The present study considered the relationships between internal working models of adult attachment, satisfaction with social supports, and career decision self efficacy. Theoretical support was found within the context of Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986) and Attachment Theory (Bowiby, 1 973 ; Hazen & Shaver, 1994). A conceptual model was proposed and tested using structural equation modeling to answer the research questions: is there a relationship between secure internal working models of attachment and career decision self efficacy, and if so, is the relationship between secure internal working models of attachment and career decision self efficacy partially mediated by satisfaction with social supports? A third research question was considered: are men and women similar in how they experience internal working models of attachment, satisfaction with social supports, and career decision self efficacy? Participants included 663 college-aged students (457 women; 206 men) from two Midwestern universities, with most being in their first or second year of college (72% freshmen/sophomores; 28% juniors or above). Alternate models for men and women were proposed and a multi-group analysis was conducted to determine if groups were similar. Results indicated that the groups were similar. Models were then combined for a comprehensive model representing both men and women. Findings indicated that there was a direct relationship between secure internal working models of attachment and career decision self efficacy and an indirect relationship that was partially mediated by satisfaction with social supports. Theoretical, research, and practice implications are discussed, as well as methodological limitations to the study. Future directions are offered. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Research has shown that presenting incidental reminders of death, a manipulation referred to as mortality salience, increases unconscious accessibility of death thoughts and, in turn, increases the use of various defense mechanisms to reduce such thoughts. Death-thought accessibility and use of such defense mechanisms vary based on self-reported attachment style. Because self-reports do not verify causality, the current study aimed to establish a causal relationship between attachment and terror management. It was posited that experimentally activating a secure attachment schema after mortality salience should decrease unconscious accessibility of death thoughts, whereas activating an insecure attachment schema should increase accessibility of death thoughts (i.e., there should be a Mortality Salience x Attachment Priming interaction). Lastly, these effects should not be mediated by mood. A 2 Mortality Salience vs. Control) x 3 (Priming: secure. insecure, or neutral) x 2 (Sex) ANOVA on death-thought accessibility did not show the predicted interaction. The discussion section focuses on the obstacles in accurately rneasuring death-thought accessibility and future directions for research. / Department of Psychological Science

In this dissertation 9 social workers working in Pretoria, Gauteng Province were interviewed. The focus of these interviews was regarding the use of direct observation as a measuring instrument for the purpose of assessing attachment of the caregiver-and-child's relationship. This information jointly with a two-fold literature study served as the foundation for a proposed preliminary practise framework. The completed research is described in the article format in two articles. Article 1 contains the literature study on attachment theory and its application to direct observation of attachment of the caregiver and child's relationship. Article 2 contains the literature study on direct observation measuring instruments for the purpose of assessing attachment of the caregiver-and-child's relationship. Direct observation measuring instruments used by experienced social workers were also examined by means of an empirical investigation. The practise framework acts as preliminary guidelines giving direction into the usage of direct observation as a structured measuring instrument in assessing the caregiver-and-child's attachment relationship. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Existing literature on resilience portrays middle-born children as vulnerable. Middle-born children have to face many risks, such as a tendency towards delinquent behaviour, having poor relations with family members, being low achievers and harbouring negative feelings. Many children who face risk and who consequently are in danger of maladaptive outcomes manage to bounce back from these risks. Such children are called resilient. Research suggests that resilience among children is a common phenomenon, but no literature exists that focuses specifically on resilience among middle-born children. Because of personal experience, I as the researcher believe middle-born children can display resilience in the face of their particular risks. The purpose of this study therefore was to explore, by means of a literature study and empirical research, what the antecedents of resilience among middle-born children might be. This was done by using a concurrent triangulated mixed method design: Six resilient middle-born children completed a self-report questionnaire (RSCA) and participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings were mixed and allowed understanding of what encourages resilience in middle-born children. This study contributes to theory by identifying the resilience-promoting processes (both intra- and interpersonal) which contribute to resilience among middle-born children. This study's findings also transform the stereotypical view of middle-born children as vulnerable only. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Existing literature on resilience portrays middle-born children as vulnerable. Middle-born children have to face many risks, such as a tendency towards delinquent behaviour, having poor relations with family members, being low achievers and harbouring negative feelings. Many children who face risk and who consequently are in danger of maladaptive outcomes manage to bounce back from these risks. Such children are called resilient. Research suggests that resilience among children is a common phenomenon, but no literature exists that focuses specifically on resilience among middle-born children. Because of personal experience, I as the researcher believe middle-born children can display resilience in the face of their particular risks. The purpose of this study therefore was to explore, by means of a literature study and empirical research, what the antecedents of resilience among middle-born children might be. This was done by using a concurrent triangulated mixed method design: Six resilient middle-born children completed a self-report questionnaire (RSCA) and participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings were mixed and allowed understanding of what encourages resilience in middle-born children. This study contributes to theory by identifying the resilience-promoting processes (both intra- and interpersonal) which contribute to resilience among middle-born children. This study's findings also transform the stereotypical view of middle-born children as vulnerable only. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

This dissertation is composed of three studies that examined illness-related stigma, depressive symptoms and attachment style among patients living with HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV). The first study examined the psychometric properties of a brief HIV Stigma Scale (B-HSS) in a sample of adult patients living with HIV (PHA) (n=94). The second study developed and explored the psychometric properties of the HCV Stigma Scale in a sample of adult patients living with HCV (PHC) (n =92). Psychometric properties were evaluated with classical test theory and item response theory methodology. The third study explored whether illness-related stigma mediated the relationship between insecure attachment styles (anxious attachment or avoidant attachment) and depressive symptoms among PHA (n =72) and PHC (n=83). From June to December 2008, patients were recruited to participate in a questionnaire study at the outpatient clinics in The Ottawa Hospital. Findings indicated that the 9-item B-HSS is a reliable and valid measure of HIV stigma with items that are highly discriminatory, which indicates that items are highly effective at discriminating patients with different levels of stigma. The 9-item HCV Stigma Scale was also found to be reliable and valid with highly discriminatory items that effectively differentiate PHC. Construct validity for both scales was supported by relationships with theoretically related constructs: depression and quality of life. Among PHA, when HIV stigma was controlled the relationship between anxious attachment style and depression was not significant. However, the relationship between avoidant attachment style and depressive symptoms decreased but remained significant. Among PHC when HCV stigma was controlled the relationship between insecure attachment styles and depressive symptoms was not significant. Dissertation results emphasize the importance of identifying patients experiencing illness-related stigma and the relevance of addressing stigma and attachment style when treating depressive symptoms among PHA and PHC.

