Mountain Scholar :: Browsing by Author "MacPhee, David, committee member"

Browsing by Author "MacPhee, David, committee member"

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Open Access
A social network analysis of the relation between social support and resilience in grandparents raising their grandchildren
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Mendoza, Angela Nancy, author; Fruhauf, Christine A., advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Coatsworth, Doug, committee member; Portz, Jennifer, committee member
The purpose of this study was to use social network analysis (SNA) to examine the relation between social support and resilience in grandparents raising their grandchildren. This was done using an exploratory sequential mixed design. In Study 1, 74 grandparents raising grandchildren completed a survey in which data were collected regarding social support, social isolation, and resilience. Findings aligned with the hypothesis that grandparent caregivers' social support and coping skills were associated with their ability to adapt successfully despite experiencing adversity. Results utilizing Structural Equation Modeling demonstrated direct effects from social support, coping skills, and age to life satisfaction. It was also hypothesized that grandparents who knew other grandparent caregivers would fare better than those who did not know other grandparents raising grandchildren. Findings did not indicate this was the case. In Study 2, SNA was employed to further examine the results from Study 1. This was done by conducting face-to-face interviews with grandparents raising grandchildren from Study 1 which include SNA. Using data from Study 1 participants were placed in one of four resilience quadrants. Sixteen grandparents raising grandchildren were interviewed using social network analysis, five participants from the resilient group, four grandparents from the maladaptive group, five individuals from the competent group, and two participants from the vulnerable group. Analysis of grandparent's ego networks indicated resilient grandparent caregivers' networks were structured in a way that provided more opportunities for the inflow of new information and resources. Resilient grandparents also tended to demonstrate more resourcefulness.
Open Access
Adventure-based education: a quantitative evaluation of the impact of program participation in high school on youth development
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Palmer, Sally Owens, author; Anderson, Sharon, advisor; Gloeckner, Gene, committee member; MacPhee, David, committee member; Frederiksen, Heidi, committee member
Adventure-based physical-education (ABPE) classes have become a more prevalent class offering in many middle and high schools throughout the United States. Several studies have researched the outcomes and benefits of adventure-based programs (e.g., Cason & Gillis, 1994; Gillis & Speelman, 2008; Hans, 2000; Hattie, Marsh, Neill, & Richards, 1997), and links have been made between youth-development constructs and adventure programming (e.g., Henderson, Powell, & Scanlin, 2005; Sibthorp & Morgan, 2011). To date, limited research has focused on the progression of positive-youth development (PYD) constructs in high-school students participating in a semester-long ABPE course. This research study examined the progression of PYD of students throughout the course of a semester who were enrolled in an ABPE class compared to that progress for those who were not enrolled in any adventure classes at all. Results suggested that there were no significant differences in PYD throughout the semester for students who were enrolled in adventure classes compared to the PYD of those students who were not in any adventure classes at all. There were, however, significant differences in connection for students who were in the Adventure Leader class compared to connection for those who were not in any adventure classes at all. The findings of this research study highlight the need for more studies that examine different types of adventure classes or activities, as opposed to adventure classes or activities as a whole.
Open Access
Adverse childhood experiences, stress, and emotional availability: an American Indian context
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Saunders, Hannah E., author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee member; Sarche, Michelle, committee member
American Indian individuals are at a heightened risk for experiencing trauma and high levels of life stress. Despite a preponderance of research demonstrating the long-term detrimental effects of early trauma on physical and mental health, no study has yet examined how caregivers' own traumatic experiences impact their children's social-emotional health. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which caregivers' trauma, stress, and mental health was associated with child social-emotional functioning. Results indicated that caregivers' early traumatic experiences have long-term effects on their own mental health, as well as their child's. These findings highlight the importance of assessing and intervening upon the effects of early life trauma. The secondary purpose of this study was to validate the Emotional Availability Scales, a measure of the parent-child relationship quality, in an American Indian/Alaska Native community. Results demonstrated that higher emotional availability, particularly structuring, was related to children's social-emotional competence, and lower caregiver non-hostility was associated with child externalizing symptoms. These results call attention to the relevance of multiple indicators of the quality of caregiver-child relationships, rather than a sole focus on sensitivity.
