Couples who divorce are likely to experience increased levels of psychological distress, decreased levels of happiness, and increased levels of depression. To reduce these negative effects, litigators use mediation to resolve disagreements including child custody disputes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare divorcing parents' depression and satisfaction with the process after the use of mediation or litigation. Wexler's theory of therapeutic jurisprudence provided the theoretical framework. Data was collected from 170 participants who were recruited using convenience sampling through Facebook. Participants voluntarily completed a survey which included a researcher developed questionnaire, the Acrimony Scale, the Nonacceptance of Marital Termination, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression. Results from MANOVA and ANOVA analyses showed that participants who used mediation reported significantly higher levels of fairness and control than parents who used litigation. Findings could be used to inform divorcing parents that mediation may provide them with higher levels of fairness and control. Divorcing couples could be offered mediation services that are more effective and will more likely meet their needs. Court systems could offer mediation as a mandatory first step. This may reduce the number of cases that litigate. Since mediation is generally free, parents would not be forced to pay money for the services and they may end feeling that they had more control within their dispute. If more families experience more fairness and control within their dispute, their overall psychological wellbeing may be improved, thereby positively impacting social change.

Mechanisms of change in psychotherapy must be empirically investigated to shed light on how particular therapies work, as well as common mechanisms that may be at work across modalities. The current study investigated a proposed mechanism of change in a mindfulness intervention; this proposed mechanism, experiential avoidance (EA), may function more broadly as a mediator of change across multiple therapies. The primary hypothesis was that gains in mindfulness over the course of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) would be associated with reductions in negative affect, and that changes in EA would mediate the relation between changes in mindfulness and negative affect. The role of EA in mediating the effect of mindfulness on positive affect, disability, and life satisfaction was also investigated. Participants (N = 106) completed questionnaires before and after an 8-week MBSR program. A subset of participants (n = 74) completed questionnaires at the mid-point of treatment, and recorded time spent on mindfulness practice and level of relaxation after homework completion. Mediation analyses were conducted in which relations between change in predictor (mindfulness), mediator (EA), and outcome measures over the course of the intervention were assessed using regression steps, followed by PRODCLIN. Participants reported significant improvements in mindfulness, reductions in EA and disability, and improved affect and life satisfaction from pre- to post-MBSR. The relation between increased mindfulness and reduced negative affect over the course of the intervention was partially mediated by reduced EA. No evidence was found for relaxation as an additional mediator of the relation between mindfulness and negative affect. The relation between increased mindfulness and positive affect over the course of the intervention was fully mediated by decreased behavioral avoidance. Reductions in behavioral avoidance also fully mediated the relation between increased mindfulness and reduced disability. The relation between increased mindfulness and increased life satisfaction was mediated by EA. More mindfulness practice was linked with greater positive affect; the relation between practice and positive affect was mediated by EA. This study offers support for EA as a mediator of the effect of mindfulness on multiple outcomes, while highlighting a mechanism of change that may pertain across psychotherapeutic modalities.

Often for prevention program designs, researchers are interested in understanding the processes through which a program impacts a targeted outcome. Mediation analysis assists in identifying not only how a program influences an outcome, but also which intermediate variables (i.e., mediators) cause the effects between a program and an outcome to occur. Mediation analysis explains why a program works, which is useful for program developers in creating effective prevention and intervention-based programs. To make use of mediation analysis findings for preventive intervention programs, researchers need a comprehensive understanding of the mediators between various programs and outcomes. However, a comprehensive examination into which mediators are most effective has yet to take place. This is likely due to the lack of theoretical and quantitative guidance on conducting a comprehensive comparison study for mediated effects. As such, this work establishes a framework for measuring mediated effects in a comprehensive context. This thesis establishes a framework under which to evaluate mediated effects across multiple studies, demonstrates the application of this framework, and discusses the broader implications of this approach. Identifying the most effective mediators through the proposed approach lends a valuable understanding to practitioners and policymakers about critical actions for preventing a given outcome.

Zugl.: Hagen, Fernuniv., Masterarbeit, 2006/2007

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-128).

The aim of this study was is to examine the descriptions of expereince made by social workers from different countries regarding workplace conflict and how workplace conflict is dealt with in terms of strategies and methods of resolving it. To adress this topic the conflict theory of Lewis Coser is used. The study is conducted by the use of semi-structured qualitative interviews, where experience of five social workers in manageral positions are examined. Three of these interviewees were from Sweden and two were from Russia. The results of this study show that the social workers describe their experience and knowledge about organizational conflict in different ways and to different exents. Russian and Swedish interviewees seemed to be familiar with workplace conflict and the use different methods and strategies when dealing and preventing conflict at the workplace. The interviewees acknowledge the impact of management and leadership regarding both cause of conflict.

The aim of this study was to find out if change in parent behavior is associated with change in preadolescent problem behavior during parent training programs. A total of 561 single parents or couples of mainly Swedish origin were randomized into one out of four parent training programs with different theoretical bases. Parents’ self-reports of their own behavior and of their children’s intensity as well as impact of problem behavior, lack of attention, and hyperactivity showed that effects were equal across interventions for both children and parents. 12 parent constructs were measured. All of them except positive parent behavior constructs correlated with all four outcomes for children on significant levels. Negative parent behavior predicted change in all child outcomes on a highly significant level.

While many studies investigate the mediation styles enacted during conflict resolution, relatively few of them discuss the communicative processes through which discursive structures are reproduced. This dissertation is a case study illustrating how the duality of structure operates. The purpose of this dissertation is (a) to reveal the discursive resources that community mediators use, (b) to demonstrate how mediators assemble their discursive resources to form a community of practice, and (c) to explore power relations between attorneys and mediators. To understand these issues, I conducted an ethnographic study at a community mediation center employing 25 volunteer mediators. Over 330 hours of participant observations and 41 interviews were completed. Results demonstrated that mediators relied on four interpretive repertoires during mediation: Cultural Competence, Volunteer Pride, Parenting Norms, and Business Professional(ism). They used these repertoires to navigate the tenuous and emotional mediation process. The repertoires provided the mediators with a degree of discursive flexibility in constructing and controlling the immediate situation, and the repertoires were enacted to serve multiple purposes. Further, the extemporaneous engagement of issues, emotions, and discursive resources was an essential skill that was cultivated only over time and with practice. Results also showed that the mediators assembled various repertoires in a number of ways including informal conversations, co-mediations, conference attendance, and organizational meetings. Analysis suggested that the institutional knowledge and discourses provided through formal learning was of secondary importance to developing personal repertoires by mediating as often as possible. In addition, because of the organizing practices of the mediators and the ad hoc nature of the organization, the organizational form of the mediation center was a community of practice. Finally, results found that the power struggles between attorneys and mediators centered on trying to define the mediation situation using different discursive resources. Establishing control of the environment and working the process were the two main goals of mediators, and the more they took ownership of these goals the more often the conflicts settled. This dissertation suggests that taking control of the mediation process is the first step to empowering the participants and achieving a workable mediated settlement.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Münster (Westfalen), 2001.

Thesis (MTech (Education))--Peninsula Technikon, 2003. / Word processed copy. Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-133). Also available online.