Child Psychology Commons^™

Unveiling The Mask:Sexual Trauma's Impact On Academic Achievement, Behavior, And Self-Identity, Teshaunda Hannor-Walker, Sarah Kitchens, Lacey Ricks

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Sexual trauma is an unfortunate but a common and often masked experience for many students in America. While sexual trauma in itself is not a mental health disorder, it can become a risk factor for many academic and mental health problems. Trauma-informed schools can play an important role in helping students deal with the aftercare of a traumatic experience.

Student Wellbeing Matters! Use Positive Psychology Interventions To Help Your Students Achieve And Succeed., Andrea A. Francis

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI), grounded in the psychological theory of Wellbeing (Seligman, 2002) are pathways to a life of purpose and meaning. Each intervention is proved to not only reduce anxiety and increase optimism, but to create protective factors needed to cope with stress, anxiety and trauma.

Military Deployment In A Family: Children’S Literature As A Basis For Counseling Support, Aimee Tubbs, Ellie L. Young, Melissa A. Heath, Tina M. Taylor

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The authors summarize 30 children’s books that tell stories of a family member’s military deployment in order to identify books that could be used in bibliotherapy for children impacted by deployment. In this sample of books, the main characters are most commonly portrayed as feeling sad about a family member’s deployment. The most prevalent coping strategies are finding ways to stay connected to the deployed person and talking with an adult. An unexpected finding was a coping strategy of expressing pride in the family member’s military service.

Patterns Of Childhood Maltreatment And Intimate Partner Violence, Emotion Dysregulation, And Mental Health Symptoms Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Emerging Adults: A Three-Step Latent Class Approach, Ruby Charak, Lillianne Villarreal, Rachel M. Schmitz, Michiyo Hirai, Julian D. Ford

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Background: Childhood abuse and neglect (CAN) and intimate partner violence victimization (IPV) is prevalent among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (LGB). Identification of distinct patterns of childhood and adult victimization, including technology-mediated and face-to-face IPV, and their cumulative relations to mental/behavioral health challenges, among LGB people is needed to facilitate identification of at-risk individuals.

Objective: Using latent class analysis, we first sought to identify patterns of lifetime interpersonal victimization, primarily five types of CAN and IPV in LGB emerging adults. Second, we examined if LGB-status and race/ethnicity predicted classmembership; third, we assessed differences between the latent classes on emotion dysregulation, …

Interparental Control During Pregnancy Predicts Parental Control Directed Toward Infants, Jaime Stephenson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Numerous studies have found that the quality of the intimate relationship between parents significantly impacts the quality of the parent-child relationship which, in turn, has important implications for child psychosocial adjustment. Research calls to Enfger’s spillover hypothesis suggesting that discord or dysfunction in one family relationship (e.g., the interparental relationship) puts other family relationships (e.g., parent-child relationships) at increased risk for dysfunction. Examining the association between interparental respect and control dynamics during pregnancy and the parent-child relationship when the child is 1 year of age is important because (a) children’s social and moral adjustment is in a critical stage of …

An Exploration Of The Experience Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Through Art, Adi Greenboim-Zimchoni

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study employed arts-based research with phenomenological, qualitative inquiry to understand and explore the perspectives of adults with learning disabilities and their sense of self and support in inclusive and special education classrooms in Israel during their school years. In this study, the researcher attempted to take Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) one step further by examining the participants’ feelings and relationships with the people in their daily lives during childhood. The researcher met with 12 participants ages 18-31 diagnosed with learning disabilities between third and eleventh grade. Participants created drawings illustrating how they felt about teachers, parents, friends and …

Partners In School: An Innovative Parent-Teacher Consultation Model For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gazi F. Azad, Steven C. Marcus, Susan M. Sheridan, David S. Mandell

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Little research examines the best ways to improve communication between parents and teachers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and its effect on child outcomes. The present study tests an innovative parent-teacher consultation model, entitled Partners in School. The goal of Partners in School is to improve parent-teacher communication about evidence-based practices (EBPs), and subsequently, outcomes for children with ASD. Participants were 26 teachers and 49 parents of children with ASD from a large urban public school district. Parents and teachers completed measures of their communication and child outcomes prior to and after receiving consultation through Partners in School. …

Polyvictimization, Emotion Dysregulation, Symptoms Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Behavioral Health Problems Among Justice-Involved Youth: A Latent Class Analysis, Ruby Charak, Julian D. Ford, Cosby A. Modrowski, Patricia K. Kerig

