Mutuality,Self-Silencing,and Disordered Eating in College Women

Abstract

The current study examined patterns of association among mutuality, self-silencing, and disordered eating in an ethnically diverse sample of college women (N = 149). Partner mutuality and overall self-silencing were negatively correlated and together were associated with six disordered eating indices. All four self-silencing subscales were associated with disordered eating patterns. For example, external self-perception was associated with drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, and interoceptive awareness. Implications of the findings for college counselors are discussed.     

The adaptation of hearing parents of hearing-impaired youths

This study evaluated the emotional and marital adjustment of hearing parents of hearing-impaired youths. Participants included mothers and fathers of hearing-impaired youths and mothers and fathers of hearing youths. In contrast with expectations based on clinical impressions reported in the literature, parents of hearing-impaired youths reported less symptomatology than did parents of hearing youths, and there were no differences in the marital satisfaction of parents in intact families. Moreover, parental adjustment was not associated with the duration of time since the child was diagnosed as hearing impaired. In addition, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that family cohesion was associated with low maternal symptomatology and high marital satisfaction for both spouses. For mothers, low symptomatology was associated with low stress and female gender of child; high marital satisfaction also was linked with a less severe degree of hearing loss in the youth.     

Chapter 6

Abstract

Participants in this study were 221 female undergraduate students who completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 and the Parental Eating and Weight Messages Survey. As predicted, the results indicate there is a perception by young women with elevated eating disturbance and concerns with weight and body shape, and greater dissatisfaction with current weight that their mothers communicated negative verbal messages about eating and weight. It was also found that young women with a lower level of eating disturbance perceived that their mothers communicated positive verbal messages about weight and eating. Additionally, there appears to be a relationship between the perception of negative messages made by fathers to mothers about their mothers' weight, and daughters' elevated disordered eating scores.     

Predictors of Obligatory Exercise Among Undergraduates: Differential Implications for Counseling College Men and Women

This study examined predictors of obligatory exercise in college undergraduates (N= 172). Regression models indicated that internalization of Western attitudes toward appearance predicted exercise fixation and commitment in women, whereas perceived pressure from dating partners predicted exercise commitment in men. Findings suggest that men may respond more to peer pressure, whereas women may be more susceptible to internalized sociocultural pressure. Implications for differential assessment and treatment of college men and women are discussed.     

The relationship between alumni satisfaction and work experiences

Although alumni surveys frequently include questions about work experiences, little information is available about the relationship between work experiences and alumni satisfaction with college. The results of the present research indicate that work experiences are significantly related to alumni ratings of their college experiences. Specifically, alumni who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to report being satisfied with their education experiences. The results of this research also indicate that women are less satisfied with their pay than men. Compared to men, women are neither more dissatisfied with the types of work they are performing nor more likely to be looking for another job. Counter to expectation, dissatisfaction with pay has a more significant effect on ratings of college experiences for women than for men. Presented at the 1993 AIR Forum, Chicago, May 1993.     

Social referencing in infancy: a glance at fathers and marriage

Social referencing refers to the tendency of a person to look to a significant other in an ambiguous situation in order to obtain clarifying information. The aims of the study were to assess the extent to which infants use fathers as referencing targets, and to assess the familial context that might mediate referencing to both parents. 40 11-month-old infants were observed once with their mothers and once with their fathers in a 15-min social referencing situation that involved entrance of a female stranger as the ambiguous stimulus. Infants used their fathers and mothers as referencing targets to an equal extent. Additionally, marital satisfaction was found to be a significant modifier of referencing. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that paternal marital satisfaction predicted social referencing to fathers as well as to mothers; no effect was found for maternal marital satisfaction alone. This suggests that in order to better understand early socioemotional development, it is necessary to consider the interdependence among various relationships within the family.     

Rearing Difficult Children: Parents' Personality and Children's Proneness to Anger as Predictors of Future Parenting

OBJECTIVE: This multi-method study of 102 mothers, fathers, and children examined children's difficult temperament as a moderator of the links between parental personality and future parenting. METHODS: Parents described themselves on the Big Five traits and Optimism. Children's difficult temperament was observed at 25 and 38 months in paradigms that assessed proneness to anger. Each parent's responsive, affectively positive parenting was observed in lengthy naturalistic interactions at 67 months. RESULTS: Regardless of child temperament, for mothers, low Neuroticism, and for fathers, high Extraversion predicted more positive parenting. For difficult, anger-prone children, mothers' low and high Optimism and fathers' low and high Openness were associated, respectively, with less or more positive parenting. CONCLUSIONS: Challenges due to children's difficult temperaments appear to amplify links between parental personality traits and parenting.     

