abstract: Dangerous drinking on college campuses is a significant public health issue. Over the last decade, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have called on universities, community leaders, policymakers, parents and students to work together to develop effective, research based alcohol prevention and/or intervention programs. Despite such calls, parent-based prevention programs are relatively rare on college campuses, and there is a paucity of research on the ways in which parents influence their emerging adult children's drinking behaviors. The present project is designed to help address this need. Grounded in social cognitive theory, this exploratory study focuses on alcohol communication and poses numerous questions regarding the alcohol messages exchanged between college students and their parents, as well as how such messages associate with college students' dangerous drinking. Undergraduate students ages 18 to 25 who were enrolled in communication classes were recruited for the study and asked to recruit a parent. The sample included 198 students and 188 parents, all of whom completed an online survey. Results indicated the majority of college students have had alcohol conversations with a parent since the student graduated from high school. Parents viewed such conversations as significantly more open, direct, and ongoing than did students; though both generally agreed on the content of their alcohol communication, reporting an emphasis on the negative aspects of drinking, particularly the dangers of drinking and driving and the academic consequences of too much partying. Frequent discussions of drinking risks had significant, positive associations with students' dangerous drinking, whereas parents' reports of discussing rules about alcohol had a significant negative association with students' alcohol consumption. There were strong significant associations between the types alcohol topics discussed and students' perception that their parents approved of their drinking, as well as parents' actual approval. Perceived approval had a significant, positive association with students' dangerous drinking; however, actual parental approval was not a significant predictor of students' drinking outcomes. Parents' alcohol consumption had a significant positive association with students' alcohol consumption. Implications for parents, public health practitioners, and future research are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Communication 2011

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / The effects of risky sexual behaviour (RSB) amongst adolescents are devastating in South Africa. Recent studies show that parent-child (PC) communication about RSB is associated with positive outcomes such as delayed sexual debut and increased autonomy among adolescents. There are however challenges on how to define caregivers within the South African context due the historical background of South Africa such as Apartheid and labour migration. For the purposes of this study, caregivers would be regarded as individuals who the have sole responsibility of caring for a child. The aim of this study was to explore caregiver-child communication in relation to RSB to gain an in-depth and contextualized understanding of how South African families interact, feel and experience their communication and the challenges they face, it therefore uses a qualitative approach. These aims translate into the following objectives a) exploring the process of communication i.e. how they communicate in terms of style, content, timing and frequency b) exploring the experiences of communication of RSB for both caregivers and children in terms of their thoughts and feelings as well as the challenges faced. Conducting focus group discussions and individual interviews was the method of data collection. Four focus groups (two focus groups with male adolescents and two focus groups with female adolescents) were conducted as well as three individual interviews with caregivers a total of 23 participants were used. Both groups of participants are of mixed racial backgrounds and from the Northern sub district of Cape Town. The data was analyzed by using thematic analysis. All ethical principles were adhered to. This study found mothers to be an influential source of sexual communication with their children and this communication hinged more on the health risks of early sexual debut and negative social outcomes. Caregivers highlight the barriers to communication with their adolescents which create caregiver anxiety and avoidance of sexual communication. School has also been identified as highly influential to both caregivers and adolescents especially with regards to the biological and physiological aspects of sex education. Two types ‘educational systems’ have been identified within the South African context. The impact of these systems on the quality of education and nature of the resources provided to both caregivers and learners are discussed in relation to sexual education and communication. The community and extended family of the participants are very involved in the socialisation of the adolescents in this study and often assist caregivers. Caregiver monitoring is the most utilized strategy used to ensure that adolescent whereabouts and activities are known at all times. Possible interventions such as additional strategies for caregivers to consider and communication workshops for caregivers and educators are discussed. The limitations of this study such as the limited amount of caregivers interviewed and the lack of male caregiver insight were identified and recommendations for future studies are provided.

<p>Although many communication scholars have explored how parents and children navigate difficult conversations about taboo topics, little to no research exists concerning pornography, specifically from the perspective of the child. To fill this research gap, the following qualitative study utilized a narrative framework and methodology to explore characteristics in parent-child conversations about pornography that illicit positive or negative perceptions from children about those conversations. 18 young adults (18-25 years old) participated in semi-structured interviews in which they shared stories about conversations they had with their parents about pornography. Five major themes surfaced from the thematic analysis of the data: (1) <i>open/closed relationship</i>, (2) <i>discussion-/lecture-based conversation structure</i>, (3) <i>specificity/ambiguity of conversation details</i>, (4) <i>affirmation/denial of curiosity</i>, and (5) <i>appropriate/inappropriate conversation context</i>. The findings have theoretical implications and contextual contributions for family communication scholars in further exploring the topic of pornography as well as practical insights for parents to reflect upon in seeking to strengthen their conversations about pornography with their children.</p>

