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The primary objective of the current study involved examining the influence of psychopathy on aggression and antisocial behavior. Reports of parental attachment, peer relationships, and exposure to community violence were examined as potential moderators of these relationships. Parental attachment styles and peer delinquency were also assessed with respect to the outcomes. A total of 172 students at a Midwestern college participated. Parental attachment, peer attachment, and exposure to community violence were not significant moderators between psychopathy and the outcome variables. Peer delinquency and exposure to community violence were both predictors of aggression; however, only peer delinquency was a predictor of antisocial behavior. Moreover, there was a significant group difference between those with secure attachment and the other attachment styles with respect to scores for aggression. These findings have implications for prevention and intervention strategies for the community. However, potential problems with data collection and experimental design are discussed. Additional research needs to be performed to determine directional and causal mechanisms of the relationships found in this study.

Of all relational bonds, perhaps the strongest and most complex is the one between parent and child. The dynamics of this relationship potentially hold the key to understanding the future psychological adjustment of the child. The current study was conducted to assess the relationship between perceived parental attachment and coping styles. Undergraduate psychology students (n=300) were administered a survey to examine perceived parental attachment, coping style, and gender. In conflict with previous studies, results indicated that neither respondents' gender nor level of perceived parental attachment was significantly related to participants' reported coping style. Increased knowledge and understanding of parental attachment is critical to understanding the development of psychological well-being.

According to the American College Health Association 31.3% of college students reported feeling depressed. Early parental attachment forms an internal working model that is used as reference for later relationships and experiences. Past research suggests that parental attachment is associated with depression. Low self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between parental bonding (low care and overprotection) and depression. The cognitive schemas of defectiveness and shame were found to meditate the relationship between poor parental bonding and depression. Among cancer patients the relationship between anxious attachment and symptoms of depression was mediated by perceived social support. Research is necessary to further understand the negative outcomes of insecure parental attachment as it relates to depression. Purpose of study is to simultaneously examine three potential mediators (shame, social support, and self-esteem) of the attachment and depression relationship. The results of the current study suggest that the relationship between insecure parental attachment and depression is indirect with shame, social support, and self-esteem each serving as mediators of this relationship.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / The identity status paradigm (ISP) is probably the most common theoretical model used to study identity development. It originates from Erikson’s (1950/1977) psychosocial theory, which, in turn, is historically rooted in the psychoanalytic perspective. The ISP postulates predictable relationships between each of the identity status categories and various intrapersonal and contextual variables. The applicability of the ISP in the South African context is tested in this study. A student sample was drawn from a predominantly African university, and was assessed for identity development over a period of three consecutive years (Ns = 394, 96 & 60, for years one, two and three, in that order). Participants were initially classified into the four identity status categories of Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure and Diffusion. The impact of gender and age on identity status development was investigated. The association between defenses and the identity statuses was also determined. Thereafter, identity statuses, in conjunction with defenses, narcissism, and parental attachment, were related to the ego strengths of Fidelity and Love. The results suggest that generally there is no relationship between the sets of variables in this particular sample. The results are discussed in relation to existing literature, and the issue of the appropriateness of the theory and/or the measures in the present sample is raised. Key terms: defense, ego strength, identity status, narcissism, parental attachment / the Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education (NUFU),

Family and school are the two major socialization agents for young people with important implications for their social, psychological and cognitive development. This thesis aimed to investigate the extent to which family conditions in terms of parental attachment and support (PAS) and school conditions in terms of participation and teacher support were associated with adolescents’ psychosomatic health. The thesis also explored whether school participation and support (SPS) could compensate for the potentially negative health implications of experiencing poor relational support at home. Association patterns according to gender and grade were also investigated. Data were derived from a classroom survey of all ninth and eleventh-grade students carried out in Stockholm 2006 (n=9,560). Results from linear regression analyses showed that both PAS and SPS were negatively associated with psychosomatic complaints. Gender and grade differences were also noted in respect to PAS and SPS as well as in the interaction between them. The study failed to find a compensatory function of school characteristics for less advantaged students, but modifying effects were nevertheless found. Students with a combination of high PAS and low SPS had worse health than expected, thus indicating that poor condition in school modifies the positive health effect of PAS in a negative way.

