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Title: A HOLISTIC MODEL OF THE INTERPLAY OF PARENT-ADOLESCENT INTERACTION VARIABLES: OUTCOMES AS A RESULT OF CONFLICTUAL PROCESSES.
Creator: McKinney, Cliff Blake, Renk, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Many variables have been analyzed in order to understand parent-adolescent interactions and outcomes for adolescents. These variables must be integrated into a model that demonstrates the holistic interplay of parent-adolescent interaction variables so that a more comprehensive understanding of parent-adolescent interactions is achieved. Variables included in the model proposed here were parenting, family environment, expectations, conflict, and outcomes. Parenting, family environment, and...
Show moreMany variables have been analyzed in order to understand parent-adolescent interactions and outcomes for adolescents. These variables must be integrated into a model that demonstrates the holistic interplay of parent-adolescent interaction variables so that a more comprehensive understanding of parent-adolescent interactions is achieved. Variables included in the model proposed here were parenting, family environment, expectations, conflict, and outcomes. Parenting, family environment, and conflict were associated with outcomes for adolescents. When the variables were analyzed simultaneously with structural equation modeling, however, the relationship of parenting and adolescent outcomes was mediated wholly for male-father, male-mother, and female-father relationships but remained significant for female-mother relationships. Overall, the holistic interplay of parent-adolescent interaction variables and the need to examine parent-adolescent dyads individually were demonstrated.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000006, ucf:46144
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000006

Title: EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FEMALE PARENTS WITH LOW PERCEIVED CONTROL AND ADOLESCENT CHILD STRESS.
Creator: Monaghan, Brendan, Sims, Valerie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Adolescence is a stressful time for many children. Changes in their environment or changes in social situations are some typical stressors that an adolescent child might encounter. Interactions with parents can also be a stressor for a child. Previous research has shown that a risk factor for a parent using harsh parenting techniques is perceived control. Parents who have low perceived control are at a higher risk to engage in physical parenting techniques or child abuse. This study included...
Show moreAdolescence is a stressful time for many children. Changes in their environment or changes in social situations are some typical stressors that an adolescent child might encounter. Interactions with parents can also be a stressor for a child. Previous research has shown that a risk factor for a parent using harsh parenting techniques is perceived control. Parents who have low perceived control are at a higher risk to engage in physical parenting techniques or child abuse. This study included 198 middle school students and their female parent or guardian pairs (296 total participants), with the adolescent participants ranging in age from 10-year-old to 14-years-old. The adult participants were evaluated for their level of perceived control and the adolescent participants were evaluated for their level of perceived stress. The results showed that parents who perceived themselves as have a low amount of control over their child's behavior (low ACF), regardless of the level of control the parents perceived the child to have over their own behavior (CCF), were linked with their child have a high level of perceived stress, F (1, 182) = 5.14, p = .025. This effect was found only for the 14-year-old participants, t (30) = 2.774, p = .009. Implications of thesis results and areas of further research are suggested. It is possible that as a child gets older and enters puberty, the parent of the child feels as if they are losing control over their child and, as a result, resort to more forceful parenting techniques to regain control.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFH0003830, ucf:44751
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003830

Title: RESILIENCY IN ADOLESCENT COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Creator: Ahern, Nancy, Byers, Jacqueline, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The construct of resilience has gained considerable attention over the last four decades since researchers observed that children and youth could cope and adapt in spite of adversity. Resilience involves a dynamic process involving an interaction between both risk and protective processes, internal and external to the individual, that can modify the effects of an adverse life event. Adolescence is considered to be a period of vulnerability for most individuals as they often partake in high...
Show moreThe construct of resilience has gained considerable attention over the last four decades since researchers observed that children and youth could cope and adapt in spite of adversity. Resilience involves a dynamic process involving an interaction between both risk and protective processes, internal and external to the individual, that can modify the effects of an adverse life event. Adolescence is considered to be a period of vulnerability for most individuals as they often partake in high risk behaviors. Further, those individuals who are in their early college years are faced with the developmental challenges of this life phase which can be complicated by a variety of stresses. Investigating resilience in college students is of great importance as these adolescents may incur additional stress as they make the transition to adulthood. Empirical evidence indicates that resilience is dynamic, developmental in nature, and interactive with one's environment. A variety of variables have been studied to clarify the concept of resilience in adolescents, yet there continues to be inconsistent findings. Although there is an abundance of literature regarding adolescent resilience, little is known about this process in the healthy well-adjusted adolescent college student. Additionally there are inconsistencies in reported findings about whether resilience is a healthy state. There is also evidence in the literature that contradictions exist regarding the effect of social support on this process. After review of the psychometric properties of existing instruments, the Resilience Scale was determined to have the best reliability and validity use for the study of resilience in the adolescent population. An exploratory model testing design was used to explore the relationships among a set of variables, including personal characteristics, levels of stress, high risk behaviors, and levels of resilience in adolescents ages 18 to 20 years. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained prior to data collection. The study participants attended a community college and met the sample selection criteria. A convenience sampling plan was used. Recruitment of participants followed the college protocol for contacting professors teaching general education classes during the planned data collection time. The study measures included a demographic questionnaire, two perceived stress visual analog scales, the Health Behaviors Questionnaire, and the Resilience Scale. Descriptive statistics were computed for all variables for the total sample (n=166) and recoding performed as needed by the instruments. Model testing was performed using correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, and path analysis to identify the strongest predictive variables. The strongest predictive model was personal characteristics and Health Behaviors Questionnaire Emotional Risk to the visual analog scale Stress in General (R2 = .519, F = 3.13, p = .000). This model was used for path analysis and the significant variables were ethnicity (standardized beta coefficients of .165, p = .036) and Health Behaviors Questionnaire Emotional Risk (standardized beta coefficients of .567, p = .000). These findings are important for health care providers to use as a basis for driving interventions to optimize resilience and reduce stress in adolescents. Further research should focus on ways to enhance coping and adaptation in an effort to reduce emotional risks which potentially increase stress in similar populations. Research regarding resilience and stress can further be expanded to the study of additional populations at risk, including adults and others such as nursing students, war veterans, and disaster victims.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001627, ucf:47177
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001627

