Browsing by Author "Quirk, Kelley, advisor"
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Item Open Access A comparison of suicide loss and non-suicide loss: the impact on family communication and affect(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Belzil, Eva, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Ortega, Lilyana, committee member; Willis, Danielle, committee memberSuicide loss and non-suicide loss impact thousands of people globally each year. Literature to date has identified ways suicide-loss can impact individuals and families in unique ways but has not indicated what specific aspects of family function are impacted for suicide-bereaved family members. Further, it is unclear whether family members can turn to each other to provide and receive support after their loss. The purpose of this study was to understand how suicide loss of a family member impacts individuals when compared to suicide loss of a non-family member. Additionally, this study aimed to understand how suicide loss of a family member impacts family dynamics on specific levels of communication, affect expression, affect connection, and general family functioning when compared to non-suicide family member loss. Perceived familial support was predicted to moderate the relationship between type of loss and these family function variables. Participants (N = 174) filled out 4 self-report measures that assessed family function prior to their loss, grief experiences, family communication, affect expression, affect connection, and family function after their loss. An independent samples t-test and a hierarchical multiple regression with a moderation analysis were run to examine the relationships between the predictor and outcome variables described above. When compared to individuals who experienced a non-family member suicide loss, individuals who experienced family member suicide loss reported more intense grief experiences (p = .03) but did not report significantly different family function. When compared to non-suicide family member loss, individuals who lost a family member to suicide reported lower family affect connection (p < .05) and lower family affect connection (p < .05), but did not report significantly different family function or family communication. Perceived familial support did not moderate these main effects.Item Open Access Couple conflict and physical health: the moderating role of dyadic processes in romantic relationships(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Swamy, Varsha, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Carlson, Laurie, committee memberA growing body of research suggests that there may be specific interpersonal behaviors that couples can engage in to protect themselves from the well-researched negative effects that couple conflict has on physical health in romantic relationships. The current study explored a moderation model of three interpersonal variables (secure attachment, dyadic coping and mindful partnering) on the relationship between couple conflict and physical health.620 participants from a large Western United States University subject pool and Mechanical Turks completed self-report measures of couple conflict, physical health, attachment, dyadic coping and mindful partnering. Results from multiple regression moderation analyses indicated that secure attachment and mindful partnering moderated the association between couple conflict and physical health in romantic relationships. Though dyadic coping trended towards moderation of couple conflict and physical health at the bivariate level, it was not indicated to be a moderator at the multivariate level. Clinical implications, limitations, and areas for future research are also discussion in the paper.Item Open Access Couple-level minority stress in LGBTQ couples: the impact of dyadic coping and outness(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Klimo, Kasey D., author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Carlson, Laurie, committee memberLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) couples face sexual-minority identity stressors that are uniquely different from heterosexual couple experiences. Much of the literature has focused on the effect of minority stressors on the individual level, however, no current research has examined couple-level minority stress. LGBTQ couple-level minority stress can be conceptualized as stressors related to the sexual-minority status of each individual within the couple, and how these stressors manifest within the couple and affect couple functioning and health. The current study sought to fill this gap in the literature by creating and testing a measure of LGBTQ couple-level minority stress, adapted from established qualitative research on the subject (Frost et al., 2017). Couple-level minority stress likely impacts relationship satisfaction, and we hypothesize that this relationship is moderated by degree of outness (e.g., level of disclosure of one's sexual identity) and by engagement in dyadic-coping (e.g., how partners cope with stress jointly). Individuals who report being in a same-sex relationship took a one-time self-report survey answering questions regarding outness, dyadic coping, the impact of LGBTQ couple-level minority stress, and relationship satisfaction. Results reveal a significant positive relationship between dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction, and a significant negative relationship between outness and couple-level minority stress.Item Open Access Danger signs in romantic relationships: the role of mindfulness(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Walton, Veronica O., author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Harman, Jennifer, committee memberDanger signs in romantic relationships signal relational distress, dissolution, and dissatisfaction (Gottman, 1993; Markman, Stanley, & Blumberg, 2010b). Little is known about how mindfulness may improve danger sign identification and how important experiences may be influential in detection including one's betrayal trauma, interparental conflict, social isolation, and attachment style. Participants viewed videos of couples interacting and were instructed to identify negative interaction patterns through a digital analogue assessment via key presses. Half of participants were randomized to a mindfulness condition. Results revealed that mindfulness engagement was significantly related to the identification of danger signs, as compared to the control group. Additionally, results showed that higher reports of betrayal trauma and interparental conflict were significantly negatively associated with ability to recognize danger signs, including mindfully-induced participants. Interestingly, insecure attachment was significantly related to greater danger sign identification for both the main effect and moderation, and social isolation appeared insignificant. Importantly, this study lends support for the notion that early exposure to unhealthy relationship