Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

Positive To Negative Affect, Forgiveness, And Relationship Quality In Married Couples, Rebekah M. Gardner, James Harper

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Gottman (1999) proposes that a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative behaviors is related to relationship quality. Current study examines forgiveness as a mediating variable. Halchuck et al. (2010) found that couples who recovered from attachment insecurities reported significantly higher levels of forgiveness.

Predicting Dyadic Congruence In Retirement Plans Among Middle-Aged Couples, Benjamin R. Malczyk, Jeremy Yorgason

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Although there are many studies examining couple’s financial preparation for retirement, there are relatively few examining how couples expect to use their time in retirement. This does not undermine the importance of how coupes plan to use their time. Research has shown that leisure time usage was a bigger challenge than finances for retired couples (Henry, Milller, & Giarrusso, 2005).The current study extends previous research by having couples answer an open ended question about their retirement plans and seeing the congruency between planned leisure and time usage by husbands and wives. Specifically this study seeks to answer: 1. What do …

The Positive Effects Of Video Gaming Within Families, Maren K. Christiansen, Sarah Lewis, Jesse Croskrey, Meredith Mehner

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Although in the past, research on video games has focused on the negative aspects, our study examines the positive influence of video games if used in the right context. Though co-playing, spending time together, and aiming for a common goal, family connectedness and other good outcomes could be expected to increase (Aarsand, 2007). In sum, our study seeks to find any potential for the enhancement of family relationships through the use of video games.

Violence In Children's Popular Television Programs, Victoria Bramwell, Ashley Herr, Christine Sickles, Jessica Kugath

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Previous research done on violence in the media has primarily focused on the effects it has on children. Researchers have tried to prove that children’s viewing of television violence is linked to negative side effects such as encouraging children to imitate their violent acts in social settings (Simmons, Stalsworth and Wentzel, 1999), it’s effects can lead to psychological trauma (Singer, et al., 2004), and even that it can have an impact on a child’s moral reasoning (Krcmar, Viera, 2005). However, little research has been done on how much violence is portrayed in popular television shows and if it increases with …

At The Crossroads Of Divorce: A Formative Evaluation Of A Self-Directed Intervention For Utah's Divorce Orientation Education Class For Divorcing Parents, Carma Martino Needham

Theses and Dissertations

This formative evaluation focuses on feedback regarding a self-guided educational intervention for those at the crossroads of divorce. Entitled Should I Keep Trying to Work It Out? A Guidebook for Individuals and Couples at the Crossroads of Divorce (And Before), this Guidebook aims to help individuals minimize possible ambiguity in the decision-making process surrounding divorce. Fifty-three participants were recruited through divorce orientation education classes to provide formative feedback via brief phone surveys. Eighteen of these provided in-depth interviews for additional feedback. Though the participants in this study were largely past the crossroads of divorce, most agreed or strongly agreed …

Individual And Family Predictors Of The Caregiver Burden Of Parents Rearing A Child With Diabetes, Joan Margaret Leishman

Theses and Dissertations

Caregiver burden results from the stress that parents feel due to their responsibilities as a caregiver. This study was performed to analyze a proposed model of variables that predict caregiver burden of parents raising a child with type 1 diabetes, as well as determine differences in mothers' and fathers' models of caregiver burden. The predictor variables of caregiver burden were based on mothers and fathers perceptions of marital conflict, marital satisfaction, depression, child externalizing behaviors, number of children in the family, and family income. The results showed that for mothers, marital conflict, depression, and child externalizing behaviors had significant direct …

Parental Factors As A Moderator Of The Co-Occurrence Of Substance Use And Depression In Hispanic Adolescents, Rebecca Shoff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parenting factors and Hispanic adolescent substance use and depression. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between parental support, parental knowledge, and parental psychological control among Hispanic adolescents' use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, hard drugs and depressive symptoms. The sample included 839 Hispanic (primarily Mexican) 9th – 12th graders from west Texas area school districts who were given a self-reported survey to assess parental behaviors, substance use, and adolescent depression. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), findings indicated that higher levels of maternal support were related to lower levels of depressive …

Anchors Of Religious Commitment In Adolescence, Emily Gwilliam Layton

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents from California and New England. It identifies a new construct, "anchors of religious commitment," to describe what adolescents are committing to as a part of their religious identity. Seven anchors of religious commitment are discussed: (a) religious traditions, rituals, and laws; (b) God; (c) faith traditions or denominations; (d) faith community members; (e) parents; (f) scriptures or sacred texts; and (g) religious leaders. Various forms of expression are identified within each anchor of religious commitment, with issues of relationships …

