Since the turn of the century, there has been a general awareness that children raised by parents with psychiatric disorders remain at risk for psychopathology themselves. This research investigates the mother-child responsivity and coping behavior of high risk children. Two groups of mother-infant dyads (N = 60) (mothers with and without psychiatric disorders) were coded during a videotaped, semi-structured play interaction using the CARE-Index. Results indicated that mothers with psychiatric disorders were significantly less sensitive and more unresponsive with their children than normal mothers. Mothers with psychiatric disorders who had extreme levels of psychosocial stress were significantly less sensitive and more controlling than those mothers diagnosed as living under less stressful circumstances. Children of mothers with psychiatric disorders were significantly less cooperative with their mothers in the play interaction. The results indicated that children whose mothers had chronic psychiatric disorders demonstrated significantly less effective coping behavior on all subscales of the Early Coping Inventory. Implications for the identification and treatment of children at risk for psychiatric disorder are discussed.

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The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the identity development and adjustment among young adult Transracial adoptees. To achieve this purpose, I conducted two separate interviews with four Transracially adopted adults (ages 19 to 28) and spoke about their perceptions and experiences regarding their respective identities, and their adjustments in interpersonal contexts such as education. Although the participants have positive affect about their adoption placements, the participants continue to face challenges regarding their identities. However, as adults, the participants no longer dwell on such hurdles; they consider their identities to be continuously evolving, and their maturity has enabled their adjustment to be within their control. They suggest that a key aspect to this adjustment was their early knowledge of their adoption status. The participants also feel that educators should be aware of sensitivities with respect to Transracial adoption but not intervene specifically with Transracial adoptees except in the case of bullying. Future research should expand the current study by taking a more expansive view of the topic in respect to range of participants and data collection methods. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-01-30 17:58:19.429

In spite of a broad body of theoretical discussion on generativity, empirical research has yet to confirm many central tenets of the theory. Within 2 research studies, 3 questions were addressed. A study of 98 midlife men and women pursued (1) the relationship between generative concerns and 4 indicators of adjustment, positive affect, negative affect, life satisfaction, and work satisfaction, and (2) the role of agency and communion as predictors of generative concerns, with attention to sex differences in these predictive roles. A study of 75 largely pre-midlife women and men provided a conceptual replication of the results of the first study, while also addressing a third question: (3) the role of age effects in the experience of generativity. Together, these studies provided evidence of a relationship between generative concerns and 2 adjustment variables, positive affect and work satisfaction. Evidence in favor of an additive model, in which agency and communion served as independent predictors of generative concerns, was also obtained. As well, there was modest evidence of sex differences, such that agency variables were more significant predictors of generativity for women and communion variables were more significant predictors for men. No evidence of an age effect in predicting generative concerns was found; in fact, all of the findings appear to be applicable to a pre-midlife sample as well as a midlife one. However, some interesting trends for age interactions were found. The research points to an association between generativity and adjustment. It also provides moderate support for an additive model predicting generative concerns with agency and communion. The importance of attending to possible sex differences in this predictive relationship is also illustrated.

No description available.

