Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Addressing The Needs Of Children Of Offenders:The 4-H Life Model, Lynna J. Lawson, Robert C. Wilkerson, Tammy Gillespie, Elizabeth G. Dunn

Journal of Youth Development

4-H LIFE represents a promising approach to addressing the needs of children of offenders and their caregivers. The 4-H Living Interactive Family Education (LIFE) Program was established in 1999 at the Potosi Correctional Center, a maximum security prison. 4-H LIFE is an enhanced or therapeutic visitation program with three key components: 1. parent engagement 2. parent education 3. 4-H activities for children of offenders, led by the incarcerated parents. Since inception, 141 youths between the ages of 5 and 18 have participated; 59 incarcerated fathers and 106 caregivers have also been engaged at PCC. Program evaluations suggest that parent-child outcomes …

Addressing The Needs Of Children Of Offenders:The 4-H Life Model, Lynna J. Lawson, Robert C. Wilkerson, Tammy Gillespie, Elizabeth G. Dunn

Journal of Youth Development

4-H LIFE represents a promising approach to addressing the needs of children of offenders and their caregivers. The 4-H Living Interactive Family Education (LIFE) Program was established in 1999 at the Potosi Correctional Center, a maximum security prison. 4-H LIFE is an enhanced or therapeutic visitation program with three key components: 1. parent engagement 2. parent education 3. 4-H activities for children of offenders, led by the incarcerated parents. Since inception, 141 youths between the ages of 5 and 18 have participated; 59 incarcerated fathers and 106 caregivers have also been engaged at PCC. Program evaluations suggest that parent-child outcomes …

Frequency Of Heavy Drinking And Perceived Peer Alcohol Involvement: Comparison Of Influence And Selection Mechanisms From A Developmental Perspective, Gilbert R. Parra, Jennifer L. Krull, Kenneth J. Sher, Kristina M. Jackson

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The present study investigated social influence and selection explanations for the association between frequency of heavy drinking and perceived peer alcohol involvement in emerging and early adulthood. Participants were 489 young adults recruited from a university setting who were taking part in an 11-year longitudinal study, which includes 6 waves of data. Piecewise latent growth curve analyses indicated that patterns of change from ages 18 to 30 for both frequency of heavy drinking and perceived peer alcohol involvement are best represented by two distinct developmental periods (i.e., college and post-college years). Several models were compared to identify a framework that …

Social Influence Effects On Romantic Relationships Of College Students, Christine Mary Banach

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Social influence is defined as "the influences that people have upon the beliefs and behavior of others" (Aronson, 2004, p. 5). A theoretical model that highlights the importance of social influence pressures and in particular, variability in response to these pressures is known as social identity theory. Social identity is defined as "that part of an individual's self-concept which derives from knowledge of membership of a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership" (Harris & Cameron, 2005, p. 159). The current study explored the potential importance of social groups, especially peers, on …

Children With Autism: Sleep Problems And Predictors Of Maternal Stress, Cindy Y. Nam

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research examining the impact of children’s autism and the sleep problems frequently associated with the disorder on parents’ stress has been quite limited. Studies have been constrained by methodological problems, including small sample sizes and the examination of children of autism within larger groups of children with a range of developmental disabilities. Typically, diagnostic criteria used to select children for an autism study is not indicated and no measure of the severity of children’s symptomology is included. The present investigation was designed to examine children’s autism symptomology and parents’ reports of their children’s sleep problems as well as the parents …

The Social Construction Of Authorship: An Investigation Of Subjectivity And Rhetorical Authority In The College Writing Classroom, Johannah Rodgers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although we use the term author on a daily basis to refer to certain individuals, bodies of work, and systems of ideas, as Michel Foucault and other critics have pointed out, attempting to answer the question “What is an Author?” is by no means a simple proposition. And, starting from the position that there is no single, or definitive answer to this complex question, this dissertation seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion of the genealogy of authorship by investigating the ways in which conceptions of the author have informed models of the writing subject in the field of rhetoric …

Does Verbal Communication Impairment Affect Quality Of Life In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients?, Jason Michael Duff

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-perceived QOL in ALS patients. Literature will be presented on the incidence, prevalence, prognosis, diagnosis and management of ALS, QOL studies for ALS, the role of the multidisciplinary team, the impairments and dysfunction that ALS patients experience, communication issues, and the development of ALS specific instruments to measure QOL. The "bulbar dysfunction" that ALS patients experience in salivation management, speech, and swallowing were examined in detail. The objectives of this research study were to investigate the following hypotheses: 1. QOL will differ among ALS patients with varying levels of speech, swallowing, …

