The study of home environments and their relationships to child outcomes has become common practice among researchers of child development. As such, having a reliable instrument for measuring home environments that is also cost and time efficient is of primary interest to researchers. The most widely used instrument for measuring home environments is the Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME) developed by Caldwell and Bradley in 1984. Use of the HOME is prevalent among researchers, yet it is costly to implement both in time and in money. An alternative tool for home environment measurement is the Home and Family Questionnaire (HFQ) (Pierce, Alfonso, & Garrison, 1998) which is cost and time effective, and is in conceptual congruence with ecological theory. The purpose of the present study was to test the construct validity of scores obtained with the HFQ by comparing them with scores obtained with the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) (Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen, & Hart, 1995). The criterion validity of the HFQ was also tested by comparing scores obtained with it to childrens scores obtained with the Dynamic Inventory of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) (Good & Kaminski, 2003). Finally, the reliability of scores obtained with the HFQ was tested with scores obtained with the HOME Middle Childhood version (MC-HOME). Scores as collected with the HFQ subscales of Maturity Facilitation, Parent-Child Emotional Relationship, and Childs Use of Stimulating Materials were found to exhibit construct validity, criterion-related validity, and reliability with MC-HOME data.

Over the past few years, changes in technology, especially the emergence of virtual worlds, have impacted the landscape of doing business. Many industries, such as retailing and fashion industries have recognized the e-commerce potentials and have engaged in setting up strategic ventures in the virtual worlds to develop products and/or services that are geared towards meeting consumer needs. Previous research has examined consumers adoption of innovative products, but there is no known study that has examined consumers adoption of virtual fashion. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to shed some light on understanding consumer adoption of virtual fashion. Specifically, assessed the effects of external variables, (i.e., fashion innovativeness and peer pressure), on need gratification, attitudes, and adoption of virtual fashion among teen girl consumers who have grown up with advanced technology and sophisticated fashion changes. Data was collected from a convenience sample of teen girls between the ages of 12 to 19 via an online survey. The final sample consisted of 177 teen girls. A series of multiple regressions were employed to test all hypotheses. Results revealed that adoption of virtual fashion is significantly impacted by teen girl consumers gratification of needs, attitude towards the virtual fashion world, and fashion innovativeness. However, adoption of virtual fashion was not significantly impacted by peer pressure. The results add to existing literature related to consumers adoption of an innovation by the integration of communications, sociological and innovation adoption theories. Future research may focus on the difference between urban and suburban teens.

The current study sought to replicate the findings of Pierce, Alfonso, & Garrison (1998) that constructed and tested the Home and Family Questionnaire (HFQ). More specifically, the internal consistency of the HFQs three subscales, Maturity Facilitation, Childs Use of Stimulating Materials, and the Parent-Child Emotional Relationship, was investigated. Construct validity of the HFQ was investigated by correlating the HFQ subscale scores to the Parenting Styles Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) subscale scores (Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen & Hart, 1995). Criterion-related validity was investigated by correlating the HFQ subscale scores with the Pictorial Scales of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance in Young Children (PSPC) subscale scores (Harter & Pike, 1984) and with participants math and reading grades. Concurrent validity of the HFQ and MC-HOME (Caldwell & Bradley, 1984) was investigated with chi-square analyses of individually matched items and with correlational analyses of the instruments subscale scores. Internal reliability of the HFQ subscale scores in the current study were comparable to those found in Pierce et al.(1998), with the exception of the Parent-Child Emotional Relationship. Negative relationships were found between the HFQ Parent-Child Emotional Relationship subscale scores and the PSDQ Authoritarian and Permissive subscale scores. HFQ Maturity Facilitation scores were significantly related to Physical Competence scores and Peer Acceptance scores. Childs Use of Stimulating Materials scores were significantly related to Physical Competence scores. No significant correlations were found between the HFQ subscale scores and math and reading grades. Chi-square analyses for the individually matched HFQ and MC-HOME items demonstrated a high degree of agreement, with 75% of the matched items exhibiting agreement levels 70% or higher. Correlational analyses of the HFQ and MC-HOME subscale scores showed relationships between the HFQ Maturity Facilitation and the MC-HOME Responsivity and Emotional Climate subscale scores. The HFQ Childs Use of Stimulating Materials subscale scores showed relationships with the MC-HOME Responsivity, Encouragement of Maturity, Family Companionship, and Emotional Climate subscale scores. No relationships were found between the HFQ Parent-Child Emotional Relationship subscale scores and the MC-HOME subscale scores.

