Family and life stressors predict adolescents' social behaviors via parenting and moral identity

Dissertation supervisor: Dr. Gustavo Carlo.Includes vita.The goal of the current studies was to examine the associations between family-level stressors and low income adolescents' social behaviors. Previous theory and research has suggested that stress can be emotionally and cognitively debilitating and lead to lower levels of positive social behaviors, such as helping behaviors (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). Alternatively, theorists have suggested that traumatic stressors may foster emotional sensitivity and ultimately contribute to higher levels of moral behaviors (Staub, 2007). In order to better understand the associations between stressors and adolescents' moral behaviors, two studies were conducted. Study 1 consisted of adolescents from Camden, NJ and St. Joseph, MO (Camden: n = 19, M age = 15.38, 72.2% girls; St. Joseph: n = 15, M age = 16.27, 65.5% girls). Adolescents completed self-reports of their economic stress and major life events as well as a moral identity structured interview. The results demonstrated that moral identity was marginally, positively associated with economic stressors for the St. Joseph sample such that adolescents with higher moral identity reported higher economic stressors. Moral identity was negatively associated with life events for the Camden sample such that adolescents with higher moral identity reported lower levels of life events. There was no association between moral identity and stressors for the St. Joseph sample, however. Study 2 extended study 1 by examining the associations between economic stressors and life events and adolescents' prosocial and aggressive behaviors via parenting practices (use of social and material rewards) and adolescents' moral identity. The sample consisted of 198 adolescents from St. Joseph, MO (M age = 16.22, 34.8% girls, 84.1% White). The results demonstrated that economic stress was negatively associated with parents' use of social rewards, whereas life events were marginally, positively associated with material rewards. Social rewards were positively associated with moral identity. Moral identity, in turn, was associated with moral behaviors. Discussion focuses on the importance of understanding how stressors are associated with parenting behaviors and adolescents' moral outcomes.Includes bibliographical references (pages 61-74)

Cultural values mediate the effect of parenting styles on Mexican American adolescents' prosocial behaviors

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 7, 2013).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Thesis advisor: Dr. Gustavo CarloIncludes bibliographical references.M.A. University of Missouri-Columbia 2012."December 2012"The aim of this study was to examine the relations between supportive and strict parenting, traditional Mexican American culture values (respect and traditional gender roles), and prosocial tendencies in Mexican American adolescents. Participants (n=207) completed questionnaires regarding their parents' support and strictness, their endorsement of the cultural values respect and traditional gender roles, and their tendencies to engage in six types of prosocial behaviors. Structural equation modeling was conducted. The model was not significantly different for boys and girls. Results indicated that supportive and strict parenting both positively predicted respect values. Strict parenting was negatively associated with traditional gender roles, and support was not associated with traditional gender roles. Respect positively predicted dire, compliant, emotional, and anonymous prosocial tendencies, and traditional gender roles positively predicted anonymous and public prosocial tendencies and negatively predicted altruistic prosocial tendencies. Discussion will focus on the significance of parenting and cultural values for Mexican American adolescent prosocial behaviors and the differential relations between these values and different types of prosocial tendencies

Dimensions of Acculturative Stress and Mexican American Emerging Adults Prosocial Behaviors

