Adjustment (Psychology)

Strong evidence links positive and negative features of adolescent friendship to
adjustment outcomes. However, the majority of these studies adopt a variable-oriented
approach, which can obscure differences between subgroups. This study used a
person-oriented approach to examine the patterns of friendship quality and their
association with adolescent adjustment outcomes. To this end , both members of 88
stable friendships reported on the quality of their relationship and target adolescents
reported on their adjustment (behavior problems, friendship competence, scholastic
competence, behavioral conduct, global self-worth, and school grades) at both Grade 6
and Grade 7. K-means cluster analyses identified three distinct patterns in friendship
quality at both Grade 6 and Grade 7: /ow positivity, high negativity, and high quality.
These groups exhibited structural stability. The high negativity group and the high
quality group both exhibited interindividual stability. Person-oriented analyses indicated
adolescents in the high quality group tended to have the best adjustment outcomes,
whereas adolescents in the high negativity group tended to have the worst adjustment
outcomes. Additionally, person-oriented analyses indicated that adolescents whose friendships increased in quality also tended to report increased friendship competence.
Adolescents whose friendships decreased in quality tended to report decreased global
self-worth . Supplemental variable-oriented analyses generally complemented the
findings of the person-oriented analyses. Overall, these findings suggest that many
adolescents have enduring friendships that are less than ideal. Moreover, different low
quality friendships have different associations with adjustment. These findings also
suggest that friendships may not have pervasive influence on adjustment outcomes.
Specifically, friendship quality appears to be strongly associated with behavior
problems, friendship competence, and self-esteem.

As adolescents transition to middle school, math confidence and performance
declines (Eccles et al., 1993; Lee, Statuto, & Kadar-Voivodas, 1983). These declines are
typically attributed to social and maturational changes (Eccles, Lord, & Midgley, 1991;
Simmons & Blyth, 1987). In this dissertation, I explore the hypothesis that low parent
support for schoolwork is also responsible.
Latino-American adolescents are especially at risk for math difficulties.
Maintaining adolescents’ engagement and performance in math are important goals for
mothers because high levels of both are requisites for many professional careers. This
dissertation will focus on Latino-American families to determine if mothers’ homework
involvement is associated with changes in children’s math-related outcomes across the
transition to secondary school. Parental involvement in math homework is assumed to mitigate declines in math
performance during this transition. Cognitive models suggest that involved parents utilize
scaffolding (Rogoff & Gardner, 1984) and instruction to ensure math achievement
(Pomerantz & Moorman, 2010). Motivational models suggest that involved parents foster
math engagement by bolstering child confidence, modeling management strategies, and
promoting values that encourage children to work hard (Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994;
Simpkins, Fredricks, & Eccles, 2015). However, empirical evidence in support of the
importance of parents in math achievement is limited. While positive forms of
involvement co-occur with better math outcomes (Bhanot & Jovanovic, 2005; Rice et al.,
2013), no studies have examined such associations longitudinally. Children who are
uninterested in math may be more susceptible to the effects of parental homework
involvement because they lack internal motivation for mastery that underlies performance
in other children.
The present study examines the extent to which Latina-American mothers’
involvement in math homework is effective in preventing declines in child math-related
outcomes (i.e., perceptions of math ability, etc) during the transition to middle school.
Child math interest was postulated to moderate this association. Results indicated that
low maternal homework involvement predicts worsening child math-related outcomes,
but only for children who were intrinsically uninterested in math.
The findings hold important implications for parents, who must work to ensure
that they remain engaged in their children’s activities, especially if children appear
uninterested in math.

The purpose of this study was 1) to examine the significance of a patient’s active
or passive role in terms of his/her health management; 2) to determine if a relationship
exists between one’s active and passive scores and his/her self-directed learning
readiness, and 3) to identify if his/her view of one’s self as a patient (when diagnosed
with a chronic disease) impacted his/her own personal health management.
Utilizing the quantitative analysis of The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale
and the Vanderbilt Pain Management Inventory, 81 individuals’ descriptive statistics
were analyzed. Self-directed learning was found to positively influence an individual’s
ability to be an active patient. The moderated demographic characteristics of age,
ethnicity, education level, and gender did not have a direct relationship between selfdirected
learning readiness and active/passive coping groups. Further, it was established that the majority of the participants within the study,
83.75%, considered themselves an active patient managing their lupus diagnosis.
However, 16.25% of the participants did not believe that they were actively managing
their illness.
Self-directed learning characteristics were examined through the responses to an
open-ended question. The two most prevalent themes pertained to active coping and
control. Characteristics of self-directed learning readiness appeared predominant amongst
the responses, particularly goal-orientation and accepting responsibility for learning.
Minimal themes regarding planning and enjoying learning were provided within the data.
These characteristics were identified throughout the study in hopes of further
research and program implementations that will help to develop leadership abilities and
activity levels of self-health management in chronically ill patients. This will enable
lupus patients to have a more positive outcome, it will help them successfully manage
their own health, and it will improve their overall quality of life.

