Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Preserving Progress: Why The Dd Network Matters Now More Than Ever, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

A Systematic Review Of Socioeconomic Status On Infant-Directed Speech, Laura K. Flaker

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project reviews the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on infant-directed speech (IDS) and examines potential interventions aimed at increasing the use of IDS. Existing research indicates that caregivers from higher-SES backgrounds tend to use more frequent and higher-quality IDS, including greater vocabulary diversity and more responsive interactions, compared to caregivers from lower-SES backgrounds. These differences are often influenced by factors such as parental stress, limited time, and access to resources. Understanding the differences in IDS is crucial to reducing disparities in language development. Findings from this review suggest that interventions such as increasing access to mental health services and …

Factors Related To Deviant Behavior, Chiara S. Popp

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Understanding the factors that contribute to deviant behavior across the life span remains an important goal in psychology and criminology. Guided by life course theory, the present study examined whether childhood trauma, social connectedness, perceived childhood socioeconomic status, and key life transitions are associated with deviant behavior in adulthood. The purpose of this research was to better understand how early life experiences and social relationships may shape behavioral outcomes later in life. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with adult participants in the United States, aged 18 to 55. Participants completed measures assessing adverse childhood experiences, perceived childhood socioeconomic status, …

Cultural Schemas Regarding Resilience And Strength In Blacks: Implications For Well-Being And Academic Success, Aniya G. Ashford

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Culturally shaped strength-based coping frameworks among Black college students, particularly the Strong Black Woman Schema and John Henry’s Active Coping, are associated with responses to racism-related stress and academic pressure, yet the ways these internalized expectations interact with emotional regulation, perceived cultural norms, and academic functioning remain unclear. Prior research has primarily examined these constructs in isolation or focused on psychological distress or physical health outcomes, often relying on single-method self-report designs that do not capture how culturally embedded coping processes are reflected in lived experiences; as a result, limited work has integrated identity-based schemas, behavioral coping strategies, and narrative …

The Relationship Between Heteronormativity, Shame- Proneness, Shame-Withdrawal, And Empathy In College- Aged Men, Megan M. Tang

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Due to rising social discourse regarding “the male loneliness epidemic,” this study aims to examine possible predictors of empathy in cisgender, heterosexual, college-aged males. Empathy promotes prosocial behavior and is necessary for healthy interpersonal interactions, which may be limited in male experiences due to adherence to heteronormative values and lower levels of self-disclosure in men. Shame is more likely to occur when men stray from traditional gender roles, and people are more likely to engage in social withdrawal behaviors when experiencing shame. Shame-proneness has also been shown to inhibit empathetic behavior. This study explores two hypotheses, the first of which …

Parental Distress, Coercive Control With Food, And Child Self-Regulation, Kattie Nguyen

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-regulation is the management of one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to adapt to a situation (Smith-Donald et al., 2007). During infancy and toddlerhood, parents foster self-regulation through co-regulation (e.g., sensitivity, responsiveness), helping children manage their emotions, behaviors, and thoughts (Butler & Randall, 2013). Parents who experience distress (e.g., depression, stress, anxiety) are more likely to use less responsive and harsher, controlling practices like coercive control. Coercive control with food is a practice where parents use food as threats or bribes to control their child’s emotions and behaviors (Vaughn et al., 2016). The present study examined the associations between parental distress, …

The Effect Of Coercive Control With Digital Devices On Emotion Regulation In Preschool-Age Children: An Experimental Approach, Gina Burroughs

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The experiment was an investigation on the differences in child emotion regulation between two groups during a disappointing gift task. Fifteen four-to-five-year-olds were randomly assigned to either receive coercive control with a digital tablet or an emotion-coping intervention. All children received a disappointing gift a second time as emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reframing, self-soothing, comfort-seeking) were recorded. A χ² test revealed a nonsignificant difference between frequency of post-manipulation emotion regulation strategies. Three cognitive-reframing subtypes were coded and an independent-samples t-test revealed between-group differences approaching significance, suggesting that adults can teach cognitive reframing to this age range. Additional analysis revealed …

The Role Of Personality Traits In The Relationship Between Executive Functioning And Identity Dimensions, Faith Alexander