Open Access
Association of ethnic identity and perceived discrimination with risk behaviors for multi-ethnic emerging adults
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Wensink, Jamie M., author; Le, Thao, advisor; Swaim, Randall, committee member; Palermo, Francisco, committee member; MacPhee, David, committee member
The purpose of this study is to gain insight about the risk behaviors of multiethnic emerging adults by exploring whether ethnic identity and perceived discrimination are associated with individuals’ participation in risk behaviors. Risk behaviors include unsafe sex, drug and alcohol use, and co-occurring risk behaviors including car-related risk behaviors. The sample of participants were selected from the original sample of approximately 10,500 college students in the Multi-site University Study of Identity and Culture (MUSIC) who are part of the emerging adult population, 17-25 years old. With the increased complexity of multi-ethnic emerging adults having to navigate through multiple identities, it was hypothesized that (1) multi-ethnic emerging adults engage in more risk behaviors than mono-ethnic emerging adults; (2) multi-ethnic emerging adults score lower on ethnic identity and higher on perceived discrimination than mono-ethnic emerging adults; (3) ethnic identity is negatively associated with and perceived discrimination will be positively associated with the risk behaviors among multi-ethnic and mono-ethnic emerging adults; and (4) the relation between ethnicity classification for emerging adults and risky behaviors is mediated by ethnic identity and perceived discrimination. The following measures were used: Ethnic Identity Scale, Perceived Discrimination Subscale from the Scale of Ethnic Experience, and Risk Behavior Questions. Analyses consisted of correlations, r-tests, and regressions. Results revealed that multi-ethnic emerging adults did not score higher on risk behaviors as compared to mono-ethnic emerging adults. On the other hand, results did reveal that multi-ethnic emerging adults scored higher on perceived discrimination, which supports the second hypothesis. Correlation analyses for mono-ethnic emerging adults revealed that ethnic identity exploration, affirmation, and resolution were negatively associated with all risk behaviors. In addition, perceived discrimination was positively associated with correlated risks. For multi-ethnic emerging adults, there were negative associations among the following: ethnic identity exploration with alcohol-related risks; ethnic identity affirmation with all risk behaviors; and ethnic identity resolutions with total risk behaviors. However, perceived discrimination was not positively associated with risk behaviors. Furthermore, mono-ethnic classification was found to be associated with alcohol-related risk behaviors, which was contrary to expectations. Mediation results suggested that perceived discrimination was possibly a full mediator; however, the Sobel test statistic revealed that it was not statistically significant. Further investigation is needed to untangle the relationship between mono- vs. multi-ethnic identification and risk outcomes, as well as the processes and mechanisms associated with the connection.
Open Access
Cultural adaptation of the young children's participation and environment measure (YC-PEM) for use by Hispanic families of young children with special health care needs (CSHCN)
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Arestad, Kristen Elizabeth, author; Khetani, Mary, advisor; Sample, Pat, committee member; MacPhee, David, committee member
Culture informs the occupations in which children engage as well as how they are enacted. Hence, occupational therapists need assessments that are culturally relevant in order to deliver culturally competent practice. Current approaches to cultural adaptation of assessments present with three major limitations: (a) use of inconsistent translation process; (b) current processes assess for some, but not all, elements of cultural equivalence; and (c) limited evidence to guide decision making about whether to undertake cultural adaptation with and without language translation. To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically develop and compare multiple versions of a culturally adapted questionnaire for potential use by a Hispanic population of young children with special health care needs (CSHCN). The purpose of this study is two-fold: (a) to examine similarities and differences of culturally adapting an occupation-centered pediatric assessment with and without translation; and (b) to examine the feasibility of developing a culturally adapted assessment with and without translation. The Young Children’s Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM) underwent cultural adaptation processes (i.e., language translation and cognitive testing) to establish Spanish and English pilot versions for potential use by caregivers of young CSHCN of Mexican descent. Following language translation to develop a Spanish YC-PEM pilot version, 7 caregivers (4 with Spanish as their primary language; 3 with English as their primary language) completed cognitive testing to inform decisions regarding content revisions to the YC-PEM Spanish and English pilot versions. Participant responses were content coded to established cultural equivalencies (i.e., semantic/idiomatic, item, conceptual). Coded data were then summed to draw comparisons on the number of revisions needed to achieve cultural equivalence between the two pilot versions. Feasibility was assessed according to resources required, data collection procedures, and data quality. Results suggest that a greater number of revisions are required to achieve cultural equivalence for the translated (Spanish) version of the YC-PEM. However, issues concerning conceptual equivalence were identified in both the Spanish and English versions. Feasibility results indicate that language translation processes require high resource investment, but may increase translation quality. However, use of questionnaire (i.e., paper, PDF) cognitive testing versus interview methods (e.g., phone, face-to-face) may have limited data saturation. Study results lend preliminary support to the need for and feasibility of pursuing cultural adaptation of the YC-PEM with and without language translation. Larger and more diverse samples are needed to examine the effects of acculturation status on revisions needed to achieve cultural equivalence. Also, interview methods may help improve data quality and confirm study findings.