dynamics may be influential for future recognition of danger signs in intimate partnerships, and that mindfulness appears to play a key role in detection.Item Open Access Detection of unhealthy communication patterns in romantic relationships(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Smith, Amy D., author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Faw, Meara, committee member; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, committee memberUnhealthy communication expressions are predictive of distress and poor functioning in romantic relationships yet the ability to detect these expressions is understudied. Study 1 presents the validation of a new procedure allowing for the objective assessment of detection abilities producing a final set of 15 videos (11 unhealthy interactions and 4 neutral conflict interactions). Six real-life couples volunteered to film four two-minute videos each for the creation of this procedure. Each couple was asked to portray three interactions including an assigned unhealthy communication expression and one neutral interaction on topics of their choice. The total sample of 24 videos were viewed by Gottman Couple Therapy Level 1 or Level 2 certified couples' therapists currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a COAMFTE-accredited Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program. Each therapist rated the videos on whether the video showed unhealthy communication expressions, their concern for the relationship based on the interaction, and the level of satisfaction they perceived the couple had with their relationship. Nine videos failed to be validated with two videos having contradictory ratings in their portrayal of unhealthy communication patterns from what was intended, two for having low levels of internal reliability related to concern for the relationship, two for ratings of level of concern inconsistent with the hypothesis, and three for ratings of level of satisfaction inconsistent with the hypothesis. Implications for the use of this procedure in future research are provided. In Study 2, binary logistic regression models were used to explore individual level predictors of observed detection abilities based on four of the videos validated in Study 1. Participants were asked to view the series of four videos, two of which portrayed unhealthy communication patterns and two of which portrayed neutral conflict interactions. Based on Social Learning Theory and documented errors in directed attention, three early childhood variables (attachment, interparental conflict, and betrayal trauma) and two attention related variables (dissociation and mindfulness) were tested. Results revealed that self-blame related to interparental conflict predicted lower detection abilities, including both over- and under-detection and trait dissociation predicted under-detection. Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, betrayal trauma, and trait mindfulness were not significant predictors of detection ability. A discussion of the findings and implications for future research are provided. Study 3 was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based relationship education program for individuals at improving the ability to form healthy relationships including the ability to detect early warning signs of unhealthy relationships, confidence in making decisions in relationships, use of skillful communication, and relationship satisfaction. . Participants were undergraduate students currently enrolled in a college course on intervention and prevention programs and were randomly assigned to two conditions: (1) relationship education program with a mindfulness component or (2) standard relationship education program. Repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed significant pre-/post-test differences related to confidence in the ability to detect early warning signs of unhealthy relationship functioning and trend level differences in confidence in decision making and skillful communication. No significant differences were found between groups. Implications for future research are provided.Item Open Access Exploration of factors impacting caregivers' comfort discussing sexuality with ASD youth(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Jensen, Spencer Lynn, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Dockendorff, Kari, committee memberThe present study aims to understand factors impacting caregivers' comfort and education goals related to their autistic youth's sexuality through secondary data analysis. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are a vulnerable group to sexual victimization and experience unique psychosexual development. There is little known about sex education efficacy for autistic individuals and how to support caregivers' comfort in addressing issues of sexuality with their youth. This study utilizes secondary analysis of pre-intervention data collected prior to a small (n = 8) pilot study for a sexuality education intervention for parents of autistic youth in 2006. In this project, the following questions will be addressed via narrative analysis and visual inspection: what are caregivers' goals for their autistic youth related to sexuality/sex education and what are the factors impacting caregiver's comfort in talking about their autistic youth's sexuality? Results highlight the heterogeneity of individuals with ASD suggest the need for multi-level and multi-system interventions to promote healthy psychosexual development for autistic youth as sexuality is impacted by several systems and impacts several domains of functioning. Lastly, implications and future directions for research and clinical practice will be discussed.Item Open Access Goal matching in couple therapy: individual and couple level trajectories(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Smith, Amy D., author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Steger, Michael, committee memberIn couple therapy, the degree to which partners are aligned in their therapy goals is important and is understudied in the psychotherapy literature. Individual and couple level factors likely influence whether a couple has matched or mismatched goals at the first session. These factors include open expression and flexibility of each individual partner, as well as the relational factors of commitment and sexual satisfaction. The therapeutic alliance was also examined to investigate the association with belonging to a relationship with matched versus mismatch goals. Data were gathered from couples who were in naturalistic couple therapy, from sessions one through ten. Growth models were performed to examine base line differences and trajectory differences between goal matched versus goal mismatched groups. Results revealed that couples reported significantly lower commitment and sexual satisfaction in the goal mismatched group, as compared to the goal matched group, at the initial therapy session, and no significant trajectory differences