Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 344-345). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M A(Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Mémoire (M.A.)-- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2002. / En tête du titre: Université du Québec, mémoire présenté à l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi comme exigence partielle de la maîtrise en psychologie offerte à l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi en vertu d'un protocole d'entente avec l'Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. CaQTU Bibliogr.: f.90-99.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 344-345). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Divinity School, June 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Bahira Sherif Trask, Dept. of Individual and Family Studies. Includes bibliographical references.

abstract: ABSTRACT This study explored the functions of dialogue in emerging adults' moral turning points. Through purposive sampling, the researcher interviewed 10 emerging adults between 25 and 30 years old about experiences of turning point conversations during the years of 18 and 25. This study employed constant comparative and grounded theory methodologies to analyze messages reported in memorable conversations during this period. Results indicated that dialogue functioned to educate, disturb, and maintain emerging adults' moral perception during this period of moral reorientation. Subcategories under each included dialogue that functioned to explain, invite, warn, direct or instruct, challenge, persuade, agitate, expose, inquire, legitimize, co-reflect, redefine, and affirm or reinforce. This report cites passages from interview data to highlight how dialogic themes informed or shaped changes in moral perception. In each participant's self-reported turning point conversations there was an admixture of dialogic functions at work. Notably, participants' experience of moral turning (degree and trajectory) varied despite there being similarity in intended functions of dialogue. / Dissertation/Thesis / IRB Approval Form / M.A. Communication Studies 2010

Emerging adulthood is the developmental period between adolescence and adulthood spanning ages 18-25. A central task of emerging adulthood is autonomy development, including forming stable romantic partnerships and peer support networks that will facilitate autonomy from parents. While emerging adulthood is a time of exploration and growth, this period is also associated with risk behavior including most types of substance use, risky sexual behavior and reckless driving. Research has shown strong links between earlier parenting and emerging adults’ peer and romantic relationships and problem behavior. A dearth of research has examined the impact of parenting during emerging adulthood on emerging adult outcomes. The present study drew from an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of emerging adults (ages 19-20) and their parents (n = 209) from the Pacific Northwest region to examine how parenting behaviors during emerging adulthood impact low- and high-quality peer and romantic relationships, alcohol use and delinquent behavior. This study utilized observational and parent-report data to capture positive and negative parenting behaviors. Path modeling was conducted to examine associations between parenting predictors and relational and risk outcomes. Results indicated that observed parental hostility and criticism predicted emerging adult externalizing behaviors, and this relationship was partially mediated by affiliation with delinquent peers. Findings suggest that parenting may significantly contribute to youth development beyond the childhood adolescent years, and hostile and critical parenting during emerging adulthood may incur risk for emerging adult engagement with delinquent peers and delinquent behavior. This study is the first to observationally assess parenting during emerging adulthood with a population of young adults that are drawn from a representative community sample.

abstract: The primary goal of this study was to investigate whether youth from an affluent community showed elevated rates of substance use and associated problems in young adulthood relative to national norms. The secondary goal was to determine if parents’ “containment,” or stringent disciplinary action, of adolescent substance use as measured in Grade 12 could help predict substance use in senior year of college, over and above other parenting factors. The final goal was to assess trends of substance use over time for stability based on categories of participants’ overall levels of use in Grade 12, (low, medium, high). Results indicated that substance use remained elevated into young adulthood, relative to national norms, consistent with extant research involving upper middle class youth. In regression analyses, high parents’ containment was associated with low substance use in senior year of college; however, the inclusion of Grade12 use as a covariate reduced this association with containment such that it was no longer statistically significant. Such results suggest a mediated effect, with Grade 12 substance use mediating the effects of Grade 12 Containment on college senior year substance use. Finally, upper middle class youth were found to remain in their relative substance use group (low, medium, high) as determined at Grade 12 through all four years of college. Taken together, these results emphasized the importance of high school substance use behaviors as a notable risk factor for problematic substance use over time. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2015

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Elaine M. Johannes / The life-span theoretical framework contends that development occurs throughout the entire life-span and that experiences at one stage of life influence later development (Baltes, 1987). With this in mind, the present studies explore the developmental experiences of gender and sexual minority (GSM) individuals as they make the transition to adulthood. The first study found that overall, there were no major differences in GSM emerging adults’ perceptions of this developmental stage when measured using the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA). The second study situated group identification as a process of identity development and found that identifying with the GSM community was a protective factor for GSM emerging adults. Higher attributions to prejudice were associated with increases in well-being when explained through group identification even though the direct effect was negative. The final study found that, similarly to their heterosexual and cisgender peers, GSM individuals’ self-esteem develops in quadratic fashion over the transition to adulthood and that perceptions of familial understanding in adolescence was significantly associated with both the initial level and the rate of change of self-esteem for this population. Implications for further research are discussed.