Developmental Psychology Commons^™

“Breaking Free”: A Grounded Theory Study Of Atheist Women In The United States, Dena Abbott, Elyxcus Anaya

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Using a critical, grounded theory approach, we interviewed 31 atheist-identified women to ascertain the ways in which women develop and navigate an atheist identity and how their experience is influenced by patriarchal, hegemonic Christianity in the United States using a concealable stigmatized identity framework. Qualitative analysis resulted in six core categories: (1) Embracing Atheism as Liberation, (2) Escaping Christian Patriarchy, Challenging Atheist Patriarchy, (3) Low Identity Salience Provides Protection from Anti-Atheist Discrimination, (4) Expectations to Conform to Christian Norms, (5) Disclosure Requires Thoughtfulness and Purpose, and (6) Connecting with Other Atheists is Valuable and Elusive. Although atheist women experienced sexism …

African American English As A Predictor Of Ethnic And Ethnolinguistic Identity In Adolescence, Giahna L. Glasco

Dissertations and Theses

This study’s purposes were to provide support for the Social identity theory of African American English (Vietze & Glasco, 2022) and the meanings African American English (AAE) speakers assign to their dialect. The study was primarily based on Tajfel’s (1979) social identity theory that proposes individuals derive a sense of self from group membership. The qualitative analyses examined ethnic and language group memberships. Ethnic identity development (Phinney, 1992), and ethnolinguistic identity theories (Giles and Johnson, 1987) guided narrative and content analyses of Kiese Laymon’s memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir (Laymon, 2018). The sample included 21 African American English conversations …

The Transition From Service Member To Veteran Student, Charles Daniel Ensminger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges may not be prepared to support veteran students transitioning from the military to higher education, resulting in more significant attrition levels for veteran students struggling to adapt to their new surroundings. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experiences of post-9/11 veteran students as they transitioned from the military to higher education and their involvement and interaction with cocurricular, extracurricular, and nonacademic programs during their first year of college. The research questions focused on how veterans-students described the transition from the military and into their first year of college. The theoretical framework was a combination of Bridges's transitional model, Astin's …

Stimulus Pairing To Condition Novel Reinforcers For Bermudian Participants With Autism, Jahnae Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reinforcement is crucial to an individual’s quality of life and acquisition/maintenance of novel skills, but a limited bank of reinforcers could lead to a reduction in engagement with pre-established reinforcers, reducing the motivational strength to contrive teaching opportunities, and increase maladaptive behaviors, self-stimulatory behaviors, or idle time. Though the stimulus-stimulus paring (SSP) method has been effective in establishing novel reinforcers for individuals who are diagnosed with autism, there is a gap in the literature on cross-cultural variations seen among responses when using SSP. This study was conducted to determine the generalizability of the effect when using the method of SSP …

Children's Perceptions Of Parent-Child Relationships: A Narrative, Inductive Approach, Casey Burton M.Ed, Ariana Samuel, Hailie Suarez-Rivas, Sydney Sumrall, Robin S. Everhart, Ph.D, Marcia A. Winter, Ph.D

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Narrative methods can allow researchers to gather rich data from children regarding their perceptions of their relationship with parents that may not otherwise be captured using tasks, questionnaires, or structured interviews; however, existing coding systems have been established with samples that are largely White and middle class. The current study sought to establish child-inspired codes that would better reflect the sample.

