Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
Trajectories of acculturation, enculturation, and depressive symptoms: findings from a longitudinal study of Latinx adolescents in Los Angeles
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Ramirez, Carla M., author; Riggs, Nathaniel, advisor; Aichele, Stephen, committee member; Most, David, committee member; Rieker, Julie, committee member
Acculturation is conceptualized as a dynamic process of change over time within individuals, yet the bulk of the research on acculturation is conducted using cross-sectional, as opposed to longitudinal approaches. Although there is an emerging body of longitudinal work in this area, there are several factors that contribute to within and between-person variation in acculturation that have yet to be explored. Furthermore, research examining the extent to which change over time in acculturation is related to the rate of change in depressive symptoms is scant. This dissertation utilized a longitudinal data set examining acculturation and substance use among a sample of Latinx youth in Los Angeles, California. Survey data assessing cultural processes, stressors, and depressive symptoms was collected in-person and electronically between 2005 and 2018. Study 1 used growth curve modeling to examine the extent to which there was developmental change in acculturation during the period of adolescence and into early adulthood. The results revealed that there was significant change over time in acculturation and that to some extent change over time varied by the generational group. Study 2 examined how change over time in cultural processes (e.g., acculturation, enculturation, and ethnic identity) was related to changes in depressive symptoms and the extent to which these cultural processes moderated the relationship between stressors and depressive symptoms. The results of study 2 elucidated the moderating effects of the rate of change in acculturation on the association between the rate of change in perceived discrimination and the rate of change in depressive symptoms. This study provides new insights for acculturation research regarding change over time in this construct and the importance of considering context when examining the effect of acculturation on depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the combined results of these studies have important implications for the interpretation of previous studies using proxy measures of acculturation that are discussed further in text. Recommendations for improving the mental health and well-being of Latinx youth are also discussed.
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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
The rhythm of cognition: older adulthood edition
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) McDermott, Cynthia, author; Bielak, Allison, advisor; Fenton, Melissa, advisor; Broussard, Josiane, committee member
Circadian rhythm is a delicate function that regulates multiple processes, such as cognition, sleep, and appetite. As humans age, their circadian rhythms shift to become earlier, resulting in their cognitive peak performance being earlier in the day. This study's main goals were to investigate if older adults (N = 139; Mage = 69.22; range = 60-89) who completed online cognitive tasks over 7 days at peak hours performed better than those who completed them at off-peak hours, as well as to determine if there were specific cognitive tasks that older adults did better on during these peak times. Four cognitive tasks were used to measure working memory, inductive reasoning, episodic memory, and processing speed. As tested by Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (RMANOVA), results showed no significant between-group differences, which indicated that the different test timing groups did not differ in their cognitive performance. The RMANOVA results also revealed no significant effects of test timing groups for any of the individual cognitive tasks. These findings are inconsistent with the little research available regarding on- and off-peak test timing in older adults and suggest the need for a more well-controlled study focused on older adults. If a more reliable on-peak test time for older participants is identified, then clinicians who test cognition could have the ability to detect cognitive decline earlier on. Ultimately, this could lead to earlier diagnoses or recognition of abnormal changes in cognition.
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Multidisciplinary representation in Colorado: an exploratory analysis of professional collaboration
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Ramous, Tara, author; MacPhee, David, advisor; Winocur, Marc, committee member; Brown, Samantha, committee member
This research study focused on multidisciplinary representation (MdR), the collaboration of attorneys and social workers in client advocacy, in Colorado. MdR is used most in cases of child welfare and juvenile justice contexts due to the inherent nature of trauma that accompanies these cases. Past research on MdR has demonstrated significant benefit for clients, but little is known about the professional procedures that result in such positive outcomes. In this collaborative study between university researchers and the Colorado Office of the Child's Representative (OCR), attorneys and social workers were surveyed on their professional roles and their experience with MdR collaboration and present issues. Findings indicated that collaboration practices are largely positive, and professionals mutually agree on benefits. Attorneys' perception that social workers improved their ability to advocate, and improved client engagement, accounted for 43% of the variance in the number of reasons they would request social worker support. The greatest barrier to collaboration was misconceptions of roles and responsibility. Among recommendations, both social workers and attorneys endorsed more training opportunities on collaboration. Ongoing process evaluations will strengthen the research foundation and replication for MdR practice.
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Exploring the pathway between family chaos, stress reactivity, and emotion regulation
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Najman, Jonathan I., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; MacPhee, Dave, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee member
Family chaos is the cumulative exposure to disorienting environments (Fiese & Winter, 2010), and is associated with poor academic outcomes, health problems, and adjustment problems (e.g., Evans & Kim, 2013). Two distinguishable elements of family chaos are a) instability, or unpredictable events that disrupt continuity of the household, and b) disorganization, or enduring experiences that contribute to overwhelming disorder (Garrett-Peters et al., 2019). Although a relatively new distinction, it appears critical, in that instability is a stronger predictor of executive functioning than disorganization (Andrews et al., 2021). Our goal was to provide an investigation of this model to other key outcomes: stress reactivity and emotion regulation. A total of 153 adolescents (10-17yrs) completed the stress test and reported emotion regulation (Zeman et al., 2001; Garnefski et al., 2001). Family instability was significantly but weakly associated with disorganization, r = .16, r2 = .03, p < .05. Generalized Estimating Equations controlling for age, income, and race revealed that family instability, but not disorganization, significantly negatively predicted cortisol reactivity (b= -4.65, SE= 4.17, p<.05). The distinction of family chaos into instability and disorganization requires further research to elucidate the relationship between family chaos and poor developmental outcomes.
Open Access
Romantic conflict, interpersonal mindfulness, and cellular aging
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Rigsby, Brock A., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Brown, Samantha, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee member
Interpersonal relationships can affect health (Ellison et al., 2016, Laurent et al., 2013) including biological and cellular aging processes measured through telomere length (Rentscher et al., 2020). Despite established associations between romantic conflict and health outcomes (Cummings et al., 2007), empirical evidence has yet to emerge supporting a link between romantic conflict and telomere length. Given the frequency with which adults may experience romantic conflict (Papp et al., 2002), it is important to understand how multi-faceted romantic conflict experiences impact health so that targeted interventions can be developed. Mindfulness has well-established benefits for health (Lucas-Thompson et al., 2019) and close personal relationships (Pratscher et al., 2018; Townshend et al., 2016), thus mindful partnering (Seiter et al., 2021) may be a fruitful avenue for such intervention. Using a community sample of 30 couples, this study explored hypothesized associations between romantic conflict and telomere length, as well as the moderating effects of mindful partnering, through self-reported and observational data. A small but non-significant association was found between romantic conflict and telomere length, and no significant moderating effect of mindful partnering emerged.
Open Access
Infant exploration and childhood action planning in children with Down syndrome
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Van Deusen, Kaylyn, author; Fidler, Deborah, advisor; Daunhauer, Lisa, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member
Children with Down syndrome (DS) are predisposed to delays across domains of development and there is a dearth of information on longitudinal associations across early childhood that would help to characterize skill acquisition. Executive functions (EFs) are the thinking and problem-solving skills that direct behavior to achieve goals. Planning is a subconstruct of EF that is an area of relative challenge for children with DS in middle childhood and adolescence. This investigation examined the foundations of planning in DS between infant exploration behavior and emerging childhood planning. METHODS: Forty-six children with DS and their parents participated in two waves of data collection. Infants' first visit was held between 9 and 17 months (M = 12.76 months; SD = 2.16) for Wave 1 and the second research visit was when children were 3 to 7 years old (M = 5.03 years; SD = 0.80) for Wave 2. RESULTS: No significant predictive link was found between infant exploration and early childhood planning. No significant findings emerged between biomedical status and childhood planning. CONCLUSION: Results of this investigation did not identify a predictive link between infancy and early childhood planning. The current study was among the first longitudinal analyses examining development in early childhood for children with DS. Future work should further characterize the heterogeneity observed in children with DS to tailor intervention supports to emerging planning skills.