Early Parenting And Children's Relational And Physical Aggression In The Preschool And Home Contexts, Juan F. Casas, Stephanie M. Weigel, Nikki R. Crick, Jamie M. Ostrov, Kathleen E. Woods, Elizabeth A. Jansen Yeh, Catherine A. Huddleston-Casas

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study investigated early parent- child relationships and how children's use of relational and physical aggression varies with aspects of those relationships during the preschool years. Specifically, parenting styles, parents' use of psychological control, and parents' report of their children's reunion behaviors were assessed. Analyses revealed significant associations between children's use of both relational and physical aggression and parents' reports of their own and their partner's parenting style, psychological control behaviors, and indicators of the attachment relationship. The results highlight the importance of investigating both mothers' and fathers' parenting and the sex of the child in studies of potential links …

A Resource Review: Reflect And Improve: A Tool Kit For Engagin Youth And Adults As Partners In Program Evaluation, Jane L. Powers

Journal of Youth Development

Highlights of a new evaluation resource “Reflect and Improve: A Tool Kit for Engaging Youth and Adults as Partners in Program Evaluation” are shared by the author. The Tool Kit is designed to help youth serving agencies strengthen program planning and evaluation through youth/adult partnerships.

“You Can’T Hustle All Your Life”: An Exploratory Investigation Of The Exit Process Among Street-Level Prostituted Women, Rochelle L. Dalla

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Between 1998 and 1999, 43 street-level prostituted women were interviewed regarding their developmental experiences, including prostitution entry, maintenance, and exit attempts. Three years later, 18 of the original 43 participants were located and interviewed. This exploratory follow-up investigation focused on the women’s life experiences between the two points of contact, with emphasis on sex-industry exit attempts. Five women had maintained their exit efforts and had not returned to prostitution, nine had returned to both prostitution and drug use, and one had returned to prostitution only. Three additional women had violated parole and been reincarcerated. Themes evident among those who were …

Attachment Style And Relationship Predictors Of Adult Children's Responsive Caregiving To Dependent Parents, Brent T. Tucker

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, relationship closeness, and trust in the relationship predict adult children caregivers' (ACC) level of responsiveness to their dependent parents. Eighty-four adult children who provide support for a dependent parent were included in this study. Furthermore, correlations of avoidant attachment style with responsive caregiving and anxiety attachment style with responsive caregiving were investigated. A multiple regression was conducted and it was found that anxious attachment, trust, and relationship closeness stastically predicted responsive caregiving of ACCs caring for dependent parents [R2 = .26, F (3, 80) = 9.47, p < .001]. This linear combination of variables accounted for 26% of the variance in responsive caregiving. A voidant attachment was not found to predict responsive caregiving. There were no significant bivariate correlations found between anxious attachment and responsive caregiving or between avoidant attachment and responsive caregiving.

Parental Influence On Children's Ethnic Identity Among Chinese Americans, Sham'ah Md. Yunus

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of Chinese American parents on their children's ethnic identity. Two research questions were designed to examine these relationships: Does the personal construct of Chinese American parents influence their children's ethnic identity and does the length of stay in the United States of Chinese American parents influence children's ethnic identity? Parental influence was identified as parents' ethnic behaviors, parents' ethnic values, parents' personal construct, and their length of stay in the United States. The 93 families who participated in this study were purposely selected from three Chinese language schools from a Midwestern city of the United …

Corporal Punishment And Its Relation To Race, Psychological Well-Being, And Parental Relationship, Michelle P. Kravitz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has documented the numerous negative effects associated with corporal punishment (Gershoff, 2002). The present study examined whether experiencing corporal punishment as a child is related to one's perception of the legitimacy of corporal punishment, race, the nature of the parent-child relationship (i.e., biological parent versus step-parent), and psychological well-being. Compared to college students who did not experience corporal punishment during childhood, college students who experienced higher levels of corporal punishment are expected to report that corporal punishment is a more acceptable form of discipline. College students who grew up with a stepfather were expected to be more likely …

Effectiveness Of Male Special Education Placements In A Residential Program, Joanne Virginia Collins

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the academic and behavioral progress of male special education students in a residential program and determine whether decisions to place them in the program were justified. A comparison of students' archival data that consisted of pre and post assessments for academic adjustment and behavioral adjustment was the method chosen to accomplish this purpose. Eighty students between the ages of 8 years and 1 7 years were selected from an Indiana residential facility for males. They were classified as either residential or day treatment students. Their archival data was collected from assessments that …

