Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Atypical Responses To Sensory Stimuli Or Eating Environments In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lydia Rockers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often encounter challenges in processing sensory inputs. Children with ASD may experience feeding difficulties and over- or under- stimulation during food-related activities such as eating or shopping. These have impacts on the health and well-being of individuals with ASD in childhood and throughout their lives. Further research is needed to address the impact of ambient sound levels in a retail or restaurant setting. The main objective of this thesis was to address these gaps by identifying responses to various environmental and food related stimuli. The findings of this research addressed differences in responses between …

Aging As Online Faculty: Attitudes Toward Work And Retirement, Lee Stadtlander, Amy Sickel

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Aging, an often-neglected aspect of diversity in universities, is an important issue, as the rate of people working who are 75 and older is growing faster than the rate for any other age group. The present sequential explanatory mixed-method study explored 129 older online faculty’s attitudes and opinions on work and retirement in an online survey and in 13 faculty interviews. Data were examined cross-sectionally to assess differences by decade: 50s, 60s, and 70s and above. The results indicated that while older faculty were collecting some form of retirement payment, money was not a primary motivator for working. These individuals …

The Experiences Of Jamaican Secondary School Counselors Who Provide Psychological Support To Adolescents, Onnica Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School counselors play an integral role in helping adolescents navigate and overcome the psychological distress that they experience. This study aimed to better understand the experiences of Jamaican school counselors who provide psychological support to adolescents in high school. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (2006) bioecological model of human development and Hans-Georg Gadamer's (1981) hermeneutic theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. Seven Jamaican secondary school counselors who provide psychological support to adolescents in high school participated in semistructured interviews via the Zoom online platform. Narrative analysis was used to code and analyze the data from the interviews. Seven themes emerged from …

An Analysis Of The Development Of Cognitive Control In Young Children Within An Auditory And Visual Modality., Lauren A. Schiro

LSU Master's Theses

The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control Framework (DMC) posits that cognitive control is directed through two different modes: proactive and reactive control. Proactive control involves the maintenance and manipulation of information in preparation of a response while reactive control would involve little to no preparation until after a response prompt. The AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) is a cognitive control task that is often utilized in studies looking at proactive and reactive control as it measures context processing and goal maintenance. The aims of this study were to validate the auditory version of the AX-CPT and to then apply this task …

Framing The Path To Fitness: Age Differences In Response To Framed Exercise Messages, Iliya Sherif, David B. Taullahu, Alyssa R. Minton, Joseph A. Mikels

DePaul Discoveries

Physical activity is one of the most protective health behaviors one can engage in, yet 75% of active adults in the US, meaning those who exercise regularly, fall short of the recommended levels of physical activity, with an even greater percentage of older adults living inactive lives, meaning they exercise minimally and engage in prolonged sedentary behavior (CDC, 2019). The goal of the current study was to explore different types of message framing targeted at encouraging older and younger adults to exercise. We recruited older adults (n = 184; Mage = 69.45 years, age range: 65- 80 years) and younger …

Bridging The Gap: Psychopharmacologic Education And Side Effect Screening For Non-Prescribing Mental Health Professionals, Elaine Fitzgerald

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: The United States is experiencing a growing demand for pediatric mental health support. Surges in mental health diagnoses and psychotropic medication prescriptions have occurred, compounded by a shortage of psychiatric providers. Non-prescribing mental health professionals are well-positioned to recognize psychotropic medication side effects. However, psychologists and counselors lack formal pharmacology education.

Methods: The quality improvement (QI) initiative was guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model. The evidence-based psychopharmacologic education for non-prescribers utilized a quasi-experimental pre- and post- test design. Data collected from clinicians included knowledge, confidence, and skill concerning psychotropic medications. The Psychotropic Medication Monitoring Checklist (PMMC) screen clients …

Dynamic Social Ecologies Of Students' Motivational Resilience: The Complex Relationship Between Family, Teacher, And Peer Support, And Students' Academic Coping And Reengagement, Kristen Elizabeth Raine

Dissertations and Theses

Drawing upon self-determination theory (SDT) based models of motivational resilience, the following dissertation contains three studies that expand upon the current literature by investigating how processes of motivational resilience, or children's general capacity to handle the everyday academic stressors they encounter at school, are connected to the complex social ecologies created by the intersecting contexts of school and home. Study 1 examined whether family motivational support predicted increases in student reengagement through its effect on subsequent levels of students' self-system processes of relatedness, competence, and autonomy in a sample of 590 early adolescents from an urban middle school in the …

