<p> Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, socialization, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. In 2012, one out of every 55 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) have been diagnosed with ASD in the United States. Only 30&ndash;40% of ASD has a known etiology (e.g., genetic predisposition) and the other 60&ndash;70% is unknown. Prior to this study, there was no known literature on age and gender differences related to neuro-developmental functioning of ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine how the differences in age and gender of people with ASD were related to total and domain scores, as measured by the <i>Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition</i> (ADOS-2). This quantitative research study included a sample size of 80 and 2 independent variables: age groupings (ages 1&ndash;4, 5&ndash;8, 9&ndash;17, and 18-older), and gender (male and female). The 4 dependent variables were the total and domain scores measured by the ADOS-2. The statistical analyses included a multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine age and gender differences in the ADOS-2 domain and total scores. There was a statistically signi?cant difference for age on the domain dependent variables, <i>F</i>(9, 171) = 2.64, <i> p</i> = .007; Wilks&rsquo; Lambda = .73; partial &eta;² = .10. However, there were no statistically significant differences for gender on domain scores and there were no statistically significant differences for age and gender on the overall scores. Those with ASD between ages 5&ndash;8 were more severely impaired for socialization when compared to other age groups and other domains. This research can be used for the improvement of intervention strategies for the diverse ASD population, and to improve the understanding of the neurodevelopmental functioning of individuals with ASD based on age and gender.</p><p>

<p>Research has shown that there is a complex association between emotion regulation difficulties and increased substance use. This study investigated men?s gender role conflict (GRC) as a possible moderator of this relationship. A sample of 144 adult males from the United States completed measures of alcohol use (MAST), non-alcohol substance use (DAST-20), emotion regulation difficulties (DERS), and men?s GRC (GRCS). GRCS was found to significantly correlate with DERS, MAST, and DAST-20. DERS emerged as a significant predictor for alcohol use severity and GRCS as a significant predictor for the non-alcohol substance use severity. In the regression models that included covariates, the age of first use emerged as a significant predictor of substance use severity and only DERS continued to significantly predict alcohol use severity. Men?s GRC was not found to significantly moderate the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and substance use severity in this sample. A trend was observed where the association between emotion regulation difficulties and alcohol use severity appeared to be stronger at higher levels of men?s GRC. These findings support previous research that has found an association between men?s gender role conflict and substance use severity; however, further research is needed to clarify the nature of this association.

<p> The legacy of slavery that included all individuals of African heritage to identify as Black has contributed to centuries of misinformation about the unique experiences of many Black/White biracial individuals. Initial models depicting biracial identity development focused on marginalization and deficit while overlooking the relative privilege many Black/White biracial individuals experienced. As the biracial and multiracial population has grown significantly in the latter half of the 20th century, social scientists have attempted to create a biracial identity development model that focuses on the unique experiences of these individuals. The purpose of this thesis is to provide historical background for the experiences of Black/White biracial Americans and to examine current psychological models depicting to the experiences of this population using a heuristic approach to qualitative research. This thesis also addresses Black/White biracial identities as a metaphor for the transcendent function, a concept integral to the field of depth psychology.</p><p>

<p> The past 50 to 70 years has brought about considerable change in the way most Americans live and work. Women continue to gain equality with men while adapting to the needs of society. However, until recently heterosexual men have not been expected to substantially change their roles or behavior. Men may be unprepared for the roles that they feel have been relegated to them by the changing world. As a consequence, they may be experiencing depression and disillusionment, acting out in ways that can influence education, jobs, politics, and ultimately public safety. Psychology and social science has not effectively taken an accounting of the evolution of masculine identity and the adjustment to that evolution in a rapidly changing world by heterosexual men. Using a hermeneutic methodology, this thesis examines factors contributing to role shift and discusses what psychotherapists may need to consider when working with men today.</p><p>

<p> The anima and animus are central concepts in Jungian psychology and play important roles in individuation, gender identity and presentation, and the experience and development of love and relationships. Although they are important concepts, the anima and animus (collectively called the syzygy) are limited in their capability to describe the psyche of many individuals who do not meet expectations set in place by current hegemonic normativity. Rather, the Jungian concept of the syzygy reflects a structured archetypal pattern that has emerged from a crystallization of archetypal constellations. This thesis uses hermeneutics to examine how emerging relationship configurations and dynamics in polyamorous relationships reflect and contribute to emergent archetypal patterns and dynamics. In doing so, this thesis suggests a reconceptualization of the syzygy drawing on concepts from polytheistic psychology, archetypal emergence, and other sources of knowledge.</p><p>

