Browsing by Author "Joeng, Ju Ri"

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    The mediating roles of fear of Compassion from self and others, self-compassion, and perceptions of social support on the relationships between self-criticism and depressive symptoms
    (2014-08) Joeng, Ju Ri
    Empirical studies indicate that people who harshly criticize themselves are likely to suffer from a range of psychological problems. Depression is one of the common psychological problems suffered by self-critical people (e.g., Cantazaro & Wei, 2010; Mongrain & Leather, 2006). However, despite observed relationships between self-criticism and depressive symptoms, there has been little to no investigation of the mechanisms in play in the prediction of depressive symptoms among self-critical people. The present study is an investigation of the relationship between self-criticism and depressive symptoms as mediated by fear of compassion, self-compassion, and the feeling that one is important to others dimension of one's perceptions of social support (aka perceptions of social support). To model these relationships, the Self-Criticism/Compassion Mediation model was developed and tested via Structural Equation Modeling. Undergraduate students at a midwestern university participated in the study and completed an online survey. A total of 206 completed surveys were analyzed. Goodness-of-fit indicators (e.g., CFI, TLI and RMSEA) showed that the Self-Criticism/Compassion Mediation model fit the data adequately. In this model, three-path mediated effects (Taylor, MacKinnon, & Tein, 2007) showed that fear of compassion from self and others, self-compassion, and perceptions of social support mediated the relationship between self-criticism and depression, with self-criticism positively related to fear of compassion, which in turn was negatively related to self-compassion and perceptions of social support, respectively, which in turn were negatively related to depressive symptoms. Additionally, a two-path mediated effect showed that self-compassion mediated the relationship between self-criticism and depressive symptoms in the negative direction. These results indicate that fear of compassion could be a reason that people who are more self-critical experience more depressive symptoms. Self-critical people's fear of compassion was related negatively to self-compassion in this model, indicating that the more afraid a person is of compassion, the less self-compassion that person has. Another reason, as indicated by these results, is that people who have a greater fear of compassion perceive others are not interested in them, which then leads to higher levels of depressive symptoms. In addition, a lack of self-compassion itself could also explain the relationship between self-criticism and depressive symptoms. The author of this study examined reversed relationships among the study variables, acknowledging that these relationships may also be interpreted in the other direction, and found the current interpretation is not only consistent with theory, but also fits the data better.These findings suggest that to reduce self-critical people's depressive symptoms, it is important to help them manage their fears of receiving compassion from self and others, to develop self-compassion, and to learn to reach out for social support. Implications for practice and future studies are discussed.
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    Parents Forever On-line: How Much Change is Possible?
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension, 2012-10) Olson, Kjersti; Joeng, Ju Ri
    Parents Forever is an educational program developed by University of Minnesota Extension to support families experiencing separation and divorce. For over 20 years, it has helped Minnesotans learn to voluntarily settle divorce and separation-related disputes, decrease child stress, and improve divorcing adults’ communication and problem solving skills so their divorce costs them and the state’s legal system less time and money. In addition to in-person workshops in most of the state, Parents Forever became available online in early 2012. This poster highlights the effectiveness of the online format in creating behavioral and attitudinal change. Initial pre- and post-test survey results indicate that divorcing adults who took the internet-based intervention showed significant changes in: encouraging their children to maintain a close relationship with their other parent, how often they talk to their children about the feelings they are experiencing in the divorce, communicating more successfully with the other parent, and decreased anger at the other parent. The “Parents Forever Online: How much change is possible?” poster is at the intersection of “Use of Technology and Digitizing Extension” and “Program Evaluation” as it shares how a long-standing Extension program was leveraged through new technologies to produce promising program outcomes that reflect our continued commitment to Minnesota families in transition.
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    Simply Good Eating for English Language Learners Program Demonstrates Positive Participant Outcomes
    (University of Minnesota Extension, Center for Family Development, 2012) Sherman, Shelley; Lovett, Kathleen D.; Barno, Christine A.; Gold, Abby; Hurtado, G. Ali; Joeng, Ju Ri
    The Simply Good Eating for English Language Learners curriculum has been in use in Minnesota since 2008. It uses a hands-on approach to teach nutrition concepts to immigrants and others with limited English skills. Recent analysis of survey data indicated statistically significant improvements in reported food intake, food safety and food resource management practices related to the number of sessions attended.