Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Cultivating Empathy: A Content Analysis Of Empathic Themes In Best-Selling Children's Books, Elnaz J. Afousi

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the presence and nature of empathic content in best-selling children’s picture books, with a focus on developmental relevance for preschool-aged readers. Using a modified version of the iEPIC empathy coding system, 10 titles from the New York Times best-seller list were analyzed to assess the frequency and complexity of three empathy-related constructs: Emotion or State Description (ESD), Exploring Emotion or State (EES), and Empathic Understanding or Concern (EUC). Results indicate that while all books contained some empathy-related content, ESD3 (self-reflective emotional descriptions) and EUC2/EUC4 (understanding and helping others) were most prevalent, suggesting an emphasis on both intrapersonal …

Multidimensional Health Outcomes In Lgbtq+ Older Adults In The United States: Individual And Community-Level Protective Factors, Emily P. Lapidus

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Despite a lifetime of systematic barriers, LGBTQ+ individuals age into late adulthood, likely due to various protective factors. Guided by the Iridescent Life Course Framework (ILCF; Fredriksen-Goldsen & Muraco, 2019), I analyzed unique protective factors at two levels: (1) individual psychological factors (i.e., resilience, identity management) and (2) community-level factors (i.e., LGBTQ+ community connectedness, social support). Health was operationalized as mental health, physical health, and health-promoting behaviors. The present study accounted for covariates (i.e., financial barriers to healthcare, felt subjective age discrepancy, lifetime discrimination). I hypothesized that both stronger individual and community factors would be associated with better physical and …

"We Talk About It At The Dinner Table": Parent Discussions Of Identity And Politics In Diverse Adoptive Families In The United States, Abigail L. Moore

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Parents discussing identity and politics with their diverse adolescents can be protective against experiences of political stress and negative outcomes (Anderson, 2023). Identity discrepancies between parents and adolescents may complicate these conversations (McCrimmon et al., 2024). However, this research often only focuses on only one identity (e.g., race or gender; Mendez, 2022). Because negative political climates affect multiple identities simultaneously (Kassing et al., 2021), the current study explores political conversations in diverse, adoptive family contexts with varying (un)shared identities. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021), 7 major themes were developed. Results suggest that identity discrepancies may underlie a …

Associations Between Queer Parent Family Socialization And Adolescent Outcomes Among Diverse Lgbtq+ Parent Families In The U.S., Nita U. Kulkarni

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Queer parent family socialization refers to the way LGBTQ+ parents talk with their children about what it means to be queer in society, how to handle discrimination, and ways to have pride in their family’s identity. This construct has been linked with positive well-being outcomes in children, and this study used a strengths-based, mixed- methods framework informed by Minority Stress Theory and intersectionality to examine how queer parent family socialization related to several adolescent well-being outcomes, namely internalizing behaviors, social competence, and adaptive coping. Participants recruited across two projects were 191 queer parents with an adolescent and 114 adolescents with …

Living With Flying Colors: Associations Among Lgbtq+ Identity, Religiosity, Spirituality, Community, And Overall Well-Being Among Lgbtq+ Older Adults, Madison T. Diomede

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Experiences of discrimination and prejudice place LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood (i.e., 55 years old and older) at risk for poor overall well-being. This risk can be especially salient in the Southern and Midwestern U.S., where LGBTQ+ individuals enjoy fewer legal protections than in the Northeast and Western regions of the U.S. In defiance of these odds, LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood cultivate overall well-being through psychological-level constructs, like LGBTQ+ identity affirmation, and community-level constructs, LGBTQ+ community connection. Yet, little research has examined these avenues of strength among LGBTQ+ individuals in older adulthood. Guided by Iridescent Life Course Theory and …

Weighted Family History Density Of Substance Use: Influence On Participant Substance Use Onset, Escalation, And Duration, Carleigh A. Litteral