Title: EXPLORING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF PEDIATRIC ASTHMA AND ANXIETY.
Creator: Irwin, Taylor, Gibson-Young, Linda, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Children diagnosed with asthma are twice as likely to have a comorbid anxiety disorder as their non-asthmatic peers. The presence of both asthma and anxiety in the pediatric patient creates an environment of poor asthma control, and places them at risk for a variety of negative health events. Little is known about comorbid anxiety's role in asthma health maintenance. Research has identified the link between these two conditions but...
Show moreAsthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Children diagnosed with asthma are twice as likely to have a comorbid anxiety disorder as their non-asthmatic peers. The presence of both asthma and anxiety in the pediatric patient creates an environment of poor asthma control, and places them at risk for a variety of negative health events. Little is known about comorbid anxiety's role in asthma health maintenance. Research has identified the link between these two conditions but causation is difficult to conclude. The aim of this thesis is to assess the current state of the science regarding pediatric asthma and anxiety. This integrated review of the literature will identify the factors contributing to the vicious cycle of pediatric anxiety and asthma. Recommendations for practice and future research will be made.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004606, ucf:45263
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004606

Title: NEED: STORIES.
Creator: Ellis, Megan, Poissant, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The intent of this thesis is to create a literary fiction collection centered on diverse adolescent girls. In recent years, women writers have moved away from the domestic sphere of authors whose writing focused solely on the daily lives of women, and have begun penning epic stories and novels whose themes were previously tackled by men alone. Authors show that the craft of expansive and immersive literary fiction transcends gender, allowing women more freedom with the types of stories they...
Show moreThe intent of this thesis is to create a literary fiction collection centered on diverse adolescent girls. In recent years, women writers have moved away from the domestic sphere of authors whose writing focused solely on the daily lives of women, and have begun penning epic stories and novels whose themes were previously tackled by men alone. Authors show that the craft of expansive and immersive literary fiction transcends gender, allowing women more freedom with the types of stories they choose to write. That's not to say that domestic fiction is unimportant or "less than" other types of literary fiction, however. The difference is in choice—women are free to create works in other genres, forms, and conventions separate from domestic fiction, but can also reclaim and reinvent the genre to show the importance of everyday women. Each story in this collection highlights the complex lives of adolescent girls while exploring universal themes of women from a literary fiction rather than young adult fiction perspective. Issues such as sexuality, virginity, and popularity—which all girls experience at least tangentially—are often relegated to young adult fiction. Their purpose is to build a relationship of trust between characters and readers who are experiencing the same confusing period. Literary fiction allows deeper exploration into these issues, showing how larger psychological and societal problems result in adolescent physical manifestations, such as the sexualization and commodification of women's bodies. This thesis will add to the current literary conversation by highlighting teenage girls, a demographic whose importance is often downplayed by modern society.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004612, ucf:45264
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004612

Title: PERCEIVED PARENTAL CHARACTERISTICS AND NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT: HOW DO THEY RELATE TO ADOLESCENTS' EXTERNALIZING BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS?.
Creator: White, Rachel, Renk, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Externalizing behavior problems are related to many problematic outcomes for children and adolescents in their home, school, and community settings. Given the ramifications of difficulties related to externalizing behavior problems, the present study examines the relationships among adolescents' externalizing behavior problems, characteristics of adolescents' families, and their perceived neighborhood support in a sample of adolescents who are in the Sixth through Eighth Grades. As...
Show moreExternalizing behavior problems are related to many problematic outcomes for children and adolescents in their home, school, and community settings. Given the ramifications of difficulties related to externalizing behavior problems, the present study examines the relationships among adolescents' externalizing behavior problems, characteristics of adolescents' families, and their perceived neighborhood support in a sample of adolescents who are in the Sixth through Eighth Grades. As part of this study, adolescents were assessed one time in their school setting with a set of brief questionnaires. In particular, adolescents completed measures assessing their levels of externalizing behavior problems, characteristics of their families, their perceptions of neighborhood support and of their teachers, and their ratings of their own acculturation. Results suggest that, although a moderation relationship does not exist between parental warmth, neighborhood support, and the development of externalizing behavior problems, variables such as maternal warmth, overall parental emotional support, and overall neighborhood support are important predictors of the development of externalizing behavior problems. Further regression analyses reveal that, in addition to neighborhood and parental characteristics, adolescents' perceived social acceptance and global self-worth are significant predictors of adolescents' externalizing behavior problems. In conclusion, when identifying adolescents who are at risk for the development of externalizing behavior problems, an ecological conceptualization encompassing culture, community, and home environments can be helpful.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002887, ucf:48046
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002887

Title: Accuracy of the Peer Informant: What Characteristics Are Related to the Ability to Detect Behavior Problems in Peers?.
Creator: Lauer, Brea-anne, Renk, Kimberly, Beidel, Deborah, Sims, Valerie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Victimization and rejection by peers leads to and exacerbates behavior problems in children and adolescents. Given the implications of problematic peer relations for adolescents who experience behavior problems, the present study examined factors that may be related to how adolescents perceive peers who exhibit such problems. Specifically, the present study examined the relationship of adolescent peer informants' socioeconomic status, their prior exposure to psychopathology, their own social...
Show moreVictimization and rejection by peers leads to and exacerbates behavior problems in children and adolescents. Given the implications of problematic peer relations for adolescents who experience behavior problems, the present study examined factors that may be related to how adolescents perceive peers who exhibit such problems. Specifically, the present study examined the relationship of adolescent peer informants' socioeconomic status, their prior exposure to psychopathology, their own social competence, and their own behavior problems to their perceptions of peer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, their liking of individuals who exhibit such problems, and their attributions for the etiology of such problems when portrayed by fictitious adolescents of the same age. In particular, adolescents were asked to rate a set of vignettes that portray internalizing and externalizing behavior problems that are seen commonly in peers and to complete a set of brief questionnaires. Results revealed that adolescents are able to accurately detect the presence of both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in vignette characters. Additionally, vignette characters who display behavior problems received significantly lower liking ratings. Finally, although adolescents endorsed both internal and external etiological factors, ratings were related to the gender of the depicted vignette character and the nature of the portrayed behavior problems. Participants' own externalizing problems, social competence, and previous exposure to behavior problems in others related uniquely to adolescents' perceptions of the vignette characters. Overall, this study provided additional evidence that, although peers can serve as valuable informants, they also tended to reject adolescents who display behavior problems.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004185, ucf:49022
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004185

Title: GLOBALIZATION AND IDENTITY: A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY AMONG CHINESE, INDIAN, COLOMBIAN, AND AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Creator: Cheng, Min, Berman, Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Arnett (2002) has suggested the development of a typology similar to one that has become popular in the ethnic identity literature (Berry, 1993; Phinney, 1990) whereby people are surveyed in terms of strength of identification with both the dominant national culture and their particular sub-group minority culture. Based on this typology, we have developed a paper and pencil measure, the Global Identity Survey (GIS), which asks participants about the degree to which they identify with either...
Show moreArnett (2002) has suggested the development of a typology similar to one that has become popular in the ethnic identity literature (Berry, 1993; Phinney, 1990) whereby people are surveyed in terms of strength of identification with both the dominant national culture and their particular sub-group minority culture. Based on this typology, we have developed a paper and pencil measure, the Global Identity Survey (GIS), which asks participants about the degree to which they identify with either the local or global culture. A new typology is proposed, with behaviors and attitudes falling into one of the four following categories: "locally encapsulated" (high in local identification, low in global identification), "globally assimilated" (low in local identification, high in global identification), "alienated" (low in both local and global identification), or "bicultural" (high in both local and global identification). The Global Identity Survey (GIS) was administered to a sample of 713 undergraduate students (mean age = 20.33, sd = 5.67) from a Chinese university (n= 102), two Indian universities (n=231), a Colombian university (n=103), a U.S. university in Florida (n=75), and a U.S. university in Tennessee (n=202). Our first hypothesis was partly confirmed that the urban USA sample would be significantly higher in exposure to global factors, identity exploration, and openness than the other samples. Also, they would have higher percentages of bi-cultural, and globally assimilated, while the other samples would have higher percentages of locally encapsulated. Our second hypothesis was also confirmed by our study, which revealed that the bicultural group as a whole had the lowest level of identity distress and the least amount of psychological symptoms. Further analyses will be discussed.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002808, ucf:48120
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002808

