Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Psychology/Clinical

This study longitudinally examined the role of religious appraisals and religious coping for adults' psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual adjustment to divorce. Eighty-nine participants completed measures within six months of filing for divorce and one year later. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that participants' religious appraisals of divorce and religious coping methods predicted change in some measures of participants' psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual adjustment. In addition, regression analyses indicated that positive and negative religious coping methods offered some unique benefit and risk, respectively, to individuals' post-divorce adjustment over time, above similar non-religious coping methods. Finally, mediational analyses indicated that positive and negative religious coping methods mediated links between religious appraisals of divorce and post-divorce adjustment. This study is the first of its kind to provide longitudinal support that religion and spirituality are relevant to adults' adjustment to divorce.

Committee: Annette Mahoney Ph.D. (Advisor); Kenneth Pargament Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jennifer Gillespie Ph.D. (Committee Member); Judith Jackson May Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

MPH, University of Cincinnati, 2018, Medicine: Biostatistics (Environmental Health)

This thesis covers two studies. Part 1 will begin with a survey of the literature on religious coping, depression, and burnout as well as where the concept of resiliency factors into this discussion. Then this section will address original research conducted with Hospice of Hope and studies hospice workers over a two-year period. The first year included 59 respondents, and the second year had 36 persons who participated, and 22 participated in both Year 1 and Year 2 data to provide longitudinal data. The survey measured depression (CES-D), religious coping (Brief-RCOPE), resiliency (BRS), self-esteem (RSES), various coping questions (COPE), and death attitudes (DAP-R); the researchers also included some additional questions regarding tobacco use. Then the data will be compared and discussed with how this relates to public health. The psychosocial and spiritual cost of working amidst death and dying is also applicable not only to hospice but also emergent care settings, such as the ICU and emergency medicine. Part 2 is a meta-analysis surveying the literature and comparing those studies which used both depression scales and the Religious COPE (whether the Brief-RCOPE, the full RCOPE, or another version of it like the JCOPE). The meta-analysis found that the Positive RCOPE was not significantly correlated in the diverse set of studies selected. However, the meta-analysis confirmed that spiritual struggle (measured by the Negative RCOPE) was highly correlated with Depression. This Thesis studies the public health issues which those employees around acute death settings interconnect with spiritual struggle, depression, resiliency, and explore possible future sources of study.

Committee: Marepalli| Rao Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Daniel Grossoehme D.M.P.C. (Committee Member); Marissa Wagner Oehlhof Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Health

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Psychology

Religion and spirituality (r/s) are related to body image and eating in complex ways. While various studies have demonstrated links between perceived attachment to God and disordered eating outcomes, fewer studies have addressed secure attachment to God specifically or have considered positive eating outcomes. Further, there is a limited understanding of variables that help explain the observed links between attachment to God and eating. The present study sought to better understand these relationships by positing several intervening variables. Emerging adults (n = 499) in the U.S. responded to multiple measures assessing body image, eating, and r/s factors through Amazon Mechanical Turk Prime. While proposed intervening variables did not consistently predict body image and eating outcomes as hypothesized, various forms of perceived attachment to God predicted body image and eating outcomes in line with predictions. Specifically, insecure forms of attachment to God were associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, whereas secure attachment to God was associated with body appreciation and intuitive eating. Attachment to God predicted body image and eating outcomes above and beyond general interpersonal style of attachment and levels of neuroticism.

Committee: Julie Exline Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2018, Psychology/Clinical

To my knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study to examine how college students' use of religious/spiritual strategies to cope with being the target of verbal aggression by a romantic partner may change the frequency of verbal aggression by both partners over the following year and contribute to whether the couple split up or stayed together. Predictor variables included religious/spiritual resources to cope effectively with partner aggression as well as religious/spiritual struggles in response to being the target of verbal hostility by a partner. The sample was comprised of 60 college students who indicated at Time 1 (T1) that that they were in a current romantic relationship were they had been the target of at least once incident of verbal aggression from a romantic partner in the prior year and who then completed measures one year later at Time 2 (T2; 21% retention rate of eligible participants). At both T1 and T2, participants reported the frequency of verbal aggression by both partners and whether the relationship was intact. Correlational analyses did not yield any significant links between religious/spiritual strategies to cope with verbal aggression by the partner at T1 and subsequent verbal aggression by either partner or relationship status. Possible reasons for the non-significant results could be the very low base rates of verbal aggression among couples in this sample and low levels of religious coping. Follow-up analyses indicated that subjects who participated in both waves of data collection reported attending more religious services and praying more often, but utilizing collaborative R/S coping mechanisms less often at T1 to deal with verbal aggression from their partner compared to T1 subjects who did not participate in T2 data collection .