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use disorders impose a staggering toll on the United States (U.S.), straining healthcare systems, destabilizing communities, and profoundly impacting both individuals and families. Approximately one in six Americans aged 12 and older had a past-year substance use disorder in 2022 (Key Substance Use, 2022), and nearly one-third of adults experience a substance use disorder in their lifetime (Wu, 2010), contributing to an economic burden exceeding $400 billion annually (National Drug Threat Assessment, 2011). Family history of substance use disorders is a key predictor of vulnerability, with individuals who have affected relatives being 2–8 times more …

Interparental Conflict And Sibling Relationship Quality In Emerging Adulthood: An Emotional Security Perspective, Courtlyn A. Fields

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Sibling relationships are among the earliest lifelong relationships and have been found to be protective against family dysfunction and positive adjustment outcomes. Yet research on sibling relationships remains limited. The current study aims to expand understanding of sibling relationship quality in emerging adulthood through the application of Emotional Security Theory (EST). EST provides a framework for understanding how adult sibling relationships may be impacted by childhood experiences of destructive interparental conflict. A sample of 1222 undergraduates with siblings completed an online survey. Participants retrospectively reported on interparental conflict and emotional security in childhood, and reported on their current emotion regulation, …

Bilingual Latinx Adolescents Experiences In A Predominantly White Institution: A Mixed Method Study, Danieli Marie Mercado Ramos

Dissertations

Extent scholarship has provided insight into how Latinx adolescents actively experience exclusion. These adolescents are often the targets of microaggressions tied to their language (Gonzalez et al., 2018), ethnicity, race, and intersecting identities--such as being bilingual Latinx students--which serve as reminders that they do not belong. However, little is known about Spanish-English bilingual Latinx adolescents and how their heritage language plays a role in predominantly white spaces and institutions. This convergent parallel mixed methods study explored how Spanish-English bilingual Latinx students in the Midwest described their experiences in a predominantly white institution (PWI). A total of 42 Spanish-English bilingual Latinx …

Capturing Diverse Adolescents’ Social Contexts: The Development Of An Ethnic-Racial Microaffirmations Scale For Peer Interactions, Maria Radulescu

Dissertations

The development of a strong and positive sense of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) has been identified as an asset for ethnically and racially marginalized adolescents. Peer interactions during the adolescent years can support ERI development. In particular, a subtle micro-level form of peer support—microaffirmations—may be protective for ERI processes. However, the field of microaffirmations is very small, and there is no scale that captures adolescents’ experiences of ethnic-racial microaffirmations from their peers. The current study developed an ethnic-racial peer microaffirmations scale based on extant literature and feedback from 4 focus groups with 22 sophomore high school students. Findings indicated that 5 …

“What’S Happening In The Gulf Of Maine?”: Middle School Students’ Engagement In Climate Science Through Data Visual Representation And Reflections, Grace Ocular

Dissertations

This study examined how middle school students engaged with science concepts while working with data visualizations during a field trip learning experience. Fifty-one teams of 2–4 students from 35 schools participating in the LabVenture program were video- and audio-recorded. Students completed two activities: one using a frequency table of marine species illustrating threats to Maine’s lobster population, and another using maps depicting changes in Gulf of Maine sea surface temperature. After each activity, students annotated the visualization, discussed their claims, and recorded short reflections. Transcripts were coded for science-related talk, and annotations and gestures were also analyzed. Findings indicate that …

Childhood Aggression: A New Conceptualization, Hannah G. Harrison

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Childhood aggression is a frequently observed behavioral phenomenon, yet lacks a precise
definition in both the DSM-5-TR and current research literature. Definitional ambiguity and
construct enmeshment continue to create construct confusion for researchers, clinicians, and
informants. This empirical review of the current literature and diagnostic criteria examines how
childhood aggression has been historically conceptualized, defined, and described. The primary
aim was to identify and clarify inconsistencies in current definitions and to address knowledge
gaps to improve diagnostic clarity. Through a thematic synthesis of recent literature, several key
issues emerged: the absence of a precise definition of childhood aggression; reliance on …

Contrasting Trajectories In Adolescent Pro-Environmentalism: Qualitative Differences Between “Engagers” And “Disengagers”, Jaida Brown