Open Access
Parent perspectives of at-home cognitive intervention for preschoolers with Down syndrome
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Walsh, Madison M., author; Fidler, Deborah, advisor; Hepburn, Susan, committee member; Yoder, Jamie, committee member
Down syndrome (DS) is associated with challenges related to cognitive skills, including executive function (EF). Intervention provided during early childhood can support the development of EF, however there are few cognitive interventions designed for young developmental ages. Parent-mediated interventions (PMIs) are emerging as an effective and scalable intervention approach for clinical populations. PMIs require ongoing parent engagement, and therefore, it is critical for a PMI to meet the needs of its intended users. This study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework to (1) understand the daily routines of families of young children with DS and (2) describe parent perceptions of participating in at-home intervention. Participants were 34 caregivers of children 3 – 6 years old with DS living in Italy or the US. Participants responded to questions related to daily tasks they help their children complete and their perceptions of at-home cognitive intervention. Interviews were transcribed and independently coded (inter-rater agreement = .80). Four themes related to daily routines were identified: what parents help with, how parents help, why parents help, and how children respond. Three themes related to parent perceptions of interventions were identified: advantages of parent-led interventions, disadvantages of parent-led interventions, and desires for interventions. Findings suggest that PMIs targeting preschool-aged children with DS should require a short time commitment, blend intervention activities into daily routines, and include other family members. Findings from this study have important implications for the development of novel interventions aimed at supporting families in this population.
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Ecological momentary assessment of mechanisms of change during a mindfulness-based intervention for adolescents exposed to chronic stressors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Miller, Reagan L., author; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member
Adolescents exposed to chronic stressors (e.g., financial instability) are at heightened risk for developing mental health problems. Chronic stressors may contribute to greater mental health problems by interfering with adolescents' ability to effectively regulate emotions. According to the mindfulness stress buffering hypothesis, mindfulness acts as a buffer against the deleterious effects of life stressors by ameliorating maladaptive stress appraisals and by improving emotion regulation. However, an assumption of this hypothesis is that individuals can maintain mindfulness and regulate their emotions during periods of stress. These two papers explore this assumption by first investigating the real-time, dynamic relationship between life stressors, mindfulness, and emotion regulation difficulties (Study 1) and then by exploring if mindfulness training may help to ameliorate the negative effects of life stressors on mindfulness and emotion regulation (Study 2). Eighty-one participants who were 10-18 years of age (Mage=13.75 years, SD=2.17; 56% male; 57% Caucasian; 24% Hispanic/Latino; 7% Native American; 7% more than race; and 5% Asian/Pacific Islander or Black/African American) completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA) three times a day for seven days at three different intervals (baseline, mid-intervention and post-intervention) throughout the study, contributing to a total of 3,178 EMA reports. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that the presence (versus absence) of stressors and the greater severity of stressors both were associated with lower mindfulness and greater emotion regulation difficulties concurrently in the same moment, but not prospectively from one moment to the next. In other words, life stressors may only be more immediately associated with lower mindfulness and greater emotion regulation difficulties as short-term, delayed effects from one moment (T1) to the next moment (T2) were not observed. Also, mindfulness training, compared to an active control group, was protective at post-intervention against the negative (concurrent) effects of stressors on mindfulness and emotion regulation (Study 2). Findings highlight that adolescents' life stressors may degrade untrained mindfulness and emotion regulation at given moments, but mindfulness training may help to buffer against these negative impacts of life stressors. Going forward, it will be helpful to investigate these relationships in the context of mental and physical health outcomes and to include longer periods of follow-up to determine the sustainable benefits of mindfulness training for adolescent health.
