xiv, 144 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This dissertation examined what may account for materialism's relations with psychosocial maladjustment (PM). Materialism is a multi-faceted construct that may differentially involve behavioral tendencies or beliefs and values. Facets of materialism involving beliefs/values are embedded in Unmitigated Self-Interest (USI), a multi-faceted worldview orientation broader than materialism. Study 1 explored whether facets of materialism had distinct patterns of correlations with different aspects of PM and whether relations between facets of materialism and aspects of PM are restricted to facets of materialism alone or are due to broader effects of USI. Study 2 examined whether facet(s) of USI beyond materialist beliefs/values were also associated with PM. Study 3 used longitudinal analyses to examine temporal relations among materialism, USI, and various aspects of PM, examining whether facets of materialism or/and USI were antecedents and/or consequents of PM. In Study 1, undergraduate participants ( n = 839) completed measures of USI, PM indicators, and seven facets of materialism. Multiple regressions indicated that each facet of materialism demonstrated a distinct pattern of correlations with aspects of PM, suggesting that it is useful to treat each facet as a separate construct. Hierarchical regressions indicated that beyond materialist beliefs/values, USI uniquely contributed to PM. In Study 2, members of a community sample ( n =610) completed a 13-facet USI scale and various PM indicators. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that beyond materialist beliefs/values, Machiavellianism and hedonism were likely to be associated with PM. In Study 3, members of a community sample ( n =610) completed measures of facets of materialism, USI, and PM indicators at two time points. Results indicated that relations between materialism and PM are generally bi-directional. However, somewhat more support existed for materialism as antecedent to rather than consequent of PM. Moreover, relations between materialist values/beliefs as the antecedent and PM as the consequent appeared to be partially accounted for by USI. which contributed additional predictiveness of PM. Furthermore, relations between USI and PM appeared to be unidirectional: USI was found to be the antecedent rather than the consequent of PM. Implications for future research are discussed. / Committee in charge: Gerard Saucier, Chairperson, Psychology; Holly Arrow, Member, Psychology; Warren Holmes, Member, Psychology; Lynn Kahle, Outside Member, Marketing

Who are the adolescents who purposely cut or burn their wrists, arms, or some other parts of their body? The fundamental question I raise in this dissertation is whether or not the portrait of self-harming adolescents as being exposed to others’ hostility in their everyday life environments and experiencing internal adjustment problems, particularly depressive symptoms, correctly represents their symptomology. I want to answer three questions: 1) What can be done to interrupt the maladaptive link that leads adolescents who experience internalizing symptoms to perform self-harming behaviors? 2) Are adolescent self-harmers typically exposed to others’ hostility or are they also involved in hostile interactions with other people? and, 3) What are the critical interpersonal and adjustment features of adolescent selfharmers? The results show that: 1) Adolescent girls with high depressive symptoms who feel at ease communicating with their parents do not use selfharm as a coping strategy when facing negative emotional experiences to the same extent as girls with high depressive symptoms who do not experience communication with parents as easy; 2) Adolescents who are involved in mutually hostile relationships with people who they meet in their daily life express more self-harming behaviors than adolescents who are exposed to others’ hostility; and, 3) Living in mutually hostile interactions with other people and experiencing both internalizing and externalizing problems seem to be key features of adolescents who harm themselves. Taken together, the results of this dissertation go beyond the traditional representation of selfharmers, and offer a holistic way of identifying a problem scenario under which adolescents self-harm. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

L’engagement et la réussite scolaire des élèves sont maintenant bien documentés pour leurs retombées positives à long terme. Or, plusieurs facteurs peuvent nuire à cet l’investissement et au succès des élèves en classe et à leur succès. Les études passées ont effectivement permis d’établir que l’inadaptation psychosociale est l’un des important facteurs associés au désengagement. Ce risque est cependant moins connu lorsque les difficultés extériorisées, intériorisées et sociales tendent à cooccurrer et s’accumuler chez certains élèves. De plus, il n’y a actuellement aucun modèle théorique qui permet formellement d’expliquer l’interinfluence entre ces facteurs de l’inadaptation et les processus motivationnels essentiels à la réussite scolaire. Certains modèles suggèrent cependant que les perceptions