Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Grief And Resilience In Children And Families: Resources For Counseling Professionals, Parents, And Children, Ashley Smith Hall

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Ninety percent of children in the United States will have experienced the loss of a significant loved one by the time they are 18 years old (McClure, 2007). Parents and other family members can provide a significant amount of support, provided that they are equipped with the necessary resources. The purpose of this project was to identify and develop tools that provide parents and other family members with the opportunity to learn ways to incorporate themselves as a support system for a grieving child in their family. Children express their feelings by showing rather than telling. Creativity allows bereaved children …

"Aren't They Keen?" Early Children's Food Advertising And The Emergence Of The Brand-Loyal Child Consumer, Kyle R. Asquith

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation examines how American food advertisers approached children in the early twentieth century and how this conceptualization changed during a critical juncture that lasted from approximately 1928 until 1945. Prior to the late 1920s, national advertisers acknowledged children as “consumers” (that is to say, eaters) of food and celebrated their idyllic innocence; however, advertisers rarely addressed children as active participants in the consumer marketplace. This perspective changed due to new commercial media platforms, such as radio and comic strips, as well as changing attitudes within the business community. By the 1930s, food advertisers began to communicate with children as …

The Relation Between Children's Perceived Containment And Parental Antisocial Behavior, Joye L. Henrie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have invoked a variety of theories when discussing the relation between children's orientation to authority and the development of antiSocial behavior (ASB). Here, the focus is children's sense of containment. Previous studies revealed an association between perceived containment and child externalizing behaviors. In this study, the degree to which a child's sense of containment is related to parents' level of ASB was examined. One hundred sixty aggressive children and their parents participated. I hypothesized that ineffective discipline would moderate the relation between parent ASB and child perceived containment. I expected to find an inverse relation between parents' level of …

Development Of A Cohesion Inventory For Children's Sport Teams, Luc J. Martin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The general purpose of this dissertation was to develop an inventory designed to measure cohesion in children’s (ages 9-12) sport teams. To this end, three studies were conducted. In Study 1, children became active agents in the process of test construction. More specifically, children (N = 167) participated in focus groups and completed open-ended questionnaires in order to provide information on their perceptions of cohesion as well as motives for participating, continuing, and ceasing involvement on sport teams. Study 2 involved the use of the information obtained from Study 1 to develop potential items for the questionnaire. In addition, the …

Editorial - Building Cultural Citizenship: Multiculturalism And Children's Literature, Debra Dudek, Wenche Ommundsen

Wenche Ommundsen

No abstract provided.

Hyphenated Identities As A Challenge To Nation-State School Practice?, Edmund T. Hamann, William England

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This chapter concludes the edited volume Hyphenated Identities and affords a chance to juxtapose how transnational students negotiate school and identity with how school systems in turn view such students, and then it allows the examination of two different strategies -- situational ethnicity versus the assertion of hyphenated identity -- as a glimpse into the cosmology of transnationally mobile students as they come into adulthood.

Schooling, National Affinity(Ies), And Transnational Students In Mexico, Edmund T. Hamann, Víctor Zúñiga

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

An examination of responses by 346 students from Nuevo León and Zacatecas, Mexico, who had previously attended schools in the United States, found that 37% asserted a hyphenated identity as "Mexican-American," while an additional 5% identified as "American." Put another way, 42% did not identify singularly as "Mexican." Those who insisted on a hyphenated identity were not a random segment of the larger sample, but rather had distinct profiles in terms of gender, time in the United States, and more. This chapter describes these students, broaches implications of their hyphenated identities for their schooling, and considers how this example may …

Infant Places, Spaces And Objects: Exploring The Physical In Learning Environments For Infants Under Two, Helen Lynch

Doctoral

While the relationship between play and development is well documented, there is less known about the influence of the physical environment in that process. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe play interactions of infants under two with the home physical environment. The aim is to explore and identify ways in which infants develop and learn through engaging with objects and spaces of everyday life in the home. A qualitative ethnographic approach was employed to gather data on five infants, two new-borns and three one-year olds, and their families over twelve months. Data was generated through video, interview …

The Class Analysis Of Households Extended: Children, Fathers, And Family Budgets, Stephen Resnick, Richard Wolff

Richard D. Wolff

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Erw On Children, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article provides a brief description of the threat cluster munitions, landmines and other explosive remnants of war pose to children worldwide. The discussion of children’s physical susceptibility and the psychological and socioeconomic effects that accompany wounds and disabilities provides a broad picture of the impact ERW have on children. The article also explores rehabilitative support, as several sources provide a variety of recovery strategies that focus on community support for the future well-being of child survivors.

