Psychology Commons^™

The Relation Between Childhood Maltreatment And Marriage Quality In Adulthood, Melanie Wagner

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Childhood maltreatment poses the potential for lasting effects on survivors as they enter adulthood. Research lacks investigations into these potential effects, such as the impact on interpersonal relations. This study investigates the correlation between different types of childhood maltreatment and overall quality of marriage, as well as aims to identify which type of childhood maltreatment may be the strongest relative predictor of marital quality. Analyses on a newlywed dataset from Lancaster County, NE yielded results of a strong negative association between measures of childhood maltreatment and marital quality through the application of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Quality of …

Caregivers’ Self-Compassion And Bereaved Children’S Adjustment: Testing Caregivers’ Mental Health And Parenting As Mediators, Na Zhang, Irwin Sandler, Jenn‑Yun Tein, Sharlene Wolchik, Erin Donohue

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objectives: Self-compassion, which involves mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity, has been found to be related to individuals’ mental health. Few studies have examined caregivers’ self-compassion in relation to parenting behaviors and child adjustment in addition to its relation to their own mental health. In the current study we examined caregivers’ self-compassion as a protective factor related to parentally bereaved children’s internalizing and externalizing problems and further tested whether these relations were mediated by caregivers’ mental health (complicated grief and psychological distress) and parenting.

Methods: The sample consisted of 74 caregivers (female = 78.4%) who participated in a larger study designed …

Object Permanence And The Relationship To Sitting Development In Infants With Motor Delays, Mihee An, Emily C. Marcinowski, Lin-Ya Hsu, Jaclynn Stankus, Karl L. Jancart, Michele A. Lobo, Stacy C. Dusing, Sarah W. Mccoy, James A. Bovaird, Sandra Willett, Regina T. Harbourne

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study examines object permanence development in infants with motor delays (MD) compared with infants with typical development (TD) and in relation to sitting skill. Methods: Fifty-six infants with MD (mean age = 10 months) and 36 with TD (mean age = 5.7 months) were assessed at baseline and then at 1.5, 3, and 6 months postbaseline. A scale was developed to measure object permanence (Object Permanence Scale [OPS]), and the Gross Motor Function Measure sitting subsection (GMFM-SS), and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition (Bayley-III) were administered. Results: Interrater reliability of the OPS was …

The Role Of Affective Heterogeneity On Treatment Effects For Youth With Conduct Problems, Pevitr Singh Bansal

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Conduct problems (CP) are a class of disruptive and aggressive behaviors (e.g., aggression, vandalism) comprised of both oppositional defiant and conduct disorder. CP are highly heterogenous and one vital factor that parses out this heterogeneity is affect, specifically the affective traits of irritability (IRR) and limited prosocial emotions (LPE). The current study examined how IRR and LPE predict distinct aspects of treatment efficacy including (1) treatment response (i.e., magnitude of change from week 1 to week 5); (2) trajectories (i.e., shape of symptom change); and (3) time-out (i.e., behavioral and emotional reactions to time-out). Participants were 49 youth aged 7-12 …

Technology’S Impact On Students In A Virtual Environment, Leah S. Sorensen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In 2020, a worldwide pandemic ensued as the coronavirus spread throughout the United States. This caused a nationwide shutdown, closing schools. All forms of education went to a virtual learning setting, where all students were expected to learn outside of a classroom. This also meant that there became a heavy reliance on technology. This setting and use of technology began to affect students’ learning and development. Through conducted research, three domains of child development are evaluated to determine the effects of this form of learning. The cognitive, physical, and social-emotional domains will be considered.

