Jennifer Jill Harman

Colorado State University | CSU · Department of Psychology

This study is an evaluation of a pilot of the Let's Talk Intervention for Nepali women for effectiveness in increasing sexual health communication between women and the men in their lives. The intervention included 88 women in Kathmandu and spanned three 2-hour group sessions. Baseline, posttest, and follow-up knowledge, attitude, and behavior surv...

Para enfrentar el problema del doble negacionismo de la ciencia en la alienación parental y su cambio de nombre a violencia vicaria o por interpósita persona para solo reconocer la manipulación psicológica de los hijos como un problema que exclusivamente lo padecen las madres como un problema de violencia de género, y con ello, la inversión de la j...

PurposeParental alienating behaviors (PABs) are conceptualized by scholars as a form of family violence. Nonetheless, some critics have argued that it is the parent that is claiming to be the target of PABs that is the abusive parent. We explored this debate by comparing claims of abuse made against alienating and alienated parents. We predicted th...

Foreldraútilokun er lítt þekkt og misskilin birtingarmynd heimilisofbeldis. Rannsóknir á foreldraútilokun og þeirri hegðun sem veldur henni byggja á lagalegri og klínískri skráningu síðustu áratuga, en skráningarnar hafa leitt til vaxtar eða vitundarvakningar á þessu sviði. Rannsakendur eru sammála um hvaða hegðun megi flokka sem foreldraútilokun o...

Foreldraútilokun á sér stað þegar barn skipast í stöðu með öðru foreldrinu og hafnar hinu án gildrar ástæðu vegna foreldraútilokandi hegðunar. Greinin veitir yfirsýn yfir núverandi rannsóknir og kenningar um þann missi sem útilokuð börn upplifa. Foreldraútilokandi hegðun hefur áhrif á tiltrú og traust barns, upplifun þess af og minningar um útiloka...

Previous studies have demonstrated a connection between intimate partner violence (IPV) and a child’s alienation from the abused parent, but little is known about the relationships between the type of IPV, aspects, and severity of a child’s alienation, and the target parent’s gender. This study assessed the presence of an IPV history (verbal and ph...

The gender paradigm of intimate partner violence (IPV) research and theory has strongly influenced scholarly work on parental alienation. This paradigm has created a false “divide” between IPV and parental alienation scholars and professionals who work in these areas and has created unproductive and unnecessary conflict. This chapter highlights and...

Theory and research have described developmental processes leading to damaged parent–child relationships, such as those that occur during a divorce. However, scholars dispute the scientific status of the literature on children who form unhealthy alliances with one parent against the other—termed parental alienation (PA). This comprehensive literatu...

Domestic violence (DV) is a serious social problem affecting millions of Americans and individuals worldwide, which permeates family, economic, healthcare, and social structures and often leads to a criminal justice response. DV response within the criminal justice system has been and continues to be driven by well-publicized court cases such as Th...

The Turning Points for Families (TPFF) therapeutic intervention program for severely alienated children and their alienated parent was evaluated to determine whether it was safe, did not cause harm, and led to positive changes in the alienated parent–alienated child relationship. Court orders and video recordings of the 4‐day intervention were revi...

The purpose of this study was to apply interdependence theory to understand the power dynamics in families affected by parental alienation. We hypothesized that the power dynamics between alienating and alienated parents are imbalanced such that this form of family violence (Harman et al., 2018) more closely resembles intimate terrorism than situat...

Emotional reactions to a partner’s extradyadic romantic interests are assumed to be negative and characterized by jealousy, an emotional state that arises over a perceived threat to one’s relationship. Yet, reactions may also be positive, and involve compersion, or taking joy in one’s partner’s pleasure in other sexual and relational encounters. Al...

Parental alienation occurs when a child aligns with one parent and unjustifiably rejects the other as a result of parental alienating behaviors. This paper provides an overview of current research and theory regarding the losses alienated children endure. Parental alienating behaviors alter the child’s beliefs, perceptions, and memories of the alie...