Title: Locus of control as related to personality variables in special adolescent populations.
Creator: Kinnaird, Mary Ellen Moore, null, null, Social Sciences
Abstract / Description: Florida Technological University College of Social Sciences Thesis; Locus of control refers to the individual's perception of the degree to which he controls the outcome of events in his life through his own behavior. Locus is further defined and related concepts discussed. Literature is reviewed, exploring determinants in the development of personal locus. Differential descriptions of the Internal and External individual are outlined, according to studies on locus as it affects personality...
Show moreFlorida Technological University College of Social Sciences Thesis; Locus of control refers to the individual's perception of the degree to which he controls the outcome of events in his life through his own behavior. Locus is further defined and related concepts discussed. Literature is reviewed, exploring determinants in the development of personal locus. Differential descriptions of the Internal and External individual are outlined, according to studies on locus as it affects personality and social-interactions. Delinquent, socially maladjusted and dependent-neglected adolescents were tested and significant differences in locus and personality characteristics examined. Final discussion is directed to implications of the results of this study with regards to the needs of the children and the suggested role of the institution.
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Date Issued: 1977
Identifier: CFR0004332, ucf:52995
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFR0004332

Title: A MULTIVARIATE MODEL OF PARENT-ADOLESCENT RELATIONSHIP VARIABLES IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE.
Creator: McKinney, Cliff, Renk, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study is to examine a multivariate model of parent-adolescent relationship variables, including parenting, family environment, expectations and conflict. These variables are examined simultaneously to investigate their relationships with adolescent adjustment in early adolescence. The sample for the current study consists of 710 culturally diverse participants who range in age from 11- to 14-years and who attend a middle school in a Southeastern state. Of these...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine a multivariate model of parent-adolescent relationship variables, including parenting, family environment, expectations and conflict. These variables are examined simultaneously to investigate their relationships with adolescent adjustment in early adolescence. The sample for the current study consists of 710 culturally diverse participants who range in age from 11- to 14-years and who attend a middle school in a Southeastern state. Of these participants, 487 have a mother and father who participated in this study as well. Correlational analyses indicate that parental warmth and overprotection, family cohesion and adaptability, developmental expectations, and conflict are significant predictors of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in early adolescents. Structural equation modeling analyses indicate that fathers‟ parenting behaviors may not predict directly externalizing behavior problems in males and females but instead may act through conflict; more direct relationships exist when examining mothers‟ parenting behaviors. The impact of parenting, family environment, conflict, and sex on early adolescents‟ internalizing and externalizing behavior problems are emphasized.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002598, ucf:48284
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002598

Title: THE ROLE OF OTHER:AN EXPLORATION OF A FACILITATOR'S ROLE IN PLAYBUILDING WITH ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED ADOLESCENT WOMEN.
Creator: Melnik, Laurie, Listengarten, Julia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: During the Fall 2007 semester, I facilitated the devising of a new play with students from a school located in St. Louis, Missouri. As an employee of a mid-America prominent regional theatre company, the organization partnering with the school on this project, I was hired as the teaching artist who oversaw the students' playwriting. Both the school and the regional theatre company hoped my being there would assist the girls in writing a play that connected to their Top 20 Teens curriculum...
Show moreDuring the Fall 2007 semester, I facilitated the devising of a new play with students from a school located in St. Louis, Missouri. As an employee of a mid-America prominent regional theatre company, the organization partnering with the school on this project, I was hired as the teaching artist who oversaw the students' playwriting. Both the school and the regional theatre company hoped my being there would assist the girls in writing a play that connected to their Top 20 Teens curriculum as well as demonstrate the high standards that are expected of them by their school's administration. This is the second year that the school and the regional theatre company partnered on this project, and they discovered last year that the play's use of language and character development suffered due to hands off directing. Neither organization wanted this to happen again and decided that a facilitator needed to work with the girls throughout the entire playwriting process rather than allow the students free reign in hopes that they were challenged to make different decisions from last year's play. The school's student population stems from communities deemed economically disadvantaged, and my role in this project proved challenging due to the fact that I am not from the same population as the students. As a white, middle class female working in an inner city environment, I seem to be endowed with a modicum of perceived power, whether or not I agree with it or want it. In my experience, I have noticed a dynamic permeated by uneasiness due to past, and current, tensions between whites and other races. As a Caucasian entering an inner city environment, I felt like the obvious minority. Resulting from these situations, I assume the role of "other" when entering populations that differ from my own. In the case of the school, I felt my role as "other" increased due to working in an all-female environment with participants drawn from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. My role as "other" sparked the following questions for me: How do I facilitate this project as an "other," and how does this crucial, racial and socio-economic role affect the construction of my sessions with the participants? I was interested in documenting how I perceived this role relative to my participants and the partnering organization during my facilitation and in my conclusions after the project was completed. During my facilitation, I kept a journal that served as a self-action study during all of my sessions with the girls. The "in the moment" writings allowed me to capture those times when my role as "other" directly affected my approach to the facilitating of the playbuilding and the choices I made during the project. Afterward, I developed a conclusion section that was written a few months after the project had ended. I wanted to determine how my perception of "other" shifted, if at all, while I facilitated the project and after I had the time to reflect on the project. I discovered that my perception of "other" did change as I went through this project. During the study, I found myself aware of this shift, but noticed my awareness of power and privilege increased when I had time to reflect on the project months after it had ended. I discovered that I can be "other" in some instances while this role may not be apparent to my participants. My thesis documents how being "other" guided my choices as a facilitator, as well as when it did not seem to be the basis of my decision-making. From this study, I concluded that my being different racially and socio-economically led me to place an unnecessary filter over my work with the playbuilding project which caused me to have many challenges as a white teaching artist working in an inner city setting.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002119, ucf:47549
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002119

