Browsing by Author "Biringen, Zeynep, committee member"

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Open Access
College student adaptation to childhood adversity: a model of stress and resilience
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Cole, Megan Twomey, author; Rosen, Lee, advisor; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Swaim, Randall, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
A model of resilience was tested in a college sample of 672 students. Data were collected on the association of negative life events and college adjustment. The influence of Neuroticism, coping style, and social/emotional resources was also studied. Structural equation modeling procedures were used to analyze these data, and a moderating effect of gender was hypothesized. Results provided support for the hypothesized model and indicated that stress, Neuroticism, Engagement coping, and social/emotional resources have important implications for adjustment. Specifically, it was found that the experience of negative life events was positively associated with elevated levels of Neuroticism for both men and women. Neuroticism, in turn, was associated with Disengagement coping as well as a decrease in social/emotional resource availability. Neuroticism was also negatively associated with college adjustment, though Neuroticism was somewhat more strongly related to college adjustment for females. Coping styles were also related to the availability of social/emotional resources, such that the use of Engagement coping was associated with greater resource availability. Furthermore, results indicated the presence of a positive relationship between Engagement coping and college adjustment, whereas no relationship was observed between college adjustment and Disengagement coping. Surprisingly, results suggested the presence of no relationship between /emotional resources and adjustment to college. Additional analyses examined social the relationship between life events and adjustment, and it was found that those disproportionately experiencing more negative life events reported poorer college adjustment. Possible explanations for the observed findings are considered. Implications for practice are discussed.
Open Access
College students coping with loss
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Adams, John, author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Henry, Kimberly L., committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Approximately 22 to 30 percent of all college students have experienced the death of a friend or family member in the last 12 months (Balk 2008, 2010; Hardison, Neimeyer & Lichstein, 2005). Grief caused by a death loss significantly impairs the academic performance, social functioning, and emotional health of college students (Balk & Vesta, 1998; Balk, 2008; Servaty-Seib & Hamilton, 2006). There are many ways to cope with and process grief. Posttraumatic growth can result in feeling a greater appreciation for life, feeling closer to loved ones and overall more self-confident (Davis, 2008). However, research has yielded mixed results regarding the impact of posttraumatic growth on grief symptoms, with some studies finding that posttraumatic growth decreases grief symptoms and others finding that it has no impact on grief symptoms or increases symptoms (Davis, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Larson (1998); Linley, Joseph, & Goodfellow (2008); Calhoun & Tedeschi (2006)). Continuing bonds is an approach to grieving that aims to redefine the relationship with the deceased, maintaining it symbolically, spiritually, and/or in memory (Attig, 1996; Hedtke & Winslade, 2003). Previous studies exploring the impact of continuing bonds on grief symptoms have also had mixed results (Neimeyer, Baldwin & Gillies (2006); Rando (1993)). This study sought to explore how both approaches to grief impact grief symptoms in a college aged population that has experienced a death loss in the past year. Additionally, this study also considered another outcome variable uniquely relevant to college students: college adjustment. This study examined how both of these approaches to grieving impacting college students' social, academic, and emotional adjustment to the college environment. When the control variables age, gender, and type of loss were considered, the contributions of the linear regression model to adjustment variance was nonsignificant. Posttraumatic growth had a nonsignificant effect on grief symptoms. Continuing bonds scores were found to have a significant positive relationship with grief symptoms. These findings suggest that continuing bonds contributes to increased grief symptoms for college students, discouraging the use of continuing bonds based interventions for bereaved students in college counseling centers. Future research could examine why continuing bonds has this impact on college students and what approaches to processing grief could help reduce grief symptoms in college students.
