Publication Date

2020

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Pittman, Laura D.

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

The present study examined the relation between domain-specific stressors (i.e., interpersonal versus noninterpersonal) and adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms among 118 high school students (Mage = 16.65 years old; 64% female; 79.8% Caucasian). Additionally, this study assessed the impact of negative attributional style on each of these associations, furthering the current literature on the Cognitive Diathesis-Stress model among adolescents. Using the lavaan package of RStudio (Rosseel, 2012), path analyses were run to examine the relationship between domain-specific stressor and adolescent outcomes. The present study found that interpersonal, but not noninterpersonal stressors were associated with internalizing symptoms, while neither interpersonal nor noninterpersonal stressors were associated with externalizing behaviors. Further, negative attributional style moderated the pathway between noninterpersonal stress and internalizing symptoms. Similarly, at a trend-level, negative attributional style moderated the association between noninterpersonal stress and externalizing behaviors. However, this moderation pattern was not observed for interpersonal stress. The present study presents some evidence to suggest the importance of examining domain-specific stressors; however, future research is necessary to continue the understanding of this differentiation.

Extent

80 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS