Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Toddler Play Preferences And The Teacher’S Role In The Outdoor Play Environment, Keting Chen, Erin E. Hamel

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

Direct experience with nature is a primary component of environmental education and especially beneficial for young children. The present study examined the outdoor play preferences of toddlers and investigated the role teachers play in the outdoor space. Toddlers’ outdoor play was video recorded by GoPro cameras and coded for preferred play locations and initiator of the play. Results showed that the three most preferred spaces for toddlers in the outdoor classroom were the sandbox, swing area, and play structures; least frequently visited were open areas close to the classrooms, the garden, and the tree area. In addition, toddlers initiated play …

"What Works For Whom" In Family Support Programs: Leveraging Administrative Data To Improve Precision Matching, Elly M. Miles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Family support programs (FSPs) are designed to stabilize and strengthen families on a range of outcomes to promote well-being. Paradoxically, families with the greatest need are more likely to drop out or experience reduced benefit on average. This study examines patterns of differential benefit for families experiencing elevated stress through a cross-program evaluation of “what works for whom” in FSPs.

Family Resource Center Family Development Services (FDSs), Colorado Community Response (CCR), Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF), Head Start (HS), and SafeCare Case Management Pilot (Safe CMP) contributed data on 15,771 participants enrolled in services from 2014-2020. Program samples were …

Mis-Specification Of Functional Forms In Growth Mixture Modeling: A Monte Carlo Simulation, Richa Ghevarghese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growth mixture modeling (GMM) is a methodological tool used to represent heterogeneity in longitudinal datasets through the identification of unobserved subgroups following qualitatively and quantitatively distinct trajectories in a population. These growth trajectories or functional forms are informed by the underlying developmental theory, are distinct to each subgroup, and form the core assumptions of the model. Therefore, the accuracy of the assumed functional forms of growth strongly influences substantive research and theories of growth. While there is evidence of mis-specified functional forms of growth in GMM literature, the weight of this violation has been largely overlooked. Current solutions to circumvent …

Longitudinal Dynamics Between Parenting And Adolescent Deviance: Direct Links And Underlying Mechanisms, Dan Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The current dissertation, based on three separate and yet closely related studies, tested the longitudinal dynamic relationships of maternal and paternal parenting factors with adolescent deviance, the direct links as well as underlying mechanisms. Study 1, based on longitudinal data collected from 570 early adolescents, part of the Brno Longitudinal Study of Youth (BLSY), used latent growth modeling and tested the development of three parenting measures, including parental solicitation, knowledge, and peer approval, and deviance during early adolescence, as well as the developmental (i.e., growth to growth) links of these three parenting measures with adolescent deviance over time. Results indicated …

How Deep Do We Have To Go To Rehabilitate Evolutionary Psychology? Reply To Bjorklund, Ellis, & Geary (2022), David S. Moore, David C. Witherington, Darcia Narvaez, Timothy I. Vandiver, Robert Lickliter

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Disciplines like evolutionary-developmental psychology admirably focus on trying to rehabilitate Narrow Evolutionary Psychology (NEP) from within, by adding a developmental focus to NEP’s tenets of adaptationism and computationalism. We argue, however, that these tenets are fundamentally incompatible with taking psychology and its development seriously, and that the kinds of modifications introduced by evolutionary-developmental psychologists do not go deep enough to qualitatively change the non-developmental outlook of NEP.

Evolving Evolutionary Psychology, Darcia Narvaez, David S. Moore, David C. Witherington, Timothy I. Vandiver, Robert Lickliter

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Which evolutionary theory can best benefit psychological theory, research, and application? The most well-known school of evolutionary psychology has a narrow conceptual perspective (a.k.a., “Narrow Evolutionary Psychology” or NEP). Proponents of NEP have long argued that their brand of evolutionary psychology represents a full-fledged scientific revolution, with Buss (2020) recently likening NEP’s scientific impact to that of a Copernican or Darwinian paradigm shift. However, NEP stands on two traditions that are now the subjects of serious debate and revision: the neo-Darwinian adaptationist framework within evolutionary biology, and the computationalist “mind-as-computer” framework within cognitive science. Although NEP calls itself revolutionary, the …

Leveraging Developmental Psychology To Evaluate Artificial Intelligence, David S. Moore, Lisa M. Oakes, Victoria L. Romero, Koleen C. Mccrink

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems do not exhibit human-like common sense. The principles and practices of experimental psychology – specifically, work on infant cognition – can be used to develop and test AIs, providing insight into the building blocks of common sense. Here, we describe how the evaluation team for DARPA’s Machine Common Sense program is applying conceptual content, experimental design techniques, and analysis tools used in the field of infant cognitive development to the field of AI evaluation.

