Child Psychology Commons^™

Relations Among Maternal And Paternal Behavior And Children's Stress Biology, S.K. Jiaming Lin, Stacey N. Doan, John Milton

Scripps Senior Theses

Parenting behavior has been shown to have a wide range of effects, influencing children’s psychological and biological stress outcomes. Most research focuses on maternal parenting behaviors, with few studies observing the effects of paternal behaviors or the influence of both parents on their children. In this study, the relationship between maternal and paternal parenting behaviors was examined in its association to predict children’s cortisol levels. Cultural differences in parenting styles was also observed. American (N=86) and Chinese (N=97) families participated in the study, with parents reporting their behaviors. Children’s cortisol was collected during a stressor task and correlational analysis was …

Associations Between Expressed Emotion, Mental Health, And Functioning In Families: Child Asthma Status As A Moderator, Katherine W. Dempster

Theses and Dissertations

Expressed emotion (EE), the affective attitudes and behaviors of one toward another, can affect caregivers’ behaviors toward their child. Research examining associations between EE and child/family outcomes is mixed; these associations may be affected by other influences such as the presence of a chronic disease or parent mental health. In this study of families living in an urban area, we examined associations between EE and child outcomes (anxiety/depressive symptoms) and family functioning, with parent anxiety as a covariate. We evaluated child asthma status as a moderator as the presence of a chronic illness may strengthen the association between EE and …

Effects Of A Comprehensive Nutrition Education Programme To Change Grade 4 Primary-School Students’ Eating Behaviours In China, Lian Qian, Ian M. Newman, Lok-Wa Yuen, Weijing Du, Duane F. Shell

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: As part of a national initiative to reduce child obesity, a comprehensive school-based nutrition education intervention to change eating behaviours among grade 4 primary-school students was developed, implemented and evaluated. Design: The intervention was developed by school staff, with technical assistance from outside health education specialists. The programme included school facility upgrades, school teacher/staff training, curriculum changes and activities for parents. Student scores on nine key eating behaviours were assessed prior to and after the programme. The quality of programme implementation in the schools was monitored by technical assistance teams. Setting: Shandong Province (high household income) and Qinghai Province …

The Nebraska Prevention Center For Alcohol And Drug Abuse, 1980-2019, Michelle R. Maas, Ian M. Newman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NPCADA) was established at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1980 with federal and state funds for substance use research. The Center operated in the UNL Teachers College (now the College of Education and Human Sciences) under the directorship of Professor Ian Newman for 39 years, until the Center closed in 2019.

Selected publications by faculty and graduate students of the NPCADA can be retrieved from UNL Digital Commons by searching on “Nebraska Prevention Center.”

Five-Minute Cognitive Test As A New Quick Screening Of Cognitive Impairment In The Elderly, Jie Zhang, Lijun Wang, Xia Deng, Guoqiang Fei, Lirong Jin, Xiaoli Pan, Liuhan Cai, Anthony D. Albano, Chunjiu Zhong

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study aims to develop a new evaluation method for quickly and conveniently screening cognitive impairment in the elderly. The five-minute cognitive test (FCT) was designed to capture deficits in five domains of cognitive abilities, including episodic memory, language fluency, time orientation, visuospatial function, and executive function. Subsequently, FCT efficiencies in differentiating normally cognitive ability from cognitive impairment were explored and compared with that of the Mini-Mental Status Evaluation (MMSE). Equipercentile equating method was utilized to create a crosswalk between scores of the FCT and MMSE. Further, the association of scores of the FCT and MMSE with hippocampal volumes was …

Contemporary Approaches To Qualitative Research: Andragogical Strategies For Teaching And Learning, Tiffany T. Young, Wayne A. Babchuk

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This inquiry provides practical suggestions for teaching and learning qualitative research methodology. Important components of qualitative research design/implementation are identified and strategies to guide novice qualitative researchers are outlined.

Nebraska Prevention Center For Alcohol And Drug Abuse — Bibliography Of Publications

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

5 Ways To Develop Children's Talents, Kenneth A. Kiewra

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Some people think talent is born. The often-told story of Mozart playing piano at 3 and composing at 5 reinforces such beliefs.

