Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Intelligence Testing, Holly Van Duzer, Donna Devaughn Kreskey

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Intelligence tests are tools used by psychologists to objectively measure an individual’s cognitive ability and prior knowledge. The administration, scoring and interpretation of intelligence tests are conducted by trained professionals to ensure standardized administration and appropriate use of the resulting test scores. Intelligence testing measures an individual’s current intellectual functioning, to diagnose an intellectual disability, and to diagnose specific learning disabilities, among other reasons. However, societal concerns and controversies surround the acceptance and use of intelligence testing.

Mary Salter Ainsworth, Carmina Vital, Donna Devaughn Kreskey

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Mary Salter Ainsworth, (born December 1, 1913, Glendale, Ohio – died March 21, 1999, Charlottesville, Virginia), was an American Canadian developmental psychologist best known for her contributions to attachment theory, including the Strange Situation Procedure for assessing individual differences in attachment.

Occupational Choice, Gregory John Vitale

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Occupational choice is a multi-determined decision with influences from psychological traits, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. In addition, what a person ultimately does for a living is influenced by what they are capable of, what they like doing, what society requires, and what they can make a living doing. In other words, it is the combination of skill, enjoyment, societal need, and monetary return. This combination, if attained in harmony, is what the Japanese call “ikigai,” or “a reason for being.” Most people grow up thinking this harmony exists for them in some capacity; however, most people must make sacrifices …

Blended Families, Brizel Trinidad, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Blended families are more common than ever. Recent statistics show that more than half of marriages end in divorce, with the eventual merge of two new families. The families go through several stages to create their new family structure. Several models resemble the integration of family members into the newly defined family. In 2001, Braithwaite and his colleagues identified five developmental pathways or trajectories that blended families followed as they become a family: accelerated, prolonged, stagnating, declining, and high-amplitude turbulent.

Trait Stability, Gregory John Vitale

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Trait stability is the concept that personality structures largely remain consistent over time. Traits, like many concepts in psychology, tend to be considered one part nature and one part nurture; that is, individuals are born with some qualities and learn to employ others based on their environment. Psychologists have taken the concept of innate traits and made inferences about how they may or may not be related to some psychological disorders, especially personality disorders, and have found mixed results. This has immense developmental implications. For one, despite a child’s temperament traits at an early age, the environment can change them. …

Personal Control And Domains, Gregory John Vitale, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Through early experiences, people develop a growing sense of what they can control. One of the first ways researchers began to examine control was to define the degree to which an individual believes control is self-determined (i.e., internal locus of control) or not (i.e., external locus of control). An internal locus of control has traditionally been considered the “favored” profile, being associated with low levels of depression and other common psychopathology. A more modern view of locus of control suggests that a balance between both internal and external loci of control may foster the most adaptive outlook, and that it …

Cohabitation, Shanna K. Williams, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Cohabitation is defined as the act of an unmarried romantic couple (of any sexual orientation) residing together under one roof. The concept of cohabitation is not new and the rates with which it is occurring have been growing throughout the United States over the past several decades. The idea to live as unmarried romantic partners first became popular in Scandinavian countries where, for a variety of reasons, cohabitation remains an accepted and even valued option.

Robbers Cave Study Summary, Michael L. Woodward, Lisa L. Persinger

Essays in Developmental Psychology

In 1949, a group of social psychologists led by Muzafer Sherif began a series of experiments looking into the origin of group conflict and prejudice within groups of 1112 year old boys. Social psychologists had previously focused research on patterns of discrimination, conflict, and prejudice. However, few empirical investigations had been devoted to examining how these divisive thoughts and behaviors develop, and why. The goal of the project was to naturally create prejudice within controlled environments where no prejudice had existed before. The study also examined methods for eliminating prejudice once it had been created.

Learning (Communication), Talia Waltzer, Heidi Kloos

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Children are impressive learners. For instance, after a few years of exposure, they can utter sentences that resemble mature phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. They do so without formal instruction, and they do so seemingly effortlessly. What are the mechanisms by which children can accomplish such a feat? In this entry, we sketch out different perspectives on learning, focusing on language learning as an example.

Death Anxiety, Shanna K. Williams, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Just as humans are sentient creatures, aware of their beingness in this world, they are also cognizant of their eventual and inevitable death. With this knowledge comes the natural dread and anxiety associated with being aware that on any given day one will cease to exist. Indeed, one of the fundamental existential conflicts, or causes for existential angst, is the tension caused when an individual is aware of their inevitable death while also yearning for their continued life. Just as anxiety is a natural emotion, so too, is the anxiety surrounding death and its associated existential conflict.  In this context, …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Overview, Harry Voulgarakis, Jessica Scher Lisa

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by pervasive deficits in social communication and interaction, alongside patterns of restricted, repetitive, stereotyped behaviors and interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The causes, as well as neurobiological and genetic bases for ASD is still unknown, yet there is developing research in these areas.  Although diagnosis does not necessarily need to be made in early childhood, it is important to establish a developmental history consistent with such symptoms, in order to distinguish such deficits from those associated with trauma or other adverse impacts later in life. Beyond the main diagnostic criteria, there …

Sexual Stereotypes In Older Adulthood, Ruth V. Walker, Emily L. Bohnert, Kaitlyn B. Demoss

Essays in Developmental Psychology

The most prevalent stereotype about sexuality in older adulthood is that older adults do not have or want to have sex. This is often due to ageist attitudes whereby older adult sexuality is viewed with disgust. The reality is that older adults continue to engage in sexual activity, and broaden their conceptualization of sexual behavior, into their 70s, 80s, and beyond. In fact, sexual activity is often reported as an integral part of the lives of older adults.