<p> The Digital Age has brought to light emerging individual, social, and cultural changes that impact how mental health practitioners should approach psychotherapy. As techno-humanistic values permeate society, this thesis explores how online identities have been and can be integrated into the psychotherapeutic process through three primary stages of therapy: diagnosis, assessment, and treatment. Utilizing a hermeneutic methodology, this research explores and defines content spanning the digital world; artificial intelligence; virtual, mixed, and augmented realities; what an online identity is; and how online identities develop individually and collectively. Two overarching research findings emerged: (1) the blurring of online and offline realities and (2) that online identities have their own social and cultural context. Within these findings, new suggested clinical applications of how to incorporate online identities into diagnosis, assessment, and treatment modalities are proposed, most notably through the author's original contribution of the Virtual Identities Integration Therapy Model.</p><p>

<p> Psychotic disorders can instill a tremendous amount of distress on affected individuals (Srihari et al., 2014). Research has established that decreasing the duration of untreated psychosis can yield moderate improvements in the ultimate outcome of persons with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (Gon&ccedil;alves, de Rosalmeida Dantas, &amp; Banzato, 2016; Reading &amp; Birchwood, 2005). There exists a plethora of research directed at early identification of individuals at risk for psychosis within community-based settings (e.g., Johannessen et al., 2001; Power et al., 2007; Srihari et al., 2014). However, there have been limited efforts to generalize such endeavors to a college environment in the United States, despite the significant overlap between the typical age of onset for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and the college student population. In order to address this issue, a comprehensive review of the literature pertaining to community-based early identification efforts was conducted. This review then informed the development of recommendations for higher education institutions to engage in early identification of psychosis within their student body. These recommendations are provided in a synthesized format for ease of distribution to colleges and universities.</p><p>

<p> Relations between parents and children play an essential role across the life course. A vast number of studies provide empirical evidence for the link between parental attachment and the psychological well-being of children. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore how American and American Lebanese parents perceive the influence of parent-child relationships on their children&rsquo;s well-being. Bowlby&rsquo;s attachment theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. A qualitative descriptive design was used in which 100 parents were sampled to complete a mostly open-ended online questionnaire. Additionally, 12 parent participants were interviewed by phone. Questionnaire results were presented in percentages and summary format. Interview results were deductively summarized. Main codes for the first research question were parent/child bonding, reciprocal communication patterns and connectedness. Main codes for the second research question included barriers to parent/child relationships and changes that occurred in the relationship over time. Findings did not reveal culture significantly influenced parent/child relationships in this sample. In conclusion, the study identified that closeness and communication are related to family the parent/child relationship. Due to limited analysis strategy and limited variation in the sample, more research is recommended. </p><p>

<p> Past studies examining child care and externalizing behaviors have produced conflicting results. This study examined whether an association exists between type of child care that a child attended the year before kindergarten and externalizing problem behaviors as rated by the child&rsquo;s kindergarten teacher. Ordinary least-squares regression was used to examine variables that impact ratings of externalizing behavior by evaluating data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010&ndash;2011 (ECLS-K:2011). The ECLS-K:2011 has up-to-date data that includes a nationally representative sample of children in the United States. Participants were 13,544 children. Additionally, SES and the total number of hours of weekly care were analyzed to see if they moderated the relationship between type of care and externalizing behaviors. Findings indicated that children who attended center care only exhibited more externalizing behaviors than children who attended other types or combinations of care. Children from lower SES families had significantly more externalizing behaviors than children from higher SES families. Findings also indicated that SES had less of an effect on externalizing behavior among children who attended relative and center care than children who attended center care only. The more hours a child spent in care each week, the greater their ratings of externalizing problem behaviors. Additionally, the effects of total hours on externalizing behaviors were lower for children who attended relative care only and relative and center care than those who attended center care only. Study implications for policymakers, parents, and researchers are discussed in depth. For instance, if parents wish to send their children to center care, they may want to incorporate an additional type of weekly care, which may act as a buffer to externalizing problem behaviors. Additionally, policymakers may want to facilitate greater access for child care other than center care only.</p><p>

No description available.