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Depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts or actions are on the rise in adolescents (National Institute of Mental Health, 2015; Bridge, Asti, & Horowitz, 2015). Parents, school administrators, and therapists are searching for resiliency factors with in at-risk groups to aid students in need. In previous work, Luthar and Zigler (1992) reported that intelligent youth are more resilient than less intelligent youth under low stress conditions but they lose their advantage under high stress conditions. This study examined whether intelligence (reflected in grade point average; GPA) and maladaptive (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) behaviors are negatively related in adolescents, and tested whether level of stress, reflected in emotion regulation and friendship quality, moderated that association. It also probed whether the relationships differ by gender. Sixth-graders (N=506) were recruited with active parental consent from three middle schools. Adolescents completed self-report questionnaires Regarding demo graphics, maladaptive behaviors, emotion regulation, and friendship quality, and GPA data were collected from the school. Regression analyses found that GPA was negatively related to externalizing symptoms. Girls with poor friendship communication report significantly higher maladaptive behaviors. This relation was more pronounced for girls with high GPAs, as predicted. Results support the theory that intelligent female adolescents are more reactive under adverse circumstances. Future efforts should follow students through middle school into high school to evaluate whether friendships remain important to adjustment, hold for boys as well as girls, and have implications for relationship interventions.
ContributorsGonzales, Ashlyn Carol (Author) / Luthar, Suniya (Thesis director) / Davis, Mary (Committee member) / Infurna, Frank (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), a qualitative research method, combined with quantitative data, this study was designed to examine what it means to be an adolescent living with muscular dystrophy, a life-limiting disease. A sample of twelve adolescents with Duchenne (eight), limb-girdle (two), and friedreich's ataxia (two) as subsets of muscular dystrophy were interviewed one-on-one, as were their parent or adult guardian. Interviews consisted of 16 opened-ended questions for adolescents, and 17 open-ended questions for parents or guardians. Participants also completed a pre-interview online survey consisting of 38 closed-ended questions using a Likert-type scale to gather demographic and treatment information. The focus of these interviews included peer relationships, self-concepts, and family dynamics in the lives of adolescents with muscular dystrophy. Each of these categories was examined in relation to participants' processes of making meaning of their experiences. It was discovered that parent and child attitudes towards disability run parallel, whether that be positive, negative, or neutral in regards to quality of life with a disability. It was also determined that at least one parent must be a stay-at-home job or be able to work from home in order to be the caliber of caregiver required for their child. Adolescents in this study all had a strong support system in place, with the predominant support system being their family. Self-reports on whether or not adolescents worried about how their muscular dystrophy affected their families were split. Families planned activities within their family unit by utilizing a complete activity inclusion approach, separate opportunities for siblings approach, or activity elimination approach. Regardless of level of family support, it was found that the majority of adolescents in this sample try not to think about muscular dystrophy, or have neutral feelings towards these thoughts. They also thought that people who do not have muscular dystrophy do not know what it is like to live with this disease, and felt neutrally towards the way that they look. Medically speaking, the majority of adolescents reported feeling neutral towards the support that they receive from their medical providers, and that their providers do not talk directly to them but rather to the rest of their family or caregiver instead. These adolescents could not manage their own medical needs and their medical appointments were made by a parent or other type of caregiver. A strong misperception that a physical disability also signals the presence of an intellectual disability when at school was evident. Adolescents were also quick to point out the social stigma that comes with having the assistance of an aid at school with able-bodied peers. However, a small few, particularly those younger in age, reported a lack of peer stigma, and even the social benefit of having an adult friend at school. While the Muscular Dystrophy Association is trusted in coordinating patient care, their treatment advisements are perceived to be outdated, and Goodwill Ambassador program considered manipulative by patients. Application to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Transitions Program are named so that the organization formerly relied upon most to serve these families and who has a program designed to serve this exact population can benefit from them. With zero families interviewed having heard of or utilized this program, a clear change in their programs and practices need to take place. The information gathered from this study provides insight for developing and to guide new programs to assist this population in making the difference the MDA Transitions Program aims to do.
ContributorsBlotner, C (Author) / Spinrad, Tracy (Thesis director) / Seeley, Bridget (Committee member) / Brougham, Jennifer (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
In the present study, I will focus on several aspects of parenting (monitoring, structure, positive parenting, harsh discipline) and the relations with social competence. The larger study, on which this paper is based, was intended to study multiple types of parenting behaviors and social competencies, and development of measures was culturally and developmentally informed (including focus groups and pilot collection). However, utilizing each dimension that emerged from analyses of the parenting behaviors and social competence measures would result in a study with too large a scope. I will include each aspect of parenting that emerged in analyses. However, I will focus on just one of the two factors of social competence that emerged in analyses for adolescents. This first factor includes prosocial behavior (helping and sharing; Eisenberg et al., 2006) and also is composed of general social competence items capturing adolescents’ use of manners and politeness. For the purposes of this paper, I will refer to this first factor as “social competence,” and I will draw on the general social competence literature and prosocial behavior literature.
ContributorsMahajan, Ananyaa (Author) / Eggum, Natalie (Thesis director) / Spinrad, Tracy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Due to the prevalence of digital communication, the importance of digital communication for romantic relationship formation and maintenance, and the associations between online behavior and romantic conflict, it is important to investigate conflict enabled by and conducted through digital communication platforms. Additionally, because of the overrepresentation of self-report measures in studying online relational behavior, it is not known whether current methods of studying in-person conflict apply to digital conflict. The present study thus aimed to examine 1) the efficacy of participant-uploaded screenshots for observing online relationship experiences, and 2) the applicability of the adapted SPAFF coding system (D-SPAFF) to romantic dyadic digital communication. We found acceptable participant compliance and rich data was acquired using this method. We also found affective behavior in screenshots was related to similar concurrent and prospective relationship outcomes as found in the literature. Finally, there were a few unexpected affective behaviors related to relationship outcomes. Our study supports a nuanced theoretical framework for the investigation of online relationship interactions. Future research should continue to validate this method and investigate the unique affordances and mechanisms of digital interactions.
ContributorsTrimble, Ava (Author) / Mukarram, Maheeyah (Co-author) / Ha, Thao (Thesis director) / Quiroz, Selena (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05