Committee: Annette Mahoney PhD (Advisor); Stephen Demuth PhD (Other); Kenneth Pargament PhD (Committee Member); Anne Gordon PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Psychology

A growing body of research has illustrated the prevalence of religious and spiritual (r/s) struggles among adults in the U.S. In response to this new line of research, there is now a growing interest in examining those factors that might predispose one to experience r/s struggles, One such factor is psychological entitlement, which has emerged as a robust predictor of certain struggles. The present work sought to build upon this finding, examining how spiritual entitlement, a domain specific manifestation of psychological entitlement, predicted a variety of religious and spiritual struggles. Using a large, cross-sectional sample of adults (N = 747), the structure of the Spiritual Entitlement Scale was tested using both confirmatory factor analyses and item response theory, revealing two dimensions of spiritual entitlement. The first dimension—Positive Expectations— reflected an optimistic attitude toward one's spiritual life and was wholly unrelated to r/s struggle when psychological entitlement was held constant statistically. The second dimension — Maladaptive Spiritual Entitlement— reflected demanding attitudes toward deity and a sense of unmerited deservingness in one's spiritual life. This second dimension was robustly predictive of r/s struggles with the divine, but not with any other r/s struggles. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Committee: Julie Exline Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Arin Connell Ph.D. (Committee Member); Heath Demaree Ph.D. (Committee Member); Timothy Beal Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Mental Health; Personal Relationships; Personality; Personality Psychology; Psychology; Religion; Social Psychology; Theology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Psychology/Clinical

Despite burgeoning interest among researchers in the psychology of emerging adults, very little research has explored the helpful or harmful psychosocial and R/S coping strategies emerging adults employ as a means to cope with non-marital romantic relationship dissolution. This study longitudinally examined the role of psychosocial coping methods, religious/spiritual appraisals, and religious/spiritual coping methods in the long-term adjustment of emerging adults to non-marital romantic breakup. One-hundred and thirteen undergraduate university students completed measures at Time 1 about their experience of the breakup of their most recent mutually exclusive non-marital romantic relationship, and they completed follow-up measures one year later at Time 2. Principal component analyses were conducted to ensure that psychosocial coping methods and religious/spiritual coping methods were appropriately grouped into helpful versus unhelpful categories for the post-breakup context with this particular sample. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that participants' psychosocial coping methods at T1 were longitudinally associated with some areas of post-breakup adjustment and growth at T2. In addition, regression analyses indicated that sacred loss/desecration appraisals of the breakup at T1 and religious/spiritual coping methods at T1 were longitudinally associated with some areas of post-breakup adjustment and growth at T2. Finally, mediation analyses highlighted that religious/spiritual coping resources mediated longitudinal links between T1 sacred loss/desecration appraisals of the breakup and T2 adjustment and personal growth. This study is the first of its kind to provide longitudinal evidence that religion and spirituality are relevant to emerging adults' adjustment to non-marital breakup.

Committee: Annette Mahoney (Advisor); Kenneth Pargament (Committee Member); Anne Gordon (Committee Member); Karen Benjamin Guzzo (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Pastoral Counseling; Psychology; Religion; Religious Congregations; Social Psychology; Spirituality; Theology; Therapy; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Psychology

Prior studies indicate that religion is very important in the lives of Caribbean Black immigrants. This study (N= 146) explored the role of religion in the process of coping and adjustment among Caribbean Blacks as they adjust to life in the United States. More specifically, this study explored the relationship among stress (including acculturative stress), religious coping, and psychological outcomes among Caribbean immigrants. The result showed that religion and spirituality remain important for Caribbean Blacks living in the United States as they were while living in the Caribbean. Religious coping (both positive and negative methods) global stress, and acculturative stress were significant predictors of psychological outcomes. Religious coping moderated the relationship between stress and depression: as expected, negative religious coping exacerbated the effects of acculturative stress on depression. However, a surprisingly similar effect was found for positive religious coping. Implications for mental health service providers as well as limitations of the study are discussed.

