Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Naming The Pain: A Model And Method For Therapeutically Assessing The Psychological Impact Of Racism, Connesia Handford

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study is an exploratory applied research project piloting a therapeutic assessment model and method for addressing racial trauma. Therapeutic Assessment for the Psychological Impact of Racial Encounters (TAPIRE) hopes to illuminate the impact of racial trauma, process racial identity and experience, and explore effective intervention techniques to address a client’s particular relationship with racial identity and distress. Four measures, in addition to a clinical interview, were used to assess different aspects of one’s identity structure, racist experiences, and self-treatment. The four-session process concluded with each participant receiving an assessment report that included information gathered as well as an individualized …

Navigating "Technoference" In The Family System, Kathlynn Sergent

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This integrative literature review explores the increase of technology use in families, with a focus on how technology is disrupting in-person social interactions within the family system. Many studies have been conducted on how technology impacts a couple’s romantic relationship, and only a few have examined the relationship between the parent and child. This review is one of the first to examine how technology may affect the entire family unit from before children to raising adolescents. Each section of the family unit is examined, beginning with before children, followed by the early bonding and attachment associated with infant/childhood, and then …

Youtube Is Unsafe For Children: Youtube's Safeguards And The Current Legal Framework Are Inadequate To Protect Children From Disturbing Content, Heather Wilson

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

For America’s children, the amount of screen time they consume has not changed much over the years. Children under eight have steadily spent about two hours a day in front of a screen, with those under age two averaging 42 minutes a day. Children from low-income families spend roughly an hour and forty minutes longer in front of a screen. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, screen time should be limited to two hours a day for children ages two to five; whereas, for those youngest children—under two years—they recommend zero screen time.

While the average amount of screen …

Understanding Early Childhood Engineering Interest Development As A Family-Level Systems Phenomenon: Findings From The Head Start On Engineering Project, Scott Pattison, Gina Svarovsky, Smirla Ramos-MontañEz, Ivel Gontan, Shannon Weiss, VeróNika NúÑEz, Pam Corrie, Cynthia Smith, Marcie Benne

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

There is growing recognition that interest is critical for engaging and supporting learners from diverse communities in engineering and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics. Although interest research has historically focused on older children, studies demonstrate that preschool-age and younger children also develop persistent, individualized interests in different objects, activities, and topics and that these early interests have important implications for ongoing learning and development. Unfortunately, there is relatively little research on engineering learning in early childhood and almost no work specific to the concept of interest. To begin to address this need, we conducted in-depth case study …

Examining Relationships Between Early Childcare Teachers' Adult Attachment Orientations And Quality Of Interaction In The Infant Classroom, Alexandra Morris Benoit

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past several decades, women have entered the workforce in increasing numbers. This has led to the majority of infants and young children being cared for outside of the home by extra-familial caregivers. Research has shown the benefits that quality childcare can have on the developmental trajectories of children, as well as the detrimental effects that can be seen when children experience low quality care. Further, children are particularly vulnerable in the first year of life when they are establishing attachment bonds with their primary caregivers. With the long hours that many spend in the care of childcare workers, …

Maternal Stress And Child Internalizing Symptoms: Parent-Child Co-Regulation As A Proposed Mediator, Tatum Harvey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The effects of maternal stress on child behavior, especially externalizing problems such as aggression, defiance, and lack of self-control, are well-established within psychological literature. Few studies, however, have examined the effects of maternal stress on child internalizing problems, such as loneliness, withdrawal, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moreover, there is much research within developmental psychology to support the notion that parent-child co-regulation, sometimes called dyadic synchrony, can predict child behavioral outcomes. Currently, researchers lack an understanding of how this process can interact with maternal stress to predict child internalizing symptoms. The following thesis details a multi-method assessment which is …

Mode Of Delivery And Infant Cognitive Development, Madison Olson, Laura M. Glynn

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The rate of nonindicated cesarean births is increasing each year within the United States. Although cesarean delivery can function as a life- saving intervention, emerging evidence suggests that it may also be associated with deleterious developmental consequences for the child. Here we test the hypothesis that mode of delivery is associated with cognitive development during infancy. 229 pregnant women were recruited and their infants’ cognitive development was assessed at 6, 12 and 24 months with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Medical charts were reviewed by obstetric nurses to determine prenatal medical risk and birth outcomes, including mode of delivery. …

Comparing Behavioral And Parent-Report Measures Of Executive Functioning In Deaf And Typically Hearing Children, Abeer Mohamed