Open Access
Effects of an intervention to promote parents' emotion coaching skills and their children's emotional competence
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Lee, Su Yeon, author; Barrett, Karen Caplovitz, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Morgan, George A., committee member
Research has suggested that parents' effective coaching of their children's emotions (helping them label and effectively regulate their emotions) is associated with children's greater development of emotional competence, which in turn is related to positive peer relationships and better school readiness. Yet, research suggests that some parents dismiss their children's emotions, rather than coaching them, and dismissing emotions is associated with negative outcomes for the children. For this reason, the goal of the study was to implement and evaluate a new emotion coaching curriculum for parents. The 15 parents of 21 children ages 3-5 years participated in the intervention and measures of emotional competence on these children were compared to the same measures on 30 same-aged children whose parents did not participate in the intervention. Results provided only weak support for the effectiveness of the intervention. The intervention did not make a significant difference in parental dismissal and validation of their children's emotions. However, there was a significant difference between pre-test and post- test scores for the intervention group in level of children's emotional understanding that was not found for the control group. This would suggest the effectiveness of the emotion coaching intervention. Also, there are some limitations to the current study. First of all, there was no control group for the parent measures. It would result in low internal validity for results about the parent measure in this study. Another issue was that a low participation rate in the emotion coaching intervention (only seven parents from one site and eight from the other). This may have contributed to the inability to find significant findings in the study.
Open Access
Emotional availability (EA) teleintervention for adoptive families
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Baker, Megan A., author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Rosén, Lee, committee member
This study evaluated the new online Emotional Availability (EA) Intervention for use with adoptive families in enhancing parent-child EA, parental perceptions of EA, child attachment behaviors, parent-child emotional attachment, and reducing parent-reported child behavioral problems and parenting-related stress. Participants in this study were adoptive parents and their adopted children ages 1.5 - 5 years old (N = 15 dyads). Participants were placed in an immediate intervention group (IG) or a delayed intervention group (DG) that would receive the 6-week EA Intervention after the IG. Results revealed significant differences in the IG in child behavioral problems, parent-child EA, parental perceptions of EA, and parent-child emotional attachment, improvements not seen in the DG. Analysis of effects of the DG after receiving the EA Intervention revealed significant differences over time also in child behavioral problems, parent-child EA, parental perceptions of EA, and parent-child emotional attachment. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Embargo
Evaluation of resilience in schools and educators (RISE): an adult-centered social-emotional learning program for K-12 educators
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Rossier, Chloe Z., author; Riggs, Nathaniel, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Williford, Anne, committee member
Educators' mental health and well-being has become imperative to address post the COVID-19 pandemic as the risk for burnout has increased (Jennings & Greenburg 2009; Schonert-Reichl, 2017; Oliveira et al., 2021). However, current research on adult-focused social-emotional learning (SEL) programs aimed at increasing educator well-being is still new (Oliveira et al., 2021). The present study examines the Resilience in Schools and Educator's program (RISE) program, developed by the Center for Resilience & Well-being, through the University of Colorado, Boulder, focusing on universal, school-based prevention specifically for educators (Fitzgerald et al., 2021). RISE aims to enhance educators' social-emotional competence (SEC), emotion-focused relationship skills and resilience. The goal of the current study was to confirm the factor structures of the three main constructs within the RISE logic model (e.g., Educator SEC, RISE Skills and Educator Well-being) and determine if there was meditation present between these constructs and program dosage on educator well-being. Results demonstrated that no direct associations were found between number of workshops (b = 0.002, SE = 0.007, p > 0.05) and number of coaching sessions (b = -0.007, SE = 0.006, p > 0.05) and educator well-being as well as no indirect associations between dosage and well-being mediated by Educators' SEC or RISE Skills. Future recommendations for the RISE program are discussed.
