisfaction: An Examination Of A Brazilian Sample, Nalu De Araujo Nunes

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to examine the types of problems faced by Brazilian couples in the sample, the gender differences in the perception of marital problems, and the associations between marital problems and marital satisfaction. The sample used in this study was part of the third wave of data collection of a longitudinal study of 126 families living in Porto Alegre, a city in southern Brazil. The RDAS was the instrument used to assess marital satisfaction. Marital problems were identified by asking participants to check the problems they perceive in their marriage from a list of common marital …

Reported Mental Health Issues And Marital Quality: A Statewide Survey, Joseph Ruben Smart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study included a representative random sample of 886 married individuals in Utah. This sample was surveyed to discover the relationship between demographic variables, reported mental health issues, and marital quality. In addition, this study sought to discover models, using demographic variables and reported mental health issues, to predict for separate dimensions of marital quality. This survey was a replication of a study completed primarily in Oklahoma, with the addition of questions about the participants' mental health.

Spearman's rho, Pearson's R, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The results of the study show that: religious beliefs …

Acknowledging Morality In Methodology, Rachelle Erika Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Marriage and family research has its foundation in the positivist tradition, which dismisses the relevance of morality to the scientific enterprise. Yet morality is inherent in marriage and family studies—both in the topics studied and in methodology. In this conceptual research, positivist assumptions are explicated to show that positivist methodology relies on a stance of moral neutrality that turns out to be a hidden morality. This hidden morality requires that people be studied as other objects. The need for a methodology that has an explicit moral philosophy and that acknowledges that humans are not “things” is discussed. Levinas' relational philosophy …

Sacrifice In Marriage: Motives, Behaviors, And Outcomes, Kevin Shitamoto Figuerres

Theses and Dissertations

Today's society appears to have become focused on the individual and his/her exclusive needs in relationships. Self-sacrifice has seemingly become a forgotten value and behavior. The motives for sacrificing for another can widely vary for each individual. This study examined the effects of couples' sacrificing behaviors and the motives for sacrificing on the couples' marital quality. In this research, a random sample of 138 couples from Oakland, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Ogden, UT; and Atlanta, GA were assessed on these variables using the Self Perception of Sacrifice, Partner Perception of Sacrifice, Motives for Sacrifice, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and Personal Assessment …

Modeling Natural Resources Scarcity And Proverty Effects On Fertility In Honduras, Nepal, And Tanzania, Ayoub Shaban Ayoub

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examines whether the vicious circle theory applies in three developing countries characterized by high population growth. According to the vicious circle theory, natural resource scarcity coupled with poverty leads to population growth via positive effects on fertility particularly in rural areas of developing countries. Population growth then leads to a further increase in natural resource scarcity, creating a "feedback loop." This is the first study to use micro-level data to test and control for endogeneity using a two-stage Probit model (IVPROBIT). The existing literature has largely failed to address endogeneity in the relationship between natural resource scarcity and …

Making Sense Of Their World: Sensory Awareness And Sensory Reactivity As Predictors Of Social Interaction In Early Childhood, Cortney Anne Evans

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) test the validity of a sensory reactivity measure adapted for parents of preschool-age children, (b) examine if different modalities of sensory reactivity (i.e. smell, touch, taste, etc.) emerge together or if differing thresholds of reactivity exist between sensory modalities, (c) see how parental ratings of preschoolers' sensory reactivity are related to children's behaviors in the classroom, and (d) see if sensory reactivity bears different relationships to children's social behaviors than do other aspects of temperament. A total of 260 parents (242 mothers, 18 fathers) and 10 teachers of 260 children (131 male, …

Family Variables As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Outcome, Gina R. Sillo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The current study sought to investigate the importance of family variables as they potentially predict treatment outcome for adolescents at two intensive outpatient drug treatment programs. A growing body of research has demonstrated that family dynamics serve to influence drug using behaviors and substance abuse treatment. More specifically, empirical support has suggested that the quality of family relationships is an important factor serving to influence affective treatment. The current investigation considered two primary domains of family influence: family cohesion and family conflict. Results revealed that the study variables comprising these domains were not found to be associated with adolescent treatment …

