Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Love In The Golden Years: A Narrative Examination Of Romantic Relationships In Older Adulthood As Compared To Young Adulthood, Ariana Turner

Scripps Senior Theses

Life-stories offer an approach to understanding personality processes within a larger, developmental context. This study examines the role that one area of a person’s larger context (namely romantic relationships) plays in that person’s life-story. Specifically, the study examines whether this role changes over the lifespan. Nineteen students from a consortium of colleges in southern California, and an equal number of older adults living in a nearby retirement community, were interviewed about their romantic relationship history. The interview was semi-structured and asked participants about past and current relationships, and their most meaningful relationship overall. The interviews were coded for the themes …

Dreaming Big: Understanding The Current Context Of Academic And Career Decision-Making For Undocumented Students, Neeta Kantamneni, Kavitha Dharmalingam, Jessica Tate, Beth Perlman, Chaitasi R. Majmudar, Nichole Shada

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Undocumented student immigrants in the United States face substantial challenges in higher education including systemic, institutional, and cultural barriers that often impede access to and success in higher education. These barriers directly influence academic and work opportunities. The purpose of this article is to discuss the myriad of factors that affect the academic, career, and work development of undocumented college students. The three main objectives of this article are to (1) examine legislation that directly impacts access to higher education, (2) explore common barriers and systemic challenges undocumented college students face, and (3) review culturally sensitive interventions and resources for …

Toward A Human Rights Agenda: Social Issues That Have Shaped Psychology In The United States, Dena Abbott, Noelany Pelc, Debra Mollen

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The history of psychology is comparably brief relative to many other fields of study. Within this brief history, beginning in the late 19th century, there have been tremendous, impactful shifts and the coalescence of multiple events that have shaped the development of psychology, which has likewise impacted society. Rapid social, political, cultural, and technological changes have dramatically altered the experience of each successive generation, and the science of psychology has adapted to each change to remain relevant, effective, and innovative. The impact of these widespread changes has affected the ways in which psychologists study human behavior and practice psychotherapy. In …

Aggressive And Depressed: Long-Term Outcomes Of Childhood Maltreatment, Elizabeth Dotson

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

"Prior research has established a relationship between childhood maltreatment and resulting maladaptive outcomes, specifically, aggressive behaviors and depressive symptomology. The present research sought to extend the current body of literature by determining whether distinctive forms and functions of aggression are related to severity of childhood maltreatment, and whether gender plays a moderating role in this relationship, and if depression is uniquely associated with maltreatment and aggression type within an undergraduate population. Results were analyzed through a 2 x 2 between­ group factorial analysis of variance. Findings from the current study suggest that physical and psychological abuse are the strongest predictors …

Body Part Structure Knowledge In Infancy, Rachel Jubran

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Human faces, bodies, and hands convey critical social information (e.g., emotions, goals, and desires). Infants, like adults, are sensitive to such social information. Unlike infants’ knowledge of the structure of the human face and body, not much is known about infants’ knowledge of hands and feet. The current study tested infants for their preference between intact hand images and ones in which the same hands were distorted (i.e., location of at least one finger was altered to distort the typical structure of the hand). Infants at 3.5 months of age had a preference for the reorganized hand image, demonstrating that …

Motivational Effects Of Non-Contingent Reinforcement In Children, Alexandra S. Leaskas

Departmental Honors Projects

Non-contingent reinforcement is random and non-informative feedback. Berglas and Jones (1978) first reported that non-contingent reinforcement leads to self-handicapping in adult males. Self-handicapping can be described as a premeditated adaptive behavior that protects against negative attributions to the self after failure. The purpose of this study is to explore whether or not the same effect will be found in children of both sexes. Participants (children in first and second grade) received contingent (informative) or non-contingent (non-informative) reinforcement while playing the children’s game “I Never Forget a Face.” Children were given the opportunity to self-handicap immediately after reinforcement. After the opportunity …

An Exploration Of Attachment, Trauma, And Treatment Outcome In A Cognative Behaviorable Therapy-Based Group Anger Management Program: A Multiple Case Study, Cynthia K. Swope

Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between trauma, attachment styles, and treatment outcomes among violent offenders attending a group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based anger management program. Using a mixed method, multiple case study design, the researcher examined the individual experiences of seven individuals court-mandated to attend a community-based anger management program. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to develop the participant narratives used in the qualitative analyses. Participant scores on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire, the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR-R) Questionnaire, and the Novaco Anger Scale (NAS) provided quantitative measures of trauma history, attachment style, and anger disposition. The results of …

Examination Of The Relationship Between Caesarean Section Births And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Breea M. Rosas

All Master's Theses

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, a neurological disorder characterized by inattentive and hyperactive behaviors, has become increasingly more prevalent (CDC, 2010). Recent research has found associations between this disorder and Caesarean section births (Amiri et al., 2012; Juarez et al., 2008). The current study examined the relationship between C-section birth and self-reported symptoms of ADHD by college students on the Internal Restlessness Scale (Weyandt et al., 2003). Results of the study indicate a significant difference in mean ratings of ADHD symptoms between C-section and vaginally born participants (t = 3.683, p < .000). The current study supports previous findings of a relationship between C-sections and ADHD.