Reduction Of Elopement Using A Multicomponent Treatment In Young Children With Asd, Zina Eluri, Kimberly A. Zoder-Martell, Ivette Andrade, Noemi Trevino

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Elopement, leaving a caregiver's side without permission or supervision, is a behavior that is more prevalent among children with autism as compared to their typically developing peers. With potentially fatal consequences (e.g., exposure to water, traffic, and strangers), it is reported to cause high levels of stress for caregivers. In the present study, we evaluated the assessment and treatment of elopement using a multicomponent treatment package to address the multiple functions of elopement. Treatment consisted of verbal instructions, blocking, and differential reinforcement of other behaviors with extinction (DRO w/ EXT). An ABAB reversal design was utilized to assess treatment effectiveness. …

Curbing The Campus Mental Health Crisis: The Role Of Extracurricular Activity Participation, Rosanne Villemaire-Krajden, Erin Barker

Journal of Youth Development

Rates of distress on post-secondary campuses are alarmingly high, calling for a shift towards learning environments that better address emerging adults’ holistic needs. This cross-sectional, mixed-method study examines the role that extracurricular activity participation can play in such approaches. Online survey data was collected from 302 undergraduate students (M_age = 21.3) to assess extracurricular activity participation prior to and during their university attendance, across quantitative indicators (i.e., type and number of activities). Students’ qualitative accounts of the influence of their extracurricular activity participation on their development and wellbeing was examined using thematic analysis. Results indicate that rates of …

Volunteer Training, Tenure, And Facilitation Of Essential Elements In 4-H: Examining Conditions That Promote Positive Youth Development Practices, Kimber Sarver, Kate Fogarty, Tracy Johns, Sarah Thomas Hensley, Dale W. Pracht

Journal of Youth Development

The 4-H program relies on trained volunteers to facilitate youths’ acquisition of life skills in relevant subject matter areas (STEM, Healthy Living). A large part of the 4-H professionals’ objective is to undergird their volunteers in program delivery. The content of volunteers’ training emphasizes the 4 essential elements for youth development programming, namely: 1. Creating an atmosphere of belonging for diverse youth; 2. Promoting generosity through service to their families and communities; 3. Supporting youth mastery of globally applicable life skills and specific skills within subject matter areas of expertise; and 4. Facilitating youths’ sense of independence by self-selecting topics …

A Comparative Evaluation Of Two Youth Mental Health Trainings For Volunteers, Monica M. Lobenstein, Shannon Sparks, Jennifer Park-Mroch, Danette Hopke, Jayna Hintz, Megan Suehring, Kea Norrell-Aitch, Karla Gearing, Michelle Gobert, Sheila Michels

Journal of Youth Development

Adolescence is a critical period for developing social and emotional habits important for mental well-being (Kessler et al., 2005). Half of all mental health conditions start by age 14, and the average delay between onset of symptoms and intervention is eight to ten years (Wang et al., 2007). Youth with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviors, and worsening physical health. Youth often do not get the help they need due to ongoing stigma and barriers in accessing mental health treatment. For example, in Wisconsin, 30% of the population live in a …

Community Development Through Summer Camps, Edgar Iglesias Vidal, Narcís Turon Pèlach, Pere Soler Masó, Lara Morcillo Sanchez

Journal of Youth Development

Summer camps are widespread in many countries and have a long history. Their contribution to children’s and young people’s leisure and recreation is widely acknowledged, as is their usefulness as an educational resource. That large numbers of children and young people across Europe attend summer camps is well-known; according to Eurofound (2020), most of the twenty-seven countries analyzed record student attendance at camps, and in twelve countries (including Spain) over 50% of young people take part. However, another study carried out in the member countries of the European Union (Plantenga & Remery, 2017) stated that when the availability, use, and …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Organized Activity Participation On Emotional Distress For Adolescents With Disabilities, Adam Langenfeld, Rebekah Hudock, Rebecca J. Dosch Brown, Marla Eisenberg