Presentation made at Latinos in the Heartland (12th : 2014 : St. Louis, Mo.) and published in the annual conference proceedingStressful experiences are demanding and can weaken coping mechanisms and lead to maladjustment (Conger et al., 1993; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Mexican Americans face unique forms of stressors, including acculturative stress. Acculturative stress is defined as demands placed on the individual that result from adapting to a new culture (Alegria & Woo, 2009). Acculturative stress is multidimensional and can be conceptualized in different ways. Language is a salient component of everyday life and may contribute to acculturative stress among Mexican Americans. Specifically, language can be potentially stressful for emerging adults who speak English as a second language and have difficulty communicating with others. Additionally, emerging adults may feel that they have access to fewer opportunities than their European American peers because of their ethnicity. Emerging adults who believe that society excludes them based on their ethnicity may experience environmental stress, another dimension of acculturative stress. Acculturative stress has been linked to a variety of behavioral outcomes, including prosocial behaviors, which are positive actions intended to benefit others. Prior research has demonstrated that acculturative stress is positively associated with specific forms of prosocial behaviors but is negatively associated with other forms (McGinley et al., 2010). Furthermore, while researchers have examined different components of acculturative stress, it is unclear if these dimensions differentially impact different types of prosocial behaviors. The current study examined the relations between two dimensions of acculturative stress (language stress and environmental stress) and Mexican American emerging adults' prosocial behaviors (dire, emotional, compliant, altruistic, anonymous, and public). Data was collected from Mexican American emerging adults in California and Texas. Participants were Mexican American college students (mean age=23.05 years, range 18-30 years; 66.9% female). Participants completed measures of their acculturative stress (Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale; Mena, Padilla, & Maldonado, 1987). For the current study, the existing environmental stress subscale (10 items; alpha=.85) was used to assess stress associated with perceptions of limited opportunities and social exclusion. A language stress subscale (3 items; alpha=.73) was created to assess stress associated with communication. Regressions were conducted to examine the associations among language and environmental stress and six types of prosocial behaviors. The results demonstrated that language stress positively predicted anonymous prosocial behaviors and negatively predicted altruistic prosocial behaviors. Environmental stress positively predicted emotional, dire, compliant, and anonymous prosocial behaviors and negatively predicted altruistic prosocial behaviors. Discussion will focus on the differential relations among language stress, environmental stress and specific prosocial behaviors and the implications of these findings for measurement and future research

Fostering Prosocial Behaviors in Mexican and European American Adolescents Parenting and Gender Roles Considered

Presentation made at Latinos in the Heartland (11th : 2013 : Columbia, Mo.) and published in the annual conference proceedings.Research demonstrates that parents influence the prosocial development of their children (Carlo & De Guzman, 2006). Parents engage in a number of practices that socialize and shape the pro-social and moral tendencies of their children. Particular styles of parenting have been the focus of prior scholarly research, namely responsive and demanding parenting (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Furthermore, there is research suggesting that parenting styles might be associated with prosocial behaviors in different ways across distinct ethnic groups (Carlo & DeGuzman, 2006). Cultural values might mediate the relations between parenting styles and pro-social behaviors (Carlo & DeGuzman, 2006), and that parenting styles might be related to different forms of helping (Carlo et al., in press). The current study will examine the relationship between parenting and pro-social behaviors and the moderating effect of gender roles. Participants included 314 Mexican American and European American adolescents (206 Mexican Americans, 50% girls, mean age = 10.97 years)

Explaining the Relations Between Acculturative Stress and Prosocial Behaviors in Latino Youth from the Midwest