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study examined the mediating role of personality traits on the relationship between executive functioning (EF) domains and dimensions of identity development. A cross-sectional, correlational design was utilized. 364 participants (MAge = 20.03, SD = 4.11) completed self-report measures of EF, personality, and identity. It was hypothesized that the Big 5 personality traits would mediate associations between EF components (working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility) and adaptive or maladaptive identity dimensions. Results indicated that conscientiousness partially mediated the relationship between working memory and identification with commitment, while fully mediating the relationship between working memory and commitment making, suggesting …

The Role Of Adolescent Attachment In The Relationship Between Trauma And Identity, Ellie Mitova

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Traumatic experiences have been shown to influence identity development during emerging adulthood, a complex developmental period. However, research examining how trauma interacts with adolescent attachment qualities to shape identity processes remains limited. Previous studies have primarily focused on infant attachment styles and their long-term developmental outcomes, leaving a gap in understanding how attachment qualities developed through relationships with parents and peers during adolescence may influence identity development in emerging adults. Additionally, while traumatic experiences have been associated with maladaptive identity processes such as rumination and identity distress, some research suggests that trauma may also contribute to deeper identity exploration and …

Moral Identity And Cognitive Mechanisms In Moral Decision-Making, Zachariah I. Hamzagic

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Moral identity can be broadly conceptualized as the degree to which an individual places moral values as directly relevant to their personal identity. A recently introduced developmental framework of moral identity argues that moral identity can be conceptualized as a lifelong goal. According to this theoretical framework, the moral identity goal (i.e., to be a moral person and engage in moral action) becomes stronger over the course of development by becoming more abstract (i.e., general), internalized (to satisfy personal ideals) and promotion (i.e., action) oriented. Additionally, the strength of the moral identity goal predicts moral functioning. To date there has …

Postsecular Coping Mode (Pscm): The Mechanism Of Sacred Meaning Reactivation Under Secular Pressure In Post-Soviet Societies, Aruzhan Akhmetova Aru, Mukhan Issakhan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article introduces the concept of Postsecular Coping Mode (PSCM) to explain the changing psychological dynamics of religiosity in post-Soviet societies. Classical studies of religious coping typically conceptualize religion as a relatively stable strategy or behavioral response. However, under postsecular conditions, religious experience increasingly appears as a context-sensitive, episodically activated meaning-regulation mode. In response, the notion of coping mode is conceptualized as a distinct psychological category analytically differentiated from conventional coping frameworks. The proposed PSCM model describes the selective reactivation of sacred meaning resources under conditions of perceived secular pressure. Its processual architecture unfolds through four stages: (1) the trigger …

Modeling Hazard Perception Learning In Novice Drivers With Autism: A Multimodal Simulation-Based Study, Erik J. Sand

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Young drivers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate difficulties with road-surveillance behaviors such as scanning ahead, monitoring mirrors, and identifying emerging hazards. These challenges can increase crash risk, particularly for adolescents with limited driving experience. This study explored whether a simple, video-game–based hazard-training program could improve hazard detection performance, visual scanning, and self-regulation in this population. Five participants aged 15–18 years, each identified by a parent as having ASD and possessing either a learner’s permit or no license, completed sequential Baseline, three Treatment, and Withdrawal phases using the SpeedLimit driving simulation. The study employed a single-case experimental design with …

“She’S Not A Regular Mom, She’S A Cool Mom”: A Phenomenological Study Of Permissive Maternal Parenting On An Adolescent Daughter’S Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Relationships, Chloe Anne D. Gallardo, Williana Erich R. Balane, Ailesgreis Rinoah C. Lim, Juriel Elpiz B. Lumabi, Anna Margarita E. San Juan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Within the context of Filipino gender and cultural norms, mothers often navigate both conservative and liberal approaches in raising their daughters. Among these, permissive parenting, which emphasizes freedom and minimal control, shapes adolescent development in unique ways. Therefore, this study explores how adolescent daughters perceive their permissive mothers’ influence on intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. Grounded in the Self-Determination Theory, the study examines how autonomy, relatedness, and competence emerge in their daughters’ lived experiences and mother-daughter relationships. This research addresses the lack of local literature by shedding light on mother-daughter dynamics through an interpretative phenomenological approach. This study explores the lived …

How What We Feel Is Associated With What We Hear Early In Development: The Role Of Vision In Audio-Tactile Association, Shibo Cao