Intergenerational Transmission Of Alexithymia As A Predictor Of Child Posttraumatic Stress Outcomes During Covid-19, Casey Burton

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to test the role of parent alexithymia in explaining why some children are functioning relatively well during the COVID-19 pandemic while others are experiencing poor mental health. Participants were 88 U.S. children (M_age = 9.94 years; 54.5% female; 59.1% White) and their parents/caregivers (68.2% female; 59.1% White). Two models were tested: a path model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) was mediated by child alexithymia symptoms, and a moderator model in which the association between parent alexithymia symptoms and child PTSS was moderated …

Adverse Childhood Experiences Exacerbate The Association Between Day-To-Day Discrimination And Mental Health Symptomatology In Undergraduate Students, Emily C. Helminen, Jillian R. Scheer, Katie Edwards, Joshua C. Felver

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Background: Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and day-to-day discrimination (hereafter, “discrimination”) both contribute to mental health symptomatology in young adulthood, but how these constructs interact and whether they are associated with mental health remains unclear. This study evaluated whether the relation between discrimination in young adulthood and mental health symptomatology varied as a function of ACEs exposure.

Methods: Undergraduates (n = 251) completed self-report measures related to ACEs, discrimination, and mental health symptomatology (i.e., depression, anxiety, somatization, and psychological distress). Linear and logistic regression models were implemented to test for potential exacerbation effects of ACEs on the relation between …

Youth Perceptions Of Prevention Norms And Peer Violence Perpetration And Victimization: A Prospective Analysis, Emily A. Waterman, Victoria L. Banyard, Katie Edwards, Victoria Mauer

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study is to prospectively examine the extent to which social norms perceptions regarding commitment to ending sexual violence are associated with subsequent peer victimization and perpetration experiences. Two types of social norms perceptions were examined: 1) peer norms (perceptions of norms among other students in their city), and 2) adult norms (perceptions of norms among adults in their city). Participants were 1,259 middle and high school youth from a single school district (three high schools and five middle schools) who completed online surveys at two‐time points, 6 months apart. Adolescents for whom perceptions of peer …

Improving Social Norms And Actions To Prevent Sexual And Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Study Of The Impact Of Green Dot Community On Youth, Victoria L. Banyard, Katie M. Edwards, Andrew J. Rizzo, Emily F. Rothman, Patricia Greenberg, Megan C. Kearns

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Sexual violence (SV) and intimate partner violence (IPV), which often cooccur with bullying, are serious public health issues underscoring the need for primary prevention. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a community-building SV and IPV prevention program, Green Dot Community, on adolescents’ perceptions of community social norms and their propensity to intervene as helpful actionists using two independent data sources. Green Dot Community takes place in towns and aims to influence all town members to prevent SV and IPV by addressing protective factors (i.e., collective efficacy, positive prevention social norms, and bystander helping, or actionism). …

“Breaking Free”: A Grounded Theory Study Of Atheist Women In The United States, Dena Abbott, Elyxcus Anaya

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Using a critical, grounded theory approach, we interviewed 31 atheist-identified women to ascertain the ways in which women develop and navigate an atheist identity and how their experience is influenced by patriarchal, hegemonic Christianity in the United States using a concealable stigmatized identity framework. Qualitative analysis resulted in six core categories: (1) Embracing Atheism as Liberation, (2) Escaping Christian Patriarchy, Challenging Atheist Patriarchy, (3) Low Identity Salience Provides Protection from Anti-Atheist Discrimination, (4) Expectations to Conform to Christian Norms, (5) Disclosure Requires Thoughtfulness and Purpose, and (6) Connecting with Other Atheists is Valuable and Elusive. Although atheist women experienced sexism …

Early Risk Factors For School-Age Adhd And Irritability: The Roles Of Prenatal Risk, Intrusive Parenting Style During Preschool And Caregiver-Child Attachment Quality., Ashley M. Rainford

Dissertations and Theses

ADHD is a highly impairing neurodevelopmental disorder and the family context provides a critical early environment where children’s risk for the disorder may be heightened or reduced. A parent’s style, that is their approach to interacting and guiding the child may provide children with warmth and security, or elicit fear, distrust and disappointment, both of which in turn impact behavior. However, the parent-child relationship is not unidirectional; it is dynamic. Children with high ADHD-like behaviors have greater difficulty relating to and interacting with their caregivers, while caregivers become increasingly stressed and show greater hostility and less warmth in their parenting. …

Identification Of Adhd And Comorbid Disorders In Children: The Potential Role Of Minority Group Membership, Rachel H. Tayler

Dissertations and Theses

Identification of ADHD and Comorbid Disorders in Children: The potential role of minority group membership

by

Rachel Tayler, MSc, MA

Advisor: Sarah O’Neill, PhD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects six million US children. Females, Latinx, and possibly Black children have lower rates of diagnosis than their Male and White non-Latinx peers. ADHD is behaviorally defined, and as such, clinicians' perceptions of symptoms and determination of diagnoses may be influenced by demographic factors such as race, ethnicity and sex.