We tested a set of findings reported by Meier et al. (2019) related to the use of parental alienation as a legal defense in cases in which there are allegations of domestic violence and child abuse. A total of 967 appellate reports in which PA was found or alleged were sequentially selected from a legal database search. Nineteen research assistants...

We tested a set of findings reported by Meier (2019) related to the use of parental alienation (PA) as a legal defense in cases in which there are allegations of domestic violence and child abuse. A total of 967 appellate reports in which PA was found or alleged were sequentially selected from a legal database search. Nineteen research assistants b...

Emotional reactions to a partner's extradyadic romantic interests are assumed to be negative and characterized by jealousy, an emotional state that arises over a perceived threat to one's relationship. Yet, reactions may also be positive, and involve compersion, or taking joy in one's partner's pleasure in other sexual and relational encounters. Al...

Past research indicates females prefer the use of indirect over direct forms of aggression, whereas the opposite pattern has been found for males. We investigated a specific form of aggression: parental alienating behaviors. Parents who alienate their children from another parent utilize both direct and indirect forms of aggression. We examined whe...

Polyamory is the practice of having multiple emotionally close relationships that may or may not be sexual. Research concerning polyamory has just begun to determine how relationships among partners in polyamorous arrangements may vary. Most of the research assessing perceptions of polyamorous partners has focused on primary–secondary configuration...

Estimating the prevalence of parental alienation is challenging because not all children who are exposed to parental alienating behaviors become alienated (Harman, Bernet, & Harman, 2019). The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the proportion of adults who indicate being alienated from a child will be similar to results from a pr...

Power in Close Relationships - edited by Christopher R. Agnew February 2019

Power in Close Relationships - edited by Christopher R. Agnew February 2019

Parental alienation has been an unacknowledged and poorly understood form of family violence. Research on parental alienation and the behaviors that cause it has evolved out of decades of legal and clinical work documenting this phenomenon, leading to what could be considered a “greening,” or growth, of the field. Today, there is consensus among re...

Despite affecting millions of families around the world, parental alienation has been largely unacknowledged or denied by legal and health professionals as a form of family violence. This complex form of aggression entails a parental figure engaging in the long-term use of a variety of aggressive behaviors to harm the relationship between their chi...

Polyamory is the practice of having multiple emotionally-close relationships that may or may not be sexual. Research concerning polyamory has just begun to determine how relationships among partners in polyamorous arrangements may vary. Most of the research assessing perceptions of polyamorous partners has focused on primary-secondary configuration...

Research on polyamorous relationships has increased substantially over the past decade. This work has documented how polyamory is practiced and why individuals might pursue such arrangements. However, there is a lack of a systematic investigation of who is in polyamorous relationships and how they might differ from individuals in monogamous relatio...

This study examined whether discrepancies in reported court ordered parenting time and actual parenting time among families that had dissolved (i.e., divorced) was associated with the degree to which children are reported to demonstrate negative coping behaviors. It was hypothesized that (a) parents who were targets of alienating behaviors by the o...

Background Despite marked improvements over the last few decades, maternal mortality in Tanzania remains among the world’s highest at 454 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Many factors contribute to this disparity, such as a lack of attendance at antenatal care (ANC) services and low rates of delivery at a health facility with a skilled prov...

In consensually non-monogamous relationships there is an open agreement that one, both, or all individuals involved in a romantic relationship may also have other sexual and/or romantic partners. Research concerning consensual non-monogamy has grown recently but has just begun to determine how relationships amongst partners in consensually non-mono...

Attachment theory posits that sensitive interactions between caregivers and children are the bedrock of a secure attachment (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). The larger concept of “emotional availability” (Biringen, Robinson, & Emde, 1998) refers to the avenue by which secure attachments are formed, including qualities additional to parent...

According to gender role theory, individuals who confirm expectations associated with their gender roles are rewarded and judged against these expectations when they deviate. Parental roles are strongly tied to gender, and there are very different expectations for behaviors of mothers and fathers. This study examined how mothers' and fathers' behav...