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Sound-shape correspondences, also known as bouba-kiki effect, is the preferential mapping of nonsense sound like “baluma” to rounded abstract shapes while mapping nonsense sound like “takete” to spiky abstract shapes. Such association was seen for auditory and visual stimuli (AV), and auditory and tactile stimuli, which are touched but not seen (AT). Literature comparing typically-developing and early-blind adults showed AT association differ as a function of level of visual experience, and similar finding was also found comparing typically-developing adult and children. Specifically, typically-developing younger children benefited from prior AV experience of abstract shapes and nonsense sounds. While these findings suggest …

From Companionship To Grief: Lived Experiences Of Adolescent Dog Owners At De La Salle University, Dave Edrich Lao, Oel Bes, Zachariah Moscardon, Renzy Sabandal, Noel Bedia

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Pets have long been part of people’s lives, but today, they are often viewed as family, especially by adolescents who rely on them for comfort, support, and companionship. For many, the bond with a pet runs deep, making their loss emotionally devastating. However, the emotional and psychological impact of this grief, particularly among adolescents, remains largely overlooked in academic research despite growing recognition of the human-animal bond. This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of seven adolescent dog owners (ages 18–23) from De La Salle University Manila, focusing on understanding how they form attachments to pets, navigate caregiving responsibilities, and …

Experience Is Not Enough: Allan Combs And The Developmental Conditions Of Integration, Maria Giovanna Vianello

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Allan Leslie Combs occupies a distinctive position in consciousness studies through his sustained attention to the relationship between experience, interpretation, and development. This article examines Combs’s enduring contribution by focusing on his insistence that extraordinary or altered states of consciousness are neither self-interpreting nor inherently developmental. Drawing primarily on Consciousness Explained Better and related works, the paper argues that Combs’s central insight lies in viewing interpretation as a function of one’s developmental stage rather than treating it as a reflective process applied after experience. This perspective is articulated most explicitly through the Wilber–Combs lattice, which correlates states of consciousness with …

Integration Of Afghan Refugee Professionals Into American Society, Khatera Bahrami

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the social and psychological challenges Afghan refugee professionals experienced when they entered the U.S. workforce after being forcibly displaced. Trauma, job loss, and cultural adjustment significantly impacted their mental health and reintegration. The study examined how social and psychological obstacles impacted their cultural adjustment, well-being, and capacity to deal with credentialing and professional demands. This research employed a qualitative phenomenological design, grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and the Stress Appraisal Model, using 60-minute audio-only, semi-structured interviews with 10 Afghan refugee professionals. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), according to the findings, participants faced challenges relating to …

Hoarding And The Hoarded Home: A Phenomenological And Psychoanalytic Study, Brianna Stich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While research on hoarding tends to isolate hoarders from the homes they hoard and in which they live, the hoard and the hoarder share a life in the home. This study explores how hoarders live with and live through their hoard at home. It combines psychoanalysis and phenomenology within a unique methodological framework to provide a hermeneutic reading of the psychological significances of the hoarded home. In this study, the contemporary conceptualization of hoarding is historically situated and critiqued from a phenomenological perspective, and the view that hoarding is a single, behaviorally-defined syndrome that is explainable by a cognitive-behavioral model …

“In A Relationship”: Can Ai Take The Place Of A Human Relationship?, Hannah Smith

Student Scholar Symposium

This research explores the impact of AI on adolescent development, specifically focusing on how large-language models (LLMs) influence the way adolescents approach and value human connections. While AI can offer some benefits, it cannot fully replace the essential elements of human relationships, such as empathy, creativity, and emotional understanding, which are fundamental to a fulfilled life.

The Other Side Of The Wall: A Study On The Impact Of Paternal Incarceration On African American Children, Chance M. Wideman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explores the long-term psychological, relational, and systemic impacts of paternal incarceration on adult children. Guided by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Theory, Attachment Theory, and Family Process Theory, this study examines two research questions:

(1) What types of childhood trauma are associated with paternal incarceration?

(2) How does the childhood trauma associated with paternal incarceration impact one in adulthood?

The study draws on three in-depth narrative interviews with adults who experienced paternal incarceration in childhood. These interviews, framed as dialogic and reflexive spaces, illuminate the deep and layered consequences of incarceration across the lifespan.

Five central findings emerged: …