DSpace Repository :: Browsing by Author "Jarrett, Matthew A."

Browsing by Author "Jarrett, Matthew A."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 39

ADHD symptoms predicting changes in friendship stability and quality over time
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Ferretti, Nicole Marie; Jarrett, Matthew A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Research has identified friendship and friendship quality as important variables in predicting positive outcomes concurrently and longitudinally for children and adolescents. This work has identified friendship as a developmental construct that changes over time; however, not all children develop these abilities at the same rate, and some children struggle in navigating the social world. In particular, children with ADHD present with difficulty obtaining and maintaining friendships beginning in childhood and extending through young adulthood. Current literature has identified these difficulties but has yet to examine how friendship stability and quality may change over time for children with ADHD symptoms. The present study sought to explore the stability of friendships over time and the growth of friendship quality over time. In particular, we were interested in how the presence of ADHD symptoms predicts both friendship stability and friendship quality over time. It was hypothesized that children with more ADHD symptoms would show less friendship stability over time and a slower rate of development of friendship quality over time relative to children with fewer ADHD symptoms. ADHD symptoms were not a significant predictor of friendship social support over time, but they were a significant predictor of friendship negative interactions over time.
Attentional biases in college-age adults with spider fears
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Rapport, Hannah Frea; Jarrett, Matthew A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
There has been a growing literature on an attentional bias to threat in anxious individuals. This bias has been shown in individuals with social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder, but it is unclear if such a bias appears in other anxiety disorders such as specific phobias (SPs). Initial evidence indicates that individuals with SPs appear to demonstrate an attentional bias towards the object they fear; however, it has not yet been examined if the attentional bias seen in individuals with SPs is limited to the specific feared stimulus or other threatening stimuli. In order to address this question, the current study evaluated college-age adults with elevated spider fears. Participants completed two separate dot-probe tasks. One task involved spider stimuli and the other task involved threatening faces. In addition to within-subject differences in task performance, spider fear severity and social fear severity were examined in relation to biases. It was predicted that participants would show a greater degree of attentional bias towards spiders than threatening faces; however, those with higher levels of social anxiety were expected to show a greater attentional bias towards threatening faces and those with higher spider fear severity were expected to show a greater bias towards spiders. Results from the present study did not support this hypothesis. While results did indicate a significant difference between the spider dot-probe task and the faces dot-probe task and a significant attentional bias towards faces, results indicated that there was not generally an attentional bias towards or away from spiders. The implications of these findings are discussed.
A Biopsychosocial Investigation of Social Anxiety During Interpersonal Threat
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2025) Schmitz, Carson Radha; Cundiff, Jenny M.
Despite the prevalence and impact of social anxiety, the mechanisms through which social anxiety symptoms manifest in interpersonally threatening contexts remain underexplored. Prior research has found that in response to social threat, individuals with increased social anxiety symptoms may experience increased self-conscious emotions, have goals to behave and do behave in a warm submissive manner, and experience greater physiological stress response. However, no studies to our knowledge have examined biopsychosocial outcomes of an interpersonally threatening laboratory manipulation in the context of social anxiety symptoms. Participants (n = 177) were randomized to three social threat conditions (Participant Relative Status [high vs. low] X Social Evaluative Threat [high vs. low] X Partner Dominance [high vs. low]) and provided self-reports of trait social anxiety, state affect (anxiety, anger, and self-conscious emotions), and interpersonal goals during the interaction task. Their interpersonal behavior during the interaction was objectively rated and their cardiovascular physiology was recorded. Results indicated increased social anxiety exacerbated effects of social threats on self-conscious emotions, pushed participants to aim to but not achieve warm and submissive behavior, and was associated with more sympathetic activation when participants faced a dominant (vs. submissive) interaction partners. This study highlights the importance of considering social anxiety as both an internal emotional process and an experience influenced by interpersonal context.
Co-Occurring Social Anxiety and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms in Emerging Adults: Links with Working Memory and Social Functioning
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2025) Greenberg, Alex Joseph; Jarrett, Matthew A.
