Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / There are three different approaches for the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI) sexual orientations: reparative therapies, gay-affirmative therapies, and person-centered approach. These therapeutic approaches will be discussed individually and Kitchener’s Model of Ethical Decision Making or Moral Justification will be applied to each of them with the purpose of identifying which is the most ethical. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) scholars have not created guidelines for working with LGBTQI or made a clear stance on what they believe would be the best approach to take, therefore, clinical and ethical implications and recommendations for the field of marriage and family therapy will be discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Patrick A. Knight / Over 50 years of research has supported the positive relationship between feedback and performance improvement. A recent meta-analysis suggests that feedback may not be beneficial for performance, and that it may actually be harmful for performance (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996). This study suggests that these inconsistencies exist because positive and negative feedback are treated like opposite sides of the same scale. In reality, positive and negative feedback are two very different types of information and should be treated differently. Current research examines feedback delivered interpersonally. When delivering feedback this way, positive feedback is often accepted while negative feedback is rejected. The current study states that alternate delivery methods may be better for the acceptance and use of negative feedback. It is suggested that negative feedback received directly from the task itself may be more accepted, more intrinsically motivating, and result in less negative emotion for receivers than negative feedback from interpersonal sources. Two hundred and two university students participated in a simple computer simulation task. They received feedback regarding their performance and then participated in the task a second time. Results revealed no differences between conditions in acceptance, possibly a result of task. When receiving negative feedback from the task, participants experienced greater intrinsic motivation than when receiving negative feedback from interpersonal sources. Finally, negative feedback from the task resulted in less negative emotion than negative feedback from interpersonal sources. By removing the interpersonal interaction, the task removes a great deal of negative emotion associated with the supervisor. This study revealed great potential for the task as a source of negative feedback. Although the workforce may not be ready for a full task-feedback system, it may serve as a good supplement for interpersonal feedback and worthy of future research in the field setting.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Anthony Jurich / Within the field of medicine and clinical/counseling psychology, there has been an overabundance of research and literature devoted to specific areas of focus such as trainee impairment, remediation, and dismissal procedures. Although literature does exist in relation to the specific types of remediation methods being used by graduate training programs, no research to date, however, has addressed what types of remediation methods would be most effective in response to the various types of impairment experienced by therapists-in-training (Russell & Peterson, 2003; Forrest et al., 1997). Using a modified version of the Delphi method, the present study seeks to bridge this existing gap by exploring the types of remediation methods deemed most effective for the specific types of impairment experienced by trainees within master’s and doctoral level accredited Marriage and Family Therapy graduate training programs. The purpose of the study was to answer the following questions: 1. What, given a list of impairments and remediation methods would, supervisors and/or professors within MFT graduate training programs list as the most effective type of remediation method for a specific type of impairment? 2. Given the initial answers of experts, once they are provided the answers from their colleagues, can they come to a greater consensus about the most effective remediation methods for specific types of impairment? Those remediation methods chosen by panelists that had a median of 6.00 to 7.00 and interquartile range of 0.00 to 1.50 made the final profile. Results indicated that, given the initial answers of experts, the panel of experts was able to reach a greater consensus about which types of remediation methods they deemed most effective in responding to the corresponding types of impairment. Furthermore, during the first phase of questioning, the panel of experts also generated relevant commentaries with regard to responding to student impairment. Finally, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Rick J. Scheidt / Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic illness that has the capacity to impact several domains of a person's life. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore four particular domains of meaning of an AD diagnosis to gain a systemic understanding of couples' experiences when one spouse had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. A social constructionist framework was used in conjunction with the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, to explore the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors which inform and possibly influence couples' experiences in relation to an AD diagnosis. The interview guide was constructed using the underlying biopsychosocial-spiritual framework for the purpose of exploring couples' experiences in a systemic manner. Four couples were interviewed in their homes, no more than two months following a formal diagnosis of AD. This particular time frame captured the raw experience couples went through when receiving an AD diagnosis. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to a modified version of Moustakas' phenomenological method of analysis. A family medicine physician served as the co-interpreter throughout the entire analysis process. Results consisted of unique descriptions for each couple's case and a composite description of the cross-case analysis, highlighting similarities and differences among cases. The biopsychosocial-spiritual model was found to be a significant tool for elliciting a systemic understanding of each couple's experience, and recognizing unique aspects of couples' experiences. Analysis across cases revealed 14 common themes that emerged across the four (five biological, four psychological, four social and two spiritual) domains. Results revealed that of the 14 common emerging themes, five themes were shared by all cases: Recognizing a Problem, Experience of Diagnosis Process, Experience of Symptoms, Social Support, and Social Activities. The overall analysis illustrated many more similarities among biological experiences than any other domain of experience. One case, #3, displayed a particularly unique psychological experience, as well as a significant spiritual foundation. Overall, this study emphasized the importance of using a systemic framework, such as the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, to gain a rich, in-depth understanding of how different couples experience the diagnosis process of AD.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Walter R. Schumm / Fathers, once deemed as “forgotten contributors to child development” (Lamb, 1975, p. 246), may provide more than just a bread winning role for their children. More studies have examined the effects of a father’s absence and involvement on his children, specifically among adolescents’ early sexual activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of father absence on young adults’ choices of cohabitation, marriage and divorce. The data for this analysis came from The February-March 2007 Social Trends Survey by the Pew Research Center, a nationally representative sample in the United States. This analysis selected 802 young adult respondents (ages 18-40 year old). Results support previous research that the two key factors leading to father absence are children whose parent never married or whose parents divorced. Father absence was associated with children's future cohabitation rates for the whole sample, but not when examined individually by gender, race or ethnicity. Higher marriage rates were associated with father-present homes among men and in the overall sample, but not for women or according to race or ethnicity. No associations were found between father absence and children's future divorce rates. Tracking young adults’ rates of marriage and divorce according to father absence and cohabitation (tables 4.4 through 4.9) found that young adults who had the combination of a father-present and did not cohabit had the lowest divorce rates. Future research should investigate the disparity in father-present homes between those who did and did not cohabit, father and child religiosity, and father involvement. Implications for family life education were also presented.

Master of Science / Department of Psychology / Ronald G. Downey / Firmly rooted in positive psychology, this study attempted to look beyond discovering the direction or shape of the stress-performance relationship and sought to instead determine the role of personality in this relationship. Although we were unable to test for moderation effects due to multicollinearity issues, we did discover that positive personality characteristics were a significant predictor of performance—even after controlling for experience and self-perceived stress. Interestingly, this relationship occurred in an opposite direction than expected in that higher levels of positive personality characteristics were predictive of lower performance ratings.

This thesis has developed a local theory of German immigration to New Zealand by exploring the experiences of migrants throughout the whole migration process, the particular meaning they assigned to their experiences, and how these experiences were influenced by cultural and historical context. This local theory identifies the psychological and social factors, and the interrelations between them, that contribute to resilience and adaptation or to vulnerability and poor adaptation, and that influence the decision whether to stay in New Zealand or to return to Germany.To gain these insights, this research drew on the theoretical perspectives of the salutogenic paradigm, social interactionism, and social constructionism in narrative theory; and adapted a grounded theory methodology. The study sampled social artifacts, with particular emphasis on actions/interactions, narratives, and answers to concrete questions. Eight German immigrant couples, four who live in New Zealand and decided to stay in New Zealand (stayers) and four who had immigrated to New Zealand, but decided to return to Germany and live now in Germany (returners), were interviewed in-depth via episodic interviews. The interview data was complemented with data from participant observation, the latest census, and the history of German settlement in New Zealand in order to capture the context of the immigration experiences. The data gathered was analysed by using grounded theory analysis strategies.The processes that underpin decisions to migrate, decisions to remain, and decisions to return are discussed. The most important psychosocial process influencing the experiences of German immigrants to New Zealand was 'Living the Dream'. The migration process presented many different