What’S Past Is Prologue: Advancing Feminist Psychological Research On Lgbtq+ Genders, Elliot A. Tebbe

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

In my introduction to the special section on LGBTQ genders in this issue of the Psychology of Women Quarterly (PWQ), I highlight and place in context the significant contributions of this special section to theory and the broader psychological literature on gender. For several years now, the Society of Psychology of Women’s Section 4 (Section on Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns) of the American Psychological Association (APA) has invited authors of ground-breaking empirical research on gender and sexuality to submit papers to present at the annual APA convention. Through the years, we have seen cutting edge research presented …

Screen Time And The Effects On Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Cassandra Starks

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project is to determine if an educational intervention with families decreased overall screen time use in school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHODS: This study was a single group pre-test, post-test interventional study design. The sample population consisted of the parents/guardians of 30 school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD (5-12 years) recruited from the University of Kentucky Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic between November 2019 and February 2020. Parents completed a survey about their child’s daily screen time exposure (tablets/cell phones, laptops/computers, video games, and television) and were educated how screen time can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, …

The Impact Of Chronic Poverty On Children's Behavioral Health And Learning Outcomes, Anna Catherine Rasmussen

Honors Program Theses

Chronic poverty is an unfortunate reality many children face every day. The current literature review evaluated the impact poverty has on children’s behavioral health and learning outcomes. Research consistently shows that children living in poverty experience higher rates of conduct problems, such as Conduct Disorder (CD), as well as increased learning problems, such as Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) and diminished academic success. There are several theories for this relation, encompassing both environmental and biological influences, which are reviewed herein. The overall conclusion is that living in poverty negatively impacts children’s behavioral and learning outcomes.

Teaching The Leisure Skill Of Photography To Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alicia Tsai

CMC Senior Theses

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often do not use their leisure time appropriately. Previous studies have shown that children with ASD tend to engage in inappropriate actions and maladaptive behaviors (such as engaging in stereotypy and tantrums) that decrease their quality of life. Establishing age-appropriate leisure skills is important for these children as these skills have been recognized as fulfilling habilitative needs, and can increase the quality of life and social acceptance and decrease the amount of stress for these individuals. The present study used a multiple baseline across-participants design to investigate whether children with ASD can learn and …

The Psychology Surrounding Legal Standards Of Competency And Representation For Children In U.S. Immigration Court, Natasha Reyes

CMC Senior Theses

In recent years, immigration detentions have spiked. Further, the Zero Tolerance Policy enacted by President Trump has separated thousands of children from their families. Because many children are without their parents, and immigration court is civil in nature, thousands of children are placed in deportation hearings without representation each year. Child psychological research is at odds with the current deportation practices as psychological research deems children unable to understand the complexities of the court system or the impacts of deportation proceedings. A minimum competency to stand trial must be enacted to protect young children’s due process rights, regardless of citizenship. …

Effects Of Extended Intervention Conditions On Levels Of Physical Activity Exhibited By Young Children, Ingunn Kristjansdottir Oveny

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity is an important health-related behavior, and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) daily (CDC, 2015). However, worldwide, many children do not reach those requirements and health problems associated with physical inactivity are becoming more prevalent (CDC, 2015; World Health Organization [WHO], 2016). Recently, a few studies have conducted an intervention analysis to evaluate implications for function-based interventions to increase physical activity (Larson, Normand, Morley, & Miller, 2014; Zerger, Normand, Boga, & Patel, 2016). However, intervention analyses, indicate an overall decrease in levels of …

Health Literacy And Family Factors In The Transition To Adult Care In Adolescents With Type I Diabetes, Ellen M. Manegold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Successful management of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in adolescence involves multiple daily tasks, developmental changes, and the expectation of transition to an adult provider. Health literacy is one variable to consider in the context of transition, as studies have demonstrated the correlation of parental health literacy with health behaviors and outcomes, yet not studied adolescent health literacy in T1DM. Family factors (e.g., management responsibility, diabetes-specific family conflict, parental support) also are important to behavior and health outcomes in adolescents with T1DM. Study aims were to: 1) examine the association of adolescent health literacy to transition readiness and health outcome in …

Examining The Impact Of Treatment Fidelity On Client Outcomes In A Statewide Implementation Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Mira D H Snider