Romantic Relationships And The Physical And Mental Health Of College Students, Scott R. Braithwaite, Raquel Delevi, Frank Fincham

Faculty Publications

This study tested the hypothesis that, analogous to married individuals, college students in committed romantic relationships experience greater well-being than single college students. In a sample of 1,621 college students, individuals in committed relationships experienced fewer mental health problems and were less likely to be overweight/obese. There were no significant differences between groups in frequency of physical health problems. Examination of 2 models suggested that being in a committed romantic relationship decreases problematic outcomes largely through a reduction in sexual partners, which in turn decreases both risky behaviors and problematic outcomes. These results are discussed in the context of how …

Estimating The Prevalence And Frequency Of The Adolescent Drug Use: Do The Models Fit The Measures?, John P. Hoffmann, Stephen J. Bahr

Faculty Publications

We critically review recent studies to examine the measurement schemes and empirical models used to examine adolescent drug use, with a particular eye toward determining whether differences between the prevalence and frequency of use have been addressed. Several theoretical models suggest that there are differences but we find relatively few studies that have considered prevalence versus frequency, even though selection effects that dictations these processes affect conclusions about predictors of drug use. Using data from the 2004 U.S. National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), (n=16,235), we provide an empirical example of why distinguishing prevalence and frequency of use …

Social Relationships And Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review, Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Faculty Publications

Background

The quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality.

Objectives

This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk.

Data Extraction

Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships.

Results

Across 148 studies (308,849 …

Division Of Household Labor: Changes Over The Course Of The Marital Relationship, Christopher W. Matteson

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has established the influence of the division of household labor between spouses on marital satisfaction, as well as the mental health of each spouse. Less is known about how the division of labor changes during the course of marriage. The family development perspective suggests that division of labor will change in response to different stages and circumstances, while the homeostasis perspective suggests that the division of labor will remain stable throughout the life course. This study used data from a 35 year longitudinal study of married women to examine changes of household division of labor over the life …

The Moderating Effect Of Adult Attachment Style In The Intergenerational Transmission Of Aggression In Marriage, Faith Rebekah Torres

Theses and Dissertations

Aggression in the context of marriage and family is a common and serious issue in therapy with couples and families. While it is known that aggression may be transferred across generations, the exact mechanism for how it is transmitted is not fully understood. This study presents adult attachment style as a moderator through which the relationship between family of origin aggression and marital aggression is developed. The present study examined Relationship Evaluation (RELATE) questionnaire data for 332 individuals. Anxious and avoidant attachment were examined as potential moderators between family of origin (FOO) physical aggression or parental hostile conflict style and …

Family-Of-Origin Experience And Emotional Health As Predictors Of Relationship Self-Regulation, Matthew Dean Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The general purpose of this study was to understand differences in one's ability to implement relationship self-regulation (RSR) based on the predictor variables of parental marital satisfaction, parent-child relationship quality, and neuroticism. Participants were 380 married couples (760 individuals) in their first marriage who completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) between 2006 and 2008. This sample was used to test a structural equation model of the study variables. Results were mixed, indicating that proximal factors may have a larger effect on RSR than more distal family-of-origin factors. There was no direct relationship between perceived parental marital satisfaction and RSR for males …

The Hurtful Relationship: A Longitudinal Study Of Relational Aggression And Physical Health In Marriage, Matthew P. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has examined the link between overt marital conflict and physical health and found that negative interactions in marriage may lead to poorer health. Moreover, recent studies have identified relational aggression as a type of covert marital conflict. However, none have tested for effects of relational aggression on physical health in marriage. The purpose of this research is to further study this type of conflict by examining longitudinal dyadic data to determine how subtle, indirect marital conflict like relational aggression affects the health of spouses. Data from 316 couples, from the first two waves of the BYU Flourishing Families …

The Relationship Between Severity Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Adult Perceptions Of Intimacy With Internalized Shame As A Mediator, Sarah Williamson

Theses and Dissertations

A community sample of adult women (N = 581) were surveyed to determine whether internalized shame mediated the relationship between severity of childhood sexual abuse and adult perceptions of intimacy in couple relationships. Characteristics of abuse, duration of abuse, frequency of abuse, age when the abuse began, and physical force used during the abuse were used to determine severity of abuse. It was predicted that 1) women sexually abused as children (N = 318) and non-abused women (N = 263) would significantly differ in their levels of internalized shame and their perceptions of intimacy; 2) severity of abuse would be …