The purpose of this study was to investigate the developmental outcomes of Chinese American children's social competence in their transition to elementary school. In this study, I used a mixed-methods research design. The first part of the study was a secondary analysis of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort. I examined cultural differences in the effects of parental warmth, parental SES, parent-child communication, and children's participation in peer-oriented structured extracurricular activities on the social development of European American and Chinese American children. For the second part of the study, I developed questions based on the findings of the quantitative analysis and conducted interviews to further explore how Chinese immigrant mothers' parenting beliefs and practices contributed to their children's development of social competence. The results showed that in Chinese immigrant families, parental SES influenced parent-child communication, which in turn promoted children's social competence. Parental SES, but not parental warmth, predicted their children's participation in peer-oriented structured extracurricular activities. Years of stay in the U.S. positively predicted children's participation in peer-oriented structured extracurricular activities, while it negatively predicted parent-child communication in Chinese immigrant families. The qualitative data suggested that Chinese immigrant mothers facilitated their children's social development by giving them verbal guidance for peer problems, encouraging conversations at home, and serving as role models for their children. Children's activity participation was restricted by the affordability of activities and parents' ability to provide transportation for their children. The Chinese immigrant mothers perceived taking on daily responsibilities and spending quality time together with their children as ways to express love toward them. These mothers' childrearing practices were influenced by the generational gap and acculturation. This study broadens our understanding of Chinese American children's development of social competence in their transition to formal schooling. It contributes new knowledge about 1) cultural differences in the effects of parental warmth and SES on parent-child communication; 2) the influences of parental SES on parent-child communication and Chinese American children's participation in peer-oriented structured extracurricular activities; and 3) the effect of years of stay in the U.S. on parent-child communication in Chinese immigrant families. / text

Twenty-seven parents with young children were randomly assigned to an experimental group which underwent an affective skill-building program, or one of two control groups. Pre and postassessments measured levels of communication, discrimination, and child vocalization for each parent. Multilinear regression analysis indicated that final communication skills among the three groups were significantly different. Final communication skills of the experimental group were significantly greater than those of the Hawthorne control group. Final discrimination skills for the three groups showed a trend toward being significantly different. Levels of child vocalization did not show significant changes. The experimental program was successful in improving accurate parent-child communication in the affective realm.

Tobacco use and the associated health risks are a major public health concern. Research suggests that parents’ own tobacco use, caregiver-adolescent antismoking communication, and parenting practices (e.g., prompting, parental monitoring) may work to influence adolescents’ tobacco-related attitudes and behavioral outcomes (e.g., refusal efficacy, intentions to use and actual use). Although historically African American adolescents have exhibited lower rates of tobacco use than their racial/ethnic counterparts, there is growing evidence to suggest that this may be changing because of increased use of tobacco products and/or underreporting of the use of alternative tobacco products or ATPs (e.g., cigars, cigarillos), among this population. The present study recruited a community-based sample of 101 urban African American caregivers that smoke (M = 41.1/SD = 9.9), and their adolescents between the ages of 12-17 (M = 14.4/SD = 1.9) to examine how caregiver tobacco-related messages (both verbal and non-verbal) shape adolescents’ tobacco attitudes, and behaviors. Dyads completed paper-pencil surveys separately and were compensated for their time and effort. A majority of the caregivers were single and living in low-income and public housing communities. Results from the analyses revealed high rates of adolescent tobacco use (lifetime) of both cigarettes and alternative tobacco products, and prompting (e.g., caregivers’ request that adolescents retrieve, buy, or smoke tobacco products with them). The findings also showed that all of the caregiver variables including: prompting, monitoring, as well as caregiver antismoking messages together impacted adolescents’ tobacco-related outcomes including their attitudes about tobacco, refusal efficacy and their intentions to use (at six months and adulthood), and their actual use. These findings underscore the need for more tobacco education that includes not only adolescents, but also parents, and other important caregivers (e.g., extended kin/family members) that helps increases knowledge surrounding the dangers of parental prompting, the importance of parental monitoring of youths whereabouts and peers, as well as parent-adolescent antismoking communication in reducing the prevalence of adolescent smoking/tobacco use (including the use of ATPs). This study also highlights the need for tobacco control and policies that limit adolescents’ exposure and access to tobacco products particularly among African Americans living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