Searching For Mental Health Services: Search Strings And Information Acquisition, Antover Tuliao, Natira D. Mullet, Lindsey G. Hawkins, Derek Holyoak, Marisa Weerts, Anthony Inyang

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Based on decision sciences and information processing theories, how information is acquired is the foundation of decisions and choices subsequently made. Adapting the Active Information Search methodology, the aim for this study is to examine what information potential mental health clients look for in a service provider through their use of search strings. College students (N = 519) from a large public university from the southwest USA (data collection from August to December 2018) were asked in an online survey to imagine themselves needing mental health services and list down the search string they would use in a search engine …

Perceptions Of Parenting, Self-Esteem, And Relationships, John Bannec, Georgia Foss, Essence Hamer, Mary Elizabeth Holloway, Lauren Peterson

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Levels of satisfaction in our close relationships can be the direct causes of break-ups, divorces, longevity, and many other outcomes. Using self-esteem as a connecting variable, it is possible to trace our satisfaction in relationships all the way back to the way in which we were treated as children. Specifically, children who grow up in a household with authoritative parenting end up with higher self-esteem than those who don’t (Zakeri & Karimpour, 2011; Pinquart & Gerke, 2019; Yousaf, 2015). Further, individuals with higher levels of self-esteem tend to have higher levels of satisfaction in their close relationships, romantic or platonic, …

Indirect Effects Of Parental Psychological Control On Emerging Adult Psychological Problems Via Emotion Regulation, Alyssa R. Williams, Cliff Mckinney

CAS Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Racial Discrimination On Hours Of Sleep And Sleep Dissatisfaction: Examining The Moderating Role Of Social Media And Television Use Among Students Of Color, Mehwish Safdar, Karen Saint Fleur, Arlenis Santana, Chelsea Williams Phd, The Spit4science Working Group, Danielle Dick Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

Racial discrimination negatively affects psychological and emotional well-being of individuals (e.g., depression, suicide risk, and anger) Chao et al., 2012). Discrimination may also act as a stressor that disrupts sleep quality (Hale & Do, 2007). Additionally, studies have found an association between social media and TV usage on sleep. High social media usage increases the risk of poor sleep (Gündoğmuş, et al., 2019). Extensive TV viewing is associated with elevated amounts of sleep problems (Brunborg et al., 2011; Johnson et al., 2004; Vallance et al., 2015). There is limited work on the moderating effect of social media and TV usage …

Examining How Individual Approaches To Learning Support Mentorship Relationships And Greater Well-Being For At-Risk College Students, Rebecca Renae Donaldson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

A large body of research suggest positive educational contexts may buffer against negative effects of childhood trauma for some individuals (Bessey, 2017). However, to date, only a small body of research has examined the characteristics of students’ approaches to learning that may interact with mentorship experiences in higher education and support greater well-being for this population (Mak, 2012). Studies suggest mentorship relationships in higher education are critical for the well-being of at-risk students, as they provide greatly needed social support and guidance (Al Makhamreh & Stockley, 2019). Literature also indicates that generative force characteristics of students may support mentorship experiences …

Dancing The Storm: Neurobiological Correlates Of Trauma-Related Psychopathology In Youth Resettled As Refugees, And The Efficacy Of Creative Arts And Movement Therapies To Address Trauma-Related Psychopathology, Lana Ruvolo Grasser

Wayne State University Dissertations

Exposure to stress and trauma activates key adaptive pathways, including the sympathetic adrenomedullary system and the immune system, which can result in long-term health impacts of trauma especially when experienced during sensitive developmental periods. Alterations in these systems are measurable through non-invasive methods including skin conductance response (SCR), fear potentiated startle (FPS), and inflammation. Research regarding the impact of trauma, and more specifically posttraumatic stress disorder, has primarily focused on adults, and there is a paucity of neurobiological research in displaced populations—like refugees—who may experience higher rates of trauma exposure and related psychopathology. The present study measured SCR to a …

Risk And Protective Factors For Sexual Aggression Across The Ecosystem: An Overview, Emily A. Waterman, Katie M. Edwards

