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Victimization and rejection by peers leads to and exacerbates behavior problems in children and adolescents. Given the implications of problematic peer relations for adolescents who experience behavior problems, the present study examined factors that may be related to how adolescents perceive peers who exhibit such problems. Specifically, the present study examined the relationship of adolescent peer informants’ socioeconomic status, their prior exposure to psychopathology, their own social competence, and their own behavior problems to their perceptions of peer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, their liking of individuals who exhibit such problems, and their attributions for the etiology of such problems when portrayed by fictitious adolescents of the same age. In particular, adolescents were asked to rate a set of vignettes that portray internalizing and externalizing behavior problems that are seen commonly in peers and to complete a set of brief questionnaires. Results revealed that adolescents are able to accurately detect the presence of both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in vignette characters. Additionally, vignette characters who display behavior problems received significantly lower liking ratings. Finally, although adolescents endorsed both internal and external etiological factors, ratings were related to the gender of the depicted vignette character and the nature of the portrayed behavior problems. Participants’ own externalizing problems, social competence, and previous exposure to behavior problems in others related uniquely to adolescents’ perceptions of the vignette characters. Overall, this study provided additional evidence that, although peers can serve as valuable informants, they also tended to reject adolescents who display behavior problems.

Extant research suggests communication styles (CS) such as constructive communication (CC) to be associated positively with relationship satisfaction (RS) and negatively with mental health (MH) whereas self-demand / partner withdraw (SD/PW) communication is associated negatively with RS and positively with MH. Research also suggests child abuse (CA) to be associated with poorer CS, lower RS, and poorer MH. Further, RS has been differentially associated with MH and CS in adult intimate relationships. However, no study has examined these associations simultaneously. The current study aimed to (1) assess these associations in IPV-exposed women and (2) assess differences between those with and without a history of CA. Data (n = 412; Mage = 36.77, SD = 12.54) come from a larger data collection project (N = 676). I hypothesized that: (1) higher CC and RS would be associated with lower severity of MH symptoms; (2) higher SD/PW and lower RS would be associated with higher severity of MH symptoms; (3) women with a history of CA will report less CC, lower RS, and higher severity of MH symptoms; and (4) women with a history of CA will report more SD/PW, lower RS, and higher severity of MH symptoms. Results did not support hypotheses. Results suggest that CS and RS do not together predict MH in this population and do not differ for those with or without a history of CA. Future research should quantitatively and qualitatively investigate these associations in dyads in order to thoroughly assess the everyday nature of the relationship.

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Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior are prevalent problems, particularly among young adults. However, previous research on factors that might impact the severity of NSSI is limited, with no studies examining concurrently demographic and psychological risk factors, along with how reasons for engaging in, and emotional states surrounding, NSSI might impact its course. Furthermore, no studies to date have examined how these variables may be associated with laboratory-based behavioral indicators of NSSI severity. Similarly, the relationship between NSSI and suicide has been largely unexplored until recently. The few studies that have been conducted to date have relied primarily on self-report batteries of symptoms, largely neglecting interview and performance-based methodologies. The current study used a multi-method approach to elucidate factors associated with: 1) co-morbid suicidal behavior and 2) NSSI severity among a sample of young adults who engage in NSSI. Finally, the current study sought to develop an algorithm for predicting suicidal behavior among self-injurers by simultaneously examining all study variables to determine which variables best differentiated between those with and without a history of suicidal behavior. Hypotheses: It was hypothesized that: 1) greater endorsement of self-punishment, emotion regulation, sensation seeking, and addiction functions of NSSI, along with decreases in negative affect and increases in positive affect during NSSI, would be independently associated with a history of suicidal behavior after controlling for relevant demographic and diagnostic characteristics, and 2) greater endorsement of self-punishment, emotion regulation, sensation seeking, and addiction functions, along with decreases in negative affect and increases in positive affect during NSSI, each would be independently associated with a more severe course of NSSI as indicated by a greater number of self-reported acts and methods of NSSI, stronger implicit associations with NSSI, and higher levels of behavioral self-aggression. Methods: Participants were 68 undergraduates aged 18-26 who had engaged in at least 5 acts of NSSI, with at least one in the past six months. Twenty-eight participants endorsed little or no previous suicidal ideation and were in the NSSI Only group. Forty participants endorsed clinical levels of suicidal behavior (plans or attempts) in their lifetime and were in the NSSI+Suicidal Behavior group. Participants completed a screening procedure during which they completed self-report measures of lifetime history of NSSI and suicidal behavior, as well as self-report measures of impulsivity and affect regulation. Participants who met inclusion criteria were enrolled in the full study during which they completed diagnostic interviews for Axis I and II psychopathology, structured interviews to assess detailed lifetime self-injurious and suicidal behavior, self-report measures to assess current mood, and behavioral tasks assessing implicit associations with NSSI and self-aggression. Results: In terms of predicting group membership, mean level of behavioral self-aggression in the lab and engaging in NSSI for the purpose of emotion regulation significantly predicted membership in the NSSI+S study group. Regarding NSSI severity, engaging in NSSI because one feels addicted, significantly predicted more self-reported lifetime acts and methods of NSSI. Engaging in NSSI in order to meet interpersonal needs was significantly associated with implicit associations with NSSI, and increases in positive affect during NSSI were significantly associated with greater mean behavioral self-aggression in the lab. Finally, a simple algorithm was developed that correctly classified 87% of study participants into their correct study groups. This algorithm included only four variables: a history of suicidal ideation, trait sensation seeking, mean level of behavioral self-aggression in the lab, and current alcohol abuse. Conclusions: The current study revealed that although NSSI and suicidal behavior have several similarities, they are distinct in several ways and many self-injurious individuals are not suicidal. Furthermore, the two study groups did not differ significantly on any Axis I or II diagnosis, suggesting that focusing primarily on diagnostic differentiators between NSSI and suicide may be misguided. Rather, the current study found that reasons for engaging in NSSI, affective states surrounding NSSI, and behavioral self-aggression, contribute significantly to NSSI severity and the relation between NSSI and suicide. / Psychology