Adolescents and emerging adults with co-occurring elevations on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and social anxiety symptoms often display poorer social skills and overall social functioning when compared to individuals with elevations on just ADHD or social anxiety symptoms. That is, co-occurring elevations on ADHD and social anxiety appear to have an additive effect, leading to significantly greater social impairment. This additive effect may manifest at the level of social interaction via enhanced working memory (WM) impairment. Individuals with elevations in ADHD typically experience WM deficits, and individuals with social anxiety typically "overspend" attentional resources when actively anxious in a social interaction. The current study aimed to address the WM hypothesis by activating anxiety in participants, then measuring how this impacts WM performance. The following groups were recruited: Control (i.e., subclinical ADHD and social anxiety symptoms), ADHD, Social Anxiety, and ADHD + Social Anxiety. Participants were university students who completed WM assessments before and after a social stress manipulation, along with a self-report measure of social functioning. Groups generally showed improved working memory performance from pre- to post-stress, perhaps reflecting compensatory effort following the stressful experience or practice effects. The ADHD + Social Anxiety group reported significantly poorer social functioning compared to all other groups, replicating previous findings. Results suggest that while WM deficits were not detected in the current study, underlying social difficulties in individuals with co-occurring ADHD and social anxiety symptoms persist. Future research should examine alternative cognitive, emotional, and behavioral pathways that may contribute to the heightened social difficulties experienced by individuals with co-occurring ADHD and social anxiety symptoms.
Co-Reminiscing With a Caregiver About a Devastating Tornado: Association With Adolescent Anxiety Symptoms
(American Psychological Association, 2020) Abel, Madelaine R.; Vernberg, Eric M.; Lochman, John E.; McDonald, Kristina L.; Jarrett, Matthew A.; Hendrickson, Michelle L.; Powell, Nicole; University of Kansas; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
This study explores the association between caregivers' style of co-reminiscing with their adolescents about an EF4 tornado and youth anxiety symptoms several years following the disaster. Caregiver reward of their children's emotional expression, defined as attending to and validating emotionally salient content, is generally associated with adaptive youth psychosocial outcomes. However, caregiver reward of youth recollections that are centered around the youth's negative emotional expression could be an indicator that both caregivers and adolescents are engaged in co-rumination regarding negative emotional experiences. This process may contribute to relatively higher levels of anxiety over time. Adolescents (N = 169) drawn from an ongoing study for aggressive youth (ages 12 to 17; 82% African American) provided individual recollections about their experiences during a devastating tornado 4 to 5 years following the disaster. Caregivers and youth then co-reminisced about their tornado-related experiences. Individual youth recollections were coded for negative personal impact and use of negative emotion words; caregiver-adolescent conversations were coded for caregiver reward of negative emotional expression. Youth who noted more negative personal impacts and used more negative emotion words were higher in parent-rated youth anxiety, and these associations were moderated by caregiver reward of negative emotional expression. The associations between youth recollection qualities and anxiety emerged only when caregivers exhibited high levels of reward of negative emotional expression. These patterns were generally stronger for girls compared to boys. Findings suggest that excessively discussing and rehashing negative experiences, especially several years after the disaster, may be a risk factor for anxiety among disaster-exposed adolescents.