Presentation made at Latinos in the Heartland (13th : 2015 : Columbia, Mo.) and published in the annual conference proceedings.Stressful experiences may weaken coping mechanisms, lead to maladjustment in adolescents (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), and may also influence adolescents' relationships with their peers. Latino adolescents face unique forms of stress associated with their cultural orientation. One form of cultural stress that is salient to many Latino adolescents is acculturative stress. Acculturative stress is defined as stress that results from adapting to a new culture (Alegria & Woo, 2009). One specific behavioral outcome of acculturative stress is prosocial behaviors (i.e., actions intended to benefit another; Carlo & Randall, 2002). Acculturative stress may influence psychological processes that in turn influence the adolescents' social relationships. Specifically, adolescents who are experiencing acculturative stress may begin to feel more depressive symptoms and may gravitate towards more deviant peers. In previous research, acculturative stress has been positively linked with depressive symptoms in Latino adolescents (Crockett et al., 2007). Research has also shown that Latino adolescents become more at risk for deviant peer affiliation as they become more acculturated (Samaniego & Gonzales, 1999). This may be in part due to the increased pressure adolescents experience to engage in mainstream culture and distance themselves from their traditional cultures. There is also supportive evidence for the notion that deviant peer affiliation may have detrimental consequences for adolescents' social behaviors (see Carlo et al., 1999). In an effort to extend previous research, the current study examines how acculturative stress influences Latino adolescents' prosocial behaviors directly and indirectly via depressive symptoms and deviant peer affiliation. The current study uses data from the larger NSF funded Latino Youth Care Project. Participants include 89 Latino adolescents from Nebraska (mean age = 15.24 years; range = 14-18 years; 68.4% female). Participants completed measures of their acculturative stress (Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory; Rodriguez et al., 2002), depressive symptoms (CES-D; Radloff, 1977), deviant peer affiliation (Dishion et al., 1991), and their tendencies to engage in three common types of prosocial behaviors (Prosocial Tendencies Measure-Revised; Carlo et al., 2003). The results demonstrated that acculturative stress was directly, negatively associated with public and anonymous prosocial behaviors. Acculturative stress was also positively associated with depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms, in turn, were positively associated with deviant peer affiliations. Deviant peer affiliations were not significantly associated with prosocial behaviors. There were marginal, negative effects, however, between deviant peer affiliations and compliant and anonymous prosocial behaviors. The discussion focuses on the influence of acculturative stress on prosocial behaviors via depressive symptoms and deviant peer affiliation and the impact of these results on future research and practice

The Role of Mothers and Fathers in Predicting Adolescents\u27 Peer Affiliation and Behavioral Adjustment

The current study aimed to examine the associations between parental warmth and control and adolescents’ social behaviors (altruistic and public prosocial behaviors, aggression, and delinquency) in a low-income, Midwestern sample. The study also aimed to examine how peer relationships may play an indirect role in these associations. The results demonstrated complex links between parenting dimensions and adolescents\u27 peer affiliation and social behaviors. Specifically, maternal and paternal warmth were predictive of peer affiliation, which in turn predicted adolescents\u27 prosocial behaviors as well as negative social behaviors. There were also direct links between maternal and paternal parenting dimensions and social behaviors, highlighting the role of both mothers and fathers in adolescents’ socialization. The discussion focuses on the complex links between parental behaviors, peer relationships, and social behaviors. Additionally, the present study illustrates the differential role of mothers and fathers in adolescents\u27 social relationships, as well as sociobehavioral outcomes

A Demographic Model of an Endangered Florida Native Bromeliad (Tillandsia utriculata)

The large, long-lived, epiphytic bromeliad Tillandsia utriculata is currently listed as state-endangered in Florida due to significant population reduction from predation by an invasive weevil, Metamasius callizona. We have developed a novel demographic model of a population of T. utriculata in Myakka River State Park (MRSP) in Sarasota, Florida using a stage-structured matrix model. Analysis of the model revealed conditions for population viability over a variety of parameter scenarios. Model analysis showed that without weevil predation the minimum germination rate required for population viability is low (4–16%), and that given a viable population at structural equilibrium we would expect to find 15 cm in flower or post-flowering each year. Additionally, the model presented here provides a basis for further analyses which explore specific conservation strategies

Hydraulic permeability and compressive properties of porcine and human synovium

The synovium is a multilayer connective tissue separating the intra-articular spaces of the diarthrodial joint from the extra-synovial vascular and lymphatic supply. Synovium regulates drug transport into and out of the joint, yet its material properties remain poorly characterized. Here, we measured the compressive properties (aggregate modulus, Young\u27s modulus, and Poisson\u27s ratio) and hydraulic permeability of synovium with a combined experimental-computational approach. A compressive aggregate modulus and Young\u27s modulus for the solid phase of synovium were quantified from linear regression of the equilibrium confined and unconfined compressive stress upon strain, respectively (

Spectrum of Infection and Risk Factors for Human Monkeypox, United States, 2003

Infection is associated with proximity to virus-infected animals and their excretions and secretions