were found between these two groups for these variables across sessions. In addition, those in the goal matching group reported higher ratings of the individual alliance and between partners alliance (within-alliance) at the initial session. As sessions progressed, couples in the goal mismatch group displayed significantly higher within-alliance ratings, as compared to those couples in the matched group. These data suggest that couples with matched versus mismatched therapy goals start therapy in different places in regard to commitment and sexual satisfaction, and therapist may play an important role in helping couples become more aligned as therapy progresses. Implications for therapists who are working with couples that present with goal match or mismatch are offered.Item Open Access Identity as a moderator of the association between minority stress and stress physiology(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Cook, Mary, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Carlson, Laurie, committee memberLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and other sexual and gender minority identifying (LGBTQ+) youth are at increased risk for experiencing a multitude of social and structural disparities compared to their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. These include but are not limited to higher rates of childhood abuse, school bullying, victimization, and discrimination. The cumulative negative impact of these factors on health is known as minority stress. Much of the existing research on minority stress in LGBTQ+ adolescents has focused on psychological outcomes, such as anxiety and suicidal ideation. Fortunately, previous research has identified several protective factors against negative mental health outcomes, including identity pride, mindfulness, and community connectedness. Drawing from Minority Stress Theory and Identity Theory, we hypothesized a significant association between minority stress and physical health indicators (i.e., stress physiology) (hypothesis 1). We additionally hypothesized that identity pride (hypothesis 2), mindfulness (hypothesis 3), and community connectedness (hypothesis 4) would moderate this relationship. To test these hypotheses, we administered 21 LGBTQ+ adolescents, ages 12 to 18, an online survey measuring the target variables. A multiple regression was conducted to test main effects and moderators. Results revealed support for all four hypotheses. In other words, minority stress was positively associated with stress physiology (B= .38, p < .001). Identity pride (B = -.13, p= .04), mindfulness (B = .21, p < .001), and community connectedness (B= -.20, p =.02) significantly moderated the association between minority stress and stress physiology. These associations indicate that for participants who reported higher levels of one or more of the variables, identity pride, mindfulness, and community connectedness, the association between minority stress and stress physiology was weakened.Item Open Access Inside and out: individual and relational outcomes of contemplative practice(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Schaeffer, Amanda, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Carlson, Laurie, committee memberThis study explored the relationships between two prevalent forms of contemplative practice (mindfulness and prayer) and their connection to wellbeing, both individual and relational. Furthermore, this study incorporated mindfulness and prayer into the unified construct of contemplative practice, divided according to direction of attention: inward-focused and outward-focused. Research has previously dealt with mindfulness and prayer separately, overlooking their functional similarities, yet associating them with similar outcomes. This study serves as a preliminary bridge between mindfulness literature and prayer literature, comparing their relationships to individual and relational wellbeing, and proposing the more inclusive category of contemplative practice. Using a sample of 262 college students, this study compared mindfulness to prayer, and inward-focused contemplative practice to outward-focused contemplative practice, in terms of each variable's association with individual wellbeing and relationship wellbeing. Results indicate that mindfulness is associated with both individual and relationship wellbeing, while prayer (when controlling for mindfulness) is not. The results also indicate that inward-focused contemplative practice is more closely linked to individual wellbeing than outward-focused contemplative practice, and that outward-focused contemplative practice is more closely linked to relationship wellbeing than inward-focused contemplative practice.Item Open Access LGBTQ wellbeing and telomere length: the role of political salience(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Poulin-Rodriguez, Elizabeth, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Carlson, Laurie, committee member; Shomaker, Lauren, committee memberLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender queer (LGBTQ) individuals face disparities in experiences of negative physical and mental health. The current study examined the impact of internalized homophobia, sense of belonging, and a relatively new and understudied construct of political salience, as these related to physical health. Given the underexplored nature of the construct of political salience, a new measure was developed within this study. Participants' physical health was examined using telomere length, an indicator of cellular aging. 35 Participants provided self-report data and a saliva sample to the researchers; 17 identified as LGBTQ and 18 identified as heterosexual. Heterosexual individuals were included in the study to explore possible differences in telomere length, a question not yet tested in the literature. Significant main effects were found for sense of belonging, internalized homophobia, and telomere length with political salience. However, potentially due to low sample size power in the study, political salience was not found to be a moderating factor for the relationships between sense of belonging and telomere length, or for the relationship between internalized homophobia and telomere length.Item Open Access Meaning making in romantic relationship conflict: a scale creation and theory application considering adult attachment(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Najman, Natalie, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Hastings, Pat, committee memberWhile existing literature on conflict and attribution theory reveal valuable information about the relationship between cause of conflict and blame, a new theory of meaning making of relationship conflict may offer a focused lens to examine the ways couples make sense of an argument and provide a more complete assessment of conflict. The goals of the first study presented here were to establish the meaning making of relationship conflict theory (MORC) as a framework for