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This qualitative study extends Krettenauer and colleagues' (2024) longitudinal research by examining how different developmental contexts shape divergent trajectories in adolescents' environmental engagement. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nineteen adolescents, focusing on two distinct groups: "Engagers" who showed remarkable increases in pro-environmental behavior from ages 13 to 17, and "Disengagers" who exhibited substantial decreases inengagement during the same period. While all participants reported meaningful childhood nature experiences, supportive family sustainability practices and access to environmental information through media, their developmental paths diverged significantly. Disengagers gradually deprioritized environmental concerns as other life goals took precedence, while Engagers actively expanded their environmental …

The Perceived Frequency And Effects Of Multilingual Communication In Youth And Adolescent Soccer, Simao M. Araujo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In professional soccer, the topic of multilingual communication has been widely researched; however, there appears to be a gap in the literature concerning how multilingual use is perceived by athletes and coaches at the youth and adolescent level of the sport. In the present study, male soccer athletes ages 10 to 18 years old and their coaches completed a questionnaire in which they rated both perceived frequency of use and perceived effects of using multilingual communication in youth and adolescent soccer. Specifically, these questionnaires elicited quantitative information regarding categories such as tactical advantages, words of encouragement, general expressions, and group …

The Developmental Impact Of Childhood Abuse: Heart Rate Variability, Adult Psychopathology, And The Protective Role Of Social Engagement, Rachel R. Mitchell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Childhood abuse is a prevalent experience that can have a profound impact on health and well-being. Extensive literature has linked childhood abuse to an elevated risk of psychopathology, including suicidality and substance use. Recent neuroimaging and psychophysiological research suggest that childhood abuse may influence the development of the body’s stress response systems. Exposure to chronic and uncontrollable stress, such as childhood abuse, has been implicated in the dysregulation of neural circuits that govern autonomic control and emotion regulation. This study examined resting high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) as an index of physiological regulation and its associations with adult mental health …

Contributions Of Birthing People’S Prenatal Parasympathetic Nervous System Functioning And Postnatal Sensitivity On Infant Temperament, Amanda M. Flagg

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Grounded in developmental psychobiology, this research aimed to elucidate how birthing people’s physiological regulation during pregnancy may shape the early emergence of socioemotional development in early infancy. The present study examined how birthing people’s prenatal parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity, specifically baseline high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and HF-HRV withdrawal, and postnatal sensitivity contributes to infant temperamental reactivity at six months of age. The study aimed to clarify early developmental mechanisms through which birthing people’s PNS shapes emerging infant temperament. Data were drawn from a longitudinal cohort of Black and African American birthing people, a population underrepresented in psychophysiological research, …

Postnatal Programming Of Infant Temperament At 12-Months: A Test Of Lactation Programming Theory, Lydia Bierce

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The current study examined how maternal cortisol and breastfeeding duration across the first six months postpartum might relate to infant temperament profile membership at 12 months in 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads (46.3% male). Results revealed that maternal postnatal cortisol levels were significantly moderated by breastfeeding duration to predict infant temperament profile (β = 0.14, p = .030) such that more maternal cortisol was linked to higher likelihood of belonging to a high positive affect, well-regulated profile when mothers breastfed for above average durations. This suggests that while maternal cortisol in breastmilk might initially shape infant negative temperament, …

The Role Of Parental Self-Efficacy During The Preschool Years: Links To Parenting Behaviors And Parent-Child Relationship Quality In Dual-Risk Families, Catalina M. Borges

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parental self-efficacy (PSE) has been shown to play a critical role in shaping parenting behaviors and parent-child interactions. Examining whether domain-specific PSE like parental self-efficacy helping the child succeed in school (PSEHCSS), influences broad parenting behaviors and parent-child relationships is especially important for families experiencing elevated stress. This secondary analysis explored whether PSEHCSS predicted parenting behaviors and parent-child relationship quality over the preschool years in dual-risk families (i.e., low socioeconomic status and a child with developmental concerns). It was hypothesized that higher PSEHCSS would predict more positive and fewer negative parenting behaviors, and greater parent-child relationship quality; parenting behaviors would …