Previous research has indicated that teaching is a high stress profession and that social supports may help to mediate teacher job stress. Ecological maps have been used in both research and other fields in order to study individuals social networks. Using a sample of ten Pre-K teachers, this study aims to answers two questions of inquiry: 1) Is the amount of reported social supports for Pre-K teachers negatively associated with reported stress?, and 2) What information does the eco-map interview give us about teachers social supports and stress? A multi-methods approach of both qualitative and quantitative techniques was used in order to study the research questions. There were null findings for research question one. For research question two, the eco-maps gave more information about the kinds of supports that were more and least common for teachers to report. Also, four qualitative themes emerged from the interviews: 1) multiple roles, multiple responsibilities, 2) profession of circumstance, 3) other educators as supports, and 4) students progress as a means of enthusiasm through stressors. This research has implications for future research of the relationship between stress and social supports for teachers of young children as well as for implications for practice.

This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of a fruit and vegetable (FV) tasting program on third and fifth grade childrens preferences and psychosocial factors associated with FV intake. Four public schools in southeastern Louisiana participated. Two schools served as the intervention group where children were given a taste of four fruits or four vegetables on a rotating schedule for eight weeks followed by two weeks of tasting four months post- intervention (follow-up). Two control schools did not participate in tasting but received brightly colored FV posters which were posted in the cafeteria each week. A questionnaire administered at baseline, post-intervention, and after follow-up tastings assessed 38 FV preferences, self-efficacy, social norms, and outcome expectations for FV consumption. 161 children (52% third graders) who tasted fruit at least eight times and vegetables at least 20 times during the 8-week tasting program were included in the analysis. Significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups toward preferences for less common (p=0.03) and common fruits (p=0.02). In the intervention group, preference for less common fruits such as apricots, avocados, cantaloupe, kiwi, mangos and papaya increased from baseline to post-intervention (p=0.04) and from baseline to follow-up (p=0.01). Children demonstrated greater self-efficacy to consume FV from baseline to follow-up (p=0.01) in the intervention group but no changes were observed in the control group. These findings suggest that a FV tasting program positively impacts fruit preferences and self-efficacy to consume FV.

The purpose of this study was to determine the mean duration of child attention to a self-selected toy and to determine the longest duration under which teaching condition children attend to toy play (child choice, adult choice, or adult presentation). Forty preschool-aged children were observed under each teaching condition and data were collected on the childs duration of child attention. Results indicate that childrens sustained attention is significantly different across the three teaching conditions, and it was found that children attended for the longest duration of time during the child choice condition. It was also found that children attended for a longer period of time during the adult choice teaching condition as compared to the adult presentation condition. An ANOVA was used to compare the means across the three teaching conditions. Post-hoc comparisons show that the child-choice teaching condition is statistically significant from the adult presentation teaching condition.

Research indicates that narcissism may increase antisocial tendencies in children as young as preschool. In this quasi-experimental study, manners lessons on selfless, prosocial behavior were used as an intervention to decrease narcissism and antisocial behavior within second and third grade classrooms. Manners lessons provided children with opportunities to demonstrate prosocial attitudes toward others and thus were expected to decrease narcissism, increase empathy, decrease conduct problems and peer problems, and increase prosocial behavior. The present intervention positively influenced the external behavior of children as indicated by a decrease in conduct problems and peer problems and an increase in prosocial behavior for intervention group participants. The allotted treatment time did not produce a significant change in attitudes of narcissism or empathy, however. Additional, longitudinal studies are needed to further examine the influence of intervention on internal attitudes of narcissism and empathy.