A comparison of parenting dimensions between mothers of children with Down syndrome and mothers of typically developing children
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Phillips, Belinda Allyson; Conners, Frances A.; Curtner-Smith, Mary Elizabeth; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Introduction: The purpose of the current study was to compare the parenting styles and dimensions in mothers of children with Down syndrome and mothers of typically developing children. Effective parenting is vital for a child's intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development, and not all parenting techniques are equal in their effectiveness in raising a healthy, well-adjusted child. We expected that parents of children with Down syndrome would display more negative parenting techniques than parents of typically developing children because of their decreased parental well-being and increased caregiving demands. Methods: The sample was comprised of 35 mothers of children with Down syndrome and 47 mothers of typically developing children. The mothers completed nine parent-report questionnaires asking about the way in which they parent their child, their child's cognitive and behavioral abilities, their own well-being, and the expectations and fears they have in relation to their child. Results: We found that mothers of children with Down syndrome use an authoritative parenting style less and a permissive parenting style more than mothers of typically developing children. Additionally, we found that mothers of children with Down syndrome provided their children with less structure but more chaos than mothers of typically developing children. However, these differences between groups on parenting styles and dimensions no longer existed when we included parental stress in the analyses. Finally, we found that within the Down syndrome group negative parenting dimensions were positively correlated with child behavior problems. Conclusion: The results suggested that mothers of children with Down syndrome are overall using similar parenting methods as mothers of typically developing children. All differences that do exist in parenting styles and dimensions can be accounted for by parental stress. As such, parenting interventions for parents of children with Down syndrome should be either focused on reducing parental stress in an effort to improve parenting techniques or on educating parents on how to utilize positive parenting techniques despite their stressful life circumstances.
Considering equifinality in treatment planning for social impairment: Divergent paths in neurodevelopmental disorders
(Guilford Press, 2019) Simmons, Grace Lee; Hilton, Dane C.; Jarrett, Matthew A.; Tomeny, Theodore S.; White, Susan W.
Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with deficits in both social cognition and executive functioning (EF), which contribute to social impairment. Autistic youth are also frequently diagnosed with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a disorder that, like ASD, includes impaired EF and social functioning. The comorbidity of ASD and ADHD may result in compounded social impairment, but prior research has not sufficiently evaluated the extent to which this comorbidity profile responds to evidence-based intervention targeting social deficits. It is conceivable that dually targeting EF and social cognition impairment will be more impactful than direct social skills training alone. The authors present an integrative model for intervention programming that examines pathways to social impairment in order to more effectively improve social skills and thereby impact both proximal (e.g., emotion expression, current peer relationships) and more distal outcomes (e.g., depression, self-esteem) in youth with ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. (B
Disentangling the effects of attentional difficulties on fears of social evaluation and social anxiety symptoms: Unique interactions with sluggish cognitive tempo
(Pergamon, 2020) Fredrick, Joseph W.; Becker, Stephen P.; Kofler, Michael J.; Jarrett, Matthew A.; Burns, G. Leonard; Luebbe, Aaron M.; Miami University; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati; Florida State University; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; Washington State University
Although fears of negative and positive social evaluation are hallmark cognitive features of social anxiety, attentional difficulties may exacerbate the relation between fears of social evaluation and social anxiety. Thus, the goal of the current study was to test whether two different types of self-reported attentional difficulties, specifically sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inattention symptoms, moderate the relation between fears of social evaluation and social anxiety. Participants (N = 4756; Mage = 19.28 years; 72.7% female) enrolled in five universities across the United States completed self-report measures of fears of negative and positive evaluation and psychopathology symptoms. Results indicated a significant two-way interaction of fear of negative evaluation and SCT in relation to social anxiety symptoms, as well as a significant two-way interaction of fear of positive evaluation and SCT in relation to social anxiety symptoms. In both instances, the associations between fears of negative and positive evaluation in relation to social anxiety became increasingly stronger at higher levels of SCT. Conversely, the interactions between fears of negative and positive evaluation with ADHD inattentive symptoms were non-significant. These results are the first to report that self-reported SCT, but not ADHD inattentive symptoms, exacerbate the relation between fears of social evaluation and social anxiety, and suggest that attentional difficulties characteristic of SCT may prolong engagement in fears.
Early Life Adveristy, Experiences with Loneliness, and Symptoms of Daytime and Nocturnal Panic
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2025) Cassell, Jack Alan; Cribbet, Matthew R.