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Among the 90% of adolescents involved in juvenile justice who have experienced traumatic victimization, a sub-group may be at highest risk due to histories of multiple types of interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma, termed polyvictims. Latent class analyses (LCA) have identified polyvictimized subgroups in several studies of adolescents and adults, but only one study of traumatic victimization has been conducted with justice-involved youth (Ford et al. 2013). The current investigation replicates and extends that study’s findings using LCA to assess a wider range of victimization- and nonvictimization-related adversities and emotion dysregulation, DSM-5 symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), …

Commentary: Influence Of Smartphone Addiction Proneness Of Young Children On Problematic Behaviors And Emotional Intelligence: Mediating Self-Assessment Effects Of Parents Using Smartphones, Qin Ying Joanne Tan, Andree Hartanto, Wei Xing Toh, Hwajin Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The majority of studies on smartphone addiction have focused on adults and school-aged children or youth (e.g., Hartanto and Yang, 2016; Chung et al., 2018; Lee et al., 2018); few have investigated the impact of smartphone overuse during infancy and early childhood. Recently, Cho and Lee (2017) surveyed parents of children aged one to six and attempted to address this research gap in their article entitled “Influence of smartphone addiction proneness of young children on problematic behaviors and emotional intelligence: Mediating self-assessment effects of parents using smartphones.” Although the results are interesting, we would caution that they are preliminary because …

Counting And Basic Numerical Skills, Emily Slusser

Faculty Publications

The following chapter outlines a typical developmental trajectory of children’s early number knowledge and counting skills. Using a series of anecdotal demonstrations of a young child’s emergent knowledge as a guide, the chapter first outlines the conceptual and procedural building blocks for counting and basic numerical skills (Section 4.1 and 4.2), proceeds to an extended discussion of major conceptual achievements in counting (Section 4.3), and concludes with a review of our emerging understanding on how to best support and facilitate the development of these skills (Section 4.4). Throughout each of these sections, seminal studies are discussed to more clearly demonstrate …

Longitudinal Effects Of Maternal Love Withdrawal And Guilt Induction On Chinese American Preschoolers’ Bullying Aggressive Behavior, Jing Yu, Charissa S.L. Cheah, Craig H. Hart, Chongming Yang, Joseph A. Olsen

Faculty Publications

Bullying has been understudied among preschool children, especially those from Chinese American families. Previous research has also neglected the dimensional effects of psychological control on child bullying development. This study examined two psychological control dimensions, love withdrawal and guilt induction, and their effects on children’s bullying aggressive behavior using a longitudinal design. Participants were first generation Chinese American mothers (N = 133;mean age [Mage] = 37.82) and their preschool children (Mage = 4.48). Chinese immigrant mothers reported their psychologically controlling parenting and teachers rated children’s bullying aggressive behaviors in the school setting. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to establish the …

Impact Of Experience Corps® Participation On Children’S Academic Achievement And School Behavior, George W. Rebok, Jeanine M. Parisi, Jeremy S. Barron, Michelle C. Carlson, Ike Diibor, Kevin D. Frick, Linda P. Fried, Tara L. Gruenewald, Jin Huang, Sylvia Mcgill, Christine M. Ramsey, William A. Romani, Teresa E. Seeman, Erwin Tan, Elizabeth K. Tanner, Li Xing, Qian-Li Xue

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This article reports on the impact of the Experience Corps® (EC) Baltimore program, an intergenerational, school-based program aimed at improving academic achievement and reducing disruptive school behavior in urban, elementary school students in Kindergarten through third grade (K-3). Teams of adult volunteers aged 60 and older were placed in public schools, serving 15 h or more per week, to perform meaningful and important roles to improve the educational outcomes of children and the health and well-being of volunteers. Findings indicate no significant impact of the EC program on standardized reading or mathematical achievement test scores among children in grades 1–3 …

A Physical Therapy Intervention To Advance Cognitive And Motor Skills: A Single Subject Study Of A Young Child With Cerebral Palsy, Stacey C. Dusing, Reggie T. Harbourne, Michele A. Lobo, Sally Westcott-Mccoy, James A. Bovaird, Audrey E. Kane, Gullnar Syed, Emily C. Marcinowski, Natalie A. Koziol, Shaaron E. Brown

