Psychology Commons^™

Mothers’ Reflections On Cat Ownership For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Covid-19, Saskia Keville, Sophia De Vita, Amanda K. Ludlow

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Animal- assisted interventions are increasingly used as a complementary therapy in clinical practice to support people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with promising outcomes compared to traditional therapies. Less is understood about the therapeutic benefits of more accessible and affordable small pet ownership for families with a child with ASD, alongside the pets’ welfare living in these homes. This study explored the experiences of cat ownership for young people with ASD from the perspective of their mothers during a time of transition generated by COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six mothers and transcripts analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three …

Pediatric Seizures: Access And Utilization Of Specialty Care And Mental Health Care, Samantha Delos Santos

Theses and Graduate Projects

Epilepsy is the leading neurological disorder among children, and requires specialized health care (Zack & Kobau, 2015). However, many patients with seizures do not receive appropriate specialized care (Begley et al., 2009; Burneo et al., 2009). This study examined the impact of health insurance type on access to and use of specialty care and mental health care among pediatric patients, ages 3-17, whose parents reported that they had experienced at least one seizure in the last year. This study was a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2011 (n = 77) and 2016 (n = 87) National Health Survey …

Teaching Children With Autism To Tact Private Events Based On Common Properties, Madisyn Quidort

Theses and Dissertations

Skinner (1957) proposed that people learn to talk about private events in several ways. This study sought to examine the plausibility of one of those mechanisms: common properties. Skinner asserted that children learn tacts for public stimuli through normal interaction with their caregivers. When a child experiences a private stimulus that shares some feature with a previously learned public stimulus, the child generalizes the tact to the private sensation because there is a common property between the two stimuli. Three children with autistic disorder were taught 6 to 9 sensation tacts (e.g., prickly, cozy, tight) depicted in videos (e.g., a …

Augmentative And Alternative Communication Intervention Targets For School-Aged Participants With Asd And Id: A Single-Case Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, J. B. Ganz, James E. Pustejovsky, Joe Reichle, Kimberly J. Vannest, Margaret Foster, Marcus C. Fuller, Lauren M. Pierson, Sanikan Wattanawongwan, Armando J. Bernal, Valeria Yllades

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

This meta-analysis reviews the literature on communication modes, communicative functions, and AAC type examined during interventions with school-age participants with ASD and/or ID who experience CCN. Considering potential differences related to outcomes taught could help identify the most effective means of individualizing AAC interventions. We performed a comprehensive literature search. A multi-level meta-analysis was implemented across 114 included studies with 330 participants and 767 effect size using two case-level effect size metrics, Tau and log response ratio. There were few statistically significant differences found between moderator categories (e.g., communication mode, communicative function, and AAC type implemented). This is likely due, …

Using Narrative Theory As A Process-Oriented Exploration Of Attachment: The Development Of A Method In Art Therapy, Taylor Saunders

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Establishing a sense of psychological and emotional safety and security is essential within the therapeutic workspace for individuals to begin growth toward identified goals. Beginning in early childhood and developing throughout their lifespan, people build expectations of safety and security from their experiences of nurture or lack thereof. These early experiences form internal working models (IWM), which influence how individuals expect interpersonal relationships to develop; these patterns form attachment styles. Understanding someone’s attachment style is a way mental health professionals may better understand a client from a more holistic perspective. While there is much research in identifying and assessing a …

Moderators To The Effects Of Childhood Traumatic Stress On Childhood Physical Health, Shaneze Gayle Smith

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

According to the United States National Statistics on Child Abuse, in 2017 Child Protective Service agencies in the United States received an estimated 4.1 million referrals involving approximately 7.5 million children. A substantial body of research has revealed that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have detrimental long-term effects on physical health and a large number of health conditions. However, little research exists regarding the effects of childhood maltreatment on childhood physical health. Identifying protective factors such as self-esteem can moderate the effects of ACEs, help children thrive, and potentially lower the risk of a variety of conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, …