‘Let’S Work Together Towards Children’S Nutrition’: Building Bridge Between Child Care Providers And Parents For Promoting Child Health, Dipti A. Dev, Courtney Byrd-Williams, Samantha Ramsay, Brent A. Mcbride, Ashleigh L. Murriel, Chrisa Arcan, Anna M. Adachi-Mejia

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

Objective: To investigate childcare providers’ perspectives for communicating with parents to promote children’s nutrition and health.

Design, Setting, and Participants: In-person, semistructured interviews. Licensed center-based child care. Eighteenfull- time childcareproviders caring for children2-5 years old, 67% caring for children who pay with federal subsidy.

Outcome Measures and Analysis: Participants were selected using maximum variation purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted until saturation was achieved. NVivo, thematic analysis used to code and identify themes and meta-themes regarding providers' perspectives for parent communication.

Results: Two meta-themes emerged from providers’ responses: barriers to communication, and strategies to communication. Barriers to communication include: parents are …

Nutrition Education Resources In North Carolina–Based Head Start Preschool Programs: Administrator And Teacher Perceptions Of Availability And Use, Sarah Lisson, L. Suzanne Goodell, Dipti A. Dev, Kristi Wilkerson,, Archana V. Hegde, Virginia C. Stage

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

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide new insight into common barriers to the availability and use of nutrition education (NE) resources in Head Start preschool programs based on administrator and teacher perceptions.

Methods: In-depth, semistructured phone interviews (n = 63) were conducted with administrators (n = 31) and teachers (n = 32) from North Carolina–based Head Start programs. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed qualitatively using content analysis to identify common themes.

Results: Five emergent themes were identified within the areas of NE resource availability and use and barriers to NE resource availability and …

Does Parental Financial Assistance Assist Young Adults To Be Financially Healthy? Effects Of Parent-Child Relationship Qualities On Financial Outcomes And Happiness, Ji Hyun Kim, Julia C. Torquati

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

Many parents provide financial support for young adult children (Padilla-Walker, 2012). This financial support could help or hinder young adults' financial wellbeing. This current study investigates young adults' financial outcomes (e.g., financial responsibility, money management behavior and worry about money) as mediators of the associations between qualities of parent-child relationships (e.g., closeness with father, closeness with mother, spending time with father, and spending time with mother) and young adults' overall happiness. The role of parental financial support was tested as a moderator of all significant pathways.

Data from the Transition into Adulthood data set of the 2011 Panel Study of …

Evaluation Of The Health Rocks! Program: The Association Of Youth Engagement With Program Outcomes, Yan Xia, Sarah Taylor, Maria Rosario De Guzman

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

This evaluation research examined the relationship between program process and program outcome, specifically, youth engagement in the national 4-H Council Health Rocks! program and their program outcomes. Based on program evaluation surveys completed after the program by participants, youths’ engagement in the program was associated with their gains in knowledge and skills about substance use, and personal assets related to avoiding risks. When youth participants find a program interesting, are actively engaged in the program, and find the program staff friendly, they benefit more from the program. Findings underscore the importance of engaging curriculum and friendly staff to the success …

Early Childhood Educators’ Knowledge, Beliefs, Education, Experiences, And Children’S Language- And Literacy-Learning Opportunities: What Is The Connection?, Rachel E. Schachter, Caitlin F. Spear, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice, Jessica A.R. Logan

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

In this study, we investigated how multiple types of knowledge and beliefs, along with holding an early childhood-related degree and teaching experience, were linked to amounts of early childhood educators’ language and literacy instruction. Quantile regression was used to estimate associations between these variables along a continuum of language and literacy instruction for 222 early childhood educators. In general, low levels of language- and literacy-related instruction were observed; however, the use of quantile regression afforded unique insight into the associations of knowledge, beliefs, education, and teaching experience with instruction when levels of instruction were sufficient. These findings would not have …