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploring Early Temperament Predictors Of Maladaptive Behavior In A Group Of Elementary School Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Caren D. Rhodes-Doudna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study is an ex post facto nonexperimental design analyzing archival data collected from previous trials of a large-scale longitudinal study conducted by researchers at JFK Partners, Center of Excellence in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in collaboration with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School (Principal Investigator: Susan Hepburn, Ph.D.). Specifically, the study looked at the temperament characteristics of mood, intensity, adaptability, and approach measured within early childhood and how they relate to later maladaptive behavior within a group of elementary age children diagnosed with ASD. Maladaptive behavior is a particularly salient outcome, as it impacts the child and …

The Cultural Transmission Of Gender Roles In Childhood, Sarah Ariel Lamer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the present work, I summarize extant theories and evidence on how children learn about gender roles and test an ecological framework for gender-role learning (i.e., the Gendered Ecology Model). Existing theory has demonstrated that children begin to form symbolic representations of gender as young as 9 months and acquire basic gender stereotypes about behaviors and activities considered appropriate for each gender by 3 years. Theories have proposed several potential sources and moderators of how children learn about the roles that women and men generally hold. However, no theories have examined these sources from an ecological approach, leaving open the …

Kidled: A Colorful Approach To Children's Activity Awareness, Ankita Samariya, Anud Sharma, Margiawan Fitriani, Tucker Ferguson, Jerry Alan Fails

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Obesity in children is a growing cause of concern as it affects more than 18% of children in the United States. Sedentary behaviour is one of the contributors to childhood obesity. Technological interventions like activity trackers and fitness games have been introduced to motivate both children and adults to be physically active. Most of these technologies encourage activity by making them aware of their activity levels. While awareness of current activity levels may help motivating adults, it can be difficult for children to understand their activity levels in terms of number of steps (the most common method used by adults). …

Buffett Early Childhood Institute: Five Year Report 2013-18, Buffett Early Childhood Institute

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

The Buffett Early Childhood Institute began operations in June 2013. We were charged with creating a new model for how public higher education can engage in early education by helping to transform the lives of young children and their families. This report presents a by-thenumbers profile of who we are and what we’ve accomplished in our first five years. Following the numbers you’ll find brief descriptions of programs, initiatives, financials, and the Institute itself.

The Nebraska Panhandle: An Assessment Of Birth-Grade 3 Care And Education, Panhandle Birth – Grade 3 Leadership Team

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

This report summarizes the collaborative work of the Panhandle Partnership, Inc., Educational Service Unit (ESU) 13, and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska in documenting and assessing birth through Grade 3 programming in the Nebraska Panhandle. The report summarizes findings from 15 school-community conversations and includes data snapshots from local communities that provide information about the status of young children and the services and supports that exist to serve them and their families. Work in the Panhandle was undertaken on the basis of an agreement between the three organizations to work together to better understand and …

Nebraska Child Care Market Rate Survey Report 2019, Greg W. Welch, Elizabeth Svoboda, Amanda Garrett, Kathleen C. Gallagher, Molly Goldberg, Alexandra Daro

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 was reauthorized with renewed emphasis placed on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program, which seeks to provide equal access to quality child care for families. The CCDF program is necessary to ensure children from low-income families have the opportunity to experience stable, high-quality early experiences while their parents experience a pathway to economic stability. A primary goal of the CCDF program is to ensure that low-income families receive CCDF funds to help them access quality child care in the same manner as families that pay the full …

Youth Who Are Homeless: A Closer Look, Jacquilin Barrett

Petersheim Academic Exposition

No abstract provided.

Escape From The East, Martha Marie Failinger

Children's Book Writing and Illustrating (MFA) Theses

Although a plethora of documentaries, movies, and literature surrounding the trauma of

World War II and its aftermath exist, a relative paucity comes from the German people – perhaps

due to the collective guilt and shame that surrounded the horrors of the Holocaust.

This thesis project is a middle school graphic novel memoir based on a true story of a German boy (pseudonym: Hans) during the years 1940 to 1949. Hans becomes a member of the prestigious St. Thomas Boys Choir in Leipzig and finds that Bach’s music, which he is constantly singing, helps to keep his soul alive in …

Supporting Marin County Youth Suffering From Anxiety And Depression, Victoria L. Grajeda

Student Research Posters

This toolkit was created to help shed light on the impact a stressful high school environment can have on today’s youth, and provide teachers and parents with up-to-date information on what resources are available within the county of Marin. When working with adolescents, it is important to consider environmental threats to their mental health (i.e., lack of sleep) in order to make proper referrals and treatment plans. A study done by Kelley, Lockley, Kelley, & Evans (2017) implemented a 10:00 a.m. start time at an urban school in England. By delaying school start times, Kelley et. al found that absences …

Risk Factors For Depression Among Early Childhood Teachers, Amy Roberts, Kathleen C. Gallagher, Alexandra Daro, Iheoma U. Iruka, Susan Sarver

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

This study examined possible risk factors associated with teachers’ depression in a variety of early childhood settings. Teachers with lower pay, no health insurance, multiple jobs, greater job stress, and more adult-centered beliefs reported more symptoms of depression. To reduce these symptoms, efforts should be made to support teachers’ mental health at multiple levels, including individual, environmental, and policy.