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Sleep and insulin sensitivity in adolescents at risk for type 2 diabetes
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Clark, Emma, author; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, committee member; Riggs, Nathaniel, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member
Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic disease that is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, and rates of adolescent-onset (<20 years of age) T2D are rising. Adolescent-onset T2D is associated with accelerated cardiometabolic comorbidities and shorter life expectancy compared to adult-onset T2D. As traditional behavioral weight loss approaches to T2D prevention show insufficient effectiveness in adolescents, it is critical to investigate novel, potentially modifiable factors that relate to poor insulin sensitivity, a key precursor of T2D. Poor sleep health is one such potentially modifiable contributor to poor insulin sensitivity and consequently, T2D; however, most research on sleep and T2D is in adults, and the specific characteristics of sleep health that relate to poor insulin sensitivity in adolescents at risk for T2D have not been thoroughly investigated. Further, research suggests that individual characteristics related to stress vulnerability, including dispositional mindfulness (i.e., non-judgmental awareness of the present moment) and self-compassion (i.e., treating oneself with an attitude of kindness and compassion), could alter the association of sleep characteristics with insulin sensitivity. In theory, dispositional mindfulness and/or self-compassion may act as a buffer in the association of poor sleep health and metabolic consequences. Thus, the specific research aims of this dissertation project were to determine to what extent objective characteristics of weekday and weekend sleep health, (1a) wake after sleep onset, (1b) sleep onset latency, (1c) time in bed, (1d) sleep duration, and (1e) sleep efficiency, were associated with insulin sensitivity, and (2) to evaluate mindfulness and self-compassion as moderators of the associations between sleep health and insulin sensitivity. Methods: A total of 128 adolescent girls (M ± SD age 14.40 ± 1.81 years) at risk for T2D participated in the cross-sectional, baseline phase of a parent study. Sleep disturbances were assessed with actigraphy over one week. Mindfulness was assessed with the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale and self-compassion with the Self-Compassion Scale. The whole body insulin sensitivity index assessment of insulin sensitivity was determined from a 7-draw, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Linear regressions were used to examine the links between sleep characteristics and insulin sensitivity, accounting for the potentially confounding variables of age, BMIz, race/ethnicity, and puberty. Dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion were tested as moderators of the association between sleep characteristics and insulin sensitivity. Results: Despite bivariate associations of insulin sensitivity with weekend wake time after sleep onset and weekend time in bed, after accounting for covariates, there were only two trend-level associations. Specifically, longer weekday sleep efficiency was related to greater insulin sensitivity at trend levels, and longer weekend wake time after sleep onset tended to be related to poorer insulin sensitivity at trend levels, accounting for covariates. Mindfulness and self-compassion moderated the associations of weekend sleep efficiency and weekday sleep efficiency, respectively, with insulin sensitivity at trend levels. Higher weekend sleep efficiency was associated with greater insulin sensitivity, only for adolescents with above-average levels of mindfulness. Higher weekday sleep efficiency was associated with greater insulin sensitivity, but only for adolescents with average or above-average levels of self-compassion. Conclusion: Sleep is an important area for future research in the prevention of T2D in at-risk adolescents. Mindfulness and self-compassion may moderate the associations between adolescent sleep quality and insulin sensitivity; however, these processes need further investigation. A comprehensive understanding of adolescent sleep will advance knowledge of sleep health, insulin sensitivity, and mindfulness/self-compassion in the prevention of adolescent-onset T2D.
