Thesis advisor: Mary E. Walsh / Comprehensive and collaborative intervention practices with individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) recognize the essential role of the family in effective, long-term treatment of ASDs (e.g., National Research Council, 2001). While some research has focused on the experiences of families of individuals diagnosed with an ASD, there exists a need to better understand what factors detract from or facilitate the family's ability to adapt to their circumstances. Guided by the FAAR model (e.g., Patterson, 1989, 2005) and the Family Systems-Illness Model (e.g., Rolland, 1994, 2003), this current study examined the relationship between two demands or risk factors (i.e., the perceived severity of a child's ASD and the uncertainty related to a child's ASD), three capabilities or protective factors (i.e., optimism, mastery beliefs, and control beliefs), and the family's adaptation to their family member's ASD (i.e., family quality of life). Parents (N=207) of children diagnosed with Autism, PDD-NOS, or Asperger's Syndrome completed a self-report questionnaire assessing perceived ASD severity, the uncertainty regarding their child's ASD, the participant's optimism, mastery, and control beliefs, and the family's quality of life. Results demonstrated that the perceived severity of the child's ASD, the uncertainty related to the child's ASD, dispositional optimism, sense of coherence, and professional-related health locus of control are factors that significantly influence the family's overall quality of life. In addition, dispositional optimism and sense of coherence were found to mediate the relationship between the identified demand factors and the family's quality of life. Results suggest that perceived severity and uncertainty regarding a family member's ASD are demands that have important implications for the family. Additionally, results suggest that optimism and mastery beliefs can play a positive, complex role in the family's adaptation to a family member's ASD. Finally, the results of this study suggest that control beliefs may act in complex and different ways than expected. Theoretical considerations and implications for practice and future research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Culture has been recognized to play an important role in the formation of parental beliefs, but the question still remains of whether beliefs are maintained or revised over time, and how. The present study examined how proximal influences impacted parental beliefs in an immigrant sample of parents, the thesis being that distal influences have more to do with the formation of parental beliefs while proximal influences have more to do with maintaining or revising them. Effects of the proximal influences of education, occupation status, information networks, and parental agreement about childrearing, on parental beliefs of Mexican-origin fathers and mothers around cultural values of familism/respeto, simpatía, and individualism were tested longitudinally. The research questions were two-fold in nature, looking at within-time effects of the proximal influences on parental beliefs; as well as over-time effects of proximal influences on change in parental beliefs. The within-time questions were answered using hierarchical regression analyses while the over-time questions were answered using repeated measures MANCOVAs. Overall, the beliefs of parents in this study were seen to not change significantly over the course of the three years that they were assessed, and so the study did not yield the results expected in terms of the effects of proximal influences on parental beliefs. However, information networks and fathers' occupation status did emerge as promising proximal influences on parental beliefs, and the results also revealed maternal beliefs to be more responsive to the proximal influences of education, fathers' occupation status, information networks, and parental agreement about childrearing, than paternal beliefs.

No description available.

Before entering school, children begin their science learning with their parents at home. This study proposes that parents' beliefs and actions regarding science shape their children's knowledge and skills that they then bring to school. Studying parents' beliefs about and practices with their children within the topic area of science provided insight into their influence in helping their children make sense of the world. Therefore, the purpose of this study aimed to investigate parents' beliefs about children's science learning and their actions in facilitating their children's science learning when they visited a science museum from socio-cultural perspectives. To investigate this, a qualitative case study examining nine Taiwanese parents of kindergarteners was conducted. The study was conducted in two parts. Data sources included field notes, parent interviews, and documents such as pictures of the equipment these parents bought for their children. First, through interviews with parents, their beliefs about their children's science learning were identified and examined. Four parts including parents' gendered science beliefs, parents' perceived importance of science learning, parents' beliefs about how science learning should proceed, and parents' beliefs about their engagement in science learning were found. Part two of the study examined how these nine parents' beliefs guided them in making decisions when they interacted with their children in a science museum through observations and follow-up interviews. In most cases, parents' beliefs appeared to be important resources for helping them find a proper way to interact with their children. Three issues including the person who took the lead at the family visits, the quantity of parents' intervention, and the scaffolding strategies these parents employed were found in their interactions with their children. Parents were aware of why they behaved in particular ways: because of their beliefs. Based on the findings, the researcher suggested that parents' beliefs were an important mechanism for influencing children's science learning. A seemingly simple behavior, such as letting children explore one object longer than others, might reflect what was recognized as important in their beliefs. Lastly, the implications for early childhood educators, parents of young children, and future research were provided. / text

