While there are numerous websites discussing attachment parenting in infancy, there are currently no interactive research-based websites devoted to attachment parenting throughout early childhood. To fill this need the author developed the Foundations of Parenting website (http://www.foundationsofparenting.org). Evaluation, a tool so far under-utilized by parenting education websites, is necessary for both quality control and improving websites. Thus, in addition to development of the website, the author also formatively evaluated the Foundations of Parenting program by using website-utilization tools and visitor feedback through an online survey to analyze utilization and visitor satisfaction. The website was well-used (674 unique visitors and 189 return visitors with a visitor page depth of 6.7 pages over a 23 day period) for a newly-created website, as can be seen by an examination of traffic rankings of small websites at www.alexa.com. The quantitative survey items assessed the usefulness of the website, the attractiveness of the website, ease of use of the website, whether the website met the participants needs, how interesting the content was, whether the website led them to reconsider former attitudes and made them aware of new things, and whether the participant had decided to do things differently due to the website. A MANOVA procedure was used to identify distinctions in these items in association with selected demographic variables, while the open-ended questions invited the survey participants to elaborate on their quantitative answers. The majority of survey participants, 75 percent, agreed or strongly agreed with the above quantitative survey items, and 87.6 percent felt that the website was useful or very useful. Thus, a large majority of users indicated that the website was useful, attractive, easy to use, interesting, helped them reconsider former attitudes, helped them become aware of new things, and influenced them to decide to do something differently. MANOVA analyses revealed website ratings varied only by ethnicity. Reports compiled by SuperStats tracked the amount of website usage as well as visitor pathways through the website, visitor page depth, the amount of time spent on the website, which pages were most popular, as well as the page depth of the most popular pages. These reports revealed that users tended to search for information they were looking for and leave instead of reading through website content from beginning to end. Participants provided helpful suggestions and feedback to improve the website. Implications of this feedback for website improvement and ideas for further research are discussed.

There is substantial evidence that the strength of the therapeutic alliance in couples therapy is predictive of successful treatment outcome. However, little research has examined the factors that predict a strong therapeutic alliance in couples therapy. With evidence indicating that attachment styles play an important role in the development of healthy adult relationships, it was hypothesized that the attachment styles of partners in couples therapy would predict the development of a strong therapeutic alliance. Data from 115 heterosexual couples seen at a university-based MFT clinic in the southeastern region of the U.S. were used to test this hypothesis. Using multiple regression, results generally found that attachment styles generally predicted the therapeutic alliance among women, but there was only limited support among men. The results of the study suggest the importance of couples therapists being aware of attachment issues, especially among women, as they relate to the establishment of a strong therapeutic alliance.

This study examined the ability to “fake-good” on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Each of the 21 participants was administered the AAI and MMPI-2 under both “control” (non-faked) and “experimental” (instructed to fake-good) conditions. The scores received on the L and K validity scales of the MMPI-2 under the control versus the experimental conditions were compared to determine if the instructions that were intended to induce faking good in the experimental condition were successful. Significant differences were found between the experimental and control group on the MMPI-2 L and K scales suggesting that the instructions did induce faking good in the experimental condition. Once established, the scores received on the AAI idealization and coherence of mind scales during the control versus experimental condition were compared to determine if the experimental condition instructional set impacted (1) idealization positively, (2) coherence of mind negatively, and (3) overall attachment classification becoming more dismissing, as hypothesized. Significant differences were found between the experimental and control group on the AAI idealization scale and on the AAI coherence of mind scale. These results suggest that the individuals' idealization scores were significantly lower in the control versus experimental conditions while the individuals' overall coherence of mind scores were significantly higher in the control versus experimental conditions. Of the 12 who were found to be dismissing under the experimental condition, 4 had previously not been classified as dismissing when the standard AAI instructions were given. Even though the results were not indicative of a difference in attachment classification under the control versus experimental conditions, a trend was apparent. It appears that one attempting to fake good may appear more dismissing on the AAI than he/she really is. It is even more critical that this study be replicated using a larger sample size to determine if trying to make oneself look positively will impact overall attachment status.

The current study examined direct and indirect influences of romantic attachment processes, marital adjustment, and the coparenting relationship on family functioning. Data was collected from a community sample of 86 heterosexual couples with a child aged eight to eleven living in the home. Both spouses completed a demographic questionnaire, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Coparenting Scale, and the Self-Report Family Inventory as part of a larger study on family processes in middle childhood. Data analysis included multilevel modeling, utilizing the actor-partner interdependence model. Results indicated that marital adjustment mediated the association between attachment processes and family functioning, suggesting that a healthy marital relationship is an important variable that helps explain links between attachment security and the family functioning. Findings also highlighted the benefit of conceptualizing adult romantic attachment, marital, and coparental subsystems within a systemic framework.

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This study addresses young children's involvement with comfort objects, including why children have them, how they are used, when attachments to such objects are cause for concern and how teachers and parents can respond to promote the young child's development. The child's becoming and development is examined in this study. The researcher also reviews major transitional object theories in terms of origin, development and psychological meaning. This study aims to explore this phenomenon from a psychological - educational perspective and to formulate a set of guidelines for parents and professionals whose children use comfort behaviour. Information was collated from case studies, a questionnaire and a detailed study of literature. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The present study explored how emotional cushioning (EC) buffered the relationship between grief intensity of perinatal loss and relationship satisfaction among women who have experienced pregnancy after loss. It was hypothesized that higher levels of grief intensity would be negatively associated with relationship satisfaction among women. Additionally, it was hypothesized that higher levels of EC would lessen the negative relationship between grief intensity of perinatal loss and relationship satisfaction among women. Through the use of a hierarchical linear regression, it was determined that grief intensity was not significantly associated with relationship satisfaction and that EC did not serve as a buffer between grief intensity and relationship satisfaction. However, a significant correlation was found between EC and relationship satisfaction. The results of this study can help contribute to the literature by providing more discussion about utilizing systemic approaches for clients who have experienced perinatal loss and pregnancy-related anxiety.