Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Psychological Reactance As A Personality Characteristic: Relationships To Attachment And Autonomy, Maurine Traville Hargrove Ladner

Doctoral Dissertations

Psychological reactance is a construct that motivates people to restore lost or threatened freedoms (Brehm, 1966). Research is beginning to show that psychological reactance may be related to family of origin dynamics. Autonomy is developed through a secure attachment. Dowd (1993) stated that autonomy is fostered by an optimal level of reactance, and one's personal identity is dependent on the development of a flexible autonomy. This study explored the relationship between psychological reactance and attachment. Additionally, research has suggested that level of reactance may be related to level of autonomy. This relationship was empirically explored. Participants were assessed using the …

Task Demands And Age-Related Differences In Retrieval And Response Inhibition, Steffan Wilson, Katherine Kipp, Jennifer Daniels

Psychology Faculty and Staff Research

This study investigates the role of task demands on children's ability to inhibit irrelevant information using a block-cued directed-forgetting task. Recall performance was compared in a block-cued directed-forgetting task in which task demands had been decreased by presenting blocks of semantically related words with that in which unrelated words were presented. Inhibition patterns of recall were found at a younger age in the task that contained the related words than in the task that contained the unrelated words. These results suggest that previous results charting the development of cognitive inhibition may not have been exclusively the product of the development …

Stereotype Beliefs, Contextual Age, And Knowledge Of Aging In The Elderly, Angela Walker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Stereotype beliefs, contextual ages, and knowledge on aging of independent and intervention-receiving elderly living in both rural and urban communities and institutions were examined in a convenience sample of 114 participants who were assigned to location and setting. Contextual age is defined as one’s quality of life in regard to environmental, social, and health factors. Participants’ acceptance of stereotypes about the elderly, contextual ages, and knowledge of aging was measured by questionnaires. Results indicated there were no significant differences regarding stereotype acceptance, contextual age, and knowledge of aging between rural and urban elderly. However, differences between community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly …

Classifying Mother-Toddler Attachment Relationships In The Interesting-But-Scary Paradigm: Scoring System For Interactive Behaviour, Lindsey Forbes, Sandi Bento, Carey Anne Deoliveira

Psychology Publications

No abstract provided.

A Model For Runaway Outreach, Constance Lewis Cromartie

Educational Specialist, 2000-2009

Various types of runaway outreach methods and practices were investigated. A proposed model of runaway outreach was suggested based on the results of other documented and practiced methods of outreach. The sources used were from published literature, and a training manual devised by a runaway serviees program. The suggested model is congruent with other successful teen runaway outreach programs and it supports the position that adolescents and their families must be reached and supported before, during and after a runaway episode.

Quality Of Attachment And Perceived Parental Injunctions In Adult Children Of Alcoholics And Non-Alcoholics, Paula Gallagher

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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

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

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

The Reversibility Of Differential Rearing In Rats, Leann M. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Two groups of rats were raised in two different environments for 75 days beginning at 25 days of age. One group was raised in an enriched condition (EC), and one group in an impoverished condition (IC). At 91 days of age, all rats were tested on a spatial reversal learning task to determine if their early environments had affected their learning ability (Test 1). After Test 1 was completed, the rats were then placed in the opposite environment for another 75 days, with a second testing (Test 2) beginning at 165 days of age to determine if the new environment …

Socialization Of Boys And Girls In Natural Contexts, Carolyn P. Edwards, Lisa Knoche, Asiye Kumru

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Socialization is the general process by which the members of a cultural community or society pass on their language, rules, roles, and customary ways of thinking and behaving to the next generation. Sex role socialization is one important aspect of this general process. The goals of earlier work were to understand how, why, and at what age girls and boys begin to vary behaviorally along such dimensions as "nurturance," "aggression," and "dependency," including determination of how sex-typical dispositions are influenced by cultural factors. This chapter presents a new approach seeking to answer such questions as the following. How are different …

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

Psychology Faculty Publications

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

Individual Differences In Interpersonal Dependency In Older Adults: Development Of A Measure And Its Evaluation In Health Care Services, Deborah Gardner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Increasing dependency in older age is conceptualised differently by various disciplines. Psychologists have contributed to the understanding of dependency in older age by describing and explaining the functionality of dependency across the life-span. Psychological research has also examined variables (such as the responses of carers to-the dependent behayiours of older people) that exacerbate dependent feelings and behaviours (Baltes, 1996), but it has not included an individual difference measure of interpersonal dependency. According to Rosowsky~ Dougherty, Johnson and Gurian (1997), an understanding of the ways that personality style affects older adults' engagement and reception of health services would assist providers in …

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

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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

The Validity Of The Behavior Dimensions Scale In The Diagnosis Of Adhd In A Clinic-Referred Sample, Paul A. White

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of the Behavior Dimensions Scale (BDS; McCamey, 1995a; 1995b) in the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Forty-eight children, ages 6 to 11 years old, referred to a university-based psychology clinic for evaluation of ADHD, were participants in the study. Parents and teachers of children completed the parent and teacher rating forms of the BDS as well as the Achenbach parent and teacher rating forms (Child Behavior Checklist [CBCL] and Teacher's Report Form [TRF]; Achenbach, 1991a; 1991b) as part of a larger assessment battery. Results suggest that the ADHD …

