Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item Mothers' Behaviors that Promote Prosocial Behaviors in Children(2014) Roerig, Kira Don; Epstein, Norman B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Past research suggests that development of prosocial behavior is correlated with positive outcomes for children. Parents play a significant role in the development of children's prosocial behaviors. The present study investigated mothers' behaviors that may promote prosocial behaviors in their children. Specifically, the present research examines the associations, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, of four maternal behaviors -- 1) time spent doing chores with children, 2) mothers' philanthropic behavior, 3) mothers' volunteering, and 4) mothers' talking to children about making donations -- with child prosocial behavior. Mothers' warmth was tested as a potential moderator variable. It was hypothesized that each of the maternal behaviors would be positively related to prosocial behaviors in their children, and that mothers' warmth would moderate (enhance) the relationship between the parent behaviors and children's prosocial behavior. Results indicated that doing chores with children was significantly and positively associated with children's prosocial behavior. Other results are discussed.Item THE ASSOCIATION OF ORPHAN AND VULNERABLE CHILD (OVC) PRIMARY CAREGIVING, HOUSEHOLD WEALTH, AND FEMALE AUTONOMY ON WOMEN'S BODY MASS INDEX IN NAMIBIA, SWAZILAND AND ZAMBIA(2013) Kanamori Nishimura, Mariano Juan; Carter-Pokras, Olivia D; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Background: This dissertation investigates factors associated with orphan and vulnerable child (OVC) caregivers' body mass index (BMI) in Namibia, Swaziland and Zambia. Methods: Secondary analyses were performed using cross-sectional data from Demographic Health Surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007. Manuscript 1 included de facto women from Namibia (n=6,638), Swaziland (n=3,285), and Zambia (n=4,497). Manuscript 2 included de jure women from Namibia (n=6,305), Swaziland (n=2,786), and Zambia (n=4,389). Manuscript 3 included married de jure women from Namibia (n=2,633), Swaziland (n=1,395), and Zambia (n=2,920). Statistical analyses using data from 20-49 year old women included weighted marginal means, logistic regression, and Sobel and Goodman tests. Results: Manuscript 1. OVC caregivers' overweight prevalence ranged from 26.98% (Namibia) to 61.3% (Swaziland). Namibian OVC caregivers were less likely to be overweight than non-OVC caregivers and non-caregivers not living with OVC. Swazi and Zambian OVC caregivers were more likely to be overweight than non-caregivers. In Namibia, women's age modified the effect of the association between OVC caregiving and overweight status. Manuscript 2. Namibian and Swazi OVC caregivers had lower Absolute Wealth Index (AWI) mean scores than non-OVC caregivers and non-caregivers. In Zambia, OVC caregivers had a lower mean AWI score than non-caregivers living with an OVC but a higher mean AWI score than non-OVC caregivers. In all countries, even small increases in household wealth (e.g., being a poorer women - 2 to 3 AWI items) were associated with higher odds for being overweight regardless of women's caregiving status. Manuscript 3. Women's educational attainment increased the odds for being overweight in Swaziland and Zambia, and decreased the odds for being underweight in Namibia. Decision-making autonomy mediated the association between AWI and OVC caregivers' BMI in Zambia (Z=2.13, p=0.03). Conclusions. As Africa is experiencing a nutritional and HIV/AIDS transition, overweight problems among OVC caregivers has emerged and should be addressed. These findings support the World Health Organization's recommendations that African countries should focus on addressing infectious diseases as well as the emergence of chronic diseases. Some African public health systems and OVC programs may face a new overweight epidemic alongside existing ones such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.Item PATERNAL ADHD, PARENTING, AND CHILD CONDUCT PROBLEMS: POTENTIAL MECHANISMS.(2012) Mintz, Abigail D.; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Parental factors, specifically psychopathology and parenting, robustly predict negative developmental outcomes among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Indeed, emergent findings have linked maternal ADHD symptoms both with sub-optimal parenting and child conduct problems within families of children with ADHD. Despite considerable research supporting the important and unique contributions of fathers to their children's development, the role of fathers within families of children with ADHD has seldom been examined. In particular, little research has been conducted with regard to paternal ADHD symptoms and parenting, despite clear evidence for an association between maternal ADHD symptoms and maladaptive parenting. The current study examined psychopathology and parenting behavior among a sample of fathers (N=102) and their 5-12 year-old children with previously-diagnosed ADHD. Results indicated that paternal antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) symptoms (rather than ADHD symptoms) were robustly associated with child conduct problems, and paternal negative parenting mediated this relationship. Future research using prospective longitudinal designs should examine multiple forms of psychopathology and parenting behavior among fathers of children with ADHD in order to identify potential risk factors and associated mechanisms for the development of child conduct problems.Item The Role of Syntax and Contextual Frame in Children's Use of a Causal Theory in Reasoning about Natural Kinds(2005-05-27) Hammond, Jane; Scholnick, Ellin K; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)A central focus of cognitive development research is the nature and organization of knowledge. Some researchers claim that young children use an intuitive theory to help them understand foundational domains such as biological categories. In particular, researchers have studied whether children's biological concepts are embedded in a causal theory about the nature of living organisms. Two key features of this theory are the concept of biological essences and the use of inductive generalizations. This study examined the influence of contextual frame and logical conjunctions on access and use of the theory in elementary and middle school children. It also investigated whether that causal theory supports both inductive and deductive reasoning. Children were given inductive and deductive tasks involving natural kinds. In the inductive tasks the child was asked whether a property of an animal would be found in other animals varying in taxonomic distance from the animal. In the deductive task, children worked on syllogisms based on cues at different levels of a biological taxonomy. Older children were not as likely to make inductions about instances of less biological resemblance to the target. However they also made more accurate deductions regardless of level of the hierarchy. Inductive and deductive performance were not correlated. Whether the cues were stated in a sentence beginning with "if" or "all" had no significant impact on performance, but whether the problem was presented from the viewpoint of a scientist or a pet store owner affected performance. These results were used to re-examine the basic tenets of essentialist thinking and the nature of developmental changes in reasoning about biological kinds.