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Prevention of sexual aggression (which ranges from perpetration of unwanted sexual contact to attempted/completed rape) is a complex public health and safety issue that requires attention to multiple levels of social ecology (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004). The social ecological model provides a framework for understanding how risk and protective factors for sexual aggression exist at multiple levels, with some factors being more proximal such as the individual attitudes, and other factors being more distal such as the broader culture (e.g., laws and policies) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Indeed, research indicates a variety of risk …

Examining The Effects Of An Online Group Social Skills Program On Emotion Regulation Skills For Adolescents And Young Adults With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Breanna Perron

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Difficulties with emotion regulation and social skills have been identified as core deficits for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (Turcotte et al., 2016). These deficits have been shown to lead to a multitude of social consequences and difficulties across the lifespan when unaddressed (Shattuck et al., 2011). Therefore, it is vital to establish effective interventions to teach the skills necessary to combat those deficits. The present study uses a behavioral skills training model to teach emotion regulation online using video modeling. The results provide potential support for increasing emotion regulation through the teaching of social skills. There were also …

Childhood Sexual Abuse In Boys Under The Age Of 18: Nonverbal Disclosure Patterns Through Behavior, Matthew J. Luz

The Graduate Review

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) include being exposed to or victimized by physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; if left untreated, traumas may disrupt normative biopsychosocial development. Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a phenomenon investigated by many researchers, however, the scientific community suspects CSA in boys is underreported. Since there are significant gender differences in CSA verbal disclosures, examining nonverbal disclosures in boys through overt, sexualized behaviors may help clinicians confirm suspected cases of CSA. Since most research investigates verbal disclosures of sexual abuse, this study will investigate nonverbal disclosure in boys between the ages of 6 through 10 using naturalistic observations …

Practical Femininity: The Student Development Of Legally Blonde’S Elle Woods, Elizabeth S. Rodericks

The Graduate Review

College experiences often involve challenges that can provide the impetus for personal and professional growth. Likewise, Elle Woods of the film Legally Blonde undergoes multiple significant changes in her sense of identity, morality, and ability to take charge of her own life after she is forced to radically change her perspective and priorities. This paper covers her development as a law student and individual according to the student development theories of Chickering’s Seven Vectors of Identity Development, Gilligan’s Theory of Women’s Moral Development, and Baxter Magolda’s Self-Authorship Theory. As a result of her growth, Elle Woods flourishes into a confident, …

Does Co-Speech Gesture Support Children’S Analogical Reasoning? An Investigation Into The Differential Effects Of Gesture On Learning, Katharine F. Guarino

Dissertations

Although the general consensus is that gesture supports learning across a wide range of learning contexts, nuances to gesture’s effects are found across the gesture-for-learning literature. The purpose of this body of research was to advance our understanding of gesture’s effect on learning. Specifically, we explored the utility of gesture in a domain that had not been considered in the gesture literature previously: analogical reasoning (Study 1). We aimed to understand whether gesture supports children’s analogical reasoning ability and why gesture might support this type of reasoning. Specifically, we investigated whether gesture could support learning through directing visual attention, thereby …

Informal And Formal Mentoring Of Sexual And Gender Minority Youth: A Systematic Review, Katie Edwards, Jillian R. Scheer, Victoria Mauer

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Research demonstrates that mentoring relationships can promote positive outcomes for youth across numerous domains, a topic of importance to school social workers. Whereas most mentoring research to date has been conducted with heterosexual cisgender youth, there is a growing body of literature that examines mentoring experiences among sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY). The purpose of this article is to conduct a systematic literature review of informal and formal mentoring experiences among SGMY. Results from twelve studies that met inclusion criteria suggested that (1) the majority of SGMY report having a mentor/role model; (2) demographics are generally unrelated to having …

Sexual Orientation And Gender Expression As Predictors Of Sogie-Based Harassment, Michelle Tam

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The current study examined which individuals are most at risk for becoming targets of SOGIE-based harassment (specifically, White, male sexual minorities or White, male gender nonconforming individuals). The study also explored potential motivations behind SOGIE-based harassment (specifically, violations of normality and violations of morality) and whether these motivations are predicted by individual differences (specifically, sexual prejudice, beliefs in heteronormativity, tolerance of ambiguity, and adherence to gender norms). College students (n = 206; 67.5% female) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, each with a different male target (straight/gender conforming, straight/gender nonconforming, gay/gender conforming, gay/gender nonconforming). Students saw a …