Psychology Commons^™

Longitudinal Relations Between Parental And Peer Support For Violent And Nonviolent Responses To Conflict And Early Adolescent Dating Aggression, Rachel C. Garthe

Theses and Dissertations

High prevalence and the negative legal, health, and psychological consequences of adolescent dating aggression underscore the need to identify risk and protective processes associated with this type of aggression. Studying dating aggression in early adolescence is important, as this is the developmental time frame when most youth are establishing attitudes, beliefs, and norms for dating behaviors. The current study investigated longitudinal associations between perceived parental and peer support for violent and nonviolent responses to conflict and dating aggression perpetration among middle school students. Participants included 1,399 adolescents (52% female) in the sixth (n = 466), seventh (n = …

Let’S Play! A Study Examining The Acceptability Of Cross-Gender Play Of Children, Angela R. Youngs

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine parental preference regarding their children and gender-specific and gender-neutral toys. More specifically, to examine some factors that may impact parents’ preferences regarding the types of toys their child chooses. The factors of interest used in the present study include general demographics (e.g., gender, age, etc.), gender role perceptions, religiosity, and level of conservatism. Participants were gathered from a survey-taking website. The sample consisted of 88 parents (43 female, 43 male, and 2 who chose not to identify) whose ages ranged from 22 to 62 (M = 31.82, SD = 6.95). Each …

Becoming Adults: Trajectories Of Adult Identity Development Among Undergraduate Students With Implications For Mental Health, Jenna Shapiro

Master's Theses

One of the defining developmental processes that occur during the unique stage of emerging adulthood is the emergence of adult identity, or the subjective sense of adulthood. Adult identity has been hypothesized to grow gradually, linearly, and at different rates for subgroups of individuals over the course of this stage (Arnett, 2006; Côté, 2006). Differences have also been suggested to predict wellbeing and distress (Côté, 2006; Kroger, 1996; Kroger, Martinussen, & Marcia, 2010). The goals of the current study were to examine heterogeneity in adult identity development over four years in college and to examine differences in self-esteem and negative …

Social Media Usage And Subjective Well-Being In Middle School Students, Kimberly R. Hutcheson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

With more people using social media platforms at younger ages, it is imperative to understand the relationship between social media use and subjective well-being. Previous research regarding young adults and their use of social media has shown inconclusive results concerning frequency of social media use and well-being. The current study focused on a younger adolescent population and on their motivations for posting on social media as opposed to their general frequency of use. Thirty seven middle school students took an online survey asking questions regarding frequency of social media use, motivations for use, self esteem, life satisfaction, and source of …

The Effect Of Peer Presence On Adolescent Risk-Taking Behaviors, Kelly E. Daniel

Honors College Theses

The emergence of risk-taking in adolescence, which can have life altering implications such as teenage pregnancy, car accidents, or drug overdoses, has been attributed to several different aspects of development including increased reward sensitivity and immature cognitive control contingent on motivation. Recent psychological research also indicates that adolescent risk-taking increases in the presence of peers. It remains unclear, however, whether this peer effect on risk-taking is attributable to amplified reward sensitivity or is a more general effect of experimenter expectancy and social desirability. This study builds upon this research using a computerized risk-taking task with stimuli that illustrate the probabilities …

Identity Development And Sexual Orientation Prejudice, Cassandra Smith

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the relationships among psychological variables of sexual prejudice, psychological adjustment, and identity development. It was hypothesized that sexual orientation prejudice would be negatively related to psychological adjustment. It was further hypothesized that identity formation would moderate the relationship between sexual orientation prejudice and psychological adjustment. Participants were 200 college students, ages ranged from 18-48 (M = 21.96, SD = 4.87). Sexual orientation for the participants included self-identified labels of Heterosexual (88.5%), Homosexual (6.5%), Bisexual (3.5%), Pansexual (1%), and Demisexual (0.5%). Survey data were collected through a Psychology Research Experience website (SONA). Results revealed a negative correlation between …

Do Beliefs About Sex Behaviors Mediate The Link Between Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sex And Risky Sexual Behaviors?, Guangyi Cui

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The current study examined the protective effect of parenting-adolescent communication about sex on four risky sexual behaviors (age of onset of sex, number of sex partners, condom use, and STDs) among youth, framed by the Theory of Planned Behavior. It also tested for potential mediation effects between parent-adolescent communication and risky sex measures by sexual cues, date rape attitudes, and acceptance of dating violence in a sample of 2,245 college students from Japan, Slovenia, Spain, and the United States. Results provided evidence of a weak effect of parent-adolescent communication about sex on risky sexual behaviors across samples. A number of …

Using Big Data In Psychotherapy Research: Possibilites And Perils, Timofey S. Galuza