Arginine Vasopressin And Male Attachment: A Marital And Family Therapy Perspective, Calvin James Thomsen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Social neuroscience offers a promising way to understand some dimensions of adult attachment. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide with significant implications for human social behavior and it provides an important testing ground to explore links between social/interpersonal neurobiology and attachment. It has a distinctive impact on the social/relational behavior of certain male animals, most notably prairie voles. It fosters monogamy, creates attachment to both mate and offspring, and increases affiliation and a desire for physical proximity with other animals of the species. There has been much speculation that it might play a similar role with human males. This study …

Dating In Midlife: A Dyadic Approach Examining Partner Perceptions On Relationship Quality, Rachel Sheffield

Theses and Dissertations

Using a matched-partner dataset of 660 midlife couples, this study examined dating relationships at midlife from the perspective of both male and female partners. It also explored ways various life course factors such as marital history, children, cohabitation, relationship length, and social approval related to partners' perceptions of one another and to subsequent relationship quality. Findings indicated heterogeneity in midlife dating experiences. Actor and partner effects of enhancement were most often linked with greater satisfaction and fewer problems for never-married couples, yet enhancement was not related to relationship stability for them. For couples where only one partner had been previously …

Family Structure And The Criminal Behavior Of Juveniles In Tennessee., Ronald D. Pickard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between family type and criminal behavior of juveniles in Tennessee who were referred to Juvenile Court in 2006. The population used in the study comprised the juveniles who were referred to the Tennessee Juvenile Courts as reported by the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in 2006.

This investigation focused on the criminal behavior as indicated by number and type of referrals to the Juvenile and Family Court system in Tennessee. The data were analyzed by family-of-origin type, age group, and geographic region in Tennessee.

The findings of …

Supporting Divorcing Parents In Japan, Akemi Kishimoto

Masters Theses

The purpose of this current study was to investigate the level of acceptance among professionals in Japan for initiatives and services for families experiencing divorce. Questionnaires were mailed to 1963 professionals. Seventy questionnaires were returned from Family Court Officers (n = 3), Counselors at the Family Problem Information Centers (n = 8), family law attorneys (n = 2), university faculty (n = 53), and unspecified (n = 4). Results are summarized as follows: laws and rules about divorce in Japanese society, including historical aspects; focusing on children's interests; visitation and postdivorce relationships; educating the public, parents, and high school students; …

Enactments, Outcome, And Marital Therapy: A Pilot Study, Carianne Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Unfulfilled attachment related needs and wants are viewed by many therapists as the heart of couple distress (Johnson & Whiffen, 2003; Johnson, 2004). As a result, efforts to discover and utilize therapeutic processes that encourage couples to identify and appropriately respond to their partner's core attachment needs and wants continue to increase. This study served as a pilot study for a planned, larger-scale investigation examining enactments as a potential best-practice change mechanism to strengthen secure attachment in marital therapy. Twelve couples were randomly assigned to one of two possible experimental groups. Group 1 experienced three therapist-centered therapy sessions, followed by …

A Comparison Of The Marriage Checkup And Traditional Marital Therapy: Examining Distress Levels At Intake For Student Couples, Benjamin Richard Erwin

Theses and Dissertations

The Marriage Checkup (Cordova, Warren & Gee, 2001) was introduced as a brief intervention targeting couples at risk for severe marital distress. The purpose of this study was to examine married couples who participated in The Marriage Checkup for levels of individual and relational stress and severity of presenting problems recorded at intake. Differences were investigated between couples who, though initially requesting the brief Marriage Checkup, elected to continue with traditional marital therapy and couples who only participated in traditional marital therapy. The group means were compared using a structural equation model in order to account for the non-independence of …

Discipline, Facial Affect Recognition And Self-Efficacy, Julie Harris

Student Dissertations & Theses

The present study explored facial affect recognition, discipline and self-efficacy correlates, predicted using the Social Cognitive Theory framework. A sample of undergraduate students (N—114) from The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, were surveyed on parental style, discipline, self-efficacy, and then tested for facial affect recognition. The results indicated that participants reporting more corporal punishment scored lower on facial affect than those reporting less corporal punishment (p < .05). No significance was found for corporal punishment and self-efficacy (p > .05). The parental style of the father emerged as a significant predictor for the relationship between corporal punishment and facial affect recognition (p < .05). Results appear to support the idea that the social environment parents, especially fathers, create via discipline may hinder ability to interpret emotion. One important implication of this study is that paternal influence may be more vital to emotional detection development than previously considered.