The Experiences And Views Of Lesbian Parents And Adult Children Of Lesbian Parents In Ireland: An Exploratory Study, Aoife Quille

Dissertations

This research focused on the experiences and views of lesbian parents and adult children of lesbian parents. The experiences of the members of lesbian-parented families determined the main areas that were explored. The lack of international and Irish research on the lived experiences of lesbian parents and their children prompted this investigation. The study was conducted using qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The sample consisted of three lesbian parents and two adult children of lesbian parents from two parent lesbian families. The findings highlighted the experiences of the parents and adult children from lesbian-parented families in reference to: the Irish legal context; …

Family Involvement, Clinician Beliefs And Child Psychiatric Rehospitalization, Sherma J. Charlemagne

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Psychiatric rehospitalization is estimated to fall between 30% and 50% among children and adolescents and is said to be the result of complex relationships between clinical and non-clinical child, family and service system factors. Psychiatric rehospitalization has been noted as an unfavorable outcome of inpatient treatment because of the associated economic to society and the family and emotional costs to the family and patient. Therefore, several attempts have been made in the relevant literature to identify and understand factors that will reduce the risk of rehospitalization in this population. In the context of parent professional collaboration, clinician beliefs and family …

Parents' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Teachers' Attitudes And Behaviors On The Social-Emotional Functioning Of Children With Adhd/Add, Margaret Elizabeth Gaskell

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) is the most common childhood psychiatric disorder, affecting attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, in 3 to 7 percent of school age children (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Daley and Birchwood, 2010). ADHD/ADD can impact all aspects of life, in particularly school and social-emotional functioning (Mash and Barkley, 2006; Daley and Birchwood, 2010). Few studies have directly examined teachers' attitudes and behaviors related to teaching children with ADHD/ADD (Kos, Richdale, and Hay, 2006). The goal of this study was to explore the impact of teacher attitudes and behaviors on the social and emotional functioning of children with ADHD/ADD, …

The Experiences Of Clinical Social Workers In Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder In Children And Adolescents, Ashley Caroline Petitt

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a diagnosis that an increasing number of individuals under the age of 18 are being given, despite the fact that the DSM-IV has no description or criteria of what BD in this age group looks like. The purpose of this exploratory study was to look at the experiences of clinical social workers who have diagnosed BD in children and adolescents. To do so, eleven social workers who have a Master's of Social Work were interviewed using a standardized open-ended interview guide. The major findings of this study follow. Participants reported having diagnosed significantly more adolescents with …

Mothering As A Life Course Transition: Do Women Go Straight For Their Children?, Venezia Michalsen

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In this study, qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 100 formerly incarcerated mothers to explore the relationship between attachment to children and desistance from criminal behavior. Exploratory data analysis revealed that mothers do believe that children play important roles in their desistance, consistent with the tenets of life course theory. However, children were also described as sources of great stress, which may in turn promote criminal behavior. Women also related desistance to reliance on self and a higher power, and to a desire to avoid future involvement with the criminal justice system. The article concludes with a call for more …

The Importance Of Self-Efficacy And Basic Psychological Needs In Children’S Physical Activity: Measurement, Prediction And Intervention, Casey E. Gray

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The importance of physical activity in the overall health promotion and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease risk factors and metabolic diseases in children is well established. Nonetheless, interventions to increase physical activity among this population have been largely unsuccessful. The main objective of the research in this dissertation was to explore the suitability of self-efficacy and basic psychological needs for physical activity prediction and intervention in children. Item generation and psychometric evaluation of psychological questionnaires occurred in study 1 (Chapter 2). Using a prospective design, study 2 (Chapter 3) established task efficacy, barriers efficacy, competence, and autonomy as significant predictors …