Open Access
Cumulative trauma and neuropsychological functioning: examining the role of resilience
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Essert, Deborah Pratt, author; Conner, Bradley T., advisor; Chavez, Ernest, committee member; Davalos, Deana B., committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Previous research has linked childhood trauma to a range of adverse psychological and behavioral consequences which affect a child's wellbeing and ability to be successful socially and academically. Previous studies have also found childhood trauma to be associated with deficits in neuropsychological functioning. It has been proposed that the experience of trauma at critical points disrupts a child's neurodevelopment and that the disruption and subsequent deficits in neuropsychological functioning in part explain the psychological and behavioral struggles exhibited by traumatized children. This study aimed to explore the relation between cumulative trauma and psychological, behavioral, and neuropsychological outcomes among system-involved youth. Resilience and age at onset were included in analyses as potential mediators. Results indicated that more trauma types experienced predicted more psychological symptoms, and more behavioral concerns among youth living with their biological parents. In addition, deficits in executive function, specifically in shifting, were predicted by cumulative trauma. These results demonstrate the importance of accounting for the number of traumas experienced by youth present with related symptoms and behavioral concerns, and highlight the need to continue to explore the influence of cumulative trauma on neuropsychological function.
Open Access
Emotional availability: foster caregiving experiencies
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Nelson, Dean R., author; Waite, Alina M., advisor; Makela, Carole J., committee member; Timpson, William M., committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
The purpose of the study was to investigate if the emotional availability of caregivers is explanatory for successful adolescent foster care placement--from initial placement of an adolescent to age eighteen or emancipation from foster care, as mandated by the state of Colorado. Emotional availability of foster caregivers and the phenomenon's impact are critical when anticipating placement of an adolescent in a foster caregiving environment. An adolescent anticipates, desires, and needs a safe and enduring foster placement. The emotional impact affects the adolescent as well as the caregiver from the initial introduction to the foster home to emancipation from the foster care system. When an adolescent is placed in a foster home, two areas must be addressed by the caregiver. First, the adolescent arrives without any history with the foster family. Secondly the adolescent does not know the expectations of the foster caregivers, and the reciprocal is true for the caregivers. Initially, a foster adolescent needs a safe environment and the foster caregiver desires an adolescent who will express those desires. These two areas are difficult in the beginning of a foster placement and require positive parenting skills by the foster caregiver to facilitate each and nurture a quality relationship between the adolescent and the foster caregiver. Participants in the study included 6 adults who previously fostered adolescents within their homes. Four of the participants were adult females and two of the participants were adult males. All participants were from northeast Colorado and when formally fostering adolescents were licensed foster caregivers by the state of Colorado. The participants engaged in an extensive journaling exercise which answered 22 questions in a narrative format, which corresponded to the structure of the Emotional Availability (EA) Scales®, developed by Biringen and colleagues (Biringen, Robinson, & Emde, 2008). These areas are the components of emotional availability--sensitivity, structuring, nonintrusiveness, nonhostility, and child responsiveness/child involvement. Based on a constructivist paradigm the study focused on the experience within the caregiver-adolescent dyad as described by the caregiver's lived experience, both as an adult and a youth. There are always many interpretations and no foundational process by which ultimate truth can be determined. However, the trustworthy criteria of credibility, transferability, and dependability are the hallmarks of the paradigm and of this study. The research methodology was based on an inductive analysis and interpretation of the journal entries, which lead to an intent to develop a reality and thus, explain the caregiver-adolescent phenomenon and how emotional availability is an essential tenet of foster caregiving. The study found that if caregivers described engagement with their own caregivers while being raised, then they would be more fully engaged with their foster adolescent during placement. The research question, "does emotional availability inform the foster caregiving Experience," was supported in this study in the participants' responses. Emotional availability does inform foster caregiving. Therefore, the recommendation for this research is to evaluate perspective foster caregivers of adolescents as to their capacity to use the tenets of emotional availability.
Open Access
Family quality of life and coping in families of children with an ASD
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) King, Ashlyn, author; Hepburn, Susan, advisor; Lane, Shelly, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Given the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses, this study sought to explore the impact of an ASD on Family Quality of Life (FQOL). While stress in families who have children with an ASD has been well-documented, the factors that impact FQOL have not been researched as heavily. This study explored associations between ASD symptom severity, coping strategies, and FQOL. For this study, I utilized data from a sample of 36 parent-child dyads in which the child had received a diagnosis of an ASD. Caregivers reported on ASD symptom severity, family quality of life, and coping strategies they employed, among other measures as part of a baseline battery. This study found a significant negative association between ASD symptom severity and FQOL but did not find a significant correlation between the use of coping strategies (specifically passive appraisal, reframing, and acquiring social support) and FQOL. The results indicate that ASD symptom severity is related to lower family quality of life and indicates the need for intervention and support for families.