Individual And Social Influences On Ethnic Identity Among Latino Young Adults, Lenna L. Ontai-Grzebik, Marcela Raffaelli

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Building on prior Latino ethnic identity research, this study had three goals: describe age-related trends in ethnic identity among young adults, examine relations among ethnic identity and individual factors, and explore the impact of family and peer socialization on ethnic identity. The participants (two hundred 19-to 30-year-olds; mean age = 22.5) completed self-report surveys sent to Latino undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in four midwestern institutions of higher education. The findings suggest individual factors are strong predictors of ethnic identity during early adulthood; respondents who were younger, high on Latino orientation, spent more time in the United States, and whose …

“I Fell Off [The Mothering] Track”: Barriers To ‘Effective Mothering’ Among Street-Level Prostituted Women, Rochelle L. Dalla Dr.

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Ecological theory and basic assumptions for the promotion of effective mothering among low-income and working-poor women are applied in relation to a particularly vulnerable population: street-level prostitution-involved women. Qualitative data from 38 street-level prostituted women shows barriers to effective mothering at the individual, community and societal levels. Suggestions for enhancing the lives and long-term well-being of prostituted women with children are included.

The Relationship Between Juvenile Delinquency And Family Unit Structure, Angela D. Mullens

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental absence and juvenile delinquency and to determine if a link exists between the two variables. Data was collected from male juveniles who were alleged to have committed status or delinquent offenses between 1996 and 2004. Each offense was categorized according to the family unit (e.g., intact, father only, mother only, etc.), offense type (e.g., underage consumption, petit larceny, breaking and entering, etc.), offense level (e.g., status misdemeanor, and felony), the victim (e.g., crimes against the person, crimes against property, etc.) and the juvenile’s age at the time the …

A Comparison Of Kinetic Family Drawings Of Firstborn And Second-Born Siblings, Lynn Anderson

Dissertations

Problem. While the Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD) is a popular assessment tool for clinicians, research on developmental issues and how siblings draw their families is lacking. The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the way siblings perceive themselves and their family interpersonal relationships as expressed in the KFD; and (b) to describe possible developmental age differences in the KFD.

Method. The KFD and a Family Dynamics Interview Schedule were administered to 50 pairs of first- and second-born children from Southwestern Michigan, ages 5-14. The data were analyzed quantitatively by the Wilcoxon Sign Test and Chi-Square, using …

An Observational Study Of Delivered And Received Aggression, Gender, And Social-Psychological Adjustment In Preschool: Abstract "This White Crayon Doesn't Work ... ", Jamie M. Ostrov, Kathleen E. Woods, Elizabeth A. Jansen Yeh, Juan F. Casas, Nikki R. Crick

Psychology Faculty Publications

A semi-structured observational study investigated gender differences in delivered and received relational, physical, verbal, and nonverbal aggression in a young preschool sample (N = 60). Findings revealed that gender differences in subtypes of aggression may be apparent as early as 3 years of age. Specifically, girls were found to deliver and receive more relational aggression than males, whereas boys tended, although not significantly, to deliver and significantly received more physical aggression than females. Relational and physical subtypes of delivered and received aggression were differentially associated with preschoolers' social-psychological adjustment.

"You Just Give Them What They Want And Pray They Don’T Kill You”: Street-Level Sex Workers’ Reports Of Victimization, Personal Resources And Coping Strategies, Rochelle L. Dalla Dr., Yan Xia, Heather Kennedy

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Using both qualitative (in-depth, personal interviews) and quantitative (self-report survey indices) techniques, data were collected from 43 women involved in streetwalking prostitution. The purpose of the investigation was to examine exposure to violence and victimization among a particularly vulnerable female population across the life span. A secondary goal was to apply stress theory as an organizing frameworkfor examining personal resources (e.g., social support, locus of control) and coping behavior. Results from both data collection strategies are presented, and implications for intervention are described.

Work And Family Variables As Related To Paternal Engagement, Responsibility, And Accessibility In Dual-Earner Couples With Young Children, Suzanne M. Nangle, Michelle L. Kelley, William Fals-Stewart, Ronald F. Levant

Psychology Faculty Publications

Fathers and mothers (N = 75 dual-earner couples) of preschool-aged children completed questionnaires that examined work and family variables as related to paternal involvement in three areas: engagement (i.e., directly interacting with the child), responsibility (i.e., scheduling activities and being accountable for the child's well-being), and accessibility (i.e., being available to the child but not in direct interaction). Fathers' reports of responsibility and accessibility were significantly predicted by structural variables and beliefs; however, fathers' reports of engagement were not predicted by work and family variables. Mothers' reports of work and family variables did not predict their reports of father involvement. …