Committee: Kenneth Pargament PhD (Advisor); Sridevi Menon PhD (Committee Member); Michael Zickar PhD (Committee Member); Anne Gordon PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Black Studies; Caribbean Studies; Clinical Psychology; Psychology; Religion; Spirituality

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2002, Arts and Sciences : Psychology

Despite the relative lack of empirical research on the role of religious and spiritual factors in the lives of persons with serious mental illnesses, personal accounts and qualitative studies have demonstrated the importance of religion in recovery from mental illnesses. Research on religious coping has helped our understanding of religion as a method that individuals rely on to gain control in their lives. This study examined relations among religious coping styles, empowerment, level of adaptive functioning, and recovery activities. Findings indicated that the Collaborative/Deferring approach to religious coping was related to improved quality of life and greater involvement in recovery-enhancing activities, whereas the Self-directing and Plead styles were linked with less positive psychosocial outcomes. Overall, this study provided preliminary support to the notion that reliance on religious faith and religious coping can be associated with active involvement in recovery and positive psychological adjustment in the population of people who have serious mental illnesses. Implications of these results and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Committee: Dr. John J. Steffen (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology, Clinical

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2005, Psychology

This study investigated the correlates of adaptive behaviors and attitudes of low-income, ethnic minority parents. Mechanics of adaptational processes were explored through an adaptive parenting process model. This model of adaptive parenting process integrated the main and moderating effects of social support and religious coping and the mediating effects of parental self-efficacy. Findings revealed partial support for the model. The utilization and mobilization of social support and religious coping had stress-buffering effects on parental functioning, but these resources had to match the needs of parents in order to promote adaptiveness. Additionally, self-efficacy played a mediating role in the perception of stressors and the utilization of resources for some parenting outcomes. Other variables not explored in this study might contribute to the complex, dynamic, and transactional process of parenting. Moreover, implications for intervention were discussed and directions for future studies were offered.

Committee: Carl Paternite (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2009, Social Welfare

This study examined the effects of daily hassles and positive and negative religious coping on alcohol use and depressive symptomatology among 423 students at a religiously-affiliated college. This study also tested a conceptual model in which positive religious coping moderated the relationship between daily hassles and alcohol use and the relationship between daily hassles and depressive symptomatology. The moderation hypotheses were tested via hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Although a statistically significant, negative relationship was found between positive religious coping and the study's alcohol use variables (r = -.23 to -.26, p < .01), positive religious coping was not found to moderate the relationship between daily hassles and alcohol use in the students in this study, nor was it found to moderate the relationship between daily hassles and depressive symptomatology. The study did find high rates of depressive symptomatology in the students surveyed (55.5% were above the CESD-10 cut point for the presence of depressive symptomatology) and a strong, statistically significant, positive correlation (r = .62, p < .01) between daily hassles and depressive symptomatology. The findings of the study suggest that current conceptualizations of positive and negative religious coping may need to be re-examined, as no statistically significant relationship was found between these variables, nor did the variables relate to the study's dependent variables as expected. Implications for policy, practice, theory, and research are discussed.

Committee: Kathleen Farkas PhD (Committee Chair); Mark Singer PhD (Committee Member); Lenore Kola PhD (Committee Member); Diana Morris PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Social Work

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2012, Psychology/Clinical

This study examined a model of religious/spiritual (R/S) coping with nonmarital breakup in a sample of college students. More specifically, the impact of college students' R/S appraisals and coping on their psychological and spiritual adjustment was investigated, with special attention given to ways that sexuality and other pre-breakup relationship variables may be involved in these dynamics. Two-hundred and seventy-six undergraduate university students completed measures about the dissolution of a romantic relationship within the past 48 months (M = 14, SD =12.23) that they reported left them “heartbroken.” Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that participants' R/S appraisals of the breakup predicted post-breakup anger, subjective distress, posttraumatic growth, and spiritual growth; R/S coping methods predicted post-breakup subjective distress, posttraumatic growth, and spiritual growth. Regression analyses revealed that positive and negative R/S coping methods offered unique contributions to individuals' post-breakup adjustment above secular coping methods. Mediational analyses highlighted that R/S coping mediated links between religious appraisals and positive post-breakup adjustment. Additionally, greater certainty of belief that participants would marry their ex-partner was found to predict greater sacred loss and desecration appraisals. This study was the first of its kind to systematically assess a model of R/S coping with nonmarital breakup, accompanied by a preliminary exploration of relationship variables that may impact the R/S coping model.

