College of Education
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..
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Item OUTCOMES OF YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID USA WITH PARENTS: EXAMINING BELIEFS, BEHAVIORS, AND KNOWLEDGE(2020) Marsico, Kristen Frese; Wang, Cixin; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Youth typically do not seek mental health services for themselves, and instead rely on their parents to play a “gatekeeper role,” and identify the problem and seek appropriate services for the youth. Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) USA teaches adults to recognize signs of youth mental illness and intervene using a five-step action plan that focuses on assessing for risk, listening nonjudgmentally, and connecting youth to resources and mental health care. While studies have examined the effects of the program on various stakeholders in children’s lives, limited attention has been given to parent trainees. The present study examined the effects of YMHFA USA on parents’ mental health literacy; mental health first aid intentions, self-reported MHFA behaviors to help youth, and confidence in their helping skills; attitudes toward seeking professional help and intentions to do so; and stigma. Six trainings were provided at no cost to parents with at least one child under the age of 21, and 107 parents participated in the research by completing pre-, post-, and two month follow-up surveys (n = 64). Paired sample t-tests were conducted to examine change, and results indicated that following the training, parents reported statistically significant increases in all variables of interest with the exception of stigma, which decreased. Changes in MHL, attitudes, intentions toward help-seeking, and stigma were maintained at two month follow-up. Participants answered six open-ended questions and responses were thematically analyzed. Qualitative results indicate that parents signed up for YMHFA USA due to a desire for knowledge and skills, having multiple roles that necessitate interactions with youth, prior experience with mental illness, and the increasing prevalence of youth mental illness. Parents identified that the most beneficial aspects of the training were learning the ALGEE action plan, participating in roleplays and examples, gaining information about youth mental illness, having a positive/open training environment, and learning strategies for understanding and interacting with youth. Finally, improvements to YMHFA USA were suggested in regard to both the content and structure of the training. Implications for practice and research are discussed.Item THE INFLUENCE OF FATHERS’ AND MOTHERS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING ON CHILDREN’S SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: EXAMINING MEDIATING AND MODERATING PATHWAYS(2021) Hennigar, Avery; Cabrera, Natasha J; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Young children’s social skills are rooted in children’s early relationships with their proximal caregivers, in particular the relationships with their mothers and fathers. One indicator of the parent-child relationship is the quality of their dyadic interactions. One factor that has been found to influence high quality parent-child interactions and children’s subsequent social competence is a parent’s psychological functioning Guided by the bioecological model, this study examined the longitudinal effects through which mothers’ and fathers psychological functioning (i.e., their depressive symptoms, role overload, and optimism) influenced their children’s social competence and problem behaviors through their dyadic synchrony during play in a sample of low-income families participating in a parenting intervention. It also tested the joint or combined effects of mothers’ and fathers’ psychological functioning on these pathways. The study is discussed with an eye towards future research, intervention, and policy efforts in including fathers as they remain an understudied and underutilized resource in promoting positive child development.Item READY FOR KINDERGARTEN: A TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE PARENT-CHILD CONVERSATION DURING THE PRESCHOOL YEARS(2016) Leech, Kathryn A.; Ramani, Geetha; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Many children in the United States begin kindergarten unprepared to converse in the academic language surrounding instruction, putting them at greater risk for later language and reading difficulties. Importantly, correlational research has shown there are certain experiences prior to kindergarten that foster the oral language skills needed to understand and produce academic language. The focus of this dissertation was on increasing one of these experiences: parent-child conversations about abstract and non-present concepts, known as decontextualized language (DL). Decontextualized language involves talking about non-present concepts such as events that happened in the past or future, or abstract discussions such as providing explanations or defining unknown words. As caregivers’ decontextualized language input to children aged three to five is consistently correlated with kindergarten oral language skills and later reading achievement, it is surprising no experimental research has been done to establish this relation causally. The study described in this dissertation filled this literature gap by designing, implementing, and evaluating a decontextualized language training program for parents of 4-year-old children (N=30). After obtaining an initial measure of decontextualized language, parents were randomly assigned to a control condition or training condition, the latter of which educated parents about decontextualized language and why it is important. All parents then audio-recorded four mealtime conversations over the next month, which were transcribed and reliably coded for decontextualized language. Results indicated that trained parents boosted their DL from roughly 17 percent of their total utterances at baseline to approximately 50 percent by the mid-point of the study, and remained at these boosted levels throughout the duration of the study. Children’s DL was also boosted by similar margins, but no improvement in children’s oral language skills was observed, measured prior to, and one month following training. Further, exploratory analyses pointed to parents’ initial use of DL and their theories of the malleability of intelligence (i.e., growth mindsets) as moderators of training gains. Altogether, these findings are a first step in establishing DL as a viable strategy for giving children the oral language skills needed to begin kindergarten ready to