Theses and Dissertations - Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Recent Submissions
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Association between observed mentor-mentee relationship quality and self-reported mentee and parent-reported externalizing behavior, The
Youth mentoring programs can have a significant impact in the lives of at-risk youth. A relationship between youth and an adult can act as a powerful protective factor for youth at risk of developing externalizing behaviors ... -
Parental expressed emotion and treatment outcomes in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
This study uses a case series design to explore the effects parental expressed emotion has on the parent-child relationship and the effects of the outward affect on the treatment outcomes of interventions focused on improving ... -
Session specific measurement of the working alliance
The 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. ... -
Do mentor-mentee self-reported relationship quality measures differ or overlap from observed measures?
Mentoring programs have been rapidly growing in the United States since the mid-1990s. Studies have revealed significant positive associations between mentoring programs and increases in at-risk youths' socio-emotional, ... -
Examining barriers that predict mindfulness uptake in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder
This study aimed to investigate barriers to mindfulness practice in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I hypothesized that I could reliably measure three barriers to mindfulness that parents could ... -
Relationship between therapist in-session mindfulness and the working alliance, The
Therapists' 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 ... -
Assessment of physical health, physical performance, and physical activity in exercise promotion intervention for older adults
This study examined the effects of an intervention program, known as AgingPlus, on indicators of physical health (i.e. systolic and diastolic blood pressure), physical performance (i.e. left- and right-hand grip strength), ... -
Detection of unhealthy communication patterns in romantic relationships
Unhealthy 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 ... -
Foundations of executive function in Down syndrome
Though early features of infant cognition are predictive of executive function (EF) in typically developing (TD) children, there is little information regarding the developmental origins of EF in Down syndrome (DS). The ... -
Parent-mediated interventions for infants with Down syndrome
Parent-mediated interventions (PMIs) are becoming increasingly popular but the parents' role as the administrator of the intervention, specifically the parental fidelity to an intervention protocol (PF) has yet to be ... -
Occupational experiences and brain health outcomes in older age
Most adults spend half of their awake time at work. Although greater midlife work complexity has been consistently linked to better cognitive outcomes in older age, little is known about how occupational experiences associate ... -
Partner communication behaviors and diurnal cortisol patterns
Previous research suggests that diurnal cortisol patterns are associated with marital communication behaviors reported in naturalistic settings (e.g., Stawski, Cichy, Piazza, & Almeida, 2013), and observed communication ... -
Exploring foster and adoptive parent stressors and resources: a mixed method study
At any given time over half a million children are in foster care and over 50,000 of these children are adopted each year in the United States. The majority of these children have been exposed to trauma. Parents may not ... -
Mechanisms of growth: social-emotional learning and the PwrHrs program
Recent public education reform initiatives have emphasized student academic achievement, primarily in reading and mathematics. To meet the pressure these initiatives present, a growing number of schools have chosen to ... -
LGBTQ wellbeing and telomere length: the role of political salience
Lesbian, 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 ... -
Pathways underlying differences in health between White and Black Americans: exploring the role of racial discrimination
This study explored the association between experiencing racial discrimination and poor health outcomes between White and Black Americans. Secondary data from wave 11 of HRS (N = 17,085) were used to test the research ... -
Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on depressive symptoms, stress eating, and telomere length in adolescents at-risk for adult obesity
Rates of adolescent obesity and cardiometabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes are increasing. Recent studies suggest that depression symptoms may be one contributor to obesity and cardiometabolic diseases through ... -
Accelerometer measurements of physical activity in pregnant adolescents
In adult women, physical activity during pregnancy, assessed objectively with accelerometry, has been related to less excess gestational weight gain and better health outcomes for mother and child. Objectively-measured ... -
Mindful parenting: associations with parental depression and well-being
This study investigated the association between mindful parenting and both parent depression, and parent well-being. Current research has found that many individuals experience stress in parenting, which impacts their ... -
Becoming fathers: feasibility, acceptability, and exploratory efficacy of a group intervention
The transition to parenthood brings changes to identity and relationships for new parents. Increasing expectations for father involvement in childcare are emphasizing the importance of the father role, but social supports ...
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