Families come to therapy wanting to know how to raise good citizens and address issues of justice and fairness in the context of their interpersonal relationships. Research literature suggests that the family may be the best context for moral learning. The implications of deliberately promoted developmental growth within the context of a family therapy intervention are explored. Specifically, the relationships between moral reasoning, ego development and relational functioning in family therapy are examined within a systems-based therapeutic approach.;Outcome research in family therapy suggests that there is at least a moderate positive effect of family therapy. This study examines the effects of a deliberate psychological education (DPE) intervention in the context of systemic family therapy. This study proposed that those at higher levels of moral reasoning and ego development would exhibit a greater ability to adapt to normative family life cycle transitions and exhibit greater relational functioning as more cognitively complex parents may be better equipped to facilitate family organization, communication and emotional responsiveness.;Results of this study indicated developmental shifts in both the treatment and comparison groups over time, with significant positive gains indicated for the treatment group in the domains of ego development and moral reasoning. Family functioning improved slightly for the treatment group over time, but effects were not significant. Implications of this study and suggestions for future research are suggested.

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a form of developmental disability that affects many children in the U.S. and abroad. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has indicated that 1 out of every 68 children is diagnosed with ASD in the United States. However, there was limited literature about the attitudinal dispositions of Nigerian mothers toward children with ASD and their lived experiences with a child with autism. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the attitudes of Nigerian mothers toward their children with autism. The theoretical foundation of this study was the variation of the social relational understanding of disability propounded by Carol Thomas. The research questions that guided this study focused on the attitudes of Nigerian mothers toward their children with ASD and the lived experience of a Nigerian mother living with a child with autism. This study utilized the hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of 8 Nigerian mothers with children with autism. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from the participants. Data was coded, categorized and themes were identified through qualitative data analysis. Significant findings of this study included that ASD is a developmental disability and there was positive relationship between children with autism and their families. As such, the knowledge about ASD as a developmental disability and the warm relationship among families with children with autism should be extended to members of the community to increase awareness about ASD. This study's implication for social change is that it can assist governmental agencies and important stakeholders develop better programs and services that will help to increase awareness and strengthen positive dispositions toward children with autism.

Change in self-perception, assessed by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), F scale and an experimenter developed self-perception measure, was examined for participants in facilitated and leaderless developmental groups and a control group. The subjects, students in sophomore level psychology courses, were administered the MBTI, F scale, and self-perception measure one week prior to the first developmental group session and one week after completion of nine group sessions. No significant difference was found in amount of change in self -perception between the three groups. It was concluded that brief low intensity developmental groups may not produce significant positive chance in self-perception as assessed by the MBTI, F scale or self-perception measure.

WHAT’S THE 411 ON SEX IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH? A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS’ EXPOSURE TO SEX COMMUNICATION IN THE CHURCH By: Brittany M. Berry, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017. Major Director: Dr. Faye Z. Belgrave, Professor, Psychology The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore sex communication with African American girls in the African American Church. This research was guided by two objectives: (1) to explore African American adolescent girls’ exposure to sex communication in African American Churches, and (2) to explore African American girls’ perceptions and feelings about these messages. In this qualitative study, 20 African American teen girls and eight Church youth leaders were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed and coded to determine themes for youth and youth leaders. A total of 32 themes emerged across youth and youth leader interviews. Twelve girls reported some discussion of sex in Church and 8 girls reported no discussion. Overall, participant responses indicated that sex messages in Church are typically abstinence-focused and based on religious principles, with mention of using condoms in some cases. Findings indicated that girls vary in their comfort level with discussions about sex depending on multiple factors, including their own sexual activity. The impact of sex communication in Church on girls’ sexual behavior may vary; however, the relationships youth have with youth leaders and fellow parishioners may aid in holding girls accountable to the information they gain and religious values they cultivate in Church. Recommendations for Church leaders, youth leaders, and researchers are provided.

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