Committee: Annette Mahoney PhD (Committee Chair); Kenneth I. Pargament PhD (Committee Member); Anne K. Gordon PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Religion; Spirituality

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Psychology/Clinical

Despite an increasing interest in Buddhism in the West, the topic of Buddhist coping has been mostly neglected. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the frequency of Buddhist coping strategies, as well as the relationship between Buddhist coping practices and psychological functioning and well-being among end-of-life caregivers. Ninety-two caregivers were recruited primarily through contemplative end-of-life caregiver training programs to assess the relationships between Buddhist methods of coping and psychological outcomes. Subjects completed measures of spiritual well-being, burnout, depression and post-traumatic growth, as well as demographic questions. As hypothesized, end-of-life caregivers who made more use of positive Buddhist coping methods reported lower levels of negative outcomes such as depression and burnout and higher levels of positive outcomes such as spiritual well-being and stress-related growth. On the other hand, caregivers who made more use of negative Buddhist coping methods reported higher levels of negative outcomes and lower levels of positive outcomes. In addition, Buddhist coping methods were able to be categorized into positive and negative Buddhist coping subscales, which were also related to psychological outcomes in the hypothesized direction. The findings of this study add support to the initial validity of the BCOPE as a measure of Buddhist coping. The current study also provides support for the distinction between positive and negative styles of Buddhist coping, which differentially predict psychological outcomes. In addition, this study provides initial evidence for the benefits of specific Buddhist practices and ideas, specifically those that influence the ways in which Buddhists cope with stress. These findings suggest that coping theory, heavily researched in other religious traditions, is also a valuable concept which applies to Buddhism as well. Future research should further assess the differences between th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kenneth Pargament PhD (Committee Chair); Annette Mahoney PhD (Committee Member); Yiwei Chen PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2010, Psychology/Clinical

Research has demonstrated that spiritual struggles are related to deleterious effects on psychological well-being, and can lead to a wide range of addictive behavior in college students (Bryant & Astin, 2008; Pargament et al., 1998; Exline, Yali & Sanderson, 2000; Johnson, Sheets & Kristeller, 2006; Astin & Astin, 2004; Faigin & Pargament, 2008). Some promising studies have found that small-group interventions can diminish the negative effects of spiritual struggles (Oemig et al., 2008; Tarakeshwar, Pearce, and Sikkema, 2005; Avants et al., 2005; Murray-Swank & Pargament, 2005); while computer-based psychoeducation interventions have proven effective in addressing other psychological or behavioral problems (Braithwaite & Fincham, 2007; Orbach, Lindsay, & Grey, 2007; Low et al., 2006). The current project is the first of its kind to assess the impact of a computer-based psychoeducation intervention for spiritual struggles that can be applied to a large group of people. Findings indicate that a spiritually sensitive intervention does not appear to protect students from the negative effects of spiritual struggles (e.g., psychological distress, addictive behavior, stigma related to spiritual struggles) more than a secular (stress reduction) intervention or no intervention. These results indicate that this one-time, computer-based psychoeducation intervention does not protect freshmen college students from negative outcomes associated with spiritual struggles. However, there is reason to believe that changes in the administration and intervention design could prove effective in future studies. Suggestions for future research are provided; limitations and practical implications are discussed.

Committee: Kenneth Pargament Ph.D. (Advisor); Roudabeh Jamasbi Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Zickar Ph.D. (Committee Member); William O'Brien Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Religion

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2010, Psychology/Clinical

Pregnancy is a time of heightened stress for husbands and wives undergoing the transition to parenthood for the first time. Working with a sample of 178 married couples, the present research examined how husbands'and wives'use of positive and negative religious coping strategies predicted pregnancy, psychological, and marital related adjustment variables. After controlling for demographic variables and secular coping methods in separate analyses for husbands and wives, hierarchical linear regression revealed that positive religious coping predicted positive outcomes such as increased stress related growth and spiritual emotions, while negative religious coping predicted negative outcomes such as increased depression, anxiety, and ambivalence in marriage for both husbands and wives. Pregnancy stressors moderated the relationship between positive religious coping and love in marriage for wives but not for any other outcomes for either husbands or wives.

