Decisions made during the transitional age of 18-30, may influence the health and well being of individuals for many years to come. Perhaps more than any earlier life stages, emerging adults have the potential to explore new opportunities, develop their own autonomy, and play a more conscious role in shaping their own development, while overcoming difficulties that may have contributed to their vulnerability in an earlier period of life or the present. To date, few studies have focused on the positive or health promoting, psychosocial factors that contribute to future orientation, particularly among emerging adults. Guided by the Theory of Possible Selves and Social Capital Theory, this quantitative study explored the contribution of perceived discrimination, hope, and social connectedness to future orientation, using a web-based survey. The present study found that perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and social connectedness were significantly and hope was marginally related to the future orientation of 151 emerging adults who were current or former members of the AmeriCorps program in the state of New Mexico. The findings remained significant after controlling for race/ethnicity. Social connectedness served as a resource factor in its association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and the outcome of future orientation. Social connectedness also served a protective function, thereby moderating the association between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and future orientation. Findings suggest that further examination of the potential buffering effects that may offset the negative effects of a risk, such as perceived racial/ethnic discrimination, is warranted. Attention should be given to other potential moderating and/or mediating effects in the relationship between perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and future orientation in subsequent studies. Given the uniqueness of the sample in this study, future researchers should continue to examine populations participating in programs such as AmeriCorps. Results from the current study may have important implications for the value of programs that aim to build civic engagement, social connectedness, and leadership among its members and the communities that are served. / text

This study employed an experimental design to test the effects of exposure to televised portrayals of differing types of negative consequences of casual sex on emerging adults' sexual beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Male and female undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three viewing conditions. Participants either viewed a program that portrayed negative emotional/social consequences of casual sex (i.e., guilt, regret, embarrassment, disapproval of family and friends), a negative physical consequence of casual sex (i.e., an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy), or a program without any sexual content. Outcomes were assessed immediately after exposure. Five outcome variables were examined: negative outcome expectancies of risky sex, attitudes toward casual sex, attitudes toward condoms, behavioral intentions to avoid casual sex, and behavioral intentions to use condoms. Driven by social cognitive theory, hypotheses address expected differences among the three conditions on these five outcome variables.Hypotheses about the expected effects of portrayals of negative consequences of casual sex were not confirmed. Results indicate that exposure to negative consequences of casual sex on television does not uniformly influence emerging adults' sexual beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Rather, the relationship between exposure and subsequent effects was found to be moderated by their sexual risk experience. Emerging adults with different amounts of sexual risk experience responded differently to the experimental stimuli. Participants who had extensive sexual risk experience were not influenced by the stimuli. However, effects of exposure to the negative consequence conditions were identified among participants who had little to moderate amounts of sexual risk experience. Both the negative physical and emotional/social consequence conditions led these participants to report safer sex outcomes. Findings imply that portrayals of both negative emotional/social and negative physical consequences of casual sex on television have the potential to positively influence the sexual attitudes and behavioral intentions of young people who do not already have substantial sexual risk experience.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared A. Durtschi / Many individuals in their teens and twenties believe achieving financial self-sufficiency is an important part of becoming an adult (Arnett, 2000); yet the research on this topic is very limited. The level of general responsibility a young adult obtains is related to their general level of self-confidence (e.g., Shim, Serido, Bosch & Tang, 2013). However, the relationship between financial responsibility and self-confidence is currently unknown. Additionally, the relationship between self-confidence and annual income among young adults is largely unknown. This is the first study to advance current knowledge with a large (N = 474) and longitudinal dataset of emerging adults. The goal of this study is to test the underlying process that may explain variation of annual income among emerging adults from the Transition to Adulthood Supplement, a subset of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The study used a structural equation model (SEM) to test three waves of data across four years. Results from the SEM analysis demonstrated that higher levels of financial responsibility were associated with higher levels of self-confidence two years later. Additionally, the findings showed that higher levels of self-confidence were associated with higher levels of annual income after an additional two years. The results suggest the importance of building financial responsibility and self-confidence in emerging young adults.