Early life adversity (ELA), ranging from family dysfunction to overt abuse and neglect may be associated with the development of anxiety disorders, including daytime and nocturnal panic attacks (NPAs). NPAs are panic attacks that occur during sleep. Theoretical perspectives linking trauma to nocturnal panic suggest that traumatic experiences may lead to a fear of loss of vigilance, especially during vulnerable states such as sleep. Loneliness is associated with ELA and increases vigilance to social threats, making it a potential mechanism linking ELA to nocturnal panic. To better understand associations among ELA, loneliness and symptoms of panic we examined the influence ELA exerts on the odds of experiencing symptoms of daytime and nocturnal panic. Bivariate correlations were also conducted examining associations between experiences with risky family environments, severe childhood trauma, symptoms of daytime panic, symptoms of nocturnal panic, and loneliness. Follow-up regression analyses examined associations between experiences with risky family environments, severe childhood trauma, and symptoms of daytime panic. We tested loneliness as a mechanism linking ELA to symptoms of daytime and nocturnal panic symptom severity in separate models. Emerging adults (N=569; Age=18.87±2.27; Female=87.00%; 78.20% White/Caucasian) completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale and validated symptom measures for both daytime and nocturnal panic. The Risky Families Questionnaire and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form assessed ELA. Results suggested that experiences with a risky family environment and severe childhood trauma both increased the odds of experiencing symptoms of daytime and nocturnal panic in relation to experiencing no symptoms of panic. Meditation analyses suggested that, among individuals who experienced symptoms of nocturnal panic, growing up in a risky family environment and severe childhood trauma were significantly positively indirectly associated with symptoms of nocturnal panic via loneliness. Loneliness was not a significant mediator in the relationship between either risky families or severe childhood trauma, and symptoms of daytime panic among individuals who only experienced symptoms of daytime panic. Consistent with the fear of loss of vigilance hypothesis, these results suggest that ELA may be indirectly associated with symptoms of nocturnal panic via mechanisms that enhance vigilance.
Ego depletion as a measure of emotion processing deficits among people with medically unexplained symptoms
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2015) Eger, Melike; Hamilton, James C.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are problematic because they are both common and costly. Furthermore, patients with these symptoms suffer from interpersonal problems, functional impairments and psychological problems. One hypothesis explaining the underlying mechanisms of MUS is that these patients find it difficult to process or regulate emotions effectively. Even though previous studies found a link between emotion processing deficits and MUS, results were inconsistent and contradictory. By using an ego depletion task as a measure of emotion processing deficits, this study compared performance on different aspects of emotion processing of people who scored high on a MUS measure with the people who scored low on the same measure. Results show that high symptom reporters were not significantly different from the low ones in terms of their performance on emotion experience, emotion expression and self-monitoring of their emotional experiences. However, along the same lines with the literature, high symptom reporters could not effectively regulate their negative emotions.
Emotion regulation assessment for autism spectrum disorders: an observation-based measurement of affective behaviors
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Crisler, Megan Elizabeth; Lochman, John E.; Barber, Angela B.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Emotion regulation (ER) in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is frequently identified as source of concern for ASD children within clinical treatment settings, but is rarely the primary research focus of clinical studies. Process-based theories of ER are common in literature based on typical development but have yet to be scientifically examined within atypical populations. The current study introduces the Emotion Regulation Assessment for Autism (ERAA) as an ASD-specific clinical measure of ER skills. The ERAA is based on existing, process-based theories of ER. ER difficulties in ASD are problematic for clinicians and families. The existence of an ASD-specific measure of emotion regulation may assist in intervention planning to prevent regulatory difficulties later in life. Participants include 31 children with ASD and 31 children with a history of typical development, all between 24 and 36 months of age. Children are observed in 15-minute, structured play samples with both a parent and a stranger. Play observations are recorded and reviewed by blind observers who provide behavioral codes via the ERAA and other behavioral coding schemas. ERAA codes are assessed across varying styles of play and partners (i.e., independent vs. joint-interactive style of play; stranger vs. parent). Additional information is collected via parent report and developmental assessments by a clinician. Primary analyses show reliable use of the ERAA by blind coders and significantly higher scores of ER difficulties within the ASD sample than in the sample with typical development. Within both samples, play context produces a notable difference in ER skills, as independent play shows participants having more difficulty with ER than either joint-interactive play or disruptive play. Secondary analyses support the utility of the ERAA as being a unique measure of ER for children with ASD. The assessed symptoms of ER difficulty on the ERAA appear to be separate from the traditional ASD symptoms but also distinct from traditional symptoms of ER. The results of the current study have important implications for assessing and treating ER difficulties in ASD, but are also indicative of future areas of ASD research, such as dysregulation during independent play.
