Global crises are associated with significant shifts in the relationship functioning of romantic couples. The novel Coronavirus pandemic has caused financial distress which may pose a threat to the wellbeing of romantic couples. Previous studies show economic declines cause damaging strain on relationship functioning, specifically the relationship satisfaction, conflict resolution, and commitment influencing variables. To study the effects of the pandemic on these relationship functioning variables, researchers recruited and divided 228 participants into two groups – individuals in relationships that began before the outbreak of the COVID pandemic (Before January 2020 – pre-COVID; N= 148), and individuals in relationships that started after the initial wave of the pandemic (After March 2020 – post-COVID; N= 80). Our results show a significant association between economic strain and conflict resolution. This finding suggests that circumstances that induce financial strain – similar to the COVID-related economic declines – may be linked to the deterioration of couples' abilities to solve conflicts. Although there were no significant differences in the relationship functioning variables of individuals in relationships that began prior to the pandemic in comparison to individuals in relationships that began while the pandemic was underway, findings suggest that future analyses may lead to significant results.

Remarriages account for about one third of all marriages in the United States, however the research on remarried couple outcomes is limited, particularly with regard to finances and financial conflict. The family economic stress model theorizes that economic hardship promotes economic strain, which in turn promotes emotional distress and conflict patterns that have negative impacts on relationship satisfaction and relationship stability. This study used secondary cross-sectional dyadic data to conduct an actor-partner interdependence path analysis of 158 remarried couples to examine the direct and indirect effects of each spouse's perception of economic strain on their own marital satisfaction and stability, as well as on their spouse's marital satisfaction and stability, with financial conflict as an intermediary variable. Tests for indirect effects indicated that financial conflict strongly influences the relationship between economic strain and the marital outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and stability); none of the direct paths between economic strain and the marital outcomes were significant when accounting for financial conflict as a mechanism. Results indicated that, in the context of a remarriage, a person's perception of how much they have conflict about finances is a key mechanism that explains the association between that person's perception of economic strain and their marital satisfaction and stability, regardless of household income and marriage length. Clinicians who lack specific training in financial management but work with remarried couples experiencing economic strain and financial conflict may still be able to intervene effectively to improve relationship quality by helping spouses reduce interpersonal conflict. / Master of Science / Remarriages account for about one third of all marriages in the United States, however the research on the satisfaction (overall relationship quality) and stability (propensity for divorce) of remarried couples is limited, particularly with regard to disagreements about their finances (financial conflict). This study analyzed data from 158 remarried couples to examine the possible effects of each spouse's views of their perceived inability to meet their financial demands (economic strain) on their own, as well as their spouse's, marital satisfaction and stability (marital outcomes), with their perceived financial conflict acting as a mediating variable between economic strain and marital outcomes. Results indicated that, in the context of a remarriage, financial conflict strongly influenced the relationship between economic strain and marital outcomes, regardless of household income and marriage length, such that even though there is still a relationship between economic strain and marital outcomes apart from financial conflict, it is weaker than when financial conflict is included. In other words, risk of dissatisfaction and divorce are less about how financially strained a remarried couple perceives they are, and more about how frequently the couple perceives they have conflict about finances. Therefore, the results of this study indicated financial conflict frequency is an important mechanism for understanding how economic strain can influence remarital outcomes for both spouses. Clinicians working with remarried couples to improve their relationships, but lack specific training in financial management, may still be able to intervene effectively around the financial conflict.

As supported by ecological systems theory and the family stress model of economic hardship, socioeconomic status can directly be related to adolescent adjustment outcomes including self-regulation, academic performance, and substance use as well as be indirectly related to these outcomes through the mediator of parental monitoring. Data obtained from 220 adolescent (male = 55%, female = 45%, mean age = 15.12 years) and primary caregiver dyads participated in the study to examine the relationship between these variables. Analyses were conducted using Structural Equation Modeling, and the results of the study demonstrate that economic hardship is directly related to adolescent academic performance and also indirectly related to this outcome through maternal monitoring. Parental monitoring was also positively related to adolescent self-regulation. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of high levels of parental monitoring for beneficial adolescent self-regulation, academic, and substance use outcomes. / Master of Science

Using data from the Chicago Homicide Dataset for years 1988-1992 and the Chicago Community Area Demographics, multiple regression and mediation analysis are used to examine various community level factors’ impact on Intimate Partner Homicide (IPH) rates per Chicago community area. The relationship between the percentage of non-white and IPH rate per Chicago community area is significant and positive, but disappears once economic strain is taken into account, as well as when family disruption is included in the model. There is a weak, but positive relationship between population density and IPH rates, but neither economic strain nor family disruption mediates the relationship between population density and IPH rates. Economic deprivation is positively related to IPH rates, but economic strain and family disruption partially mediate the relationship between economic deprivation and IPH rates. Finally, the relationship between the percentage of males aged 30-59 and IPH rates per community area in Chicago is moderately negative, but this relationship disappears once economic strain is accounted for in the model. However, family disruption does not mediate the relationship between the percentage of males aged 30-59 and IPH rates. These results indicate that some structural covariates impact IPH rates and that some relationships are mediated by economic strain and family disruption. These results also lend support to a modified approach to general strain theory (GST). More research is necessary to validate these results.

No description available.

<p>In the thesis, we examine the effects of alternative income redistribution schemes on the optimal pattern of allocation of resources. We also identify the sectors in the economy which are under strain when these redistribution schemes are implemented and the years in which the strains are felt most. We find that the redistribution of income between the lower and middle income groups in the rural sector leads to the maximum value of the objective function, which is a discounted sum of gross outputs. Alternatively, the redistribution of income between the upper and middle income groups in the urban sector consistently leads to low values of the objective function.</p> <p>We also conduct tests to determine how sensitive these results are to changes in the values of the parameters assumed. The results regarding the relative desirabilities of various redistribution schemes are found to be rather insensitive to changes in the values of the social discount rate and the savings rate. A higher availability of foreign aid increases the desirability of urban redistribution schemes. Modest requirements of post-terminal growth lead to infeasibilities for most redistribution schemes, as well as the reference solution, which assumes the status quo distribution of income. The only feasible redistribution schemes are those which redistribute incomes between the upper and middle classes, and the middle and lower classes in the rural sector. This leads us to recommend rural redistribution as not only a desirable policy, but as a necessary prerequisite to obtaining modest growth rates in the post-plan period.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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This master thesis deals with various mathematical models, which can be used for designing the location of collection points for various fractions of municipal waste with consideration of walking distance, economic demands and utilization of allocated capacities. Scripts for generating input datasets for applied models from basic input data, which are address points with population and GPS coordinates, is also included in the thesis. The model was implemented in GAMS and the script was written in VBA in Microsoft Excel. Model was used in case study. Results of single and multi-criteria approaches are analyzed and compared.