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Traditionally, psychotherapy research has used efficacy and effectiveness studies. Efficacy studies have been considered the gold standard for studying clinical interventions and effects due to their stringent controls. While not as scientifically rigorous as efficacy studies, effectiveness studies examine clinical interventions with larger and more diverse populations and more real-tolife treatment protocols. Unfortunately, effectiveness studies tend to be based on retrospective report, sometimes many months or even years after the conclusion of psychotherapy. The growth of technology, in particular smartphone applications (apps) has opened the door to a form of effectiveness study that allows for real-time data collection. The Therapy …

Trauma, Resilience, Hope, And Religious Coping In Haiti, Deborah L. Galindo

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Trauma is an international area of research, specifically in countries that have experienced natural disasters and political unrest (Bolton, Surkan, Gray, & Desmousseaux, 2012; Derivois, Merisier, Cenat, & Castelot, 2014; Desrosiers & Fleurose, 2002; Hobfoll, 1989, 2012, 2014; Hobfoll et al., 2007; Kira, 2001, 2010; Kira et al., 2008). Haiti has endured an immense amount of trauma, including the 2010 earthquake and daily traumas resulting from poverty, economic disparity, and political unrest. This study explored the experiences of trauma, resilience, hope, and religious coping of 51 Haitian individuals through a mixed methods design. Quantitative data was gathered through the following …

The Benefits Of Gratitude In Spiritual Formation: Collaborative Of Gratefulness In A Christian Church Community, Jens Uhder

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This field experiment examined the effects of a gratefulness intervention in the context of a Christian church congregation. Two Evangelical congregations with comparable demographic and socio-economic characteristics were enrolled and assigned to the experimental and comparison conditions. In an effort to integrate psychological intervention techniques with established spiritual formation practices, the intervention was developed collaboratively with church leaders. In addition to examining the well-known benefits of gratefulness – strengthening of interpersonal relationships, increased life satisfaction, psychological well-being (PWB), and enhanced spiritual well-being (SWB), this research considered whether the practice of gratitude mobilized participants to engage others inside and outside the …

An Exploration Of Attachment, Trauma, And Treatment Outcome In A Cognative Behaviorable Therapy-Based Group Anger Management Program: A Multiple Case Study, Cynthia K. Swope

Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between trauma, attachment styles, and treatment outcomes among violent offenders attending a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based anger management program. Using a mixed method, multiple case study design, the researcher examined the individual experiences of seven individuals court-mandated to attend a community-based anger management program. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to develop the participant narratives used in the qualitative analyses. Participant scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR-R) Questionnaire, and the Novaco Anger Scale (NAS) provided quantitative measures of trauma history, attachment style, and anger disposition. The results of …

Title: Parents And Teachers’ Perceptions And Clinical Diagnosis Of Autism Among White And Non-White Groups, Margaret Gopaul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The pervasiveness of autism has significantly increased over the past 2 decades with the 2014 Center for Disease Control and Prevention report indicating 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention is recommended as the most effective treatment approach. Nevertheless, previous research has indicated that White children are diagnosed with ASD about 1.5 years earlier than are Non-White children. A current gap remains in literature regarding ASD and different racial groups, and evidence has been inconclusive regarding disparities in identifying and diagnosing ASD. To fill this gap, this study investigated the relationship between child race, …

Moral Identity From Cross- And Bi-Cultural Perspectives, Fanli Jia

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Researchers in moral psychology have initiated projects to investigate moral identity; however, they agreed that a precise definition and methodology of moral identity has been lacking in establishing the value of this new area. One of the challenges is that cultural explorations of moral identity are absent. Moral identity may take different forms in different cultures, or play an important role in morality in some cultures but not in others (Hardy & Carlo, 2005). The present dissertation was aimed at investigating how Western Canadian and Eastern Chinese cultural orientations relate to moral identities. Three studies were conducted.

In the first …

Evaluating A Skills-Based Approach To Bullying Prevention, Rebecca Pister

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the following paper, I present an evaluation of the bullying prevention program designed and delivered by the John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington (JHS WW). A mixed-methods approach involving both quantitative and qualitative data collection was used to assess the program impacts on children receiving the primary stream of the program (Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 3), and the junior stream of the program (Grades 4 through 6). A case study was also conducted to assess the impacts of the program one year after program delivery and after two consecutive years of programming. Finally, all school staff members were invited to respond …

The 2d:4d Ratio, Handedness, And Sex Across The Age Span, Helen A M Protopapas Ms.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The ratio of the difference between the 2nd and 4th digits of the hand (2D:4D ratio) has been demonstrated to be an indirect indicator of prenatal testosterone levels. Prenatal testosterone has been found to play a role in brain development in utero, and thus may influence lateral asymmetries, such as handedness. Consequently, one of the aims of the current study was to examine relationships between the 2D:4D ratio, hand preference, and hand performance with the factors of sex (males and females), handedness (right handers and left handers), and age considered. A total of 104 participants were tested, 90 right handers …

