Developmental Psychology Commons^™

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 …

Inside Out 2, Bertha A. Manninen Ph.D.

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Inside Out 2 (2024), directed by Kelsey Mann.

Are The Kids Alright? An Analysis Of Sex Education, The Sexual Behaviors Of Minors And Age Of Consent Laws In The United States, Monica L. Johnston

Senior Theses

This paper explores the sexual development of children, the sexual education they receive, as well as the history of sex laws in the United States, to determine whether the laws regarding education and age of consent adequately protect children. A qualitative survey is also conducted with undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina to determine what topics were discussed in their sexual education curriculum, as well as their sexual behaviors as a minor. While the push for comprehensive sexual education models has been growing, millions of dollars are still being allocated to promote Abstinence Only Until Marriage programs, which …

How Do Children Learn How To Learn? Promoting Early Development At Home Through Play: A Scoping Review, Annika J. Larson

Senior Theses

Early childhood is a critical time in human development, during which children are discovering and practicing countless skills, from basic motor and language skills to problem-solving, self-regulation, memory, and other foundational abilities like literacy and math skills. From infancy through childhood, play is thought to be the primary condition under which most early skills are developed and perfected. During this time, young children are especially vulnerable to adversity and negative environmental influences due to their brains’ high plasticity; adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact an individual well beyond early childhood, specifically in early skills deficits. Play is known to be a …

From Victimization To Offense: A Scoping Review Of Attachment Theory And Social Learning Theory In Explaining Hypersexual Behaviors In Male Sexual Offenders With Histories Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Madison R. Rivers

Senior Theses

The association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and hypersexual behaviors in both juvenile and adult male sexual offenders has been investigated; however, a clear theoretical framework explaining this connection remains debated. This review aims to evaluate which theoretical frameworks—such as Social Learning Theory and Attachment Theory—best explain the link between CSA and hypersexuality in male sexual offenders. A systematic search and analysis of existing literature was conducted, including studies on the psychological, behavioral, and developmental impacts of CSA on hypersexual behaviors. Both Social Learning Theory and Attachment Theory were critically assessed, particularly focusing on the pathways from victimization to offending …

The Silent Pandemic: Link Between Depression, Marijuana Usage And Mental Health Services After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elias Ciudad, Lori Boies

Posters - 2025

The National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) measure substance use, mental illness, and treatment in the civilian noninstitutionalized population 12 or older. Depression is a public health epidemic that disproportionately affects young adult populations aged 18-25. At the same time, the consumption of marihuana is on the rise and more popular in this demographic group.

This statistical study aims to identify and model predictors of major depressive disorders (MDE) and marijuana abuse among populations older than 18 via standard tests, modeling, odds ratios, and epidemiological approaches for 2023 NSDUH data.

Between Healing And Harm: An Analysis Of Residential Treatment Centers For Youth, Virginia B. Finch

Senior Theses

Residential treatment for children and adolescents has evolved greatly. Today, a therapeutic individualized treatment approach is standard. Despite past and present improvements in care, this paper examines the persistent challenges faced by residential treatment centers (RTCs) serving youth with mental health issues. This paper argues that residential treatment, while sometimes necessary, has the potential to cause more harm than good due to systemic issues like overdiagnosis, inappropriate medication, and the troubled teen industry’s (TTI) profit-focused approach.

The Contribution Of Task Difficulty And Adult Reliability On Children's Academic Task Persistence, Ella M. Wheelbarger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Task persistence plays a crucial role in children's academic success and achievement of long-term goals. Contextual variables may influence child persistence such as reward source reliability, task difficulty, or task arrangement. We evaluated the effects of reward source reliability on children's academic task persistence with task difficulty. The perception of the reliability of the reward source was manipulated by making a commitment to provide a reward after completion of the task, but upon completion, delivery was delayed to the next day. The study was designed to examine the extent to which experiencing prior disappointments would decrease persistence times on subsequent …

Impacts Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Proactive Coping On College Adjustment And Risky Behavior, Isabella Kester, Will Stutterheim, Jisook Park

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have garnered recent attention in psychological and educational research due to their significant and lasting effects on an individual’s ability to cope and adjust to the demands that are part of the college experience. The trauma experienced in childhood can influence key aspects of psychological and emotional development, shaping how adults conceptualize and cope with stressors later in life. These developmental disruptions also increase one’s susceptibility to risky behaviors, especially during transitional periods in life, such as entering college (Allem et al., 2015; Campbell et al., 2016). This study aims to explore the interplay between ACEs …

How Racial Socialization Shapes Dating Experiences For Black/White Biracial Women, Alexis M. Briggins Bs, James E. Brooks Phd

Great Lakes Regional Counseling Psychology Conference

This study examines how racial socialization affects dating experiences and partner choices among 150 biracial (Black/White) women. Through surveys and thematic analysis, findings revealed that participants face challenges in Black and White spaces, experiencing discrimination and identity invalidation from romantic partners while simultaneously encountering both fetishization and exclusion in dating.