Depression In Older Adulthood, Ruth V. Walker, Danielle N. Capone-Wash

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Depression is not an inevitable part of the aging process. The Center for Disease Control reports the prevalence for depression is 5.4% in adults 60 years and older, significantly lower than rates in middle-aged (9.8%) and younger adults (7.4%). Although prevalence rates of depression in older adults are relatively low, research suggests symptoms of depression that do not meet diagnostic criteria are experienced by 19-39% of older adults. Additionally, prevalence rates for older adults residing in nursing homes are 49%. This may be due to the high comorbidity, or coexistence, of depression and physical illnesses such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, …

Work-Life Balance Conflicts Parents Of Early Adolescents Faced During Covid-19 Lockdowns, Rodney Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Measures such as social distancing and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic meant parents balanced their roles as educators, tech support, and employees in shared home offices. This qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the work-life balance conflicts parents of early adolescents faced during the COVID-19 lockdowns, focusing on how parents managed the challenges of pandemic restrictions and their strategies for coping with cognitive, emotional, and physical fatigue for themselves and their families. This study was guided by the transactional theory of stress and coping. Twelve female parents were virtually interviewed, selected based on their having early adolescent children at home, …

Parent–Child Interaction Therapy Adapted For Older Children, Luke W. Badley

Dissertations, 2020-current

Externalizing behavior problems in children refer to negative outward actions directed toward others and the environment (Liu, 2004; Maughan et al., 2005). Between 2013–2019, the CDC reported a prevalence of 8.9%, with the highest rates in children aged 6–11 (Bitsko et al., 2022). If untreated, these behaviors may worsen and impact broader psychological functioning (Masten & Cicchetti, 2010). A review of the literature regarding the treatment of child behavior problems using Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) interventions highlights the critical role that parents play in the development and treatment of childhood behavior problems. BPT interventions enable parents and other important adults …

Psychological Treatment Behind The Walls:Insights From The Inside, Rogelio Serrano

Psychology Division Scholarship

Repeated eras of mass incarceration, criminalization of marginalized communities, and substance use policies have created a revolving door of justice involved populations. The ever-increasing prison population has repeatedly become the largest contingency of mental health clientele for an overburdened mental health system. Those who work with formerly incarcerated individuals in the community often don’t know the unique set of challenges faced by practitioners within the system. Increased understanding and coordination of care can offer opportunities for sustained recovery and reduced levels of recidivism. In this presentation participants will learn about the unique insights on mental health treatment that can be …

How Childhood Maltreatment Shapes Brain Regions: Considerations For Speech-Language Pathology, Alexa G. Sees

Honors Thesis

Childhood maltreatment is a pervasive issue that affects millions of children worldwide, leading to alterations in key structures such as the limbic system, basal ganglia, corpus callosum, visual cortex, and language areas. These changes result in significant cognitive, emotional, and neurological consequences, such as learning deficits, emotional regulation issues, memory problems, reduced vocabulary size, speech errors, etc. This thesis explores the neurological effects of childhood maltreatment and their implications for speech-language pathology, highlighting how maltreatment-induced brain changes affect areas within the scope of speech-language pathology, such as social communication, language development, and behavior management. These results underscore the importance of …

Lasting Impact Of Friendship: A Group Manual For Meaningful Connections In Adolescence, Kristen M. Hull

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Adolescence brings profound changes in physical growth, emotions, and social interactions. The friendships formed during this time of life play a crucial role in shaping a young person’s sense of self, emotional health, and ability to navigate social relationships well into the future. This group manual examines the importance of friendships in adolescence, offering a research-based approach to understanding how these relationships influence mental well-being, academic success, and personal development. Designed for school counselors and other trained professionals, it provides practical strategies to help students build and maintain meaningful, supportive friendships during this pivotal stage of life.

Keywords: adolescence, friendship, …

Understanding The Behavior Of Emerging Adults Through Perceptions Of Childhood Parental Rejection, Syrah Jhutti, Emily Isakulyan, Anna Agee, Bianca Welch, Jaci Ueckert, Vianita Correa, Abigail Oh

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

According to Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory), feeling loved and accepted in childhood is crucial (Rohner, 2021). Cross-cultural studies show that unmet parental acceptance can lead to negative outcomes. This study examined how perceived parental rejection in childhood affects emerging adults’ romantic relationships, friendships, social interactions, and coping behaviors.

A total of 174 participants (67% women, 32% men, 1 non-binary; M age = 19.86, SD = 1.55) completed an online survey with established scales measuring perceived parental rejection, relationship dynamics, coping strategies, and social behaviors (Cronbach’s α = .76–.95).

Perceived maternal rejection was linked to more withdrawal in romantic relationships (r …

Pareidolia And Creative Potential: Exploring Individual Differences In Attention To Pareidolia, Anna Prinz

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Faces are important stimuli in our environments and elicit a greater attentional response than non-faces. This is also true for pareidolic faces, which are objects in which individuals see features of faces such as eyes and mouths. Creative potential can affect pareidolic processing. Recent studies have found that perceptions of pareidolia occur more often and quickly in individuals with higher creative potential (HCP) compared to individuals with lower creative potential (LCP), which might contribute to greater distractibility for HCP individuals. In the present study, I expected that individuals with HCP would be more distracted by less pareidolic stimuli compared to …