Bullied Because Of Their Teeth: Evidence From A Longitudinal Study On The Impact Of Oral Health On Bullying Victimization Among Australian Indigenous Children, Md Irteja Islam, Verity Chadwick, Tuguy Esgin, Alexandra Martiniuk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Making life better for Indigenous peoples is a global priority. Although bullying and oral health have always been a topic of concern, there is limited information regarding the impact of this problem on the general population, with no evidence in this regard among the Australian Indigenous population. Thus, we aimed to quantify the relationship between bullying victimization and oral health problems by remoteness among 766 Australian Indigenous children aged between 10–15-years using data from the LSIC study. Bivariate and multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were employed. Findings indicated children self-reported bullying more than parents reported their children were being bullied …

A Child's Experience Working Through Grief: A Booklet For School Aged Children Navigating Their Grief Journeys, Alyssa Johnson

Senior Honors Projects

The term grief describes the feelings you experience in response to the death of a person in your life, while the term mourning represents the period in which you feel or express signs of grief or sorrow. A child’s grief experience after the death of a significant person in their life is an often overlooked and understudied topic. The importance of being open and honest with children as they navigate their grief journey is at the forefront of this project. Using research regarding how children process, express, and understand grief, I created, “A Person In My Life Has Died, What …

How Prospective Bias Shapes Children’S Responses To Temporal Location Questions, Tige M. Anderson

Student Theses

This study builds on McWilliams (et al., 2019) by analyzing temporal bias among children when making relative temporal judgments using recurring landmarks (e.g., birthday, holidays). Previous research has demonstrated that children display a prospective bias when making these judgments, meaning they tend to date things based on the future occurrence of the landmark (E.g, “it’s ten months until my birthday”) (McWilliams et al., 2019). Adults, by contrast, make relative judgments with landmarks based on the most proximate occurrence of the landmark. In other words, they do not prefer the future or the past (Merriwether et al., under review). Additionally, recent …

Representing Neurodivergent Children In Fiction, Summer Calvert

Senior Honors Projects

SUMMER CALVERT (Psychology) Representing Neurodivergent Children in Fiction Sponsor: Kathleen Webster (Psychology) To recognize aspects of the self within the other is a goal universal to the human experience. The ability to relate to our peers grants us the dissuasion of insecurities or loneliness that might otherwise fester within our minds. Fictional characters and stories can have a similar effect on us. For this reason, the importance of neurodiverse representation in children’s books cannot be understated. When it comes to developmental disorders, many children may go undiagnosed until adolescence or even adulthood; this does not mean they aren’t struggling, or …

Parents' Experiences Of Children With A Rare Disease Attending A Mainstream School: Australia, Mandie Foster, Esther Adama, Diana Arabiat, Kevin Runions, Rena Vithiatharan, Maggie Zgambo, Ashleigh Lin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

To explore the perceptions of parents who had a child or adolescent (6-18 years) diagnosed with a rare disease who attended a mainstream school in Western Australia.

Design and methods:

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 41 parents of children with a rare disease. Here we report the findings of 14 open-ended questions on their experience of illness-related factors and impact on school-related social activities, such as sports, school camps and leadership roles whilst their child with a rare disease attended a mainstream school in Australia. Responses were analysed using an inductive thematic content approach.

Results:

We identified …

Adults’ Perceptions Of Children: Expectations Of Children With Disabilities And History Of Sexual Abuse, Asha L. Harp

Honors College Theses

Adult perceptions greatly affect children, especially those most in need of help (e.g., children with sexual abuse histories (CSA); children with disabilities). It is important to examine how these perceptions can shape children’s lives. This study investigated adults’ perceptions to further understand views of children with CSA and disabilities. Children with histories of disabilities, compared to CSA or “normal” backgrounds, were perceived as having more externalizing behaviors. Children labeled with CSA were perceived to have more internalizing symptoms (compared to both “disabled” and “normal” and less competence (compared to “normal”). Further results are discussed.