Open Access
Measuring resilience to childhood maltreatment in college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Shirley, Lauren A., author; Rosen, Lee, advisor; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member
This study developed and validated three measures to he used in the assessment of outcomes for college students with childhood maltreatment histories. The College Adjustment Questionnaire (CAQ) measures college adjustment within academic, social, and emotional domains. The Childhood Maltreatment Questionnaire (CMQ) assesses for five types of child maltreatment - physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and physical and emotional neglect. The Social/Emotional Resources Inventory (SERI) is a measure of protective factors typically associated with good outcomes for individuals who experience early adversity. Results of the confirmatory factor analyses, along with reliability and validity analyses, indicate that the measures demonstrate good psychometric properties and present an alternative to the use of the proprietary measures that currently exist. Future studies will need to further validate the measures, particularly with regard to criterion-related validity. Additional studies should also examine the data obtained from the measures and use it to develop an understanding of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and college adjustment, as well as the protective factors that influence this relationship.
Open Access
Parenting styles used with preschool children among Arab immigrant parents in a U.S. context
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Abu Al Rub, Majedh F., author; Carlson, Laurie, advisor; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member; Rosen, Lee, committee member; Jennings, Louise, committee member
The purpose of this research study was to examine whether there were statistically significant differences in parenting styles among Arab immigrant parents as a function of parent and child gender. Also this study was designed to examine experiences and perceptions of Arab immigrant parents in raising their children in the U.S., and how these differ from their experiences and perceptions in raising their children in their own countries. Quantitative data were collected first, from a convenience sample of such parents (49 families), using a paper-and pencil-structured questionnaire. The second part of the study was a qualitative exploration of parents' experiences and perceptions of raising their children in the U.S. The researcher conducted 5 one-on-one interviews with parents and used a systematic, coding process for analyzing and interpreting data from the interviews. Survey results showed that the most frequent parenting style reported by Arab fathers and mothers among the three subscales of parenting styles was authoritative followed by authoritarian and permissive. Mothers were reported higher ratings on the subscale of authoritarian parenting style than fathers. Also, results of the repeated measure ANOVA indicated a significant interaction of parent and child gender only for the use of the authoritarian parenting style, which suggesting a significant difference between mothers and fathers in regards to treatment of boys and girls for their scoring on the authoritarian subscale. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in parenting style based upon the child's gender, so there was no main effect found for child's gender. Interview results indicated that Arab parents changed their parenting practices from being strict and controlled in their country of origin, to being much more warm and nurturing in the U.S.
Open Access
Pet death as disenfranchised loss: examining posttraumatic growth and attachment in college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Adams, John, author; Rickard, Kathryn, advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
People in Western societies who have experienced the death of close loved ones can feel as though the impact of their grief is ignored and sometimes not taken seriously. Individuals who have experienced losses even less recognized than human death, such as pet death, can feel completely invalidated and unsupported in their loss. This phenomenon is referred to as disenfranchised grief. Within a pet bereaved sample, this study sought to examine the impacts of social support, severity of grief, and strength of attachment on posttraumatic growth. The study attempted to replicate findings from Spain, O'Dwyer, and Moston (2019) that found that grief symptom severity moderated a negative relationship between loss of social support and posttraumatic growth. This study also explored the impact of insecure attachment on social support and grief severity within a pet bereaved sample. Finally, this study observed possible influences of differences within pet bereaved individuals related to type of pet and whether the pet was euthanized. College students in introductory psychology courses at a large western United States university completed a survey that assessed extent of social support, grief symptom severity, strength of attachment to pet, insecure attachment, and posttraumatic growth. Results indicated that while grief symptoms and strength of attachment to pet were not moderators for social support and posttraumatic, social support and grief symptoms contributed to increases in posttraumatic growth. Insecure attachment was also found to detract from social support. The findings of this study can inform the clinical treatment of pet bereaved persons and inform future research of pet bereavement as well as disenfranchised loss overall.