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L’objectif principal de cette thèse est de comprendre l’adaptation psychophysiologique des individus au stress aigu et chronique et l’influence des différences individuelles. Dans ce but nous avons mené deux grandes études, sur le stress aigu et chronique respectivement. Dans la première expérience, nous présentons un protocole d’induction de stress aigu, une tâche de parler en public, qui a été efficace pour provoquer le stress psychosocial. Nous avons ensuite étudié l’adaptation au stress et la performance dans la tâche de parler en public de façon multidisciplinaire (i.e., psychologique, physiologique et comportementale). Nous avons mis en évidence que les mauvaises performances dans cette tâche étaient associées principalement avec les traits de personnalité (i.e., trait d’anxiété), les émotions, l’évaluation cognitive et le coping. De plus, nous avons mis en évidence un modèle de médiation montrant que le trait d’anxiété est lié aux mauvaises performances indirectement à travers le coping, indiquant un rôle important des capacités de gestion du stress. Finalement, nous avons trouvé que les déficits de régulation émotionnelle, comme l’alexithymie, étaient associés avec une augmentation significative de l’activité HPA sur le cortisol suggérant que l’alexithymie module la réponse physiologique du stress. Dans la seconde partie, nous avons étudié les conséquences du stress chronique à travers les problèmes de conduites alimentaires sur 675 étudiants Français et Chinois. Les résultats montrent un effet de médiation sur la relation négative entre un attachement parental sécurisé et les problèmes de conduite alimentaire à travers l’alexithymie et le neuroticisme. De plus, bien qu’une prévalence plus élevée ait été observée dans la population chinoise par rapport à la population française, nos résultats montrent que les conduites alimentaires problématiques liées au stress sont un problème psychologique général plutôt que culturel. Cette thèse a des implications pratiques puisqu’ elle propose un protocole d’induction au stress aigu qui peut être utilisé à l’entraînement. En apportant une meilleure compréhension des facteurs de risque dans les réponses au stress, il sera possible d’aider les individus à mieux faire face au stress et améliorer leur bien-être dans des situations de performance ou dans des pathologies liées au stress. / The primary objective of this thesis is to understand the psychophysiological adaptation of individuals to acute and chronic stress and how individual differences influence it. For this aim, we conducted two large studies with regards to acute and chronic stress, respectively. In the first experimentation, we presented a laboratory induced stress protocol (a public speaking task), which proved successful in eliciting acute psychosocial stressor. Next, we took into account the multidisciplinary assessment (i.e., psychological, physiological and behavioural) to study stress responses and performance. We found that the failure of stress performance was associated mainly with personality trait (i.e., trait anxiety), emotions, cognitive appraisals and coping. Moreover, we suggested a mediation model showing that trait anxiety linked to poor performance indirectly through coping, indicating an important role of the stress management ability. Finally, we found that emotion regulation deficit, i.e., alexithymia was associated with significant increased HPA activity on cortisol, suggesting alexithymia modulate physiological stress response. In the second part, we studied the chronic stress consequences on disordered eating in a total of 675 university student athletes in China and France. Results supported a mediation effect on the negative relationship between the secure parental attachment and disordered eating through alexithymia and neuroticism. Furthermore, despite a higher prevalence was observed in the Chinese sample than in French, our results suggested this stress-related eating behaviour was a general psychological problem rather than a cultural issue. This thesis has practical meanings in providing an acute stress protocol which can be put into training. By understanding risk factors for stress responses, performance and stress-related illness, we may indeed help individual to cope better with stress and increase their well-being.