<p> <i><b>Problem:</b></i> A range of developmental models have been applied in research on leader development. Such applications often advocate &ldquo;whole&rdquo; person approaches to leader growth. They seek to expand social, cognitive, and behavioral capacities, and often reference perspective taking. Many of these approaches define developmental levels in terms of specific content, ideas, and domain-specific capacities. In some models, people are said to be at a given level because they demonstrate a certain kind of perspective taking, and they are also expected to demonstrate that kind of perspective taking because they are at a given level. This circularity largely prevents the investigation of how different capacities change together (or not) over time. </p><p> <i><b>Purpose:</b></i> Using an approach that avoids this kind of circularity it was possible to examine perspectival skills and developmental level independently. I tested three hypotheses about the relationship between change in developmental level and change in perspective taking, seeking, and coordination. It was predicted that these constructs would exhibit patterns of synchronous and asynchronous change, with the former being most prominent. </p><p> <i><b>Method:</b></i> The sample consisted of 598 civil leaders who completed a developmental assessment called the Lectical&trade; Decision Making Assessment (LMDA) up to 4 times over a 9-month leadership development program. The LDMAs yielded separate scores for Lectical level&mdash;a domain-general index of hierarchical complexity&mdash;and perspective taking, seeking, and coordination. Perspective taking and seeking scores were disaggregated into component scores for <i>salience, accessibility,</i> and <i> sophistication.</i> Ten scores were analyzed with Latent growth modeling techniques. Four types of models were fit to these data: (a) Univariate latent growth curve models, (b) multivariate parallel process models, (c) univariate latent difference scores models, and (d) bivariate latent difference scores models. </p><p> <i><b>Results:</b></i> All hypotheses were partially confirmed. Change trajectories for most scores were non linear, characterized by dips and spurts. The rate of change in perspective scores was not related to rate of change for Lectical score or initial Lectical score. Initial Lectical score was positively related to initial perspective scores. Lectical score was a leading indicator of subsequent change in seeking and seeking salience. Lectical change positively impacted seeking change, whereas Lectical score positively impacted seeking salience change. </p><p> <i><b>Conclusions:</b></i> The relationship between change in these constructs is more complex than typically portrayed. Evidence suggests that these variables change more independently of each other than claimed in earlier research. Patterns of asynchronous change were three times more common than synchronous change, and Lectical score predicted change in only some aspects of perspectival capacity. Implications for theory, method, and pedagogy, along with study limitations and avenues for future research are discussed.</p>

<p> Children&rsquo;s picture books engage young readers with lessons of both literacy and socialization. They are discursive components of visual culture, with ideological origins that can be traced to European colonizers, whose policies fueled popular sentiment that devalued those who appeared different and, thus, encouraged systemic oppression and genocide. Utilizing Hall&rsquo;s definition of representations will provide perspective in discussions of social constructs (including constructed absences), developmental psychology, and research-evidenced processes of child perception and meaning. These phenomena often convey unearned hierarchical power that culminates in behaviors that include social exclusion and discrimination, and their far-reaching effects are discussed by MacDonald as European Structuralism, in which &ldquo;social and cultural life are governed by deep-seated structural polarities&rdquo; (1995, p. 35). European Structuralism, and related systems, disadvantaged groups that include females, non-European males, non-heterosexuals, those with a high body mass index (BMI), and non-Christians. Visual culture, including picture books, perpetuates these constructs that lead to oppression. To call attention to the origins of biased messages, I analyze the physical characteristics of best-selling picture book authors and illustrators. Few surprises exist, yet these data add another layer to the intricate systems of power dynamics. </p><p>