Open Access
Posttraumatic growth and suicide risk in college students according to trauma type: a failure to replicate
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Sheline, Kelly T., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Swaim, Randall C., committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
While numerous studies have demonstrated that different types of traumatic life events predict differences in PTSD symptoms, there is a lack of research examining if posttraumatic growth also varies based on trauma type. This study investigated both positive posttrauma changes as measured by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) and negative changes as measured by suicide risk and suicidal ideation and behavior in 335 college student survivors of three distinct traumatic event types: bereavement, chronic or acute illness, and accidental injury. The results showed that there was not a statistically significant difference in the total PTGI score or the PTGI subscale scores for the three trauma groups. There was not a significant difference between traumatic events on suicide risk and suicidal ideation and behavior. Posttraumatic growth did not moderate the relationship between type of trauma and suicide risk. Several plausible explanations for these results are explored in the discussion, including the role of event centrality and homogeneity of the sample.
Open Access
Resilience to childhood abuse and neglect in college students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Shirley, Lauren A., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member
Research on outcomes of childhood maltreatment tends to examine only one type of maltreatment (usually sexual abuse) and generally ignores gender differences in resilience by failing to consider outcomes for men and women separately. This study sought to address those issues by examining the prevalence of maltreatment in a college sample and identifying the relationship between maltreatment and college adjustment in men and women. Results indicate that maltreated men in college have more resilient outcomes than maltreated women in college and several reasons for this difference were discussed. Overall, negative life events and social/emotional resources are thought to be two important variables in understanding the relationship between maltreatment and adjustment. Future studies can extend the results of this study by examining maltreatment in both college and community samples, collecting data from a larger sample of individuals, and perhaps using a more stringent criterion for classifying maltreatment in the sample.
Open Access
The development of a multidimensional measure of relational change during parental illness: the parental illness relationship impact scale
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Copeland, Lindsey Y., author; Rosén, Lee, advisor; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Existing instruments do not appear to satisfactorily measure the impact of parental illness on children's relationships with family and peers, a variable that may contribute significantly to long-term psychosocial outcomes for those who have experienced parental illness. A brief retrospective scale measuring the relational impact of parental illness was developed and validated within a sample of university students who identified as having had a seriously ill parent during childhood or adolescence. Participants responded to items assessing change in relationships with their ill parent, other parent, sibling(s), and peers during the time of parental illness. Analyses of the measure revealed evidence for the expected four-factor structure (Ill Parent, Other Parent, Sibling, and Peer), acceptable fit indices, and strong factor loadings. The measure also demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity. This evidence suggests that the Parental Illness Relationship Impact Scale may be successfully used to assess parental illness' perceived impact on childhood relationships.
Open Access
The impact of serious parental physical illness on college adjustment: role of relationship factors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Copeland, Lindsey Y., author; Rosén, Lee, advisor; Bloom, Larry, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Little is known about the long-term impact of serious parental physical illness or the role that family and peer relationships play in predicting adjustment. This study sought to illuminate the associations between subjective impact of serious parental physical illness, change in relationship quality during the time of serious parental illness, and college adjustment. Results indicated that perceived impact of parental illness did not predict long-term adjustment outcomes. Negative changes in the quality of specific relationships (e.g., relationships with the ill parent, other parent, siblings, or peers) did not function individually as predictors of long-term outcomes, and changes in relationship quality did not predict specific subtypes of college adjustment (emotional, academic, and social). Results indicated that women are more likely to report high subjective illness impact than men, but no gender differences in college adjustment were found. These findings have interesting implications for our understandings of long-term adjustment to serious physical parental illness.