The Effect Of Background Information On The Identity Formation And Self-Concept Of Adoptees, Molly Susan Dye

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adoptees are over represented in clinical populations. Issues of self-concept, identity formation and the search for background history may be of particular relevance to adoptee clients and could be addressed as a focus of treatment. This study attempted to assess if lack of knowledge about background information is related to poorer selfconcepts and increased difficulty with identity formation in adoptees. Adults (N=299) who were adopted prior to 6 months of age were recruited from adoption related sites on the Internet. Measures of self-concept, identity formation and adoption related factors were completed on a web page designed for this study. Results …

Traditional And Nontraditional Foster Parenting, Angela M. Baranzelli-Yoder

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Foster parents in nontraditional foster care programs receive more extensive, ongoing training and support than foster parents in traditional foster care programs. This study examined whether differences exist in the levels of perceived parenting stress, satisfaction, and efficacy among traditional and nontraditional foster parents. Twenty-four foster parents completed the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and the Parenting Sense of Competence scale (PSOC). Nontraditional foster parents reported higher levels of overall parenting stress and lower levels of foster parent role satisfaction than did traditional foster parents. However, response profiles indicated that nontraditional foster parents had children with more emotional and behavioral problems …

Parents' Homophobia And Childrearing Gender Role Beliefs: Correlates In A Local Populations, Angela Ackerman Brogle

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Harmful To Whom? Panelists Consider The Conservative Backlash Against Judith Levine's New Book, Patrick Mccreery

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

Judith Levine jokingly says that at least she's in good company: Margaret Sanger, Alfred Kinsey, and Jocelyn Elders all were vilified for allegedly promoting sex between adults and children (though of course none of them did any such thing). Levine, a journalist and founder of the National Writers Union, has been vilified and worse because of her new book, Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex (University of Minnesota Press). In it, she argues that sex is not inherently harmful to teenagers, but can be healthy and empowering. Furthermore, she claims that society's responses to fears of …

Toward A More Comprehensive Understanding Of Peer Maltreatment: Studies Of Relational Victimization, Nikki R. Crick, Juan F. Casas, David A. Nelson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although many past studies of peer maltreatment have focused on physical victimization, the importance of an empirical focus on relational victimization has only recently been recognized. In relational victimization, the perpetrator attempts to harm the target through the manipulation of relationships, threat of damage to them, or both. We review what is currently known about relational victimization with three issues in mind: (a) developmental changes in the manifestation of relational victimization, (b) gender differences in the likelihood of being victimized, and (c) evidence that relational victimization is harmful.

Night Moves: A Qualitative Investigation Of Street-Level Sex Work, Rochelle L. Dalla

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The subculture of street-level sex work including the social environment, drug use and abuse, and violence was examined. Personal interviews were conducted with 43 women involved in streetwalking prostitution. Data were analyzed using Phenomenological Descriptive Analysis (Colaizzi, 1978). Several participants reported developing emotional relationships and having children with clients, former clients, or pimps; some participants were married to men who pimped them. Supportive relationships with other streetwalkers were largely nonexistent; streetwalking constitutes a solitary business for most. The majority reported drug addiction, although less than half entered prostitution to support an already established drug habit. Financial need propelled many into …

So Young And So Untender: Remorseless Children And The Expectations Of The Law, Martha Grace Duncan

Faculty Articles

A nine-year-old speaks with apparent callousness as he walks by the body of the girl he has killed. A fourteen-year-old jokes about "body parts in her pocket" after bashing in her mother's head with a candlestick holder. And a fifteen-year-old laughingly names his accomplice ''Homicide" after participating in a robbery that culminated in the victim's death. Seemingly remorseless acts such as these can have a crucial impact on the way a child or adolescent fares in the juvenile justice or criminal system. Yet, when one looks closely at what the courts interpret as indicators of remorselessness -- ­taking into account …

Families And Learning In Classified And Non-Classified First Graders, Howard Baigas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Correlates Of Deviant Behaviour : An Etiological Study, Siok Gim Chan

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study aims to ascertain whether social and personal resources are related to deviant behaviour of adolescents. The social resources investigated are those available to them in their home, peer-group and school, and are measured in terms of parental support, peer-group support and school experiences. The personal resources studied are concepts of self, coping behaviour and moral development. Comparing delinquent subjects to controls will ascertain the resources that helped adolescents abstain from deviant behaviour. Survey method is used for data collection. The questionnaire is administrated to 63 male delinquent subjects in an approved school. The questionnaire is posted to 16 …