Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Advocacy Opportunities From Academic- Community Partnerships: Three Examples From Trans Collaborations, Debra A. Hope, Nathan Woodruff, Richard Mocarski

Trans Collaborations Academic Papers

For a number of years, much of what we know about marginalized communities from psychological research, even most social science work, came from the perspective of “research on” a particular marginalized group, with the majority group as the “healthy” reference sample (Awad et al., 2016). In part, this occurred because very few researchers are themselves members of these communities. In addition, researchers would come into a community, collect their data, and leave, with little ongoing benefit to the community itself. Over time, this exploitation led to communities becoming more suspicious of researchers (e.g., Christopher et al., 2008). Recognizing the problem, …

Facial Affect As A Component Of Emotion Regulation During Inhibitory Control In Fxs, Abigail Digby, Erin Hunt

Senior Theses

The present study investigated emotion regulation through facial affect during inhibitory control in FXS. Male participants (N=32) were asked to complete a task that induced frustration. An M&M was placed in front of the subject, and they were instructed not to eat the M&M until the trial has ended, marked by the ringing of a bell. The subject’s facial affect was observed and recorded throughout the 6 trials to investigate the differences between the emotion regulation of TD and FXS children. It was hypothesized that the TD group would be less expressive, and more negative than the TD children. It …

Do Infants Avoid A Traversable Slope Leading Into Deep Water?, Carolina Burnay, Chris Button, Rita Cordovil, David Anderson, James Croft

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Ramps used to access swimming pools are designed with a shallow slope that affords easy access for all including infants. Locomotor experience has been linked to infants’ avoidance of falling into the water from drop-offs; however, the effect of such experience on infants’ behavior when a slope is offered to access the water has not been addressed. Forty-three crawling infants (M_age = 10.63 ± 1.91 months; M_crawling = 2.38 ± 1.77 months) and 34 walking infants (M_age = 14.90 ± 2.18 months; M_walking = 2.59 ± 1.56 months) were tested on a new Water …

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

Undergraduate Research Symposium

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

The Relationship Between Infant-Family Routines, Number Of Caregivers And Infant Basal Cortisol, Vanessa Newell, Hannah B. White

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Background: Family routines have been found to be related to child adjustment, marital satisfaction, and parenting competence (Fiese, 2002). Persistent stress, and the resulting frequent activation of the body’s stress responses, can result in excessive wear-and-tear on the body and brain known as allostatic load (McEwen, 2000). In infants, basal cortisol levels act as an instrument to measure allostatic load (White, 2020). To our knowledge, no existing work on the impact of routines on infant development has examined the role of family structure. In traditional and minority cultures it is common for caregiving responsibilities to be divided among multiple individuals. …

Paternal Parenting Stress During Middle Childhood: The Impact Of Covid-19, Vanessa Newell, Kathryn E. Cherry, Emily D. Gerstein

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Background: Parenting stress is the unpleasant psychological reaction to the demands of parenthood, including perceptions of competence at and knowledge of the day-to-day and long-term tasks of parenting (Deater-Deckard 2006). While most research has examined mothers, father parenting stress is also critical to children’s development, predicting increased problem behaviors (Cabrera & Mitchell 2009) and poorer cognitive skills (Harwood, 2017). The COVID-19 pandemic may increase parental stress in multiple ways, as parents are at home more with their children while fulfilling occupational and personal responsibilities. Parents have reported increased stress due to job loss, school closures, and other stressors (van Tilburg …

Maternal Depression And Infant’S Bias Towards Faces, Annie Ray, Hannah B. White

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between maternal depression and infant bias toward faces. Three-month-old infants were shown faces and objects and their looking times were recorded. The results showed that there was a significant correlation between maternal depression and infant face preference. Specifically, infants who had mothers with higher depression symptomology showed longer looking times to the faces versus the objects. This finding suggests that maternal depression may shape the development of social information processing skills very early in life.

