College of Behavioral & Social Sciences

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Author: search.filters.author.Awao, Sayaka

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    CHILDHOOD BEREAVEMENT AND INTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS: RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AS A MECHANISM AND EARLY ATTACHMENT SECURITY AS A BUFFER
    (2024) Awao, Sayaka; Cassidy, Jude; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Childhood bereavement has been linked with poor psychosocial outcomes. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms and protective factors affecting child outcome following the death of a close family member (i.e., loss), and a limited number of studies have considered the timing of loss. The present study leverages a population-based longitudinal cohort data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to examine outcomes (internalizing symptoms), mechanisms (relationship quality), and protective factors (early attachment security) at age 9 and 15 for children who experienced the death of a close family member during three developmental stages: early childhood, middle childhood, and late childhood/early adolescence. Although many of the hypothesized associations were not found, findings underscore the enduring impact of early childhood attachment in protecting children in the face of loss. Specifically, the protective role of early attachment security was found at age 15, particularly for individuals experiencing loss during late childhood/early adolescence. The study highlights the importance of continued investigation of the impact of childhood bereavement endured during different developmental stages, and the importance of examining outcomes at different ages.
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    The Link Between Peer Acceptance and Loneliness in Adolescence
    (2022-04) Godin, Shira; Kim, Hannah; McCormick, Katherine; Trujillo, Amanda; Fitter, Megan; Awao, Sayaka; Cassidy, Jude
    Research supports that greater peer acceptance in adolescence relates to lower reports of loneliness (Woodhouse et al., 2011). Secure attachment can buffer against adolescent loneliness (Bernardon et al., 2011), and research supports a negative relation between attachment security and loneliness in adolescence (Al-Yagon et al., 2016). The current study examined the link between peer acceptance and loneliness during adolescence and examined attachment style dimensions as moderators. We hypothesized that low peer acceptance would predict greater loneliness, and that low attachment anxiety (fear of rejection and abandonment) and avoidance (fear of closeness and depending on others) would both buffer against this link. Participants (N = 2100) were 11th grade students (61.2% female, 65.1% Caucasian, 15.3% African American, 15% Asian, 4.5% Hispanic). The students completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (Brennan et al., 1998), the Adolescence Loneliness Scale (Cassidy & Woodhouse, 1997), and the Peer Acceptance Assessment (Asher & Dodge, 1986). There was a negative effect of peer acceptance on loneliness (β = -0.257, p < .001), such that when peer acceptance increased, feelings of loneliness decreased. There was no significant interaction between attachment anxiety (β = 0.007, p = .712) or avoidance (β = -0.006, p = .772) and peer acceptance in predicting loneliness. Although our results support the role of peer acceptance in predicting loneliness, our analyses did not support the moderating role of attachment. These findings emphasize the importance of promoting prosocial behaviors that facilitate peer acceptance to minimize adolescents’ loneliness.