Title: EVALUATION OF THE EXPECTANCY CHALLENGE ALCOHOL LITERACY CURRICULUM (ECALC) FOR REDUCING ALCOHOL USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
Creator: Sivasithamparam, Janani, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Alcohol use is the single most alarming behavior among youth in the United States. Adolescents especially are at risk for increases in heavy episodic drinking and drunkenness leading to alcohol-related problems such as academic failure, interpersonal violence, risky sexual behavior and death. In an effort to address this endemic issue, a number of alcohol use prevention programs have been developed and are currently implemented in the high school setting. Many of these programs, however, lack...
Show moreAlcohol use is the single most alarming behavior among youth in the United States. Adolescents especially are at risk for increases in heavy episodic drinking and drunkenness leading to alcohol-related problems such as academic failure, interpersonal violence, risky sexual behavior and death. In an effort to address this endemic issue, a number of alcohol use prevention programs have been developed and are currently implemented in the high school setting. Many of these programs, however, lack an empirical basis and have been unable to demonstrate significant reductions in alcohol use over time. The need for the development and dissemination of effective strategies to address adolescent drinking is evident. Recommendations for newly developing approaches encourage an emphasis on empirically-based content and easily implemented protocols. Expectancy challenge-based interventions have been identified by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as having strong evidence supporting their effectiveness in reducing alcohol use among college students. Recent efforts to translate such programs into forms effective with high school adolescents have been met with mixed results. The focus of the present study was to modify, implement and evaluate the Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC), a program currently validated for use with college populations, for high school adolescents. The single session, high school version of the ECALC was infused into the existing Health Education high school curriculum and implemented with those in the 9th through 12th grades. Measures of alcohol expectancies and alcohol use were completed anonymously by each participant before delivery of the program and for 30 days thereafter. Impact of the ECALC was compared to classes randomly assigned to an attention-matched control condition. Findings revealed significant changes in alcohol expectancies and alcohol use reported by participants in the 11th and 12th grades following delivery of the ECALC. Changes were found across factor analytic and multidimensional scaling (MDS) statistical methods applied to the expectancy measure, as well as across measures of estimated intoxication and drinking quantity/frequency. Findings were consistent among both male and female participants. Reductions in alcohol use were not found among 9th and 10th grade participants, and expectancy changes were inconsistent. The assessment periods for baseline and follow-up were thirty days, which may reflect a limitation in that a longer follow-up may be more likely to capture significant behavioral changes over time. This study was the first to apply both factor analytic and MDS methods to analysis of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol questionnaire, with clear implications for expectancy measurement techniques likely to be most appropriate for capturing changes in expectancy activation patterns over time. Overall, this study represents an important advance in the development of an empirically-based and validated alcohol use prevention program effective for use with adolescents. In addition, the ECALC serves as a prevention program that is easily implemented in the high school setting, requiring only 50 minutes of class time, a classroom, and a motivated educator.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003617, ucf:48846
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003617