The current study examined the effects of parenting congruence on child outcome behaviors. Participants were 144 African American families with a child between 9 and 12 years old. Mothers and fathers provided self report on their behavior regarding monitoring, positive parenting, and parental beliefs. Children provided self report regarding child problem behavior, and sexual intentions. Results revealed the more congruent parents were on positive parenting behaviors the more boys thought about sex; however, results for girls were not significant. Additionally, moderation trends suggested when both parents are high on monitoring behaviors girls have thought about sex less, whereas boys think about sex less when both parents are low on monitoring behaviors. Another trend suggested the more conservative both parents are regarding attitudes about dating, the less likely boys are to have thought about sex. Thus, the combined behavior of both parents on specific parenting factors can affect boys and girls differently.

The current study examined the effects of parenting congruence on child outcome behaviors. Participants were 144 African American families with a child between 9 and 12 years old. Mothers and fathers provided self report on their behavior regarding monitoring, positive parenting, and parental beliefs. Children provided self report regarding child problem behavior, and sexual intentions. Results revealed the more congruent parents were on positive parenting behaviors the more boys thought about sex; however, results for girls were not significant. Additionally, moderation trends suggested when both parents are high on monitoring behaviors girls have thought about sex less, whereas boys think about sex less when both parents are low on monitoring behaviors. Another trend suggested the more conservative both parents are regarding attitudes about dating, the less likely boys are to have thought about sex. Thus, the combined behavior of both parents on specific parenting factors can affect boys and girls differently.

The aim of this study was to describe maternal self-efficacy beliefs within the parenting domain and maternal rating of pre-school child’s language abilities, where the child has a communication disability. The association between these two constructs was also investigated. Twenty-five Mothers completed a questionnaire consisting of two subsections: parental self-efficacy and maternal rating of child language ability. The results revealed that mothers generally had high self-efficacy beliefs within certain parenting roles, in spite of the fact that their child has a communication disability. The lowest competence was reported in discipline and teaching roles. In addition, mothers’ reports of patterns of child ability correlated with what has been written in the literature. Correlation statistics generally revealed weak association between the constructs, with the strongest association between the parental domain of discipline and maternal reports of their child’s receptive language abilities. Possible reasons suggested for the weak correlation values include the presence of a disability, which may alter the factors that contribute to the way parents construct and maintain self-efficacy beliefs; as well as the fact that the two sections of the questionnaire measure maternal appraisals at two very different levels (objective observations and evaluative self-regulatory processes). Suggestions for further research are provided. / Dissertation (M (Augmentative and Alternative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication / unrestricted

No description available.

Children of Hispanic origin have the highest prevalence of asthma of all ethnic groups in the United States, especially Puerto Rican children, who have a prevalence of 12.9%. Treatment nonadherence has been identified as one contributing factor. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the reasons for nonadherence to the asthma treatment regimen among Puerto Rican children. Parents and health care providers of asthmatic children were interviewed regarding their beliefs about asthma as a disease, its effect on the child's life, and their experience with asthma treatment. Two models served as the theoretical framework: the health belief model and the Institute of Medicine model framework for asthma disparities. Interview data were collected from 8 parents using a questionnaire, and a focus group was conducted with 3 health care professionals. Data were manually coded to identify emerging themes. Even though parents reported fear of asthma medications and medication side effects, none of the parents stopped the asthma treatment. Results also indicated that lack of education about asthma, asthma treatment, and asthma action plan was evident in 75% of the parents. None of the parents who migrated to the United States from Puerto Rico received education about asthma while living in Puerto Rico. Health care professionals reported that although parents are familiar with asthma, they do not understand that it is a chronic disease that requires daily treatment. Findings may be used to create an asthma education plan tailored to the needs of the Hispanic population.