Self-efficacy is defined as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce effects” (Bandura, 1994, p. 1) and has been firmly established in the literature as a motivator for behavioral change for decades (Bandura, 1977). Much of the literature has been dedicated to understanding the ways in which self-efficacy impacts outcomes within specific domains such as academics (Smith, 2018; McLean, 2018), work-related self-efficacy (Orth & Volmer, 2017; Perera, Granziera, & McIlveen, 2018), exercise and health-related self-efficacy (Martin, 2016; Thompson, Mitchell, Johnson-Lawrence, Watkins, & Modlin, 2017), among other specialized areas. Behavioral outcomes and attainment of future goals is arguably most important during during emerging adulthood, “the developmental period between adolescence and young adulthood” (Sussman & Arnett, 2014, p. 147). This developmental stage extends from 18 to 25 years wherein individuals begin to attain a certain level of independence from their families, and, for the first time, experience a new-found freedom not known in adolescence. This is a stage of exploration, a time to discover one’s own way in career, relationships, and views of the world (Sussman & Arnett, 2014). Much of the work dedicated to self-efficacy has focused on the predictive quality of the variable with less attention being given to the ways in which key social factors may determine self-efficacy and whether or not self-efficacy is differentially experienced between groups based on demographic characteristics. Key social factors (i.e., gender, race-ethnicity, social status, etc.) heavily inform individual development across the life course and are rooted within social contexts. These factors are central to contemporary issues surrounding disparities and differentials that exacerbate risk factors experienced by vulnerable populations. As families continue to become more and more diverse, the importance of studying the impacts of these factors is growing in importance. Utilizing the social role theory provides a framework for understanding how behavior is influenced by social stereotypes associated with gender, race, and social status (Eagly, 1987). Self-efficacious thought patterns impact much about a person in terms of how they view themselves, decisions they are likely to make, and what the associated outcome may be. Given the nature of emerging adulthood and the fact that many individuals are making monumental decisions that dictate future trajectories, the goal of this research is to study the relationship between gender, race-ethnicity, and social status and self-efficacy among emerging adults. Data on 284 participants were collected and analysis is forthcoming. Participants were recruited through the use of physical flyer postings, social media advertisements, and through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk) system. Regression analysis and bivariate assessments will be used to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and key social factors. Findings will be discussed in terms of how the self-efficacy of emerging adults is impacted by key social factors and what professionals can do with this information. Having these conversations will bring this information to the forefront of a greater conversation that needs to be had about systematic and societal inequalities that stem from the demographic of an individual.

From the viewpoint of Self-Determination Theory, this study evaluated theoretically competing models examining the relationships among one’s fear of missing out (FOMO) and multiple indicators of relatedness (satisfaction and frustration) with well-being (life satisfaction) and ill-being (depression) among a sample of emerging adults. The first model conceptualized that higher levels of FOMO would be related to higher levels of depressive symptomology and lower levels of life satisfaction, and that relationship would be mediated by relatedness satisfaction and frustration. Alternatively, the second model conceptualized that relatedness satisfaction would serve as a moderator of the relationship between FOMO and depressive symptomology and life satisfaction. Model 1 results indicated that an individual’s FOMO was associated with lower relatedness satisfaction and higher relatedness frustration, and, in turn, both forms of relatedness were significantly associated with perceptions of life satisfaction and depression. Model 2 results also indicated that one’s relatedness satisfaction or frustration did not serve as a moderator between the relationship of FOMO and well-being or ill-being. Discussion of the importance of relationship attachments, as well as clinical implications, will be included.

There is a dearth of psychological research with Polynesian populations in the United States Research on this population is needed to meet the demands of this increasingly growing population. This study aims to investigate the psychological well-being of an understudied Latter-day Saint (LDS) Polynesian American emerging adult group in order to better provide them with cultural-specific professional psychological services. The sample included 327 LDS Polynesian American emerging adults ranging from 18 to 26 years of age (191 females, 136 males). Specifically, this study examines the associations among coping strategies, religiosity, ethnic identity, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. An online questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and path analyses were conducted to examine relationships among variables. The results yield findings that are unique to this specific population. This study's results found family support, religiosity, and ethnic identity to be influential among LDS Polynesian emerging adults with regards to their psychological well-being. As this study mentions, identifying and recognizing the influential cultural values on well-being for this population can contribute to assisting mental health professionals provide culturally sensitive and appropriate interventions for their LDS Polynesian American emerging adult clients.

