Human Development & Family Science Masters Theses

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Assessing Child Care Standards and Rates of Expulsion for Problem Behaviors in Preschool Children
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Nicklay, Monica Alma
Quality in child care programs has been studied often and researchers search to find correlations between quality measures and positive child outcomes. Some studies also show that problem behaviors result in large numbers of child expulsions in preschool age programs. The question remains whether the quality of the program produces care that lends to a lower incidence of behavior problems leading to child expulsion. The current study investigated the correlations among quality standard levels, behavior problems, and expulsion rates in a variety of child care programs in one state. Results showed that programs that are documented as having achieved the high quality standard of NAEYC accreditation do not necessarily employ direct care staff with higher education and experience levels. Although higher quality programs in this study were not shown to experience a significantly lower occurrence of problem behaviors, higher quality programs did report lower child expulsion rates.
CFT Faculty: Self-Assessment of LGB-Affirming Stances and Programs
(North Dakota State University, 2016) Kellerman, Jared Daniel
The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) faculty were using to identify the extent to which their program was LGB-affirmative. The sample for this study included 71 faculty members from CFT training programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). The online data collection for this study included one open-ended question and one Likert scale item. The thematic analysis revealed seven categories: (1) Coursework and Training, (2) Training Programs’ LGB Population, (3) Belief Systems, (4) Importance of Faculty, (5) Practical Implementation of Explicit LGB-affirmative Values, (6) Affirming Environment, and (7) Not LGB-affirming Environment. The findings of this study provided insights into how CFT faculty members are conceptualizing LGB affirmative training on an individual and program levels.
Connections between Parental Eating Behaviors and Adolescents’ Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviors Optimal Parenting Style as a Mediator
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Raap, Sara
An optimal parenting style consists of high warmth and low overprotection, and can influence the development of adolescents’ eating attitudes and behaviors. Evidence suggests that parental eating behaviors influence their children’s eating attitudes and behaviors. In the current study, the link between parental eating behaviors and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors was assessed among 224 adolescent boys and girls in middle and high school via bivariate linear regression. Additionally, optimal parenting style as a mediator between parental eating behaviors and adolescents’ disordered eating attitudes and behaviors was assessed with a mediation model that used bivariate and multiple linear regression. I found significant associations between parental eating behaviors and adolescents’ disordered eating attitudes and behaviors for boys and girls, and partial mediation was found for girls. However, there was no mediation found for boys as optimal parenting was not significantly related to boys’ disordered eating attitudes and behaviors.
Contraception and Sexuality in Heterosexual Emerging Adult Women
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Erickson, Shauna Marie
Our study aimed to gain a comprehensive look into heterosexual emerging adult women's preferred type of contraception, who women identify as primarily responsible for contraception, and how sexual self schemas, sexual attitudes, and sexual satisfaction were associated with contraceptive responsibility and preference. Online, self-report surveys were used to collect data from 264 sexually active women between the ages of 18-25. Results indicated that single women preferred dual contraception, whereas committed women preferred hormonal methods, yet both groups primarily viewed both partners as responsible for providing contraception. There was also a significant relationship between contraceptive preference and feelings of responsibility. Finally, we found a relationship between single women's sexual attitudes and preferred contraception, suggesting that women who preferred non-hormonal methods had more conservative attitudes than women who preferred hormonal methods. Our study has important implications for health providers, therapists, and educators to promote women's sexuality and well-being.
Couple and Family Therapy Faculty Members' Level of Training in LGB Affirmative Therapy
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Corturillo, Emily Marie
This study sought to investigate the training that Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) faculty members have received on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) affirmative therapy. The sample for this study included 65 faculty members from CFT programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. The on-line data collection for this study included two Likert scale items and one open-ended question. In particular the results suggest that 45.6% of participants reported receiving some LGB affirmative therapy training. Additionally, the thematic analysis revealed six categories: (1) Negligible Training, (2) Informal Training, (3) Coursework, (4) Topic-Driven Training, (5) Tools for Training, and (6) Experience. The findings of this study provided crucial implications for both CFT graduate training programs as well as current CFT faculty members, such as including LGB topics throughout CFT program curricula and faculty members attending sessions at conferences or continuing education workshops on LGB topics.