Prior research shows a wealth of investigation into the variables contributing to psychosocial adjustment to cancer. However, the literature consistently calls for more complex investigation of the contributing factors. This investigation attempted to clarify and expand the adjustment literature in two primary areas. First, the study investigated the relationships between the variables suspected of predicting adjustment to cancer, such as socidemographic, social support, and gender-related personality variables. Second, the study determined the differential influence that the traits of agency, communion, and the unmitigated constructs had on adjustment to cancer, compared to sex. The investigator used two statistical approaches to identify the differential importance: hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling (SEM). Using SEM, the investigator tested three models to determine which variables had direct and indirect effects on adjustment.The study used a sample of 417 (238 used in final analyses) early stage (0, I, and II) male and female cancer patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2000. The patients completed mail surveys assessing their social support, gender-related personality characteristics, and adjustment to cancer. Results from bivariate correaltional analyses found that being male, having less functional social support, experiencing more problematic support encounters, and possessing unmitigated agentic traits contributed to more maladjustment. In contrast, the results revealed that possessing communion traits related to less maladjustment.Results from the regression analysis also supported that the unmitigated agentic and communal traits contributed significantly to the variance in maladjustment. When determining strength of associations, less social support from family, more informationfrom friends, and being male more strongly predicted the likelihood of maladjustment. However, findings also suggested that being on medical leave and possessing either traits of unmitigated agency or communion contributed to maladjustment to cancer.Finally, while structural models exhibited less than adequate fit, the significant paths within the models supported many of the proposed relationships. Overall, the findings supported the multifactorial nature of maladjustment, such that sex, social support, and personality traits all emerged as significant predictors. The study concluded with a discussion on improving model fit and directions for future research. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of sex, perceived social support from family and peers, negative life stress, psychological separation from mother and father, and spiritual well-being in predicting college adjustment. Additional goals of the study included examining the relationships between psychological separation from parents and spiritual well-being, as well as examining the influence of sex on perceived social support, negative life stress, psychological separation from parents, and spiritual well-being.The sample consisted of 100 undergraduate college students at a midsized, midwestern university. Participants completed a set of questionnaires, including a demographic questionnaire, Perceived Social Support Scale, Life Experiences Survey, Psychological Separation Inventory (Conflictual Independence subscale), Spiritual Well Being Scale, and Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire.The combination of the predictors in the study accounted for 33.9% of the variance in general college adjustment. Perceived social support from friends, spiritual well-being, and negative life stress were significant predictors (p<.05) of general college Social, adjustment. The combination of predictors in the study accounted for 31.9% of the variance in social college adjustment. Perceived social support from friends and spiritual well-being were significant predictors (p<.05) of social college adjustment.In addition, correlational data showed significant relationships between spiritual well-being and conflictual independence from both mother and father. Further, male sex was significantly, positively related to conflictual independence from father. Conceptual, research, and clinical implications are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between selected nonintellectual traits and successful school achievement of children from low-income homes. The subjects for this study were 347 sixth-grade children who lived in a depressed urban area. Each subject was assigned to one of four achievement groups based on achievement test scores and teacher evaluations. The groups ranged from the 69 successful children in Achievement Group I to the 169 low achievers in Achievement Group IV. The California Test of Personality (CTP) was used to measure the personal and social adjustment of all subjects. Areas of academically related interests were measured by What I Like to Do, An Inventory of Children's Interests. An interview guide, developed by the researcher, was employed in unstructured interviews with eight achieving pupils. Statistical processing of the data consisted of a three factor analysis of covariance. Interactions were computed between (a) achievement groups, (b) boys and girls, and (c) ethnic groups. The analysis of covariance method was applied to partial out the effects of ability as measured by the Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Tests. Scores the subjects made on standardized tests were converted to T-scores for the analysis, using the .05 level of confidence for significance. It was hypothesized that a group of children from low-income homes who had been identified as successful school achievers would differ significantly from groups of less successful pupils from a similar environment in areas of personal and social adjustment and in areas of academically related interests. However, the findings of this study did not strongly support this hypothesis. It was found that when ability was controlled, only the School Relations component of the CTP revealed significantly higher scores for the successful achievers. Information used in the identification of successful achievers, a review of the results of the statistical analysis, and data collected during interviews with eight of the successful achievers led to the following conclusions: The discrepancy between the actual school performance of most children from low-income homes and the expectations of teachers and the grade level norms of standardized achievement tests was clearly demonstrated. The total sample obtained below average scores on the CTP; This suggested the generally poor personal and social adjustment of children from low-income homes whatever their achievement level.White children from low-income homes who are successful school achievers appeared to be better adjusted than their minority group counterparts.Well-adjusted children are more likely to be rated as successful school achievers by their teachers. The findings of this study question the evidence that exists concerning the negative self-image of the child from a low-income home.The significantly lower scores of minority group children in all achievement groups on the Self-Reliance subtest of the CTP indicated that many minority group children are deficient in this personality variable often associated with school success. Although few differences in adjustment existed between boys and girls in this study, the two components that revealed significant differences suggested that girls from low-income homes are probably more willing than boys to subordinate their desires to the needs of the group and may be more effective in dealing with people. This group of children regardless of sex, ethnic group membership, or level of achievement, expressed resentment and hostility toward the community and toward society.The unstructured interview technique revealed some valuable information not available through a statistical approach. This approach might be a profitable one for future investigations involving children from low-income homes.

Vietnamese refugee children resettled in the West seem doomed to inevitable failure at school. The profound psychological, sociocultural and educational adjustments required of such children in their country of asylum have encouraged many writers to view the 'chances of survival' of such children from a largely pathological perspective of 'doom and gloom'. In examining the 'educational coping' and 'social adjustment' of a group of Vietnamese refugee children resettled in three counties in Southern England, this Study found that somewhat contrary to expectations, the majority of the Sample showed not only 'good' Social Adjustment, but also Reading and Mathematics attainment that did not differ significantly from 'national norms' for the ordinary school population in the U.K. In attempting to account for these main findings of the Study, a number of factors in the home, school and individual circumstances of these children were explored. Of these, four factors were seen as particularly crucial to the early transition and overall school adjustment of these children. These are: the strong sense of security and family solidarity enjoyed by the majority of these refugee children within the context of their generally stable and supportive homes; the practical interest and concern shown by most of these parents in the academic progress of their children; the initial special language help received by the older refugee children; and the effective liaison-service maintained between these refugee homes and the school. The wider issue• of the British host society's response to these incoming Vietnamese refugee-immigrants is considered in the last Chapter. The inadequacy of an 'assimilationist' approach to the education of ethnic minorities is examined, along with the need for a complete reappraisal and reorientation of the existing educational system to meet the changing needs of a multicultural British society.

No description available.