Committee: Kenneth Pargament PhD (Advisor); Annette Mahoney PhD (Committee Member); Alfred DeMaris PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Behaviorial Sciences; Gender; Personal Relationships; Psychology; Public Health; Religion

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Psychology/Clinical

Psychological research has demonstrated links between religion and physical health and well-being. Although religion is generally beneficial for individuals, spiritual struggles can be detrimental for physical health. Studies have linked spiritual struggles with poor physical health, such as declines in somatic recovery (Fitchett, Rybarczyk, DeMarco, and Nicholas, 1999) and increased risk of mortality (Pargament, Koenig, Tarakeshwar, and Hahn, 2001). Given that spiritual struggles have been tied to harmful health consequences, it is important to understand the biological mechanisms underlying this relationship. Research has demonstrated that life stress causes cardiovascular reactivity, which in turn, is related to cardiovascular problems. The present study explored whether the same mechanism holds true for spiritual struggles and health problems; specifically, whether spiritual struggles were associated with increased cardiovascular reactivity. In addition, the study investigated whether the experiences of spiritual and life struggles were associated with different levels of cardiovascular distress.Undergraduate students experiencing both spiritual and life struggles were identified. Using a counter-balanced experimental design, participants (n = 80) were prompted to talk about neutral topics, spiritual struggles, and life struggles. Cardiovascular distress, heart rate and blood pressure, were monitored continuously during the study while mood and subjective distress were assessed after each condition. The results partially supported the hypotheses, though significant order effects made it difficult to interpret the differences between spiritual struggles and life struggles. Nevertheless, the results suggest that spiritual struggles were related to increased cardiovascular reactivity, particularly blood pressure, when compared to baseline functioning. Implications for future studies and limitations of this study are discussed.

Committee: Kenneth Pargament (Advisor); Anne Gordon (Committee Member); Annette Mahoney (Committee Member); William O'Brien (Committee Member); C. Carney Strange (Other) Subjects: Health; Mental Health; Psychology; Religion

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Psychology/Clinical

Utilizing religious coping theory, this study examined the impact of religion and spirituality on documented risk factors for the future divorce of adult children of divorce. Consistent with previous research, approximately one third of the 158 college students whose parents had divorced since they were 13 years old, viewed the divorce as the loss or desecration of something sacred at the time it happened, one fourth struggled spiritually in response to this divorce at the time it happened, and just under one third reported engaging in adaptive spiritual coping at the time of the divorce. After controlling for global religiousness, relevant demographics and non-spiritual struggle and coping, several links between these religious and spiritual constructs and risk factors for future divorce emerged. Specifically, significant relationships existed between the following variables: greater retrospective spiritual struggles and both lower current conflict resolution skills and greater current spiritual decline; higher current appraisals of marriage as sacred and current lower risky attitudes towards cohabitation and sexual intercourse, marriage and divorce as well as greater current spiritual growth; greater retrospective adaptive spiritual coping and greater current conflict resolution skills. Participants' pattern of spiritual struggle across time was also related to some risk factors for future divorce and spiritual decline. Implications of these findings are discussed as well as other expected links that did not emerge.

Committee: Annette Mahoney PhD (Committee Chair); Kenneth Pargament PhD (Committee Member); Michael Zickar PhD (Committee Member); Victoria Ekstrand PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Religion

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2008, Psychology

The current study examined the victimization experiences of LGB older adolescents, their utilization of psycho-spiritual responses (i.e., religious coping and struggle, forgiveness), and the implication of these processes for their adjustment. An Internet sample of 276 LGB adolescents (18-24) completed measures of victimization, psycho-spiritual responses to victimization, and adjustment. Results indicate that victimization and psycho-spiritual responses had low to high prevalence. Victimization experiences were associated with higher sexual identity development, and religious victimization was associated with psychological distress. Religious struggle partially mediated the relation between religious victimization and psychological distress such that greater victimization was associated with greater spiritual struggles, which in turn was associated with greater psychological distress. Letting go forgiveness, religious coping, and religious struggle were significant moderators in the relation between aspects of minority stress and adjustment. These results suggest that LGB adolescents experience minority stress, that they generally do not turn to religion in response to minority stress and that they experience religious struggles that are associated with distress. Finally, letting go forgiveness is a process that might have promising implications for LGB adolescents who experience minority stress.