Couple and Family Therapy Students' Attitudes Toward Bisexual Clients
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Nova, Elizabeth Ann
Few studies have focused on student therapists' beliefs about bisexual clients and the impact of affirmative training on these beliefs. The current study explored 1) the level of experience couple and family therapy (CFT) students have with gay, lesbian and bisexual clients; 2) whether CFT students' levels of biphobia and homophobia differ; and 3) whether LGB affirmative training had an impact on self-reported levels of biphobia. Secondary data were used from data collected through electronic and paper surveys. The results revealed that CFT students have similar levels of experience working with bisexual and lesbian clients, but report significantly lower levels of experience with gay male clients. Furthermore, CFT students reported nearly identical levels of biphobia and homophobia. Finally, the results of this study suggest that more LGB affirmative training was associated with lower levels of self-reported biphobia. The findings of this study support CFT training programs implementing LGB affirmative training.
Defining Feminism: A Phenomenological Exploration of the Meaning Women Assign to their Feminist Identities
(North Dakota State University, 2013) McDougall, Sarah Delaney
This study explored the meaning that women assign to their feminist identities. In particular, the study examined the lived experiences of fourteen women who were active in the women's movement during the 1970s. The definitions of feminism provided were organized into six categories: (1) Working Towards Justice, (2) Valuing Self and Other Women, (3) Women with Diverse Perspectives, (4) Relevancy in Personal Lives, (5) Future Orientation, and (6) Changing Understandings of Feminism. Major findings of the study included an understanding that women hold unique experiences as feminists in relation to the larger feminist movement, an insight into the centrality of equality to understanding feminist identities, and an awareness that the results of this study contrast with the leading model of feminist identity in the literature. The findings of this study provided important implications for family therapists as this study highlights the need to explore gender-based oppression with their clients.
Diversity and Social Justice in Couple and Family Therapy Training: An Evaluation of Accredited Programs
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Ostrom, Angela Lynn
Over the past 15 years, the literature in the field of couple and family therapy (CFT) has called for training programs to make issues of social justice a central concern in the training of couple and family therapists (Guanipa, 2003; Laszloffy & Hardy, 2000; Leslie & McDowell, 2004; McGeorge, Carlson, Erickson, & Guttormson, 2006). During that time the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) made several changes to the accreditation standards that required programs to integrate social justice principles and practices into CFT training. Recently, however, the COAMFTE removed many of these social justice requirements from its most current accreditation standards. Most notably, programs are now able to create their own definitions of diversity in addition to their own benchmarks for achieving diversity. The purpose of this study was to examine how CFT programs are currently defining diversity and whether or not those definitions are consistent with the current feminist and social justice training literature. Nineteen participants from different accredited CFT programs participated in the study. The results demonstrated inconsistency in the ways that programs define diversity and an overall lack of measureable benchmarks for achieving diversity.
Effect of Perceived Friend Intervention on Individual-level Bullying and Intervention
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Serdiouk, Marina
The main aim of this study was to examine the relation between perceived friend intervention and individual-level bullying and intervention. The mediating role of beliefs about aggression and attitudes toward victims was also investigated. One hundred eighteen students (49 boys and 69 girls) in grades 6 to 8 completed a questionnaire that included items measuring bullying, intervention, beliefs about aggression, and attitudes toward victims. The results of the multilevel analysis revealed that children in friendship groups with low levels of perceived friend intervention were less likely to intervene, but were not more likely to bully. Attitudes toward victims and normative beliefs about aggression did not mediate a relation between perceived friend intervention and individual intervention and bullying. Self-reported bullying had a moderate negative correlation with positive attitudes toward victims and a positive correlation with beliefs about aggression. Propensity to intervene had a moderate positive correlation with positive attitudes toward victims and a small negative correlation with positive beliefs about aggression. Although the mediation model tested in the current study was not supported, this study provides a foundation for studying group-level processes that may influence children's intervention in bullying situations.
Effects of the Early Risers Program on Children's Social Skills and Parents' Emotion and Cognition
(North Dakota State University, 2016) Yang, Zhen
The Early Risers Skills for Success Program provides comprehensive skills training to children with adjustment problems and offers parent training to their parents. The present study expects parenting training contributes to increases in parenting confidence and involvement and decreases in relational frustration of parents in the program compared with the control. We also want to know whether improving children’s social competence mediates the program’s effects on parents’ positive feeling and cognition. 114 early elementary school students and their parents received the intervention and training and 76 children and parents were in the control. Five waves of data were collected over two years. Parenting training was found to have no effects on parental emotion and cognitions over time. Teacher-rated social skills of children were found to have significant fixed effects on parent well-being and involvement over time. Therefore, children’s social skills mediated the program’s effects on parents’ emotion and cognition.
