Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosed during childhood can continue into adulthood, but most research on the topic has been done on children and adolescents. This research focus has thus often left out the population of adults with this disorder. In particular, there is little research on the role that self-regulation plays in the lives of adults on several life domains, especially in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the role that self-regulation plays in the occupational functioning of adults with ADHD. Self-regulation theory provided the tenets that were used to examine how adults with ADHD self-regulate their emotions in the occupational setting. A modified version of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of analysis of phenomenological data was used to analyze transcripts of participant interviews with 11 Adults who have an ADHD diagnosis and at least one year of work experience. The results showed that many of the participants had difficulty with self-regulation, particularly with effectively managing the situation by considering the long-term consequences for their actions. The study has several social change implications. First, the findings might add to scholarly literature regarding the later-life impact of adult ADHD, enabling such changes as additional treatment of ADHD in adulthood and potential accommodations, support, and training on the job. Given the centrality of employment issues in the life of an adult, the findings may provide direction and insight to employers in managing employees with ADHD, making them more productive members of the workplace.

This qualitative study explores how women in emerging adulthood make meaning of text messaging while developing an intimate heterosexual relationship. A focus group consisting of eight women was used in order to understand the way women interpret text messages during the formation of a romantic relationship. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) what is the landscape?, (2) how do I figure it out?, (3) red flags, and (4) a red flag means. Participants described the context in which they enter relationships, and the role texting plays. Different strategies they used to make meaning of ambiguous text messages were discussed. Participants reported behaviors that were identified as red flags and how participants made meaning of those red flags Limitations, clinical implications, and future directions are identified and discussed. / Master of Science

<p> The present collection of studies examines how sensory information is interrelated, and how that changes with age and experience. The hypotheses motivating the research were based on the sensory associations of adults who experience concrete inter/intra-sensory linkage, known as synesthesia. Adult synesthesia can inform the study of perceptual development, and even of language, because it appears to represent one way in which normal developmental mechanisms can play out. Using insights gained from adults with synesthesia, we derived novel hypotheses about cross-modal and cross-dimensional links likely to be present in early childhood and to persist in muted form in non-synesthetic adults.</p> <p> The research reported in Chapters 2 and 3 was an examination of the learned and naturally biased influences on the development of one type of intermodal sensory association. Specifically, it investigated whether colour-letter associations found in adults reflect learned versus naturally-biased influences between shape and colour. Results from these two studies suggest that pre-literate children (2.5-3 years old) show natural biases to associate certain shapes to certain colours, which can be manifest as colour associations to letters. Naturally-biased associations between shape and colour appear to be based, in part, on the angularity of the shape. In addition to the same naturally biased colour letter associations found in toddlers, older children (7-9 years old) and adults showed colour letter associations that appear to be based in literacy, since they were not present in preliterate toddlers. The research reported in Chapter 4 was an examination of crossmodal associations between sound and shape. Specifically, it investigated the influences of consonant and vowel sound on the mapping of words to shape in toddlers. Results from this study suggest that the vowel sound of a nonsense word can reliably predict its association to a shape with specific characteristics (rounded versus jagged). Such natural biases may help bootstrap language learning. The research reported in Chapter 5 was an examination of cross-modal associations to odour. Specifically, it investigated whether there any consistent cross-modal associations between odour and either colour or texture. Results from this study suggest that there are consistent colour and texture associations to odours, some of which do not appear to be based in experience. Across studies, pre-literate toddlers, older children, and/or adults provide evidence that stimulus characteristics reliably relate to one another cross-dimensionally and crossmodally. Further, sensory associations in adulthood appear to result from an interplay of learning and natural biases, and non-synesthetic adults and toddlers show consistent, naturally-biased sensory associations similar to those seen in synesthesia.</p> <p> The work presented in this thesis reveals the value of deriving hypotheses from the phenomenon of adult synesthesia about the interplay of learning and natural biases in the formation of sensory associations.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Socialization of coping is the idea that child coping methods are learned through parents’ modeling of response to stressors. Literature has examined how various aspects of parenting quality may influence their children’s coping behaviors. However, a dearth of research has studied the lasting effect of coping socialization in emerging adulthood, a distinctive time period with the greatest onset rate of psychiatric disorders. Thus, the current study examined how parental mental health, coping responses and discipline strategies influence emerging adult mental health and coping behavior. Two separate multiple regression analyses and a series of moderation and mediation analyses were conducted. Results indicated that emerging adult gender moderated the association between paternal and emerging adult disengagement coping. Additionally, the association between parental and emerging adult mental health was mediated by emerging adults’ disengagement coping. Lastly, the effect of poor maternal coping on emerging adult coping behavior was moderated by parental mental health.

Parenting practices have great influence over a child’s behavior. Specifically, parental involvement may protect children from developing problem behaviors during their development. A strong parent-child relationship may act as a preventative measure towards development of disruptive behavior into emerging adulthood (i.e., 18 to 25 years). The current study aimed to examine the effects of parenting practices and parental involvement on emerging adult outcomes. Results indicated that parental involvement and parenting styles were negatively correlated with disruptive behavior, parenting styles and parental involvement were positively correlated with one another, and females tended to perceive higher levels of involvement from mothers. In addition, it was found that parenting styles and disruptive behavior were accounted for through parental involvement. Child disclosure also was associated with lower levels of disruptive behavior, whereas parental solicitation was found to be associated with higher levels disruptive behavior.

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Sibling relationships have been proven to be influential to the well-being of emerging adults. However, the diversity of individuals, particularly in regard to siblings of individuals with disabilities, has rarely been examined. Therefore, the current study explored the association among sibling relationships, coping, and well-being of emerging adults who have non-disabled siblings or autistic siblings. A single online survey was distributed to people between 18-25 who have non-disabled siblings or autistic siblings. The results found that siblings of autistic individuals reported significantly less sibling warmth, less gratitude, and more emotion suppression than siblings of a non-disabled brother or sister. In addition, optimism, gratitude, and emotion suppression were mediators that affected how sibling warmth related to individual’s distress. Furthermore, optimism and gratitude could be mediators that influenced the relationship between sibling warmth and individual’s resilience. In conclusion, the current study proposed that the difference of coping styles may be the underlying mechanism of worse well-being of siblings, and more perceived sibling warmth may be a buffer for ASD-Sibs’ resilience and coping. / M.S. / Sibling relationships can provide great supports for people during emerging adulthood (18-25 years old). The current study explored how sibling relationships affected emerging adults’ distress. We recruited non-disabled individuals who had an autistic sibling or a non-disabled sibling, and distributed them into ASD-group and ND-group correspondingly. There were 26 participants in ASD-group and 73 participants in ND-group. We found that people who had autistic siblings reported less sibling warmth, gratitude attitude, and more emotion suppression compared to people who had non-disabled siblings. We also found that sibling warmth affected distress by influencing optimism, gratitude, and emotion suppression. In addition, sibling warmth affected individual’s resilience by influencing optimism and gratitude. In conclusion, we proposed that for emerging adults who had an autistic sibling, clinical practitioners should focus more on their coping styles and their sibling relationships.