Negative Marital Interaction And Positive Child Outcomes With Parent/Child Attachment As A Moderating Variable, Chelsea A. Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study investigated the potential moderating effects of attachment on negative marital interaction and positive child outcomes, specifically school engagement and child self-regulation. Waves I and II of data were drawn from the Flourishing Families Project; participants were 296 two parent families (fathers, mothers and children ages 10-13). Both observational and questionnaire data were used in data collection. Negative marital interaction was assessed using observational codes from the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scales. All three family members' perceptions were used in assessing parent/child attachment and the potential positive child outcomes of school engagement and child self-regulation. As negative marital …

The Importance Of Using Sem When Studying Multiple Dimensions Of Marital Satisfaction: Measurement Invariance Across Relationship Length And Gender, Eric C. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Satisfaction is one of the most common dependent variables in the research of adult intimate relationships. Research has demonstrated that length of time married and sex of participants influence the characteristics of marriage, yet little research has been done to determine the characteristic changes in relationship satisfaction over time and across sexes. A review of theory and research suggests both the manners and specific items of satisfaction that vary between groups. RELATE data was used to uncover significant differences in the importance of specific items of marital satisfactions between groups based on relationship length, and between husbands and wives.

Russian Parenting: Interactions With Relational Aggression Over Time, Emily Kim Keister

Theses and Dissertations

The current study considers Russian parenting (psychological control) and child relational aggression across a decade. We used parent and child driven path analyses to test whether peer-directed and romantic relational aggression is associated with psychological control both concurrently as well as longitudinally. Using AMOS, parent and child driven models were compared and the parent driven models were found to have more significant concurrent and longitudinal linkages. Maternal psychological control was significantly stable over time; relational aggression was also stable over time for girls. Maternal psychological control at Time 1 was associated with relational aggression for girls at Time 1 and …

Triangulation Process: An Examination Of Differentiation And Family Stress As Indicated By Bowen, Michael Robert Whitehead

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the Bowenian notion that triangulation is precipitated by the interaction between a person's level of differentiation-of-self and the amount of chronic familial emotional anxiety. Another aspect of this study was to examine the relationship between marital quality and child triangulation. The sample for this study was taken from the Flourishing Families project and included only the families that indicated marriage as their relationship status, resulting in a total of 336 families with a target child between the ages of 11 and 14. Initial bivariate analysis indicated that differentiation-of-self, and family stress would be associated with child triangulation. …

Premarital Couple Predictors Of Marital Relationship Quality And Stability: A Meta-Analytic Study, Jeffrey Brown Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the most important premarital couple protective and risk factors associated with marital relationship quality and stability by utilizing meta-analytic procedures to calculate standardized effect sizes for each factor. Extant research was identified and evaluated using the following inclusionary criteria: the dependent variables had to measure some form of marital quality or stability, the independent variables had to be premarital in nature, the participants had to have married after 1969, and the statistics necessary for the computation of a zero-order correlation effect size had to be available. Meta-analytic procedures were then utilized to …

Marriage Preparation Education Programs: An Evaluation Of Essential Elements Of Quality, Geniel Childs

Theses and Dissertations

The efficacy of marriage preparation education (MPE) continues to be demonstrated through participant outcome research. However, understanding the elements that make MPE effective is still unclear and standards for quality have not been established. In an effort to address these deficits and promote improvement in the field of MPE, currently available and widely recognized marriage preparation education programs were examined according an evaluative model created by Hughes (1994). The four components of the Hughes model (content, instructional process, implementation process, and evaluation) outline research-supported elements that are essential in the development of quality family life educational programs. Eight MPE programs …

The Role Of Emerging Adult And Parent Financial Behaviors, Criteria And Assistance On The Marital Horizons Of Emerging Adults, Laura Jo Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies indicate that financial independence is important to the transition to adulthood. This study, grounded in a marital horizon theory of emerging adulthood, examines the role of emerging adult and parent financial patterns on emerging adults' marital horizons. Correlations, stepwise-regressions and a MANOVA were conducted using a sample of 403 emerging adults and 326 parents that were recruited from five college sites across the United States. Results demonstrated that significant differences existed between finances and emerging adults' marital horizons. Specifically, emerging adults with higher financial criteria and who received more parental financial assistance were more likely to report not …