de soi font partie d’importants mécanismes menant au désengagement. Or, ces perceptions de soi sont, au même titre que l’engagement scolaire, associées à l’inadaptation psychosociale. Le but de cette thèse est donc d’approfondir la compréhension des facteurs psychosociaux menant au désengagement des élèves à l’approche de l’adolescence, qui est une période où le risque de désengagement s’accroit. Ainsi, un premier articlhe (Chapitre II) a d’abord permis d’établir les profils d’inadaptation psychosociale chez les garçons et les filles de 5e et 6e année du primaire. Ces profils ont ensuite été associés de façon longitudinale avec l’engagement comportemental et le rendement scolaire des élèves. Les résultats ont permis d’identifier des profils inadaptés distincts pour les garçons et les filles. Ils soulignent également que les élèves faisant partie de ces profils inadaptés sont effectivement plus à risque d’avoir un plus faible engagement et rendement ultérieur, mais de façon distincte selon les profils et selon les sexes. Ensuite, le second article (Chapitre III) se base sur le Self-System Model of Motivational Development (Connell et Wellborn, 1991) afin d’intégrer les perceptions de compétence, d’autonomie et d’appartenance comme mécanismes liant les profils psychosociaux à l’engagement comportemental, affectif et cognitif. Les résultats soulignent le rôle marqué du sentiment d’appartenance à l’école pour son association avecexpliquer le risque d’avoir un plus faible engagement affectif des chez élèves des profils inadaptés. De plus, le risque d’avoir de moins bonnes perceptions de soi et, en retour, un plus faible engagement scolaire s’est avéré particulièrement marqué pour les filles. En somme, les résultats de la thèse suggèrent que l’inadaptation psychosociale est effectivement bien représentée sous forme de profils distincts entre les sexes pour les élèves à l’approche de l’adolescence. D’une part, la thèse réaffirme l’importance de considérer les différences sexuelles pour comprendre le risque de désengagement des élèves inadaptés. D’autre part, considérant l’influence la contribution entre l’appartenance à l’unde faire partie d’un de ces profils sur les perceptions de soi et, en retour sur l’engagement des élèves en classe, les résultats soutiennent la pertinence d’intégrer l’inadaptation psychosociale aux modèles théoriques expliquant la de motivation, de l’engagement et de la réussite scolaire. / Student engagement and academic achievement are now well documented for their positives long-term outcomes. Yet, several factors can alter students’ investment and success in school. Past studies have indeed shown that psychosocial maladjustment is an important risk factor for later disengagement. However, less is known about the risk of disengagement when externalizing, internalizing, and social difficulties tend to co-occur and accumulate in some students. Also, there is actually no theoretical framework explaining the association between maladjustment characteristics and motivational process crucial to ensure school success. A few models suggest that self-perceptions are important mechanisms leading to student engagement. These self-perceptions, as student engagement, are indeed associated with maladjustment characteristics. The goal of this thesis is thus to deepen our understanding of psychosocial maladjustment factors leading to student disengagement when approaching adolescence, which is a developmental period where the risk for disengagement increases. Therefore, a first article (Chapter II) allowed identifying psychosocial maladjustment profiles among 5th and 6th grade boys and girls. These profiles were then linked with students’ later behavioral engagement and academic achievement. Results first showed that the identified maladjustment profiles were distinct between boys and girls. Findings also highlight that students belonging to maladjusted profile tend to have lower behavioral engagement and academic achievement, but distinctly between profiles and between sexes. Next, a second article (Chapter III) relied on Self-System Model of Motivational Development (Connell & Wellborn, 1991) in order to position self-perceptions of competence, autonomy, and relatedness as mediating mechanisms linking psychosocial profiles to behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. Results show the crucial role of sense of relatedness associated with the lower emotional engagement of students in maladjusted profiles. Furthermore, the risk of having a lower engagement was especially salient for girls as a result of negative self-perceptions. In sum, findings from this thesis suggest that students’ psychosocial maladjustment is well captured by establishing profiles distinctly between sexes for students approaching adolescence. On the one hand, this thesis reemphasizes that studying sexual differences is especially relevant to understand maladjusted student’s disengagement. On the other hand, as belonging to a maladjusted profile impacted students’ self-perception and, in turn, classroom engagement, results support the inclusion of psychosocial maladjustment in theoretical frameworks explaining motivation, engagement, and academic success.

