Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2005. / Also available online.

This study examined how family structure moderates the relationship between social capital and educational outcomes for those in two-parent families. Social capital and family structure were measured when participants were 12-14 years old, and a variety of educational outcomes were examined from high school dropout and completion through postsecondary degree completion. Social capital was measured as parental monitoring, parent-child relationship quality, and parent-school involvement. Specifically, this study compared those in stepfamilies to those in intact two-parent families. It also examined differences between mutual biological children in blended stepfamilies and biological children in intact two-parent families, as well as mutual children in blended stepfamilies and stepchildren in blended stepfamilies. Results indicated that those in simple stepfather and blended stepfamilies had poorer educational outcomes overall compared to those in intact two-parent families. Having a higher quality parent-child relationship was associated with greater likelihood of completing a postsecondary degree, greater total years of school completed, and greater highest degree completed. Findings supporting the moderation hypothesis were few. Living in a blended stepfamily moderated the relationships between parent-child relationship quality and high school completion and parent-school involvement and completing a bachelor's degree or higher. In both instances, the relationship was stronger for those in intact two-parent families than those in blended stepfamilies. Among children living with both biological parents, mutual children in blended stepfamilies were less likely to complete a postsecondary degree and had a lower highest degree completed than those in intact two-parent families. No significant differences were found for the educational outcomes of mutual children and stepchildren living in blended stepfamilies. Implications for future research and policy are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / June 13, 2012. / Family structure, high school dropout, parenting, postsecondary education, social capital, stepfamilies / Includes bibliographical references. / B. Kay Pasley, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kathryn Tillman, University Representative; Frank D. Fincham, Committee Member; Lenore McWey, Committee Member.

Distressed relationships may be emotionally and economically costly to the couple, their families, and the community in which they reside. Given the current political endorsements, convenience, efficiency, capacity for prevention, and overall lower cost of psychoeducational workshops, they should be explored for efficacy. Are they providing the promoters and participants with a viable option? Is there a possibility to improve any part of these options for optimizing their effectiveness? Using a qualitative method in the Grounded Theory Tradition, this study explored the input of 14 participants who attended an eight-hour, one day, psychoeducational workshop. The workshop was based on a faithful presentation of Dr. John Gottman's couple's research. Attendees became "active participants" by agreeing to provide personal information about their relationships and offering their perspectives at scheduled intervals during the workshop. The participants were interviewed one month after the workshop to ascertain what, if anything, they had found to be useful about the workshop. Sampling was an opportunity sample open to couples ages 18 and over who were married or unmarried, having children or without children, and although only heterosexual couples responded, it was open to all sexual orientations. The findings obtained were triangulated consisting of written surveys from the participants, the researcher's field notes, and the participants' audio-taped post- intervention interviews. The following twelve themes emerged: 1) Communication, Acceptable; 2) Communication, Unacceptable; 3) Conflict, Resolved; 4) Conflict, Unresolved; 5) Connectedness; 6) Disconnectedness; 7) Family, Acceptable; 8) Family, Unacceptable; 9) Finances, Managed; 10) Finances, Unmanaged; 11) Planning, Acceptable; and 12) Planning, Unacceptable. Initially, the participants indicated that they were focused on improving their communication and conflict resolution skills, but their participation level and expressed interests in specific blocks of information appeared to change throughout the workshop day. The Gottman concepts which indicated higher participant interest were again indicated in the post-intervention interview responses. Post-intervention interview questions one through four were coded using the existing themes. The following ten themes emerged: 1) Communication, Acceptable; 2) Communication, Unacceptable; 3) Conflict, Resolved; 4) Conflict, Unresolved; 5) Connectedness; 6) Disconnectedness; 7) Family, Acceptable; 8) Family, Unacceptable; 9) Finances, Managed; and 10) Planning, Acceptable. The theme Connectedness was coded considerably more times than the others. Conflict Resolution and Communication, Acceptable were discussed by the participants very heavily along with Planning, Acceptable. Lastly, for post intervention interview question number five, the participants were asked to rank-order their answers to question three and four relative to their perceived usefulness. Their number one choices were coded using the existing themes and the findings in descending order of use were: 1) Connectedness; 2) Communication, Acceptable; and 3) Conflict, Resolved. This corroborated the findings of the final coding seen in the post-intervention interviews questions one through four. However, the final distribution of the participants' rank ordered answers to post-intervention interview question number five indicated a slight deviation in that the specific Gottman concept of Conflict Resolution was cited fourth overall as being useful. This shift in focus may have indicated that, although the participants had continuing concerns for coping with their relational communication skills and ability to resolve their conflicts, they were finding it important to look deeper for causal and resolution factors as well as prioritizing what may actually be important within their relationships. The interviews, written surveys, and field notes agreed: The participants found that the workshop was helpful because of the above factors and because they were developing and putting into action some of the workshop information. The high degree of participation after some blocks of workshop information was reflected in the participants' choices for useful Gottman concepts indicating a need for more research into the usefulness of participation in a workshop format. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / February 29, 2012. / Couples Counseling / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert E. Lee, Professor Directing Dissertation; David Gussak, University Representative; Christine A. Readdick, Committee Member.