Academic Achievement Of College Underclassmen As A Function Of Student Ethnicity And Parenting Style, Meghan Marie Sabin

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

One hundred and fifty-seven (N = 157) undergraduate students rated their mothers' and fathers' parenting styles (i.e., authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting). Information on GPA, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) was also obtained. Based on the literature, it was hypothesized that African American students from lower SES backgrounds would report lower GPAs than White college students from higher or lower SES backgrounds. Second, it was hypothesized that White and African American students from lower SES backgrounds would report lower GPAs. Third, it was hypothesized that African American students would report lower GPAs than White students. It was also hypothesized that …

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

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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

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

Honors Capstones

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

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

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

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

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

Psychology Faculty Publications

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

More Than Just Imaginative: A Qualitative Study Of Values In Literature For Young Children From The 20th Century, Anna L. Cates

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation endeavors to address the issue of proper methodology for character education. Although character education enjoys wide support among teachers, parents, and society at large, the proper manner with which to accomplish this educational objective continues to be debated. Literature-based approaches to character education are among the most popular means of presenting values to students. This popularity has prompted scholars to closely scrutinize the value patterns in literature for young people. In part, the resulting studies have aimed to ascertain the worthiness of literature itself as a medium for introducing discussion about values and related issues. The method used …

Self-Concept And Behavior: Changes As A Result Of Participation In Outward Bound, Douglas Vail Campbell

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Self-concept is an area of psychology that has received a large amount of attention in recent years. The idea of self-concept subsumes a number of related concepts including identity, self-esteem, and perceived self-efficacy. The clinical implications of self-concept disturbance and possible methods of altering self-concept are discussed. The current study was designed to evaluate several hypotheses about the way in which selfconcept may be changed by investigating the potential impact of Outward Bound on its individual participants. The present study examined the effect of the Outward Bound program, a wilderness educational program, on the self-concept and behavior of a group …

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

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

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

Detecting A Male's Attitudinal Change During The Course Of A Partner's Pregnancy Using The Index Of Marital Satisfaction, Melanie Ann Hummel

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Thirty-one married men who were expecting their first child were tested in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy with the Index of Marital Satisfaction to see if the subjects experienced a significant drop in marital satisfaction during the course of pregnancy. Previous research has shown that couples’ marital satisfaction significantly declines after the birth of a baby, but little research has explored the male’s attitudinal change during the pregnancy itself. The current study found that there was no significant change in the subjects’ marital satisfaction from early to late pregnancy. A larger study with a sample more representative …

Gender Differences In Gross And Fine Motor Abilities In Preschool Aged Children In West Virginia, Kelly R. Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in gross and fine motor abilities in preschool aged children in West Virginia. Subjects consisted of 21 males and 16 females. Data was collected via the West Virginia Educare Initiative using the Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs. Results of this study indicate that there are no significant gender differences in either gross motor or fine motor abilities in preschool aged children.

Evolving Questions And Comparative Perspectives In Cultural/Historical Perspective: Lessons From Research In Ngecha, Kenya, Carolyn Pope Edwards

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In studying human development in cultural-historical context, we must integrate multiple levels of analysis and strive to identify culture’s imprint inside the contexts of socialization. Issues of methodology are complex. This paper argues that both comparative and historical-interpretive studies are valuable and indeed generative for each other, using as an example an international, collaborative research project focused on East African women and changing childrearing values. The site was Ngecha, a Gikuyu-speaking community in the Central Province of Kenya, during a period of rapid social change from an agrarian to a wage earning economy shortly after national independence (1968-1973). The experiences …

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

Faculty Articles

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

Adult Adoptees And The Psychological Processes Involved In The Decision To Search For Origins, Anne Ranee Farrar

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Identifying And Building On Strengths Of Children With Serious Emotional Disturbances, Michael Orval Taylor

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore strengths assessments and the participation of parents in assessment of strengths and functioning of their children challenged by serious emotional disorders. The children in this study have a high level of exposure to mental illness, domestic violence and substance abuse in their biological families. These children are living with family members or foster families in the community, with the majority at continuing risk of placement outside of their homes and communities due to serious emotional and behavioral problems.

The research questions investigated are the concordance of families and professionals in assessment of …

The Use Of Photographic Caricatures To Examine The Development Of A Perception Of Facial Attractiveness, Bronwyn J. Struthers

Theses : Honours

Throughout the human population, there is remarkable agreement as to what constitutes an attractive face. The consistency of attractiveness ratings across age, gender and culture has led to a search for an underlying construct that determines facial attractiveness. Langlois and Roggman (1990) proposed the "average is attractive" hypothesis arguing that facial attractiveness is determined by the level of averageness of facial features. Langlois and Roggman (1990) created composite faces to examine this hypothesis but their methodology was criticised, particularly because the technique used to create the composites tended to remove facial flaws and blemishes. This led to the argument that …

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

Student Works (2000-2009)

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

Relationships Of Object Relations Functioning, Attachment Security And Self-Representations To The Adult Relatedness Of College Students, Florence Gussoni-Leone

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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