Queer Connections: Relationship Initiation Approach And Relationship Quality For Queer Couples, Kai Ambakad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Queer individuals encounter unique challenges in romantic relationships, making it essential to explore factors that influence their relationship quality. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare relationship quality among queer individuals based on the method of meeting (i.e., through dating applications vs. in person) and to test communication quality as a moderating variable. This study examined commitment and satisfaction as the dependent variables for relationship quality and meeting method as the independent variable. The research addressed whether there were (1) differences in relationship quality based on meeting method and (2) whether communication quality moderated this relationship. The study …

Racialization Of Urban Black Middle School Students From The Perspective Of Middle School Teachers: A Phenomenological Study In Central And Southeast Michigan, Bryan L. Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University College of Education and Human Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Bryan L. Spencer has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Michael Langlais, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Matthew Hertenstein, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2025   Racialization of Urban Black Middle School Students from the Perspective of Middle School Teachers: A Phenomenological Study in Central and Southeast Michigan by Bryan L. Spencer MPhil, Walden …

Examining The Influence Of Digital Transformation On Organizational Culture And Employee Adaptability In Higher Education Institutions Across The Gulf Cooperation Council (Gcc), Hussein Elsayed Mohamed Ismail

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

The study aimed to explore the impact of digital transformation on organisational culture and employee readiness within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Conducted in 2024, it involved research that used a sample of employees and administrators from various universities across the region. Structured questionnaires served as data collection tools, allowing for an in-depth evaluation of the different dimensions of digital transformation. This study primarily utilises secondary data analysis, which involves examining data from existing studies, reports, and scholarly articles. This approach is selected for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as it allows access to extensive …

Personal Pronoun Comprehension In Addressed And Non-Addressed Situations In Autistic And Nonautistic Preschoolers, Jonet Artis, Rhiannon Luyster, Lily Carroll, Angela Xiaoxue He, Sudha Arunachalam

Emerson Authors, Researchers, & Creators

This research paper explores the role of speaker, listener and real-time social attention for pronoun comprehension in autistic and nonautistic children in the northeast United States. We assessed the pronoun comprehension of 22 autistic children (average age of 62 months, range 46–80 months) and 22 nonautistic children (average age 44 months, range 30–57 months) matched on expressive vocabulary scores. We evaluated the first- and second-person possessive pronoun comprehension (“my” and “your”) using a game in which two experimenters hid stickers and provided clues to their location by providing a verbal clue (e.g. “It’s in your box”) with accompanying gaze to …

Development And Validation Of The Youth Programs-Community Education Environment Scale (Yp-Cees), Francesca Adler-Baeder, Alyssa Mcelwain, Julianne Mcgill, Kim Gregson

Journal of Youth Development

The current study focused on establishing the factor structure, reliability, discriminant validity, and construct validity of the Youth Programs – Community Education Environment Scale (YP – CEES) using a large diverse sample of 1,969 youth participating in relationship education programs in multi-session workshops facilitated by trained facilitators. Six subscales were developed based on the extant literature: facilitation quality, facilitator-participant relationship quality, cofacilitator relationship quality, facilitator coregulation skills, individual connection, and group engagement. Cronbach’s alpha reliability indicated high reliabilities for the total scale and the subscales. Confirmatory factor analyses established the factor structure with good model fit for a 6-factor measure. …

Sparks And Developmental Outcomes In Out-Of-School Time Programs: Emipirical Evidence And Theory Development, Alexandra Skrocki, Gary D. Ellis, Andrea Ettekal, Darlene Locke

Journal of Youth Development

We examined relations among select components of the 4-H Thriving Model, focusing on youth sparks and four presumed determinants: program quality, developmental relationships, situational engagement, and dosage. Based on our results and results of previous studies, we propose a formal theory of youth program sparks. Three hundred fifty-six Texas 4-H youth from a variety of 4-H programs state-wide completed a questionnaire measuring sparks, program quality, developmental relationships, situational engagement, and 4-H program dosage. We measured two indicators of thriving: growth mindset and hopeful purpose. Sixty-eight percent of study participants reported being female, 28% reported being male, 1% reported being nonbinary/third …

How Much Is Enough? Dosage And Duration In 4-H Developmental Contexts, Sarah N. August-Henry, Amy M. Leman, Jacinda K. Dariotis

Journal of Youth Development

While research abounds on the outcomes of out-of-school time programs for youth, most studies focus on programs with similar profiles or within the same program category, leaving a notable gap in examining youth experiences across programs with different delivery modes. The current research investigated the perceived experiences of youth in two programs, 4-H community clubs and 4-H camps. Using the 4-H Thriving Model, the study assessed perceptions of the programs’ developmental contexts on three program elements including youth sparks, sense of belonging, and relationships with adults. Data for the study was collected through surveys conducted in 2019 among 4-H community …

Positive Outcomes Of Out-Of-School Time Activity Participation For Youth: A Pattern-Centered Approach, Alexandra Sandoval, Edmond P. Bowers

Journal of Youth Development

Youth participation in community-based, structured out-of-school time programs (OST) has been found to promote positive developmental outcomes by providing youth with resources to build interpersonal relationships and essential life skills. The increasing prevalence and multiplicity of youth participation in these activities leads us to expand the research evidence regarding the relation between program participation and positive youth development, with a focus on identifying nuanced patterns of OST participation that consider the breadth and frequency of activities across different types of programs. We apply this pattern-centered approach to analyzing how and for whom these activities may promote youth academic competence and …