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Past Programs: SREP 2008

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2008 Students, Abstracts, and Faculty/Graduate Mentors:

• Daisy E. Camacho, DePaul University
  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sandra Simpkins; Graduate Mentor: Jennifer Becnel
  
  Why Don’t Mexican American Female Adolescents Participate in Activities?
  A Qualitative Analysis on the Importance of Context. Despite the positive effects that after-school activities can have on adolescents, Latinos, specifically Mexican-Americans, are least likely to attend. In this investigation, we conducted focus groups with mothers and their adolescent daughters to examine how neighborhood context shapes attendance. Participants came from two communities that differed in ethnic composition and family income. Transportation, peer influence, and time limitations were similar barriers in both communities. Cost, chores, and safety were also similar, yet dealt with differently in these communities. The urban community had to overcome the lack of information, whereas the Mexican-Americans in the suburban community spoke about stereotypes and a lack of empowerment as a barrier to participation.
• Chelsea L. Derlan, West Virginia University
  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Adriana Umaña-Taylor; Graduate Mentor: Jennifer Becnel
  
  The Association between Ethnic Identity, Self-esteem, and Depressive Symptoms among At-risk Mexican-origin Female Adolescents. This study examined the degree to which ethnic identity exploration, resolution, and affirmation predicted self-esteem and depressive symptoms among 175 pregnant, Mexican-origin, female adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 years old. Data were taken from a longitudinal study focused on the impact of parenting and support on Mexican-origin adolescent mothers’ psychosocial well-being. Results indicated that higher levels of ethnic identity resolution and affirmation predicted higher levels of self-esteem, and higher levels of ethnic identity affirmation predicted fewer depressive symptoms. Further, adolescents who had explored, resolved, and positively affirmed their ethnic identity demonstrated the highest levels of self-esteem. Implications of these findings for the study of at-risk Latina adolescents are discussed.
• Jenny Zhen Duan, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brandon Yoo; Graduate Mentor: Sarah Killoren
  
  Internalization of Model Minority Myths and Psychological Distress
  among Asian American College Students. Asian Americans are often mischaracterized as model minorities who are more academically, economically, and socially successful than other racial minorities in the United States. Due to lack of studies focusing on the psychological impact of individuals who internalize this myth, this study examined the relations between internalizing model minority myths and psychological distress among Asian American college students. The Internalization of Model Minority Myths (M&Ms) is a new self-report questionnaire that measures the myths of Unrestricted Mobility and Achievement Orientation. The M&Ms of Unrestricted Mobility was associated with psychological distress but not the M&Ms of Achievement Orientation. Findings in this study propose that internalizing what may seem like a positive stereotype oftentimes leads to adverse effects. Future directions for culturally-sensitive counseling are addressed.
• Katrena S. Ham, Arizona State University
  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ariana Mikulski; Graduate Mentor: Sarah Killoren
  
  Associations between Marital Conflict and Academic Achievement in Early Childhood. The current study investigates the relation between exposure to marital conflict and academic outcomes between preschool and kindergarten. The participants used in the study consisted of 72 preschool-aged Hispanic origin children and their mothers who qualified for Head Start, a program for families in poverty. Marital conflict, measured by the O’Leary-Porter scale, and children’s receptive vocabulary skills, measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), were assessed during fall of the preschool year. The Woodcock Johnson test was administered during spring of kindergarten to measure children’s academic achievement. Regression analyses indicated a negative relation between marital conflict and reading ability when controlling for parental education and PPVT scores. These results imply that higher levels of marital conflict predict lower levels of academic achievement. Future research should focus on the development of intervention strategies to mediate the impact marital conflict has on child development.
• Crystal Inglese, Arizona State University
  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laudan Jahromi; Graduate Mentor: Norma Perez-Brena
  
  Preschoolers’ Temperament Scores as a Predictor of the Core Deficits of Autism. This study examines the influence of temperament (Effortful Control, Negative Affectivity, and Surgency) on core deficits of autism (communication, social-interaction, and repetitive and idiosyncratic behaviors) of typically developing children (n = 11) and children with autism (n = 13). Using the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire’s sub-scales and the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center Demographic and Screening Questionnaire scales, which were gathered from parents reports, regression analyses were used to test if temperament predicted the core deficits of autism. Results indicate that low Effortful Control scores predicted both low communication and social interaction scores. The results suggest that children with autism have a more difficult time regulating emotions and understanding social/emotional cues in context and therefore do not score as highly on social functioning questions as their typically developing peers.
• Avanti Jangalapalli, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carlos Valiente; Graduate Mentor: Norma Perez-Brena
  
  Does Children’s Effortful Control Moderate the Relation between Family Environment and Children’s Behavioral Problems? This study explored the effects of child effortful control, negative parenting responses and chaotic households, on children’s externalizing behavioral problems. The 188 parent-child dyads were recruited from elementary schools in the southwest region of the US and reflected the sex and ethnic make-up of the classrooms. Correlation analyses were consistent with previous findings, indicating that negative parenting and chaos were associated with children’s externalizing problem behaviors. Further regression analyses indicated that chaos in the home and effortful control were significant predictors of externalizing behaviors but negative parenting was not. Also, a moderating interaction of effortful control between child environmental aspects and child externalizing behaviors was not a significant predictor of children’s externalizing behaviors. This study demonstrates significant associations between the family environment, effortful control and externalizing problems; a finding that could be useful in early intervention strategies designed to target problem behaviors and place children in developmentally appropriate contexts.