Fire Prevention Education For Boys And Girls Who Misuse Fire: A Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Analysis Of Effective Intervention Programming, Matthew B. Ferdock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A child referred for an assessment following fire misuse (e.g., setting a fire intentionally) triggers an intervention strategist who constructs a program that almost universally includes fire safety education (FSE). While FSE media tailored by age and grade is available from the U.S. Federal Government, most youth fire misuse intervention educational programming differentiates children by age. However, program designers rarely consider gender, racial differences, and socioeconomic factors during education design and delivery. Limited research demonstrates efficacious FSE. However, since almost no FSE accounts for differences beyond age, no empirical evidence exists examining its efficacy by demographic or socioeconomic differences. Using …

The Unfinished Hope Of Gower's Transgender Children, Gabrielle M.W. Bychowski

Accessus

This article examines two of Gower's tales from the Confessio Amantis that deal with trans youths: Iphis and Narcissus. Considering these two tales together, I ask the question: why does one story end with hopeful futurity for the trans masculine youth and the other end with death and the absence of futurity for the trans feminine youth. Connecting these medieval texts to premodern contexts and then with modern contexts, I map the trajectory of centuries long problems facing trans youths. In the end, I conclude that trans youth possess a healthier and more stable future when they receive trans affirming …

Caregiver Decision-Making On Young Child Schooling/Care In The Face Of Covid-19: The Influence Of Child, Caregiver, And Systemic Factors, Lauren B. Quetsch, Carrie B. Jackson, Harlee Onovbiona, Rebecca Bradley

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In March 2020, U.S. schools and daycares largely shut down to manage the novel COVID-19 pandemic. As the country made efforts to reopen the economy, American parents faced difficult decisions regarding returning to work and securing schooling and care for their young children. During the summer and fall of 2020, caregivers (N = 1655) of children (N = 2408; ages 0 – 12 years) completed questionnaires assessing their decision-making process regarding their children’s daycare or schooling situation. A mixed method approach (i.e., qualitative, quantitative assessments) was utilized. Outcomes indicated three main themes that impacted caregivers’ choices: child factors, …

Academic, Interpersonal, Recreational, And Family Impairment In Children With Tourette Syndrome And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Emily J. Ricketts, Sara Beth Wolicki, Melissa L. Danielson, Michelle Rozenman, Joseph F. Mcguire, John Piacentini, Jonathan W. Mink, John T. Walkup, Douglas W. Woods, Rebecca H. Bitsko

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study describes impairment in academic, interpersonal, recreational, and family financial or occupational domains across children in three mutually exclusive diagnostic groups: ever diagnosed with Tourette syndrome (TS), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and both disorders. In 2014, parents reported on impairment and diagnostic status of children aged 4–17 years (n = 3014). Weighted analysis and pairwise t-tests showed more children with ADHD (with or without TS) experienced impairment in overall school performance, writing, and mathematics, relative to children with TS but not ADHD. More children with TS and ADHD had problematic handwriting relative to children with ADHD but not TS. More …

Associations Between Problem Recognition And Help-Seeking Behavior In Mothers Of Preschoolers, Samuel T. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Preschool children are often underserved in mental healthcare. One explanation for this is that caregivers do not recognize preschoolers’ mental health difficulties as problems. While previous research has identified an association between a caregiver’s skill at accurately applying diagnostic labels and help-seeking, factors such as behavior severity, functional impairment, and caregiver stress are important to the help-seeking process as well. The current study examined associations between all these variables. Participants were 82 adult mothers of preschoolers. The participants read a series of vignettes describing preschool-aged children with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, and then answered a series of questions to assess …

Measuring Irrational Beliefs Among Youth: Development Of The Children’S Irrational Response Checklist, Alexa K. Pata

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) are evidenced-based approaches that have been identified as effective for the treatment of psychological disorders among youth (Bernard & Terjesen, 2020). However, although beliefs and cognitions have been shown to be predictive of emotional and behavioral problems in children (Mogoaşe, Podină, et al., 2013), and modifications in cognitions have been shown to be vital for treatment (David et al., 2017), the research and psychometric properties surrounding measures designed to specifically assess irrational beliefs, self-statements, or automatic thoughts in youth are lacking due to theoretical and practical limitations (Terjesen et al., …