Experience Needed: Recruitment of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients in Coamfte-Accredited Training Programs
(North Dakota State University, 2016) Pearson, William Osgood
This study explored the efforts that faculty at accredited Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) training programs made to recruit lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients, and to what extent these reflected the LGB-affirmative therapy training literature. The sample for this study included 63 faculty members from accredited CFT programs. The data for this study originated from a larger survey and included one Likert scaled item and one open-ended item focused on LGB client recruitment. The thematic analysis revealed five categories: (1) Fostering an LGBAffirmative Clinic Identity, (2) Marketing Efforts, (3) Networking and Collaborating, (4) Creating LGB-specific Training Opportunities and Programs, and (5) Limited or No Recruitment Efforts by Faculty. This study indicated that the majority of CFT faculty participants recruited LGB clients, while others reported no recruitment efforts. Implications for CFT clinical training from this study included communicating what a CFT training clinic stands for, and changes to accreditation standards.
An Exploration of the Relationship Among Community Norms, Identification with Community, and Prosocial Behavior
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Rust, Courtney Lynn
Proponents of social identity theory assert that individuals are motivated to behave in ways consistent with the norms of the social groups in which they belong. The goal of the study was to test the relationship between group norms, specifically residential groups and religious groups, and prosocial behavior. The linkages between participants' degree of identification with their current community, perceived encouragement of prosocial behavior by the community, and self-reports of prosocial behavior were examined. Based on previous research on social identity theory and the role of prosocial behavior norms in religious communities (Saraglou, Pichon, Trompette, Verschueren, & Demelle, 2005; Y ouniss, McLellan, & Yates, 1999), it was hypothesized that participants who rated religion as more important would report higher levels of pro social behavior than participants who rated religion as less important. It was also hypothesized that participants who identified strongly with their community and resided in a community that supported pro social behavior would report higher levels of pro social behavior than those who did not identify strongly with their community and/or those whose community did not support prosocial behavior. Women reported higher levels of prosocial behavior than did men. There was not a significant association between the importance of religion and individual prosocial behavior. At the bivariate level, there were significant positive correlations among the perception that the community encouraged prosocial behavior, identification with the community, and the individual's self-reported level of prosocial behavior. A multiple regression analysis showed that only identification with the community significantly predicted prosocial behavior, and there was no interaction between community encouragement of prosocial behavior and identification with the community. Explanations for findings and directions for future research are discussed.
An Exploration of the Relationship between College Women's Self-Reported Religiosity and Sexuality
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Meyhuber, Karisa Jo
This study explored how female college students' religiosity varied according to their sexual behavior and attitudes. However, research is limited to showing that never-married female college students who have a high degree of religious commitment are less likely to engage in sexual intercourse without being in a committed relationship (Beckwith & Morrow, 2005; Earle et al., 2007; Jessor & Jessor, 1975; Mahoney, 1980; Meier, 2003; Robinson & Calhoun, 1983; Thornton & Camburn, 1989). Four hundred fifty-one emerging adult female college students from a Midwestern university participated in this study, ranging in age from 18 to 25 years old. Participants for the larger study completed an online survey which asked for demographic information, sexual activity, sexual attitudes, body image, and religiosity. An independent sample t-test was used to test whether there was a statistical difference in religiosity between ( 1) participants who are or have been sexually active, and (2) those who have not engaged in sexual activity. An independent samples t-test was also used to test for statistical difference in religiosity between the types of sexual activity ( e.g., anal sex, oral sex, and mutual masturbation) participants considered to be "sex." It was found that women who did not engage in sexual activity were more religious than those who engaged in sexual activity. Participants who believed oral sex or mutual masturbation were sex did not differ significantly in religion; however, women who did not consider anal sex to be sex were more religious while those who did consider it to be sex were less religious. Religiosity and sexuality issues should be addressed in therapy with this population in order to better understand the roles they play in regards to self views and developing relationships.
Family Business Contributions to the Community: A Comparison of Copreneurs and Other Family Business Owners on Community Social Responsibility
(North Dakota State University, 2012) Welk, Kara L. M.
Copreneurs, defined as couples who jointly operate a business and share business-related responsibilities and decisions, represent a growing portion of family business (Fitzgerald & Muske; 2002; Marshack, 1993, 1994). However, knowledge of copreneurs remains limited in the research literature. The uniqueness of copreneurs may be particularly meaningful with respect to community social responsibility, referring to the contributions a business provides to the community beyond the products and services offered (Besser, 1999). This study explores the potential differences between the socially responsible behaviors of copreneurial and noncopreneurial businesses using the Sustainable Family Business Theory as a framework. Analysis focuses on the influence of business owner, business, community, and family characteristics on the community social responsibility of copreneurs and noncopreneurs. Data from the 2000 panel of the National Family Business Survey (NFBS) was used. Findings indicate that certain characteristics and contexts influence community social responsibility, although copreneurship is not a significant predictor.
