The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among several demographic and emotional/relational variables, and physical abuse victimization in conjugal relations. Participants were eighty-two individuals, involving 41 heterosexual couples in permanent relationships, who were being seen in marital therapy for discordant relationships. This was a cross-sectional sample, with participants selected from four community-based couple and family therapy treatment facilities. Couple participants completed a questionnaire package which measured their standing on a number of socio-demographic (age, income, duration of marriage, employment, education), emotional/relationship (attachment, differentiation, self esteem, marital satisfaction, global distress, problem solving communication), and violence (aggression, physical and non-physical abuse) variables. The emotional variables selected for this study drew on principles from both attachment and Bowen family systems theory. The design of this study differentiated victims of physical violence from non-victims of violence and included multiple measures of abuse. / The findings revealed significant gender correlations in terms of level of aggression in relationships. For females, level of global distress and problem solving communication were positively associated with higher levels of marital aggression. An association between poor differentiation and marital aggression was identified for females, while self esteem only approached significance. For males, a significant correlation was identified between level of aggression and the dismissing attachment style. For males the anxious attachment style was negatively correlated with being a victim of physical violence, with self-differentiation and with having a dismissive attachment style. / The central findings were identified through the use of logistic regression analysis. Attachment style was found to be the more powerful predictor for both females and males in predicting victimization of physical violence. Separate gender analysis revealed evidence that women's anxious attachment style is a significant predictor of physical violence victimization. For males, the dismissing style was less powerful a predictor of male victimization, however the combined female-anxious, male-dismissing attachment combination was found to be highly predictive of relationship violence. Logistic regression has provided evidence for the combination of female-anxious and male-dismissing attachment pattern with poor problem solving and communication skill, within the context of a longer relationship, as significant predictors of relationship violence for the whole sample. These three variables, anxious-dismissing attachment style, poor problem solving communication and longer duration of marriage taken together have provided a predictor model or couple profile for conjugal violence in a sample of discordant couples. / Results of the final couple analysis have contributed to an emerging hypothesis, with the identification of a particular "toxic" gender defined couple attachment pattern, that can predispose a couple for relationship violence. Results have identified that anxious females coupled with dismissing males significantly increased the odds of relationship violence. Research findings were discussed in terms of clinical applications and implications for theory and future research.

This exploratory study was designed to identify a range of variables distinguishing long-term unattached (LTU) from long-term committed (LTC) adults between the ages of 30 and 50. Specifically, it attempted to identify explanations for, and consequences of, long-term unattachment. / LTU subjects selected were those who had not been in a committed, intimate relationship for eight or more years; LTC subjects selected were those who had been in a marital, or equivalent, relationship for eight or more years. / The study was done in two parts. The preliminary study was qualitative and consisted of interviews of 14 subjects--seven LTUs and seven LTCs. LTU and LTC subjects were closely matched on demographic and socioeconomic variables. Emerging themes were added to the range of ideas from the review of literature. A questionnaire was developed from the comprehensive list of ideas. / The final study was quantitative; 77 subjects were administered the questionnaire designed for the study, as well as the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). LTUs' responses to the questionnaire and scores on the MCMI were compared with those of LTC subjects. All variables were subjected to discriminant function analysis, and univariate analysis. / The results showed that: (a) LTUs came from families characterized by significant separations and losses, distant relationships with parents, and little communication within the family; (b) LTUs felt significantly more alienated from others as children and adults than LTCs; (c) LTUs were significantly higher than LTCs on MCMI scales schizoid, avoidant, passive-aggressive, schizotypal, and borderline, i.e., scales of personalities characterized by problems with intimate, committed relationships; (d) LTUs were not significantly more influenced than LTCs by sociocultural changes such as the human potential movement, the women's liberation movement, and the emphasis on romance in our culture; and (e) LTUs suffered significantly more than LTCs from despair and lack of meaning in their lives, and lacked satisfying ways of meeting others with whom they would like to be involved. Implications, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are proffered.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of an Attachment-Oriented-Psychoeducational-Group-Training on the preoccupied/insecure attachment style of university students. This study consists of two phases. In the first phase of the study, Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ), Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSS), and an Information Form were given to the 755 third year METU students. The differences among the attachment styles (RSQ and RQ) of the participants by gender and self-esteem levels (RSS) were explored by using a 2 (gender) x 2 (high-low self-esteem) factorial MANOVA. Results showed significant self-esteem differences in fearful, preoccupied and secure subscale scores in RQ and RSQ and gender differences in fearful, preoccupied and secure subscale scores of RSQ and RQ. These results indicated that students who had lower self-esteem scored significantly higher in fearful and preoccupied subscales of RSQ while students who had higher self-esteem had statistically significant higher mean scores in secure attachment subscales. No significant differences were found between the insecure/avoidant subscale scores of the high and low self-esteem group students. Results showed that females scored significiantly higher in fearful attachment style of RQ and RSQ. Male students scored significiantly higher in both preoccupied subscales of RQ and RSQ and in secure attachment subscale of RSQ. In the second phase, the Attachment-Oriented-Psychoeducational-Group-Training was implemented to the experimental group of 11 volunteered preoccupied subjects. The control group consisted of 8 preoccupied students. The control group subjects did not receive any training. Both experimental and control groups were given Relationship Scales Questionnaire and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale at pre-test, post-test and follow up. Non-parametric statistical analyses of Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney U test were employed to the RSQ and RSS scores of the subjects to assess the effect of the Attachment-Oriented-Psychoeducational-Group-Training. The results showed that experimental group subjects&amp / #8217 / secure attachment subscale scores have increased from pre-test to posttest but not pre-test to follow up or posttest to follow up tests of both RSQ and RSS. A significant difference was found between pre and follow up tests scores of RSS for control group.

