<p> Personal observations and anecdotal accounts attest that some of the young people in U.S. Latino churches are developing as leaders within their congregations. This seems to come as a result of the organic or less-formalized leadership development dynamics and practices present within Latino congregations, where leaders often develop by being actively involved in leadership actions without necessarily first following a curriculum of study, completing a training program, or fulfilling a set of theological education requirements. In this way, many are acquiring roles and responsibilities by which they actively contribute towards local congregational and community life, and by which they develop as leaders through hands-on experiences. This less formalized leadership development dynamic in Latino congregations has yet to be empirically studied, as a means to further understand and learn from this unique characteristic that can be helpful to the church at large in our search for how to develop the next generation of leaders. Thus, there is a need to identify, describe, and empirically analyze some of the specific phenomena involved in these observed dynamics within Latino congregations that seem to be contributing towards youths&rsquo; leadership development. </p><p> Method: Therefore, this descriptive and explanatory <i>ex post facto </i> study examined key congregational practices within Latino churches and the level of participation young people have in these as a means of analyzing the association of both with leadership development. The study drew on existing data collected through the Chicago Latino Congregational Study &ndash; Youth Survey (CLCS&ndash;YS) of 63 randomly sampled Latino congregations in different Christian denominations: Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline, and Pentecostal. The sample population consisted of 307 Latino youth ages 13 to 19. </p><p> After examining the 104 questionnaire items of the CLCS&ndash;YS for applicability, 23 were selected to analyze youth&rsquo;s religious participation, social service involvement, and engagement in leadership tasks, while controlling for demographic characteristics. Aspects of Positive Youth Development (PYD) theory pertaining to youth leadership development provided a means to select and create the variables studied, which were derived from socioreligious descriptions of Latino congregations that are linked to the aforementioned organic leadership dynamics. </p><p> Results: The data analysis revealed that youth in Chicago Latino congregations have a high aggregate score for both Religious Participation and Engagement in Leadership Tasks, and both scores increase with their age. Although their aggregate score for Social Service Involvement was found to be low, the frequencies of the reported habits, actions, and behaviors regarding Social Service Involvement indicate that a high percentage of youth are involved in volunteering or social service in and out of their local congregation. A significant relationship was also found between youths&rsquo; level of Religious Participation and their level of Social Service Involvement and Engagement in Leadership Tasks, with both scores increasing as their scores in Religious Participation increased. </p><p> The results of the individual survey frequencies served to create a contextual description of socioreligious phenomena present in Chicago Latino congregations, as well as a wider reference into the religious habits of Latino youth. The findings support the observations and anecdotal accounts regarding the level of engagement youth have with organic dynamics for leadership development in Latino congregations. Based on PYD theory, the study also provided a proposed set of variables and measurements by which to approach future studies on this topic. Youth congregants are involved in hands-on experiences such as social service projects and exercising leaderships tasks, and they are also engaging very frequently with their supportive religious community. These are all characteristics of ecological contributing contexts which PYD postulates can potentially contribute towards the leadership development of youth, and their continued contribution as leaders in adulthood (Avolio &amp; Vogelgesang, 2011; Murphy &amp; Reichard, 2011).</p><p>

<p> In 2016, over 277,000 pilgrims walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Of that number, 53,704 walked the Camino in August of that year. Very few of those pilgrims &ndash; 400 &ndash; came from Caribbean countries. Two of them were from Jamaica. I was one of them. This first-person Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenological study interprets a Jamaican man&rsquo;s meaning-making before, during, and after walking the Camino pilgrimage. In the study, I explored meaning-making through a constructive-developmental lens. I explained how I made meaning, as a border-dweller, or as someone who lives in-between worlds and in the borderlands. I described and interpreted my spiritual-awakening experiences and transition. I conducted this study, partly, to add the voice of an Afro-Caribbean person to the bodies of literature on development of meaning-making and spiritual-awakening experiences. Data for the study consisted of journal entries, blog posts, and photographs that I wrote, published, and took before, during, and after my Camino pilgrimage. The results from the study revealed what I made meaning of, the meanings I made, and how I expressed those meanings. Findings from the study &ndash; Camino as metaphor, Being In-Limbo-land, Self in transition, and Trans-Afro spiritualization &ndash; could help Afro-Caribbean people validate their spiritual experiences. They could also inform professionals, such as educators, leaders, and developmental coaches, and parents about efficacious ways of supporting and serving Afro-Caribbean people.</p><p>