L’objectif de cette thèse était de contribuer à l’avancement des connaissances quant aux circonstances permettant une transmission intergénérationnelle du risque émanant de l’adversité maternelle et aux mécanismes sous-tendant cette transmission, dans quatre articles empiriques. Le premier visait à explorer la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle, la sécurité d’attachement mère-enfant et le tempérament de l’enfant. Les mères ont complété une entrevue semi-structurée portant sur leurs représentations d’attachement avec leurs parents, à 6 mois, et ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 2 ans. La sécurité d’attachement fut également évaluée à 2 ans. Les résultats ont démontré que les enfants dont les mères rapportaient des niveaux supérieurs d’adversité présentaient de moins bons niveaux d’activité comportementale, uniquement lorsqu’ils avaient un attachement sécurisant avec leur mère. Ces résultats suggèrent une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. Le deuxième article visait à investiguer si le transporteur de sérotonine (5-HTTLPR) module la transmission de risque intergénérationnelle de l’adversité maternelle sur le tempérament des enfants. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 18 et à 36 mois. Le génotype des enfants fut extrait à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé un effet d’interaction entre l’adversité maternelle et le génotype de l’enfant sur le tempérament, suggérant une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets de l’adversité maternelle sur le fonctionnement émotionnel des enfants. Le troisième article visait à explorer la relation entre les difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale des mères, la sensibilité maternelle et les symptômes intériorisés de leurs enfants. Les mères ont complété plusieurs questionnaires desquels un score composite de difficultés d’adaptation psychosociale fut extrait. La sensibilité maternelle fut observée à 12 mois. Les symptômes intériorisés des enfants furent évalués par les deux parents à 2 et à 3 ans. Les résultats ont démontré qu’une augmentation des difficultés maternelles d’adaptation psychosociale étaient associée à davantage de symptômes intériorisés chez les enfants, mais seulement chez ceux dont les mères étaient moins sensibles. Ces résultats ont été observés par les mères à 2 ans et par les deux parents à 3 ans. Ces résultats suggèrent que les enfants peuvent être différemment affectés par l’adaptation émotionnelle de leur mère tout en mettant l’emphase sur le rôle protecteur de la sensibilité maternelle. Le quatrième article visait à investiguer les rôles médiateurs de la dépression et de la sensibilité maternelle dans la relation entre un historique d’adversité maternelle et le tempérament de l’enfant. L’historique d’adversité maternelle fut évalué en combinant deux mesures auto-rapportées. Les mères ont également rapporté leurs symptômes dépressifs à 6 mois. La sensibilité maternelle fut évaluée de façon concomitante. Les mères ont évalué le tempérament de leur enfant à 36 mois. Les résultats ont révélé une transmission intergénérationnelle des effets d’un historique d’adversité maternelle à la génération suivante suivant une médiation séquentielle passant d’abord par la dépression maternelle et ensuite par la sensibilité maternelle. Finalement, les résultats des quatre articles ont été intégrés dans la conclusion générale. / The main goal of this dissertation was to document more extensively the circumstances under which intergenerational risk transmission of maternal adversity occurs and to identify underlying processes. The dissertation is comprised of four empirical articles. The first article examined the relation between maternal history of early adversity, mother-child attachment security, and child temperament. Mothers completed a semi-structured interview pertaining to their childhood attachment experiences with their parents at 6 months and rated their children’s temperament at 2 years. Mother-child attachment was also assessed at 2 years. Results showed that children whose mothers received higher scores of early life adversity displayed poorer temperamental activity level outcomes but only when they also showed high concomitant levels of attachment security, suggesting intergenerational effects of maternal early life experiences on child temperament. The second article examined the intergenerational effects of maternal childhood adversity on child temperament targeting the serotonin transporter polymorphism, 5-HTTLPR, as a potential moderator of those maternal influences. Maternal history of early adversity was assessed with an integrated measure derived from two self-report questionnaires. Mothers also rated their children’s temperament at 18 and 36 months. Child genotyping was performed at 36 months. Results yielded a significant interaction effect of maternal childhood adversity and child 5-HTTLPR genotype on child temperament, suggesting intergenerational effects of maternal history of adversity on child emotional function. The third article investigated the interactive effects of maternal psychosocial maladjustment and maternal sensitivity on child internalizing symptoms. Families took part in four assessments between ages 1 and 3 years. Mothers completed several questionnaires from which a composite score of maternal psychosocial maladjustment was derived. Maternal sensitivity was rated by an observer at 12 months. Child internalizing symptoms were assessed by both parents at 2 and 3 years. Results revealed that increased maternal psychosocial maladjustment was related to more internalizing symptoms in children, however only among children of less sensitive mothers whereas children of more sensitive mothers appeared to be protected. This was observed with maternal reports at 2 years, and both maternal and paternal reports at 3 years. These results suggest that young children may be differentially affected by their parents’ emotional adjustment, while highlighting the pivotal protective role of maternal sensitivity in this process. Finally, the fourth article examined the mediating roles of maternal depression and maternal sensitivity in the relation between maternal history of early adversity and child temperament. Maternal history of early adversity was assessed with an integrated measure derived from two self-report questionnaires. Mothers also reported on their depression symptoms at 6 months. Maternal sensitivity was rated concurrently. Mothers also completed a questionnaire on their children’s temperament at 36 months. Results suggested the intergenerational transmission of the effects of maternal childhood adversity to offspring occurs through a two-step, serial pathway, specifically through maternal depression, first, and, then, to maternal sensitivity. Finally, the results of the four articles were integrated into a general conclusion.