Investigating The Effects Of A Parent-Mediated Intervention On Latino Parent-Child Verbal Interaction And Children's Receptive Vocabulary, Patricia G. Onorato

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate parent-child verbal interactions in Spanish in a group of Latino preschoolers growing up in the United States through a parent-mediated program at home, and the effects of the program on their receptive vocabulary in Spanish. A single subject multiple baseline across participants design was used in the study. The participants were 3 Latino mothers and their sons, with low family income, living in the United States. The intervention taught the mothers strategies to enhance their children’s language through a sharing-book activity. The study lasted for 6 weeks during which baseline and intervention conditions data were …

Estimate Of Adolescent Alcohol Use In China: A Meta-Analysis, Yonghua Feng, Ian Newman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: A profile of adolescent alcohol use for China that specified gender, school type and a consistent definition of alcohol use.

Method: A total of 1,646 papers were identified in the Chinese- and English-language literature published 2007–2015 that reported Chinese adolescent drinking rates. Selection criteria were established a priori. Thirty-two papers met all the selection criteria. Five papers were eliminated because they were found to be duplicate reports of the same data.

Result: The resulting sample included 26 papers—24 in Chinese and two in English, 20 describing middle school students, 12 describing high school students, and six describing vocational …

Parent-Teacher Communication About Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Examination Of Collaborative Problem- Solving, Gazi F. Azad Phd, Mina Kim Med, Steven C. Marcus Phd, Susan Sheridan Phd

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Effective parent-teacher communication involves problem-solving concerns about students. Few studies have examined problem solving interactions between parents and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a particular focus on identifying communication barriers and strategies for improving them. This study examined the problem-solving behaviors of parents and teachers of children with ASD. Participants included 18 teachers and 39 parents of children with ASD. Parent-teacher dyads were prompted to discuss and provide a solution for a problem that a student experienced at home and at school. Parents and teachers also reported on their problem-solving behaviors. Results showed that parents and …

Catching Up And Staying Out Of Trouble: Serious Juvenile Offenders’ Facility School Experiences And Their Transition To The Community, Lena Jäggi

Theses and Dissertations

Despite recent drops in rates, juvenile incarceration remains a serious issue in the United States (Hockenberry, 2013; Mendel, 2011). One shared part of the incarceration experience across different systems and facility types is the obligation for juvenile offenders to receive correctional education. Ample research demonstrates that increased academic achievement, attending community school, and being employed are connected to better community outcomes and desistance, yet little is known about how school experiences in the facility influences these outcomes. Applying life-course theory of the development of crime (Sampson & Laub, 1997, 2005), the present study investigates whether correctional education serves as a …

The Family Affective Attitude Rating Scale In Children With Asthma: The Association Between Relational Schemas And Emotional Security, Jessica L. Greenlee

Theses and Dissertations

The Five Minute Speech sample is a cost effective, efficient means of data collection in developmental research, but recent criticism of traditional coding methods associated with the methodology has spurred the creation of more developmentally appropriate coding systems. The purpose of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of a new coding system, The Family Affective Attitudes Rating Scale (FAARS), for use in children with chronic illness. Results did not support the use of this coding system, at least in its current form, in a pediatric asthma population. Discussion focuses on whether the FAARS may be of use …

Intersectional Examination Of Individuation And Emotional Intelligence: Longitudinal Associations With Positive Psychology And Multicultural Psychology, Laura E. Miller

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a unique transitional period that has only recently been introduced into the literature (Arnett & Taber, 1994). Gaps exist in explicating underlying concepts of positive development in this developmental period. Individuation and emotional intelligence have been identified as crucial developmental tasks for emerging adults (Lapsley & Edgerton, 2002; Fernandez, Salamonson, & Griffiths, 2012). Positive psychology and multicultural psychology theories provide insights into how these components may be promoted over time. The purpose of the study was to identify promotional factors to healthy development outcomes in sample of ethnically diverse emerging adults. Participants in the study included 293 …

The Influence Of Running Extreme Obstacle Courses On Positive Affect, Character Strengths, And Well-Being, Ewa Opala

Dissertations and Theses

A large body of research demonstrates the positive benefits of numerous types of physical activity. However, the outcomes of running extreme obstacle courses (EOCs) remain unexamined. The aim of the present study was to explore the influence of running EOCs on positive affect, character strengths and well-being. The study utilized a pre-existing sample of 21 participants who filled out an online survey at two time points (pre-and-post race). The findings showed that participating in an EOC was related to increased positive affect (PA) and psychological well-being. Running an EOC with a team was associated with increased post-race teamwork and the …