Trends And Outcomes Of A School-Based Campaign To Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Racially And Ethnically Diverse Students In Middle School, Roya Amirniroumand

Theses and Dissertations

Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been identified as a chronic disease prevention strategy in children and adolescents (Muth et al., 2019; USDA & HSS, 2015) and promoting healthier alternative beverage options has become an important focus for public health policy and educational efforts. Community-driven school-based health initiatives targeting SSB consumption have shown promising outcomes however, few studies have explored these strategies for middle school students and less is known about the potential benefits of these efforts with racial/ethnic minority youth.

The present study examined whether racial/ethnic differences in SSB consumption existed in a sample of 419 students at one …

A Narrative Study Describing The Transition From Residential Treatment As A Child: An Adult Perspective, Alison Marie Vogelsang

Dissertations and Theses

To date, the literature sorely lacks empirical research exploring treatment outcomes among children in residential treatment centers (RTCs). Consequentially, there is an increasing demand for more studies examining such outcomes, particularly as they pertain to an individual’s experience leaving an RTC. There is even less research exploring the perspectives of individuals who resided in an RTC as a child due to the vulnerable nature of this population and difficulty in accessibility. The transitional period is believed to be a salient component impacting treatment outcomes, yet little is known about how this component of residential treatment is experienced and whether it …

Caregiver Participation Engagement In Child Mental Health Prevention Programs: A Systematic Review, Rachel Haine‑Schlagel, Kelsey S. Dickson, Teresa Lind, Joanna J. Kim, Gina C. May, Natalia Escobar Walsh, Vanja Lazarevic, Brent R. Crandal, May Yeh

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Prevention programs are a key method to reduce the prevalence and impact of mental health disorders in childhood and adolescence. Caregiver participation engagement (CPE), which includes caregiver participation in sessions as well as follow-through with homework plans, is theorized to be an important component in the effectiveness of these programs. This systematic review aims to (1) describe the terms used to operationalize CPE and the measurement of CPE in prevention programs, (2) identify factors associated with CPE, (3) examine associations between CPE and outcomes, and (4) explore the effects of strategies used to enhance CPE. Thirty-nine articles representing 27 unique …

Predicting Self-Esteem And Depressive Symptoms From Social Skills In Youth With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emma Wilkinson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for low self-esteem and depressive symptomatology. Poor social skills may be associated with depression and self-esteem in ASD populations, yet these relationships remain understudied. Previous studies are limited by lack of comparison between youth and parent report of social skills and lack of comparisons to clinically relevant samples. This study seeks to compare predictive relationships between parent and youth-reported social skills, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms across youth with ASD and youth with similar clinical vulnerabilities. Hierarchal regression analyses revealed that youth-reported social skills account for significant variance in self-esteem, parent-reported …

Substance Use Initiation Among Mexican Children: An Examination Of Individual And Ecological Factors, Alejandro L. Vázquez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mexico is experiencing increased rates of substance use among children and adolescents. This is concerning as early substance use is associated with an increased risk for developing mental and physical health problems during adulthood. These outcomes may be prevented through early identification and intervention before individuals encounter the negative consequences of substance use/abuse. The current dissertation sought to improve our knowledge regarding factors associated with substance use and intention for first time use among Mexican children. Three manuscripts examined child individual characteristics and aspects of their environment. The first manuscript examined demographic characteristics to determine whether particular groups of children …

Severe Emotional And Behavioral Problems: Barriers For Texas Youth Accessing Mental Health Court Programs, Justin Joseph

Contemporary Issues in Juvenile Justice

Conduct disorder is a constellation of continuous emotional and behavioral problems observed in children and adolescents, which may involve violent and non-violent antisocial behaviors. The symptomology of this psychological disorder includes: disregarding rules without clear reason, cruel or aggressive behavior toward people or animals (e.g., bullying, fighting, using dangerous weapons, forcing sexual activity, and stealing), skipping school, excessive substance use, pathological lying, manipulation, running away, and vandalism (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2013). Texas Juvenile Mental Health Courts are designed to reduce the number of detained youth, divert at-risk children, maintain community safety, and utilize multidisciplinary approaches to treat conduct disordered …

