The purpose of this study is to use family stress theory to examine the relationship between age at first marriage and marital quality and divorce. Age at marriage continues to increase and the demographics keep changing. Past research suggests that early age at marriage has been a contributing factor to divorce risk. Marital quality outcomes can also give us an idea of how well couples are faring in their marriages. This study employs a sample from a longitudinal, nationally representative investigation (CREATE), which has followed newlywed couples since 2016. The sub-sample for this study comes from wave one and includes 1,811 women and 1,649 men. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, I analyzed sixteen marital stability and quality outcomes and age at first marriage models for men and women separately. Overall, there were only a few, weak, significant relationships between age at marriage and marital stability and quality outcomes, suggesting that age at first may not be a particularly robust indicator of marital success, perhaps because strong norms for the right age to marry have diminished and couples who marry early do so because they want to rather than feeling they have to. Therefore, practitioners can help couples focus on more significant factors than age for marital success.

This study investigated whether a relationship exists between levels of marital dedication and student-life stress among married undergraduate students. Student-life stress was examined using the Student-Life Stress Inventory (SLI) (Gadzella, 1991). Student-life stress was compared to levels of marital dedication (low, moderate, high) using the Relationship Scale (Stanley & Markman, 1992). Differences in student-life stress were examined between male and female students. In addition, differences in levels of marital dedication were examined between students and spouses. Levels of marital dedication were compared to a national sample of relatively happy and committed couples. Lastly, spouses ranked categories that have had the greatest impact upon them as spouse of students. Ninety married couples (180 participants) at four universities and one community college in the Southeast participated in the study. No statistically significant difference was found on the Student-life Stress Inventory (SLI) between male and female students. In the highly dedicated category, there was a statistically significant difference in levels of marital dedication between students and spouses. A greater proportion of spouses were more highly dedicated than students. No statistically significant difference in overall levels of marital dedication was found between spouses of male and female students. Male students were as equally dedicated to the national sample of males, whereas female students were less dedicated than the national sample of females. Lastly, male spouses scored higher than female spouses on every category concerning areas that have been most greatly impacted by being a spouse of a student. Though Recreation and Housework were highly ranked categories, the only category showing a significant difference was Sex. Husbands were more severely impacted in the Category of Sex than wives. Although previous research found marital dedication to be higher among females than males, this was not the case for student wives. This may suggest that student wives prioritize their academic studies while they are in school. Male spouses struggle with multiple demands while their wives are in school, calling for more attention to preclude the negative marital effects for male spouses.

This thesis uses the limited research on LGBTQ+ specific hypervigilance and queer battle fatigue to explore the prevalence of hypervigilance and fatigue in trans+ medical experiences, even when emotions aren't centered in their narratives, while also using participants' narratives and minority stress theory to suggest changes to the American medical system. Data was taken from a previous study of in-depth interviews on healthcare experiences of 60 trans+ young adults ages 18-24. Analysis of the data was done in NVivo using line-by-line coding for mentions of emotional responses linked to hypervigilance within interview transcripts. Results show that 67% of participants shared fears about their medical care. The main themes revolved around being outed by medical providers to unsupportive parents, along with avoiding medical help out of fear of being mistreated by the provider and/or staff. Participants also shared frustration with having to educate medical providers and others in positions of power about their care or even having to go so far as to "reenter the closet" to ease through interactions. 58% of participants reported feeling anxiety and fatigue around their healthcare visits. The implications of this thesis are that the scholarship on trans+ hypervigilance applies to experiences when not asked about hypervigilance but also suggests adding ‘frustration' to transgender hypervigilance categories. Secondly, queer battle fatigue applies to systems outside of education, in this case, healthcare. Finally, the findings from this study further corroborate that the current medical systems can negatively impact trans+ patients and propose ways to de-center cisnormativity from healthcare.