Title: SEXUALIZED MUSIC'S EFFECT ON ADOLESCENT AND EMERGING ADULT BEHAVIOR: A META-ANALYSIS.
Creator: Scholl, Brittany M, Wright, Chrysalis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Reports on sexual activity among U.S. adolescents have shown a rise in their seriousness (Martino, Collins, Elliott, Strachman, Kanouse, & Berry, 2006). Such young sexual initiation is seen as a predictor of overall riskier sexual behavior such as having a multitude of sexual partners, not using any protective birth control and taking part in unwanted sex (Brown, L'Engle, Pardun, Guo, Kenneavy, & Jackson, 2006; Martino et at., 2006; Parkes, Wight, Hunt, Henderson, & Sargent, 2013; Price &...
Show moreReports on sexual activity among U.S. adolescents have shown a rise in their seriousness (Martino, Collins, Elliott, Strachman, Kanouse, & Berry, 2006). Such young sexual initiation is seen as a predictor of overall riskier sexual behavior such as having a multitude of sexual partners, not using any protective birth control and taking part in unwanted sex (Brown, L'Engle, Pardun, Guo, Kenneavy, & Jackson, 2006; Martino et at., 2006; Parkes, Wight, Hunt, Henderson, & Sargent, 2013; Price & Hyde, 2009; Primack, Douglas, Fine, & Dalton, 2009; Steinberg & Monahan, 2010). It is apparent that such riskier sexual behaviors result in higher rates of STI's and unwanted pregnancies (Brown et al., 2006; Parkes et al., 2013; Price & Hyde, 2009; Primack et al., 2009; Martino et al., 2006; Steinberg & Monahan, 2010). In September 2007, the United States Congress held a hearing on the gravity of sexual music content and their relationship to risky sexual behavior (Kistler & Lee, 2009). Recognition has also been found through studies, including some self-reported, concluding that young populations seek out entertainment media to facilitate as a tool of insight into personal development in the areas of sexual norms, and as a means of reference in establishing their own identities (Brown et al., 2006; Coyne et al., 2013; Coyne & Padilla-Walker, 2015; Primack et al., 2009). Music has been suggested to have the largest personality developing influence when compared to other media forms (Primack et al., 2009). Being that adolescence is the time of accepting or rejecting normalizations, including those distorted, (Turner, 2011) it remains a subject group that provides great value to this study. An organized computer search was directed with the assistance of MedLine, PsycINFO, Communications, and Mass Media in April and May 2017 in search of relevant articles. From here strategic elimination of those without inclusion criteria were made. The remaining data was coded and assessed through the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) software program. Although, suitable to both random and fixed effect models, only random models were reported in accordance to Hunter and Schmidt's (2005) argument on population variation. Positive effects signified associations with music in the form of lyrics or video and that to sexual behaviors. All studies presented said positive relationship in support of the music as sexual behavior indicator perspective. Generally, music is not something people are thinking critically about (Burgess & Burpo, 2012) bringing light to the closer but still not reached need in media literacy education. This is essential as it is not realistic to expect media to stop selling sex, therefore the responsibility for change lies in those who can use this knowledge to promote its awareness and ultimately help our youth become better prepared for making healthy, responsible deductions out of the sexually clad music we all enjoy. It is true that the wheels are already in motion (Wright et al., 2016; Wright, Dillman Carpentier, Hopper, & Warburton, 2017); the goal of this study was to keep up its momentum to continue propelling the movement forward.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000308, ucf:45764
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000308

Title: THE EFFECT OF DIETARY INTERVENTIONS ON FETAL BIRTH WEIGHTS IN PREGNANT ADOLESCENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
Creator: Nath, Seeta, D'Amato-Kubiet, Leslee, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Nutrition status during adolescent pregnancy and childbearing is a complex, multifaceted condition that can impact the health status of the teen mother and her baby. Adolescent mothers are at higher risk for low birth weight infants because of the unique dietary requirements needed to accommodate for both the growth needs of the adolescent mother and her unborn child. The purpose of this research was to examine dietary interventions that have the greatest effect on fetal birth weight outcomes...
Show moreNutrition status during adolescent pregnancy and childbearing is a complex, multifaceted condition that can impact the health status of the teen mother and her baby. Adolescent mothers are at higher risk for low birth weight infants because of the unique dietary requirements needed to accommodate for both the growth needs of the adolescent mother and her unborn child. The purpose of this research was to examine dietary interventions that have the greatest effect on fetal birth weight outcomes in adolescent mothers. Secondly, this study explored dietary nutrients effective in reducing the likelihood of complications commonly associated with low birth weight infants in adolescent pregnancy. A systematic literature review was conducted from the following online databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medical Literature On-line (MEDLINE), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and PsycInfo. Initial search terms included 'adolescent', 'nutrition', 'diet', and 'prenatal'. Further search items included 'weight' and 'outcome'. Selected articles included those published between 2000-2013, written in English, and peer-reviewed. Significant evidence supported positive birth weight outcomes for dietary supplementation with zinc and calcium, and BMI-specific weight gains for adolescent pregnancy. No significant evidence was provided on the effect of iron and fatty acid composition on birth weight outcomes. Results for other dietary interventions and their effects on fetal birth weight were either inconclusive or absent. Discovering dietary interventions that work best in prenatal care of adolescent populations will allow for more individually-tailored, dietary specific interventions to be developed to combat the prevalence of low fetal birth weight infants in adolescent pregnancy.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004646, ucf:45278
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004646