Open Access
Examining parents' cognitive coping as a mediator or moderator of parents' trait mindfulness and children's behavior
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Krause, Jill T., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; MacPhee, David, committee member
Children's behavior problems, whether internalizing or externalizing, are a risk factor for later mental, emotional, and behavioral health problems, and can be seen as the onset of a negative developmental cascade for both parents and children. Parent's mindfulness has been associated with lower levels of behavior problems, though the processes by which this pathway operates have yet to be thoroughly examined, let alone in diverse populations. One pathway through which mindfulness might operate is parents' cognitive coping; mindful parents are better able to maintain present moment awareness and nonjudgment, and thus are better able to cope with the stressors of being a parent, and thereby have better behaved children. This study sought to investigate this pathway and examine patterns in coping behaviors in a sample typically excluded from research: welfare-adjacent families with elevated levels of risk. Analyses revealed that cognitive coping could be characterized by four factors: adaptive, maladaptive, positive refocusing, and self-blame. Contrary to the hypotheses of the study, adaptive and maladaptive coping factors did not act as a mediator or moderator. However, the study did replicate findings of an association between parents' trait mindfulness and children's behavior, such that parents who are more mindful report children with fewer internalizing and externalizing problems. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.
Open Access
Factors influencing the effectiveness of a family intervention for adolescent versus adult mothers
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 1998) Wood, Jill R., author; Fritz, Janet J., advisor; Rickard, Kathryn M., committee member; MacPhee, David, committee member
A family intervention program entitled DARE To Be You was found to be equally effective for both adolescent and adult mothers, but the factors that predicted program effectiveness differed for the two groups. Adolescent mothers were defined as those who were 19 or younger when their youngest child was born and were 23 or younger upon entry into the program, while the adult mothers were older than 22 when their youngest child was born and had a current age of 25 or older. The sample consisted primarily of Hispanic and Anglo mothers from both urban and rural sites, and Ute and Navajo Native Americans from rural or reservation sites. For both age groups, a low sense of competence in the maternal role prior to the intervention predicted a larger increase in maternal sense of competence, but an internal locus of control was only predictive of larger improvements in sense of competence for the adolescent mothers. Large social support networks were associated with larger improvements in positive parent-child interactions and nurturance for the adult mothers and improvements in the effective use of discipline for the Anglo adolescent mothers, but large support networks were associated with less improvement in the effective use of discipline for Native American and Hispanic adolescent mothers. Adolescent Native Americans did not increase as much as the other two ethnic groups in nurturance, and there was a trend toward an analogous difference for the adult mothers in the effective use of discipline. The amount of the variance explained by variables that predicted program effectiveness iii was greater for the adolescent mothers (12% to 48%) than for the adult mothers (6% to 27%). A second line of inquiry examined the relation between maternal self-appraisals and parenting practices both before and after the intervention. The two significant differences that existed between the two age groups at follow-up were between positive attitude toward the maternal role and both communication and the use of harsh punishment. The relation between positive attitude and communication was positive for the adults and near zero for the adolescents, and the relation with harsh punishment was positive for the adolescents and negative for the adults. In conclusion, even after adolescent mothers become adults, they are still different from mothers who waited until adulthood to have children and may need special attention when they are involved in intervention programs.
