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
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Item EFFECTS OF DIFFERENCES IN PARENTING STYLES ON COUPLE DISTRESS AND CHILDREN'S PERCEPTIONS OF FAMILY SUPPORT(2012) Gogolinski, Tara; Gogolinski, Tara B; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Research has been conducted on different aspects of parenting and how it affects both the couple's relationship and the children involved. The literature suggests that an authoritative parenting style is most optimal for children's outcomes contributing to better school achievement, adjustment, and self-efficacy, and proposes that the quality of the parents' couple relationship affects the experiences of the child(ren). The current study, utilizing a clinical sample of 37 families, explored the relationship between differences in parenting styles and the child's perception of family support and the differences in parenting styles and the couple's distress level. No significant relationships were found among differences in parenting styles and a child's perception of family support. One significant relationship was found among differences in the permissive parenting style and mother's level of relationship distress and father's level of relationship distress. The possible meanings of these findings for this sample are discussed.Item The Experiences and Needs of Parents Whose Children Died Due to Degenerative Disabilities: A Qualitative Analysis(2008-04-16) Stepanek, Jennifer Smith; Beckman, Paula J; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Remarkable advancements in life-saving technology have led to prolonged survival rates for premature infants and young children who have experienced trauma, illnesses, or medical disabilities. However, this progress has also led to a concurrent increase in long-term morbidity, including chronic and degenerative health conditions that result in early death. Early interventionists, special educators, and other multidisciplinary professionals are subsequently working with a growing number of families who are facing the potential deaths of their children due to life-threatening disabilities. To support parents facing such loss, an understanding of their life experiences and support needs is essential. However, most research related to supporting grieving parents is based on samples drawn from self-help bereavement support groups which typically consist of parents whose children died as a result of catastrophic illnesses or trauma. Little is known about supporting parents whose children are diagnosed with life-threatening or degenerative disabilities. This qualitative inquiry explored the experiences and needs of 7 bereaved parents whose children died between the ages of 3 and 21 due to a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Four professionals also participated for triangulation in this national study. Narrative analysis was used to search for themes in the stories shared by participants. The themes that emerged for parent experiences include: abundant stress from dissonance, exhaustion, chronic changes, unanticipated shock, and profound grief; ongoing struggles for validation; and, the positive impact of formal and informal supports. The themes that emerged for parent needs include: hope, information, useful resources, helpful networks, healthy partnerships, choices, and validation. Finally, the themes that emerged for preferred supports during loss and bereavement include: professionals' awareness of and attention to parent experiences and needs throughout the child's lifespan; ongoing connections with providers and activities that were a part of the child's life; and, support options beyond traditional bereavement groups. The results are discussed with reference to previous and emerging theory and research in parental bereavement. Practical implications and future research are also discussed.Item Gender socialization and family influences on body image and weight loss behaviors among adolescent girls: Findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health(2007-04-26) Liechty, Janet Marie; Hofferth, Sandra L; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The rise in preoccupation with weight and dieting among adolescent girls in the last 30 years has produced a plethora of clinical research on body image and other correlates of disordered eating. However, there have been few longitudinal population studies investigating precursors and prevalence of actual cognitive distortion in body image among girls or its health consequences. Data on U.S. girls (ages 12-21) were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Using Symbolic Interaction and Feminist Sociocultural theories, logistic regressions were conducted to test theoretical propositions and investigate possible pathways of risk from gendered self-concept to body image distortion (BID), and from BID to risky weight loss behavior (e.g., diet pills, vomiting, and laxatives) and more common weight loss behaviors such as dieting and exercising to lose weight. Family social support, parent traditional attitudes, and background variables (race/ethnicity, age, parent education, and BMI status) were also considered. Multivariate analyses at Time 1 suggest that self-esteem is negatively associated with BID and high appearance investment is positively associated with BID. Multivariate longitudinal analyses suggest that BID at Time 1 predicts the onset of both risky weight loss behaviors and dieting by Time 2 (one year later), controlling for weight loss behavior at Time 1. High self-esteem is also associated with decreased risk of engaging in risky weight loss behaviors and decreased dieting behavior. Self-esteem has a direct effect on BID and an indirect effect on unhealthy weight loss behaviors, mediated through BID. There is no evidence that BID mediates the relationship between self-esteem and dieting to lose weight, however. Parent traditional attitudes are associated with girls' higher social passivity, but are unrelated to self-esteem and appearance investment. Results suggest that universal, developmentally appropriate prevention programs addressing body image, realistic body weight self-assessment, and self-esteem are needed, as well as targeted programs for girls at risk for BID or who already display BID, in order to curb risky and unnecessary weight loss practices. Suggestions for designing screening and prevention programs based on theory and current research are discussed.Item The role of elders' resources in the receipt of family support in Matlab, Bangladesh(2005-08-08) Subaiya, Lekha; Kahn, Joan; Sociology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Family support for the South Asian elderly is usually considered to be given automatically to all, without taking into consideration the available resources of the elder, or their gender and marital status. These assumptions are problematic because they do not accord agency to the elder, nor do they account for their differential access to resources. Elders' own characteristics could play an important role in the transfer of support between generations, and it is likely that these relationships differ by gender and marital status. The main objective of this dissertation is to assess intergenerational transfers in Bangladesh from the perspective of the elderly to provide a benchmark study of the level of support given by adult children, and to examine the role of elders' own resources in intergenerational dynamics. Using a sample of 3354 men and women aged 50 and over from the 1996 Matlab Health and Socio-economic Survey, I use logistic regression techniques to assess the impact of ownership of land and physical functionality on elders' receipt of transfers of space, money and time. I use a theoretical framework that builds on altruism and exchange theory, and the empirical literature, to present factors associated with transfers to elder parents in rural Bangladesh. The results demonstrate that vulnerable elders are receiving support, but, as well, their resources influence their receipt of transfers. Specifically, widows and elders with poor ability to function on a daily basis are likely to receive support from their children in the form of sharing of space and the transfer of money. Married men and widows who own land are more likely to receive money transfers from non-resident children. Gender, marriage and coresidence are important conditioning factors in the receipt of support from adult children.