Racial And Gender Discrimination Predict Mental Health Outcomes Among Healthcare Workers Beyond Pandemic-Related Stressors: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Survey, Rachel Hennein, Jessica Bonumwezi, Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako, Petty Tineo, Sarah R. Lowe

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Racial and gender discrimination are risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes in the general population; however, the effects of discrimination on the mental health of healthcare workers needs to be further explored, especially in relation to competing stressors. Thus, we administered a survey to healthcare workers to investigate the associations between perceived racial and gender discrimination and symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and burnout during a period of substantial stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and a national racial reckoning. We used multivariable linear regression models, which controlled for demographics and pandemic-related stressors. Of the 997 participants (Mean …

An Interdisciplinary Investigation Of Infant Sleep: How We Study It, What It Means For Other Areas Of Development, And Where Methodological Creativity Can Take Us, Melissa Noel Horger

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present dissertation is broken into six chapters. Chapters 2 through 5 comprise four research projects that build upon each other and in both theoretical and methodological ways. The bookends – my introduction and conclusion – are written for an interdisciplinary, even lay audience. In its entirety, the text is centered on infant sleep. First, I describe the functional role of sleep and liken it to a barista working in a coffee shop. Then, I lay out researcher choices – of design and measurement – when incorporating sleep as a facet of a research paradigm. After comparing three measurement techniques …

A Pilot Study Investigating Adopted Children’S Cultural Identity From Adopting Parents’ Perspective, Alyssa Mcveigh

Symposium of Student Scholars

Adopted children are faced with challenges of identity and a sense of belonging within their adopted family and environments. Research regarding adopted children suggests that their cultural identity is developed by the experiences they have within their biological culture such as, participating in holidays, meeting individuals who are from the same background or visiting their biological country. The goal of this pilot study was to explore the perspectives of adopting parents on their adopted children's cultural identity development, laying a foundation for the next study that will examine adopted children’s (college students) perspective. Ten adopting parents from The United States …

The Impact Of Reinforcer Preference And Variation On Response Rates In Preschool-Aged Children, Jason M. Aldridge

Symposium of Student Scholars

The Impact of Reinforcer Preference and Variation on

Response Rates in Preschool-Aged Children

J. Malachi Aldridge1, Allison L. Martin1, Alicia K. Mitchell2

1. Kennesaw State University

2. Appleseeds Behavioral Center

In the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, tangible items (i.e. toys) are often used to help learners meet goals in academic, social, and adaptive living skills. While use of high preference reinforcers has been linked to improved performance, repeated use of a single item can cause satiation and reduce effectiveness. Using a variety of reinforcers can allow therapists to minimize these satiation effects (Bowman et al., 1997; Koehler & Iwata, …

Librarian Behaviors, Students’ Personality And Academic Performance: A Case Of Public Libraries, Shahbaz Sharif Mr., Khurshed Iqbal Dr., Muhammad Asif Munir Mr., Kashif Saeed Dr., Sadaqat Ali Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

While technology has enabled academic libraries to go digital, it requires a librarian with great knowledge and real-world experience to perform the job well. To address this issue, a librarian equipped with skills for digitization and digitalization is key. Academic libraries have always used digitalization to encourage librarian behaviors. This research examines the effects of negative/positive librarian behavior patterns on student personality and academic performance immediately. The project is an endeavor to better understand how teachers' actions impact their students' performance and personality. The present study acknowledges the library education dynamics and the way that student performance and personality are …

Supporting Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Routines And Environmental Factors Affecting Sleep Quality, Constance Lew, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park, Becki Cohill

Summer 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Sleep difficulties are more common among children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). There is limited research on sleep strategies used by parents of children with NDDs or resources written by occupational therapists. The study examines current sleep concerns and strategies used by parents of children with NDDs, including those affecting time it takes to fall asleep, duration of sleep, routines, and environmental factors that influence sleep.

