An Introduction and Illustration of Bayesian Modeling in Couple and Family Therapy Research

Bayesian modeling is becoming increasing popular as a method for data analyses in the social sciences and can move couple, marriage, and family therapy (C/MFT) research forward. Bayesian modeling helps researchers better understand the uncertainty of findings and incorporate previous research into analyses. Other benefits of Bayesian modeling are the straightforward interpretation of findings, high-quality inferences even with small samples (in combination with an informative prior), and the ability to work with complex data structures (observations nested in relationships and time points) which are common in C/MFT research. This article introduces the benefits of Bayesian modeling and provides an example of an Actor–Partner Interdependence Model using R. Information on how to conduct the same analyses using Stata and MPlus is provided in the Supplemental Information.     

Foreclosing Fluidity at the Intersection of Gender and Sexual Normativities

Binary gender and sexuality are socially constructed, but they structure thought at such a deep level that even those critical of sexism and homophobia can unwittingly reproduce them, with consequences felt most profoundly by those whose gender/sexual identity defy binary logic. This article outlines a generic pattern in the reproduction of inequality we call foreclosing fluidity, the symbolic or material removal of fluid possibilities from sexual and gender experience and categorization. Based on 115 responses from people who are both sexually and gender fluid and a reading of existing sociologies of gender and sexualities from a fluid standpoint, we demonstrate how lesbian/gay/straight, cisgender, and transgender women and men—regardless of intentions—may foreclose fluidity by mobilizing cisnormative, transnormative, heteronormative, and/or homonormative beliefs and practices. Examining patterns of foreclosing fluidity may provide insight into (1) the further incorporation of fluid people and standpoints into symbolic interactionism, and (2) the reproduction and persistence of sexual and gender inequalities.     

How Can I Become More Secure?: A Grounded Theory of Earning Secure Attachment

The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of earning secure attachment. This study included 15 women and 5 men who met the criteria of having a self-reported history of attachment insecurity and demonstrated evidence of earned security. The grand tour research question, How do adults with a history of insecure attachment earn security?, was explored using constructivist grounded theory and semi-structured interviews emphasizing processes of positive attachment change. The results describe a process model of change hinging on three interrelated categories: meta-conditions of positive attachment change, making intrapsychic changes, and making interpersonal changes. Clinical implications include the importance of clients committing to the process, clients working with a clinician trained in trauma-focused therapy, and clinicians being surrogate attachment figures for clients.     

Understanding vaccine knowledge,attitudes, and decision-making through college student interviews

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about vaccines required for college-entry and vaccine-related behaviors among college students. Participants: Thirty-three full-time undergraduate students, ≥ 18 years old, enrolled at public (2) and private (3) colleges and universities in metropolitan Philadelphia in fall 2016. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews, which were double-coded with 5,015 comments overall and 99.3% intercoder reliability (κ?=?0.779) using NVivo 11 software. Results: Six key themes emerged: (1) low knowledge about vaccines and requirements; (2) mixed attitudes about required vs. recommended vaccines; (3) high trust in medical professionals; (4) low perceived risk for vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks; (5) substantial parental influence on students’ decision-making; and (6) low utilization of Student Health Services. Conclusions: This study revealed lack of knowledge about and low prioritization of vaccination despite overall positive attitudes towards vaccines. Prematriculation education of college students is critical to increasing vaccine knowledge and use.     

The Embeddedness of Nonprofit Leadership in Civic Governance

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - This study examined how board chairs and executive directors of nonprofit civic engagement organizations interpreted their...     

The Interplay Between Adolescents' Friendships and the Exchange of Help: A Longitudinal Multiplex Social Network Study

The aim of this study was to unravel the interrelatedness of friendship and help, and to examine the characteristics of friendship and help networks. The effects of mutual versus one‐sided help relations on friendship initiation and maintenance, and vice versa, were examined. Friendship and help networks were analyzed (N = 953 students; 41 classrooms; M_age = 12.7). The results illustrate that friendship and help networks show some similarities, but only partly overlap and have distinct characteristics. Longitudinal multiplex social network analyses showed that mutual help was important for the maintenance of friendship, but not for the initiation of friendship. Further, particularly mutual friendships provided a context in which help took place. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

A Meta‐Analysis of Friendship Qualities and Romantic Relationship Outcomes in Adolescence

Romantic relationships are one of the most significant interpersonal ties in adolescence, thus understanding factors that may contribute to their formation and quality are important. The current meta‐analysis focuses on links between friendship quality and romantic relationship outcomes for adolescents up to 18 years. In a series of meta‐analyses (k = 28 studies, N's = 946–4,040), friendship qualities were not related to romantic involvement. However, we did find robust evidence of continuity between friendship qualities and romantic relationship qualities. Additionally, adolescents experienced more negative quality in their romantic relationships than in their friendships. These findings suggest that friendships have implications for adolescents’ romantic relationships, although more research is needed on specific quality associations, and the mediators of these relations.     

Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Female Adolescents: Relations with Parental Psychopathology and Parenting Behavior

Parental psychopathology and parenting behavior are known to be related to adolescents depression and anxiety, but unique roles of mothers and fathers are not clear. Our aim was to examine the relation of maternal and paternal psychopathology, emotional support, and respect for autonomy, and their interaction to depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. In total, 142 female adolescents participated, together with 138 mothers and 113 fathers. Data were analyzed using latent growth curve modeling. Paternal emotional support was negatively related to adolescent baseline level of depression and anxiety symptoms. Further, we found that there was a positive association between respect for autonomy and depression symptoms in adolescents for higher levels of paternal symptoms of psychological problems.     

Landscape Context Influences the Abundance and Richness of Native Lady Beetles Occupying Urban Vacant Land

Urban Ecosystems - Urban insect communities are structured by hierarchical filters including regional processes, human facilitation, and species interactions. We sought to inform future urban...     

Likelihood-free approximate Gibbs sampling

Likelihood-free methods such as approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) have extended the reach of statistical inference to problems with computationally intractable likelihoods. Such approaches perform well for small-to-moderate dimensional problems, but suffer a curse of dimensionality in the number of model parameters. We introduce a likelihood-free approximate Gibbs sampler that naturally circumvents the dimensionality issue by focusing on lower-dimensional conditional distributions. These distributions are estimated by flexible regression models either before the sampler is run, or adaptively during sampler implementation. As a result, and in comparison to Metropolis-Hastings-based approaches, we are able to fit substantially more challenging statistical models than would otherwise be possible. We demonstrate the sampler’s performance via two simulated examples, and a real analysis of Airbnb rental prices using a intractable high-dimensional multivariate nonlinear state-space model with a 36-dimensional latent state observed on 365 time points, which presents a real challenge to standard ABC techniques.