Using the culturally variant perspective and symbolic interaction theory, I examined the perceptions of Black partnered and nonpartnered mothers toward their children and how these perceptions shaped their views toward single-mother effectiveness. I conducted secondary analysis of National Survey of American Families [NSAF] (1999) with a sample of Black, non-Hispanic mothers with children between the ages of 6 to 17 years old. Black mothers significantly differed on age, education, income, and perceptions about their child's psychological and social behaviors, religious service attendance, and mental health. Mothers' age, education level, income, viewing child as having difficulty getting along with others and viewing child as harder to care for were significantly related to mothers' opinions toward single-mother effectiveness. Feeling angry toward their child and mothers' mental health score were moderately and significantly related to single-mother effectiveness. / Master of Science

This study examines whether aggression and prosocial behavior shape changes in perceptions of friendship quality within stable reciprocal best friend dyads. A longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to investigate whether individual characteristics predict changes 6 to 12 weeks later in perceptions of relationship support and negativity. The sample included 76 same-sex dyads drawn from classrooms in grades 4 (M = 9.48 years) through 6 (M= 11.43 years) in two public schools in the United States. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection