Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra Stith / Recent literature has highlighted the importance of considering personal and relationship factors in predicting IPV perpetration. The present study sought to investigate whether trait mindfulness is associated with IPV, as well as the mechanisms by which mindfulness might predict IPV. Utilizing longitudinal data collected from 247 undergraduate students, the study tested a hurdle model of IPV occurrence and frequency at Time 3 being predicted by trait mindfulness at Time 1 and other known risk factors at Time 2. Results indicated that trait mindfulness at time 1 was associated with IPV perpetration at Time 3; however, when controlling for other known risk factors at time 1, the association between mindfulness at Time 1 and IPV at Time 3 was no longer significant. Finally, results from the mediational analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of trait mindfulness on IPV through relationship satisfaction and conflict resolution while all variables were measured at the same time point, but no indirect effect of trait mindfulness at time 1 on IPV at time 3.These results indicate that although mindfulness might not be a significant direct predictor of IPV when other known risk factors are controlled for, it is important since mindfulness indirectly predicts IPV through other relationship processes when measured at the same time point. Suggestions for future research and clinical intervention are offered.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Sonya L. Britt / There has been increased interest in understanding the significant disparity in U.S. households’ retirement preparedness due to concern about the stability of Social Security benefits, the shift from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans, and the decreased rate of saving. This dissertation explores a model that can be utilized to understand and enhance retirement preparedness by individuals, educators, practitioners, and policy makers. Retirement preparedness was measured in two different ways—using the income replacement rate and the capital accumulation ratio—for two separate empirical models. The general conceptualization of the framework is based on the retirement planning work of Hershey (2004). This study utilized the 2008 Rand version (Version L) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and 2006, 2008, and 2010 psychosocial and lifestyle questionnaire. The Rand HRS data file is a user-friendly version of the HRS data and contains cleaned data. The two hierarchical regressions were used to analyze the association between retirement preparedness and the theoretical concepts of cultural influence, environmental influence, task components, and psychological influence. Entering the conceptual components as four separate blocks allows for observation of changes in R[2] based on the addition of the conceptual components. This research investigates the following research questions: (a) How strongly are cultural influences associated with retirement preparedness?, (b) How strongly are environmental influences associated with retirement preparedness?, (c) How strongly are task components associated with retirement preparedness?, and (d) How strongly are psychological influences associated with retirement preparedness? Current retirement planning practices are often based on structural profiles such as financial resources, financial needs, and goals. The holistic approach used for this dissertation is based on the awareness of the influence of psychological and personal factors on financial decision making. The results showed that the variables positively associated with the retirement income replacement rate were self-perception of aging, homeownership, stock ownership, household pension ownership, IRA/Keogh ownership, and business ownership. Pre-retirement income log had a highly negative association with the retirement income replacement ratio. Big Five personality and perceived mastery were not significant. However, when asset ownership (excluding homeownership) was not controlled, conscientiousness and low emotional stability became significant and showed a positive association for conscientiousness and a negative association for low emotional stability. Self-perception of aging was a significant psychological variable in both models. The significant variables from the second model measured by the capital accumulation ratio were asset ownerships including homeownership, stock ownership, IRA ownership, real estate ownership, and business ownership. None of the psychological variables were significant, except for agreeableness, which was related negatively to the capital accumulation ratio when the asset ownerships (excluding home ownership) were not controlled. Other significant variables, when asset ownership was not controlled, were home ownership, pre-retirement income log, being non-White.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Melinda Stafford Markham / Walter R. Schumm / This study produces a grounded theory of how parents make decisions regarding the custody arrangements of their children in the divorce process. Eleven parent/adolescent pairs in shared physical and legal custody arrangements were interviewed. Ten factors were found to influence the custody arrangement decisions of divorcing parents: former partner, children, work, new partner, use of a lawyer, role of family, parenting role, place of residence, finances, and divorce. Parents also weighed perceived costs and rewards when making custody arrangement decisions. In addition, an understanding of the involvement of an adolescent in the custody arrangement decisions was gained through this research. The majority of adolescents in this study had some type of input in the custody arrangements at one point or another. Parents and adolescents both expressed concerns with involving adolescents in custody arrangement decisions as well as an appropriate age for adolescent involvement, and how to determine when an adolescent is ready to be involved in the custody arrangement decisions. Custody arrangement decisions are complex decisions that parents and adolescents face; a number of factors are considered and the custody arrangement decision making process varies for all families.