Open Access
Identifying profiles of youth characteristics, trajectories of development, and retention factors in a Positive Youth Development program
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Timpe, Zachary C., author; Coatsworth, J. Douglas, advisor; Skiba, Hilla, committee member; Lunkenheimer, Erika, committee member; MacPhee, David, committee member
Positive Youth Development (PYD) programs are an increasingly common form of intervention for youth of all backgrounds. In particular, PYD programs that take youth "off the streets" while not in school, termed out-of-school time (OST) programs, are of special interest to practitioners and researchers alike due to the diversity of programming available and the ecological contexts they provide. In addition, most youth engage in some form of risky behavior over the course of development, or are exposed to risk factors out of their control. However, PYD programs as a whole have provided little evidence of having meaningful impacts on the youth they serve, and they continually struggle to serve youth from disadvantaged backgrounds or who engage in risky behaviors. These shortcomings potentially result from selection bias that manifests through high attrition rates, which are influenced by many factors, such as a lack of programs to choose from or disinterest in program content. Even when attrition is partially accounted for, evaluating program impacts is difficult, as the processes and outcomes that define PYD remain relatively unclear, including their relation to risk factors. Therefore, in order for PYD programs, and specifically those categorized as OST, to take the next step in increasing and demonstrating the impacts of their programs, additional collaboration and research in a real world context is needed. This dissertation will use data from a PYD program, SOS University, to address two primary research questions. The first study will address the question of, are there specific factors that are associated with youth attrition from PYD programs? This research is timely as prevention scientists have struggled to provide guidance to practitioners on how to minimize attrition rates, a commonly cited impediment to translating scholarly research into real world application. The second study seeks to answer the question, can youth be distinguished into profiles of development characterized by the patterns of responses to PYD indicators? To answer this question, the second study will analyze differences in youth development profiles as they participated in an outdoor leadership program over the course of three years. This study is important in that it has the potential to highlight the positive development that can occur in the context of experiencing or engaging in risk behaviors. The dissertation is organized as follows. Chapter I provides an overview of the existing literature on theory related to PYD and the evidence base for PYD and OST programs. Chapters II and III are studies I and II cited above, respectively. Chapters II and II follow the typical format of an academic manuscript. That is, each chapter will include a more refined literature review that provides an in-depth view of research related to the study at hand, a description of the current study, methods, data analysis approaches and results, and then a discussion. Finally, Chapter IV will be a general discussion of the overall results and how they relate to one another. Additionally, Chapter IV will review overarching strengths and weaknesses of the dissertation, and finally highlight implications that may surface as a result of the studies, including a discourse on future steps that can be taken to increase collaboration between the scientific and applied communities.
Open Access
Identity integration and family ethnic socialization as moderators of acculturation stress and psychological outcomes
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Johansen, Samantha van Limbeek, author; Le, Thao N., advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee member
Acculturation stress is the stress associated with navigating between the dominant culture and one's culture of origin. This stress can be particularly daunting for young people as they are also grappling with issues of identity. For some, the stress can pose a risk for poor psychological outcomes such as depression and anxiety (Choi et al., 2008; Suarez-Morales & Lopez, 2009). As societies like the United States become more ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse (American Psychological Association, 2003), multiculturalism and acculturation become increasingly important areas to study. Although it can be straining, research suggests that individuals living among multiple cultures benefit, in terms of positive psychological outcomes, if they are able to develop a bicultural or multicultural identity (Bacallao & Smokowski, 2009; Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001). Studies have also highlighted the importance of family factors such as support and solidarity in terms of facilitating positive psychological outcomes (Bacallao & Smokowski, 2005; Choi et al., 2007; Rivera, 2007). The current study uses an existing multisite data set, the Multiple University Survey on Identity and Culture (MUSIC) data set (2008). The survey targeted all undergraduate students at multiple universities across the United States and included individuals between ages 17-25 (N=10,572). For the purpose of this study, only individuals who indicated 1st generation or 2nd generation immigrant status were included (N= 3,654). Multivariate statistical analyses were then conducted in terms of multiple regressions. An integrated bicultural identity was a significant moderator of acculturation stress and psychological well-being, as was family ethnic socialization (FES). This indicates that individuals who have resolved identities and are low on conflict are more likely to have higher levels of psychological well-being in the face of acculturation stress. In turn, individuals whose families engage in more FES are more likely to have higher levels of psychological well-being in the face of acculturation stress. FES, however did not moderate the relationship between acculturation stress and maladaptive psychological outcomes such as depression and social anxiety. Bicultural identity distance and ethnic identity resolution were significant moderators of depression and social anxiety (respectively) in the face of acculturation stress. It is becoming clearer, in the field of human development, that addressing youth risk factors and vulnerabilities does not necessarily mean that we are finding ways to promote positive youth outcomes. What this study highlights is the notion that one can still find ways to promote well-being in the face of acculturation stress even though vulnerabilities to maladaptive outcomes have not been entirely eliminated.
Open Access
Mini-program ENERGY Cortez: obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention through science enrichment for elementary school children in rural southwestern Colorado
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Culbertson, Diana Lynn, author; Campfield, Leroy Arthur, advisor; Melby, Christopher L., committee member; MacPhee, David, committee member
To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document.