Retrospective Recall Of Food Parenting Practices During Childhood, Current Adult Health Outcomes, And Intuitive Eating, Katelyn Bretzel

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a time of exploration, change, and emerging independence, which can make individuals vulnerable to health changes. Previous research demonstrates that food parenting practices (coercive control, structure, and autonomy support) during childhood may relate to health outcomes into adulthood. In the current study, it was hypothesized that intuitive eating during emerging adulthood would be associated with food parenting practices; with coercive control and structure practices hindering intuitive eating, while autonomy support encourages it. The current study tested these relationships further, utilizing retrospective reports of food parenting practices during childhood and examining their relation to intuitive eating, dietary quality, …

Children's Interpretation Of Others' Faces Covered With Medical Masks, Sevval Cinar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

How we recognize and regulate emotions is fundamental to overall health and wellbeing. Emotional recognition and understanding are key to proper communication and emotion regulation. Barriers, such as masks, might have an impact on the way children recognize and interpret others' emotions, and therefore the way they learn, communicate, and regulate their own. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread mask-wearing, raising questions about its impact on children’s emotional development. Using a sample of children with varying levels of exposure to mask wearing adults (N= 13, ages 4 to 6), we investigated how prolonged mask wearing predicts emotion recognition, particularly …

Don’T Stop Believin’: Emotion Beliefs And Daily Affective Experiences Across Adulthood, Jocelyn A. Rutledge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Emotion control beliefs reflect the extent to which people believe emotions “should” and “can” be controlled and have been linked to psychological well-being. Research has yet to examine age-related differences in these beliefs and their daily associations with affective experiences. The present study examines age differences in daily emotion control beliefs and their within-person associations with positive and negative affect. The study used 14-day daily diary data from an adult lifespan community sample (younger adults: 18-36 years old, N = 72; older adults: 66-92 years old, N = 66). The results revealed that older adults reported …

Examining Gender Differences In Heritage Language Maintenance And Loss Among South Asian First-Generation Canadians, And The Effect On Well-Being, Amreen Sangha

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Language is prevalent in various aspects of life. Not only is it often essential for communication, but it also has deep roots within cultural contexts. Specifically, within South Asian culture knowing one’s heritage language is considered to be necessary when it comes to connecting with one's cultural group and identity. Heritage language maintenance can be seen differently within different individuals and have different implications for them. This study was designed to explore gender differences in heritage language loss as well as the role language may play in one’s well-being. Canadian-born South Asian children and young adults aged 10-25 completed an …

Technology-Enhanced Professional Development For Early Literacy: A Comparative Study Of Online Teacher Learning Models In Kenya, Constanza Uribe-Banda

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Growing recognition of early literacy as essential for lifelong learning, along with evidence that teachers’ mastery of foundational literacy instruction influences student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; UNESCO, 2020), has led to increased investment in teacher professional development. Despite these efforts, many educators face significant challenges in accessing high-quality training, particularly in resource-constrained settings where geographical barriers and limited institutional support persist. This is especially true in rural Kenyan communities, where teachers often work in under-resourced schools with unreliable electricity and internet connectivity yet bear responsibility for laying critical literacy foundations. The present study examines the potential to deliver effective …

A Pilot Study Examining Children’S Evaluations And Reasoning About Concealment And Instrumental Forms Of Antisocial Lying, Noah Battaglia

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Children as young as 4 years of age judge self-benefitting lies (i.e., antisocial lying) as wrong. Although this has traditionally been interpreted as evidence that young children view honesty as a moral obligation, contemporary moral development theory and research suggests that right/wrong judgments fail to capture important aspects of children’s social cognition. Research from a perspective known as social domain theory (Smetana et al., 2014; Turiel, 1983) has shown that children’s understanding of morality (i.e., norms concerning others’ rights and wellbeing) is distinct from their understanding of other types of socially unacceptable behaviour. While children judge many social events as …

