Thesis (M.A.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-73). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1986. / Vita. Bibliography: leaves [171]-185.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-231).

Virtually all of the research on the ethnic identity development of children in intercountry adoption (ICA) has been on transracial adoptions (TRA). Little is known about the ethnic socialisation of internationally adopted children, raised in racially similar adoptive homes. Within the TRA literature, it has been found that transracially adopted children tend to ethnically identify with the white majority culture. That tendency has also been linked to adoptive parents' attitudes about the birth culture, and speculation that most parents are assimilating their children to the dominant culture. Research on TRA has also revealed that despite low ethnic identification, most adoptees score highly on indices of self-concept. In the present study, 162 New Zealand adoptive families of European descent, with children adopted predominately from Eastern Europe, were surveyed concerning their experiences and attitudes about the importance of their children's birth culture. Results from the surveys showed that the majority of families engaged in a range of cultural activities, and made efforts to socialise with people of their child's birth ethnicity. In addition, most of the adoptive parents expressed a desire that their children ethnically identify with the birth culture, as well as with the New Zealand culture. Almost all of the families researched the birth country before travelling to collect their children, and most parents kept part or all of their child's original name. A sub-sample of 52 of the adopted children was also interviewed in a second phase of the study. Measures of ethnic identity were obtained, using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (Phinney, 1992), as were adjustment scores, using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (Piers, 1984). Findings revealed that overall, the children had moderate identification with the birth culture, and moderate to high self-concept scores, which were not correlated with one another other. From the parent surveys, a scale was derived to assess the parent's sensitivity to culture. Known as the 'Cultural Sensitivity Measure' (CSM), this score was statistically compared to the children's ethnic identity scores, to test the assumption that the parents' attitudes about the birth culture would influence the children's ethnic identification with the birth culture. While the parents had moderate sensitivity scores, no relationship was found between the parents CSM scores and the children's MEIM scores. Overall, these findings suggest that the internationally adopted children in New Zealand are well adjusted, interested in their ethnic origins, and being parented by New Zealanders who support the children's interest in their birth culture. Future areas of research were identified, and recommendations to families, professionals and policymakers were offered.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

This study investigated two variables that have been associated with violent behavior in adolescent males: psychopathy and gang affiliation. Twenty-one incarcerated male adolescents (ages 14-17) committed to a secure care setting participated in the study. Participants were identified as either gang members or non-gang members, and interviewed using the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R) (Hare, 1991). Results indicated that gang members as a group manifested higher levels of psychopathy than non-gang members as measured by the Total and Affective (Factor 1) scores of the PCL-R. However, interrater reliability was low on the Affective (Factor 1) scale, and Affective (Factor 1) results must be interpreted with caution. No significant differences emerged between gang members and non-gang members on the Behavior (Factor 2) score of the PCL-R. Therefore, incarcerated gang members and non-gang members did not differ significantly in delinquent offense history. In conclusion, significant differences emerged overall between gang members and non-gang members on the variable of psychopathy, establishing the presence of a relationship between psychopathy and gang affiliation. The recognition of psychopathy in influencing gang affiliation can complement existing sociological theories in understanding the complex nature of adolescents who affiliate with gangs.

Master of Science / Department of Psychology / Donald A. Saucier / This study explored how people perceive and receive social support, react to stress, and value different communication skills across cultures. Three hundred and four American students and 134 Taiwanese students participated. It was predicted that Taiwanese students would utilize social support less and rely on internally targeted control strategies more than would American students. Conversely, it was predicted that both groups would equally favor comforting and ego support from friendship. The results, however, indicated that the groups did not differ on utilizing social support, and Americans favored ego support more than did Taiwanese. Since cross-cultural contacts are encouraged in many fields such as business and academia, the results have pragmatic implications for cross-cultural mutual understanding, international trading, and sojourners' adjustment training.

