Developmental Psychology Commons^™

What Are The Possible Causes For Autism Spectrum Disorder?, Rochel Preiserowicz

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Ever since the mid 1980’s when Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) started to become increasingly prevalent, researchers have been trying to find a possible cause for it. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder that manifests itself in children who are between 18-30 months old. People with autism have reduced social skills, and they have a difficult time communicating verbally and non-verbally. Autism is diagnosed through a questionnaire and other instruments that allow psychologists, psychiatrists, speech therapists, neurologists and many other doctors to determine if a child has a form of ASD. There are many theories about what causes autism. It …

The Moderating Effect Of Resilience Factors On Bully Victimization And Subsequent Psychological Adjustment Problems Among Adolescent Girls, Alexandra Hayley Quinn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Bully victimization is linked to poor psychological adjustment, low self-esteem, and social withdrawal in children and teens. However, little research to date has examined the unique experiences of adolescent girls, the specific contributions of various subtypes of bullying, and the utilization of comprehensive instruments to examine the constructs of psychological adjustment and bully victimization. Further, researchers studying these issues have called for more studies to examine buffering factors that may protect teen girls from the psychological insults associated with peer victimization. This study advances research in the field by utilizing standardized self-report measures to examine the relationship between bully victimization …

Activating Race: Race Priming In An Undergraduate Population, Amber L. Nelson

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Can a race priming intervention improve evaluations of college scholarship applicants? Building on the work of Sanchez and Bonam (2009), the present study was designed to examine how evaluations of warmth, competence, and scholarship worthiness, change as a result of race priming and stereotype activation. The hypothesis was that race priming and stereotype activation would cause participants to consider how they may apply stereotypes in their judgments of candidates, resulting in a positive shift in their evaluations on dimensions of warmth, competence, and scholarship worthiness following a race priming intervention. Participants across three studies included 228 undergraduate students, and 24 …

The Effectiveness Of Patient-Centered Interdisciplinary Approach To Treating Chronic Pain In The Primary Care Setting, Corie Diane Houlbjerg

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

No abstract provided.

Coping Methods That Predict Reduced Symptoms Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Autumn Van Meter

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Objective: Most individuals experience a stressful event at some point in their lives. A third to half of those individuals will meet criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during their lifetime. Individuals that do not develop PTSD likely have better coping skills regarding trauma. Targeting specific coping strategies that reduce PTSD symptoms helps mental health professionals and providers create interventions and prevention skills.

Method: Eighty-four participants from a university took an online survey. Demographic information were gathered. Questionnaires were given to determine if the participant had experienced one or more traumatic events. Next, a questionnaire that measured the extent that …

The Effects Of A Grace Intervention In A Christian Congregation: A Study Of Positive Psychology In The Church, Jeff A. Moody

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

There are certain virtues or character strengths that promote well-being in a person’s life. Positive psychology research has examined these characteristics, but not within spiritual and religious contexts. It has been demonstrated that involvement in religious life contributes to overall well-being. There is an absence of research examining the influence of spirituality on positive psychology variables. Within the Christian tradition, grace is considered to be a catalyzing element which leads to transformation in the Christian’s character and relationships. It was hypothesized that a successful grace intervention within a Christian faith community would lead to increases in the awareness and enactment …

Challenges Of Child Trauma On Adoptive Families' Social And Emotional System, Jacqueline Yvonne Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adoption-focused psychoeducation is deemed essential in maintaining the permanency of traumatized children within a new family unit. However, adoptive parents of traumatized children struggle to find training to address their unique concerns. Guided by the lens of psychodynamic theory, the purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by adoptive families of traumatized children. Special focus was placed on the social and emotional relationships of the adoptive parents of traumatized children, to identify the realistic expectations towards attachment from the families' perspectives. Fifteen families were randomly selected to participate in this study from a group of 30 parents …

Personality And Creativity Correlates In Adults With Childhood Imaginary Companions, Carolyn Lasch

