A paucity of psychological research exists on the topic of fatphobia, a type of pervasive oppression that occurs for people with plus-size, large, and/or fat bodies. Much of the research that exists about fatphobia focuses on medical ideals, the associated weight stigma, and how these are related to fat people’s physical health. Medical researchers have determined that weight stigma is actually more harmful to fat people's health than being fat. Fatphobia impacts women at disproportionate rates. Plus-sized, queer, lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual (LGBTQ+) women may be at a heightened risk for experiencing marinization as a result of their intersecting identities compounding the effects of fatphobia. The purpose of this study was to use a qualitative, grounded theory approach to explore LGBTQ+ women’s experiences of fatphobia, and how these experiences impact their romantic relationships. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) fatphobic is chronic and pervasive in the lives of fat, queer women, (b) fatphobic experiences begin in childhood and continue into adulthood, and are perpetrated by close family and friends, as well as strangers, (c) chronic experiences of fatphobia create negative mental and physical health outcomes for fat, queer women, and (d) intentional body work is used to help fat, queer women cope with and respond to chronic oppression. Suggestions for how healthcare workers and therapists can support fat, queer women engage in intentional body work are provided.

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In this study, I explored the career satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, friendship intimacy, and mentoring functions of female faculty in marriage and family therapy (MFT) programs. Study participants included 111 women affiliated with a MFT program in a research or liberal arts institution or training institute. Participants completed the Faculty Satisfaction Questionnaire (FSQ), Kansas Martial Satisfaction Questionnaire (KMS), Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS), Mentoring Functions Questionnaire, and a demographics section with open-ended questions about their experiences. Faculty women reported higher levels of satisfaction with teaching than with service or research and higher satisfaction with service than research. Faculty who were part of a significant relationship reported high scores on the KMS while faculty who had a close friend indicated moderate intimacy levels on the MSIS. Those with a mentor reported that their mentor provided more psychosocial mentoring functions than career mentoring functions. Characteristics of the mentor and the mentoring relationship predicted the extent of the psychosocial and mentoring functions provided. Associations among career satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, friendship intimacy, mentoring functions, and demographic variables were determined using stepwise multiple regression analyses on a subsample of 37 faculty with complete data on key career and relationship functions. Expanded service duties, psychosocial mentoring functions, being Caucasian, and having received an award for research were associated with greater levels of career satisfaction. Career mentoring functions were associated with reduced levels of career satisfaction. Possession of a doctorate and psychosocial mentoring functions were associated with greater levels of friendship intimacy. Based on the results of this research and the literature of women in academia, implications and suggestions for improving the academic climate are presented for institutions, MFT programs, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed. / Ph. D.

This study developed and tested a new typology for use in Marriage and Family Therapy. The typology was created by integrating two already established typologies currently in use in MFT, the attachment style typology and the Enneagram typology. The attachment typology is based on attachment theory, a theory of human development that focuses on how infants and adults establish, monitor and repair attachment bonds. Differences in attachment style are associated with different kinds of relationship problems. The Enneagram typology categorizes people according to differences in attention processes. These differences in attention processes are also associated with different kinds of relationship problems, but also with different kinds of spiritual problems and talents. Support was found for both the internal and external validity of the integrated typology. The results were discussed in terms of relationship satisfaction and attachment based therapy. Implications for using the integrated typology to address spirituality in MFT were also discussed. / Ph. D.

Alcohol consumption is becoming an increasing concern among young adults. In 2018, approximately one-third of young adults in the United States reported binge drinking within the past month (Patrick et al., 2020). This peak in binge drinking during young adulthood raises concerns about physical and mental health. There are also societal implications of alcohol consumption, such as drunk driving, that are particularly evident among this age group (Stewart, 2023). As proposed by the Social Learning Theory (SLT) of alcohol use, there are many factors that motivate young adults to drink (Britton, 2004). Some engage in alcohol consumption to cope with stressful situations, while others are influenced by the perceived social norms of their peers. The current study advances SLT in regard to alcohol misuse by examining dating relationship satisfaction as a predictor of the various pathways that lead to alcohol consumption. In order to gain a better understanding of these associations, young adults were asked to complete an anonymous online survey. The survey consisted of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Babor et al., 2001), the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (Cooper, 1994), the Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988), and a series of demographic questions. Results suggest that relationship satisfaction and coping motivations are particularly influential on alcohol consumption. The societal and individual implications of these results will be further discussed.

Adult attachment has been found to play an important role for romantic relationship satisfaction. Specifically, the existent literature generally suggests that attachment anxiety is negatively related to relationship satisfaction. However, the underlying mechanism for this link still needs further exploration. The present study examined the direct and indirect effect of attachment anxiety on relationship satisfaction via two distinct relationship commitment variables: constraint commitment and dedication commitment. The final sample included 146 unmarried participants who were in a romantic relationship for at least three months. Results of multiple regression analyses on the indirect effect model indicated that attachment anxiety had a significant direct effect on relationship satisfaction as well as a significant indirect effect on relationship satisfaction via constraint commitment. However, the hypothesized indirect effect through dedication commitment was not supported. Findings are discussed from the adult attachment perspective. Counseling implications, limitations, and future research directions are outlined.

Doctor of Philosophy / Family Studies and Human Services / Sandra M. Stith / Little information is available on the use of relational aggression in adult romantic relationships. In a sample of 325 married couples (650 spouses) we assessed the use of relational aggression within couples married an average of approximately 18 years to learn more about relational aggression within this population. To understand a potential motivating factor for the use of relational aggression, marital power was also examined. Finally, to learn whether or not relationship satisfaction mediates the relationship between marital power and relational aggression, relationship satisfaction was measured and was found to be a significant mediating variable. Using the actor/partner interdependence model, we found that those who were dissatisfied in their relationships, regardless of perceived marital power, were more likely to use relational aggression. Additionally, those who were satisfied in their marriage were less likely to use relational aggression. Wives participated in more relational aggression than husbands and husbands perceived themselves as having more power and were more satisfied in the marriage. Implications and suggestions for clinicians are offered.

In this study, equity theory and relationship maintenance were employed as the framework through which couples' perceptions of and use of diet- and exercise- related social influence strategies were examined. Additionally, this research investigated whether people's perceptions of social influence were associated with their health maintenance behaviors and relationship quality, as well as whether their perceived diet- and exercise-related support from the partner moderated these associations. Finally, individuals' motivation to use influence strategies to encourage their partners to be healthier was also be evaluated. This study included a sample of 192 cohabiting or married couples. The results of the Actor Partner Interdependence Models indicated that actors' perceived relationship maintenance and control mutuality were positively associated with their perceptions of positive influence strategies from the partner. Additionally, actors' perceived positive influence strategies from their partners were associated with greater health maintenance and relationship satisfaction, with the inverse being true for actors' perceived negative influence strategies from their partners. Individuals' reports of using social influence strategies varied depending on their various motivations for using social influence strategies (i.e., perceived partner ability and willingness to change, reasons for using social influence, and reasons for not using social influence). Finally, individuals reported engaging in more health maintenance behaviors when they also perceived more positive social influence and more diet- and exercise-related support from their partners. These results suggest that relationship functioning is related to individuals' perceptions of influence strategies from the partner, which are also associated with individuals' health maintenance behaviors and relationship quality. Consequently, romantic relationships appear to be an important context in which to examine diet- and exercise- related social influence strategies.