succeed in the classroom.Item Home Literacy Activities in Latino Immigrant Families: Contributions to Toddlers’ Expressive and Receptive Language Skills(2016) Malin, Jenessa Laura; Cabrera, Natasha J; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The development of language is a critical component of early childhood, enabling children to communicate their wishes and desires, share thoughts, and build meaning through linguistic interactions with others. A wealth of research has highlighted the importance of children’s early home experiences in fostering language development. This literature emphasizes the importance of a stimulating and supportive home environment in which children are engaged in literacy activities such as reading, telling stories, or singing songs with their parents. This study examined the association between low-income Latino immigrant mothers’ and fathers’ home literacy activities and their children’s receptive and expressive language skills. It also examined the moderating influence of maternal (i.e., reading quality and language quality) and child (engagement during reading, interest in literacy activities) characteristics on this association. This study included observational mother-child reading interactions, child expressive and receptive language assessments, and mother- and father-reported survey data. Controlling for parental education, multiple regression analyses revealed a positive association between home literacy activities and children’s receptive and expressive language skills. The findings also revealed that mothers’ reading quality and children’s engagement during reading (for expressive language skills only) moderated this association. Findings from this study will help inform new interventions, programs, and policies that build on Latino families’ strengths.Item Maternal Experiences of Parenting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Analysis(2015) Duchene, Melissa S.; Jones Harden, Brenda; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Despite the increased prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over the last two decades (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015), little is known about the parenting of children with ASD, including parenting behaviors, parent-child interactions, and how the specific characteristics of children with ASD affect parenting practices. The goals of this qualitative study were: (1) To explore parenting practices and behaviors among mothers of children with ASD; and (2) To illuminate the unique experiences of mothers raising children with ASD. Three research questions guided the inquiry: 1) What are the parenting practices and behaviors that mothers use with their preschool age children with ASD?; 2) What are the beliefs and experiences of mothers relative to raising preschool aged children with ASD?; and 3) What facilitates or hinders mothers' parenting of their preschool aged children with ASD? In this qualitative inquiry, six mothers and their preschool-age children with ASD were recruited from the Autism Center in a metropolitan children's hospital. Each mother participated in three 1-1 ½ hour long semi-structured audio-recorded interviews that entailed a series of open-ended questions about the unique experiences associated with raising a child with ASD. Two home observations and one public observation of mother-child interactions lasting 1-2 hours in length were conducted per family. Eleven themes emerged during the coding process: 1) positivity within the mother-child relationship, 2) schedules and routines, 3) strategies encouraging child cooperation, 4) crisis management, 5) perspectives on child's maladaptive behavior, 6) perspectives on child's abilities, 7) perceptions and experiences around public interfacing, 8) stress associated with caring for a child with ASD, 9) maternal resources, 10) interpersonal supports, and 11) ecological factors. These results shed light on factors that contribute to the everyday realities and experiences of parents who have children with ASD, thereby allowing for a more accurate understanding of their parenting approaches and behaviors. Findings from this study can be considered in the context of developing interventions focused on parenting children with ASD.Item Socialization practices in low-income immigrants and their young children: A qualitative approach(2011) Aldoney Ramirez, Daniela; Cabrera, Natasha J.; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Latinos are the largest ethnic group in the U.S., yet little is known about how these families socialize their children to function in the U.S. Based on ecocultural theory, this study utilized focus groups interviews with 28 parents to explore the socialization practices of low-income Latino immigrant parents with their young children. Findings from this study suggest that parents model their expectations/values according to environmental demands developing diverse strategies to combine what they view to be Latino and American values. Research results also indicate that participating parents cope with the challenges in socializing their children by being optimistic and highly investing time and resources on their children. This study provides a basis for generating hypotheses to be tested with larger datasets; identifying areas that policies and programs might develop to support effective parenting in Latino immigrant families; and, informing the development of culturally sensitive measures to evaluate Latino parenting.Item An Examination of Parental Variables, Ecological Factors, and the Academic Achievement of African American Male Students(2009) Hines, Erik M.; Holcomb-McCoy, Cheryl C; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The achievement gap between African American males and their peers has been documented in the literature. This research study examined the influence of parenting styles, parental variables, and ecological factors on the academic achievement of African American males. The sample was taken from two high schools in the northeast section of the United States and 153 African American male students between grades eleven and twelve participated in this study. The results of this study showed no significant relationship between parenting styles and the academic achievement. In addition, father's level of monitoring academic activities, mother expectations, and the number of parents in the home are significantly related to parenting styles. Moreover, results showed father's education level and two-parent homes are a positive predictor of grade point average while father expectations is a negative predictor of grade point average.Item LOW-INCOME TEEN FATHERS' TRAJECTORY OF INVOLVEMENT: THE INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL, CONTEXTUAL, AND COPARENTAL FACTORS(2009) Holmes, Allison; Harden, Brenda J; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)While teen births are on the rise and marriage rates are on the decline, fathers have become a recent focus. However, there is a dearth of literature on teen fathers' parenting behaviors. The current study provided a portrait of Early Head Start teen fathers' involvement throughout early childhood and salient influences on that involvement. This study maximized developmental and life course perspectives by employing a longitudinal analysis (i.e., Latent Growth Curve Model) that emphasized time-effects. The majority of teen fathers were involved with children initially, but their involvement decreased over time. Consistent with extant literature, teen fathers who were prenatally engaged, resident after the birth, and in romantic coparental relationships at 14- and 24-months were more involved in their children's lives initially. Teen fathers who were in romantic coparental relationships at 36- and 64- months were less likely to decrease their involvement over the course of early childhood. Surprisingly, age, race, employment, and school status were not significant influences on father involvement. Although the present study had its limitations, trends were noted and should be considered in future studies. Teen fathers are a unique population facing several challenges to meeting their own developmental needs and enacting their father role. Some conceptual factors shown to be influential for father involvement with adult and married fathers (i.e., age, employment) do not hold the same meaning and impact among teen fathers. The conceptual and ultimately practical meaning of behaviors and characteristics must be contextualized within teen fathers' developmental trajectory and ecological settings. Similarly, examination of teen fathers within a dynamic, longitudinal framework emphasized the need to address fatherhood in a different way. Previous studies have examined longitudinal data, but not examined the patterns of involvement for individual fathers. This different perspective (i.e., person-centered) revealed unique patterns for teen fathers. Further analyses will allow when and how to best intervene with teen fathers. Teen fathers may be at-risk, but they are involved with their children and can positively benefit both children and mothers. Head Start and Early Head Start could continue to support teen fatherhood through its mission to serve low-income children and parents; availability from pregnancy through 5-years; and mission to adapt to the needs of the community and family. But without support or intervention, the cycle of teen of parenthood is perpetuated.Item The Influence of Perceptions of Parent Racial Attitude and Intergroup Contact Have on Adolescent Cross-Race Relationships(2005-11-14) Edmonds, Christina Maria; Killen, Melanie; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Research on cross-race relationships has demonstrated that contact between races is an important contributing factor to reducing prejudice in both children and in adults; however, cross-race relationships are still rare and infrequent and have been shown to decrease with age. The purpose of this project was to focus on the impact parents have on their children's cross-race relationships. Adolescents' perceptions of parents' messages about these relationships were examined to investigate how this related to the extent of contact with peers from different ethnic backgrounds and the extent to which it impacted adolescents' subsequent evaluations of cross-race relationships. Participants were 347 ninth- and twelfth-graders of mixed ethnicity and across gender. Three factors were proposed to influence their attitudes toward cross-race relationships: perception of intergroup contact, perception of parents' racial attitudes, and perception of parents' messages. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: (1) Intergroup Contact Measure, (2) Cross-Race Friendship and Dating Experiences, (3) Parental Attitudes, and (4) Personal Attitudes and Autonomy. The Intergroup Contact section asked demographic questions regarding the racial make-up and chance at interaction with individuals from a different racial background. The second section, Social Experiences, asked questions regarding the participant's experience with cross-race friendships and romantic relationships. The third section, Parental Attitudes, assessed the participant's perception of his or her parents' attitudes toward cross-race relationships. The fourth section of the survey, Evaluations of Parental and Personal Attitudes, asked participants their opinion on who should make rules for adolescents' dating and friendship choices. Findings indicated that perceptions of intergroup contact had an effect on the formation and development of both cross-race friendships and dating relationships. Perceptions of parent racial attitudes had an effect on the actual experiences participants had within their cross-race relationships. In addition, the findings indicated that parents evaluated cross-race relationships differently and their messages played a key role in shaping the experiences of their children. These findings both contribute and expand on existing literature about adolescent social relationships and theories of prejudice and racial bias, providing further support to intergroup contact theory.Item Correlates of Social Competence at Age Two: The Roles of Temperament and Maternal Style(2005-05-02) Purple, Margro Anne; Rubin, Kenneth H; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The roles of temperament and parenting in the development of social competence at age two years were examined. Toddlers (N=108; 54 girls) and their mothers participated in a laboratory assessment of temperament and observation of mother-toddler interaction during structured and unstructured free play. Additionally, mothers completed the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (Goldsmith, 1988) and the Child Rearing Practices Q-Sort (Block, 1981). Mother-toddler dyads returned to the laboratory for an observed session of play with an unfamiliar, same-age, same-sex peer. Indices of maternal style and temperament based on questionnaire and observational data from the first session were used to predict socially competent behavior with the peer during the second session. The results supported a trend indicating that toddlers who displayed low levels of distress (e.g. anger and whininess) spent a moderate amount of time engaged in socially competent peer play as compared to toddlers who displayed greater distress in said task.