Previous research has shown that prompting can increase child compliance to adult directives (Tarbox, Wallace, Penrod, & Tarbox, 2007; Wilder & Atwell, 2006; Wilder, Atwell, & Wine, 2006). The purpose of this study was to train teachers to use prompting to increase child compliance to teacher directives. This study builds on the current literature by using least-to-most prompting (Horner & Keilitz, 1975) within the naturally occurring context of the preschool classroom. The participants consisted of 3 preschool teachers who interacted with a target child in an early childhood classroom. Child compliance was measured during free choice center time. Results were consistent with previous research (Tarbox, Wallace, Penrod, & Tarbox, 2007; Wilder & Atwell, 2006; Wilder, Atwell, & Wine, 2006) by showing that the implementation of the least-to-most prompting intervention was correlated with an increase in child compliance.

Recent research has revealed that high religiosity is associated with positive life outcomes in adolescents and emerging adults. However, the mechanisms and processes that underscore faith development, which is crucial to experiencing these outcomes, are not well understood. Furthermore, most research on faith development in adolescents and emerging adults is based on quantitative data and fails to examine the influence of developmental contexts on faith development. To address this, a racially diverse New England sample of 30 highly religious Christian, Jewish, New World faiths, and Muslim families were interviewed regarding their faith and family life. Focusing specifically on the faith development of the adolescents and emerging adults (age 12-25; N = 43) in this sample, qualitative coding and analysis revealed three key themes: (a) contexts, (b) personal beliefs, and (c) personal practices. Qualitative data is provided to explain each theme. Implications for religious institutions, families, and social service organizations are discussed.

Current treatment strategies for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) include a range of anti-diabetic drugs, supplemented by lifestyle modifications to reduce dietary fat intake and body fat. However, for their anti-diabetic action, most drugs recruit insulin signaling pathways, which are already impaired in T2DM. Also, compliance and success in achieving sustained improvements in diet or obesity over the long term is marginal. Therefore, an agent that improves diabetes independent of insulin signaling or lifestyle changes may be highly useful. Human adenovirus Ad36 offers such a model. Ad36 improves glycemic control in chow-fed mice or rats and attenuates diabetes and hepatic steatosis in high fat(HF)-fed mice, despite the HF intake and without reducing adiposity. In human adults, natural Ad36 infection predicts better glycemic control and lower hepatic lipid stores. Ex-vivo cell signaling studies suggest that in mice, Ad36 activates Ras-mediated phosphatidyl- inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway (Ras/PI3K) to up-regulate glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and adipose, and suppresses glucose output from the liver. This study determined if the anti-diabetic properties of Ad36 could be creatively harnessed. Objective 1 determined that Ad36 seropositivity was associated with improved glycemic control and lower hepatic lipids in Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American children and adolescents. Objective 2 determined which of the conventional contributors of insulin sensitivity are modulated by Ad36. In vitro, Ad36 increased preadipocyte differentiation, de-novo lipogenesis, and fat oxidation. Ad36 increased the proportion of small adipocytes in mice on a chow diet, whereas in HF-fed mice, Ad36 increased the proportion of large adipocytes. Adipose tissue macrophage infiltration and angiogenesis were not affected by Ad36. Objective 3 determined the E4orf1 protein of Ad36 mediates its anti-hyperglycemic property. E4orf1 is sufficient and necessary to improve glucose uptake. Mirroring the actions of Ad36, in vitro, E4orf1 also up-regulates the Ras/PI3K pathway, and adiponectin an insulin sensitizing adipokine, and down-regulates inflammatory cytokine expression. E4orf1 increases glucose uptake in, preadipocytes and adipocytes. In hepatocytes, E4orf1 reduces glucose output and the metabolic studies indicate it favors less hepatic lipid storage. Overall, this study offers a broad foundation to further determine the potential of E4orf1 as an anti-diabetic agent.