Open Access
The moderating role of posttraumatic growth on suicide risk among trauma exposed undergraduate students
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Sheline, Kelly T., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Swaim, Randall C., committee member; Henry, Kimberly L., committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Research has suggested that exposure to traumatic life events is one of the major risk factors for suicide. With suicide ranking as the second leading cause of death among college students, this study assessed the role that posttraumatic growth played in moderating the relationship between traumatic life events and suicidal ideation and behavior, suicide risk, and college adjustment in a sample of 557 undergraduate students. The results from multiple linear regression analyses showed that posttraumatic growth moderated the relationship between severity of traumatic life events and suicide risk such that individuals with the most severe traumatic life events were less likely to have high suicide risk in college if they had experienced posttraumatic growth following their trauma. In addition, posttraumatic growth moderated the relationship between severity of traumatic life events and college adjustment such that individuals with the most severe traumatic life events were more likely to have better college adjustment if they had experienced posttraumatic growth following their trauma. The role of posttraumatic growth in ameliorating the effects of trauma-inducing suicide and facilitating college adjustment has significant implications which are explored in the discussion.
Open Access
The role of protective factors in the experience of posttraumatic growth for individuals who report childhood abuse and neglect
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Mohr, Danielle S., author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Dik, Bryan J., committee member; Richards, Tracy, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Many individuals experience stressful life events in childhood. Historically, attention has been paid to the ways in which these early experiences contribute to later maladjustment. Recently, however, increasing attention has been paid to how many, if not most, individuals who experience early childhood adversity demonstrate good adjustment and report personal growth from surviving these stressful experiences. Deriving benefit in the face of adversity has been termed “posttraumatic growth." This study investigated the relationship between posttraumatic growth and childhood experiences of abuse and neglect. A primary focus of this investigation was on what protective factors, serving as buffers against the negative consequences of trauma, moderated the relationship between childhood experiences of abuse and neglect and posttraumatic growth. This study found that while Acceptance, Positive Reframing and Emotional Support all significantly predicted Posttraumatic Growth, only Prosocial Adults and overall endorsement of social and emotional resources moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and posttraumatic growth. These findings have implications for designing effective interventions that foster growth and thriving in individuals who report a history of maltreatment.
Open Access
The social and emotional resources inventory: comprehensive measure of protective factors
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Mohr, Danielle, author; Rosén, Lee A., advisor; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Dik, Bryan, committee member; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member
Most children experience mild to moderate risk factors in their lives (Lamb-Parker, LeBuffe, Powell & Halpern, 2008) and do well in spite of their early adversity, but it was not until 40 years ago that researchers began investigating how even children who have experienced severe risk often achieved satisfactory outcomes in spite of their early adverse experiences (Prince-Embury, 2010). This concept has been labeled resilience, and one application of resiliency research is to look at what characteristics counteract risk to produce successful outcomes. These characteristics are referred to as protective factors, which can occur in three domains: individual (e.g. intelligence, sociability, self-esteem), family (e.g. authoritative parenting, socioeconomic advantage) and community (attending effective schools, access to quality health care). Despite the amount of research on potential protective factors, there is a need for a more effective and comprehensive way to measure protective factors. This study describes the development of a comprehensive measure of protective factors, the Social and Emotional Resources Inventory (SERI). Results indicated that the SERI has a 12-factor internal structure and good to excellent reliability. The 12 factors that emerged from the analysis are: Intelligence, Parenting Practices, Parent Connections, Self-Esteem, Talent, Faith, Money, Prosocial Adults, Kin Connections, Good Schools, Prosocial Organizations and Resources. This measure was also found to have good psychometrics and will be useful for researchers and clinicians who wish to gain a comprehensive view of the protective factors operating in an individual's life.
Open Access
Using power imbalances to differentiate between forms of family violence
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Grubb, Caitlyn, author; Harman, Jennifer, advisor; Biringen, Zeynep, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee member
Forms of family violence can be characterized by differences in power between the parties involved. According to interdependence theory, power is the inverse of dependence, so the less powerful person in a relationship is dependent on the more powerful one. It was predicted that participants who were trained on these power dynamics would be able to better label situations involving family violence according to interdependence theory and recognize the power imbalances. Results indicate that training did not help participants in labelling forms of family violence using the terminology from interdependence theory. However, participants were able to recognize the power imbalances among situations of family violence in predicted directions. It is important that family violence is assessed accurately so that interventions are implemented appropriately and that interventions that are used do not cause further harm to families.