College of Behavioral & Social Sciences

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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations..

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    WOMEN IN ORANGE: HOW WOMEN IN PRISON ADAPT, NAVIGATE RELATIONSHIPS, AND MAINTAIN IDENTITY
    (2023) Philippon , Cassandra Nicole; Porter, Lauren; Ellis, Rachel; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The body of literature describing women’s prisons and the adaptations of women in prison largely overlook the role femininity plays in structuring life in the single-sex space of a women’s prison. Virtual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifty-six women housed at a women’s prison in Arizona. Participants described providing care for others and care for the self. Life in the prison was therefore structured primarily around care, which refers to a feeling of concern or interest, providing for the needs of someone, or paying close attention to doing something to avoid harm.
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    Bisexual Women’s Female Friendships: Predictors and Outcomes of Sexual Identity Disclosure
    (2020-05) Parekh, Nina; Mohr, Jonathan
    This study examined Asian and White bisexual women’s sexual orientation disclosure to their female friends, including the relation of disclosure to racial and sexual identity, individual well-being, and friendship quality. It was hypothesized that Asian bisexual women would be less likely to disclose their sexual minority status to Asian friends and more likely to friends of differing racial/ethnic identities, as well as less likely to monosexual friends. Also, sexual identity disclosure for all participants, regardless of race/ethnicity, was expected to be positively associated with both friendship quality and individual well-being. A sample of 324 bisexual women completed measures focused on their demographic information, personal self-esteem, self-authenticity, satisfaction with life, and perceived social support, as well as their interpersonal level of outness, validation, trust, intimacy, and overall friendship. Results from multilevel models indicated that participant race/ethnicity interacted with friend race/ethnicity and sexual orientation in predicting disclosure: Asian bisexual women’s disclosure level was higher with same-race/ethnicity friends but unrelated to whether the friend was LGQ. In contrast, White bisexual women’s disclosure level was unrelated to similarity of the friend’s race/ethnicity but was lower among friends viewed as LGQ. Disclosure of bisexuality was positively associated with friendship quality at both the within-person and between-person levels, and was positively related to self-esteem, life satisfaction, and perceptions of social support from friends.
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    PREDICTING YOUNG WOMEN'S CAREER PLANS: DO FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHILDREN PREDICT OUTCOMES OVER AND ABOVE INSTRUMENTALITY?
    (2013) Savela, Alexandra; O'Brien, Karen M; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The present study assessed factors related to career development in a sample of undergraduate women. The roles of instrumentality, anticipated work-family conflict, and willingness to compromise career for children in the prediction of career choice traditionality, career aspirations, and occupational engagement were examined. Additionally, the moderating role of willingness to compromise career for children on the relationship between instrumentality and each career outcome was tested. Results indicated that instrumentality predicted leadership aspirations, recognition aspirations, and occupational engagement. Anticipated work-family conflict predicted career choice traditionality, leadership aspirations, and occupational engagement over and above instrumentality. Willingness to compromise career for children added to the prediction of occupational engagement after controlling for instrumentality and anticipated work-family conflict. No moderation findings were detected. Findings are discussed in terms of future research directions and in the context of career counseling with undergraduate women.
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    Gender Beliefs and the American Electorate
    (2012) Bell, Melissa Ann; Kaufmann, Karen; Government and Politics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The overarching purpose of this dissertation is to provide the literature with a revised conceptualization of gender beliefs that will better explain variance in public opinion. When trying to operationalize feminist attitudes in the past, the public opinion literature has relied on measures of abortion or one-dimensional index scores- basically collapsing attitudes into a false dichotomy of feminist/anti-feminist. This is problematic for many reasons. I argue that the feminist belief system should be treated as a multidimensional concept comprising at least three distinct dimensions: belief about women's opportunity; belief about assertive women; and belief about the changing family structure and role of the mother. The second half of the dissertation applies this new approach within the areas of abortion attitudes, candidate evaluations (both experimental and real world), and party affiliation. Overall, the findings support the thesis that there are at least three distinct gender beliefs with varying degrees of explanatory power.
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    Planning for Career and Family: An Instrument Development Study
    (2008-04-10) Ganginis, Heather Victoria; O'Brien, Karen; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of the present study was to develop a scale to measure the extent to which people take into consideration future children and romantic relationships when deciding on a career (i.e. The Planning for Career and Family Scale) and to assess the psychometric properties of this instrument. Participants included 325 women. Data suggested that two subscales comprise the measure, the Incorporating Future Family Scale and the Choosing a Career Independent of Family Scale. Internal consistency estimates of subscales ranged from .78 to .83. Convergent and discriminant validity was supported for the Incorporating Future Family in Career Plans subscale and the Choosing a Career Independent of Future Family subscale. Test-retest reliability estimates were adequate, suggesting stability regarding the measurement of these constructs. Directions for future research and the limitations of this study are discussed.
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    Women Counselors' Countertransference Reactions to Women Clients with Body Image Disturbance
    (2006-04-25) Doschek, Elizabeth E.; Gelso, Charles J.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Women may seek counseling for body image concerns because such concerns are common in society. Women counselors may also suffer from body image disturbance, however. Countertransference is a threat to a counselor's ability to help a client and occurs when client presenting style and/or problem taps into unresolved counselor issues. Women counselors' countertransference reactions to women clients with body image concerns were investigated in light of counselors' body image concerns and client physique in an audiovisual analogue counseling session. Counselors interacted with a video of a woman client discussing body image concerns. Client physique was manipulated such that counselors saw either a client whose physique was close to or far from the societal ideal. No significant relationships were found between the two independent variables (counselor body image disturbance and client physique) and countertransference. The nonsignificant findings are discussed in the context of the low body image disturbance in the sample.
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    A Qualitative Study of Changes in Career Orientation: Exploring the Contributions of Life Meaning and Role Modeling/Mentoring to Women's Life/Career Paths
    (2004-11-30) Hensler-McGinnis, Nancy Felicity; O'Brien, Karen M.; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The third phase of a longitudinal study, this qualitative project investigated changes in career orientation in a sample of 12 women in the decade following their high school graduation. A modification of grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) was used to explore the contributions of life meaning and role modeling/mentoring to women's life/career paths. Major sources of meaning included family, career, education/intellectual growth, autonomy, and friendships. Family was prioritized, however, participants chose both family and career to the extent permitted by flexible work structures and childcare options. Significant individuals, including role models and mentors, influenced women's educational and career choices and achievement as well as values and decisions regarding parenting and the career-family interface. Role models and mentors were parents, siblings, extended family members, educators, and work colleagues.