Journal of Youth Development

Adolescents who have been diagnosed with disabilities constitute a significant portion of the school population in the United States. For example, the National Survey of Children’s Health identified one in four children ages 12 to 17 as having special healthcare needs in 2019 (Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, n.d.). These adolescents are often diagnosed with a wide range of conditions, ranging from specific learning difficulties to more global delays across developmental domains. In the school setting, adolescents with disabilities often have an individualized educational program (IEP). Mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) of 2004, …

Developmental Patterns And Social Determinants Of Adolescent Polysubstance Use Among Connecticut Youth, Jennika K. Jenkins

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Adolescent substance use continues to be a leading health concern in the United States. Although individual substance trends have demonstrated a decrease in use, it seems as if polysubstance use is on the rise among this population. Prior research into adolescent polysubstance use patterns tends to include only commonly used substances (e.g., alcohol, cannabis, tobacco) and neglects prescription drug misuse and illicit substances. Further, subanalyses by grade are typically not completed, leaving a gap in our understanding of developmentally appropriate prevention strategies. The present study utilized 13 substance use indicator variables to estimate substance use patterns among adolescents in grades …

Testing A Model Of Ethnic/Racial Discrimination, Ethnic Identity, And Adult Attachment In College Students, Kenneth L. Ayers

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Ethnic/racial minoritized Americans encounter a disproportionate amount of discrimination throughout their lifetime that often has negative effects on their well-being and mental health. Although the impact of discrimination on symptoms of depression and substance use has been widely studied, understanding of the mechanisms through which these associations exist are still largely unknown. From the perspective of the Cultural Development and Psychopathology Framework, the effects of discrimination on psychopathology (i.e., depression symptoms and alcohol use) are likely mitigated by normative developmental processes. One such developmental outcome that has been determined to partially mediate the impact of cultural stressors (i.e., ethnic/racial discrimination) …

Emotional Reactivity And Recognition Deficits In Individuals With Callous-Unemotional (Cu) Traits: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis, Emily C. Kemp

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Youth and adults with antisocial behavior present a significant mental health concern. Elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits, characterized by deficient empathy and remorse, distinguish clinically important subgroups of antisocial individuals who present with more severe behavior and distinct cognitive-affective characteristics that may help to explain the underlying causes of their antisocial behavior and inform more effective treatments. Specifically, two mechanisms theorized to underlie the development of elevated CU traits by way of atypical empathy development are deficient reactivity to and recognition of others’ emotions. Though a substantive literature base reports associations between CU traits and emotional processing deficits, significant inconsistencies remain. …

Training In Trauma-Responsive And Anti-Racist Telehealth: A Model For Behavioral Health Clinicians And Providers, Ritchie Rubio

Psychology Division Scholarship

Telehealth's uptake in behavioral health services has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many clinicians continue to lack focused training in providing trauma-informed and culturally-responsive telehealth care. This article outlines a model curriculum that was created to instruct and coach behavioral health providers in California on how to integrate anti-racist and trauma-responsive techniques into telehealth. Topics like evidence-based trauma therapies, racial/ ethnic trauma, marginalized communities, digital divide, and provider selfcare were all covered in the nine-part curriculum. Every three-hour session included evidence-informed didactic content, telehealth skills practice, and concrete planning for implementation. Trauma-responsive frameworks such as the tri-phasic model …

Childhood Trauma, Attachment, And Adult Leadership Styles, Joshua S. Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past researchers have shown relationships between leadership styles and attachment and that secure attachment is positively related to transformational leadership. However, there is a gap in the research on how childhood trauma and attachment security relate to leadership styles in adults. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how childhood trauma and attachment security relate to transactional, transformational, and laissez-faire leadership styles. Social cognitive theory and attachment theory grounded this study. In this quantitative study, the specific research design was comparative. SurveyMonkey was used to gather data from supervisor/manager leaders who were recruited on social media (N = …

Childhood Trauma, Attachment, And Adult Leadership Styles, Joshua S. Duncan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past researchers have shown relationships between leadership styles and attachment and that secure attachment is positively related to transformational leadership. However, there is a gap in the research on how childhood trauma and attachment security relate to leadership styles in adults. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how childhood trauma and attachment security relate to transactional, transformational, and laissez-faire leadership styles. Social cognitive theory and attachment theory grounded this study. In this quantitative study, the specific research design was comparative. SurveyMonkey was used to gather data from supervisor/manager leaders who were recruited on social media (N = …