Title: ADOLESCENT MOTHERS' IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THEIR CHILDREN'S EARLY LANGUAGE AND EMERGENT LITERACY SKILLS.
Creator: Canty, Meredith C, Towson, Jacqueline, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Previous studies have examined how the language skills of children with adolescent mothers differs from children of older mothers. However, there is limited information on what specific strategies adolescent mothers utilize to increase early language and emergent literacy skills in their children. The aim of the present study is to examine adolescent mothers' use of strategies to increase the early language and emergent literacy skills of their young children. A sample of 14 adolescent...
Show morePrevious studies have examined how the language skills of children with adolescent mothers differs from children of older mothers. However, there is limited information on what specific strategies adolescent mothers utilize to increase early language and emergent literacy skills in their children. The aim of the present study is to examine adolescent mothers' use of strategies to increase the early language and emergent literacy skills of their young children. A sample of 14 adolescent mothers enrolled in a teen parenting program were surveyed on their use of common strategies that are shown to facilitate early development of language and literacy skills in young children, and they provided a self-report of their child's language development using a norm-referenced tool. A researcher developed questionnaire was used to determine the frequency of strategies used by the adolescent mothers. The MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories were used to gather child language development data to compare with the frequency of strategy usage. The measures were analyzed with ANOVAs, Pearson Correlations and Spearman's rank-order correlations to determine the significance and relationship between variables. Adolescent mothers were found to generally score low on the Self-Assessment of Language and Literacy Implementation (SALLI), with deficits specifically in the areas of Directiveness and Home Environment. The CDIs showed that the children were reported to have below average language development, and their scores were significantly related to aspects of the adolescent mother's reported implementation.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH0000234, ucf:44677
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0000234

Title: THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG PREVIOUS EXPOSURE TO WAR AND CONFLICT, ACCULTURATION, AND IDENTITY FORMATION AMONG ADOLESCENT REFUGEES.
Creator: Guler, Jessy, Berman, Steven, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines the relationship among previous exposure to war and conflict, acculturation, and identity formation among adolescent refugees. It was hypothesized that US acculturation would mediate the association between exposure to war and conflict and identity development among adolescent refugees. Participants included 33 adolescent refugees (16 males and 17 females) ranging in age between 11 and 17 years (M = 14.61, SD = 1.48), who were recruited through a refugee resettlement...
Show moreThis thesis examines the relationship among previous exposure to war and conflict, acculturation, and identity formation among adolescent refugees. It was hypothesized that US acculturation would mediate the association between exposure to war and conflict and identity development among adolescent refugees. Participants included 33 adolescent refugees (16 males and 17 females) ranging in age between 11 and 17 years (M = 14.61, SD = 1.48), who were recruited through a refugee resettlement service provider located in Orlando, Florida. Country of origin included Cuba (n = 25), Iraq (n = 4), Jordan (n =1), Haiti (n =1), Colombia (n =1), and Venezuela (n =1). Previous exposure to war and conflict was found to impact identity development; however, the proposed hypothesis in which US acculturation mediates the association between exposure to war and conflict on the one hand, and identity development on the other was not supported. Results indicated that US acculturation was not related to any of the study variables. Previous exposure to war and conflict, along with hardships caused by such experiences, were negatively correlated with identity development and positively correlated with identity distress. In addition, native acculturation was negatively correlated with identity distress, suggesting that acculturation to one's native culture may serve as a protective factor against identity distress among adolescent refugees. Implications for professional practice are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004551, ucf:45186
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004551

Title: Investigating a Mental Health Literacy Intervention Among Economically Disadvantaged Youth.
Creator: Mumbauer, Jayna, Barden, Sejal, Kelchner, Viki, Van Horn, Stacy, Williams, Nicola, Bai, Haiyan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Mental health is a critical and pervasive issue for children and adolescents in the United States, with one in five youth living with a diagnosable mental health condition (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Despite the increasing rates of mental health disorders, barriers to treatment are abundant and most young people do not receive appropriate treatment (Merikangas, 2009). Mental health literacy is the knowledge and beliefs surrounding mental health that guide recognition,...
Show moreMental health is a critical and pervasive issue for children and adolescents in the United States, with one in five youth living with a diagnosable mental health condition (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Despite the increasing rates of mental health disorders, barriers to treatment are abundant and most young people do not receive appropriate treatment (Merikangas, 2009). Mental health literacy is the knowledge and beliefs surrounding mental health that guide recognition, management, and prevention (Jorm, 1997, p. 143). Mental health literacy is a particularly important framework for youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds as they face increased vulnerabilities to mental health distress and barriers to treatment (World Health Organization, 2017). The aim of the present study was to investigate if an after school mental health literacy intervention changed adolescents' self-reported measures of mental health knowledge, mental health stigma, help-seeking, and hope across three waves of data collection: wave one (immediately before the intervention), wave two (immediately after the intervention), and wave three (one month post-intervention) as measured by: (a) Mental Health Knowledge and Attitude Survey [MHKAS] (Kutcher, McLuckie, (&) Weaver, 2014), (b) General Help Seeking Questionnaire [GHSQ] (Wilson, Deane, Ciarrochi, (&) Rickwood, 2005) 2005), (c) Children's Hope Scale [CHS] (Snyder et al., 1997).; and Self-Stigma of Mental Illness-Short Form [SSMIS-SF] (Corrigan et al., 2012). Main findings of the investigation included a significant difference for multivariate analysis between wave one and wave two (Pillai's Trace = .546, F(4, 56) = 16.816, p (<) .001, partial ?2 = .546). There was a statistically significant positive change in mental health knowledge (p (<) .001; d = 1.992) and help-seeking attitudes (p = .025; d = .934) and a significant negative change in personal mental health stigma (p (<) .001; d =.582) across wave one and wave two. There was no statistically significant change in hope (p = .904; d = .000) across wave one and wave two. Moreover, there was a statistically significant change from wave one to wave three for multivariate within subjects analysis (Pillai's Trace = .604, F(4, 27) = 10.297, p (<) .001, partial ?2 = .604), indicating changes were maintained at one-month follow-up. Specifically, there was a statistically significant positive change in mental health knowledge (p (<) .001, d = 1.960) and help-seeking attitudes (p = .007; d = 1.210) and a significant decrease in mental health stigma (p = .002; d = 1.210). There was no significant change in measures of hope from wave one to wave three (p = .467; d = .271). Results of the study are reviewed and compared to similar studies. The researcher discusses implications of findings for counseling, counselor education, and public policy.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007506, ucf:52648
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007506