Essays on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Hampton, James; Chen, Susan; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
In the first essay, we use stochastic dominance techniques to understand how the reporting of behavioral problems as well as ADHD prevalence has changed between 2000 and 2004. This time period coincides with changes in national educational policy which we hypothesize may have influenced the reporting of behavioral problems in children and a change in ADHD prevalence. We use stochastic dominance techniques and find that the distribution of behavioral problems in 2004 first-order stochastically dominates that of 2000. We then use decomposition techniques to study the primary drivers of changes in mother reported behavioral problems. We find evidence that changes in the educational policy between 2000 to 2004 led mothers of elementary school children to alter their reporting of child hyperactivity. In the second essay, we explore whether the introduction of school accountability policies can account for changes in ADHD diagnosis. We exploit differences across states and time in the introduction of school accountability laws to estimates differences in mean ADHD diagnosis. The results from our analysis suggest that one policy, state-level rewards given to high-performing schools, leads to approximates a 3 percentage point increase in the probability of an ADHD diagnosis among children. We find that the children most impacted by the policy are those whose mothers’ reported zero behavioral problems in the pre-policy period, perhaps indicating that prior to the policy these mothers did not believe that their child had behavioral problems. In the third and final essay, I study the impact of child ADHD on parental labor market and relationship dissolution outcomes. As unobserved characteristics may simultaneously impact the likelihood of having a child diagnosed with ADHD and outcomes of the parent, results using OLS estimation are likely biased. I mitigate issues of endogeneity using an instrumental variables framework where I utilize state-level educational policy as an instrument for child ADHD diagnosis. To be a valid instrument, the educational policy should be correlated with child ADHD, while exogenous to parental outcomes. While in several specifications, I find negative effects of child ADHD on parental outcomes using OLS, interestingly, IV estimates all lead to a switching of sign and are largely insignificant. Findings indicate that parental labor market and marital status outcomes are not impacted by child ADHD.
Evidence of emotion knowledge in down syndrome
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Moore, Marie; Conners, Frances A.; Barth, Joan M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Emotion knowledge was examined in 19 children and adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) who were individually matched to typically developing (TD) children of equivalent mental age (3 to 6 years). The ability to identify emotions from facial cues and social context was measured. This study improved upon past research by assessing emotion knowledge without a verbal narrative of the social context (minimizing language ability from interfering with emotion judgments), by using more engaging video stimuli, and by simplifying response demands. Children viewed videos created for this study that included three types of emotion cues: face only (only the protagonist's facial expressions were shown), context only (the protagonist acted out action sequences, but his face was blurred), and context plus face (actions and facial expressions were visible). An exploratory fourth video type (incongruent) was included in which the protagonist's facial expressions contradicted what would be expected from the context. Children responded by pointing to a schematic face of a happy, sad, or fear expression. Static photographs of facial emotion expressions were also presented to follow previous DS studies. Results indicated that the participants with DS performed as well as the TD participants on every measure of emotion knowledge. Additional analyses compared DS and TD participants' performance on the static vs. dynamic expressions, emotion expressivity, empathic behaviors, and accuracy for each emotion expression. Still, there were no group differences in level of emotion knowledge or its related skills. This study underscores the importance of using developmentally sensitive measures when studying special populations like DS.