Scripps Senior Theses

A few studies have demonstrated differences in various personality attributes and creative abilities in children with imaginary companions. This study examined how recalled childhood engagement with an imaginary companion correlates with adult personality and creativity measures. It was hypothesized that creation of childhood imaginary companions would be positively correlated with adult creativity, but that this relationship would be mediated by certain personality attributes such as openness to experiences and extraversion. Other details of the imaginary companion experiences were also investigated. Two hundred and forty-six participants were recruited online to answer questions related to their personality and creativity, as well as …

A Narrative Study Of Emotions Associated With Negative Childhood Experiences Reported In The Adult Attachment Interview, Lynne Hartman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Attachment patterns, which tend to be stable over time, are passed from one generation to the next. Secure attachment has been linked to adaptive social functioning and has been identified as a protective factor against mental illness. The parents’ state of mind with regard to attachment—as measured with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (Main, Goldwyn, & Hesse, 2002)—predicts the attachment classification for the infant in Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Procedure (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). Earned-secure individuals have overcome negative childhood experiences to achieve a secure state of mind in adulthood. Earned security, like continuous security, strongly predicts infant security …

Finding Childcare For The Disabled Child: The Process And Decisions Through The Primary Caregiver’S Lens, Misty Dawn Torres

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In this qualitative, Grounded Theory study, the researcher examined the process that primary caregivers go through when selecting a childcare placement for children who have special needs. Data were collected through participant interviews with primary caregivers (n=10) who responded to recruitment notices posted on (1) listservs by organizations directly affiliated with early intervention and child care services; (2) local Internet classified sites; and (3) through word of mouth. The research demonstrated that caregivers who learned of their child’s disability in a prenatal diagnosis or prior to an adoption identified with having a greater sense of choice and control over their …

Emerging Adulthood In North America: Identity Status And Perception Of Adulthood Among College Students From Canada And The United States, Karin Bartoszuk

ETSU Faculty Works

This study examined perceptions of adulthood and associations with identity status development among college students in Canada and the United States.

Effects Of A Lego® Intervention On Social Skills In Kindergarten Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Marissa Yalamanchili

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study seeks to explore the outcomes of participation in a LEGO^® group on social skills in kindergarten students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. Specifically, the researcher hypothesized that the students who participated in the LEGO^® group would demonstrate greater increases in peer socialization, adult socialization, and social/emotional reciprocity, as measured by the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS). Participants consisted of six students with an ASD diagnosis who were in kindergarten in a public school district in suburban New Jersey. A single case study with multiple participants design was employed to investigate patterns of performance among students …

Parental Conversation Styles And Learning Science With Preschoolers, Emily A. Stone

Honors Theses and Capstones

Preschool children participated in a science-learning event about light in their own classroom. The same day as the event, parents or caregivers were instructed to converse with their children at home in the evening about either the science learning event or another ‘special or fun’ event that happened to them recently in whatever way was natural for them. One week later, a researcher interviewed children to examine what they remembered about the science-learning event. Analyses focused on the impact of the topic and degree of elaboration of parent-child conversations on children’s memory for the science-learning event a week later. The …

The Relationship Between Parenting Style And The Level Of Emotional Intelligence In Preschool-Aged Children, Giselle Farrell

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between parenting style and the level of emotional intelligence in preschool-aged children. The sample consisted of eighty parent participants of preschool-aged children between the ages of 3 and 6 years old. Participants completed the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) in order to assess their views on behaviors that parents typically demonstrate towards their children. Based on each participant’s responses on the PSDQ they were determined to favor one of the following three parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, or permissive. Participants also completed the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire- Very Short Form (CBQ-VSF) …

The Frequency And Competency Of Executive Functions Assessment And Intervention Among Practicing School Psychologists, Meghan A. Garrett

