School Belonging in Different Cultures: The Effects of Individualism and Power Distance

Limited evidence exists on how the larger cultural framework affects psychological processes related to schooling. We investigated how the cultural dimensions of indi- vidualism/collectivism and power distance in uence the sense of school belongingness using 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment survey data on 15-year-old students from 31 countries. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis indicated that power distance (i.e., hierarchical nature of social relationships) is a better predictor of school belongingness on the cultural level than individualism/collectivism. Accordingly, students living in cultures with high degree of power distance (particularly East Asian countries in these data sets) report lower school belongingness than students living in cultures with more lateral power relationships (Western countries). Positive teacher student relations and preference for cooperative learning environment predict higher school belonging- ness across cultures.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147229/1/Cortina, Arel, Smith-Darden 2017.pdfDescription of Cortina, Arel, Smith-Darden 2017.pdf : main articl

"Safety First" Childhood Maltreatment, Attachment, and Cognitive Processing: A Mediation Model.

Childhood maltreatment is a pervasive problem, with severe developmental consequences across multiple domains. A growing body of empirical evidence indicates that there are critical periods in childhood during which the experience of maltreatment has a profound impact on the developing brain. The developing brain drives cognitive, emotional, social, and psychological development and functioning; thus, understanding the relationship among environmental interactions and the subsequent impact on childhood neurodevelopment can provide insights into how the maltreated child self-regulates social and emotional experiences (such as attachment and interpersonal relationships) and processes information (such as auditory verbal information within social and therapeutic relationships). Those insights can inform the design of more effective treatment approaches for maltreated children that promise to more effectively reduce the long-term impact of the multiple developmental sequelae associated with maltreatment. This dissertation investigates the interface between childhood relational maltreatment, attachment, and cognitive processing, specifically: auditory and language processing. A sample of 117 incarcerated male adolescents, mean age of 17, from a Midwestern detention center participated in a survey study. The central hypothesis of this study was that attachment acts as a mediator between early relational maltreatment and later deficits in cognitive processing, deficits that then have negative consequences to the social and emotional functioning. A Structure Equation Modeling strategy was utilized to examine the role of attachment and cognitive processing deficits in child relational maltreatment. A significant relation was revealed between attachment on auditory processing as well as internalizing and externalizing behaviors including withdrawal, anxiety, social problems, and aggression. However, when attachment was held constant, the relation between child relational maltreatment and auditory processing became significant in its influence on withdrawal, anxiety, social problems and aggression indicating support for a partially mediated model. The current study supports the need for multi-model intervention approach when working with maltreated children and youth.Ph.D.Social Work and PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/61687/1/smithjp_1.pd

Developing Cross-System Communication to Promote Educational Well-Being in Foster Care Youth: Recommendations for a National Research, Practice, and Policy Agenda

This study captures the voices of school-based behavioral specialists who are employed across the state of Michigan to share how well schools and child welfare agencies communicate and collaborate to address the educational well-being of foster care children on their caseloads. This includes knowledge of federal policies and how they support and hinder communication across systems. Participants included a total of 249 K-12 employed school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Survey methodology was used and both inferential and narrative analyses revealed that these school practitioners were highly unaware of how to identify the foster care children in their schools, and what supports they need. The three groups of school-based professionals were similarly unaware, minimal communication is occurring with outside agencies, and they largely do not take initiative in reaching out to communicate and collaborate with community-based agencies outside the school. Despite that, collectively, the work of child welfare and education professionals could have a substantial impact on retention and the overall student performance of children who are living in out of home care. Implications of this lack communication and awareness are discussed. Recommendations to guide a national research agenda for advocacy and policy efforts are also identified

In Search of Modifiable Risk and Protective Factors for Teen Dating Violence

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137513/1/jora12280_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137513/2/jora12280.pd

Antibiotic Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors: Testing Competing Hypotheses Using an Urban Community Sample

Antibiotic use and misuse continue to be a worldwide concern with the increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance, lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline, and rising health care costs. Despite studies that attempt to distinguish between factors associated with antibiotic use and misuse (e.g., knowledge and beliefs and provider-patient communication), few studies have tested comparative hypotheses related to antibiotic use behavior. This study 1) compares two theoretical models (health belief and patient-centered communication) to learn which best represents the pathways associated with antibiotic use; and 2) describes urban consumers\u27 knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding antibiotic use. Interviewers completed 505 intercept surveys across six clinic- and community-based sites in Southeast Michigan. Structural equation modeling was utilized to compare two competing theoretical models predicting antibiotic behavior. Findings support the assertion that a patient-provider communication model fits the data better than the null model. Descriptive statistical analysis explicated participant knowledge was mixed. While many participants knew correct general facts about antibiotics, 35% of the sample put forth that they believed that antibiotics cure colds and flu and over half (57%) endorsed the belief that antibiotics are good for treating infections caused by viruses. The implications for theory and practice are discussed including the need for clinicians to target communication strategies for the populations that they serve

Maternal Depressive Symptoms and At-Risk Young Children’s Internalizing Problems: The Moderating Role of Mothers’ Positivity

Maternal depressive symptoms predict negative child behaviors, including internalizing problems. However, protective factors, such as positive emotionality and positive parenting behaviors, may play an important a role in attenuating associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems. This article presents two studies that examined buffers of links between maternal depressive symptoms and child internalizing problems. Each study examined samples of primarily African American families with young children in an impoverished large city in the Midwestern United States. Families were recruited from kindergarten classes and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) centers. In both studies, indicators of mothers’ positivity, as measured by text-based analysis of positive emotion word use or behavioral observation of positive parenting behaviors, attenuated links between maternal depressive symptoms and child internalizing problems. The results suggest that risk for internalizing problems within the context of maternal depressive symptoms is reduced when parents experience and express more positive emotions and behaviors

sj-docx-1-yas-10.1177_0044118X241229733 – Supplemental material for Contributions of Violence Exposure and Traumatic Stress Symptoms to Physical Health Outcomes in Incarcerated Adolescents

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-yas-10.1177_0044118X241229733 for Contributions of Violence Exposure and Traumatic Stress Symptoms to Physical Health Outcomes in Incarcerated Adolescents by Suzanne Perkins, Rebecca M. Ametrano, Marisa Leach, John P. Kobrossi, Joanne Smith-Darden and Sandra A. Graham-Bermann in Youth & Society</p