Title: DOES RELIGIOSITY DETER JUVENILE DELINQUENCY?.
Creator: Murray, Brittany, Jasinski, Jana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The study presented here uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Wave I (Add Health) to examine the association between juvenile delinquency and religiosity. Juvenile delinquency is an area that has received increasing research interest over the last decade; however, much of this research has primarily focused on family, peers, and education as factors that may reduce delinquent involvement. While all of these are influential in the lives of youth, it is possible...
Show moreThe study presented here uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Wave I (Add Health) to examine the association between juvenile delinquency and religiosity. Juvenile delinquency is an area that has received increasing research interest over the last decade; however, much of this research has primarily focused on family, peers, and education as factors that may reduce delinquent involvement. While all of these are influential in the lives of youth, it is possible there are other factors as well. Religiosity has been shown to have influential effects throughout the life course; however, little research has focused specifically on the relationship between religiosity and juvenile delinquency and even less has centered on this relationship in terms of gender and race/ethnicity. The results of this study will contribute to the literature on juvenile delinquency by providing an in-depth look at the effects of religiosity in adolescence, gender and racial/ethnic trends, as well as possibly provide information valuable to prevention efforts.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003644, ucf:48877
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003644

Title: DIALOGIC READING WITH ADOLESCENT MOTHERS.
Creator: Abarca, Diana L, Towson, Jacqueline, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching dialogic reading (DR) strategies to adolescent mothers as measured by DR strategy use during shared book reading with their children. The secondary purpose was to determine the impact of adolescent mothers' implementation of DR strategies on their preschool children's single word vocabulary. A single subject multiple baseline across behaviors research design was implemented with one adolescent mother and her twin boys....
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching dialogic reading (DR) strategies to adolescent mothers as measured by DR strategy use during shared book reading with their children. The secondary purpose was to determine the impact of adolescent mothers' implementation of DR strategies on their preschool children's single word vocabulary. A single subject multiple baseline across behaviors research design was implemented with one adolescent mother and her twin boys. Based on visual analysis of graphical representation of the data, it was determined there was a moderate to strong functional relation between educating an adolescent mother on DR and her implementation of DR strategies during shared book reading, depending on the DR strategy. Receptive and expressive scores on the individual book assessments decreased from baseline to intervention. These results provide preliminary evidence that adolescent mothers have the potential to implement new strategies during shared book reading when provided with direct support. Future research with this population should strive towards developing an intervention for adolescent mothers and their children to enhance children's language and literacy development.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000277, ucf:45821
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000277

Title: ACCULTURATION, SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE, AND ADJUSTMENT OF EARLY ADOLESCENTS.
Creator: Klein, Jenny, Renk, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A majority of research regarding disruptive behavior disorders in youth has focused primarily upon Caucasian children and adolescents. As a result, more investigation of the unique characteristics of youth from ethnically diverse backgrounds, particularly those from Hispanic American and African American backgrounds, is needed (Balls Organista, Organista, & Kurasaki, 2003). This study investigated the relationships between several characteristics (e.g., ethnic identity, socioeconomic status,...
Show moreA majority of research regarding disruptive behavior disorders in youth has focused primarily upon Caucasian children and adolescents. As a result, more investigation of the unique characteristics of youth from ethnically diverse backgrounds, particularly those from Hispanic American and African American backgrounds, is needed (Balls Organista, Organista, & Kurasaki, 2003). This study investigated the relationships between several characteristics (e.g., ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, social acceptance, and emotional and behavioral symptoms) of early adolescents belonging to diverse ethnic groups. Results suggested that socioeconomic status and degree of early adolescents' social acceptance were important factors in predicting the development of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in this age group. Additionally, perceived social acceptance moderated significantly the relationships between SES and depression, anxiety, and self-concept. Considering these results, useful treatments may be developed that enhance early adolescents' abilities to assess realistically their own social skills and interact appropriately within different social spheres. Increased self-appraisals of acceptance within social situations may modify negative effects (e.g., higher reports of anxiety and depression) of extreme socioeconomic circumstances, particularly for early adolescents experiencing low-income or poverty conditions within their family and/or their community.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000889, ucf:46632
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000889

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