Methods: Children aged 5-12 years (M=8.82, 48.9% female) and their caregivers were recruited from high-poverty urban US areas. All participants identified as Black or African American. Children were audiotaped while speaking, uninterrupted, for three minutes about …

Overcoming The Odds: The Effects Of The Relationship Between Childhood Adversity, Lifetime Trauma, And Resiliency On Empathy And Conscientiousness, Victoria West Staples

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This research sought to understand the connection between trauma and the development of resiliency while examining the effects of that relationship on empathy and conscientiousness. Specifically, this study was created to answer four main questions: (1) Does early childhood adversity predict later life trauma? (2) Does childhood adversity and cumulative lifetime traumatic experiences impact the development of resiliency and its subconstructs (i.e., interpersonal resiliency and intrapersonal resiliency)? (3) Is empathy impacted by the presence of resiliency, specifically examining its effect on cognitive and affective empathy (using questionnaires and galvanic skin response)? (4) And is conscientiousness related to resiliency subconstructs? There …

Caregivers’ Inclination To See Their Children As Psychological Agents And Its Antecedents: A Cross-Cultural Study Of Parental Bonding, Reflective Functioning, And Maternal Mind-Mindedness, Chun-Hao Chiu

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examined difference in maternal mind-mindedness among American mothers, Taiwanese mothers, and mothers who emigrated from Taiwan and had their first child in the United States (Taiwanese Immigrant Mothers). It also investigated relationships between maternal mind-mindedness and mothers’ bonding with their parents during early years and their general mentalizing abilities for these three groups of mothers. One hundred twenty-three American mothers (Mage = 33.33 years old; SD = 5.31), 129 Taiwanese mothers (Mage = 35.93 years old; SD = 4.05), and 105 Taiwanese Immigrant Mothers (Mage = 36.85 years old; SD = 4.42) participated in this study online, through …

An Examination Of Observed Maternal Social Coaching Strategies And Early Adolescents' Social Adjustment, Natalie Low

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This observational investigation had two aims. The first aim was to examine the direct associations between maternal social coaching strategies and adolescents’ social outcomes. The second aim was to assess whether adolescents’ trait perspective taking and empathic concern are moderators of the relationship between maternal social coaching strategies and adolescents’ social outcomes. Sixty-four early adolescents (Mage=12.38 years old) and their primary female caregiver participated in the study. The majority of caregivers were biological mothers (n = 61). The sample consisted of 41 girls (64.1%) and 23 boys (35.9%). Mothers and their early adolescents were video recorded discussing typical hypothetical peer-related …

Addressing The Mental Health Disparities Among Black Children During Natural Disasters: A Clinical Perspective And Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic., Brittany Reed

DSW Capstone Projects

The experiences of Black children resulting from the events surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic present a projection to create long-term mental health effects at higher rates than their peers of other races. While the long-term effects of this pandemic are still considered ongoing, the disparities within the Black community will subsequently develop into a trickle-down effect of secondary traumatic experiences faced by Black children. Then, where does that leave Black children and their mental health? This capstone project aims to examine how the Covid-19 pandemic will affect Black children, explore the mental health challenges and disparities faced by Black children resulting …

Sense Of Belonging, Achievement Motivation, And Goal Attainment Through The Lens Of Transgender Activists, Donella Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It was not known how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influence their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Using the theory of achievement motivation, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivations to achieve personal goal attainment. Two topics guided this study: how transgender activists' community participation influenced their sense of belonging and how transgender activists' lived experiences of a sense of belonging influenced their motivation to achieve and personal goal attainment. Thematic analysis was used to identify five themes collected …

Investigating The Experiences Of Foster Youth On Community College Campuses, Jerrica Stimage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At the age of 18, foster youth are considered adults and typically released from the state’s custody and left alone to transition into adulthood with little to no support. The lack of support that these youth experience forces many of them to seek refuge at colleges and universities. Prior to completing this study, I discovered that there is no current research that explores the lived experiences of former foster youth in the state of Mississippi or the challenges that they may face when transitioning to a community college in the state of Mississippi. The focus of this research study was …

Empathy-Based Strain Among Social Workers Working With Couples Experiencing Infidelity, Jared And Rachel Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) social workers engaged in the practice of couples therapy often work with the issue of infidelity, which can be traumatizing to clients. EFT relies heavily on empathy-based interventions that allow the therapist to experience the pain of clients in the process of facilitating the repair of a couple's attachment bond. Yet the nature of EFT with infidelity can increase social workers’ risk of developing empathy-based strain (EBS), which can lead to personal and professional detriment and practice that harm clients. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe how social workers who practice EFT …