Although emotional maltreatment is clearly a very important issue that impedes youths' development, it has only recently begun to receive the attention it deserves. The present study hypothesized that for adolescents with high self-worth, high religiosity, high parent and peer support, high family cohesion, and low family conflict the negative effects of emotional abuse on internalizing symptomatology would attenuate. Additionally, the same protective factors were hypothesized to moderate the relationship between emotional and physical abuse and adolescent internalizing symptomatology. Two samples were used in order to test the aforementioned hypotheses: 1) a whole sample that consisted of adolescents with no or any emotional and physical abuse (N = 220) and 2) a no physical abuse sample that consisted of adolescents with no or any emotional abuse (N = 118). In order to assess the study variables the following measures were used: Conflict Tactics Scale-PC, Self-Perception Profile, Youth Religiosity Scale, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, Family Environment Scale, and Youth Self Report. None of the study's hypotheses were supported by the current data. It is assumed that this might be due to the sample's nature and it is suggested that future studies utilize a sample with different age groups and with higher reports (means) of emotional and physical abuse. However, the findings suggested that emotional abuse had a stronger effect on internalizing symptomatology than physical abuse, and the significant main effects of self-worth, parent support, peer support, and family cohesion indicated the importance of their presence in adolescents' psychological adjustment. / Ph. D.

In spite of the high prevalence of internalizing and externalizing disorders in children, little research has been conducted to directly assess risk factors associated with the development of these disorders. Among other influences, it has been suggested that the expression of childhood psychopathology may be related to family socialization practices. This study uses Olson's circumplex model of marital and family systems to test the relationship between family environment and the internalizing and externalizing domains of childhood psychopathology. It was hypothesized that children with internalizing behavior problems come from families that are high in cohesion (i.e., enmeshed) and low in flexibility (i.e., rigid and structured). Furthermore, it was predicted that these families are low in level of expressed conflict and have poor communication levels within the family. Families o(children with externalizing behavior problems, on the other hand, were hypothesized to be low in cohesion (i.e., disengaged), and to be either high or low in flexibility (i.e., rigid or chaotic). They were predicted to openly express high levels of conflict within the family, but generally have poor communication skills. These hypotheses were tested using Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist to assign children between the ages of 7 and 11 to internalizing (n = 9) and externalizing (n = 10) groups and using an objective observational measure and several self-report measures to evaluate the families along the dimensions of the circumplex model. Results failed to confirm these hypotheses, however, they were suggestive of a link between family environment and nature and severity of childhood behavior problems. / Master of Science

A large body of research has examined if early psychopathology symptoms predict continued social difficulties into adolescence; however, few studies have examined whether early social competence predict which children will develop and maintain psychopathology symptoms across childhood and adolescence. Utilizing the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development dataset, this study included a multi-method assessment of social competence in preschoolers and examined whether these social competency measures predicted internalizing and externalizing psychopathology symptom trajectories throughout childhood and adolescence. Additionally, it examined whether social competency measures predicted narrowband measures of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, and psychopathy in 3rd - 9th grade. Exploratory factory analyses could not identify underlying factors among the social competency measures; as such, these were examined individually. Two to four classes were identified using Growth Mixture Modeling for parent- and teacher-reported internalizing and externalizing trajectories. Generally, children who had worse preschool social competence were more likely to be in the various moderate and high psychopathology symptom trajectory classes. Some measures of social competency were predictive of parent and teacher-reported ADHD and ODD and self-reported psychopathy, with differing relations for males and females; no measures were predictive of self-reported depression. This study has important implications with regard to early identification of and intervention for at-risk youth. Identifying these youth during the preschool years can result in improved developmental trajectories and significantly decreased societal costs. / M.S. / A large amount of research has looked to see if early atypical mental or behavioral symptoms (known as psychopathology symptoms) predict continued social difficulties into adolescence; however, only a few studies have looked at whether early social skills and performance (social competence) predict which children will develop and continue to show psychopathology symptoms across childhood and adolescence. Using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development dataset, this study included multiple ways to assess social competence in preschoolers and wanted to see if these measures predicted psychopathology symptoms over time as the child grows up. Additionally, it looked to see whether social competency measures predicted symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, and psychopathy in 3rd - 9th grade. Generally, after running analyses on the data, children who had worse preschool social competence were more likely to have moderate and high psychopathology symptoms over time. Some measures of social competency were shown to be related to parent and teacher-reported ADHD and ODD and self-reported psychopathy, with different connections for males and females; no measures were connected to self-reported depression. This study has important possibilities when looking at early recognition of and treatment for at-risk youth. Finding these youth during the preschool years can lead to better paths over time.