Master of Science / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Melinda Markham / The number of grandparents who are taking over the responsibility of raising their grandchildren is increasing over time. Despite society’s reliance on them, society is failing to meet the needs of these families. Grandparents consistently lack the necessary resources that could reduce and minimize their stress in what is usually an unexpected family situation. Family Life Education has failed to meet the needs of grandfamilies. Using Family Stress Theory as a theoretical framework, this study asked the question How can Family Life Education be used as a resource for grandparents raising grandchildren to avoid crisis? Focus groups and individual interviews were used to gather qualitative data from grandparents who are currently raising their grandchildren near a midwestern university. Findings suggest grandparents raising grandchildren could benefit from education regarding finding resources and answers to questions as they navigate the many systems they are involved with, communicating and guiding their grandchildren, balancing and maintaining the shifting family dynamics and changing family relationships, information regarding the growth and development of children across the lifespan, and education regarding content that is unique to their family situation. However there are multiple barriers that participants identified toward the utilization of FLE. Ultimately, there is a lack of collaboration among services for grandparents raising grandchildren and they lack support that could potentially come from support groups. Impact and implications for practice, research and policy were discussed. Strengths and limitations of the study were also presented.

Women with breast cancer commonly experience depression. However, this condition often goes unrecognized, undertreated, and understudied, especially in ethnic minorities. If left untreated, co-existing depression in women with cancer can complicate cancer treatment, lead to poor treatment adherence for both conditions, and decrease survival. These negative consequences are considerably higher among Latinas. With the growing number of Latinos and diversity within the Latino community, the literature has identified the need to disaggregate Latinos by region of origin. Unfortunately, few studies account for these differences and no study to date has examined risk factors of depression among Latinas diagnosed with breast cancer within 5 years or by region of origin. To begin exploring predictors of depression among Latina breast cancer survivors, a theory-driven mixed-methods approach was used to identify potential risk factors for depression as a group and by region of origin (e.g., South and Central America, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries). This study also sought to contextualize Latina breast cancer survivors' perceptions of risk factors of depression, necessary to shape culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions and programs. The guiding theoretical framework for this study was Lazarus and Folkman's Cognitive Stress Theory and McLeroy and colleagues' Ecological Model for Health Promotion. Sixty-eight Latinas meeting eligibility criteria were recruited from Latino cancer support groups and other community organizations in the West Central Florida area. Both purposive and snowball-sampling procedures were used to recruit participants. A researcher-administered closed-ended questionnaire, followed by a semi-structured interview addressed research aims and the primary outcome variable. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviations, frequency, percent), bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses were completed using IBM SPSS V20. Thematic and content analyses were completed for qualitative data using Atlas.ti 6.2. Findings revealed the need for easily accessible, culturally and linguistically appropriate psychosocial services to help women adjust to cancer diagnosis and emphasized the need to disaggregate Latinos in future studies as findings may differ by Latino region of origin. Multivariate analyses showed appraisal variables (more perceived harm, more perceived threat, less perceived challenge - overcoming cancer), coping variables (less active coping and more self-blame), and poor body image to be significantly associated with an increased risk for the likelihood of depression. Appraisal variables accounted for greatest explained variance (36%). Risk factor differences by region of origin were observed in sub-group multivariate analyses, but this study was unable to conclude if risk factors play a different role by region of origin in a combined model. Twenty-two salient themes emerged from the thematic analyses of the qualitative data on all levels of the ecological model (e.g., acceptance of illness, lack of family and peer support, lack of access to care, language barriers). Content analyses demonstrated agreement on a majority of salient themes amongst groups (presence of depression symptoms and by region of origin) about the perceptions of risk factors for depression. "Helping oneself" and "discrimination" demonstrated significant difference in terms of the frequency these themes were discussed by presence of depression symptoms and "poor body-image" by region of origin. In conclusion, data from this study provided quantitative and qualitative data of potential risk factors of depression, which in turn can be used to conduct additional epidemiological studies to examine prognostic factors longitudinally. Study findings may also contribute to the existing literature of risk factors for depression to encourage future intervention and programs to reduce mental health disparities, to raise the awareness of the need for mental health services, and to inform mental health screening guidelines.