Children’S Perceptions Of Intimate Partner Violence: Causes, Consequences, And Coping, Renee L. Deboard-Lucas, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Children’s appraisals of conflictual and aggressive parental interactions mediate their effect on children’s adjustment. Previous studies have relied almost exclusively on self report questionnaires to assess appraisals; consequently we know little about perceptions that occur naturally when children witness interparental aggression. This study employed a semistructured interview to assess the thoughts and feelings of 34 children (ages 7–12) whose mothers were receiving services at domestic violence agencies, and mothers reported on interparental aggression that took place in the home. Children’s thoughts centered on consequences and efforts to understand why fights occurred. They generally viewed their mother’s partner as responsible for …

The Incompatibility Of Materialism And The Desire For Children: Psychological Insights Into The Fertility Discrepancy Among Modern Countries, Norman P. Li, Lily Patel, Daniel Balliet, William Tov, Christie N. Scollon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

We examined factors related to attitudes toward marriage and the importance of having children in both the US and Singapore. Path analysis indicated that life dissatisfaction leads to materialism, and both of these factors lead to favorable attitudes toward marriage, which leads to greater desire for children. Further analysis indicated this model"We examined factors related to attitudes toward marriage and the importance of having children in both the US and Singapore. Path analysis indicated that life dissatisfaction leads to materialism, and both of these factors lead to favorable attitudes toward marriage, which leads to greater desire for children. Further analysis …

Fathers' Time Investments In Children: Do Sons Get More?, Kristin Mammen

Publications and Research

Evidence suggests that, from birth, fathers treat sons differently than daughters in the U.S., as well as in developing countries. Fathers' time investments in children are one channel through which differential treatment by gender may affect children's outcomes. This paper uses data from the 2003 American Time Use Survey to explore three questions about paternal time in married two-parent families: Does the gender composition of his children affect the amount of time a father spends with them? If so, does the gender of the individual child have an additional effect? And is a girl advantaged or disadvantaged by the presence …

Maternal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Parenting, Family Functioning, And Child Outcome, Desiree Alana Sutherland

Dissertations

Although a good deal of research has been conducted examining the effects of parental psychopathology of various types (i.e. maternal and paternal depression and schizophrenia, paternal PTSD), very few studies have investigated the influence of maternal PTSD on mothers’ parenting and their children’s behavioral and psychological functioning. This paucity of research is in spite of the fact that women exhibit higher lifetime PTSD prevalence rates than men. The current study examined the influence of maternal PTSD and trauma on mothers’ parenting, family functioning, and children’s psychological well-being in a sample of 125 mothers and 34 mother-child dyads. Mothers provided self-report …

Speak Up! Promoting Interactions During Shared Reading Activities, Jennifer Singleton

Psychology and Child Development

Interactions during shared reading activities between parent and child have been shown to benefit a child’s expressive vocabulary, receptive vocabulary, and literacy development. Research has identified a number of variables that influence the quality, frequency, and type of interactions that occur during shared reading. Using this research, I have written and illustrated a children’s book that accounts for these variables. The result is a 56 page, hard-covered book that reads from both directions. One direction prompts children to provide their own answer to why animals are the way they are, while the other direction offers the leading theories from scientists …

A Study Of Intergenerational Crime From A Sociological Standpoint, Anna Robosson

Social Sciences

The focus of this project will be the patterns and causes of intergenerational crime within the United States. Ultimately, the goal of the project is to explain the phenomenon, as it is becoming a rising problem in the country.