Intergenerational Educational Mobility And Child-Parent Relationships: A Response To Absolute Or Structural Mobility?, Eric Willis

All Theses

Research exploring the negative effects of intergenerational educational mobility is very common throughout the social science literature. The primary question driving this research is whether those who exceed the highest level of education attained by either of their parents have less cohesive ties with their parents than those who do not. Most of this research uses a metric of absolute mobility which directly compares the child's education to the education of their mother and father. However, if more people are receiving a college degree in the child's than in the parents' generation, it is possible that the child's mobility will …

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Influences Of Family Processes And Demographic Variables On Adolescent Weight, Jessica Lee Price

Theses and Dissertations

Nationally representative studies estimate that almost one in five adolescents in the United States is overweight. This is a major concern for individuals' physical and psychological health and the overall economy in terms of health care costs and loss of productivity. The approach of this study was to understand adolescent overweight as influenced by family processes including: parent-adolescent relationship, monitoring or parental knowledge, control, family meals, and parenting styles. Race, sex, family structure, income, and mother Body Mass Index (BMI) were also included. A sub-sample of 4,688 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 was used to address …

This Journey Is Not For The Faint Of Heart: An Investigation Of Challenges Facing Transgender Individuals And Their Significant Others, Emily Lenning

Dissertations

This study investigates the challenges imposed on transgender individuals and their significant others as a result of the deviant labels that have been used to stigmatize non-traditional expressions of gender. Using webbased surveys and an on-line focus group, the themes of language and its limitations, psychological trauma, and social challenges are explored and analyzed using discourse analysis. With a total of 311 subjects, 254 transgender individuals and 57 significant others, this research challenges the utility of gendered language as it is currently constituted, addresses the importance of significant others in understanding the transgender experience, and identifies the various social, psychological …

Correlates Of Marital Success A Homogamy Model, Sarah A. Raper

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This paper examines the relationship between five demographic homogamy variables and marital success. Throughout this paper, several questions were examined that seek to give a better understanding of the factors that impact the stability and quality of American marriages. Is homogamy an important issue in modern society, or have cultural advancements in American society made homogamy irrelevant? Do both ascribed and achieved characteristics still impact marital success? Data from wave one of the National Survey of Families and Households was used for the analysis. First, correlations between the heterogamy variables and marital success were evaluated. Next, regression models were used …

Effect Of Household Structure On Family-Friendly Benefit Utilization: Implications For Organizational Attraction And Workplace Withdrawal Behaviors Of Federal Government Employees, Sharyn J. Aufenanger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the effect of household structure on utilization of family-friendly benefits in organizations, as well as the impact that family-friendly benefit utilization has on organizational attraction and workplace withdrawal behaviors among Federal government employees with children. Results showed that alternative work arrangements (e.g., compressed and flexible schedules) were popular among all employees who have children. Family-friendly benefit utilization rates were highest among single parent employees and lowest among traditional family employees. Single parent employees were more likely to use flexible schedules, part-time, compressed schedules, telework, and sick and annual leave. Dual income employees were more likely to use …

Sooner Or Later? Parents' Marital Horizons For Their Emerging Adult Children, Chad D. Olson

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have studied emerging adults' attitudes regarding the three components of the marital horizon theory, namely their desired age for marriage, the importance they place on marriage, and the criteria they endorse as necessary before being marriage ready. Up to this point, no studies have looked at parents' marital horizons nor have comparisons been made with their emerging adult children. The goal of this study was to determine parents' views regarding the three components of the marital horizon theory. Using hierarchal linear modeling, parents' responses were compared with their emerging adult children regarding ideal timing of marriage, marital importance, and …

Does Marriage And Relationship Education Improve Couples' Communication? A Meta-Analytic Study, Victoria Lael Blanchard

Theses and Dissertations

Using the results of 65 reports, this study examined the effect of marriage and relationship education (MRE) on couples' communication, and accounted for various moderators of this effect, including method of assessment and unit of analysis. This study is part of a comprehensive meta-analysis of MRE evaluation research conducted since 1975 (k = 124 codable reports). Overall, MRE produced modest but reliable effects on couples' communication. These effects were maintained at follow-up assessments and were not affected significantly by publication bias. No differences in effect were found for gender. Observational assessments did produce larger effects than self-report assessments. MRE produced …