Honors Scholar Theses

Executive functioning (EF) is a multidimensional aspect of development that encompasses various mental skills. Children’s utilization of inhibition, in particular, has proven to be one of the most important determinants of academic success. How deafness in children impacts their EF abilities is a question that remains divisive within deaf studies. Some suggest that auditory deprivation is a direct cause of poor EF, while others posit reduced or insufficient language experience that deaf children live with harms their EF development. We sought to explore this question further with a participant sample from our larger SLaM (Study of Language and Math) project. …

Amygdala And Neocortical Structural Volume Analysis In The Shank3b Mutant Mouse Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Preet Sawhney

Honors Scholar Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by abnormal social behavior, deficits in communication, and motor stereotypy. The SHANK3 gene, responsible for the generation of a scaffolding protein that is integral for the development of synapses, has been identified as one of the primary candidate genes implicated in the disorder. Shank3B is the rodent homolog for this gene. Research has shown that when this gene is disrupted in rodent models (e.g., via knock-out (KO)), ASD-like behaviors result. These include deficits in social interaction, increased anxiety, and repetitive self-grooming. The current study aimed to identify a physiological …

A Needs Assessment For The Utilization Of Child Life Specialist Bereavement Support Services In An Emergency Veterinary Hospital Setting, Jared R. Negin-Fryers

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Studies indicate that there is an affective attachment bond, and related emotional involvement that exists between the companion animal and their human owners. Patient companion-animal death within the veterinary hospital, is a daily occurrence, with death rates per patient being significantly higher than in human health care. This comparatively higher death rate is due to the commonplace utilization of professionally sanctioned euthanasia to relieve animal pain and suffering. Companion animal death, may elicit grief reactions that are identical to what is experienced upon the death of a family member. A void currently exists in family centered veterinary care in terms …

Examining The Relationships Between College And High School Relational And Physical Victimization And Its Effects On Self-Esteem, Tylore Gross, Juan F. Casas

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationship between high school and college peer relational and physical victimization and its effects on self-esteem, as well parallel associations between relational victimization in romantic relationships and its effects on self-esteem. Participants were recruited at a Midwest University to participate in an online study through the Psychology Department wherein they completed a series of questionnaires. A total of 317 college students participated in this study, including 245 females (77%) and 72 males (23%). Participants received extra credit in their psychology class for participating. Self-reports of self-esteem were measured using the …

Exploring Connections Between Social Anxiety And Social Media Use In College Students, Alexandra Deman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

When young adults enter college their identity and self-esteem are tested in a novel environment. Interacting, forming new relationships, having some sense of independence for the first time, and often living in a new area can take a toll on someone who has not sufficiently developed a stable identity. This, in-turn, may create a negative outlook on one’s self and the individual’s capabilities to participate in social interaction, or ultimately a desire to avoid them altogether. If such a negative view further intensifies and remains present, it may develop into social anxiety disorder. Social media can either alleviate or escalate …

Peer Acceptance In The Lunchroom And Children’S Internalizing Symptoms, Jake Steggerda

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence to suggest that the context of the school lunchrooms provides children with rich opportunities for enhancing or hampering the quality of their relationships (Craig, Gregus, Elledge, Pastrana, & Cavell, 2016; Steggerda et al., in preparation). Although past research has linked children’s peer acceptance to their level of internalizing symptoms, few studies have examined peer acceptance within the lunchroom context. This study extends that work by examining associations between lunchroom peer acceptance (assessed via self- and peer-reports) and children’s internalizing symptoms. Participants were 676 fourth-grade students (50.7% female; 42.7% Hispanic/Latino, 30.3% White, 10% Pacific Islander, and 17% other) …

The Value Of Supportive Touch And Maternal Attention In Measures Of Maternal Sensitivity, Jamila Douglas

Honors Scholar Theses

This project aimed to examine the mother-child dyad during the second year (toddlerhood) in regards to sensitive parenting, with valuable insight into the naturalistic setting of the home (as opposed to a laboratory). With a subset of participants from the National Institute of Health sponsored study, The Play and Learning Across a Year Project (The PLAY Project), I evaluated mother-child dyads and the contact between them, in regards to supportive vs. restrictive touch; as well as attention paid to the child by the mother. Hour-long videos taken in the home environment were analyzed with Datavyu coding software to catch instances …

Approach And Avoidance Coping Humor Motives And Their Relation To Trauma Exposure And Physical Health, Andrea D. Dorbu

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated approach-avoidance motives for humor use and their association with physical health symptoms linked to childhood trauma exposure and adult relationship trauma exposure among military-affiliated people and civilians (N=100). Results indicated that approach-avoidance motives for humor use were not associated with study variables. However, adult relationship trauma exposure had a significant positive association with physical health symptoms among both groups. In addition, childhood trauma exposure was significantly positively associated with adult relationship trauma exposure.