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant proposal to develop and secure funding for a mentoring program for African American youth between the ages of 13 to 18. The host agency is the Dangerfield Institute of Urban Problems Group Home located in Los Angeles, California. </p><p> The goal of the project is to implement a program that introduces African American youth to positive adult role models with the intent to secure a lasting relationship as the youth transition into adulthood. Another goal of the program is to provide the youth with the tools to explore self-development. After reviewing the funding options, the Weingart Foundation was selected as the best fit for the goals and objectives of the proposed project. </p><p> The actual submission of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of this project.</p>

This dissertation examines the role of social networks and social norms in health outcomes and behaviors among low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a particular focus on Uganda. Paper 1 presents a systematic review of sociocentric network studies conducted in LMICs on health-related outcomes and other development topics. I first discuss the sociocentric network study designs employed in 36 selected papers, and provide a catalog of 105 name generator questions used to measure social ties. Second, I show that network composition, individual network centrality, and network structure are associated with health behaviors and health and development outcomes in different contexts across multiple levels of analysis and across distinct network types. Lastly, I highlight opportunities for health researchers and practitioners in LMICs to 1) design effective studies and interventions that account for the sociocentric network positions of certain individuals and overall network structure, 2) measure the spread of outcomes or intervention externalities, and 3) enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of aid based on knowledge of social structure. Papers 2 and 3 exploit a population-based dataset on eight villages from rural Southwest Uganda, arising from a pilot study which myself and colleagues designed to collect sociocentric network data. There were a total of 1,669 adults interviewed representing a response rate of 96%. Paper 2 assesses the relationship between food insecurity and depression symptom severity in the general adult population, and the potential confounding or moderating roles of social network position, structure, and composition in that relationship. I find that severe and moderate food insecurity was associated with greater depression symptom severity among both men and women, and that none of the social network characteristics were directly associated with the outcome. Moreover, there were no interactions between food insecurity and network characteristics among women. For severely food insecure men, however, personal network centrality was positively associated with symptoms and personal network poverty composition was negatively associated with symptoms. Findings reveal that nutrition interventions aimed at improving food security in rural areas may have significant beneficial effects in terms of mental health outcomes for the whole population. I discuss the possible role of shame in affecting depression among severely food insecure men with wealthier networks and in more central network locations. Paper 3 examines the extent to which individuals underestimate the prevalence of HIV testing in their village and misperceive the norm, and also assesses the relationship between perception of the HIV testing norm in one’s village with personally never having been tested. I find that although a majority of people had been tested in each of the villages, a majority of people underestimated the actual prevalence and thought that testing was not normative. Men who perceived testing as not normative were much more likely to never have been tested, and both men and women who felt they didn’t know anything about the norm were also more likely to never have been tested. Results suggest that interventions promoting true HIV testing norms may help increase uptake of testing. / Health Policy

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ) youth face considerable discrimination and peer victimization, which has been associated with a number of negative health and educational outcomes. Few studies have been conducted to understand peer attitudes and how they vary based on demographic characteristics, including sex, race and religion, and no research has been conducted examining differences in attitudes between immigrant and native-born populations. This present study analyzes the attitudes about homosexuality and gender nonconformity held by high school students (N = 957) at a racially and ethnically diverse high school in the northeast, as measured by a brief survey. The author examines how tolerance of homosexuality differs based on sex, race, immigrant identity, religious affiliation and intergroup contact with LGB people. Analyses of the results indicate that there are large differences in attitudes among demographic subgroups of students. Following examination of these baseline attitudes, the author conducted an experiment assessing the impact of two interventions intended to increase tolerance of homosexuality and gender nonconformity. The first intervention consisted of an offer to participate in a one-on-one discussion about LGB people, including questions intended to increase empathy and engage students in perspective-taking as a means of prejudice reduction. The second intervention was based upon the mere exposure effect: the phenomenon that repeated exposures to a stimulus may enhance preference for that stimulus. This intervention consisted of multiple exposures over the course of an academic year to a questionnaire assessing students’ attitudes about homosexuality and gender nonconformity. Analyses of the results of both experiments indicate that neither intervention had statistically significant impacts on prejudice reduction: the views of students who were initially accepting of LGBQ people remained positive at the conclusion of the study, while those students with pre-existing anti-LGBQ bias did not become more tolerant as a result of participation in the study, and in fact, less tolerant students appeared to experience a slight increase in prejudice. Further inquiry is needed to understand the reasons why these interventions had the opposite of the desired effect for intolerant students, in order to craft more appropriate prejudice-reduction strategies for students with pre-existing anti-LGBQ bias.