Adolescent Peer-Related Computer-Mediated Communication And Its Relationship To Social Anxiety, Neil Matthew Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents are adopting computer-mediated communication (CMC) at a higher rate than any other age group, with CMC becoming integral to their social relationships. This is particularly significant given the role peer relationships play in adolescent mental health. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to explore the relationship between adolescent CMC and social anxiety. The research was guided by Erikson's theory of psychosocial development and Kock's media naturalness theory. This multiwave panel study included a convenience sample of 58 adolescents ages 11 to 18. Surveys were completed on participant's social skills and introversion, and daily data were gathered on …

Animal Assisted Therapy In A Special Needs Dental Practice: An Interprofessional Model For Anxiety Reduction, Caren M. Cajares, Carolyn M. Rutledge, Tina S. Haney

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Purpose: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) suffer from poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease that may predispose them to systemic diseases. In order to receive dental care, the assistance of a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) is often needed. The role of the CRNA is to provide sedation to reduce the high level of anxiety demonstrated by many individuals with intellectual disabilities in the dental suite. However, this can become a challenge with patients that are anxious when they arrive. The purpose of this paper is to describe an interprofessional dental team that added a certified therapy dog …

Mothers' Cognitive Empathy Towards Their Biracial Children, Atika M. Gupta

Scripps Senior Theses

Limited research has been conducted on biracial people. Of the current research that examines mother’s cognitive empathy towards her child, there is little focus on how the differences in perceived racialization of the child (child is perceived as racially similar, dissimilar, or mixed in comparison to his or her mother) may influence mother’s cognitive empathy towards her child. The current study will question whether perceived phenotypic racialization of the child, race of the mother, gender of the child, and diversity of the neighborhood that the mother and child live in influence mothers’ cognitive empathy towards their children. The participants will …

Early Childhood Ipad Use And Effects On Visual Spatial Attention Span, Maya Espiritu

Scripps Senior Theses

Despite the rising prevalence of mobile media in young children’s lives, little research exists that examines the effects of mobile media use on early childhood cognitive development. This study will explore how mobile media use, specifically iPad use, in early childhood affects development of visual spatial attention span. Researchers will recruit 160 participants, ages 3 to 6, and categorize them into three groups: TV viewers only, interactive iPad users, and passive iPad users. Children will complete a computer task to measure the length of their visual spatial attention span. Parents will report on the average daily amount of media use, …

Love In The Golden Years: A Narrative Examination Of Romantic Relationships In Older Adulthood As Compared To Young Adulthood, Ariana Turner

Scripps Senior Theses

Life-stories offer an approach to understanding personality processes within a larger, developmental context. This study examines the role that one area of a person’s larger context (namely romantic relationships) plays in that person’s life-story. Specifically, the study examines whether this role changes over the lifespan. Nineteen students from a consortium of colleges in southern California, and an equal number of older adults living in a nearby retirement community, were interviewed about their romantic relationship history. The interview was semi-structured and asked participants about past and current relationships, and their most meaningful relationship overall. The interviews were coded for the themes …

Dreaming Big: Understanding The Current Context Of Academic And Career Decision-Making For Undocumented Students, Neeta Kantamneni, Kavitha Dharmalingam, Jessica Tate, Beth Perlman, Chaitasi R. Majmudar, Nichole Shada

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Undocumented student immigrants in the United States face substantial challenges in higher education including systemic, institutional, and cultural barriers that often impede access to and success in higher education. These barriers directly influence academic and work opportunities. The purpose of this article is to discuss the myriad of factors that affect the academic, career, and work development of undocumented college students. The three main objectives of this article are to (1) examine legislation that directly impacts access to higher education, (2) explore common barriers and systemic challenges undocumented college students face, and (3) review culturally sensitive interventions and resources for …

Review Of Ordinary Magic: Resilience In Development By Ann S. Masten, Eric S. Buhs, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The notion of risk has been a mainstay of research in child development for decades. Studying and understanding risk have led to important discoveries that have informed policy and practice, particularly for children living in situations where risk is abundant. More recently, there has been attention to cumulative risk, or the idea that single indicators of risk – for example, poverty, hunger, and home insecurity – tend to co-occur. Individuals and families facing higher levels of cumulative risk are thought to have compounded problems, regardless of the risks themselves, because these multiple stressors together wear down a family’s resources and …

Toward A Human Rights Agenda: Social Issues That Have Shaped Psychology In The United States, Dena Abbott, Noelany Pelc, Debra Mollen

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The history of psychology is comparably brief relative to many other fields of study. Within this brief history, beginning in the late 19th century, there have been tremendous, impactful shifts and the coalescence of multiple events that have shaped the development of psychology, which has likewise impacted society. Rapid social, political, cultural, and technological changes have dramatically altered the experience of each successive generation, and the science of psychology has adapted to each change to remain relevant, effective, and innovative. The impact of these widespread changes has affected the ways in which psychologists study human behavior and practice psychotherapy. In …

Aggressive And Depressed: Long-Term Outcomes Of Childhood Maltreatment, Elizabeth Dotson

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Prior research has established a relationship between childhood maltreatment and resulting maladaptive outcomes, specifically, aggressive behaviors and depressive symptomology. The present research sought to extend the current body of literature by determining whether distinctive forms and functions of aggression are related to severity of childhood maltreatment, and whether gender plays a moderating role in this relationship, and if depression is uniquely associated with maltreatment and aggression type within an undergraduate population. Results were analyzed through a 2 x 2 between­ group factorial analysis of variance. Findings from the current study suggest that physical and psychological abuse are the strongest predictors …

Body Part Structure Knowledge In Infancy, Rachel Jubran

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Human faces, bodies, and hands convey critical social information (e.g., emotions, goals, and desires). Infants, like adults, are sensitive to such social information. Unlike infants’ knowledge of the structure of the human face and body, not much is known about infants’ knowledge of hands and feet. The current study tested infants for their preference between intact hand images and ones in which the same hands were distorted (i.e., location of at least one finger was altered to distort the typical structure of the hand). Infants at 3.5 months of age had a preference for the reorganized hand image, demonstrating that …

Animal Welfare And Animal Rights, M.E. Rolle

Animal Sentience

This overview of Broom’s book, Sentience and Animal Welfare (2014), considers the role the book could play in the animal rights debate. In a thoroughly researched and objectively presented text, Broom lays out information that could place doubt in the minds of decision-makers. By highlighting not just the ways animals resemble humans, but also the ways humans resemble animals, Broom shines a light on a solidly grey area in the animal rights debate.

How Can Parent-Child Interactions In A Museum Support Children’S Learning And Transfer Of Knowledge, Maria Marcus

Dissertations

This study investigated ways to support young children’s STEM learning and ability to generalize their knowledge across informal learning experiences. Participants were 128 parents and their 4- to 8-year-old children (Mage = 6.63, SD = 1.38). Families were randomly assigned to receive engineering instructions, transfer instructions, both engineering and transfer instructions, or neither. They were then observed working together to solve an engineering problem, and immediately afterward, the children were invited to solve a second engineering problem on their own. Families who received engineering instructions – either alone or in combination with the transfer instructions - were more successful at …

Investigating The Effects Of A Parent-Mediated Intervention On Latino Parent-Child Verbal Interaction And Children's Receptive Vocabulary, Patricia G. Onorato

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate parent-child verbal interactions in Spanish in a group of Latino preschoolers growing up in the United States through a parent-mediated program at home, and the effects of the program on their receptive vocabulary in Spanish. A single subject multiple baseline across participants design was used in the study. The participants were 3 Latino mothers and their sons, with low family income, living in the United States. The intervention taught the mothers strategies to enhance their children’s language through a sharing-book activity. The study lasted for 6 weeks during which baseline and intervention conditions data were …

The Matching Criterion Purification For Differential Item Functioning Analyses In A Large-Scale Assessment, Hyesun Lee, Kurt F. Geisinger

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current study investigated the impact of matching criterion purification on the accuracy of differential item functioning (DIF) detection in large-scale assessments. The three matching approaches for DIF analyses (block-level matching, pooled booklet matching, and equated pooled booklet matching) were employed with the Mantel– Haenszel procedure. Five factors—the length of a test, the proportion of items exhibiting DIF, a sample size, a ratio of a reference and focal group, and the existence of an average ability difference between two groups—were manipulated. The three matching approaches were used with and without purification. Also, a systematic test form difference was considered. The …

Bullying Intervention In Adolescence: The Intersection Of Legislation, Policies, And Behavioral Change, Susan M. Swearer, Meredith Martin, Marc Brackett, Raul A. Palacios Ii

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This article reviews current research on bullying during adolescence. The complexity of bullying behaviors during the adolescent time period are discussed and a review of the developmental literature on adolescence provides suggestions for why current bullying prevention and intervention programs are less effective for this age group. Current anti-bullying policies and legislation are reviewed under a framework of adolescent brain development and the development of consequential thinking. Suggestions for implementing social-emotional learning programming during the adolescent period are provided and a novel approach using social media is presented. In order to effectively combat bullying during this developmental period, programming must …