Stages Of Relationship Change And Individual And Couple Adjustment, Jacob A. Lacoursiere

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Although Prochaska and DiClemente (1984) considered the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) to be relevant to couples therapy, there is a paucity of research in this area. Understanding how couples initiate change in their relationship still proves difficult due to barriers in the collection of couple level data and the fact that the majority of research on the TTM is individualistic in nature (Fowers, 2001; Schneider, 2003). Schneider (2003) reported that research suggests a relationship between change processes and relationship adjustment in couples. To my knowledge this study is the first test of the reliability and correlates of relationship change, …

The Missing Link: Marital Virtues And Their Relationship To Individual Functioning, Communication, And Relationship Adjustment, Amanda Veldorale-Brogan

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Relationship adjustment research is being expanded beyond established connections with communication and individual functioning. In recent years, researchers have looked to positive psychology and virtues. That research shifts the focus from psychopathology and communication to more core values and ways of being. The present study seeks to expand this knowledge base using Blaine Fowers (2000) framework of marital virtues. His framework views what a person puts into an intimate relationship as an important predictor of relationship adjustment. The present study uses this framework in conjunction with previous research to examine the direct and indirect links amongst individual functioning, marital virtues, …

Cervical Cancer Risk Behaviors In Women Attending A Dysplasia Clinic In Chihuahua City, Cynthia Guerrero

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cervical cancer mortality rates are 3.5 times higher in Chihuahua State than in Texas. Identifying risk behaviors in women living in the state of Chihuahua is important to understand what behaviors might need to be addressed through cultural relevant educational programs. My study uses a dataset collected in the summer of 2007 in a Dysplasia clinic located in Chihuahua City. This dataset provides information on six risk behaviors, two diagnostic methods of detecting cervical cancer, and women's residency by municipios. The number of live births was statistically significant in predicting cervical cancer diagnosis by Pap smear and Colposcopy. There were …

Changing The Negative Behavioral And Developmental Outcomes To A Toxic Prenatal Environment Through Parent Education, Angela Elieen Laughlin Lebedev

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of current education materials on changing maternal smoking attitudes. Children are affected by prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke. Although there are educational efforts to discourage pregnant women from smoking, the practice continues in a significant number of pregnancies. New materials, based on current research, were also evaluated for effectiveness. The theoretical framework for this study was adult learning theory presented by Knowles which makes the assumption that an individual is shaped by environmental systems, that adult learning is affected by previous knowledge they bring to the learning and that adults …

Work Family Conflict And The Real/Ideal Self Discrepancy, Nicole Marie Santos

Theses Digitization Project

One of the many issues facing dual-career families today is work family conflict (WFC). WFC is a source of stress due to incompatible roles that conflict with each other in terms of ones time and energy. This study was done to develop a valid reliable measure of career and family responsibility in hopes of adequately determining the source of WFC. The key point was to look at real and ideal selves, in terms of work and family responsibilities.

Sibling Relationships Across Cultures: A Comparison Of United States And Egyptian Sibling Relations, Sarah Janet Sabet

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to gain a more complete understanding of sibling relations (and therefore family dynamics) in individualistic and collectivist cultures. Sibling relationships among U.S. and Egyptian cultures are examined.

Housing Concerns And Subjective Well-Being Of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Erika Janet Perez

Theses Digitization Project

This study examines the relationship between housing concerns, ethnicity, and subjective well-being of grandparents raising grandchildren. 17 participants were recruited from the Kin-Care program of Riverside County, Ca. About 19% of families headed by grandparents are living in poverty. When looking at the type of services that would be beneficial for these families, the housing situation is an important matter to consider.

The Impact Of The Blackberry On Couple Relationships, Jurgen Dieter Czechowsky

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research focused on the BlackBerry developed by Research In Motion and its impact on couple relationships. The areas examined were couple communication, time spent together, and martial satisfaction using grounded theory, a demographic survey, the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale and interviews. Ten couples participated and reported that the BlackBerry offered many practical applications for their relationship. The research showed that communication via the BlackBerry resulted in fewer face-to-face interactions. There was no increase in time together and for some time decreased. Martial satisfaction had increased for two couples, decreased for two couples with no influence for the rest of …