<p> Today&rsquo;s&nbsp;organizations&nbsp;must meet the external and internal challenges of&nbsp;continuous change.&nbsp;Most traditional organizational models, however, are designed for stability, including forms of leadership that use top-down, command-and-control hierarchy to steer direction and work. This study explores an alternative phenomenon observed in practice, collaborative leadership culture (CLC). In CLC, organizations determine where they are going, coordinate work, and sustain commitment through broad participation, collaborative practices, and emergence. Scholars&nbsp;study&nbsp;similar phenomena using different names, including&nbsp;in the emerging area of relational leadership and in constructive-developmental theory, a stage theory of adult development. What has not been well researched is how these forms of leadership develop. The research that does exist emphasizes senior leaders as participants versus taking a whole systems approach. This study explores how CLC develops in organizations, aiming for a multi-level, systemic collection of data. </p><p> This research is a single case study that uses critical incident interviews (CIIs) to understand how a 100-person catering company in suburban Chicago, Tasty Catering, developed CLC. The study draws on CIIs with 30 members representing diverse company areas and roles. All participants completed the Leadership Maturity Assessment (MAP), a measure of human development. Participants also completed a preliminary Direction, Alignment and Commitment (DAC) survey intended to understand the extent to which participants perceive leadership outcomes are produced by their current form of leadership. Study findings were captured in a proposed conceptual model of how CLC develops. The conceptual model includes individual behaviors, or levers, that contribute to six organizational drivers that create the conditions for CLC. The data also indicate that complex individual development of members and/or formal authority holders as measured by the MAP is not a prerequisite for developing CLC in an organization. The study presents practical implications for organizations, leaders, teams, and leadership educators, as well as recommendations for future research.</p>

<p> Limited research has attempted to quantify Fear of Missing Out. Only one prior study has examined adolescents&rsquo; experience of Fear of Missing Out and did so with a small, homogenous Belgian sample. In order to expand upon this limited research base, the present study sought to examine Fear of Missing Out with an American adolescent sample. Specifically, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the reliability and validity of the Fear of Missing Out Scale (Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan &amp; Gladwell, 2013) that was originally developed with an adult population, as well as strengthen understanding of Fear of Missing Out as it pertained to specific demographics. Students (grades 5&ndash;12) participating in a large, urban school district after school program in North Texas were surveyed on their experience with Fear of Missing Out and frequency of social media engagement (<i>n</i> = 961; 55% male). Results of a principal components analysis confirmed the presence of a 1-factor model, maintaining all 10 original scale items with strong internal consistency (&alpha; = 0.93). Regression analysis suggested Fear of Missing Out was predictive of increased social media engagement (<i> p</i> = .003). Gender and ethnicity were not related to Fear of Missing Out; grade level and Fear of Missing Out were inversely related, such that the older a student was, the less Fear of Missing Out was reported. Future researchers should utilize intentional and purposeful methodology for measuring social media engagement and focus on strengthening the validity and reliability of Fear of Missing Out as a unique construct. Further, theorists should consider updating their developmental perspectives related to adolescence based on advances in technology, media consumption, and interpersonal communication, particularly via social media. Practitioners are encouraged to understand and disseminate this information as it pertains to educating adolescents and their families about the benefits and costs of mobile technology and social media engagement.</p>

