Theses and Dissertations - Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Recent Submissions
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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 ... -
Danger signs in romantic relationships: the role of mindfulness
Danger 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 ... -
Inside and out: individual and relational outcomes of contemplative practice
This 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 ... -
Association between father involvement and sexual risk behaviors among Black and White adolescent girls, The
This study explored the importance of father involvement for adolescent girls, particularly in the context of sexual risk behaviors. Research is only beginning to explore the effects of fathers on development and the ... -
Latent profiles and trajectories of family functioning: a risk and resilience approach to child maltreatment prevention and promotion of early achievement
Child maltreatment and being unready to learn at kindergarten entry are two societal problems that are associated with children's later development. Children are at highest risk for maltreatment during the first four years ... -
Understanding racial health differences: the role of stressor exposure and affect reactivity
Despite all that is known about racial differences in health and well-being outcomes, much less is known about the processes that give rise to these differences. Previous work examining racial differences in stress-health ... -
Factors influencing the effectiveness of a family intervention for adolescent versus adult mothers
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 ... -
Evaluation of Possums Sleep Intervention: a pilot feasibility study
The first year after the birth of a child is one of the most challenging times for mothers due to disrupted sleep associated with disorganized infant sleep. Research has shown that persistent fragmented maternal sleep ...
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