and substantial challenges simultaneously. Thus, stress was an inevitable aspect of the migration process. Each sub-phase of the migration process influenced, and was influenced by, individual characteristics and values, beliefs/attitudes, strategies, and the social conditions in Germany, New Zealand, and Britain. These psychosocial factors, in turn, interacted with one another also. Taken together, these psychosocial factors either increased the likelihood of staying or of returning. Regardless of whether German immigrants stayed or returned, dealing with the challenges and the associated stress acted as a force for exhilarated evolvement, which was linked to the characteristics that prompted their initial migration decision. The experiences, interpretations, and outcomes of female and male German immigrants were remarkably similar. However,some gender differences were identified. The study provides detailed recommendations that aim at providing resource structures that assist German immigrants to unfold their potential, to learn as much as possible, and to evolve and adapt.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Patrick A. Knight / A commonly accepted practice in employment selection is to collect biographical information in the form of resumes. Surprisingly, little research is conducted in this area to learn how reviewers evaluate relevant biographical information and considerable less research is devoted to exploring possible methods on how to improve this evaluation process. Current research explored one possible training method that may later show great utility in improving accuracy and consistency in ratings for a number of work-related constructs. Frame-of-reference training, which is primarily utilized in the field of performance appraisal, was hypothesized to be a beneficial training technique in an effort to improve accuracy. Frame-of-reference (FOR) training attempts to create a common frame of reference among raters when assessing rates' behaviors. Through a process of practice and feedback, FOR training tunes raters to common notions of what good or poor would be on a particular dimension. The result is often more accurate ratings with less variation between raters. Personality (conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness only), general cognitive ability, and organizational citizenship behaviors were the constructs of interest. The analysis provided initial support for most of the hypotheses which suggested that frame-of-reference training would create more accurate and reliable estimates of applicant's personality, cognitive ability, and even organizational citizenship behaviors. In addition to influencing participants' estimates of applicant's scores on a number of workplace constructs, it was also found that participants were influenced as a function of type of training on their willingness to interview and overall impressions of the applicants. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Anthony Jurich / Play is essential to child development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. The integration of play and play therapy techniques with child and family therapy offers a creative, age appropriate way to provide mental health treatment. This report offers an overview of play therapy, the therapeutic value of play, the historical background, theory, techniques, materials, and settings. Further, it provides the reader with many therapeutic modalities in which to implement play in family therapy. Because play therapy is a specialized field, this report also provides the reader with information on how to use this to create a marketing niche. This report was written with the Masters’ or Doctoral student in mind, as well as practicing therapists; with hopes to provide them a creative avenue in which to enhance their current therapeutic modalities.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Anthony Jurich / This study explored the parents’ perspective of having a child with Autism living in the home. Specifically, the researcher was looking to explore the attachment style between the parent and child, as well as the process of the parents’ changing their expectations of their child, from the expectation of raising a normal child to raising a child with Autism. In order to understand the experience of both families interviewed, the researcher, through semi-structured, qualitative interviews, interviewed each parent separately. A multiple case study approach was used in order to allow for comparison within each family. Methods for analyzing the data included coding the data, so that the data could be analyzed from the individual interviews and also analyzed based on family response. For the parents interviewed in the study, four themes emerged that were similar for all parents. These themes included the diagnosis process, the differences in attachment before and after their child was diagnosed, the changing expectations of themselves, each other and their diagnosed child, and the parents’ views on getting professional help, such as therapy. Both families shared the experience of confusion during the diagnostic process, especially confusion surrounding the cause and prognosis of Autism. All parents in the study illustrated the attachment injury after their child’s diagnosis, in addition to when the child began showing the classic signs of Autism. The study also found that each parent’s expectations changed from higher ones of themselves, spouse and diagnosed child to more moderate and low expectations of their spouse and diagnosed child. Last, all parents interviewed expressed that seeking therapy would have helped them deal with the diagnostic process and better cope with having a child with Autism. It is believed by the researcher that these themes have emerged because of the families’ shared experience of raising an Autistic child.