<p> This study is an investigation of nondual experiences with the intention to describe their essences and their meaning for six co-researchers, using Clark Moustakas&rsquo;s heuristic research methodology. Additionally, it examined the impact of these nondual experiences on their emotional well-being, sense of self, and their relationships, in an effort to determine the psychological benefits and possible applications to clinical psychology. It also sought to compare the experiences of the co-researchers to Ken Wilber&rsquo;s Integral Developmental model. The study confirmed that nondual experiences had positive effects on emotional states such as depression, meaninglessness, alienation, anxiety, insecurity, fear, anger, and unforgiveness. Some positive qualities reported included confidence, joy, peace, trust, gratitude, hope, acceptance, clarity, compassion, and love. The co-researchers reported their relationships as being radically intimate, spontaneous, nonjudgmental, and a relationship with the divine self. The study supports a number of essential aspects of Wilber&rsquo;s Integral model, including the stages of development, and the stabilization of states into traits of everyday experience. Additionally, the study confirmed many of the attributes of the postautonomous developmental stages. The benefits of nondual therapy lies in its ability to radically deconstruct all constructions, disidentifying from the fragile egoic self, and simultaneously identifying with a greater self, the nondual ground of being. The therapist and client rest within a nondual field of awakeness where both have an opportunity for spontaneous nondual healing. </p><p>

<p> Scholarly research is needed to investigate the horse human interaction and increase protective measures and beneficial outcomes for both horse and human when using an interspecies form of psychotherapy. This research offers practitioners of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) a different theoretical orientation to approach an understanding of the psychodynamics present in this form of therapy, and support contemporary therapeutic treatment models that focus on building emotional resilience grounded in the neurobiology of nurturing relationships. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to identify what psychodynamic experiences were present in the feminine-equine relationship dyad, and how these experiences influenced the process of individuation. Prior research (Seward, 2013; Held, 2006; Koch, 2008) has investigated this relationship phenomenon to bring validity to a powerful experience that is often described as intangible, or immeasurable. The researcher, through personal experience and professional training since 1999, has observed the evolving industry of equine assisted activities and therapies as largely populated by women seeking answers, women dedicated to the helping professions, and women longing for an experience that is nurturing and enlarging in a way that Western culture fails to meet that need for women. </p><p> Analytical psychology, according to Carl Jung, provided a theoretical structure to explore the horse as a symbol of the archetype and the psychodynamics present in the feminine-equine relationship dyad. The researcher examined how this interspecies relationship phenomenon facilitates psychodynamic experiences that contribute to personality development for women who have chosen horses as companions. Recent developments in neuroscience helped to reimagine Jung&rsquo;s psychodynamic theory for contemporary relevance. The researcher asked what experiences present in the feminine-equine relationship dyad have the capacity to influence the <i>individuation</i> process for women. </p><p> A hermeneutic phenomenological research method and narrative research techniques guided this qualitative research study. Hermeneutics guided the review of literature and provided an iterative process to reveal significant parts of the experience-centered narratives within the whole of the phenomenon in question. Five women shared their personal and professional stories of companionship with horses. The research findings revealed the neurobiology of novel experiences and attuned relationships contributes to transformative experiences and an improved sense of well-being. Phenomenology provided an intuitive approach to understanding the interspecies relationship phenomenon investigated. The research participants&rsquo; narratives confirmed companionship with horses influences personal growth, strengthens emotional resilience, influences professional and social development, and provides a sense of community. These findings suggest a woman&rsquo;s relationship with a horse encourages individuation.</p><p>

<p> This study explored educators&rsquo; perceptions of the impact of exposure to violence on children and their intellectual development. Substitute concepts such as corporal punishment, child maltreatment, and others were considered relevant to formation of an individual&rsquo;s identity. The study also explored the psychological impact of trauma over time, and its effect on an individual&rsquo;s cognitive development, identity formation, and relational development. Various aspects of exposure to violence were examined, as questions arose regarding how these multiple forms of exposure to violence impact an individual&rsquo;s level of functionality. This study utilized a general qualitative approach informed by case study methodologies. </p><p> Four educators who worked with children previously exposed to violence were interviewed. Although both teachers and tutors were solicited, only tutors responded to the invitation to participate; therefore, the results are based upon interviews with four tutors. Four specific themes emerged from the participant interviews, namely: <i>the realities of children exposed to violence, the impact of violence, academic performance</i>, and <i>the role of the tutor</i>. Within some themes, subthemes emerged such as emotional violence, physical violence, limited family support, the impact of violence, resiliency, combativeness, and lack of friendships. A narrative of themes and subthemes was presented. Commensurate with the focus of the research, the predominant theme identified in this research was that of violence and aggression on the part of adults, seen through the prism of the experiences of the children in their care.</p><p>