<p> Personal observations and anecdotal accounts attest that some of the young people in U.S. Latino churches are developing as leaders within their congregations. This seems to come as a result of the organic or less-formalized leadership development dynamics and practices present within Latino congregations, where leaders often develop by being actively involved in leadership actions without necessarily first following a curriculum of study, completing a training program, or fulfilling a set of theological education requirements. In this way, many are acquiring roles and responsibilities by which they actively contribute towards local congregational and community life, and by which they develop as leaders through hands-on experiences. This less formalized leadership development dynamic in Latino congregations has yet to be empirically studied, as a means to further understand and learn from this unique characteristic that can be helpful to the church at large in our search for how to develop the next generation of leaders. Thus, there is a need to identify, describe, and empirically analyze some of the specific phenomena involved in these observed dynamics within Latino congregations that seem to be contributing towards youths&rsquo; leadership development. </p><p> Method: Therefore, this descriptive and explanatory <i>ex post facto </i> study examined key congregational practices within Latino churches and the level of participation young people have in these as a means of analyzing the association of both with leadership development. The study drew on existing data collected through the Chicago Latino Congregational Study &ndash; Youth Survey (CLCS&ndash;YS) of 63 randomly sampled Latino congregations in different Christian denominations: Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline, and Pentecostal. The sample population consisted of 307 Latino youth ages 13 to 19. </p><p> After examining the 104 questionnaire items of the CLCS&ndash;YS for applicability, 23 were selected to analyze youth&rsquo;s religious participation, social service involvement, and engagement in leadership tasks, while controlling for demographic characteristics. Aspects of Positive Youth Development (PYD) theory pertaining to youth leadership development provided a means to select and create the variables studied, which were derived from socioreligious descriptions of Latino congregations that are linked to the aforementioned organic leadership dynamics. </p><p> Results: The data analysis revealed that youth in Chicago Latino congregations have a high aggregate score for both Religious Participation and Engagement in Leadership Tasks, and both scores increase with their age. Although their aggregate score for Social Service Involvement was found to be low, the frequencies of the reported habits, actions, and behaviors regarding Social Service Involvement indicate that a high percentage of youth are involved in volunteering or social service in and out of their local congregation. A significant relationship was also found between youths&rsquo; level of Religious Participation and their level of Social Service Involvement and Engagement in Leadership Tasks, with both scores increasing as their scores in Religious Participation increased. </p><p> The results of the individual survey frequencies served to create a contextual description of socioreligious phenomena present in Chicago Latino congregations, as well as a wider reference into the religious habits of Latino youth. The findings support the observations and anecdotal accounts regarding the level of engagement youth have with organic dynamics for leadership development in Latino congregations. Based on PYD theory, the study also provided a proposed set of variables and measurements by which to approach future studies on this topic. Youth congregants are involved in hands-on experiences such as social service projects and exercising leaderships tasks, and they are also engaging very frequently with their supportive religious community. These are all characteristics of ecological contributing contexts which PYD postulates can potentially contribute towards the leadership development of youth, and their continued contribution as leaders in adulthood (Avolio &amp; Vogelgesang, 2011; Murphy &amp; Reichard, 2011).</p><p>

<p> In 2016, over 277,000 pilgrims walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Of that number, 53,704 walked the Camino in August of that year. Very few of those pilgrims &ndash; 400 &ndash; came from Caribbean countries. Two of them were from Jamaica. I was one of them. This first-person Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenological study interprets a Jamaican man&rsquo;s meaning-making before, during, and after walking the Camino pilgrimage. In the study, I explored meaning-making through a constructive-developmental lens. I explained how I made meaning, as a border-dweller, or as someone who lives in-between worlds and in the borderlands. I described and interpreted my spiritual-awakening experiences and transition. I conducted this study, partly, to add the voice of an Afro-Caribbean person to the bodies of literature on development of meaning-making and spiritual-awakening experiences. Data for the study consisted of journal entries, blog posts, and photographs that I wrote, published, and took before, during, and after my Camino pilgrimage. The results from the study revealed what I made meaning of, the meanings I made, and how I expressed those meanings. Findings from the study &ndash; Camino as metaphor, Being In-Limbo-land, Self in transition, and Trans-Afro spiritualization &ndash; could help Afro-Caribbean people validate their spiritual experiences. They could also inform professionals, such as educators, leaders, and developmental coaches, and parents about efficacious ways of supporting and serving Afro-Caribbean people.</p><p>