Open Access
Implications of late autism spectrum disorder diagnosis for females
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Tomasula Martin, Lily, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Ortega, Lilyana, committee member; Harman, Jennifer, committee member
The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine the implications of the timing of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis for females, specifically its impact on psychological well-being. While it is well-known that females are less likely to be identified at young ages than their male counterparts, we know relatively little about the experiences or service needs of women with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are identified later in life. Five women, ages 22 to 46 years who received a formal diagnosis after the age of 12 years, participated in an in-depth interview with a clinician focused on the impacts of a late Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis and the participants' overall well-being. Participants also completed a standardized self-report measure of psychological well-being. Participants then partook in a semi-structured interview to share their experiences of being a female with ASD. Responses from the questionnaires were summarized to provide a baseline understanding of participants' well-being while the semi-structured interview was analyzed to find themes in participant experiences. This qualitative case study includes a small number of participants, but we learned about the potential impacts of late diagnosis for females and their self-report of overall well-being. Both of which has implications for both research and practice.
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Mother-child and father-child emotional availability during the COVID-19 pandemic
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Dungan, Maggie Elise, author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; Harvey, Ashley, committee member; Yoder, Jamie, committee member
While the body of literature on COVID's impact to family life is rapidly expanding, most studies are based entirely on self-report data, leaving a critical gap in observational studies of parent-child interactions. The goal of this study was to evaluate parent-child relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic using the observational Emotional Availability (EA) construct. Parents (N = 43) were assessed using the Epidemic Pandemic Impacts Inventory (EPII), the Flourishing Scale (FLS), and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaires. The subcategories of the EPII were used to develop an EPII negative and an EPII positive for each parent. EA (sensitivity, structuring, nonhostility, nonintrusiveness, child responsiveness, and child involvement) was coded from filmed parent-child interactions. Separate hierarchical multiple regressions (HMRs) were run to evaluate each of the variables of interest (EPII and FLS) as predictive of EA. Child age and ACEs were added in subsequent steps for EPII negative and positive if the initial step was significant. For mothers, results demonstrated EPII negative as a significant predictor of EA with child age and ACEs adding only small amount of variance to the prediction. The same HMR process was repeated for flourishing, with the covariate child age alone. For fathers, flourishing was a significant predictor of EA and child age added only a small amount of variance to the prediction. Results indicate that experiencing high COVID-related stressors is associated with lower EA for mothers, but not fathers. Having high levels of flourishing during the pandemic was predictive of higher EA for fathers, but not mothers.
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Emotional availability (EA) brief: single session feedback and coaching for improving fathers' emotional availability across a wide developmental spectrum
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Lincoln, Michael, author; Biringen, Zeynep, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Harvey, Ashley, committee member
Fathers are a historically underrepresented population in developmental research and must be considered for their modern presentation in parenting processes. Emotional Availability (EA) is a construct that captures the parent-child relationship quality and predicts positive outcomes for children. A recently developed intervention, the EA Brief, is a program conceptualized for easy administration that may be utilized to improve father-child dyadic functioning across a range of child ages. The final sample of interested fathers was 18 fathers with children between 4-months and 13.5-years. For pretest sessions, all fathers completed surveys (demographic information, the Emotional Availability Self Report, and the Flourishing Scale) via Qualtrics, followed by a 20-minute filmed interaction via Zoom which was later coded for EA. Immediate Intervention Group (IIG) received one pretest before the intervention and one posttest after the intervention over a 3-5 week intervention delivery. The intervention involved a 2-hour interactive Zoom workshop where information about EA, attachment, and mindfulness was provided, a 1-hour individualized, Zoom EA feedback/coaching session, and two weeks of text reminders about the covered content. In contrast to the IIG, the Waitlist Control (WC) participants received two pretests (same assessments as above) separated by the 3-5 week time period corresponding to the timing of intervention delivery for the IIG. After the second pretest, they received the same intervention as the IIG. All IIG and WC fathers received posttest sessions (exact same assessments as for the pretests noted above). Across 16 target variables assessing EA, six observed variables showed post-intervention improvement (a < .05) though no significant findings were found on self-reported measures. These findings suggest that fathers respond to programs that provide guidance for clinically informed, research-based parenting despite the program having limited effect on their self-perceptions of how they parent.