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Clinician treatment fidelity, consisting of treatment adherence and clinician competence, is commonly assessed during the implementation of evidence-based treatments to ensure that clinicians are delivering care according to an intended service model. Although resources are often expended in fidelity measurement, associations between fidelity and client outcomes has not been well established in the psychotherapy literature. The relationship between clinician fidelity and treatment outcomes was investigated in a longitudinal sample of clinicians (n = 17) and parent-child dyads (n = 32) following a statewide implementation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Observer-rated measures of adherence and coaching competence collected from early …

Provider-Patient Communication And Transition Readiness Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Corrine N. Ahrabi-Nejad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The majority of adolescents with type 1 diabetes do not maintain a glycemic control within the recommended range. Poor diabetes control can yield both short term and long term acute health complications, making it critical for adolescents to achieve diabetes control. During this same time in development, adolescents are preparing for the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care. Adolescents often transition to adult care based on their age rather than their transition readiness, which may result in a lack of support from their pediatric provider, potentially exacerbating their already poor glycemic control. Transitioning from pediatric care to adult care …

Single Parent Households And The Effect On Student Learning, Asia Watt

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to examine if there is a relationship between single-parent households and the effect on student learning. A total of seven parents and three elementary teachers took a survey. Students’ scores in math and reading from report cards and PARCC scores were also used as data sources. Results revealed that the involvement of single parents at school varies depending on the type of involvement, however, data from the report card review showed all the parents review their child’s report card. Approximately 70 % or more assisted their children in math and English homework. In addition, …

Beyond School Engagement: School Adaptation And Its Role In Bolstering Resilience Among Youth Who Have Been Involved With Child Welfare Services, Skyler S. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Youth involved with the child welfare system are at significant risk of poor school functioning and mental health. Little research has explored how the connection to school impacts known relationships between adversity and youth outcomes. The following project sought to shed light on the role of schools in conferring risk or resilience for youth in contact with the child welfare system, with regard to their mental health. The overall aims of this project were to (1) improve our conceptualization of school adaptation, with particular attention to individual variation along multiple dimensions of school adaptation, (2) examine the relationship of …

Evaluating Feedback During The Step It Up! Game To Increase Physical Activity Exhibited By Elementary School Students During Recess, Carla Burji

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Children who are physically inactive are more likely to suffer numerous health complications such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The Good Behavior Game (GBG) has been identified as an effective method for decreasing inappropriate behaviors and increasing appropriate behaviors in a variety of settings; however, few studies have used the GBG to increase physical activity. Furthermore, no previous research has evaluated the effects of feedback while playing the GBG to increase physical activity. Some research suggests certain characteristics of feedback tend to produce consistent changes in behaviors such as providing feedback immediately and privately. The purpose of the current …

The Provision Of Psychological Assessment Feedback To Children: A Survey Of Practitioners, Caitlin P. Dolan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Psychological assessment, long a cornerstone of psychological practice, has been the subject of substantial empirical research and clinical devotion. Far less attention, however, has been given to the process of assessment feedback—the task of communicating psychological test results to clients. Research has demonstrated the therapeutic value of providing clients with feedback, including improved insight and functioning. Providing assessment feedback is also mandated by professional standards. Still, to date, there is minimal published research examining the actual feedback practices of psychologists, or their perspectives on such practices. That which does exist focuses on adult testing clients, not children. It is largely …

Empirical Assessment Of Callous-Unemotional Traits In Preschool: A Comparison Of Confirmatory Factor Analysis And Network Analysis, Pevitr Singh Bansal

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Callous – unemotional (CU) traits are a key factor in understanding the persistence and severity of conduct problems. The factor structure of CU traits has been primarily examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in childhood and adolescent samples, yet little research has examined the structure of CU traits in preschool. Further, current CFA models have yielded poor – to – marginally acceptable fit, suggesting the need for a more nuanced approach in understanding the structure of CU traits in early childhood using an interitem approach (i.e., network analysis). Within a sample of 109 preschool children (M age = 4.77, …

Transfer Learning Approach To Multiclass Classification Of Child Facial Expressions, Megan A. Witherow, Manar D. Samad, Khan M. Iftekharuddin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The classification of facial expression has been extensively studied using adult facial images which are not appropriate ground truths for classifying facial expressions in children. The state-of-the-art deep learning approaches have been successful in the classification of facial expressions in adults. A deep learning model may be better able to learn the subtle but important features underlying child facial expressions and improve upon the performance of traditional machine learning and feature extraction methods. However, unlike adult data, only a limited number of ground truth images exist for training and validating models for child facial expression classification and there is a …