Sexual Orientation And Gender Expression As Predictors Of Sogie-Based Harassment, Michelle Tam

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The current study examined which individuals are most at risk for becoming targets of SOGIE-based harassment (specifically, White, male sexual minorities or White, male gender nonconforming individuals). The study also explored potential motivations behind SOGIE-based harassment (specifically, violations of normality and violations of morality) and whether these motivations are predicted by individual differences (specifically, sexual prejudice, beliefs in heteronormativity, tolerance of ambiguity, and adherence to gender norms). College students (n = 206; 67.5% female) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, each with a different male target (straight/gender conforming, straight/gender nonconforming, gay/gender conforming, gay/gender nonconforming). Students saw a …

Supporting Latine Children’S Informal Engineering Learning And Spatial Thinking Through Tinkering And Storytelling, Diana Acosta

Dissertations

In the United States, the Latine community is the fastest growing minority group. Projections estimate that by the year 2060, they will represent 28% of the total population. Yet, Latines continue to be underrepresented and underserved in STEM fields and careers. Providing equitable informal STEM learning opportunities to young children may be a way to increase access and interest in STEM, to address the broader goal of increasing representation. Importantly, for these learning experiences to be truly equitable they must be meaningful and engage everyday cultural practices. Guided by a strengths-based approach, the current study examines how oral stories as …

Unlocking Desistance: The Role Of Executive Functioning In The Rehabilitation Of Correctional Populations, Danielle Nesi

Dissertations

In a secondary analysis of data collected by Fishbein and Sheppard (2006), the current study sought to explore the relationships among age, executive functioning and antisocial behavior (e.g., changes in institutional infractions, self-reported aggression and reactivity) among a sample of incarcerated men enrolled in a correctional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program between 2003 and 2005. Specifically, the current study examined whether baseline executive abilities predicted misconduct and whether this relationship was mediated by treatment engagement. The relationships among age, treatment engagement, and changes in executive functioning post-treatment were also considered. It was predicted that improvements in executive functioning would vary …

Influences Of Latino Caregivers’ Input And Acculturation On Children’S Bilingual Development: A Speech Sample Analysis, Jordan Sierra Perry

Master's Theses

Interactions with caregivers are important for children’s development. In particular, the language input that young dual language learners (DLLs) receive from their primary caregivers affects their cultural knowledge and their bilingual language outcomes. However, relatively little research has been conducted to investigate the cultural contexts that influence Latino caregivers’ bilingual language use at home, including their acculturation level. Thus, the present study examined the relation between caregivers’ acculturation and their children’s bilingual (Spanish and English) language use, and whether this relation varied as a function of caregivers’ bilingual language use. Parent-report measures of bilingual language use, in addition to video …

Coping Strategies And Life Satisfaction Among Romanian Emerging Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Delia Ștefenel, Jose-Michael Gonzalez, Silviu Rogobete, Raluca Sassu

Psychology Faculty Publications

The aim of the present study was to understand coping mechanisms among Romanian youth in their response to institutional COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Data were collected from emerging adults (N = 214), aged 18–29, enrolled in various fields of study throughout a public university in Romania. Adopted versions of the Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences Scale (Brief-COPE, Carver, 1997) and Satisfaction with Life Scales (SLWS, Diener et al., 1985) were administered to explore the impact of the specific social distancing and isolation enforced pandemic restrictions. Findings elucidate the response styles, impact of coping skills, and strategies employed by students toward their …

Processes Underlying Black American College Students’ Mental Health: Examining The Roles Of Mental Health Literacy, Ethnic-Racial Identity, And Mental Health-Related Behaviors, Chloe Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Addressing the mental health of college students is a persistent and increasing priority (Auerbach et al., 2018), especially among Black American individuals. Given prevalent mental health disparities, it is critical to understand the association between Black American emerging adults’ mental health literacy (MHL) and mental health outcomes including promotive mental health-related behaviors (MHRBs) and symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms), and the modifiable underlying factors that inform them. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) and the Identity-based Motivation theory (Oyserman & Yoder, 2007), the present study aimed to examine the relation between mental health literacy and mental …