Researchers used data collected in 2015-16 from a large survey of early childhood educators in Nebraska. Four early childhood settings were sampled: licensed family child care homes (home-based), licensed child care centers (center-based), state-funded PreK programs, and elementary schools serving children …

Cinq Cles Pour Aider Vos Enfants A Developper Leurs Talents, Kenneth A. Kiewra

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Certains pensent que le talent est inné. La légende de Mozart commençant à jouer du piano à 3 ans, puis à composer à l’âge de 5 ans, renforce de telles croyances.

The Effects Of Parental Engagement In Early Childhood On Academic Achievement In Adolescence, Alex Velez

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement and engagement have been used interchangeably in research regarding the academic outcomes of children. The current study assessed parental engagement and its relationship to academic achievement in adolescence. Specifically, the study looked at parental engagement with children aged 3 and its effects on academic achievement at age 15 in 1-parent and 2-parent homes. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to examine the effect of ethnicity on the relationship between parental engagement and academic achievement. Data were taken from participants (N = 3350) who were a part of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, a longitudinal dataset. Findings showed …

Storytelling Study, Samantha Irene Pepe

Honors Theses and Capstones

Expressive prosody (i.e., a manner of communication that is characterized by lively rhythm and tempo) and inexpressive prosody (i.e., monotone speech) present different environments for listening to a story during a read-aloud session. This study aims to assess whether there are visual attention differences for preschoolers in these varied prosodic environments and how this affects comprehension.

The Effects Of Parental Divorce And Remarriage On Emerging Adult’S Romantic Attachment Styles, Bailey Mortis

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This study shined light on the gap in literature about the impact of communication and involvement of stepparents has on emerging adult’s romantic attachment styles. A sample of 289 college students between the ages of 18 and 22 at the University of Kentucky was recruited to complete an online survey about their perceived experience with their stepparent and parental figures and the effects on their romantic attachment styles. Parental involvement in children’s lives and having good communication, sets the foundation for individuals to have secure attachment styles. Emerging adults who experience parental figures and stepparents as being uninterested or passive …

Beyond Telling: A Phenomenology Of Adoptive Parents' Adoption Communication Openness With Early Adolescents, Jane D. Samuel

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Despite calls for increased Adoption Communication Openness (ACO) within the adoptive family, research indicates that families still struggle to accomplish the recommended elements and levels of openness. What could be holding families back from this key process? Three focus groups comprised of 17 adoptive parents of early adolescents (aged 10-14) who were age 0-2 at the time of placement were thematically coded. This inductive analysis revealed the complexity rooted in being —sometimes successfully and sometimes not—communicatively open. Four key themes emerged painting a vivid and rich picture of: a) the breadth and depth of this experience; b) the work entailed; …

Jurors' Perceptions Of Preschoolers And Younger School Aged Children's Memory Errors, Emily Margaret Deming

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine jurors’ perceptions of different types of memory errors in the context of a child recalling information about alleged maltreatment. Additionally, this study assessed whether developmental differences in memory errors affect jurors’ perceptions of the child, the external influences that may be affecting the child, and the defendant. Participants (N=372) were randomly assigned to one of eight vignettes that contained three different memory errors (major reconstructive memory error, minor reconstructive memory error, source monitoring error) or a control condition (no memory error), as well as two age groups (4-year-old child and …

The Potential Promises And Pitfalls Of Using Local Norms For Gifted Identification, Marla S. Hartman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Who are the gifted? This question has plagued the field since its inception. Historically, gifted education has been predicated on the values of the Caucasian, upper- to middle-class majority. As a result, underrepresentation of students from economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse families have been well documented in the literature and continues to this day. Some scholars have suggested the use of expanded definitions of giftedness to increase participation of students from underrepresented segments of the population. This study used regression and hierarchical linear models to predict the proportion of students identified across various thresholds focusing on how definitions impacted differential …