Open Access
A test of social-cognitive theory on child rearing: are more authoritative parents higher in parental self-efficacy?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Gaylord, Joshua J., author; MacPhee, David, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Mallette, Dawn, committee member
Corporal punishment (CP) and harsh parenting behaviors increase the risk of child abuse and are associated with several detrimental outcomes among children. Drawing from the foundations of social cognitive theory and coercion theory, I examined long-term changes in parent self-efficacy (PSE) in relation to changes in child-rearing practices (i.e., authoritative and authoritarian). Using longitudinal data from the prevention program Dare to Be You (DTBY), I found that PSE was a significant predictor of child-centered discipline (authoritative), and harsh punishment (authoritarian). Child-centered discipline was moderated by parent attributions (self-blaming). Harsh punishment was significantly easier to predict, as expected by previous research on coercive cycles, and was explained by parent attributions (i.e., self-blaming and child-blaming), and problematic child behaviors. The effects of the DTBY intervention were also significant, with the long-term use of effective child-rearing strategies mediated through increases in self-efficacy. The implications of findings, especially the significance of coercive cycles and social cognitive processes in child rearing, are discussed. Future research and prevention applications are also noted to further prevent child abuse at large.
Open Access
Health discrepancies and marital satisfaction in older couples
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Richkin, Talia, author; Luong, Gloria, advisor; Steger, Michael, committee member; Quirk, Kelley, committee member
Many studies have explored marital satisfaction and the factors that contribute to it such as communication, shared values, sexual satisfaction, and marital conflict. Furthermore, marital satisfaction has been robustly linked to health, and well-being. However, health discrepancy between romantic partners and how such differences in health may be linked to marital satisfaction has received far less attention. The current study extends previous research by examining the degree to which health discrepancy between partners is associated with marital satisfaction, using multidimensional assessments of both health (self-rated health, and chronic health conditions) and marital satisfaction (daily and global). Participants from the Relocation and Transitional Experiences (RELATE) study (N=82, comprising 41 heterosexual couples) completed questionnaire packets regarding demographics, health status, and global marital satisfaction. Additionally, participants completed experience sampling surveys, called ecological momentary assessment surveys (EMA), each day for 7 consecutive days via mobile smart phones. The results demonstrated that people with better self-rated health compared to their partner tended to report lower average daily marital satisfaction. Health discrepancy was not predictive of global marital satisfaction. These findings point to the importance of refining the distinctions between daily and global marital satisfaction, as well as further differentiating health conditions based on severity, to elucidate how different dimensions of health uniquely contribute to different dimensions of marital satisfaction.
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 member
The 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.
Open Access
Does youth mentorship quality moderate or mediate the association between insecure parent child attachment and externalizing behaviors?
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Trotta, Naomi, author; Haddock, Shelley, advisor; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, advisor; Faw, Meara, committee member
Past literature has indicated that youth externalizing behaviors are associated with negative outcomes in adolescence, such as violence and drug use, however it is unclear if mentorship quality acts as a buffer for these behaviors. The current study examined the interactions between parent-child attachment, mentorship quality, and externalizing behaviors in the context of a youth mentoring program. Specifically, this study assessed 1) the association between parent-child attachment and youth anger, delinquency, and school behavior, 2) the extent to which mentorship quality moderated this association, and 3) the extent to which there are indirect effects of mentorship quality on the main association. Participants (N = 676; 58.4% male, 58.6% White; Mage=14.21) self-reported on the measures at baseline and again at program post-test. Findings showed parent-child attachment security was significantly associated with anger but was not significantly associated with delinquency or school behavior. Secondly, there were no significant interactions between parent-child attachment and mentorship quality in relation to any of the externalizing symptoms found. Lastly, the study found significant indirect effects of attachment security on anger, delinquency, and school behavior at the end of the mentorship program through mentee-reported mentorship quality. These results show promise for possible positive impacts of a strong mentorship quality on youth.
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
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 member
While 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.
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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 member
This 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.