Examining the relationship physical activity (PA) has with neuropsychological functioning, Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms, and academic achievement
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Rondon, Ana Teresa; Jarrett, Matthew A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Objective: The overarching goal of this study was to better understand the relationships physical activity (PA) and other physical well-being variables (i.e., body composition and fitness) have with mental health symptoms, academic achievement, and executive functioning in a middle-school aged sample. Additionally, this study sought to explore the unique contributions physical well-being variables and in particular physical activity had on youth and teacher- rated symptomatology. Finally, this study aimed to determine whether the relationship between PA and academic functioning was better accounted for directly or indirectly using a serial mediation model whereby PA predicted academic achievement through neuropsychological functioning and ADHD symptoms. Background: Previous research has revealed that youth who engage in physical activity, be it a one-time acute bout or an intervention, generally experience positive neuropsychological outcomes and in some studies, a decline in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Impulsivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Additionally, studies investigating the efficacy of physical activity in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms have produced promising findings. Furthermore, the relationship that increased physical activity has with academic success has been recognized for several years. Importantly, fewer studies have considered the relationship that everyday PA has with functioning using a cross-sectional design and hardly any studies have included youth ratings. Further, much of the research investigating this relationship has been completed with either community or clinical samples. When studies have involved school samples, they have excluded participants with elevated ADHD symptomatology and considered the relationship fitness, rather than PA, has with academics. Finally, while a large literature suggests that PA can contribute to improvements in academic achievement in typically developing children, there is limited information on whether this relationship occurs in the context of ADHD symptoms. Method: 59 youth enrolled at a local middle school and six youth attending a day camp completed questionnaires, tasks of neuropsychological functioning, and measures of body composition during a one-hour period. Further, for students, their elective course teacher completed a rating scale yielding scores for inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms and scores from the Alabama Physical Fitness Assessment were retrieved. Results: There was a positive relationship between self-reported PA and self-reported academic achievement, and a negative relationship between self-reported PA and internalizing problems. Regressions showed that physical well-being variables accounted for a unique portion of the variance when predicting youth-reported internalizing problems. Notably, this relationship held when controlling for demographic variables and task-measured neuropsychological functioning but not when self-reported executive functioning was included in regression models. Mediation analyses revealed significant direct effects between self-reported PA and self-reported academic achievement but did not identify any statistically significant indirect effects. Conclusions: The findings in this study support the research suggesting that higher levels of PA are associated with better academic performance and fewer internalizing problems. While significant relationships between PA and attention difficulties did not emerge the results still highlight the importance of physical activity to overall well-being and encourage continued research on the topic of physical activity, mental health, and domains of functioning.
Executive function and Down Syndrome: a meta-analysis
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2018) Tungate, Andrew; Conners, Frances A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Executive function refers to a set of cognitive processes involved in goal-oriented behavior—especially inhibition, attention shifting, and working memory. In Down syndrome, there was an established weakness in executive function but the exact nature of the weakness was not well established. Executive functions are associated with a host of important outcomes, so it is important to understand executive function ability in Down syndrome. The current meta- analysis included 57 studies that compared a group with Down syndrome to a typically developing mental age matched group on at least one executive function task. Overall, individuals with Down syndrome performed significantly poorer on EF tasks than their typically developing mental age matched peers. Inhibition was a relative strength in the executive function profile, but it is still a weakness compared to the matched groups. There was a medium to large effect size across all executive functions but effect sizes may have been restricted due to skew. Implications for interventions and future research are discussed.