understanding relationship-specific meaning making tendencies and introduce a new MORC scale. The MORC scale was hypothesized to identify three theoretically distinct categories of meaning making following relationship conflict: self-focused, partner-focused, and couple-focused. Results confirmed that people make meaning of relationship conflict by focusing on themselves, their partner, or their relationship more broadly. The second study aimed to establish MORC scale validity and explore adult attachment as a potential predictor of meaning making tendencies. Individuals (N = 214) were assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR-SF), Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale (CAMS-R), Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), and the Meaning Making of Relationship Conflict Scale (MORC). Results found a significant, strong, positive correlation between rumination and the MORC scale and a significant, strong, negative correlation between mindfulness and the MORC scale. Next, results revealed support of attachment as a potential mechanism that influences meaning making. Individuals with greater insecure attachment styles (dismissive and anxious/preoccupied) reported higher scores for meaning making of conflict. Individuals with higher avoidant or anxious scores were found to be more likely partner-focused in their meaning making. Secure attachment was not found to be a predictor for meaning making of conflict.Item Open Access Parental conflict and young adult romantic relationships: the role of sibling relationship quality(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Fihn, Gabrielle, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee memberRomantic relationship development and maintenance contributes to the overall well-being and psychological health of partners. Decades of research has indicated that parental divorce is negatively associated with psychological adjustment and romantic relationship outcomes later in development. More current research, however, claims that divorce alone does not account for the variability in these outcomes, and that multiple subsytems within the family unit are likely influential. The proposed study aims to examine one family subsystem, sibling relationships, on the association between young adult romantic relationship outcomes and parental conflict and divorce. Three hundred and thirty two young adults provided responses to questions about their parent relationship quality, sibling relationship quality, and four romantic relationship outcomes (attitudes, relationship commitment, relationship satisfaction, relationship confidence). A linear regression and a moderation test were conducted to examine the associations between sibling relationship quality, parental conflict, and the outlined romantic relationship outcomes. Results revealed support for the powerful association that siblings play in young adults romantic relationship formation and satisfaction. Implications are offered for future studies in this important line of work.Item Open Access Relational satisfaction and telomere length: exploring the moderators of dyadic coping and mindful partnering(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Baer, Samantha Leigh, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee memberThis study aimed to address the gaps in the literature surrounding dyadic coping, mindful partnering, relationship satisfaction, and telomere length. We examined the association between relationship satisfaction and telomere length. Hypothesizing (H1) that relationship satisfaction would be positively and significantly associated with longer telomere length. We then analyzed mindful partnering and dyadic coping as moderators of this association. Next, we predicted (H2, H3) that mindful partnering and dyadic coping would strengthen the association between relationship satisfaction and telomere length. However, our analyses showed hypothesis one is insignificant, meaning there is no significant association between relationship satisfaction and telomere length. The insignificance of our main effect inhibited us from testing our moderators, dyadic coping, and mindful partnering. One notable limitation of our study was that the data was self-reported, creating more room for social desirability. Future researchers could collect data on these variables through observational research to minimize the amount of social desirability bias. Although the findings from this study were insignificant, it presents the field with opportunities for future research.Item Open Access Session specific measurement of the working alliance(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Powner, Joshua, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Luong, Gloria, committee member; Harman, Jennifer, committee memberThe psychotherapy working alliance is a dynamic construct that may exhibit periods of strength or periods of strain. However, current methods to assess the working alliance is problematic in identifying fluctuations. Assessing fluctuations may allow for better tracking of the working alliance, which in turn may help therapists to tailor their approaches accordingly. The current study developed and evaluated the Session Specific Alliance Measure (SSAM), examining its reliability as well as construct, concurrent, and predictive validity. A small sample (N = 47) of clients treated by 14 therapists were surveyed at a university health clinic. Findings in the current study reflect only one wave of data, despite attempts to collect multiple waves of data. These findings support the SSAM to reliably assess the working alliance as well as support its construct validity. However, findings failed to support the SSAM's concurrent and predictive validity. Limitations and future directions are discussed.Item Open Access The relationship between therapist in-session mindfulness and the working alliance(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Lotstein, Ben, author; Quirk, Kelley, advisor; Coatsworth, Douglas, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee memberTherapists' levels of mindfulness are empirically supported as an influential factor in psychotherapy. The current study developed a questionnaire with which to measure the impact of therapists' levels of in-session mindfulness (ISM) on clients' ratings of the working alliance, symptom change, and therapist presence. Forty-one therapist and client participants completed questionnaires addressing these variables, and results showed that higher levels of therapist ISM were related to higher levels of alliance and client symptom improvement. The relationship between therapist ISM and therapist presence was not found to be significant. Exploratory factor analysis of the new measure demonstrated support for a five-factor solution matching the structure of the measure on which it was based. Finally, discussion is offered around uses for the new measure and areas of future research surrounding therapist ISM and related topics.