This is the first study to investigate the relationship of perceived stress, religious coping styles, and mental health symptoms in university students within a single, faith- based institution. Students face a variety of stressors that may be directly, indirectly, or not related to the college experience. If these stressors are left unmanaged, there are multiple implications including reduced retention, declines in academic performance, physical health concerns, and mental health symptoms. University personnel are reporting increases in the number and severity of mental health symptoms presented by university students. This study investigated whether religious coping strategies provide a mediating effect on the relationship between stress and mental health symptoms. The sample was comprised of 209 undergraduate students, between the ages of 18-32, from a single faith-based university.

Given the diverse and substantial developmental outcomes associated with low peer acceptance, it is important to research its potential predictors. However, the developmental antecedents are not likely restricted to simple, one-lagged links within the same domain. Rather, peer status may stem from a developmental sequence of effects across several domains, particularly across those that develop at the same time and in the same environment as peer status. A developmental cascade model is best used to capture sequential changes over time, across multiple domains, and during sensitive periods of development Academic motivation and achievement likely exemplify predictors that would affect peer status sequentially over time during the early primary school years. This study examined the developmental cascade of task avoidance, academic achievement, and peer acceptance using a sample of 545 (311 boys, 234 girls) Finnish students in the 1st through 4th grade (M = 7.67, SD = 0.31 years old at the outset).

Mindfulness – nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment - has recently garnered significant attention in psychological literature for decreasing clinical symptoms. Certain personality traits such as emotionality, however, can predict higher levels of anxiety and depression. The present study examines whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between personality traits and perceived stress and depression in nonclinical populations. A total of 321 participants from two samples—American and Japanese undergraduates —self-reported scores on measures of mindfulness, personality, perceived stress and depression. Cross-cultural comparisons following measurement invariance tests also allow for insight into the definition of mindfulness, especially given the Eastern religion origin of mindfulness. Results demonstrate that mindfulness partially mediates the relationships between personality clinical symptoms, particularly for extraversion and conscientiousness. These results can play an important role for developing mindfulness-based treatment and prevention programs and bridge an important gap between Western conceived and Eastern religion mindfulness.

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of the expressive writing and the expressive talking interventions on uncertainty and coping processes in Thai family members of patients in a coma, and to examine changes in positive emotion, negative emotion, and cognitive process word-use over three days. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest, three group design was conducted with 45 Thai family members of patients in a coma who were in the intensive care units (ICU) at a hospital in Thailand. Three ICUs were randomly assigned into groups: the expressive writing, the expressive talking, and the control group. Participants of the expressive writing group (n = 15) were asked to write about their thoughts and feelings following standard guidance for expressive writing, those of the expressive talking group (n = 15) were interviewed with questions guided by the story path approach, whereas those of the control group (n = 15) did not receive any specific interventions. Participants completed the Thai version of the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Family Member Form and the Thai version of the revised version of the Ways of Coping Scale before and after the interventions.

The purpose of this study was to explore relations between maternal childrearing styles and children's coping styles during mother-child conflict. Mothers reported on six parenting style dimensions: coercive control, overprotective control, emotional control, constructive control, responsiveness, and positive interaction. Children (mean age 12.01 years) reported on seven dimensions of coping during conflict with their mothers: idealization of parent, endorsement of submission, endorsement of aggression, self-blame, self-efficacy, anger reaction, and fear reaction. Few relations between the maternal variables and the child variables were significant, but those that were made sense. For example, positive interaction with the mother predicted low endorsement of aggression toward her, and maternal emotional control predicted self-blaming coping. Further research should examine whether the effects of maternal styles on children's behavior problems (e.g., aggression, depression) are mediated by children's coping styles.

A two (process) by two (relationship) by two (issue) design was implemented in order to investigate the effects of the process used to deal with a conflict, the relationship of those involved in the conflict, and the issue that the conflict is centered around. Subjects read one of eight different scenario types and rated them on their satisfaction with the process used, the relationship of those involved in the conflict, and the outcome of the conflict. It was predicted that a three-way interaction between the independent variables would occur. Support for the predictions was found. Results are discussed in light of past interpersonal and organizational literature.

This thesis examined the possibility of meaningful associations between children's attachment styles in middle childhood and children's perceptions of the parent. Participants were 199 students (94 males, 105 females) in grades three through eight (mean age = 11.03 years) from a Florida university school. The children were administered self-report measures and peer-report nomination measures. Five attachment coping strategies (preoccupied, indecisive, avoidant, coercive, and caregiving) and four aspects of perceived maternal behavior (reliable support, overprotection, harassment, and fear induction) were assessed and numerous and meaningful associations were found. For example, perceived maternal overprotection was positively associated with preoccupied coping. Significant associations were also found between our avoidant, coercive, indecisive, and caregiving coping measures and perceived maternal reliable support, harassment, and fear induction. Our numerous and significant findings lend further support for the usefulness and value of our concurrent correlational self-report measures and to justify future longitudinal research to compare alternative models.