Teachers' Use Of Food Rewards In The Classroom Environment, Mckenna Fiore

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food rewards are defined in terms of the value of a food to the individual at the time of ingestion. In classrooms, teachers may use food rewards to encourage academic achievement and appropriate classroom behavior (Hoffman et al., 2009). The use of unhealthy food rewards increases children’s desires for sweets and nonnutritive foods, which can pose risks for health and obesity-related outcomes, compared to healthier alternatives. Different characteristics, such as teaching style, classroom structure, teaching efficacy and teaching eating behavior, can be related to teacher’s use of different types of rewards. The goal of this study was to investigate the …

Adolescent Attachment And Anxiety: Examining Implicit Emotion Beliefs And Emotion Regulation As Mediators, Jeanette Pool

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Anxiety is a growing issue in adolescents, with teens reporting worse and more severe symptoms in recent years (Kajastus et al., 2023; Solmi et al., 2022). There are several risk factors for developing anxiety symptoms, including cognitive, behavioral, and social factors. Effective emotion regulation (ER) has been shown to be helpful in decreasing anxiety symptom levels (Arbulu et al., 2023; Cho et al., 2019). A better understanding of precursors of ER could aid in prevention of anxiety. ER may stem from our personal beliefs about emotions (Ford et al., 2018; Schroder et al., 2015; Tamir et al., 2007) and to …

Effects Of Physical Activity And Purpose In Life In Cognitive Aging, Farima Sadeghi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cognitive decline has become a growing public health concern with the increase in aging populations throughout the world. As Physical Activity has shown to be one of the key factors in maintaining and enhancing cognitive health in older adults, this study explores the psychological mechanisms that might underlie this relationship. Using data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, the analyses examine whether Purpose in Life mediates the relationship between Physical Activity and both cognitive abilities—Episodic Memory and Executive Functioning, whether age strengthens this effect, and whether Physical Activity itself could act as a mediator. The results showed …

Parental Behavioral Control Across Domains In Indian And Indian American Families, Avneet Batra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prior research literature has often found parental behavioral control to have mixed associations with varied adolescent outcomes (Bean et al., 2006; Finkenauer et al., 2005). However, a relatively lesser explored topic of research focusses on the domain specificity of this kind of control and its association with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in sample of Indian and Indian American parents (Arim et al., 2010). The current study adds to the limited literature by emphasizing the five domains of control (e.g., moral, conventional, prudential, personal and overlapping) based on the social cognitive domain theory and explores their association with adolescent adjustment outcomes …

Moral Identity: From Theory To Research, Jean Paul Lefebvre

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Moral identity, often defined as the importance or centrality of moral values to a person’s sense of self, has long been understood to play an important role in moral functioning. However, critical gaps remain regarding its development, cross-context stability, and behavioural significance. This dissertation addresses these gaps in three empirical studies, providing new insights into the nature and function of moral identity across the lifespan and in daily life.

The first study (Chapter 2) explores developmental trends in moral identity, testing predictions from moral identity goal theory (Krettenauer, 2022). Using a cross-sectional sample spanning adolescence to old age, the study …

Knowledge, Efficacy, And Experience In Components Of Stem Education: The Impact Of Teacher Professional Development, Emily Krysten Marilyn Spencer-Mueller

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Around the globe, there has been a significant focus on ensuring youth receive sufficient education and training in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) domains. Education reforms often begin with educators, who are responsible for effectively implementing curriculum changes. However, in Canada, although STEM education reform is underway, teacher education and professional learning (PL) and development may not have kept pace, potentially leaving some teachers feeling unprepared to integrate these changes confidently and effectively. This dissertation introduces two studies that investigate pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach STEM domains in the classroom, as well as the impact of a PL …

Evaluating The Credibility Of Online Websites: A Digital Information Literacy Program, Emily C. Wood, Kim P. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The plethora of information currently available via the internet is greater than ever before. Given this, finding credible information is an exceedingly complex task for any information consumer, but especially so for children. Research shows that children have difficulty evaluating the credibility of online information and are more susceptible to believing misinformation compared to adolescents. While a growing body of research addresses children’s internet use, most research focuses on technology safety rather than the evaluation of online information. Several studies have found digital information literacy (DIL) interventions to be successful at increasing critical thinking and awareness of the criteria to …