[pt] Devido a necessidade intrínseca ao ser humano de interação social, os cuidadores precisam traçar metas para socializar seus filhos. Uma vez que compreende-se que habilidades emocionais são essenciais para inserção e interação social, dentre as metas de socialização estabelecidas pelos pais, temos as metas de socialização da emoção. Ao mesmo tempo, na teoria de Vygotsky, a arte surge como ferramenta importante para a experimentação emocional, levando a melhor compreensão das emoções e maior facilidade de expressão das mesmas. Este trabalho buscou investigar como a arte está sendo pensada e incluída por mães no contexto das crenças e metas de socialização da emoção. Participaram do estudo 20 mães moradoras do Rio de Janeiro e proximidades com pelo menos um filho de até três anos de idade. Foi aplicado o instrumento Questionário de Metas de Socialização da Emoção (QMSE) e foi realizada uma entrevista online, de roteiro semi-estruturado, com cada uma das participantes. As entrevistas foram transcritas e analisadas utilizando o Software IraMuteq. A partir das análises realizadas, foi possível perceber que no que diz respeito à arte enquanto facilitadora de processos de socialização e emocionais, todas as mães tiveram respostas afirmativas ao serem questionadas sobre a crença de correlação entre a arte e o impacto no desenvolvimento global de seus filhos; o impacto em processos emocionais de seus filhos, incluindo ensinar e compreender sobre emoções; o impacto em processos de socialização de seus filhos. Além disso, segundo relato das mesmas, a arte tem potencial para afetar na criatividade e autoestima de seus filhos, além de promover estimulação corporal e novas possibilidades de campos de trabalho no futuro, pode ser mobilizadora de questões referentes à comunicação com seus filhos e mediadora para traduzir acontecimentos. Acredita-se que o presente trabalho pode contribuir para a compreensão de temas relevantes referentes à parentalidade, tão preciosa para a Psicologia do Desenvolvimento e para a área das artes, principalmente as dirigidas ao público infantil. / [en] Due to the intrinsic human need for social interaction, caregivers need to set goals to socialize their children. Since it is understood that emotional abilities are essential for insertion and social interaction, among the socialization goals established by parents, the goals of socialization of emotion emerge. At the same time, in Vygotsky s theory, art emerges as an important tool for emotional experimentation, leading to a better understanding of emotions and ease in expressing them. This work sought to investigate how art is being thought of and included by mothers in the context of beliefs and goals of emotional socialization. Participated in this study 20 mothers living in Rio de Janeiro and nearby with at least one child up to three years old. The Emotion Socialization Goals Questionnaire (QMSE) instrument was applied and an online semi-structured interview was conducted with each of the participants. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the IraMuteq Software. From the analysis carried out, it was possible to perceive that with regard to art as a facilitator of socialization and emotional processes, all mothers had affirmative answers when asked about the belief in the correlation between art and the impact on the global development of their children; the impact on their children s emotional processes, including teaching and understanding about emotions; the impact on their children s socialization processes. In addition, according to their reports, art has the potential to affect their children s creativity and self-esteem, in addition to promoting bodily stimulation and new possibilities for future work fields, it can mobilize issues related to communication with their children and mediate to translate events. It is believed that the present work can contribute to the understanding of relevant themes related to parenting, which is so precious for Developmental Psychology and for the arts, especially those aimed at children.