The main purpose of this thesis was to examine the possible effects of various components of the university brand image on students’ attachment and commitment to the brand of Umeå University. In order to make a theoretical contribution to the university branding research, the conceptual model was developed and tested to find out the possible effects of constructs on each other. The proposed conceptual model focused on the university brand image, which contained nine different constructs. The other three constructs consisted of brand attachment, affective commitment and continuance commitment. The model was developed after revising the existing theory and realizing the knowledge gaps. Although there was previous research on the components of the university brand image as well as the research on attachment and commitment, these two studies were conducted separately. The theoretical contribution of this thesis was to combine these constructs in one conceptual model and test their effects. Besides, none of the found studies on attachment and commitment were conducted in the university context. The following research question was formulated in this study: What kind of effects do various components of Umeå University brand image have on students’ attachment and commitment? The study was conducted at Umeå University and the respondents were current students of the university. The findings of this study showed that not all hypothesized effects were significant as it was expected. The model on the effects of the components of the university brand image on attachment was not strong enough. However, it was found that mission and vision, social environment, practicability, physical actualities and aesthetic had significant effects on attachment. When testing the effects of the components of the university brand image on affective commitment it was seen that the model itself was strong. Moreover, mission and vision, social environment, practicability and aesthetic also had significant effects on affective commitment. In relation to continuance commitment, the regression analysing the impacts of the components of the university brand image was weak and only physical actualities had a significant effect. Another regression showed the significant effect of attachment on affective commitment. When testing the impact of attachment on continuance commitment, it was found that attachment had a positive effect on continuance commitment. As a practical recommendation, it was suggested that Umeå University had to improve its graduation prospects, learning facilities, educational standards and external communications as these constructs did not have significant effects neither on attachment nor on affective and continuance commitment. If these areas were improved, it would probably lead to a higher attachment to the university. Higher attachment would, in turn, have a positive impact on commitment and it would probably keep students satisfied and improve the university’s image overall. A special attention should be also paid to the components, which were found to have significant effects, such as mission and vision, social environment, practicability, physical actualities and aesthetic as they currently determine students’ attachment and commitment to Umeå University brand.

This thesis describes the relationship between adult attachment style, coping strategies, identity development and perception of social support. 107 participants answered four self-report questionnaires examining their attachment style, coping strategies, identity development status and perception of social support. Correlation analyses were used. Results showed secure attachment to significantly positively correlate with identity moratorium and to negatively correlate with identity foreclosure. Avoidant attachment significantly positively correlated with denial and mental disengagement and negatively correlated with seeking social support. Individuals with high avoidant attachment scores were more likely to have high scores for identity diffusion, more likely to perceive fewer available social supports and were less likely to be satisfied with this support. Anxious ambivalence positively correlated with denial and mental, behavioural and alcohol/drug disengagement, and negatively correlated with active and planning which are pro-active coping strategies. Anxious ambivalence positively correlated with identity diffusion and negatively with identity foreclosure. Individuals with high anxious ambivalence scores were more likely to be dissatisfied with social support. Overall, secure attachment was found to correlate with acknowledging the need for an identity search. Insecure attachment was found to relate to less effective coping methods, to correlate with not acknowledging the need for an identity search and dissatisfaction with social support. Results are considered in terms of attachment styles and applications, for example in therapeutic settings.

Using a strong invariance structural equation modeling approach, the current study explored the role of parental styles, along with age and IQ, on the expression of psychopathic personality facets in a large (N = 734) male sample of Hispanic and non-Hispanic offenders. Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses revealed evidence of strong invariance across ethnic groups for the psychopathy and parenting scales (CFI = .95; RMSEA .03). Person-centered analyses examining psychopathic versus non-psychopathic cases demonstrated that the former reported greater levels of dysfunctional parenting, particularly abuse. Structural equation modeling results highlighted differential relationships between the variables of interest as a function of race/ethnicity.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-71).

Thesis DPsych (Counselling Psychology) -- Swinburne University of Technology, 2006. / Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Professional Doctorate in Psychology (Counselling Psychology), Swinburne University of Technology, 2006. Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-150).

Univ., Diss.--Kiel, 2004. / Literaturverz. S. 15 - 21.