Factor Structure and Criterion Validity of the Five Cs Model of Positive Youth Development in a Multi-University Sample of College Students
(Springer, 2019) Dvorsky, Melissa R.; Kofler, Michael J.; Burns, G. Leonard; Luebbe, Aaron M.; Garner, Annie A.; Jarrett, Matthew A.; Soto, Elia F.; Becker, Stephen P.; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of California San Francisco; Florida State University; Washington State University; Miami University; Saint Louis University; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; University of Cincinnati
There is growing recognition that clinical and developmental outcomes will be optimized by interventions that harness strengths in addition to ameliorating deficits. Although empirically-supported methods for identifying strengths are available for children and adolescents, this framework has yet to be applied to emerging adulthood. This study evaluates the nature of the Five Cs model of Positive Youth Development (PYD) - character, confidence, competence, connection, and caring - in a sample of emerging adults from six universities (N=4654; 70% female; 81% White). Historically, PYD has been modeled as either separate correlated factors or a second-order factor structure. More recently, the bifactor model has been recommended to determine the degree to which PYD is unidimensional versus multidimensional. The present study examined the multidimensionality of PYD by comparing the model fit of a one-factor, five-correlated factor model, and second-order factor structure with a bifactor model and found support for the bifactor model with evidence of invariance across sex. Criterion validity was also assessed using three criterion measures particularly relevant for adjustment during emerging adulthood: anxiety, depressive symptoms, and emotion regulation difficulties. PYD and the residual Cs tended to correlate negatively with indicators of maladaptive development. Future directions including applications of the PYD framework as a measure of thriving across emerging adulthood are discussed.
Hey, how’s the family?: an examination of risk and protective factors of life satisfaction of caregivers and typically developing siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Baker, Lorien Kelsie; Tomeny, Theodore S.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine risk and protective factors associated with the life satisfaction of caregivers and typically developing (TD) siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method: Participants for this study included 106 families of children with ASD ages 3 to 17 years old, with at least a primary caregiver and a TD sibling ages 11 to 17 years serving as respondents. Of these 106 families, 68 families had a secondary caregiver who also participated in the study. Caregivers reported on the ASD symptom severity and behavioral and emotional problems of their child with ASD and their TD child. Additionally, caregivers self-reported on their distress, perceived social support, and life satisfaction. TD siblings self-reported on their perceived social support and life satisfaction, as well as their own behavioral and emotional problems. Results: PROCESS, a computational tool for SPSS that allows for the examination of indirect effects via bootstrapping techniques (Hayes, 2013, 2018), was used to examine six parallel mediation models. Results revealed no direct effect for characteristics of the child with ASD (i.e., ASD symptom severity, behavioral and emotional problems) on life satisfaction for any family member. Additionally, no indirect effect through social support was found for any family member and no indirect effect of caregiver distress was found for secondary caregivers or TD siblings. However, results indicated an indirect effect of characteristics of the child with ASD on life satisfaction through caregiver distress for primary caregivers. Conclusions: Results of this study provide insight into the functioning of family members of children with ASD and provide important clinical implications for working with the families, as well as suggestions for future research.
Improving executive function development: fantasy-oriented pretend-play as a protective factor
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Thibodeau, Rachel Beth; Gilpin, Ansley T.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Recent research suggests certain abilities (i.e., emotion regulation, appropriate physiological reactivity, executive functions) support the development of school readiness skills, especially among children in low-income environments. Although many preschool curricula have been developed to scaffold school readiness skills in at-risk preschoolers, these curricula are often very costly and require extensive training to implement. In order to improve upon the feasibility and sustainability of these programs, it is important to identify natural environmental experiences that are implicated in normative development. For instance, engaging in pretend-play, which typically involves cooperation, shared affect, and support among peers and adults, likely provides a positive context to scaffold development. The current study investigated how a propensity towards imagination and pretend-play (i.e., fantasy orientation; FO) may serve as a protective factor to minimize deficits in executive functions in a Head Start population (N = 343 children). Results revealed partial support for these hypotheses. Specifically, it appears that cognitive aspects of FO moderate the relationship between emotion regulation and executive function such that better cognitive performance was observed among children with poor emotion regulation skills and a high FO compared to peers who had poor emotion and a low FO. Similarly, behavioral aspects of FO appear to moderate the relationship between physiological reactivity and executive function. Among children who displayed low physiological reactivity, those with a higher FO demonstrated better executive function outcomes than peers who had a low FO. Implications for curriculum development and future directions are discussed.
