Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [72]-79). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Marshall University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ii, 42 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 19-23).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (February 16, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-35)

Thesis (D. Phil.(Psychotherapy))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Liberty University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

It has only been within the past two decades that a new etiological model of sex offending has emerged that embraces attachment theory in order to provide a more comprehensive understating of how early attachment disruptions may contribute to sexually aggressive behavior. Although there is much theoretical support for the insecure attachment-sex offending paradigm, very little work has been done in the area of empirical validation. Furthermore, the majority of the research that has been conducted in this area focuses on adult offenders and primarily relies on self-report measures of attachment. Therefore, this study examined patterns of attachment in a sample of juvenile sex offenders utilizing a projective instrument, The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). This new measure assesses the unconscious aspects of one’s representational model of attachment, such as defenses and underlying expectations concerning relationships. In addition to examining the implicit facet of the attachment construct, this study also explored individuals’ conscious perceptions of attachment needs and experiences by means of a self-report measure. Twenty-five male adolescent sex offenders participated in this study. All subjects were administered the AAP and the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment. A brief interview was also conducted in order to gather more detailed descriptive information concerning the adolescents’ family relationships and history of sexual offenses. Results from this study indicated that 100% of the adolescents were classified as insecure on the AAP. The majority of subjects were judged to be dismissing (52%), followed closely by the unresolved attachment status (44%). These findings were discussed in terms of the disorganized attachment-sex offending model and in regards to the attachment concept of “failed mourning.” Qualitative data from the subjects’ interviews and AAP stories were used to provide further support for these theories. The divergent objective-projective test scores that emerged from this study were discussed in terms of their utility and the ways in which they complement each other. Overall, results from this study suggested that insecure attachment may play an important role in sexually aggressive behavior and that attachment-based intervention models may be useful when working with this population. / text

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

There has been growing research attention on the topic of child anxiety applying the theoretical framework of Attachment Theory, and the results have been encouraging so far with consistent findings on the positive association between insecure attachment and child anxiety. Child anxiety has also been associated with a diminished sense of control with extensive empirical evidences. Nevertheless, despite the rich empirical support on the associations between insecure attachment and child anxiety, and between diminished sense of control and child anxiety, the potential pathways of anxiety transmission remain largely unclear. In their discussion on the development of child anxiety, Chopita and Barlow (1998) proposed a conceptual link between attachment security and sense of control, even though it has not been followed up with empirical studies. Since available empirical evidences have validated the role of attachment security and sense of control in the development of child anxiety, it will be conceptually meaningful to investigate the potential link between attachment security and sense of control, and their respective and interactive roles in the development of child anxiety. The current study also aspires to improve understanding on the relationships between parental anxiety, parent’s and child’s sense of control, and child anxiety within the context of children undergoing elective surgeries. Children of 151 parents were about to receive elective surgeries participated in this study. Among these parents, 59 of them have children reached age 6 or above and all these children also participated in the current study. Information from 144 parents (95.36%) and 51 children (86.44%) was used for subsequent analyses. Information from 7 parents (4.64%) and 8 children (13.56%) was excluded from further analyses as they filled in less than 30% of the questionnaire items. Findings from present study showed children with insecure attachment and/or high external LOC experienced increased anxiety in preoperative period. The findings are consistent with existing literature. Children with insecure attachment were also found to espouse a higher level of external LOC. Besides, regression analyses showed that attachment security moderated the relationships between child’s external LOC and anxiety. Results also support the notion that secure attachment could be a protective factor against child anxiety development. Moreover, mediation analyses indicated child’s LOC mediated the relationship between parental and child anxiety, thereby supporting the mediation model by Chopita and Barlow. From a theoretical standpoint, findings from current study provided initial support on the linkage between attachment security and sense of control. Child’s external LOC as a potential pathway for intergenerational transmission of anxiety was also supported. The findings also bear significant clinical implications. Specifically, early screening and identification of children with insecure attachment and external LOC would allow more effective allocation of resources targeting at anxiety management in preoperative setting. Besides, taking into consideration the impact of parental anxiety, intervention for child anxiety including components for parental anxiety management should be emphasized. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

The shared language, attitudes, practices and patterns of those who participate in “collecting" in the lower mainland area of British Columbia are described. Recurring themes and patterns emerge in the analysis of data obtained through interviews with thirty collector-informants. The generalizability of collecting as a phenomenon which exists outside of what is being collected is established. Collectors' roles as curators and the serious and consuming aspects of collecting, including the cycles of collecting, affection and sentiment held toward collected objects, and the strategies and approaches to the process of collecting are discussed. Propositions set out by previous researchers Belk, Danet and Katriel are examined in light of the data. Implications for museum studies and museum education specifically, are considered.

This study first investigated the association between individuals' chronic regulatory styles and their attachment models in adult close relationships, and then looked at how individuals' chronic regulatory styles interact with their attachment models to influence relationship maintenance strategies (RMS) such as accommodating one's partner's transgressions and making personal sacrifices for the relationship. One hundred twenty-one dating-students completed the computerized Selves Questionnaire (Higgins et al., 1997) assessing ideal and ought discrepancies and their chronic accessibility (promotion and prevention focus strength), and then answered questions addressing attachment, accommodation and willingness to sacrifice. Results revealed that ought discrepancies were associated with avoidant attachment for high prevention focus strength individuals, whereas ideal discrepancies were associated with anxious attachment for low promotion focus strength individuals. Furthermore, prevention focus strength interacted with avoidant attachment, such that individuals with a strong prevention focus engaged in RMS to the extent that they were not avoidantly attached.