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Jared Anderson / Using data from young adults (N = 224) living in Beijing and Guangzhou, China this study examined the direct association between frequency of pornography use and relationship confidence and indirect associations through depression symptoms and physical assault. Results using structural equation modeling demonstrated that higher frequency of pornography use was indirectly linked with lower relationship confidence via depression symptoms and physical assault. These findings are informed by Social Constructionist Theory (Gergen, 1985), which considers how individuals take what they understand from their culture, exposure to material such as pornography, and other social experiences to develop and make meaning of who they are within their relational context.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Kristy Archuleta / This dissertation explores the association of culture with financial satisfaction. Social identity theory, a successor of symbolic interaction framework (Mead, 1930) serves as the theoretical framework for this study, conceptualizing the impact of culture on identity formation through the values, norms, and beliefs of cultures adopted by individuals. Social identity theory also provides an understanding of the power and influence of reference groups supplied by culture through the context provided for the internal determination of satisfaction. The cultures examined (e.g., geography, socioeconomic status, religiosity), each had associations with life domains which influence satisfaction according to well-being research. The associations of cultures with financial satisfaction is a largely unexplored area of research, perhaps due to the difficulty in defining and measuring culture, as well as the challenges associated with influencing financial satisfaction. Data for this study was obtained from the 2012 General Social Survey, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center. This study found the geographic characteristics of home ownership and living in a single family home were associated with financial satisfaction and individuals living in the same state as they did when age 16 had more points of association with financial satisfaction than those not living in the same state. Further, of the SES measures in the study, income was found to be consistently associated with financial satisfaction. Religiosity, including religiosity by religious text (e.g., Bible, Torah, Quran) and prayer were not found to be associated with financial satisfaction. However, frequency of attendance at religious services had a statistically significant association with financial satisfaction and was found to be a moderator of the financial satisfaction of those living in the Eastern and Western U.S. Regions. Understanding the association of culture with financial satisfaction may provide planners with insights into factors which contribute to a client’s values, beliefs and attitudes about their finances. An awareness of the power of cultural values, beliefs and values to influence satisfaction may make a positive contribution to the quality of conversation between planners and clients as they work toward establishing authentic goals and objectives for the client and develop plans to achieve those goals.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen Myers-Bowman / Due to health conditions, the average 70 year old will outlive the ability to drive by 6 years for men and 10 years for women (Foley et al., 2002). Driving loss has a significantly negative impact on the quality of life of an older adult. For this reason, some continue to drive despite concerns about safety. Midlife family members of older adults often feel social pressure to intervene in driving decision-making and social pressure to refrain from intervening. The goal of this study was to understand the experiences of midlife family members from the time that someone first noticed a concern with the older relative’s driving until the time the older adult stopped driving. A qualitative, multiple embedded case study approach was used to gather information from two midlife family members from 7 families with an older driver who had recently retired from driving. The family processes that influenced communication about driving and choice of strategies for intervening were examined. Findings indicated that the midlife family members became aware of safety issues at different times. Awareness prompted conversations with other relatives, and the majority of family conversations about driving did not include the older adult. Many family members reported a respect for the autonomy of the older relative and a reluctance to initiate conversations without permission from the older adult to do so. Intervention strategies reported by participants included (1) wait and worry, (2) nudging, (3) attempted conversation, (4) ending requests for driving assistance, (5) requesting assistance from physicians, (6) requesting assistance from the DMV, (7) requesting assistance from law enforcement, and (8) accepting the inability to end an older adult’s driving career. Participants reported many factors that both helped and hindered efforts to encourage driving retirement. Based on these findings, an Ecological Model of Later-Life Decision-Making was proposed. The model reflects that the participants’ efforts to encourage driving retirement were not simply a matter of intra-family communication, but were influenced by processes occurring at multiple levels, both within and outside of the family. Processes occurring at multiple levels both helped and hindered family members’ efforts to encourage driving retirement.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Amber V. Vennum / The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how emerging adults (18-29 year olds) define commitment in romantic relationships and have created meaning from the positive and negative examples of commitment they have witnessed. Twenty (10 men, 10 women) unmarried emerging adults were interviewed individually. Through the use of grounded theory four themes emerged to explain how emerging adults have constructed their understanding of commitment: complete loyalty, investment in the relationship, continual communication, and parental influence. From observing negative and positive examples of commitment, emerging adults learned to discern healthy and unhealthy characteristics of romantic relationships, are working to be different, and have learned what to do to make a committed relationship work long term including the sub-themes of unitedly persevere, prioritize the relationship, consider your partner, give substantial effort, have fidelity. These results extend our knowledge about the model of resilient commitment, and the critical purpose of meaning making. Implications for intervening with emerging adults to strengthen future romantic relationship stability are discussed.