Open Access
Nurse attitudes toward caring for older patients with delirium
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Hagerling, Faye L., author; Fruhauf, Christine A., advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Dik, Bryan, committee member
Delirium, which is prevalent among older hospitalized patients, is a disease that may be prevented or reversed with appropriate care. However, the consequences of not adequately treating delirium in a growing older population can be enormously costly to patients, families, nurses, and the greater healthcare system. Effective delirium care is multifactorial. An important aspect of care is nursing attention to changes in the patient and follow-through with timely treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine nursing staff attitudes in caring for older patients with delirium before and after an educational training on delirium. The study took place at a community hospital and included participants from the medical, orthopedic, and surgical units. Along with demographic questions, the survey questions and several open-ended questions asked participants about their attitudes toward: (a) general care for patients 65 years and older, (b) perceived knowledge, competence, and confidence in caring for older patients with delirium, (c) time and support in caring for older patients with delirium, (d) personal impacts in caring for older patients with delirium, and (e) personal beliefs regarding aging and health. The results of the survey showed significant positive change with two identified components of care: (a) knowledge, competence, and confidence and (b) ability to identify delirium and understand its consequences. Several personal impacts, such as feeling overwhelmed, also positively changed after the intervention. However, participants reported a continuing need for more time and support in caring for older patients. Philosophies of aging were not changed. The survey may be a beginning for further development in assessing nurse attitudes toward care for older patients with delirium and the contribution of personal impacts and beliefs to that care.
Open Access
Object affordances in young children with Down syndrome
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Norell, Caroline Ann, author; Fidler, Deborah J., advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Most, David E., committee member
Young children with Down syndrome (DS) have limited exploration of their surroundings (Loveland, 1987). This may have long-term effects for the development of representations of object affordances in this population. This study aims to look at the relationship between developmental status and object affordance skills in young children with DS. The sample consisted of thirteen 1 to 4 year olds with DS. The Mullen Scales of Early learning served as the developmental measure, an object retrieval task and the Fewell play scales were used to assess object affordance skills. The results of the study indicate that a higher developmental status is highly correlated with increased exploration of objects. These results contribute to the overall field of information regarding DS, but specifically to interventions to aid in the development of object affordances.
Open Access
Parent-child interactive processes in early childhood: implications for vulnerable families
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Kemp, Christine, author; Lunkenheimer, Erika, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee member; Orsi, Rebecca, committee member
The current studies examined the relation between family risk and parent-child interactive processes during early childhood. Study 1 used a cumulative risk model to examine how child maltreatment (CM) risk related to mother-child rupture and repair processes at age three (N=138 dyads). Rupture and repair were assessed using dynamic systems-based modelling of second-by-second behavioral patterns during a mother-child problem-solving task. Group-based analyses indicated that high- and low-risk families did not differ in the frequency of their repairs or the average time taken to repair a dyadic rupture. In both groups children were more likely to rupture than mothers and mothers were quicker to repair than children. Survival analyses indicated that higher risk predicted less time-to-event for mother ruptures (e.g., higher risk predicted quicker mother ruptures) but was not related to time-to-event for child rupture, child repair, or mother repair. Study 2 examined effects of mother and father psychopathology on parent-child repair and flexibility during a problem-solving task at age three (N=25 families). Actor Partner Interdependence Models (APIM; Kenny et al., 2006) were used. Results indicated that father-child dyads were significantly quicker to repair their ruptures than mother-child dyads. Contrary to hypotheses, results indicated no significant actor effects for parental psychopathology on repair proportion, repair speed, or flexibility. These studies highlighted the utility of analyzing moment-to-moment interaction patterns between parents and young children as well as the importance of taking a systemic and comprehensive assessment of family risk.
Open Access
Parental alienation: the case for parentification and mental health
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Kraus, Allyson, author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Harman, Jennifer, committee member
Parental alienation typically occurs in families with separated or divorced parents, and one parent actively campaigns against the other parent to elicit the support of the children. Due to the detrimental effects that alienation can have on a child and the apparent lack of awareness on the part of the alienating parent, it has been speculated that alienating parents may experience poor mental health. Parentification is a common tactic used by alienating parents in order to align with the child(ren), and the boundary disruption involved in parentification further supports the idea that these parents may be experiencing a mental illness. Interviews with parents who report being alienated from a child were coded for their descriptions of the alienating parent's level of parentification and their mental health status. Results indicated a significant relation between the level of parentification and mental health status. The marital status and gender of the targeted parent, as well as parenting time, were also tested as contributors to the parentification in the family, but no significant associations between these variables were found. The significant association between parentification and mental health status implies that poor mental health may predispose parents to use parentification as a tactic in the process of alienation.
