Dissertation

Rates of singlehood are continuing to increase, with the rates of single adults in America sitting around 44% as of 2010 (Brenner, 2018). Understanding the multitude of factors that impact romantic decision-making is significant in both how single individuals are perceived, as well as the clinical implications of how their relationship dynamics inform the therapeutic alliance in treatment. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the themes in participants’ Early Recollections are in-line with their current beliefs regarding decisions to remain single, and if so, how this applies in a therapeutic setting. This was accomplished by seeking to answer the following question: How do themes from Early Recollections reflect the decision to remain single by adult women? This qualitative study used narrative interviews and the collection of Early Recollections to understand the belief systems attained in early childhood and their effects on adult romantic decision-making. Through Early Recollection themes and qualitative analysis, it was found that participants’ experience a myriad of emotions around their singlehood, including contentment, loneliness, freedom, stress, and exhaustion. It was found that these single women depend on non-romantic supports, such as family and friendships to supersede romantic relationships. Their Lifestyle Convictions, derived from Early Recollections, support how they make decisions regarding relationships, as well as how they react to conflict in these unions.

The United States’ sociopolitical landscape has shifted drastically over the last decade, particularly in the wake of the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, leading many to feel dissatisfied with our democracy. We have come to see one another categorically by political party, leaving us divided and, at times, hostile. This study aimed to explore the role of social interest within the Republican party and identify avenues for fostering dialogue and understanding between members with differing perspectives on social justice issues. This study’s sample was comprised of six self-identified republicans. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a phenomenological framework for themes. Themes emerged exploring how self-identified Republicans are guided by a sense of ideology rather than partisan labels, barriers and factors that were helpful to the maintenance and cultivation of social interest in their own lives, and sense of community. Based on these results, the relationship between social interest and private logic, how to have meaningful discussion, clinical and social implications, limitations of this research, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The mental health problems of children have been increasing in recent years in modern China. One of the key reasons is that the traditional family education philosophy can no longer meet the needs of nurturing the new generation who grows up in the social context with the booming economy, urbanization, the changing birth-planning policy, and globalization in China. While the Chinese government is working its best to improve the situation by promoting new laws and supporting family education development, the progress is far from satisfactory. This study mainly addressed two gaps accordingly. First, there is a considerable gap between the need for family education to support children’s mental health and the underdeveloped family education and child guidance work in modern China. Second, there is a gap between the urgent need to establish a model grounded in tested theory (Individual Psychology), utilizing existing Western models (Adlerian parenting approach, corporate social responsibility [CSR] model), and having the realities of modern China embedded in it. This was a theoretical study. It used a mix of traditional literature reviews and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and generates a new theoretical formulation, which is a CSR business model for the Adlerian Child Guidance Center in modern China. This study created a testable business model suitable for Chinese family education guidance (FEG) work and encourages scholarly study and future research to explore Adlerian psychology application in family education in China. In the future, further research can work on investigating how this theoretical model, the CSR Adlerian Child Guidance Center, suits the Chinese parents and children’s needs for family education and mental health development, and how effective the organization is running with the CSR strategy in the modern Chinese context.