Math Anxiety In Deaf, Hard Of Hearing, And Hearing Students: Antecedents And Outcomes, Akriti Mishra

Honors Scholar Theses

Math anxiety, or the feeling of apprehension in the face of math, impedes success in the subject. A global problem affecting all age groups, math anxiety can cause short-term distress and long-term avoidance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. Math anxiety may be an underlying reason that deaf and hard of hearing individuals are significantly underrepresented in the STEM workforce. This study aims to understand the development and consequences of math anxiety in deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing university students via an online questionnaire. One hundred thirty-six deaf and hard of hearing students and 162 hearing students …

Does Aging Identity Moderate The Impact Of Experiences With Familial Ageism On Well-Being?, Emily E. Kinkade

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to begin investigating the effects of ageism in the family context. The current literature has documented the negative impacts that negative stereotypes and negative perceptions of aging has on older adults’ health, mortality, and well-being (Levy, 1996; Levy, 2003). However, the majority of extant research on ageism focuses on age discrimination in the workplace and in healthcare despite the majority of peoples’ time being spent in the family context. Therefore examining experiences of ageism sourced from family members merits study. Walker, Bisconti and Kinkade (in preparation) found evidence that the experience of ageism within …

Accelerating Leadership And Professional Development For Adults: Developing A New Measure For Assessing Kegan’S Constructive Developmental Orders, Tom Pierce Coker

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much has been learned and theorized about adult development and its importance in leadership effectiveness and professional development interventions thanks to the framework proposed by Kegan’s Constructive Developmental Theory (CDT). However, research and practice in this area has been hindered by the difficulty of utilizing the current method for assessing constructive developmental Level, the Subject-Object Interview. The present study addresses this problem through the development and preliminary validation of a new self-report instrument that measures the Levels of development described in Kegan’s CDT. This new measure, the Constructive Developmental Self-Report (CDSR), was constructed through theoretical-based item generation that utilized both …

The Convergence Between Cultural Psychology And Developmental Science: Acculturation As An Exemplar, Seth J. Schwartz, Ágnes Szabó, Alan Meca, Colleen Ward, Charles R. Martinez Jr., Cory L. Cobb, Verónica Benet-Martínez, Jennifer B. Unger, Nadina Pantea

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present article proposes an integration between cultural psychology and developmental science. Such an integration would draw on the cultural-psychology principle of culture–psyche interactions, as well as on the developmental-science principle of person↔context relations. Our proposed integration centers on acculturation, which is inherently both cultural and developmental. Specifically, we propose that acculturation is governed by specific transactions between the individual and the cultural context, and that different types of international migrants (e.g., legal immigrants, undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, crisis migrants) encounter quite different culture–psyche interactions and person↔context relations. We outline the ways in which various acculturation-related phenomena, such as …

Relational Uncertainty In Romantic Relationships: The Influence Of Attachment And Relational Maintenance Behaviors, Jay Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of attachment and relational maintenance behaviors on relational uncertainty. Ninety individuals currently involved in romantic relationships completed measures assessing their attachment (i.e., secure, preoccupied, dismissive, fearful), relational uncertainties (i.e., self, partner, relationship), and relational maintenance behaviors (i.e., shared tasks, shared networks, positivity, openness, assurances). Findings demonstrated that both secure attachment and fearful attachment were not significantly associated with self, partner, or relationship uncertainty. In addition, dismissive attachment was negatively associated with partner uncertainty and positively associated with relationship uncertainty. Preoccupied attachment was positively associated with both partner and relationship uncertainty. Furthermore, secure attachment was positively …

143— Mothers' And Children's Perceptions And Observed Aggression And Rough-And-Tumble Play In 7-Year-Olds' Sibling Relationships, Niki Lam, Elijah Lorah, Isabella Echeverria, Kiara Maher, Adriana Murtha

GREAT Day Posters

The purpose of this study was to compare mothers’ and children’s perceptions of sibling relationships with observed aggression and rough-and-tumble play (RTP). 64 White, middle-class 7-year-olds were videotaped performing three separate tasks with their siblings. Coded videotapes of the three tasks and questionnaires were used to collect data about perceived and observed aggression and RTP. Results suggest that the accuracy of mothers’ and children’s perceptions vary.

039— Gender, Partner, And Task In 7-Year-Olds’ Assertive And Affiliative Language With Siblings And Friends, Molly O'Brien, Mikaela Freeman, Shreya Mishra, Emily Salvemini, Aria Elling, Ganie B. Dehart

GREAT Day Posters

As part of a longitudinal study following sibling and friend interactions from early childhood through adolescence, we focused on the use of assertive and affiliative language by 7-year-olds during play with siblings and friends. Children were taped during free-play, board game, and construction tasks with a sibling and a same-age friend. Contrary to results of past research, task and interaction partner mattered more than gender in girls’ and boys’ use of assertive and affiliative language.