Method: Parents and caregivers of children with NDDs (n=22) and with no diagnosis (n=6) participated in a survey and optional interview to assess current concerns and strategies used to address sleep. Data gathered included …

Having A High-Activity Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Allele Is Associated With Elevated Anxiety And Lower Salivary Dehydroepiandrosterone But Also Lower Alpha Amylase In Children With Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome., Jessie Beebe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) results from a hemizygous deletion located on the long arm of chromosome 22. The most common deletion sizes affect between 30 and 90 genes. Individuals with 22q11.2DS may develop serious developmental and psychiatric disorders. The phenotype is highly variable, however, and may be influenced by allelic variation of the retained copies of genes covered by the deletion. I set out to examine the effects of two genes, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH), in relation to anxiety in children and adolescents with 22q11.2DS. Individuals with the major COMT allele (higher activity) have significantly higher anxiety …

Associations Between Community Built Environments With Early Care And Education Classroom Physical Activity Practices And Barriers, Bethany D. Williams, Susan B. Sisson, Dipti Dev, Bryce Lowery, Diane Horm, Janis Campbell, Denise Finneran, Jennifer Graef-Downard, Linda Whaley

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

The influence of community-built environments on physical activity (PA) support in Early Childhood Education settings (ECEs) is unknown. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine associations between community PA environments and ECE classroom PA practices. We included licensed Oklahoma ECE directors serving 3-to-5-year-old children. Parks and playground locations were exported from Google Earth. NationalWalkability Index was derived from 2010 US Census data. ArcMap 10.6 was used to geocode ECE locations, which were within an Activity Desert if no parks/playgrounds were located within a 1-mile radius or if Walkability Index was 10.5 or below. Classroom PA practices were determined …

"Like I Was An Actual Researcher": Participation And Identity Trajectories Of Underrepresented Minority And First-Generation Stem Students In Research Training Communities Of Practice, Jennifer Lynn Lindwall

Dissertations and Theses

Although calls for a more diverse workforce in biomedical fields have been widespread, racial and ethnic gaps in biomedical degree attainment remain. Contextualist perspectives seek to understand persistent STEM inequities by examining person-in-context experiences and how systemic factors filter into students' proximal contexts shaping their participation and science identity trajectories. Research training communities of practice aim to offer underrepresented minority and first-generation students support, guidance, and opportunities to learn the practices of science and construct their science identity. However, many students still choose to leave these programs. There is limited research on these students' science identity construction process and their …

Examining Correlates Of Feeding Practices Among Parents Of Preschoolers, Deepa Srivastava, Lucy R. Zheng, Dipti Dev

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

Background: Parent feeding practices play a critical role in children’s eating behaviors. Limited research has explored child-level correlates of parent feeding practices.

Aim: To identify correlates of feeding practices (responsive and controlling) among parents of preschoolers in the United States.

Methods: Participants included parents (n = 273) of preschoolers (3–5 years), recruited from early care and education settings (n = 24) located in a metropolitan city in the US. Analysis included descriptives, correlations, and multiple regression.

Results: For responsive feeding practices, positive associations included child’s weight with unintentional modeling (β = .17, 95% CI [0.12, 0.53]), child vegetable …

Learning To Learn From Video? 30-Month-Olds Benefit From Continued Use Of Supportive Scaffolding, Gabrielle Strouse, Patricia Ganea

School of Education Faculty Publications

Young children struggle to learn new words presented on video, but adult co-viewers can support them by providing scaffolds that explicitly connect the video and real world. In this study, we asked whether scaffolding facilitates children’s symbolic understanding of the video, such that they will subsequently transfer labels from video to real referents. Sixty-three 30-month-olds and 61 36-month-olds participated in a series of three word learning trials in one of three conditions. In the supportive condition, an in-person adult explicitly drew connections between each on-screen object and the corresponding real object in the room with the child. In the unsupportive …