This vignette study examined whether clinicians' implicit ethnic, racial, and sex biases affect diagnosis of ADHD and comorbid conditions. Psychiatry trainees and pediatricians …

Children's Perceptions Of Parent-Child Relationships: A Narrative, Inductive Approach, Casey Burton M.Ed, Ariana Samuel, Hailie Suarez-Rivas, Sydney Sumrall, Robin S. Everhart, Ph.D, Marcia A. Winter, Ph.D

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Narrative methods can allow researchers to gather rich data from children regarding their perceptions of their relationship with parents that may not otherwise be captured using tasks, questionnaires, or structured interviews; however, existing coding systems have been established with samples that are largely White and middle class. The current study sought to establish child-inspired codes that would better reflect the sample.

Methods: Children aged 5-12 years (M=8.82, 48.9% female) and their caregivers were recruited from high-poverty urban US areas. All participants identified as Black or African American. Children were audiotaped while speaking, uninterrupted, for three minutes about …

Music Interventions In The Treatment Of Adolescent Trauma: A Systematic Review, Diana C. Hereld

Theses and Dissertations

As multidisciplinary research continues to uncover the promise of non-invasive interventions such as music in mental health treatment, clinicians, researchers, and music scholars alike have increasingly come together through the field of music psychology. As such, it is unsurprising that some of the most significant findings have come from cross-disciplinary studies in music and medicine. The juxtaposition of music and mental health creates a unique and substantial need for integration of literature across multiple disparate settings, including clinical psychology, education, neuroscience, music therapy, behavioral medicine, and psychiatry. Through methodological application of a textual narrative evidence synthesis, this review examines multiple …

Addressing The Mental Health Disparities Among Black Children During Natural Disasters: A Clinical Perspective And Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic., Brittany Reed

DSW Capstone Projects

The experiences of Black children resulting from the events surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic present a projection to create long-term mental health effects at higher rates than their peers of other races. While the long-term effects of this pandemic are still considered ongoing, the disparities within the Black community will subsequently develop into a trickle-down effect of secondary traumatic experiences faced by Black children. Then, where does that leave Black children and their mental health? This capstone project aims to examine how the Covid-19 pandemic will affect Black children, explore the mental health challenges and disparities faced by Black children resulting …

The Role Of A Certified Child Life Specialist Within A Child Advocacy Center, Breanna E. Hintz

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Childhood abuse and neglect is currently a prevalent issue in our society. Children who do not receive adequate support and ongoing services experience lasting impacts on their mental health and ability to cope with future events. Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) are community-based agencies that promote the intervention of childhood abuse and neglect. This setting, paired with the tailored support of Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS), is an under-researched yet promising combination of services that can encourage the healing process for these children and their families. This study aims to understand the role of CCLSs in a CAC and how their …

On Positive Parenting: Preventing Disciplinary Violence Against Children Within Egyptian Households/ حول التربية الإيجابية: منع العنف التأديبي ضد الأطفال داخل الأسر المصرية, Injie Swailam, Menatalla Fahiem, Reem Hesham, Youstina Magdy

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

Violent disciplinary practices against children are in itself a juxtaposition since violence comes from a place of safety and from those children trust the most; their parents. Parents and caregivers violently discipline their children thinking they are helping them be better. More than 1 billion children around the world, aged 4-17 years old, experience violence (Hillis et al., 2016) from those considered their source of love and safety. In Egypt, 40% of the population is made of children, and 90% of those children have experienced some sort of domestic violence from their caregivers. Using physical, verbal, and sexual violence as …