<p> The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of the Autonomous Student Experiences (ASE), a specific course component of OAE programming, on promoting youth developmental outcomes, including youth autonomy and positive youth development (PYD). The ASE component in this study was carried out as the &ldquo;Final Expedition,&rdquo; where students traveled as a group with limited supervision from instructors. Three outdoor courses offered by Northwest Outward Bound School were selected with 25 subjects in total. </p><p> This study used a mixed-method quantitative and qualitative research design to explain and interpret the effect of ASE on youth autonomy and PYD. A questionnaire was developed to collect quantitative data measured by three scales, including Noom&rsquo;s (1999) Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire, Lerner et al.&rsquo;s (2005) Positive Youth Development Short Form Measurement, and Characteristics of the ASE scale adapted from Sibthorp&rsquo;s Characteristics of the Experience Scale (2000). This questionnaire was administered three times throughout the course, including the first day of course, the day before the ASE, and after participants finished the ASE. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. These one-on-one phone interviews were conducted with selected participants about two weeks after they returned home from their field experiences. </p><p> Findings from the quantitative data analysis showed that the overall OAE program can be effective in facilitating adolescents&rsquo; levels of youth autonomy and PYD. ASE may afford the opportunity for &ldquo;learning reinforcement&rdquo;, refers to a chance for adolescents to reinforce developmental outcomes that have evolved early on during the course. However, the differences in adolescents&rsquo; youth autonomy and PYD levels before and after completing the ASE course component did not reach a statistical significance. Higher levels of autonomy were associated more with adolescents who played follower roles in the ASE compared to those who played leadership roles. Findings from the qualitative data further shed light on the underlying mechanisms for linking ASE with youth developmental outcomes.</p><p>

This dissertation makes a contribution to the growing literature on identity formation by formulating, implementing, and testing the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention, the Making Life Choices (MLC) Workshops, designed to facilitate the process of identity formation. More specifically, the MLC Workshops were designed to foster the development and use of critical cognitive and communicative skills and competencies in choosing and fulfilling life goals and values. The MLC Workshops consist of a psychosocial group intervention that includes both didactic and group experiential exercises. The primary research question for this study concerned the effectiveness of the MLC Workshop relative to a control condition. Effectiveness was evaluated on two levels: skills development and reduction of distress. First, the effectiveness of MLC in fostering the development of critical competencies was evaluated relative to a control condition, and no statistically significant differences were found. Second, the effectiveness of MLC in decreasing life distress was also evaluated relative to the control condition. While participants in the MLC workshop had no significant decrease in distress, they did have statistically significant improvement in life satisfaction in the Personal Domain.

Psychobiographies typically explore and describe historically significant, extraordinary and enigmatic individuals' psychological development through the lens of psychological theory. The primary aim of this psychobiographical study was to explore and describe the developmental life stages of Margaret Hilda Thatcher (1925 - 2013) through the application of Erik Erikson's theory of Psychosocial Development. Erikson's theory takes a holistic, biopsychosocial approach to the lifelong development of the individual, emphasising ego development. A secondary objective was to clarify the propositions of Erikson's theory by applying it to Thatcher's life. Margaret Thatcher was the leader of the Conservative Party in Great Britain and was the first ever female British Prime Minister. As a political leader, she was driven by conviction and regarded as controversial in that she divided the opinion of the British people. She served as Prime Minister for three consecutive terms and was eventually ousted by her peers. After leaving office, she received the title of Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven and later became a member of the highest order of knighthood in England: The Order of the Garter. Psychobiographical research is qualitative and follows a single, case study approach. Through using a purposive sampling strategy, Thatcher was selected as a research subject on the basis of interest value and uniqueness. Data were selected from primary and secondary sources, enhancing the validity of the study, and were analysed according to Alexander's nine identifiers of salience within the conceptual framework derived from Erikson's theory. When considering the findings of the research, it became evident that Margaret Thatcher's development coincides with those constructs proposed in Erikson's theory, and thus emphasised its value in understanding human development. The findings from this psychobiographical study contributed to the understanding of Thatcher's life and are likely to stimulate further research in psychology.