The principal goal of the current study was to explore the relationship between childhood and adolescent bullying experiences and social competence in emerging adulthood. Symbolic interactionism and social cognitive theories were used as a framework in guiding the study. The sample consisted of 266 undergraduate students who were asked to fill out a single online survey. Results indicated that there are no differences between bullying involvement status' and social competence, but significant differences related to self-esteem were identified. Multiple regression analyses were utilized to explore the relationship between victim experiences and social competence. Variables of sex, age, race, educational status, grade point average, type of victimization, victim type, frequency, or duration were found not to be significant predictors of social competence; however intensity in primary school and self-esteem were significant predictors of social competence. The need for further research on the long term impact of bullying was discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / May 21, 2012. / Bullying, Emerging Adulthood, Retrospective, Self-Esteem, Social Competence / Includes bibliographical references. / Ann K. Mullis, Professor Directing Dissertation; Patrice Iatarola, University Representative; Ronald L. Mullis, Committee Member; Lenore McWey, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parent-child conflict management in early adolescence, more specifically around the age of thirteen years old, to adjustment and attachment with parents and peers in college-age adolescents. Data was collected from Florida State University students taking classes within the department of Family and Child Sciences and fell between the ages of 18 and 22 with a rather even distribution between the ages. The sample consisted of 321 participants, the majority of which were female (86.9%) and White, non-Hispanic (69.8%). The participants reported retrospectively on their punishment experiences with both mother and father using an adjusted form of Kaplan's Personal History of Punishment Inventory and on their current adjustment using Achenbach's Adult Self-Report survey and attachment using Armsden and Greenberg's Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment. Findings for this study were that the more severe punishment inflicted by mothers was indicative of higher reporting externalizing and internalizing behaviors as well as decreased attachment with mother and peers in later adolescence. There was also findings that indicate that the more severe punishment inflicted by fathers was indicative of increased internalizing behaviors, and decreased attachment with father and peers in later adolescence; however, there was no significant influence on internalizing behaviors. Despite the limitations of this study, it offers information that has not been fully addressed in previous research. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2013. / March 27, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references. / Christine Readdick, Professor Directing Thesis; Kendal Holtrop, Committee Member; Bruce Thyer, Outside Committee Member.

The purpose of the study was to examine the relation between prior maltreatment history and placement instability among pre-teen children in the foster care system and perceptions of mother-child relationship when children are age 14. Using LONGSCAN data set, children were 50.5% females, and the majority self-identified as African America (58.8%). A majority of the parent sample self-reported as either single (40.7%) or married (33.2%), and a majority (53.4%) of mothers reported an annual income of $24,999 or less in 2010. Findings were that increased placement instability was linked with child perception of lower relationship quality and was associated with recent involvement with their mother. A history of prior maltreatment also was associated with child perception of lower relationship quality and higher recent involvement with mothers. Recent involvement was also found to moderate the effect of placement instability and prior maltreatment on children's perception of relationship quality with mothers. Despite limitations of the current study, findings can inform foster care practice to bring stability into the lives of the children affected by maltreatment and frequent placement changes. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2013. / March 20, 2013. / Attachment, Children, Foster care, Parent-child relationship, Recent involvement, Relationship quality / Includes bibliographical references. / Christine A. Readdick, Professor Directing Thesis; Ann K. Mullis, Committee Member; Mary Francis Hanline, Committee Member.