Characterizing The Patterns, Predictors, And Processes Involved In Recovery From Substance Use Disorders, Rebecca L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol and drug use disorders are associated with significant cost to individuals, families, and society.Approximately 40-75% of affected individuals remit from alcohol use disorders (AUD). Although the development of AUD is well studied, recovery from AUD and factors that contribute to recovery are not as well characterized. With the definition of recovery evolving towards a process rather than an outcome, there is a need to better understand psychosocial functioning and quality of life among individuals at different points in their recovery journeys. Concurrently, additional research is needed to understand the interplay between sources of recovery capital, individual differences in risk …

A Thematic Analysis Of African American Fathers' Emotion-Related Beliefs And Behaviors, Deon Brown

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored African American fathers’ beliefs about and experiences with their own and their children’s negative emotions (i.e., parental meta-emotion philosophy and parental emotion socialization). Participants included 58 African American fathers in the Midwestern region of the United States between the ages of 29 and 40 (Mage = 30.94). 57 were biological fathers and one was a stepfather to toddlers between 24 and 31 months of age. Participants were invited to complete lab tasks, including the meta-emotion interview (MEI). The MEI is semi-structured interview of parents’ and their children’s negative emotion (i.e., sadness and anger). I selected a subset …

The Impact Of Social Media Influencers On Emerging Adults, Avnee Sharma

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Social media influencers (SMIs) (defined as individuals who have 10,000 or more followers) are a group of people who garner attention and who seem to have an impact on thought and behaviour change on social media platforms. To date, it is unclear how much social media influencers influence emerging adults. Given that emerging adulthood is a developmental stage that includes exploration of self and offers more autonomy from one’s parents and is a time where social media is frequently used, it is important to explore how social media informs their decisions and choices. To explore this relationship, this research consists …

Relationships Between Executive Functioning, Memory, And Source Judgements On Children’S Responses To Online Advertising, Samantha Barbosa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Children’s understanding of online content is a topic of interest, yet little is known about how children distinguish distracting and often misleading information (e.g., advertisements) from relevant information. Our aim is to measure the relationship between executive functioning, memory and source monitoring in a population that has heavy internet usage and are also the most at risk for mistakenly recalling false or irrelevant information. Children aged 7-12 years old (N = 30), with no known developmental or cognitive disorders, were recruited for the study. In an online session, the children viewed two novel online media sources (i.e., a website …

Exploring Individuals’ Views On The Malleability Of Their Moral Self-Concept, Steven Hertz

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Drawing on work by Carol Dweck, Moral Self-Theory was conceptualized as describing lay views of the moral self-concept as either malleable (incrementalist view) or fixed (entity view) in order to better capture the goal-achievement aspect of morality. To this end, research into the areas of implicit theories of intelligence and personality were drawn upon to explore the possibility that lay views of morality could help inform our understanding of moral behaviour. Three studies were designed to: 1) examine individuals’ perceptions of their moral self-concept over time for evidence of change and assess participants’ opinions towards that change, as well as …

The Knights Of The Round Table: The Mediating Role Of Parental Self-Efficacy And Parental Stress In Explaining Family Mealtime Predicting Child Behavior In Mturk Families, Dea Zgjani