Open Access
Parental depressive symptoms and child behavior problems: exploring the role of interactive repair during mother-child interactions
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Kemp, Christine, author; Lunkenheimer, Erika, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Steger, Michael, committee member
This study examined the role of interactive repair during a challenging task in the relationship between parental depressive symptoms and child behavior problems in a sample of 3.5-year-old children and their mothers (N=100). This study used data collected from parents as well as data collected during live observations in the laboratory setting. Dynamic Systems-based methods were used to measure interactive repair (i.e., returning to a positive interaction after a negative behavior) during mother-child interactions. Findings suggest that interactive repair partially mediates the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and child internalizing behaviors. These results highlight the potential protective role of interactive repair related to child behavior problems in the context of maternal depressive symptoms. Implications of these findings for parental depressive symptoms and child behavior problems are discussed.
Open Access
Parenting style as a moderator of child internalization of parental values
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Ullrich, Emily R. H., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel G., advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Graham, Daniel, committee member
Despite the extensive literature examining the general child outcomes and values related to different parenting styles, little research has focused on parenting style as a moderator of the intergenerational transmission of values. Previous research and theory has pointed to authoritative parenting as the most effective parenting style in regards to parents encouraging their children to internalize their values. Based on Baumrind's (1968, 1991) parenting theory and social learning theory (Bandura, 1977), this study examined authoritative parenting style as a moderator of intergenerational transmission of nutrition values from parent to child. Two hypotheses were tested related to parenting style, nutritional values, and child healthy food choices. The research used parent self-report measures of parenting style and nutritional values, as well as observational data on parenting style and food strictness. Child outcomes were measured using a food-choice task completed by the children. Results suggested that parents who value nutrition have children who make healthy choices more frequently in a behavioral task. Additionally, limited support was found for authoritative parenting dimensions as a moderator of the intergenerational value transmission process. The findings of this research suggest a possible protective mechanism of warmth against children's poor food choices. Based on the results, however, more research is needed on the intergenerational transmission of values.
Open Access
Positive parenting as a mediator of the association between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Adams, Melanie S., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; MacPhee, David, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee member
Mindful parenting is characterized by parents paying intentional, present-centered, and nonjudgmental attention to their children and their own parenting. Empirical and theoretical support points to mindful parenting as a protective factor associated with lower incidence of adolescent behavioral problems and mental health issues such as externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Likewise, positive parenting behaviors that engender close and secure parent-child relationships have been shown to be a protective factor in reducing adolescent maladjustment. The current study was guided by three aims. The first aim was to examine whether adolescent reports of mindful parenting are negatively associated with adolescent reports of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as has been found to be the case with parent reports. The associations between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment were found to be negative and statistically significant across parent gender and adjustment outcome. The second aim was to examine whether adolescent reports of positive parenting practices mediate the association between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment. The third aim was to examine whether mediation differs for reports of mothers' and fathers' mindful parenting. The interrelated positive parenting behaviors of parental autonomy granting, overcontrol, trust, and reaction to adolescent disclosure were analyzed as a factor variable and entered in the model as the mediator. Associations were examined at baseline without intervention and from an adolescent perspective rather than the more common parent perspective. Structural equation modeling was conducted using Mplus to test whether positive parenting practices mediate the association between parental mindfulness and adolescent adjustment. Adolescents' perception of mindful parenting on part of their mothers versus their fathers was found to make a larger perceived contribution to overall positive parenting in the household. Results of analyzing four separate models indicated that associations differed by parent gender and adolescent adjustment outcome, with significant mediation for all models with the exception of fathers' mindful parenting paired with the outcome of adolescent internalizing behavior. The finding of no significant direct pathways in the presence of significant indirect pathways of mediation models across outcomes and for either mothers or fathers is a consistent finding bolstering preliminary indications that the contribution of mindful parenting on adolescent adjustment may indeed be mediated. Overall, results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that positive parenting mediates the association between mindful parenting and adolescent adjustment, while providing support for the notion that patterns may differ by parent gender. A better understanding of whether positive parenting practices might act as mediators of the benefits of mindful parenting has implications for parenting intervention work that could consider pairing mindfulness instruction with lessons on these specific positive parenting behaviors to optimize the buffer to adolescent maladjustment.