<p>Traditionally seen as a time for increasing independence and autonomy, the college experience is often the first major, long-term physical separation from parents (Chickering, 1969; Chickering & Reisser, 1993). For previous generations, living away from home provided conditions for autonomy development partially based on infrequent contact with parents. In contrast, the rapid evolution of communication technology in the recent past allows today's generation of college students to connect to their parents instantly and frequently through a variety of electronic means including cellular phone calls, text messages, emails, video chats, and social media. The current study used self-report data from 180 residential college students at a mid-sized private institution in the southeastern United States to explore parent-child communication patterns as they relate to parenting styles and the development of emotional autonomy and adjustment to college. Emotional autonomy was measured with items from the Emotional Autonomy Scale (EAS; Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986). Following Beyers, Goossens, Van Calster, & Duriez (2005), a separation scale (derived from the EAS subscales of parental deidealization, nondependence on parents, and individuation) was used as a measure of emotional autonomy. Two scales from the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Baker & Siryk, 1989) measured students' academic and social adjustment to college.</p><p>Results indicated that, in a given week, students reported an average contact frequency (with both parents combined) of 10.92 cell phone calls, 49.88 text messages, and 6.04 email exchanges. Contact was initiated by students and parents at roughly the same rates, and females had more contact with parents than males, in general. Facebook was more popular than Twitter and Instagram for connecting with parents through social media, and the majority of students felt either neutral or positive about being "Facebook friends" with their parents. Overall, students reported high satisfaction with both the frequency and the quality of communication with their parents. Greater levels of parental closeness significantly predicted higher satisfaction with the parent-child Facebook friendship. </p><p>The relationships between the traditional parenting styles of permissive, authoritative, and authoritarian parenting (Baumrind, 1991) were investigated in relation to communication patterns, autonomy, and adjustment. Helicopter parenting was also included as a predictor variable, though it is considered separate from the traditional parenting styles (Padilla-Walker & Nelson, 2012). Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that parents' higher scores on authoritarian parenting and helicopter parenting predicted more frequent cell phone contact with parents. Parental closeness also emerged as a significant, positive predictor of frequency of cell phone and total communication. Students who talked on their cell phones more frequently overall (not including parental contacts) tended to talk to their parents more often on the phone, and the same went for texting, as well. </p><p>Helicopter parenting also predicted lower emotional autonomy, which was in line with the only previous study of helicopter parenting in emerging adulthood (Padilla-Walker & Nelson, 2012). Surprisingly, authoritative and permissive parenting significantly predicted lower emotional autonomy, while authoritarian parenting was related to greater autonomy. Analyses investigating frequency of cell phone contact with parents as a moderator of this relationship indicated that more frequent phone conversations predicted decreased autonomy when parents were more authoritative. High levels of authoritarian parenting, on the other hand, resulted in higher levels of autonomy regardless of how often students talked on the phone with parents, while high contact with less authoritarian parents predicted decreased autonomy. Frequency of cell phone contact with parents was unrelated to academic and social adjustment to college. Findings are discussed in light of previous research and situated within a framework proposing that technological advances in communication have contributed to lengthening the path to adulthood.</p> / Dissertation

Early intimate interactions between mothers and their infants are characterised by mutuality and reciprocity. Although a great deal is known about the distal processes such as gaze and affect, by concentrating on touch this research addresses a key aspect of early life interactions that has received far less attention. this research comprises a single major quasi-experimental and observational longitudinal study, exploring the naturalistic interactions between mothers and their full-term infants (n=32). Dyads were videotaped in their own homes at five age points across the first year - 6 weeks, 3,6,9,12 months. A contextual variation was introduced at 6 months by providing a selection of novel toys for the dyads to play with. Each second of a selected 5 minute period of interaction of both free and toy play contexts were coded using a coding schedule for the type of touch, location of touch, intensity of touch, gaze direction and affectual displays. Repeated measures of analyses of variance revealed differences in the duration and locations of touch, and changes in maternal and infant affect and gaze across the first year. Patterns in these non-verbal communicative strategies were shaped by both age and context. Results revealed that overall maternal touch decreased over the first year of life and the mothers used more passive than active forms of touch when interacting with their infants. The duration of gaze at face decreased for mothers and infants over time, while gaze at body and object increased. Infant initiated touch was both low in frequency and duration but showed commonalities across dyads. The results are discussed drawing on insights from ethology, attachment theory, systems theory and the complexity of the multimodal features of interactive exchange. The results underscore the implications for tactile stimulation in early patterns of communication.