Military families experience numerous changes to their lives, including multiple and prolonged separations (Link & Palinkas, 2013) and frequent relocations (Weber & Weber, 2005). As a result concern has grown regarding the effects of these stressors on military families today, particularly for the two million youth in these families. This study sought to provide information regarding the stress process for military youth. Pearlin's Stress Process Model was used to examine the impact of social stressors on youths' outcomes with particular attention on context-specific stressors (Pearlin, Menaghan, Lieberman, & Mullan, 1981). This model identifies three components to explain the development of stress in individuals: sources of stress, mediators of stress, and manifestations of stress (Pearlin, 1999). Mediators of stress are the linking mechanism between the sources of stress and manifestations of stress. To test this stress process model, a sample (N =1,036) of military youth from four military installations (three within the United States and one within Europe) was analyzed. The Family and Community Resilience Laboratory (FCRL) at the University of Georgia (UGA) collected the data from military youth, ages 11 to 18, with the goal of understanding the effects of the military lifestyle on youth well-being. An exploratory latent profile analysis (LPA) and subsequent analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were conducted to address three primary research questions. First, to what extent do the six primary dimensions of the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (A-COPE) identify unique coping profiles for military youth? Second, to what extent do context-specific military (parental separations, frequent relocations and parental rank) and normative (minority status) stressors indicate an association with specific coping profile membership for military youth? Finally, to what extent are the identified coping profiles associated with group differences in depressive symptoms displayed by military youth? Results of the exploratory LPA revealed four distinct coping profiles for military youth according to the identified model fit criterion, indicating that the optimal profile solution had been reached for the data. The profiles were labeled as the Low Coping profile, Medium Coping profile, Medium-humor Coping profile and High Coping profile. Youth in all four profiles reported engaging in low levels of maladaptive coping, thus the remainder of the discussion focuses on the adaptive behaviors used within the profiles. Members of the Low Coping profile engaged in all coping behaviors at low or infrequent levels. While those of the High Coping profile engaged in all of the coping behaviors relatively often. Members of the Medium and Medium-humor Coping profile reported scores that fell within the mid-range of the scale. However, the Medium-humor Coping profile differed as it had significantly higher scores on the subscale of Being Humorous. The second step of the analysis investigated the association between context-specific and normative stressors and the identified coping profiles for military youth. Multinomial logistic regressions found no significant results for the context-specific variables of stress. Minority status was found to be the only significant stressor and indicated that minorities were more likely to be members of the Medium Coping profile than the High Coping profile when compared to non-minorities. The final analysis conducted involved four one-way ANOVAs used to identify group differences in depressive symptoms displayed based on coping profile membership. Significant differences were found for each of the depressive subscales. Post-hoc analyses revealed that the general trend was that the High Coping profile reported the fewest depressive symptoms across all indicators. More specifically, in terms of Somatic Symptoms, significantly higher scores were reported for the Medium and Medium-humor Coping profile than those in the High Coping profile. For the Depressive Affect and Interpersonal Problems subscales, the Medium Coping profile reported more depressive symptomology than the High Coping profile. For Positive Affect, the Low Coping Profile reported significantly lower levels of positive affect than all of the other profiles. Each coping profile demonstrated significant, unique associations to depressive symptoms with the High Coping profile demonstrating the best overall mental health. Results demonstrated diverse coping patterns for military youth and these coping patterns are related to varying levels of depressive symptomology. Future research is needed to understand the development and trajectory of these coping behaviors and their long-term influence on mental health outcomes. Longitudinal research and the use of multiple reports by both parents and youth can be beneficial for further understanding of the stress process. For professionals who work with military youth, this information can be useful when developing interventions and prevention programs as the use of adaptive coping may serve to buffer against depressive symptoms. Military parents can also be provided with knowledge regarding behaviors that may serve as warning signs of maladjustment (e.g., the display of poor or infrequent coping behaviors). / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / July 2, 2014. / Coping, Depressive Symptoms, Latent Profile Analysis, Military Families, Youth / Includes bibliographical references. / Mallory Lucier-Greer, Professor Directing Dissertation; Carolyn Herrington, University Representative; Ming Cui, Committee Member; Lenore McWey, Committee Member; Wayne Denton, Committee Member.