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study surveyed school psychologists (N = 167) primarily from six different states about their perceptions, knowledge, frequency, and application of executive functions assessment and interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore school psychologists’ practices in executive functions assessment and interventions. Results of the study indicated that school psychologists vary in their knowledge of executive functions, but the majority of them do not include the assessment of and intervention in executive functions deficits in their regular practice. However, school psychologists tended to report executive functions assessment and intervention more frequently when presented with specific disability classifications (e.g. autism, …

The Educational Potential Of Alcohol-Related Flushing Among Chinese Young People, Ian M. Newman, Duane F. Shell, Zhaoqing Huang, Ling Qian

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Aim: This paper describes Chinese university students’ understanding of the meaning of the alcohol-related flushing response and how they reacted to their own and someone else’s flushing in a group drinking situation. Method: The researcher surveyed 530 Chinese university students about their understanding of flushing and their perception of how people respond to a person who visibly flushes while drinking alcohol. Findings: Most students did not know about the physiological cause of flushing. There were significant gender differences in both reactions to and perception of responses to a person who flushes. There was no direct relationship between flushing and drinking …

Teachers Matter: An Examination Of Student-Teacher Relationships, Attitudes Toward Bullying, And Bullying Behavior, Cixin Wang, Susan M. Swearer, Paige T. Lembeck, Adam Collins, Brandi Berry

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the influence of student-teacher relationships and attitudes toward bullying on middle school students’ bullying behaviors. Gender and grade differences were also examined. Data were collected from 435 middle school students. Results indicated that students’ attitudes toward bullying mediated the relationship between student-teacher relationships and physical and verbal/relational bullying. There was a significant group difference on student-teacher relationships and attitudes toward bullying between bully, bully-victim, victim, and bystander groups and students not involved in bullying. In addition, sixth graders reported significantly more positive student-teacher relationships than seventh and eighth graders. Implications for the role of both cognitive and …

Descriptions Of Sampling Practices Within Five Approaches To Qualitative Research In Education And The Health Sciences, Tim Guetterman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although recommendations exist for determining qualitative sample sizes, the literature appears to contain few instances of research on the topic. Practical guidance is needed for determining sample sizes to conduct rigorous qualitative research, to develop proposals, and to budget resources. The purpose of this article is to describe qualitative sample size and sampling practices within published studies in education and the health sciences by research design: case study, ethnography, grounded theory methodology, narrative inquiry, and phenomenology. I analyzed the 51 most highly cited studies using predetermined content categories and noteworthy sampling characteristics that emerged. In brief, the findings revealed a …

Adolescents' Gender Typicality, Psychological Well-Being, And Experiences With Teasing, Bullying, And Rejection, Jennifer A. Jewell

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The current study examined whether adolescents’ gender-based victimization experiences (i.e., teasing, bullying, and rejection) mediated the association between gender typicality and psychological well-being. The current study also investigated whether daily experiences with the three types of gender-based victimization negatively impacted adolescents’ immediate emotional reactions. Participants were 570 seventh and eighth grade students (49.5% boys, 50.5% girls). During four visits over the course of two weeks, participants completed surveys about their own gender typicality, their psychological well-being (i.e., depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and body image), their experiences with gender-based teasing, bullying, and rejection, and their emotional responses to experiencing this victimization. Results …

“I Want To Leave—Go Far Away—I Don’T Want To Get Stuck On The Res[Ervation]”: Developmental Outcomes Of Adolescent-Aged Children Of Navajo Native American Teen Mothers, Rochelle L. Dalla, Heather R. Kennedy

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

In 1992 and 1995, data were collected from 29 Navajo Reservation teenage mothers. In 2007, 71% (n = 21) of the original sample participated in a follow-up investigation. Then in 2008, data were collected from their children. Here, we present results of the 2008 investigation by describing the developmental outcomes of 14 “at risk” youth—those born to Navajo Native American adolescent mothers. Grounded in Ecological Systems Theory, our primary goal was to identify risk and protective factors across social and physical contexts (e.g., family, peer, school, and reservation community). A supplemental goal was to examine associations among indices of psycho-social …