Parental perceived control over caregiving and its relationship to parent-infant interaction

In this sample of 66 dual-earner mothers and fathers and their 1-year-old infants, associations among parental ratings of infant difficulty, parental perceived control over caregiving outcomes, and parental sensitive and directive behavior were examined during a triadic free-play session in the home. Perceived infant difficulty was related to maternal directiveness for mothers with low perceived control. Fathers with low perceived control exhibited more directiveness, regardless of their ratings of infant difficulty. For both mothers and fathers, there was a negative association between sensitivity and directiveness but no association between sensitive behavior and parental perceived control. Although parents scored similarly overall on various other measures, mothers with low perceived control demonstrated more categorical thinking about children's development than other mothers.     

Psychopathology and Parenting Practices of Parents of Preschool Children with Behavior Problems

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated associations among different types of parental psychopathology and several specific parenting practices. DESIGN: Mothers (n = 182) and fathers (n = 126) of preschool-aged children with behavior problems completed questionnaires assessing parental psychopathology and parenting practices, and participated in observed parent-child interactions. RESULTS: Maternal depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and several different personality disorder traits were related to maternal negativity, laxness, and lack of warmth. Paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, and borderline personality disorder symptoms predicted mothers' parenting practices, even when statistically controlling for other types of psychopathology. For fathers, those same symptoms, dependent and avoidant symptoms, and substance abuse symptoms were associated with self-reported lax parenting. Evidence emerged that psychopathology in one parent was associated with less overreactivity in the other parent. CONCLUSIONS: Many aspects of parents' psychological functioning play a role in determining specific parenting practices, including personality disorder symptoms.     

Sociocultural and individual influences on muscle gain and weight loss strategies among adolescent boys and girls

The study examined the role of body dissatisfaction, body image importance, sociocultural influences (media and parent and peer encouragement), self‐esteem and negative affect on body change strategies to decrease weight and increase muscles in adolescent boys and girls. Surveys were administered to 587 boys and 598 girls aged between 11 and 15 years. For both genders, parent and peer encouragement and negative affect were the primary predictors of body dissatisfaction, body image importance and strategies to decrease weight and increase muscles. In addition, body image importance was a significant factor in the development of both types of body change strategies, while the media only predicted strategies to decrease weight. Lastly, the effects of self‐esteem were mediated by body dissatisfaction. For boys, a stronger focus on body importance occurred among the boys who were generally satisfied with their bodies while the reverse was the case for girls. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 209–224, 2003.     

Patterns and predictors of father-infant engagement across race/ethnic groups

This study examines whether levels of father engagement (e.g., verbal stimulation, caregiving, and physical play) vary by race/ethnicity using a model that controls for fathers' human capital, mental health, and family relationships. It also tests whether the models work similarly across race/ethnic groups. Its sample of N=5,089 infants and their families is drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). We found that, after including controls, African American and Latino fathers had higher levels of engagement in caregiving and physical play activities than White fathers. There were no differences in verbal stimulation activities across race/ethnicity. Fathers' education (college level) predicted more verbally stimulating activities whereas fathers' report of couple conflict predicted less caregiving and physical play. Although levels of engagement differed across the groups, the overall models did not differ by race/ethnicity, except for physical play. African American mothers who reported high levels of depressive symptoms had partners who engaged in more physical play than White mothers with high levels of depressive symptoms.     

The role of parental stress in physically abusive families

This study examines the role of several components of parental stress in physically abusive and nonabusive families with conduct-disordered children. The 123 families studied were seen in a parenting clinic aimed at improving parent-child interactions in families with a highly oppositional child. Data were collected over a several-week period and included both mother and father self-report measures and independent observations by trained researchers. Parental stress was found to play an important role in abusive families. Physically abusive families were significantly more often low income, had younger mothers with less education, more frequently reported a family history of child abuse, and were more likely to be abusing alcohol or drugs. Abusive mothers reported more stress due to frequent life events, and had a more negative perception of these events. Further, these mothers had higher rates of both depression and state anxiety. Abusive fathers spanked their children significantly more often than the nonabusive fathers, and abusive mothers had the highest frequency of critical statements directed at their children. Children from abusive households had significantly more behavior problems. Finally, abusive mothers reported more marital dissatisfaction and social isolation than their nonabusive counterparts.     

How do parents learn about adolescents' experiences? Implications for parental knowledge and adolescent risky behavior

Cluster analysis was used to identify groups defined by the patterning of fathers' and mothers' sources of knowledge about adolescents' experiences in a sample of 179 families with adolescents (M = 16.5 years). Three clusters emerged for fathers (relational, relies on spouse, relies on others) and mothers (relational, questioners, relies on others). Cluster membership was associated with socioeconomic status, work hours, personal characteristics, and parent-child relationship quality. Longitudinal path analyses revealed that knowledge sources predicted levels of knowledge, which in turn predicted risky behavior 1 year later, indirect paths that were more consistent for fathers than for mothers. Although direct associations between sources of knowledge and subsequent risky behavior were scant, when fathers relied on spouses, youth engaged in less risky behavior.     