The association between sexual minority status and poor mental health is well established. However, despite the recent increase in studies investigating health disparities between heterosexual and sexual minority youth and adults, few consider the multidimensional and developmental nature of sexuality when assessing its association with mental health outcomes over various contexts and time. The current study employed the use of complex methodology to assess human sexuality across multiple dimensions (i.e., sex, romantic/sexual attraction, romantic/sexual behavior, and sexual orientation/identity) and developmental stages (i.e., adolescence to adulthood) to assess between and within-group differences on outcomes of depression and suicidality. The influence of interpersonal relationships (parental and peer) and contexts (school and community) on the association between sexual status and mental health outcomes were also examined. In Study 1 latent class analysis was used to identify three groups in adolescence that varied in sexual status. Group comparisons indicated that those who were same- or both-sex attracted reported higher levels of depression and suicide concurrently and at later developmental stages. Proposed risk and protective factors did not fully attenuate differences in outcomes, although the cumulative influence of these effects mitigated differences for depression in early adolescence. Repeated measures latent class analysis on indicators of sexuality from adolescence to adulthood (Study 2) identified five groups that varied in sexual status and sexual maturation and that were differentially related in suicidality and depression over time. Groups identified by sexual minority status characteristics (same- or both- sex attraction or behavior, or nonheterosexual identities) were most at risk across time; however, these groups also demonstrated differences from one another. Longitudinal associations with outcomes identified differential timing of risk, and the analysis of risk and protective factors indicated that youth contexts alter the association between sexual status and mental health outcomes. When assessing the relationship between sexual status groups and trajectories of depression from adolescence to adulthood (Study 3) results indicated four distinct trajectories characterizing chronic low risk, early risk, later risk, and chronic high risk. Findings indicated that groups characterized by sexual minority attraction, behavior, and identity were associated with later and chronic high risk trajectories from adolescence to adulthood when compared to heterosexual groups. Together, results indicate both between- and within-group differences in sexual status and the subsequent association with mental health outcomes. Investigation of risk and protective factors revealed that youth interpersonal relationships and environments act as both mediators and moderators of the relationship between sexual status and mental health, with more robust influences on depression than suicidality and on concurrent rather than longitudinal outcomes. Implications for research, theory, programming, and policy are also discussed. Overall, finding support previous sexual minority health disparities research but highlight the need for within-group studies to assess how differences among sexual minorities and their experiences contribute to mental health outcomes across the lifespan. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / June 3, 2014. / Depression, LGBT, Mental health, Sexual development, Sexuality, Suicide / Includes bibliographical references. / B. Kay Pasley, Professor Directing Dissertation; John Taylor, University Representative; Ming Cui, Committee Member; Wayne H. Denton, Committee Member.

Everyday stress is associated with negative maternal-adolescent relationship quality, which can impact adolescent mental and physical well-being. Guided by family stress theory, the purpose of this study was to test the associations between everyday stressors, open family communication, maternal social support, and maternal-adolescent relationship quality with a sample identified as at-risk for child maltreatment. Consistent with family stress theory, the resources of open family communication and maternal social support were hypothesized to be associated with the relationship between everyday stressors and maternal-adolescent relationship quality. The sample was from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) and included 460 biological and adoptive mothers. Path analyses were used to analyze the direct and indirect relationships proposed in the model. In this sample, results demonstrated maternal everyday stress was negatively associated with later maternal-adolescent relationship quality. Additionally, maternal everyday stress was negatively associated with both open family communication and maternal perception of social support, while open family communication and maternal perception of social support were positively associated with later maternal-adolescent relationship quality. Based on these results, clinically addressing resources such as open family communication and maternal perception of social support would be beneficial for families in which there is low maternal-adolescent relationship quality. However, these results were based on a specific population and a secondary dataset; therefore future research would benefit from including additional respondents and measures. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / May 13, 2014. / At-Risk Sample, Family Stress Theory, Maternal-Adolescent Relationships, Resources / Includes bibliographical references. / Lenore M. McWey, Professor Directing Dissertation; Anne E. Barrett, University Representative; Wayne H. Denton, Committee Member; Ming Cui, Committee Member.

ABSTRACT Acquired hearing loss occurs when one loses their hearing postlingually. The condition is increasing as the world's population ages and is also increasing in younger adults as well. Little quantitative data is available on how hearing loss affects spouses' or partners' intimate relationships. Thus, the focus of this study is to explore how hearing loss affects spouses' marital adjustment. Eighty-two couples participated and couple members individually completed surveys that provided the data for this quantitative study. The statistical method used was stepwise multiple regression. The study variables were: degree of hearing loss, sudden versus gradual loss, spouses' personality, perceived social support, and spouses' marital adjustment. Use of assistive technology was tested as a moderator of the relationship between the degree of hearing loss and spouses' marital adjustment. Also, perceived social support was tested as a mediator of the relationships between degree of hearing loss, sudden versus gradual loss, spouses' personality, and marital adjustment. Perceived social support was the most significant predictor of spouses' marital adjustment and predicted higher levels of marital adjustment. Presence of children in the home was significantly associated with lower levels of marital adjustment. While use of assistive technology significantly predicted spouses' marital adjustment, it was not found to moderate the relationship between degree of hearing loss and spouses' marital adjustment. Perceived social support was found to mediate the relationships between openness and marital adjustment and conscientiousness and marital adjustment but not for the degree of hearing loss, sudden versus gradual loss, agreeableness, emotional stability, or extraversion. Implications for clinical practice are also presented. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2014. / July 8, 2014. / Effects of hearing loss, Hearing loss, Marital adjustment, Marital adjustment following hearing loss, Spouses' marital adjustment / Includes bibliographical references. / B. Kay Pasley, Professor Directing Dissertation; Carla Wood Jackson, University Representative; Marsha L. Rehm, Committee Member; Robert E. Lee, III, Committee Member.