Empowerment In Adolescents And Young Adults With Cystic Fibrosis, Rachel Holder

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence and young adulthood is a pivotal time for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) that is characterized by increased self-management, transition to adult-oriented healthcare, and often a decline in treatment adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (Abbott et al., 2015; Modi et al., 2008). The literature regarding which factors are important for readiness to transition, treatment adherence, and HRQoL is limited in this population. However, empowerment has emerged as a salient construct in other disease groups (Acuña Mora et al., 2019; Burström et al., 2019; Kaal et al., 2017). As such, this thesis determined the convergent validity of the …

Using Individual Determinants To Predict Behavioral Health Service Use In Integrated Pediatric Primary Care, Alfonso L. Floyd Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health problems (e.g., attention, externalizing, internalizing) are commonly observed in youth and are often associated with significant impairment and an increased need for mental health services. Conceptual frameworks, such as Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization, have proposed that several individual determinants (e.g., predisposing, enabling, and need factors) may influence service use for mental health problems among youth. Despite the glaring need for mental health treatment among youth with mental health problems, studies indicate that many affected youths do not receive mental health care. Integrated pediatric primary care (IPPC) settings provide an ideal setting for youth and families …

A Missing Narrative: The Creation Of A Trauma-Informed Children’S Book For Children In The Foster Care System, Elizabeth Hoff Saunderson

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This article includes a review of literature relevant to the experiences of children in the foster care system including demographics, trauma and stressful experiences, attachment challenges, and useful interventions. Limited research has been conducted to inform resource tools for children in foster care. The aim of the present study was to create a trauma-informed resource tool for children in the foster care system in the form of a children’s book. A review of children’s books related to foster care yielded four major themes including the importance of mindful language, the need for a resource tool, a focus on safety, and …

The Knights Of The Round Table: The Mediating Role Of Parental Self-Efficacy And Parental Stress In Explaining Family Mealtime Predicting Child Behavior In Mturk Families, Dea Zgjani

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined how shared family meals influence low negative behavior in children via parental perceived stress and parental self-efficacy in children between the age three and six. Using a parallel mediation analysis, multiple regression analyses were conducted for 204 participants. Results indicated parental perceived stress to be a mediator in the relationship of the structure of shared family mealtimes and negative child affectivity, in contrast parental self-efficacy was not. Additionally, interesting results were conveyed from exploratory Hypothesis 1. First, there were a total of 94 mothers and 102 fathers who completed the study. Significant correlations were depicted between …

Association Of Early Life Stressors With Deficits In Child And Adolescent Cognitive Functioning, Emily M. Deming

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ACEs questionnaire could be a viable screener tool for identifying children in need of neuropsychological testing. This study consisted of a sample of child participants aged 8-17 years (N=53) who were divided into a no ACEs group or the ACEs group (1 or more ACEs) depending on parental responses to the ACEs questionnaire. Participants completed a series of virtual neuropsychological tests that assessed overall neurocognitive functioning, memory, and attention. No significant differences between the no ACEs group and the ACEs group in performance of the overall Neurocognitive Index, …

A Multi-Method Evaluation Of Parent And Child Factors Associated With Child Abuse Potential, Lindsay R. Druskin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Child abuse is a pervasive, global problem impacting millions of children (Stoltenborgh et al., 2015). Researchers have largely relied on the use of parent-report questionnaires to examine a variety of risk factors for child abuse (see Azar, 2002; Stith et al., 2009), leaving a gap in the research regarding the link between observed parent and child behaviors and child abuse potential. Utilizing a sample of families clinically referred for child behavioral problems, the proposed study pursued a multi-method approach to explore relations between parent factors (parent attachment, emotion regulation, harsh behaviors, and stress), child factors (child disruptive behaviors), and the …

Relation Of Child Feeding Behaviors & Caregiver Qualities To Adherence To Nutritional Therapy In Type 1 Diabetes Management, Corrine N. Ahrabi-Nejad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic illness, typically diagnosed within childhood, that affects the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin. Significant daily self-management behaviors are required to maintain metabolic control for patients with T1D. Nutritional therapy, including adequate intake of macronutrients, is one self-management behavior necessary to optimize health. Adherence to such nutritional guidelines is associated with improved glycemic control, decreased instances of acute health complications (e.g., hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia), and can also prevent insulin resistance. Despite the critical importance of nutritional therapy, adherence to these guidelines remains low within pediatric populations. Therefore, it is important and necessary to …