This study bridges the gap in literature in regards to emerging adults ages 18 to 25 and their attitudes toward relationship formation, specifically towards the acceptability of stayover relationships. By using a factorial vignette to manipulate dimensions of number of nights, reason, and gender, the attitudes of emerging adults were indicated to be acceptable. Open responses were obtained to analyze how emerging adults are categorizing the academic term of stayovers. The study found that emerging adults were more likely to find 1-2 nights as acceptable when compared to stayovers that occur every night. Qualitative analysis of results showed that respondents commonly used language such as dating, friends with benefits, or committed relationship to describe stayover relationships.

Latino populations continue to utilize mental health services at lower rates than their non-Latino counterparts. This is concerning for several reasons. Mental illness, is extremely prevalent in the general population. The population of Latinos (particularly younger individuals) in the United States is rapidly increasing. Acculturation has been found to negatively impact mental health issues in Latino populations. And finally, emerging adult’s unmet mental health needs / issues place them at risk for failing to adapt to adult roles, impacting their lives in many ways. This mixed methods study implores primarily quantitative design and includes two qualitative questions to explore the beliefs about mental health services among emerging adult (18-25) Latinos. Data for this study was derived from a survey, which was developed by adapting current qualitative research focused on Latino mental health and barriers to service. Additionally, questions were created by adapting the Community Attitudes Toward the Mentally Ill to explore stigma towards mental health services and illness. Forty-three completed surveys were analyzed; the findings are presented within this thesis.

Approximately 60% of college seniors lost at least one family member or friend since beginning college (Cox, Dean, & Kowalski, 2015). Research reveals that bereaved students are more likely than their nonbereaved peers to struggle with academic problems and attrition (Cousins, Servaty-Seib & Lockman, 2017), highlighting the importance of identifying protective factors for this group of individuals. Researchers have identified restoration-oriented coping as a helpful coping mechanism in other samples (Caserta & Lund, 2007; Caserta, Lund, Utza, & de Vries, 2009). Despite qualitative evidence suggesting bereaved undergraduates often employ restoration-oriented coping, no research has formally assessed the effects of restoration-oriented coping in a bereaved undergraduate sample. This study assessed the effects of restoration-oriented coping on students’ (N=420; 68.8% female; 46.7% white) psychological well-being in a longitudinal design. Data were part of a larger study (“Spit 4 Science”) assessing the development of substance use and emotional health outcomes in college students. Students were assessed annually; those who reported a loss, had pre-, and post-loss data were included in analysis. Hierarchical multiple linear regressions were conducted and showed restoration-oriented coping was predictive of better psychological well-being and that this relationship was strengthened by social support quality. Extraversion was also predictive of better psychological well-being, while openness and neuroticism were related to poorer psychological well-being. Moreover, neuroticism mediated the relationship between distress at indication of loss and post-loss follow-up. Further research of restoration-oriented coping efforts among bereaved undergraduates is warranted. Additional resources and support may help to keep students engaged following a loss.

Compared to their typically developing peers, adolescents, and emerging adults with special healthcare needs (AEA-SHCN) disproportionately experience healthcare transition (HCT) disparities and poor access to adult care. Theoretical models that describe how access gaps develop and strategies to address unmet HCT needs are not well understood. While HCT researchers describe both system and patient healthcare barriers, a comprehensive approach that discovers how these factors interact and interfere remains misunderstood. An integrative review (IR) was conducted to understand the multiplicity of these factors. An intersectional theory (IT) provided further clarity on how key findings influence patient HCT experiences. Several themes were found to intersect and thus increase the HCT complexity, particularly for patients with social disadvantages. Communication gaps, mismatched goals/expectations, and poorly defined roles were common themes. Poor health equity, disparities in access, and inadequate HCT support intersected with poor patient HCT experiences, while youth with stigma-related diseases were most at-risk for poor provider-relationships. The thematic synthesis provided granularity to these experiences with characterizations as fear, loss, and uncertainty with access change. Social change implications underscore the need to reframe poor patient HCT experiences as potential opportunities for health policy advocates and clinicians to address unmet HCT needs.