Finding a Home for Spirituality in Couple and Family Therapy Training: An Analysis of CFT Educators' Strategies and Methods For Integrating Spirituality Into the CFT Curriculum
(North Dakota State University, 2010) Kekic, Jana
The purpose of this study was to analyze the specific ways that couple and family therapy (CFT) faculty members integrate content on spirituality into the courses they teach. The study used an existing data set consisting of 93 CFT faculty members who taught in accredited master's and/or doctoral level CFT programs of which 47 were male and 46 were female. The participants completed an electronic survey for this study. The predominant religious or spiritual affiliation within the sample was Christian. The results of this study suggested that many participants were following recommendations from the literature on ways to integrate topics of spirituality into the teaching and supervision of CFT students. However, the results of this study also indicated that infusion of spirituality into the curricula is an idea worthy of further exploration in the research.
Gender Influences on Perceptions of Marital Reconciliation
(North Dakota State University, 2011) Hanten, Allyson Rachel
This study examines the process of marital reconciliation. More specifically, it addresses gender influences regarding perceptions of the marital reconciliation process. Also, this study identifies how turning points in the process of marital reconciliation are similar and different between the partners in the marital dyad. A qualitative methodology was used to better understand gender similarities and differences in marital reconciliation. Interviews with six married couples, 11 participants total, were conducted for this study. This study allows for a better understanding of male and female perspectives related to potential threats to marital stability and processes that help couples resolve relationship difficulties or challenges.
Generative Fathering and Married Adult Children's View of Connectedness between their Fathers and Themselves
(North Dakota State University, 2011) Peterson, Bethany Ann
This study utilized a phenomenological approach to examine adult children's views of how their fathers connected with them as children. Participants consisted of 10 men and 12 women between the ages of 30 and 60 who were interviewed about connection experiences with their fathers. Participants completed interviews related to their perspectives on being fathered, experiences as a son or daughter, and what they experienced in connecting with their fathers. Findings indicated that fathers connect with children through a variety of contexts that include memorable occasions, activities, personal interactions, routines, events, and other means. Also. obstacles to connection between fathers and children were explored. Study findings and their implications for theory, research, and practical application are discussed.
Goal Congruity within Copreneurial Partners: An Exploration of Family Business Continuance
(North Dakota State University, 2014) Kaul, Bailee Ansoph
This study utilized data from the 1997 and 2000 waves of the National Family Business Survey to explore goal processes of 320 copreneurial and noncopreneurial family business households. Ecological systems theory (Deacon & Firebaugh, 1988) was used as a framework for the study. Copreneurial households (n = 117) were compared to noncopreneurial households (n = 203), and three variables were found to differ significantly: value orientation, business manager perception of business goal achievement, and relationship continuance. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the predictive relationship between goal congruity, other family business variables, and business continuance. None of the variables were significant predictors of business continuance. Recommendations are made for professionals working with family businesses.
How Partnered Gay Men Do Relationships: Negotiating the Tensions Between Hetero- and Homonormativity
(North Dakota State University, 2015) Walsdorf, Ashley Ann
This study explored partnered gay men’s experiences of negotiating heteronormativity and homonormativity in their relationships. Twenty-six men involved in a current or past, gay intimate partner relationships participated in individual or focus group interviews. Findings suggest that gay men are constantly negotiating comparisons to and expectations of heteronormative standards, while also encountering expectations within the gay community and queering their relationships. Emergent themes embodied participants’ experiences of navigating heteronormative stereotypes, pursuing legitimacy through language and/or ceremony, constructing their own relationship ideals and rituals, and participants’ acknowledgement that the personal is political. Relationship therapists are encouraged to explore their heteronormative assumptions and how these biases may influence the therapy process, as this project helps to understand how those same constructs are experienced within the relationships of gay men, a population who is more likely to seek therapy. Further implications for therapy as well as suggestions for future research are also provided.
Identity and Daily Experience in Queer Emerging Adults
(North Dakota State University, 2013) Rogers, Sarah Catherine
This study examined possible links between aspects of sexual orientation identity and daily experiences of queer emerging adults ages 18-24 in a sample of 20 college students and non-college students in the Midwest, using the experience sampling method (ESM). Participants reported momentary experiences on approximately 49 occasions across one week, with a total number of 796 moments of experience in the data set. Participants also completed a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS). The study examined associations among momentary identity variables, momentary contextual variables, and global assessments of identity. Results indicated that positive experience (more positive mood, less negative moods, more uplifts, fewer heterosexist hassles, more positive experience of being queer, and more affirming/supportive environmental ratings), flow, and self-determination were associated with clear momentary outness and satisfaction with level of outness. Momentary identity-relevant experiences were also associated with global identity measures.

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