Using Online Training Modules To Enhance Parents' Early Literacy Training Skills And Understanding, Ayodele Sanni

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parental involvement is considered a crucial factor in developing children’s early literacy and reading skills, especially for children not yet in school. The present study aims to determine whether an online literacy module can increase early literacy knowledge in parents who may not have the training to promote their child’s learning. Additionally, the study examines parent perspectives of online video training and the practicality of the video’s content. To test the hypothesis that parent knowledge will increase after exposure to the online video, 29 Canadian parents (27 mothers, two fathers) with children aged 3 to 5 were provided with supervised …

Exploring The Therapeutic Effect Of Children's Picture Books, Yunfan Chen

Theses - ALL

This thesis discusses the phenomenon of left-behind children in China amid the country's urbanization, revealing the psychological state of these children in the countryside.

In this thesis, some psychological research sources have proven how picture books relieve children's emotions and attain therapeutic effects on children's psychology. Then, this thesis analyzes two examples of children's books depicting how picture books help children to manage their negative feelings and having a therapeutic effect on the child.

This thesis claims that bibliotherapy through children's independent reading of books can effectively alleviate left-behind children's negative emotions.

Does Speech-To-Text Assistive Technology Paired With Graphic Organizers Improve The Written Expression Of Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries?, Kayla Cuifolo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can range from mild to severe and can cause debilitating outcomes that require children to need specialized medical or educational services post-injury. Outcomes vary and are dependent on the location of injury, age, severity, and environmental factors. Some common deficits that happen as a result of a brain injury are fine motor and executive functioning skill difficulties. Fine motor and executive functioning skills are an important component of written expression. Therefore, this current study utilized a brief experimental analysis in order to determine the effects that speech-to-text assistive technology along with a graphic organizer has …

Sexism And Severity: An Examination Of Teacher's Attitudes About Autism Symptomology In The Classroom, Kaitlyn Niederstadt

Psychology and Counseling Theses

Girls continue to be underdiagnosed and under-researched in the study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is the result of a systemized preference towards masculine symptomology of ASD examined and created to diagnose ASD. The ideas produced by the research trickle down to teachers who then are in charge of flagging students for signs of ASD, however this step is not only limited by understanding, but their own inherent gender biases on behaviors. Our sample consisted of 139 current or former teachers. Each participant received one of three, (varying from severity levels and gender), rating scale of behavior association, rating …

Refugee Children In Malaysia: Perceptions Of Family And Coping Mechanisms, Jin Kuan Kok, Khengkia Khor, Kai Yee Hon, Gertina J. Van Schalkwyk

The Qualitative Report

The percentage of refugee children in Malaysia has been growing in recent years with a rise of more than 9000 in less than 3 years. More than 51,000 of the 164,620 documented refugees in 2019 are below the age of 18 years. Refugee children are often marginalized in society making them vulnerable and requiring special assistance in meeting their educational needs, mental health care and socio-emotional wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of refugee children regarding family life and their emotional and coping mechanisms. Employing the Collage Life-Story Elicitation Technique (CLET) and a discovery-oriented narrative …

What Does Masculinity Have To Do With It? The Roles Of Fathers In The Socialization Of Children’S Emotions And Emotion Regulation, Kathryn Cherry

Dissertations

Emotion regulation skills are important in a variety of domains throughout the lifespan, including psychological, social, academic, and occupational functioning. Research on children’s emotion regulation skill development often examines the family, exploring caregiver approaches to emotion socialization. However, this research has predominantly been conducted with mothers. Fathering is of particular interest to children’s emotional development for a variety of reasons, including the role of traditional Western masculine norms in gendered differences in emotion expression and regulation techniques. Fathers’ conformity with masculine norms and difficulty with emotion regulation have potential to impact their emotion socialization practices, and therefore relate to their …