<p> Today&rsquo;s&nbsp;organizations&nbsp;must meet the external and internal challenges of&nbsp;continuous change.&nbsp;Most traditional organizational models, however, are designed for stability, including forms of leadership that use top-down, command-and-control hierarchy to steer direction and work. This study explores an alternative phenomenon observed in practice, collaborative leadership culture (CLC). In CLC, organizations determine where they are going, coordinate work, and sustain commitment through broad participation, collaborative practices, and emergence. Scholars&nbsp;study&nbsp;similar phenomena using different names, including&nbsp;in the emerging area of relational leadership and in constructive-developmental theory, a stage theory of adult development. What has not been well researched is how these forms of leadership develop. The research that does exist emphasizes senior leaders as participants versus taking a whole systems approach. This study explores how CLC develops in organizations, aiming for a multi-level, systemic collection of data. </p><p> This research is a single case study that uses critical incident interviews (CIIs) to understand how a 100-person catering company in suburban Chicago, Tasty Catering, developed CLC. The study draws on CIIs with 30 members representing diverse company areas and roles. All participants completed the Leadership Maturity Assessment (MAP), a measure of human development. Participants also completed a preliminary Direction, Alignment and Commitment (DAC) survey intended to understand the extent to which participants perceive leadership outcomes are produced by their current form of leadership. Study findings were captured in a proposed conceptual model of how CLC develops. The conceptual model includes individual behaviors, or levers, that contribute to six organizational drivers that create the conditions for CLC. The data also indicate that complex individual development of members and/or formal authority holders as measured by the MAP is not a prerequisite for developing CLC in an organization. The study presents practical implications for organizations, leaders, teams, and leadership educators, as well as recommendations for future research.</p>

<p> Limited research has attempted to quantify Fear of Missing Out. Only one prior study has examined adolescents&rsquo; experience of Fear of Missing Out and did so with a small, homogenous Belgian sample. In order to expand upon this limited research base, the present study sought to examine Fear of Missing Out with an American adolescent sample. Specifically, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the reliability and validity of the Fear of Missing Out Scale (Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan &amp; Gladwell, 2013) that was originally developed with an adult population, as well as strengthen understanding of Fear of Missing Out as it pertained to specific demographics. Students (grades 5&ndash;12) participating in a large, urban school district after school program in North Texas were surveyed on their experience with Fear of Missing Out and frequency of social media engagement (<i>n</i> = 961; 55% male). Results of a principal components analysis confirmed the presence of a 1-factor model, maintaining all 10 original scale items with strong internal consistency (&alpha; = 0.93). Regression analysis suggested Fear of Missing Out was predictive of increased social media engagement (<i> p</i> = .003). Gender and ethnicity were not related to Fear of Missing Out; grade level and Fear of Missing Out were inversely related, such that the older a student was, the less Fear of Missing Out was reported. Future researchers should utilize intentional and purposeful methodology for measuring social media engagement and focus on strengthening the validity and reliability of Fear of Missing Out as a unique construct. Further, theorists should consider updating their developmental perspectives related to adolescence based on advances in technology, media consumption, and interpersonal communication, particularly via social media. Practitioners are encouraged to understand and disseminate this information as it pertains to educating adolescents and their families about the benefits and costs of mobile technology and social media engagement.</p>