172— The Impact Of Extracurricular Leadership Activities On Adolescent Life Satisfaction, Brittany Bearss, Nicholas P. Palumbo

GREAT Day Posters

Little research has explored the role of different leadership activities on the psychological wellbeing of adolescence. However, previous research has shown that leadership development along with the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence; and experiencing feelings of vitality lead to optimal functioning and development and positive life satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2000; 2001). The current study uses Self Determination Theory (SDT) and Authentic Leadership Theory (ALT) as guiding frameworks to examine the relationship between leadership activities and adolescent life satisfaction. The study aimed to explore how the three basic psychological needs, feelings of vitality, and …

Developing Intercultural Communication And Understanding With Adolescents Through Virtual Exchange, Sarah E. Wilkinson

Public Administration ETDs

Globalization, advances in communication technology, and growing international contact have resulted in increased interconnection of populations from different social, ethnic, and cultural groups. Intercultural competency skills such as intercultural understanding and communication are now necessary requirements to function in culturally diverse communities, workplaces, and society. Adolescence has been identified as an opportune developmental stage for interventions aimed at improving intergroup attitudes. This study conducted pre- and post-program surveys with 313 U.S. students ages 10 to 17 to examine if participation in an intercultural global virtual exchange impacted attitudes of intercultural awareness, intercultural sensitivity, and perspective-taking. Paired samples t-tests were conducted …

Parental Nurturance In Childhood And Adolescence Correlated To Anxiety In College Students, Julianne R. Urban

Senior Honors Theses

Parental nurturance is important for individuals in childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. In general, high levels of parental nurturance helps individuals to be well-adjusted. However, anxiety disorders are prevalent among emerging adults, so the present study investigated a potential correlation between parental nurturance and college student anxiety. Participants consisted of undergraduate students who were at least 18 years old and enrolled in at least one psychology course. They were asked to complete the Parental Nurturance Scale and Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale. The results indicated a significant negative correlation between the two variables. Specifically, increases in parental nurturance were …

The Effect Of Parental Interaction On Emotional Learning With Interactive Devices In Children Ages Three To Five, Kathleen Rosneck

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

As the popularity of child-friendly tablet-based apps and games has grown, the need to evaluate the effects of tablet play has also developed. The current study used an app designed for children ages two to five years called “Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings” to examine whether prosocial interactive media can be beneficial for emotional development. The present study was modeled after a study by Rasmussen et al. (2018), wherein children ages three and four years spent two weeks with an experimenter- adapted version of the same app. This experimenter adaptation consisted of limiting children’s access to a subset of the available …

Temperament And Aggression: Examining The Link Between A Shy And Inhibited Temperament And Reactive And Proactive Aggression, Samantha L. Croney

Theses and Dissertations

Temperament dimensions of shyness and inhibitory control relate to how a child presents themselves socially in uncertain situations. Although prior research has found evidence linking temperament and aggression, little attention has been given to temperament dimensions of shyness and inhibitory control and the subtypes of aggressive behaviors. This distinction could be crucial as some children may be more likely to use aggression to interact with others due to their shy nature or may act react aggressively in situations that are unfamiliar. The goal of this study was to understand how the temperament dimensions of shyness and inhibitory control and gender …

The Changing Perspective On Adolescence, Luke I. Leppanen

Conspectus Borealis

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Study Of Naming, Kassidi Krzykwa

Honors Theses

Bidirectional naming is the ability to acquire a listener response or tact for a stimulus and then emit the other operant without further training. Incidental naming refers to the ability to emit the listener response and tact for the item without direct reinforcement after just being exposed to the name of the item. The development of naming could allow a child to learn more readily from the natural environment. However, it is unclear if bidirectional naming and incidental naming are two separate skills, or if one is potentially a prerequisite for the other. For this project, procedures outlined by Greer …

Stimulus Fading On Teaching Receptive Identification, Dennis Pomorski

Honors Theses

Many of the skills needed to live happily and independently are not in the repertoires of children diagnosed with autism, and they do not learn these skills through exposure to others (MacDuff, 2001). One of the skills children diagnosed with ASD struggle to develop is receptive identification. There is often a risk of prompt dependence or failure to transfer stimulus control to the desired stimuli when using LTM prompting methods. Children with autism spectrum disorder may require a different approach in developing a receptive language repertoire. The purpose of this study was to teach a child diagnosed with ASD receptive …