The Effect Of Parent Interactions On Young Infants’ Visual Attention In An Object Manipulation Task., Nonah Marie Olesen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sticky Mittens (SM) task, an object-manipulation task that facilitates typically developing pre-reaching infants’ learning through active experience with objects, is often utilized to understand how experience affects young infants’ learning about objects. SM experience has been shown to increase infants’ attention to objects, object engagement, and object exploration (Libertus & Needham, 2010; Needham, Barrett, & Peterman, 2002) and facilitates development of causal perception (Rakison & Krogh, 2012; Holt, 2016). Although the majority of SM studies have involved parents interacting naturally with their infants, few have focused on how those interactions affect infants’ learning and performance during or after SM. …

Predictors Of Aggression Among Adolescent Girls, Sarah Joy Park

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Women and girls will often deny what they feel and think to maintain their relationships. Silencing the self can be detrimental to the physical and mental health of teenage girls. This stifling of the self is related to depression, earlier first intercourse, eating disorders, and less relationship satisfaction. Girls who silence their voices are also likely to have difficulty expressing themselves when they feel angry. In this study we explored the relationship between silencing the self and physical, verbal, and indirect aggression. Our sample consisted of 88 teenage girls from two high schools, with a mean age of 16. They …

Git (Gender-Informed Trauma) In Black N Blue Boys / Broken Men: How Concepts Of Gender Restrict The Black Male Actor’S Creative Process And The Methods He Can Use For Creative Freedom., Tyler Tate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the black male actor’s creative process can be affected by historical and cultural constructions of masculinity connected to race, sexuality, and physical movement. My research on black men’s experience with gender identity finds that social and cultural forces lead black men to reproduce behaviors that mirror a prescribed masculine ideal through physical movement. This prescribed masculine behavior is typically coded in terms of stiffness or lack of expression. This study explores how self-imposed restrictions reiterated by social standards of masculine behavior limit the creative freedom in the black male actor’s creative process. Specifically, black male actors’ …

In Search Of A Simplified, Objective Attachment Style Assessment: The Attachment Implicit Measure, Lisa Savage

All NMU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

IN SEARCH OF A SIMPLIFIED, OBJECTIVE ATTACHMENT STYLE ASSESSMENT: THE ATTACHMENT IMPLICIT MEASURE

By

Lisa M. Savage

Attachment is a lasting bond between two people (Bowlby, 1958). Bonding starts at birth and lasts through the lifetime (Bowlby, 1958). Emotional and social development is impacted by attachment (Bowlby, 1976). Measuring attachment is beneficial to clinical psychologists and psychological research. There are both implicit and explicit measures of attachment. Explicit measures are subject to social desirability and other bias and require a person's honesty and understanding of self. Current implicit measures are lengthy and expensive to administer and score. The development …

Latent Variables Predicting Drug Use In Adolescents With High Versus Low Protective Factors, Jessica Jorgenson

Dissertations

The present study utilized archival data provided from the Minnesota Student Survey (2013). The study consisted of two levels of analysis. The first level involved the development of measurement models for various latent constructs (i.e., disaffiliation, normalized use, internalizing behaviors, and externalizing behaviors). Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the second level applied the observed (i.e., abuse) and measured latent variables to the prediction of the outcomes of interest (i.e., a latent variable estimate of substance use) for middle- and high school-aged youth. Models for adolescent girls and boys were examined separately based on sex and high vs low protective factors. …

Attachment Quality Across Contexts: The Mediating Role Of Cognitive-Affective Traits, Christian Ammons

Dissertations

Attachment quality throughout the lifespan has been found to be impacted by a variety of factors including prior attachments with parents and other adults (Rholes, Simpson, & Friedman, 2006). The mechanisms that impact the transmission of attachment to parent-child attachment quality has not been fully explored. Individual differences such as traits involving appraisal of self and others and affective components have been found to be important in relationship functioning across contexts (Eisenberg, 2000). Thus, the current study evaluated the relationship between adult attachment quality and parent-child attachment quality and specifically examined the mediating effects of cognitive-affective traits (i.e. trait forgiveness, …