The Juvenile In-Justice System, Kasey Susan Franks

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Outcomes Of Children With Multiple Disabilities Who Attended Camp Koinonia In 2009, Janelle Nimer

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the largest populations with whom social workers work are individuals with disabilities. Due to the increase of children with disabilities, it is important to evaluate the programs in which the children participate. Camp Koinonia is a program at the University of Tennessee that works with children with multiple disabilities for one week a year. The purpose of this study was to conduct a program evaluation on Camp Koinonia in 2009 (n = 109). This study assessed age,(continuous variable, n = 109) gender (male, n = 61; female n = 48), category of disability (cognitive, n = 50; physical, …

Examining Activity Levels And Motor Proficiency: A Comparison Of Children Who Are Overweight And At A Healthy Weight To Their Parents And Peers, Aaron Copeland, Maresa Madsen, Riley Phelps, Brandon Richards

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships and differences between motor proficiency, activity level, and parental activity level in children who are at a healthy weight and children who are overweight or obese.

Methods: Forty-four children (26 children at a healthy weight and 18 children who were overweight or obese) between the ages of 8-16 (BMI: 14.3-43.6 kg/m2) and 36 parents (BMI: 18.1-44.7) participated in this study. Children and parents wore StepWatch activity monitors (SAM) to measure activity levels over a 72 hour period. Tests reflecting several determinants of motor performance were also administered to …

The Role Of Planning Tools As Strategies For Combating Childhood Obesity, Jacquelyn Coats

All Theses

The failure of traditional health models to successfully combat childhood obesity is apparent when considering its sustained prevalence in the United States. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades and health officials recognize the need for integrative strategies in order to reverse the trend (CDC, 2010). The historical roots of planning and public health offer a potential venue for collaborative strategies to address the macro level factors that affect community health. This thesis examines how planning tools have been adapted to incorporate health strategies, whether or not such methods are sustainable, and what relationships are essential for …

Determining The Effects Of Technology On Children, Kristina E. Hatch

Senior Honors Projects

Determining the Effects of Technology on Children

Kristina Hatch

Faculty Sponser: Timothy Henry, Computer Science and Statistics

Technology has become an essential part of Americans’ daily lives, affecting our communications, mail, relationships, the management of our bills and finances. As we have become more immersed in the benefits and capabilities of these constantly developing technologies, children as well as adults have become avid users. Laptops and cell phones are specially developed for preteens. Software and game companies have been targeting children in their game development. Video games have become common entertainment for children as young as four. Children today can …

Executive Function Profiles In Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury, Erik Nelson Ringdahl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Traumatic brain injury is a common cause of disability and death among children in the United States. Insult to the frontal and temporal lobes are frequent in closed head brain injury. Cognitive deficits in a variety of domains are common sequelae of brain trauma. In many cases, trauma to the frontal and temporal lobe regions engender prominent deficits in higher-order cognitive processing, memory, and attention.

Higher-order cognitive processing, or Executive Functions are the grouping of cognitive processes necessary for organization of thoughts and activities, attending to the activities, prioritizing tasks, managing time efficiently, and making decisions (Alvarez & Emory, 2006; …

Relationships Among Processing Speed, Attention, And Biochemical Features In Children Identified With Mitochondrial Disease, Jihye S. Chang

Psychology Theses

Mitochondrial Diseases (MD) are disorders of function in cellular oxidative phosphorylation caused by diverse nuclear DNA and mtDNA mutations and seen in 1/5,000 births. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships across medical indices, biochemical measures, and neurobehavioral functioning in children with MD. Findings from Western Blot, Native Gels, High Resolution Respirometry, and the Nijmegen diagnostic criteria were assessed in relation to children’s processing speed and attention, based on the prediction that impaired functioning of proteins, complexes, and cellular respiration, that are critical in ATP production, will impact neurodevelopment and related neuropsychological processes in children with MD. Twenty-five …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Anxiety Disorders In Youth, Laura D. Seligman, Thomas H. Ollendick

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) have been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Randomized clinical trials indicate that approximately two-thirds of children treated with CBT will be free of their primary diagnosis at posttreatment. Although several CBT treatment packages have been investigated in youth with diverse anxiety disorders, common core components have been identified. A comprehensive assessment, development of a good therapeutic relationship and working alliance, cognitive restructuring, repeated exposure with reduction of avoidance behavior, and skills training comprise the core procedures for the treatment of anxiety disorders in youth.