The study tested the extent to which parental social support predicted college grade point average among undergraduate students. A sample of 418 undergraduates completed the Social Provisions Scale-Parent Form (C. E. Cutrona, 1989) and measures of family conflict and achievement orientation. American College Testing Assessment Program college entrance exam scores (ACT; American College Testing Program, 1986) and grade point average were obtained from the university registrar. Parental social support, especially reassurance of worth, predicted college grade point average when controlling for academic aptitude (ACT scores), family achievement orientation, and family conflict. Support from parents, but not from friends or romantic partners, significantly predicted grade point average. Results are interpreted in the context of adult attachment theory. Parents strive to cultivate personal characteristics in their offspring that will enable them to function successfully and independently once they leave the parental home. This cultivation must occur throughout the child's life if he or she is to develop the self-confidence and skills required to meet the challenges of adult life. Contrary to early theories of adolescent development (e.g., Erikson, 1956), a stormy rejection of parental ties is not required to attain competent adult status. Rather, research indicates that individuals who maintain a close relationship with parents throughout adolescence demonstrate more self-confidence and independence than those who report greater emotional distance from their parents (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Theories of early childhood development also stress the importance of a high-quality relationship with parents for the acquisition of needed life skills. According to Ainsworth (1982), responsive and nurturant parents provide a secure base from which the child can explore the environment without anxiety about parental availability. A secure relationship with one or both parents facilitates exploration, discovery, skill acquisition, and the development of self-confidence (Ainsworth, 1982). It is hypothesized that a secure relationship with parents throughout childhood contributes to the development of positive schemata regarding oneself (i.e., high self-worth and self-efficacy) and what can be expected in relationships with others (i.e., a

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Using Bartholomew’s model of attachment (K. Bartholomew, 1990; K. Bartholomew & L. Horowitz, 1991), we explored stability and change of attachment in a group of young adults graduating from university and examined reasons for change of attachment. Consistent with previous research, we found that attachment dimensions were moderately stable; however, several variables predicted change. We explored the effect of changing relationship status and parental divorce on attachment and found that individuals who remained single reported lower stability of avoidance over time. Next, we tested whether distress reported before the transition would mediate stability of attachment. The results provided some support for J. Bowlby’s (1969/1982) proposal that distress would be associated with stability and change of attachment. We found that participants who reported low distress at Time 1 (T1) were more likely to report changes in attachment anxiety than participants who reported high distress at T1.

There is compelling evidence of the potential negative effects of disasters on children's adjustment and functioning. Although there is an increasing base of evidence supporting the effectiveness of some interventions for trauma following disaster, more research is needed, particularly on interventions that can be delivered in the early aftermath of disaster as well as those that can address a broader range of adjustment difficulties such as bereavement that may be experienced by children after a disaster. This article identifies gaps in the knowledge of how best to intervene with children following disasters. Key challenges in conducting research in disaster contexts, including obtaining consent, designing rigorous studies, and obtaining funding quickly enough to conduct the study, are discussed. Several strategies hold promise to address research challenges in disasters, including using alternative designs (e.g., propensity scores, matched control groups, group-level assignment), working with schools and communities, and studying implementation of nontraditional modes of intervention delivery. (PsycINFO Database Record

The author presents a model, based on 5 healing principles (i.e.. Centering, assessment, gathering energy, directing energy, and gratitude and closure), for using ritual in psychotherapy. Application of the model is illustrated in a case study of a neopagan ritual designed to assist the client in strengthening her sense of self, differentiating from her mother, and making a career decision. The author also suggests using the Healing Principle Ritual Therapy Model with other belief systems.n this article, I present a ritual therapy model, based on five healing principles, that can be used to imbue the therapeutic ritual with sacred mean-