Committee: Eric F. Dubow Ph.D. (Advisor); Anne K. Gordon Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kenneth I. Pargament Ph.D. (Committee Member); Vikki Krane Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology; Religion

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2008, Psychology/Clinical

Research has provided robust evidence that religious/spiritual variables can serve as protective factors against developing addictive behaviors, such as substance-related abuse (see review by Booth and Martin, 1998). However, there is a dearth of empirical data investigating religious/spiritual variables as risk factors in the development of addictive behaviors. One such variable, spiritual struggles, is receiving increased attention and has been linked empirically to various negative psychological and physical outcomes (see review by Ano and Vasconcelles, 2005). Additionally, the majority of addiction research has focused on substance-related abuse and has largely overlooked other behavioral expressions of addiction (e.g., addictions to shopping, sex, gambling, etc.). The current study longitudinally examined spiritual struggles as a predictor in the development of addictive behaviors among a sample of freshmen college students. Findings indicate that spiritual struggles predicted a statistically significant increase in 11 of 15 measures of addictive behavior. Additionally, specific domains of spiritual struggle (e.g., divine, interpersonal, and intrapersonal) were shown to predict change in addictive behavior over time. These results suggest that spiritual struggles may be a risk factor in the development of a wide range of addictive behaviors for first-year college students. Limitations and practical implications are discussed.

Committee: Kenneth Pargament PhD (Committee Chair); Michael Zickar PhD (Committee Member); William O'Brien PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Psychology/Clinical

The goal of this study was to advance the understanding of the role of parents' and friends' religious coping in predicting college students' religious coping. The concordance hypothesis predicted a significant relation between student religious coping and parent/friend religious coping. The moderator hypothesis predicted that student attachment quality to parent/friend would moderate that relation, resulting in a stronger positive relation between parent/friend religious coping and student religious coping for those students with higher as opposed to lower levels of parent/friend attachments. A sample of late adolescent college students was surveyed about their own and a selected parent's and friend's religious coping and about their attachment relationship with that selected parent and friend. In addition, the selected parent and friend were mailed surveys that assessed their own religious coping. Zero order correlations assessed the concordance hypothesis. Four sets of hierarchical regression analyses assessed the moderation hypothesis. The concordance hypothesis was supported in regards to positive religious coping and partially supported in regards to negative religious coping. Specifically, the parent's and friend's actual positive religious coping was significantly related to the student's actual coping, but concordance was between parent/friend actual negative religious coping and student negative religious coping was not significant. The student's perceptions of their parent's and friend's positive and negative religious coping were significantly related to the student's actual positive and negative religious coping, respectively. As predicted, concordance rates were higher for students' perceptions of parent/friend religious coping than for actual parent/friend religious coping. The attachment as moderator hypothesis was largely unsupported. It is speculated that because students generally reported higher as opposed to lower levels of attachment to parents (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eric Dubow (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2006, Psychology/Clinical

This study examined the relationship between spiritual appraisals (i.e. sacred loss, desecration, manifestation of God) and individual psychological maladjustment (i.e. anxiety/trauma, depression), psychological distress (i.e. painful feelings about divorce), personal and spiritual growth (i.e. post-traumatic growth, spiritual growth and spiritual decline) and parent-child relationship quality (i.e. satisfaction with both mother and father and level of behavioral conflict with both mother and father.) This study also examined the mediation effects of religious coping variables (i.e., negative religious coping, positive religious coping, blessing in disguise and religious conversion) on the bivariate links between negative spiritual appraisals and criterion variables. One hundred and nine undergraduates participated in this study. Analyses indicated that there was a strong correlation between negative spiritual appraisals and psychological maladjustment, psychological distress and personal growth. These relationships remained significant after taking into account global religiousness. Positive spiritual appraisals were correlated with increased anxiety/trauma and personal growth. Hierarchical regressions were used to control for secular appraisals of threat, harm and challenge and results showed that negative spiritual appraisals seem to trigger greater negative secular appraisals; some but not all of the links between negative spiritual appraisals and the criterion variables remained significant once controlling for secular appraisals. Spiritual appraisal variables were not related to any measures of parent-child relationship quality. Results of the mediation analyses suggest that negative religious coping partially or fully mediated the link between negative spiritual appraisals and individual psychological maladjustment and psychological distress. Likewise, positive religious coping and blessing in disguise mediated the relationship between negative spiritual appr (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Annette Mahoney (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology, Clinical