Doctor of Philosophy / Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Fred O. Bradley / The broaden-and-build theory posits that frequently experiencing positive emotions leads to broadened awareness and functioning, and over time, built resources. These resources function as reserves during difficult times. Considering recommendations for increasing positive emotions and findings regarding human-animal interactions, it is reasonable to expect that companion animals might function in a manner to increase positive emotions. Many people have companion animals, and they are a preventative, natural intervention without associated stigmas. Therefore, knowing more about how companion animals impact their humans has practical implications for mental health professionals. The current study investigated various aspects of human-animal interactions that are conceivably related to positive emotions (human-animal bond and amount of time spent with animal) in different configurations (people with and without companion animals; people with dogs, cats, and horses), while considering potential confounds (time spent with humans in connected interactions and time spent outside). Time spent in connected interactions with other humans is the only variable that predicted positivity, and this was only in people without companion animals. This is consistent with previous findings that interacting with other people is related to positive emotions.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Judith Hughey / The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe and to understand the experience of being in a PhotoTherapy group for adolescent females in treatment for self-injurious behaviors. The research question was as follows: (1) What was the essence of the experience of a series of PhotoTherapy group sessions for female adolescents with a history of self-injurious behaviors? After the completion of two semi-structured interviews with 5 participants, the researcher acknowledged the emergence of four themes that expressed the essence of the experience of being a part of a PhotoTherapy group process as an adolescent female in treatment for self-injurious behaviors. The themes were the following: Self, Connection with others, Emotions, Motivations in treatment. These themes developed a description of the interactions, emotions, behaviors and thoughts that occurred throughout the group work process. Self-injury is a complex issue and the literature states a need for creative interventions. The study collaborated the needs in the field of self-injury treatment with the resources available from PhotoTherapy. The study gained perspective and understanding of how the experience of being in a PhotoTherapy group impacted the individual. In mental health and education, counselors can use the data and conclusions from this research to understand the use of PhotoTherapy group work with adolescent girls that self injure. The researcher concludes that counseling professionals have an understanding of creative interventions and the personal experiences endure with the use of creative interventions such as, PhotoTherapy to have a holistic perspective on treatment practices.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / The goals of this study were to investigate the definitions of influence and closeness from the perspectives of the couples, the techniques or approaches couples use to share influence and maintain closeness in their relationships, the themes associated with different relating styles, ways couples handle discrepancies and incompatibilities, and the relationship issues associated with specific relating styles. Eight married couples residing in northeast Kansas were interviewed for this study. The participants were selected through a screening survey distributed to a university student body to collect basic demographics and couple relating styles. The eight couples were chosen because the relating styles they reported were diverse enough to provide the needed maximum variation and a general representation of the sample pool. A style of relating model – couple map was created to help couples visualize how they relate to their partners in terms of influence and closeness. This study begins to fill the gap in the research by creating an integrated model to understand couple relational patterns and by giving voice to couples and allowing them to share their experiences on how they share influence and maintain closeness in their relationships. Through the lens of Symbolic Interaction Theory and Social Exchange Theory, this study sheds light on the cognitive and behavioral strategies couples use to relate to each other while striving to meet personal and mutual needs for influence and closeness in their marriages.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared R. Anderson / Marriage and relationship education (MRE) is most commonly delivered in a skills-based format that traditionally centers on teaching couples communication skills. Critiques against the current skills-development approach lead to the development and pilot-testing of an alternative self-development curriculum entitled, “Strengthen Yourself, Strengthen Your Relationships.” Guided by Bowen’s (1978) theory of differentiation, the current study randomly assigned forty couples to the self-development (differentiation) curriculum condition or to a relationship assessment plus feedback condition. Repeated measures ANOVA’s, independent samples t-tests, and regressions were used to analyze the data from pre- to post-test (5 weeks), post-test to follow-up (4 weeks), and pre-test to follow-up (9 weeks). Statistical analyses indicate that women responded more favorably to the feedback condition in terms of differentiation, relationship self-regulation, and problem solving, whereas men responded more favorably to the curriculum condition in terms of relationship self-regulation. Feedback about the curriculum was gathered from participants and was received favorably. Implications from the study suggest that both approaches may have unique value for couples receiving relationship education. Future research should further develop and evaluate the self-development approach in MRE.

Master of Science / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Brandonn S. Harris / Student affairs personnel in higher education have an extraordinary ability to affect positively the academic, personal, social, emotional, and vocational development of students, as well as to provide an understanding of the challenges that students experience. In addition, an increase in investigating student success, as well as how to quantify success has occurred. The purpose of this report is to reflect the areas of student development upon which student affairs personnel can have a profound impact—that being the psychosocial variables to student success. In combination with exploring how Academic Assistance Centers (AAC’s) focus on psychosocial factors that influence student success, this report looks at the similarities between theory and the pragmatic programming that one particular Midwestern university employs to help facilitate student awareness and practice of psychosocial factors. The overarching belief of the author is that students can and will find success through challenge and support. This report will demonstrate, through a brief history of the challenges that higher education has faced, how student affairs personnel are often times the first and last line of defense in student support. Moreover, student affairs personnel have been charged with the task of providing support to an ever growing diverse student body in addition to providing the proper support needed to enhance the academic and personal success of such a diverse student body. Through a review of the literature investigating student attrition as well as retention, two subgroups of undergraduates were specifically identified as to how academic assistance centers can facilitate their success and, ultimately, their retention. The two subgroups are students who identify as multicultural and students who are on academic probation. Lastly, the author offers suggestions on what student affairs personnel, as well as higher education, can do to facilitate holistic student development and promote the awareness of psychosocial variables that will aid students in their academic development and success.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra Stith / Farrell Webb / This study explored the impact of differentiation of self on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). First, the study determined if differentiation of self in a relationship added to the variance accounted for by the known risk factors including relational satisfaction, marital conflict, romantic jealousy, depression, anxiety, and attitude about violence towards women. Second, it examined the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between differentiation of self and IPV. Results indicated that differentiation of self in a relationship is a predictor of perpetration of intimate partner violence in relationships even after controlling for other known risk factors. Results also indicated that gender did not moderate the relationship between differentiation of self and perpetration of violence.