Evaluation Of A School-Based Dissemination Of The Movement Guidelines For Young Children In Hong Kong: Study Protocol, Catherine M. Capio, Catalina S. M. Ng, Kevin K. H. Chung, Rachel A. Jones, Cindy H. P. Sit

Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Healthy movement behaviors in early childhood are believed to track to adulthood, potentially imparting protective benefits against non-communicable diseases. Highlighting the collaborative and complementary roles of parents and educators in promoting health of young children, this study aims to enable parents and teachers to successfully promote healthy movement behaviors in young children. Guidelines for physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep of children aged 2 to 6 years will be systematically disseminated to parents and teachers of children enrolled in early childhood education centers (ECECs) in Hong Kong. An evaluation will be conducted to assess the implementation process and …

Resilience And Grit: Foundations Of Mindset Differences In Adult Children Of Alcoholics And Adult Children Of Non-Alcoholics, Christopher Vance

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Alcoholism is a destructive consequence of a combination of environmental, genetic, and social influences. While it is the choice of an individual to consume alcohol, their family is facing the consequences as well. Children of alcoholics (CoAs) face a unique set of challenges growing up with one (or two) alcoholic parents. This study seeks to investigate the presence of a difference in grit and resilience in adult children of alcoholics (ACoAs). Furthermore, the study aims to uncover the influence grit and resilience have on an individuals’ mindset; whether they maintain a growth or fixed mindset. A survey containing four different …

Children's Reasoning About In-Group And Out-Group Obligations, Karli Cecil, Julia Marshall, Paul Bloom

The Yale Undergraduate Research Journal

We examined whether children (ages 4-9 years) show in-group bias in expectations to help others as well as obligations to help others. We showed participants vignettes featuring two novel groups and a variety of scenarios where one character is in need and another is a bystander who notices this. Younger children did not show in-group bias in terms of expectations to help others, but an in-group bias was present in older children. For obligations, however, we did not find an interaction between age and group: children think you have to help in-group members more than out-group members, regardless of age. …

Factors Influencing Psychotherapy Completion In Children Exposed To Adverse Childhood Experiences, Cheryl Kayleen Best

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Child maltreatment and childhood adversity are associated with a broad range of poor mental and physical health outcomes throughout the lifespan. The consequences of childhood adversity have led psychologists in efforts to identify the most effective therapeutic approaches and interventions with which to address the negative effects of childhood trauma. Even as a number of efficacious treatments have been established as best practices for treating childhood trauma, barriers exist in community mental health settings that oftentimes prevent full implementation of these interventions and practices. A growing body of research has focused on better understanding the high rates of attrition from …

A Systematic Review Examining The Efficacy And Effectiveness Of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Abigail R. Howerton

Psychology Capstone Projects

More than two-thirds of children and adolescents experience a traumatic event by the age of 16. Trauma comes in many forms and affects people in many ways. Trauma can affect behavioral, cognitive, emotional, physical, and neurological development. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is a type of therapy created to treat children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. TF-CBT is an evidencebased treatment (EBT) and is currently the only EBT whose focus is solely on treating trauma in children and adolescents. This article reviews the literature assessing studies using randomized controlled trials (RCT’s) to determine the effectiveness and efficacy of TF-CBT …

Children As Mischievous Spirits: Legitimizing Child Cruelty And Filicide In Contemporary Africa, Chima Agazue

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The belief that certain humans are spiritual entities and the belief that some people are spiritually possessed can be found across histories and cultures. While these individuals are not always viewed in the negative or treated inhumanely, cases abound whereby degrading and inhumane treatments are meted out to some of them. In the African continent, certain groups of people, particularly children are linked to certain mischievous spirits due to their unusual appearance, aberrant behavior, disability, chronic illness, psychopathology or exceptional ability. Some are also suspected and consequently mistreated due to events surrounding their birth. Such children are known by different …