This study applies bereavement and media use theoretical perspectives to examine how survivors use media to cope with spousal loss during the first two years. Specifically, this study explores whether survivors’ television use is associated with grief intensity. Potential associations between television use and grief intensity are explored using an online survey. A media use for coping scale is developed. The relationship between television oscillation (i.e., equal use of television for respite, and to cope with primary and secondary stressors) and grief intensity is also explored, and ten specific moderators of this relationship are examined: recency of loss, type of loss, social support, family proximity and contact, marital relationship quality, economic stability, pre-existing physical and mental health issues, and change in television use. Results were collected from 356 spousal survivors and indicate that television use to cope is associated with grief intensity. Survivors that report high television use in general are using more television for relaxation, companionship, acceptance, positive reinterpretation and growth, and emotional and instrumental support. The most dramatic effects are observed with television use for relaxation and companionship, and the smallest effects with television use for emotional and instrumental support. However, there was no association between television use for respite, or to cope with primary and secondary stressors and grief intensity. Results support the value of social support, family contact at the time of loss, fewer physical health issues, and decreasing general television use in promoting more positive bereavement outcomes. Results support television oscillation as a predictor of grief intensity, but only under certain circumstances. Four of the models show significant moderator effects between television oscillation and grief intensity: social support at the time of loss, family contact at the time of loss, pre-existing physical health issues, and change in television use since the loss. When survivors have less social support at the time of loss, television oscillation is associated with less grief intensity as predicted. However, when survivors have more social support, television oscillation is marginally associated with more grief intensity. Likewise, when survivors have less family contact, television oscillation is associated with less grief intensity as predicted. Conversely, when survivors have more family contact, television oscillation is associated with more grief intensity. When survivors have more pre-existing physical health issues, television oscillation is not associated with grief intensity as predicted. For survivors with fewer pre-existing physical health issues, television oscillation is associated with less grief intensity. When survivors decrease television use by approximately one hour, television oscillation is marginally associated with less grief intensity. On the other hand, when survivors increase television use, television oscillation is not associated with grief intensity. Current general television use was a highly significant control variable in all moderator analyses indicating more television use to cope is associated with more grief intensity. Recency, type of loss, marital relationship quality, family proximity, economic stability, and pre-existing mental health issues did not significantly moderate the relationship between television oscillation and grief intensity. This study extends previous work by merging the bereavement and media use literatures, and in the development of a media use for coping scale. Moreover, it provides important empirical evidence on theoretical models about bereavement. This expands the potential for discussions about the association of individual vulnerabilities with more positive bereavement outcomes.

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The increasing evidence of the organizational demands encountered by sports performers provides a fertile ground for research. There is now a requirement to move beyond describing the organizational stressors that performers encounter in order to understand the complex appraisal and coping processes that athletes engage in when experiencing organizational stress. This thesis aimed to conduct a detailed examination of these processes in high-level sport performers. Chapter 2 describes a narrative review of the extant appraisal literature that has examined the roles of situational and personal influences on appraising. In order to generate a detailed understanding of this literature, the review includes findings from the general, occupational, organizational, and sport psychology literatures. This review was instrumental in determining the direction of the research described in later chapters. Chapter 3 aimed to narrow the focus of the thesis to organizational stress transactions in sport performers and therefore, describes a diary study that explored swimmers appraisals of organizational stressors. The findings of this study provided insight into the complex process of appraisal and suggested that appraisals are related to the situational property of the stressor encountered. In addition, the results pointed to the importance of exploring the coping strategies that athletes use to manage organizational stressors in future research. Chapter 4 describes a narrative review of the literature that has examined athletes ways of coping with organizational stressors. Due to the limited sport psychology research in this area and in order to extend current knowledge in sport, prominent findings from the organizational and occupational psychology domains were considered. Chapter 5 was designed to extend the findings of Chapter 3 and the existing literature by examining the coping strategies that swimmers use in response to organizational stressors. This chapter highlighted the complexity of coping and suggested that appraisal mechanisms are linked to the coping family employed. Chapter 6 aimed to take a more complete approach to examining organizational stress transactions by exploring various components of stress transactions. The study presented in this chapter suggested that the appraisal an athlete makes is influential in determining the performance outcome that they will experience. Collectively, the chapters described above highlighted appraising as the pivotal element in stress transactions and established a rationale for the cognitive-behavioral based intervention that is described in Chapter 7. The study presented in Chapter 7 aimed to alleviate some of the negative outcomes of organizational stress by optimizing sport performers appraisals. The findings suggested that cognitive restructuring was a useful technique for achieving this aim. The program of research presented in this thesis suggests that appraising is the pivotal element of organizational stress transactions in sport and that appraising can be optimized in order to alleviate the negative emotional and performance outcomes of maladaptive appraisals. In addition, the research highlights the importance of considering the situational properties of stressors, the complexity of coping, and the relationships between components of stress transactions in future research. Further, the findings presented within this thesis suggest that future research should aim to make methodological and measurement advances and examine, in detail, performers appraisal and coping processes.