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined how shared family meals influence low negative behavior in children via parental perceived stress and parental self-efficacy in children between the age three and six. Using a parallel mediation analysis, multiple regression analyses were conducted for 204 participants. Results indicated parental perceived stress to be a mediator in the relationship of the structure of shared family mealtimes and negative child affectivity, in contrast parental self-efficacy was not. Additionally, interesting results were conveyed from exploratory Hypothesis 1. First, there were a total of 94 mothers and 102 fathers who completed the study. Significant correlations were depicted between …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Alcohol Use Trajectories In College Students, Rebekah Lynn Damitz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Heavy alcohol use during college can result in numerous negative outcomes (e.g., accidents, worse academics, risky sexual behaviors, etc.). Understanding the risk-factors associated with elevated alcohol use in college are needed so prevention and/or interventions can be implemented to inhibit such dangerous behavior. Adverse childhood experiences have been identified as one key factor in the initiation and escalation of alcohol use, but there is limited research on samples that are in emerging adulthood. Specifically, the transition to college is a time when many students escalate drinking and can form the basis for longer term drinking patterns. It is not yet …

Associations Between Self-Reported Awe And Heart Rate, Laura E. Bernstein

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fredrickson’s (1998, 2013) broaden and build theory states that positive emotions can expand our social and cognitive awareness and provide health benefits. Some positive emotions, such as awe, may operate differently. We sought to understand how subjective reports of awe, induced through videos, correlate with HR. We know that HR tends to decrease with age (Umetani et al., 1998), individuals have less physiological reactivity as they age (Blanchard-Fields, 2007), and older adults report more positive emotions than negative emotions (Mroczek & Kolarz, 1998). Given these findings, we were interested in understanding whether there were age differences in self-reported awe and …

Using Online Training Modules To Enhance Parents' Early Literacy Training Skills And Understanding, Ayodele Sanni

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parental involvement is considered a crucial factor in developing children’s early literacy and reading skills, especially for children not yet in school. The present study aims to determine whether an online literacy module can increase early literacy knowledge in parents who may not have the training to promote their child’s learning. Additionally, the study examines parent perspectives of online video training and the practicality of the video’s content. To test the hypothesis that parent knowledge will increase after exposure to the online video, 29 Canadian parents (27 mothers, two fathers) with children aged 3 to 5 were provided with supervised …

First Language Loss And Maintenance In Adolescents And Young Adults From Immigrant Backgrounds, Wanxin Li

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Language attrition is a documented phenomenon that occurs when individuals progressively lose their first language (Schmid et al., 2007). This is particularly common among individuals who relocate to a country that speaks a foreign language that differs from their first language, as the societal language eventually becomes their dominant language. Deterioration and loss of the first language (L1) may result in consequences such as loss of ethnic and cultural identity, leading to the loss of a link to one’s country of origin (Cho & Krashen, 1998). Thus, the present study examined factors that may contribute to L1 attrition. The …

Family Resilience Model: The Influence Of Cultural Identity, Coping, Family Strain, Socioeconomic Status, And Community Support To The Formation Of Family Resilience Among Batak Toba Ethnic Group, Sri Redatin Retno Pudjiati, Sri Hartati Dewi Reksodiputro, R. Urip Purwono

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

A resilient family is a family that is capable of survival, overcoming difficult challenges, and then grow stronger (Walsh, 2006). Cultural identity is one of the factors that play a role in forming family resilience, because in order to build the understanding and values of family resilience one needs to build it in accordance to local culture. The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that build family resilience in Indonesian families, especially Batak Toba families. The measurement tool used in this study is Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire (WFRQ) to measure family resilience (α = .879), The Responses …

The Mediating Role Of Interpersonal Relationship In The Effect Of Emotional Competence On Prosocial Behaviour Among Adolescents In Malaysia, Pit-Wan Pung, Doh Hian Koh, Soon Aun Tan, Ming Hui Yap

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Prosocial behaviour has been regarded as a necessity for a society to function well. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional competence, interpersonal relationship and prosocial behaviour among 496 school-going adolescents in Malaysia. The subjects were selected using Multistage Cluster Sampling method. Profile of Emotional Competence (PEC), Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment Scale (IPPA) and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) were used to measure emotional competence, interpersonal relationship with peers and adolescents’ prosocial behaviour respectively. The results showed that there were significant positive relationships among emotional competence, interpersonal relationship with peers and prosocial behaviour. Further analysis …