大学生的政治观及其与父母养育方式关系调查

采用大学生政治观问卷和父母养育方式评价量表对4所大学的556名大学生进行调查发现:(1)总体而言,当代大学生的政治观尚不够积极,尤其是政治满意度较低;(2)大学生政治观与父母养育方式存在显著相关,母亲的养育方式对大学生政治观的影响要明显大于父亲养育方式的影响;(3)回归分析和路径分析表明,母亲情感温暖的养育方式对大学生的政治观具有直接的预测效应,而惩罚严厉的养育方式既有直接预测效应也有间接预测效应。     

Instrumentality,Expressivity, and Relational Qualities in the Same‐Sex Friendships of College Women and Men

Using the relational–cultural model (Jordan, Kaplan, Miller, Stiver, & Surrey, 1991), the authors hypothesized that instrumentality, expressivity, and the individual affective experience of same‐sex friendships would predict increased relationship mutuality, with college women and men showing different predictive patterns. Overall, results supported the hypotheses. Gender moderated the associations among variables, notably between mutuality and individual affective experiences of same‐sex friendships. Implications for counselors serving college student populations are discussed.     

Mothers’ and Fathers’ Roles in Caring for an Adult Child with an Intellectual Disability

To date, there have been few studies of mothers’ and fathers’ roles in caring for their adult children with intellectual disabilities. The present study investigated the care-giving roles of mother and father couples caring for their adult offspring with an intellectual disability, their psychological health, and the demands and satisfaction of their care-giving roles. Twelve Anglo-Australian middle-aged mother and father couples with an adult child with intellectual disability (mean age?=?24 years) participated in semi-structured interviews about their care-giving roles and completed a series of questionnaires pertaining to care-giving difficulties and satisfaction, hassles and uplifts, and general health. Findings indicated that an extremely high proportion of both mothers and fathers were in the clinical range for social dysfunction, anxiety/insomnia, and somatic complaints, although levels of depression were relatively low. The present study found that mothers undertake more daily care-giving tasks than fathers, but that the range of tasks is similar. Mothers also reported significantly more care-giving difficulties and satisfaction than fathers. Associations between measures differed somewhat for the two parent groups, indicating the need for further exploration of both mothers’ and fathers’ experiences.     

IMPROVING EXAMINING AT SIXTEEN PLUS

Data on 127 primary teachers and 95 secondary teachers, which included variables from extensive tests during their final year of training, from their college and pre‐college careers, and finally from their own ratings of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with their current teaching posts was collected, together with ratings by their headteachers on various aspects of teaching ability. Analysis of the data suggests overall that this group of primary teachers tended to be less sensitive and more conventional in personality terms, of lower cognitive ability and to come from areas of denser population than the secondary teachers’ group. The secondary teachers, by comparison, tended overall to be more sensitive yet more tolerant in personality terms, of higher cognitive ability, to hold more ‘progressive’ educational attitudes and to express higher degrees of satisfaction with teaching. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Inhibitory Control Across the Preschool Years: Developmental Changes and Associations with Parenting

The normative developmental course of inhibitory control between 2.5 and 6.5 years, and associations with maternal and paternal sensitivity and intrusiveness were tested. The sample consisted of 383 children (52.5% boys). During four annual waves, mothers and fathers reported on their children’s inhibitory control using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. During the first wave, mothers’ and fathers’ sensitivity and intrusiveness were observed and coded with the Emotional Availability Scales. Inhibitory control exhibited partial scalar invariance over time, and increased in a decelerating rate. For both mothers and fathers, higher levels of sensitivity were associated with a higher initial level of children's inhibitory control, whereas higher levels of intrusiveness predicted a slower increase in children's inhibitory control.     

中学生的父亲印象满意度研究

父亲印象指的是人的记忆和想象中的父亲形象。研究随机选取了包括初中、高中在内的4所不同类型学校的423名学生,采用自编问卷探讨中学生的父亲印象。结果表明：中学生对父亲印象是普遍认同和接受的;＂父亲个性印象＂的满意度最高,＂父亲时代印象＂的满意度相对较低;现代父亲基本上已经建立起对孩子的赏识教育观念,但却很难成为孩子眼中跟得上潮流的父亲。＂与孩子一起成长,与时代一同进步＂是现代父亲的必修课。     

Body Dissatisfaction in College Women: Identification of Risk and Protective Factors to Guide College Counseling Practices

This study attempted to identify risk factors that are implicated in the body dissatisfaction of college women and the factors that may facilitate effective prevention and treatment efforts. Data collected from 215 female college students indicated that participants with (a) greater physical self‐concept, (b) less drive for thinness, and (c) greater social self‐esteem manifested less body dissatisfaction.