<p> With divorce rates increasing among Christian marriages, it is important to identify the significant factors of this phenomenon. At the time when this study was conducted, there was a need to explore the impact of religiosity in Christian marriages on the likelihood to divorce. Religiosity was expected to affect a couple&rsquo;s interaction, which plays a fundamental role in the partners&rsquo; relationship and marital satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine whether and to what degree there is a relationship between the level of religiosity of married Christians in the United States and those couples&rsquo; likelihood to divorce. The theoretical foundation of the study was the concept of religiosity as a cognitive dimension. The researcher collected predictor data for religiosity using the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire and criterion data for the likelihood to divorce using the Wallace Marital Adjustment Test (LWMAT). The study sample was comprised of 100 Christian individuals from the United States. The data analysis involved bivariate correlations and simple linear regression. The results showed a significant negative correlation between the level of religiosity and the likelihood to divorce of married Christians in the United States, <i>r</i> = -0.26, <i>p</i> = 0.004. The level of religiosity was a significant negative predictor of the likelihood to divorce, <i>F</i> (1, 98) = 7.16, <i>p</i> = 0.01, <i> R²</i> = 0.07. The findings of this study may be used in premarital and marital counseling to facilitate marital adjustment and decrease the likelihood to divorce. </p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> Divorce, marriage, religiosity </p>

<p>This quantitative research study examined the relationship between degree attainment of 99 African American males from dual-parent and single parent families. This empirical investigational study examined the relationship between type of family support from dual and single parent families on African American males&rsquo; academic success. The variables tested were dissimilarities, the amount, and the differentiation in degree attainment. Participants completed an online survey that included an informed consent form, demographic questions as well as survey questions regarding their relationship with and support from their families. The survey also required the participant to answer questions that provided information about family activities, structure and relationships, organization, activities, emotional support, and methods of communication. Moos and Moos&rsquo; (2002) Family Environment Scale (FES) Real Form (Form R) was used to measure people&rsquo;s perception and attitude of their actual family environments. The relationship subscale was used to ascertain measurements of cohesion, expressiveness, and conflict. This study addressed three research hypotheses pertaining to the type of family situation (dual versus single-parent homes). None was statistically significant, thereby providing support to retain all three null hypotheses. Study results indicated the success of African American males and their degree attainment is due in part to the familial support and encouragement. The outcomes yielded from the study suggest that regardless of the type of family structure whether dual or single parent, there are common variables within both family systems that aid the individuals in persisting in their efforts to obtain their undergraduate degree. </p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of the expectations and experiences of traditional-aged undergraduates as they interacted through portable internet devices (PID) at their institution of higher education (IHE). A Basic interpretive qualitative design was used for this study (Merriam &amp; Associates, 2002; Merriam, 2009). One-on-one interviews were utilized to gather data from 22 students. Interviews were conducted with students from a single institution who lived on campus and owned at least one PID. The data was analyzed using an open thematic analysis (Merriam, 2009) and was guided by Kuh&rsquo;s (1993) theory of student engagement. </p><p> Six major findings were identified. First, there has been an emergence of a new digital divide due to the proliferation of these devices. Second, it is important to consider the context of a student&rsquo;s interactions when trying to engage through PIDs. Third, students have high expectations of their IHE student life and personnel when interacting via PIDs. Fourth, for students, there is continuity of interactions that occur with peers, faculty, staff, and external communities. Fifth, students are conditioned to, and, in fact, expect greater flexibility in planning efforts due to PID use. Lastly, PIDs have enabled a new form of accountability for students, allowing them to set and meet goals. </p><p> Observations from the study led to seven primary recommendations for practitioners. These recommendations focused on policies and practices IHE personnel can employ to foster engagement most effectively in their students. The implications for practice included that IHE personnel need to: (a) assess how students use PIDS to interact at the IHE, (b) make prudent decisions about communication efforts through PIDs to maximize return on investment, (c) assess continuously in-person situations to ensure maximum engagement from students, (d) provide PIDs to students upon arrival, (e) enhance communication efforts with parents and external communities, (f) integrate accountability and expectation functions on to institutional apps, and (g) develop strategic and tactical plans for engagement through PIDs. Results of the study provided insight into the unique blending of both the physical and virtual worlds of traditional-aged undergraduates through their use of PIDs.</p>