Why Am I Like This? An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Childhood Experiences On Adult Attachment Style, Amaris Clay

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Early childhood experiences and parental relationships have a lasting influence on future interpersonal relationships and the associated behaviors (Cortazar and Herreros 2010; Raby et al. 2015; Simons et al. 2014; Treger and Sprecher 2011). The proposed study is investigating the complex links between adverse childhood experiences, parenting style, and attachment style. The purpose of this study was to examine the lasting impact of early childhood factors and how they affect relationships in adulthood. The study intends to replicate previous research on parenting style and attachment style. The results of this study will add to the body of research centered on …

Medication Versus Brain-Based Treatment: Evaluation Treatment Preferences Of Parents Of Children With Adhd, Rebecca Recio-Swift

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders across the world. Currently, treatment for ADHD mostly consists of either medication or behavioral therapy or a combination of both. However, research has shown that medication used as therapy for the treatment of ADHD has side effects which parents deem undesirable for their children. Therefore, recent research has focused on patient and parent preferences. Studies have found that behavioral or other treatment options may often be chosen over medications. These same studies have documented the characteristics of parents that prefer certain treatments for their children. The purpose of this …

The Adaptive, Social, Communication, And Cognitive Skills Of Monolingual And Bilingual Toddlers With Autism, Marcela A. Galicia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2019) and bilingual individuals are rapidly increasing in the United States (Zeigler & Camarota, 2019). Yet, research on the global development of bilingual children with ASD is limited. Despite the lack of research in this vein, educators and clinicians are tasked with the assessment and intervention planning for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children with ASD (Dilly & Hall, 2019). There are mixed findings regarding the effect of bilingual exposure on the development of adaptive, social, communication, and cognitive skills of children with ASD (e.g., Hambly & Fombonne, …

Skills And Strategies For Health Care Decision-Making With Children, University Of Montana Rural Institute For Inclusive Communities

Early Childhood

Being a decision-maker for your own healthcare is important. Families and healthcare providers want children to become good decision-makers. For some children this takes more support, practice, and some special tools. Learning this skill should begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. This guide and its resources help families and healthcare providers support children to learn the skills they need.

Ugandan Adolescents’ Descriptive Gender Stereotypes About Domestic And Recreational Activities, And Attitudes About Women, Flora Farago, Natalie Eggum-Wilkens, Linlin Zhang

Faculty Publications

In Eastern Uganda, 201 adolescents aged 11- to 17-years old (48% girls; M_age = 14.62) answered close- and open-ended questions about gender stereotypes of domestic and recreational activities and gender-role attitudes about women’s behavior, rights, and roles. Adolescents answered questions such as “who is more likely to . . .?” assessing descriptive stereotypes (i.e., stereotype knowledge) and questions such as “is it ok for women to . . .?” assessing prescriptive stereotypes (i.e., stereotype endorsement) about gender roles. Data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, correlations, and thematic coding. Findings indicate that Ugandan adolescents were fairly egalitarian in some domains …

Nebraska Child Care Market Rate Survey Report 2021, Greg W. Welch, Elizabeth Svoboda, Alexandra Daro, Venessa Bryant, Caitlyn Glissmeyer

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

Consistent with the 2019 MRS, the Institute conducted a survey of all licensed child care providers across the state to obtain private pay child care rates for children with or without medical and behavioral needs. Categories of focus for data collection and reporting included: 1. Geographic location: rural or urban 2. Type of care: Family Child Care Home I, Family Child Care Home II, Child Care Center, and School Age License 3. Age group of children: infant, toddler, pre-school, and school-age 4. Status of medical and behavioral needs 5. Accreditation 6. Extent to which child care providers participate in Child …