The Internal, External, and Diagnostic Validity of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo: A Meta-Analysis and Critical Review
(Elsevier, 2016) Becker, Stephen P.; Leopold, Daniel R.; Burns, G. Leonard; Jarrett, Matthew A.; Langberg, Joshua M.; Marshall, Stephen A.; McBurnett, Keith; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Willcutt, Erik G.; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati; University of Colorado Boulder; Washington State University; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; Virginia Commonwealth University; Ohio University; University of California San Francisco; Pennsylvania State University; Penn State Health
Objective: To conduct the first meta-analysis evaluating the internal and external validity of the sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) construct as related to or distinct from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and as associated with functional impairment and neuropsychological functioning. Method: Electronic databases were searched through September 2015 for studies examining the factor structure and/or correlates of SCT in children or adults. The search procedures identified 73 papers. The core SCT behaviors included across studies, as well as factor loadings and reliability estimates, were reviewed to evaluate internal validity. Pooled correlation effect sizes using random effects models were used to evaluate SCT in relation to external validity domains (i.e., demographics, other psychopathologies, functional impairment, and neuropsychological functioning). Results: Strong support was found for the internal validity of the SCT construct. Specifically, across factor analytic studies including more than 19,000 individuals, 13 SCT items loaded consistently on an SCT factor as opposed to an ADHD factor. Findings also support the reliability (i.e., internal consistency, test retest reliability, interrater reliability) of SCT. In terms of external validity, there is some indication that SCT may increase with age (r = 0.11) and be associated with lower socioeconomic status (r = 0.10). Modest (potentially negligible) support was found for SCT symptoms being higher in males than females in children (r = 0.05) but not in adults. SCT is more strongly associated with ADHD inattention (r=0.63 in children, r = 0.72 in adults) than with ADHD hyperactivity-impulsivity (r = 0.32 in children, r = 0.46 in adults), and it likewise appears that SCT is more strongly associated with internalizing symptoms than with externalizing symptoms. SCT is associated with significant global, social, and academic impairment (r = 0.38-0.44). Effects for neuropsychological functioning are mixed, although there is initial support for SCT being associated with processing speed, sustained attention, and meta cognitive deficits. Conclusion: This meta-analytic review provides strong support for the internal validity of SCT and preliminary support for the external validity of SCT. In terms of diagnostic validity, there is currently not enough evidence to describe SCT in diagnostic terms. Key directions for future research are discussed, including evaluating the conceptualization of SCT as a transdiagnostic construct and the need for longitudinal research.
Making the choice: style, path, or goal? : imitation in autism spectrum disorders
(University of Alabama Libraries, 2012) Mussey, Joanna; Klinger, Laura G.; Gilpin, Ansley T.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Previous research has demonstrated mixed results with regard to the nature of imitation impairments in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While imitation of actions on objects has generally been thought to be less effected, the "style" or way in which an action is performed has been suggested to be impaired in individuals with ASD (Hobson & Hobson, 2008; Hobson & Lee, 1999). This study examined imitation of an action through style, path, and goal components using the imitation choice task developed by Wagner, Yocom, and Greene-Havas (2008). The main questions this study sought to examine were: (1) Do young children with ASD imitate aspects of an imitative action on an object at the same rate as typically developing children?; and (2) When exact imitation is precluded, are there differences in what children with ASD and typical development choose to imitate? The results revealed that children with typical development showed more imitation of the style component than the children with ASD. In the choice imitation condition, children with ASD demonstrated neither a path nor a goal preference while children with typical development showed a path preference. Overall, the results suggest that the components that children with ASD choose to imitate differ from those that children with typical development prefer. These results may help explain some of the discrepant findings previously reported in the imitation literature. Specifically, these results suggest that children with ASD do imitate, but how they imitate is different. This may have important implications for the assessment of imitation abilities and interventions that address imitation or use imitation to teach other skills. This may have important implications for refining measures to assess imitation abilities in a more detailed manner. Additionally, these results have implications for designing and implementing interventions that address imitation or use imitation to teach other skills as merely teaching imitation of a behavioral goal does not capture the true nature of imitation.

UA cloudflare authentication

Browsing by Author "Jarrett, Matthew A."

Results Per Page

Sort Options