Religion And Academic Achievement Among Adolescents, Benjamin Mckune, John P. Hoffmann

Faculty Publications

In this article, we examine the association between religiosity and academic achievement among adolescents. Recent research demonstrates a positive association between religiosity and academic success. However, some studies show that this association is due to family and community factors; for example, variation in levels of family capital among religious affiliates could explain it. Yet whether religious factors affect academic achievement among adolescents might also be due to the concordance or discordance of religiosity between parents and their children. Using data for two years from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examine the associationbetween adolescents‘ religiosity, parents‘ religiosity, and …

Changing Patterns Of Family Care In Uganda: Father Absence And Patrilineal Neglect In The Face Of Hiv/Aids, Jini Roby, Stacey Shaw, Elinor Wanyama Chemonges, Cole D. Hooley

Faculty Publications

In this study, 162 HIV-positive mothers in Uganda were interviewed about the involvement of fathers and paternal kin, regarding current support they provide to children and as child placement options in the event of the mother’s death. More than half of the children had fathers who were already deceased. Another one third had fathers who were alive but did not live with the children. Only 16% of the children were living with and being supported by their fathers. Mothers indicated a strong preference for placement with maternal kin, in contrast to traditional expectations of paternal kin care. Patterns of change …

Marital Problems And Marital Satisfaction: An Examination Of A Brazilian Sample, Nalu De Araujo Nunes

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to examine the types of problems faced by Brazilian couples in the sample, the gender differences in the perception of marital problems, and the associations between marital problems and marital satisfaction. The sample used in this study was part of the third wave of data collection of a longitudinal study of 126 families living in Porto Alegre, a city in southern Brazil. The RDAS was the instrument used to assess marital satisfaction. Marital problems were identified by asking participants to check the problems they perceive in their marriage from a list of common marital …

Acknowledging Morality In Methodology, Rachelle Erika Howard

Theses and Dissertations

Marriage and family research has its foundation in the positivist tradition, which dismisses the relevance of morality to the scientific enterprise. Yet morality is inherent in marriage and family studies—both in the topics studied and in methodology. In this conceptual research, positivist assumptions are explicated to show that positivist methodology relies on a stance of moral neutrality that turns out to be a hidden morality. This hidden morality requires that people be studied as other objects. The need for a methodology that has an explicit moral philosophy and that acknowledges that humans are not “things” is discussed. Levinas' relational philosophy …

Sacrifice In Marriage: Motives, Behaviors, And Outcomes, Kevin Shitamoto Figuerres

Theses and Dissertations

Today's society appears to have become focused on the individual and his/her exclusive needs in relationships. Self-sacrifice has seemingly become a forgotten value and behavior. The motives for sacrificing for another can widely vary for each individual. This study examined the effects of couples' sacrificing behaviors and the motives for sacrificing on the couples' marital quality. In this research, a random sample of 138 couples from Oakland, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Ogden, UT; and Atlanta, GA were assessed on these variables using the Self Perception of Sacrifice, Partner Perception of Sacrifice, Motives for Sacrifice, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and Personal Assessment …

Making Sense Of Their World: Sensory Awareness And Sensory Reactivity As Predictors Of Social Interaction In Early Childhood, Cortney Anne Evans

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) test the validity of a sensory reactivity measure adapted for parents of preschool-age children, (b) examine if different modalities of sensory reactivity (i.e. smell, touch, taste, etc.) emerge together or if differing thresholds of reactivity exist between sensory modalities, (c) see how parental ratings of preschoolers' sensory reactivity are related to children's behaviors in the classroom, and (d) see if sensory reactivity bears different relationships to children's social behaviors than do other aspects of temperament. A total of 260 parents (242 mothers, 18 fathers) and 10 teachers of 260 children (131 male, …

Dating In Midlife: A Dyadic Approach Examining Partner Perceptions On Relationship Quality, Rachel Sheffield

Theses and Dissertations

Using a matched-partner dataset of 660 midlife couples, this study examined dating relationships at midlife from the perspective of both male and female partners. It also explored ways various life course factors such as marital history, children, cohabitation, relationship length, and social approval related to partners' perceptions of one another and to subsequent relationship quality. Findings indicated heterogeneity in midlife dating experiences. Actor and partner effects of enhancement were most often linked with greater satisfaction and fewer problems for never-married couples, yet enhancement was not related to relationship stability for them. For couples where only one partner had been previously …