abstract: High-risk sexual behavior (HRSB) and substance use (SU) are highly prevalent in the general population with adolescents and young adults at high risk for engaging in these behaviors. Unhealthy behavioral patterns established during these developmental periods can have detrimental long-term effects on physical and mental health. Health care expenditures, related to consequences of these behaviors, have been estimated to reach around $740 billion in the United States, indicating an imminent public health concern. Unfortunately, little is known about trajectories and risk factors of health risk behaviors (HRBs) beyond age 25, which is a critical developmental period regarding these behaviors. This study sought to better understand HRB trajectories throughout young adulthood as well as the mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of these behaviors. This study used data from a large (n = 998), longitudinal, randomized-controlled trial with intensive measurement of HRBs and peer and family processes. Growth mixture modeling estimated gender-specific trajectories of HRSB and SU (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana) from ages 22-30. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) then examined how family and peer factors, and trauma exposure during adolescence, both separately and in combination, influenced HRB trajectories. Four unique trajectories resulted for SU (low use class; increasing use class; decreasing use class; high use class) and three for HRSB (low HRSB class; increasing HRSB class; deceasing HRSB class). There were no differences in the number of classes or trajectory patterns between men and women. Results of the MLRs demonstrated that deviant peer affiliation (DP), family conflict, parental monitoring and trauma exposure impacted trajectories of tobacco and marijuana use and HRSB during young adulthood, but that the most salient influences were DP and trauma exposure. Alcohol use trajectories and differences between the increasing, decreasing and high trajectory classes for the other HRBs were difficult to predict. These results suggest that young adults are still at risk for engaging in HRBs, and there are risk factors in adolescence that influence typologies of HRBs during this developmental period. Prevention and intervention programs targeting young adulthood are needed, and better understanding factors that lead to vulnerabilities specific to this developmental period may inform targeted interventions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2019

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the impact of parental differentiation of self (less emotional reactivity, cutoff, fusion with others, and greater I position) on positive family functioning (family cohesion, adaptability, conflict and child attachment to mother). The participants included 47 mothers and their children between 5 and 13 years old who sought developmental assessment at the Youth and Family Developmental Program (YFDP) laboratory at Florida International University. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that less emotional reactivity predicted more family cohesion and adaptability, less emotional cutoff predicted more family cohesion, adaptability and less conflict, more fusion with others predicted more family cohesion and child attachment to mother, and greater I position predicted less family conflict. This study provides further support for parental influence on the family environment. Study results indicate that services for targeting families should target the parental differentiation of self as an influential factor for family functioning.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether boys and girls differed in their type and level of aggression and their level of remorse following an aggressive act. Participants were 36 aggressive boys and 36 nonaggressive boys, and 36 aggressive and 36 nonaggressive girls. The Peer Nomination Inventory (Walder, Abelson, Eron, Banta, & Laulicht, 1961) was used to identify aggressive and nonaggressive children. A modified version of the Antisocial Behavior and Remorse Test (ABRT) (Cohen, Westerman, Hoeffer, Woolley, & Ho, 1992) was used to identify types of aggression (direct vs indirect) and feelings of remorse. A main effect was obtained for gender in that boys reported that they would be more apt to act aggressively than would girls. An expected main effect for child type (aggressive or nonaggressive children) such that aggressive children were expected to self-report more aggressive responses than nonaggressive children was supported. An expected interaction between gender and type of aggression such that boys were expected to self-report more aggressive responses for direct aggression while girls were expected to self-report more aggressive responses for indirect aggression was not supported. Both boys and girls self-reported that they would be equally likely to engage in both types of aggression. For the remorse variable, the expected main effect for gender with girls self-reporting more remorse for an aggressive act than boys was obtained, as was the main effect for child type with aggressive boys and girls self-reporting less feelings of remorse for an aggressive act than nonaggressive boys and girls.

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