<p> Scholarly research is needed to investigate the horse human interaction and increase protective measures and beneficial outcomes for both horse and human when using an interspecies form of psychotherapy. This research offers practitioners of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) a different theoretical orientation to approach an understanding of the psychodynamics present in this form of therapy, and support contemporary therapeutic treatment models that focus on building emotional resilience grounded in the neurobiology of nurturing relationships. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to identify what psychodynamic experiences were present in the feminine-equine relationship dyad, and how these experiences influenced the process of individuation. Prior research (Seward, 2013; Held, 2006; Koch, 2008) has investigated this relationship phenomenon to bring validity to a powerful experience that is often described as intangible, or immeasurable. The researcher, through personal experience and professional training since 1999, has observed the evolving industry of equine assisted activities and therapies as largely populated by women seeking answers, women dedicated to the helping professions, and women longing for an experience that is nurturing and enlarging in a way that Western culture fails to meet that need for women. </p><p> Analytical psychology, according to Carl Jung, provided a theoretical structure to explore the horse as a symbol of the archetype and the psychodynamics present in the feminine-equine relationship dyad. The researcher examined how this interspecies relationship phenomenon facilitates psychodynamic experiences that contribute to personality development for women who have chosen horses as companions. Recent developments in neuroscience helped to reimagine Jung&rsquo;s psychodynamic theory for contemporary relevance. The researcher asked what experiences present in the feminine-equine relationship dyad have the capacity to influence the <i>individuation</i> process for women. </p><p> A hermeneutic phenomenological research method and narrative research techniques guided this qualitative research study. Hermeneutics guided the review of literature and provided an iterative process to reveal significant parts of the experience-centered narratives within the whole of the phenomenon in question. Five women shared their personal and professional stories of companionship with horses. The research findings revealed the neurobiology of novel experiences and attuned relationships contributes to transformative experiences and an improved sense of well-being. Phenomenology provided an intuitive approach to understanding the interspecies relationship phenomenon investigated. The research participants&rsquo; narratives confirmed companionship with horses influences personal growth, strengthens emotional resilience, influences professional and social development, and provides a sense of community. These findings suggest a woman&rsquo;s relationship with a horse encourages individuation.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of the Autonomous Student Experiences (ASE), a specific course component of OAE programming, on promoting youth developmental outcomes, including youth autonomy and positive youth development (PYD). The ASE component in this study was carried out as the &ldquo;Final Expedition,&rdquo; where students traveled as a group with limited supervision from instructors. Three outdoor courses offered by Northwest Outward Bound School were selected with 25 subjects in total. </p><p> This study used a mixed-method quantitative and qualitative research design to explain and interpret the effect of ASE on youth autonomy and PYD. A questionnaire was developed to collect quantitative data measured by three scales, including Noom&rsquo;s (1999) Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire, Lerner et al.&rsquo;s (2005) Positive Youth Development Short Form Measurement, and Characteristics of the ASE scale adapted from Sibthorp&rsquo;s Characteristics of the Experience Scale (2000). This questionnaire was administered three times throughout the course, including the first day of course, the day before the ASE, and after participants finished the ASE. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. These one-on-one phone interviews were conducted with selected participants about two weeks after they returned home from their field experiences. </p><p> Findings from the quantitative data analysis showed that the overall OAE program can be effective in facilitating adolescents&rsquo; levels of youth autonomy and PYD. ASE may afford the opportunity for &ldquo;learning reinforcement&rdquo;, refers to a chance for adolescents to reinforce developmental outcomes that have evolved early on during the course. However, the differences in adolescents&rsquo; youth autonomy and PYD levels before and after completing the ASE course component did not reach a statistical significance. Higher levels of autonomy were associated more with adolescents who played follower roles in the ASE compared to those who played leadership roles. Findings from the qualitative data further shed light on the underlying mechanisms for linking ASE with youth developmental outcomes.</p><p>

This dissertation makes a contribution to the growing literature on identity formation by formulating, implementing, and testing the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention, the Making Life Choices (MLC) Workshops, designed to facilitate the process of identity formation. More specifically, the MLC Workshops were designed to foster the development and use of critical cognitive and communicative skills and competencies in choosing and fulfilling life goals and values. The MLC Workshops consist of a psychosocial group intervention that includes both didactic and group experiential exercises. The primary research question for this study concerned the effectiveness of the MLC Workshop relative to a control condition. Effectiveness was evaluated on two levels: skills development and reduction of distress. First, the effectiveness of MLC in fostering the development of critical competencies was evaluated relative to a control condition, and no statistically significant differences were found. Second, the effectiveness of MLC in decreasing life distress was also evaluated relative to the control condition. While participants in the MLC workshop had no significant decrease in distress, they did have statistically significant improvement in life satisfaction in the Personal Domain.

Psychobiographies typically explore and describe historically significant, extraordinary and enigmatic individuals' psychological development through the lens of psychological theory. The primary aim of this psychobiographical study was to explore and describe the developmental life stages of Margaret Hilda Thatcher (1925 - 2013) through the application of Erik Erikson's theory of Psychosocial Development. Erikson's theory takes a holistic, biopsychosocial approach to the lifelong development of the individual, emphasising ego development. A secondary objective was to clarify the propositions of Erikson's theory by applying it to Thatcher's life. Margaret Thatcher was the leader of the Conservative Party in Great Britain and was the first ever female British Prime Minister. As a political leader, she was driven by conviction and regarded as controversial in that she divided the opinion of the British people. She served as Prime Minister for three consecutive terms and was eventually ousted by her peers. After leaving office, she received the title of Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven and later became a member of the highest order of knighthood in England: The Order of the Garter. Psychobiographical research is qualitative and follows a single, case study approach. Through using a purposive sampling strategy, Thatcher was selected as a research subject on the basis of interest value and uniqueness. Data were selected from primary and secondary sources, enhancing the validity of the study, and were analysed according to Alexander's nine identifiers of salience within the conceptual framework derived from Erikson's theory. When considering the findings of the research, it became evident that Margaret Thatcher's development coincides with those constructs proposed in Erikson's theory, and thus emphasised its value in understanding human development. The findings from this psychobiographical study contributed to the understanding of Thatcher's life and are likely to stimulate further research in psychology.