This thesis explores communication with children affected by sickle cell disease about their condition from the perspectives of both children and parents. It includes three papers: A literature review, an empirical paper and a critical appraisal. Papers one and two have been prepared for submission to Social Science and Medicine and Qualitative Health Research, respectively. Paper one is a meta-synthesis of qualitative literature investigating experiences of communication from the perspective of children with sickle cell disease. A systematic literature search revealed nine relevant papers, which were synthesised by extracting findings related to communication about sickle cell disease. Children were found to receive inconsistent messages about their condition from different personal and professional groups. Communication about the prognosis of sickle cell disease and the social acceptability of the condition differed across the groups. The implications for children's understandings of their condition and their adjustment are discussed. Paper two presents an empirical study of parental communication experiences with children affected by sickle cell disease. Twelve interviews were conducted and subject to inductive thematic analysis which was applied within a contextualist epistemological framework. Parents described skills in 'coaching' their child to negotiate the various challenges associated with managing sickle cell disease. They also described ways in which they avoided challenging topics of communication such as inheritance, the risk of comorbid disease and the life-long nature of the condition. The findings suggest a need for healthcare professionals to support parents in overcoming barriers to talking about difficult topics. This may facilitate more consistent communication between parents and professionals, which has implications for improving child wellbeing and adjustment. Paper three is a reflective piece and is not intended for publication. It critically evaluates papers one and two and discusses the joint implications of the findings for research and clinical practice. Reflections on the experience of conducting a meta-synthesis and an empirical qualitative study are offered in the context of personal and professional development.

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No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Josiane Fernanda Covre - 2015.pdf: 4996987 bytes, checksum: 135d7937ba69e95efb52f5af6917cc17 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-26 / Communication, for its functionality and integration ability, presents itself as a determining component in the process of children’s socialization, development and biological, mental and emotional maturing. The present research attempted, through a study of multiple cases, with a quali-quantitative approach, to investigate what contributions music therapy can bring to communication of three to five-year-old children having language disorders. To accomplish these goals, three children were attended, weekly, with a total of thirteen music therapy interventions and the scale of IMTAP (Individualized Music Therapy Assessment Profile) was used before and after the period of interventions. This assessment tool was used as a quantitative data collection instrument and the analysis of data made from the comparison of individual scores obtained by applying the assessment tool IMTAP in the domains of musicality, receptive communication and expressive communication before and after the music therapy interventions. The analysis of qualitative data was based on assessment forms, film recordings, a music therapy intervention report and the analysis of evaluations by a speech therapist to understand the interactions of the interaction of participants with music, with the other participants and with the music therapist by means of music therapy proposals. The results revealed that music therapy contributed to the integral development of communication in the children who participated in the study and the repercussions of the musical experiences lived were observed in the parents’ reports and in the assessment by a speech therapist external to the study. It was perceived that enabling personal expression, linked to the musical activity, provided the facing with difficulties in language, once at these moments total communication was privileged and lived in an intense way. It was concluded that the qualitative results were in accordance with the quantitative results by means of IMTAP evaluation, as these have pointed to the enhancement of expressive communication, receptive communication and musicality of the children involved. / A comunicação, por sua funcionalidade e capacidade de integração, apresenta-se como componente determinante no processo de socialização, desenvolvimento e amadurecimento biológico, mental e emocional das crianças. O presente trabalho busca, através de um estudo de múltiplos casos, com abordagem quali-quantitativa, investigar quais as contribuições que a Musicoterapia pode trazer para a comunicação de crianças de três a cinco anos de idade com alterações da linguagem. Para se alcançar este objetivo foram atendidas três crianças, semanalmente, com um total de treze intervenções musicoterapêuticas e realizou-se a aplicação da avaliação IMTAP (Individualized Music Therapy Assessment Profile) antes e após o período de intervenções. Este instrumento de avaliação foi utilizado para coleta de dados quantitativos sendo a análise de dados feita a partir da comparação das pontuações individuais obtidas através da aplicação da avaliação IMTAP nos domínios musicalidade, comunicação receptiva e comunicação expressiva, antes e após as intervenções musicoterapêuticas. A análise dos dados qualitativos baseou-se nas fichas musicoterapêuticas, filmagens, relatórios das intervenções musicoterapêuticas e nas avaliações realizadas por uma fonoaudióloga para compreender as interações dos participantes com a música, os demais participantes e a musicoterapeuta, por meio das propostas musicoterapêuticas. Os resultados revelaram que a Musicoterapia contribuiu para o desenvolvimento integral da comunicação das crianças participantes do estudo, sendo que as repercussões das experiências musicais vivenciadas foram observadas nas falas dos pais e na avaliação da fonoaudióloga externa ao estudo. Verificou-se que o favorecimento da expressão pessoal, vinculada à atividade musical, proporcionou o enfrentamento das dificuldades de linguagem, uma vez que nesses momentos a comunicação total era privilegiada e vivenciada de maneira intensa. Conclui-se que os resultados qualitativos são consonantes aos resultados quantitativos, obtidos por meio da Avaliação IMTAP, pois estes apontaram para a melhoria da comunicação expressiva, da comunicação receptiva e da musicalidade de todas as crianças envolvidas.