In this dissertation 9 social workers working in Pretoria, Gauteng Province were interviewed. The focus of these interviews was regarding the use of direct observation as a measuring instrument for the purpose of assessing attachment of the caregiver-and-child's relationship. This information jointly with a two-fold literature study served as the foundation for a proposed preliminary practise framework. The completed research is described in the article format in two articles. Article 1 contains the literature study on attachment theory and its application to direct observation of attachment of the caregiver and child's relationship. Article 2 contains the literature study on direct observation measuring instruments for the purpose of assessing attachment of the caregiver-and-child's relationship. Direct observation measuring instruments used by experienced social workers were also examined by means of an empirical investigation. The practise framework acts as preliminary guidelines giving direction into the usage of direct observation as a structured measuring instrument in assessing the caregiver-and-child's attachment relationship. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Dating violence (DV) is a common experience among college-age Canadians, affecting between one quarter and one third of both men and women. A significant predictor of DV perpetration and victimization is childhood physical abuse (CPA). While there is evidence of an intergenerational transmission of violence from CPA to both victimization and perpetration of DV in young adulthood, there remain gaps in our understanding of what factors influence these relationships throughout an individual’s development. Using survey data collected from a convenience sample of 660 University of Manitoba students, this study analyzed the strength of a model of violence development from CPA to DV including the mediating effects of personality symptoms and attachment security. The current study suggested partial support for theoretical frameworks that have been applied to the understanding of the relationship between CPA and DV, namely social learning theory, the criminological framework, and attachment based theories. CPA was correlated with DV perpetration and victimization. However, in multivariate analyses, witnessing interparental violence, rather than experiencing CPA, was a direct predictor of DV perpetration and victimization. CPA predicted DV indirectly through witnessing interparental violence. More severe dating violence items were significantly predicted by other variables in the model. Antisocial personality symptoms increased odds of severe DV perpetration and victimization while borderline personality symptoms increased odds of severe DV victimization. Attachment insecurity had the strongest impact on dating violence perpetration in the female subsample. These findings, suggesting a number of distinct pathways in the intergenerational transmission of violence, should be further tested in larger and more diverse samples. It would be beneficial to include additional risk and protective variables in future research in order to understand what impacts each distinct pathway to dating violence, under what circumstances, as well as the influence of these variables at different points in individuals’ development. This research is valuable for understanding the impact of childhood abuse on young adult attachment, personality, and dating violence. Further, it is hoped that this research will be helpful for establishing appropriate and comprehensive DV interventions which take into account mediating influences from the intergenerational transmission of violence.

Physical and psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) are deleterious to the physical and mental health of romantic partners and their children, yet both forms of aggression continue to be prevalent even when couples become pregnant with their first child. This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to IPV in couples experiencing the transition to parenthood. A community sample of 98 heterosexual couples undergoing the transition to parenthood was recruited from Victoria, BC. Couples self-reported levels of depressive symptomatology, attachment anxiety and avoidance, relationship satisfaction, and frequency of physical and psychological IPV perpetration and victimization. Men with greater attachment anxiety perpetrated both forms of IPV at a higher rate than men with lower levels of anxiety. Women with greater depressive symptoms were more psychologically aggressive towards their partners. Women who were more depressed, or more anxiously or avoidantly attached were less satisfied with their relationships, and decreased satisfaction was in turn related to greater perpetration of physical and psychological aggression. Women’s relationship satisfaction mediated the effects of their depressive symptoms and attachment anxiety and avoidance on their perpetration of psychological IPV, and the effects of their attachment insecurity on their perpetration of physical IPV. Relationship satisfaction did not mediate these associations for men. Men’s avoidance did not moderate the association between women’s anxiety and men’s and women’s IPV perpetration; a model with genders reversed testing the moderating effect of women’s avoidance on the association between men’s anxiety and men’s and women’s IPV perpetration was also not significant. Men’s anxiety also predicted women’s psychological IPV perpetration, controlling for their own anxiety and psychological victimization. The results illuminate the ways in which men and women may be affected differently by the factors contributing to risk for violence during the transition to parenthood. Implications for prenatal interventions targeting depression, attachment insecurity, and relationship satisfaction in order to reduce the risk of IPV are discussed. / Graduate / 0622 / 0451 / lisagou@uvic.ca

This study examined the relationship between attachment and adolescent sex abusers through a literature review. Due to the dearth of literature on this subject, separate literature reviews were conducted on attachment theory and on predisposing factors to adolescent sex abusing. The results indicated that a causal relationship between attachment and the development of adolescent sex abusers is unlikely; however, insecure attachment styles were found to be one of many factors related to adolescent sex abusing. Theories related to emotional stress, the developmental stage of adolescence, intergenerational transmission and sibling incest were generated within the theoretical context of attachment. A typology was constructed that suggests how different attachment styles may be associated with various types of adolescent sex abusers. Implications for primary prevention, treatment interventions and research were discussed.