As a point of departure, this thesis is motivated by the big changes which have taken place in most Western European countries since the 1970s, with an increase in female labour market participation and, to some extent, men’s increased share of the domestic work. There is also a debate as to whether France, having a fairly extensive family support,should be categorised as closer to the Scandinavian countries or together with countries with more restrictive family policy such as Italy and Germany, and thus belonging to the conservative regime cluster as defined by Gösta Esping-Andersen. The major topic of this thesis concerns what expectations parents have on childcare and how they experience the combination of care of children and participation in paid work. Two studies, based on quantitative macro-data, analyse and compare differences in primarily women’s employment in relation to family policy measures. The studies concern in addition to France and Sweden, also Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom. The results indicate that the extensive family support system brings France closer to the Scandinavian countries. However, results based on 80 interviews made with 40 French and 40 Swedish families in the three following studies indicate that this may not be the case concerning factors like attitudes and values about the care of children and the reconciliation of work and family. Results indicate that values expressed in the French families point to a strong connection with values significant for countries in the conservative regime cluster. Major findings are that in the reconciliation of work and family, Swedes experience role stress more than French people, and in particular Swedish fathers. In France, on the other hand, mothers strongly express a feeling of dissatisfaction with their partner’s lack of participation in the household work. Regarding the attitudes to the paid parental leave (allocation parentale d’éducation- APE), French families’ arguments reflect that the policy does not promote fathers’ use of paid parental leave, and French mothers more than Swedish mothers refer to the weaker labour market situation as a reason for their use of the leave. Concerning expectations on childcare, French families more than Swedish families stress the importance of ‘upbringing,’ ‘learning’ and ‘socialisation,’ whereas Swedish families emphasise ‘pedagogy’ and that the staff recognises the individual child.

Lee Hyla (1952–2014) gehörte zu einer Generation von Komponist_innen, die nachhaltig prägende Einflüsse durch das Spielen in Rock Bands und das Hören von Rock, Punk, Jazz und anderen nicht-klassischen Genres empfingen. Hyla zählt zu den versiertesten Komponisten seiner Generation, doch ist sein Werk kaum erforscht. Die Einflüsse auf seine Musik, u. a. von James Brown, Captain Beefheart, Neil Young und Cecil Taylor, manifestieren sich in seiner Musik in einer Weise, die postmoderne Zitat- oder Verweistechniken überwindet und seinen Zugang zu Rhythmus, Metrum und Phrasierung beeinflusst. Diese Qualitäten sind von einzigartigem Interesse für Hörer_innen und stellen besondere Herausforderungen an die Ausführenden. In der Analyse von Dream of Innocent III (1987) für verstärktes Cello, Klavier und Percussion stelle ich mein analytisches Rahmenkonzept vor, das von Lerdahls and Jackendoffs generativer Theorie tonaler Musik und von Bruce Hayes’ Theorie metrischer Betonungen inspiriert ist. Meine Analyse basiert auf Rhythmus und Metrum und zeigt die Implikationen der Hyla beeinflussenden Musikformen auf die Performance von Phrasierung und Struktur. / Lee Hyla (1952–2014) belonged to a generation of composers whose formative musical experiences included playing in rock bands and listening to rock, punk, jazz, and other nonclassical genres. Hyla is among the most accomplished American composers of his generation, yet his work remains underexamined. His influences, particularly James Brown, Captain Beefheart, Neil Young, and Cecil Taylor, manifest in Hyla’s music in a manner that transcends postmodern quotation or mere reference and affect his approach to rhythm, meter, and phrasing. These qualities provide unique interest for the listener and specific challenges for the performer. Through an analysis of Dream of Innocent III (1987) for amplified cello, piano, and percussion, I present my analytical framework inspired by Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s generative theory of tonal music and Bruce Hayes’s metrical stress theory. My analysis, rooted in rhythm and meter, shows performative implications of Hyla’s influences as related to phrasing and structure.