Living With Autism: The Experience Of Developmentally Healthy Adolescents And Youths Who Have A Sibling Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica Michel

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Researchers have proposed that typically developing siblings of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or target siblings, are at increased risk of experiencing psychological distress particularly when compared to other clinical and community sibling groups. To date, evidence drawn from quantitative studies, utilising the target siblings’ mothers as the primary informants has been mixed. These studies have primarily focused on risk factors, while the role of protective factors in the experiences of target siblings remains unexplored in quantitative investigations. However, qualitative studies utilising target siblings as informants have emerged providing insights regarding the processes of coping and adaptation that …

Executive Functions As Moderators Of Response To Behavioral Interventions For Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Stephen J. Molitor

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience significant academic impairment and multiple interventions have been developed to address common academic problems, such as difficulties with homework, organization, and planning skills. Given cost and resource constraints, research is needed on factors that mental health providers can use to select the most appropriate interventions. To date, there has been minimal research evaluating moderators of response to ADHD interventions. Further, many of the variables that have been studied do not have strong theoretical ties to the mechanisms of change invoked by the interventions. This study examined potential moderators of treatment response to two academic …

Do Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms Improve With School-Based Adhd Interventions? Outcomes And Predictors Of Change., Zoe Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is a construct that includes symptoms of slowness, mental confusion, excessive daydreaming, low motivation, and drowsiness/sleepiness. SCT is often co-morbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and SCT symptoms are associated with significant academic and interpersonal impairment above and beyond the influence of ADHD symptoms. Despite the overlap between ADHD and SCT and associated impairments, no studies have evaluated how evidence-based psychosocial interventions for adolescents with ADHD impact symptoms of SCT. This study examined whether SCT symptoms improved in a sample of 274 young adolescents with ADHD who received either an organizational skills or a homework completion intervention. …

Examining Sleep And Family Functioning In Pediatric Craniopharyngioma Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Nour Al Ghriwati

Theses and Dissertations

Craniopharyngiomas are among the most common brain tumors in children and are associated with greater rates of sleep problems compared to other pediatric cancers. However, research examining sleep among youth with craniopharyngioma has been limited by a reliance on retrospective reports or sleep studies. Families also play a crucial role in children’s adjustment following a pediatric cancer diagnosis, yet remarkably little is known about transactional associations between family functioning and sleep in pediatric cancer. This study examined cross-sectional and daily associations among family functioning, affect, and sleep difficulties for youth with pediatric craniopharyngioma using retrospective reports and ecological momentary assessment …

A Survey Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Identification Using Psychophysiological Data, S. De Silva, S. Dayarathna, G. Ariyarathne, D. Meedeniya, Sampath Jayarathna

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurological disorders among children, that affects different areas in the brain that allows executing certain functionalities. This may lead to a variety of impairments such as difficulties in paying attention or focusing, controlling impulsive behaviours and overreacting. The continuous symptoms may have a severe impact in the long-term. This paper explores the ADHD identification studies using eye movement data and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). This study discusses different machine learning techniques, existing models and analyses the existing literature. We have identified the current challenges and possible future directions …

Parental Bonding: Validity, Stability And Predictor Of Mental And Physical Health During Pregnancy, Delicia Dorothy Pereira

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Parental bonding during childhood is known to have a significant impact on an individual’s life-long health. The influence of early parent-child relationships may be particularly strong in mothers who are pregnant with their first child. In this study, these emotional bonds were explored using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), a retrospective and quantitative measure of parental bonding. The PBI has not been validated in a pregnant population, nor has its consistency been examined across the birth of a child. Therefore, this study: i) validates the factor structure of the PBI for the first time in an Australian population of …

The Role Of Culture In Theory Of Mind, Leslie Linares Pava

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Theory of Mind (ToM) is defined as the ability to understand our own and otherpeople’s mental representations, characterised by individual perspectives and motives,with potential for directing human behaviour (Kuntoro, Saraswati, Peterson & Slaughter,2013). Over the past 30 years this concept has captured the attention of cognitive anddevelopmental psychologists and it has been established that typically developed childrenfrom individualistic, mainly from Anglo (English-speaking) countries are most likely toacquire this ability at the age of four.

In the past decade, a growing interest in differences between children fromindividualistic and collestivistic cultural orientations led researchers to question the extentto which ToM is influenced …