This study draws on a social norms framework to examine the influence of interview context—specifically the presence of other women and men—on women’s reported attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV) in Ethiopia, where IPV rates are among the highest in the world. The sample (16,515 women, ages 15-49) was taken from Ethiopia’s 2011 Demogra...

Using sequenced conflict interaction scenarios, this study tested Rusbult and colleagues’ partner accommodation framework. In addition, we examined the unique effects of relationship-specific hope, a variable we argue contributes to constructive conflict communication in adult romantic relationships. Results generally, but not completely, supported...

Funny people — comedians, class clowns, and pranksters — often seem troubled. But are they? Though an argument can be made either way, we suggest that trying to be funny can cause people to seem psychologically unhealthy regardless of their actual psychological health. We derive our predictions from the benign violation theory of humor, which propo...

Through this exploratory study, we sought to better understand Nepali female commercial sex workers' (FCSWs) experiences in order to inform HIV prevention and health promotion interventions for this vulnerable and hard-to-reach population. Data were collected through phenomenological interviews with eight FCSWs. Through analysis we reveal promising...

Objective Over the last few decades, food portion sizes have steadily increased by as much as 700% (Young & Nestle, 2002). Food portions are often much larger than dietary guidelines recommend, leaving individuals to manage their food consumption on their own and making it necessary to understand individual factors impacting food consumption. In th...

Introduction/Purpose: Wazazi Nipendeni (Love me, parents), is a national, integrated safe motherhood campaign in Tanzania encouraging pregnant women and their partners to take steps for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. Communication channels included radio and TV spots, billboards, posters, brochures, promotional materials and SMS. An evalua...

Rising rates of HIV in Nepal signal an impending epidemic. In order to develop culturally appropriate and effective actions and programmes to reduce HIV transmission, it is necessary to understand attitudes, behaviours and norms surrounding sexual networking and safer-sex practices in Nepal. Nepali women are thought to be at increased risk of sexua...

This study's objective was to describe awareness of, access to, belief in, and utilization of the healing tea Kikombe cha babu and other alternative treatments for HIV in Tanzania. Associations with HIV testing, treatment, and prevention behaviors are also explored. A survey with questions about alternative medicine was administered to a sample in...

This qualitative, thematic analysis explores how patriarchal power is reflected in labels used to describe women and men who engage (or not) in multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships. Label research and muted group theory provide theoretical frames to assess how sexual network-related labels are used by women and men. The use of power-embedded...

Sexually active college students engage in behaviors that put them at increased risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Communication within relationships can improve sexual health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to (1) understand college students' motivations for sexual communication and (2) determine whet...

Objective: The information-motivation-behavioral skills model was used to investigate which factors were associated with condom accessibility among undergraduate college aged adults. Our aim was to also examine moderating effects of erotophobia/erotophilia and alcohol use, as these have been related to sexual risk and prevention behaviors among yo...

In 2010, an estimated 22.5 million people were living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for more than two-thirds of global HIV/AIDS cases (UNAIDS, 2010). Empirical studies in the region demonstrate that multiple concurrent partnerships (MCPs) may play a key role in the spread of HIV/AIDS (Enns et al., 2011). In Tanzania, MCPs have bee...

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the feasibility of conducting a sexual health intervention for women in Nepal, a country with high political and economic instability and strong patriarchal systems. Of the 88 women enrolled, 100% retention was obtained over three sessions, and 85% completed a 1-month follow-up. Recruitment was so e...

Two studies investigate impression management processes and alcohol use. In both studies, participants completed the Fear of Negative Evaluation scale and then a 21-day survey. In Study 1, participants reported daily desired impression and drinking. Men drank more than women; however, this effect was stronger on days in which they wanted to appear...

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate a single-session peer-led safer sex intervention, based on the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills theoretical model, for college students residing in campus residence halls. Participants (N=108) were assigned to either an hour long control or 5-module intervention session. Compared to the control cond...

Transmission rates of HIV infection have increased steadily among heterosexual adults, however current theoretical models have not been tested statistically at the dyadic level in which risk behaviors occur. The purpose of the current study was to test an Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills (IMB) model of HIV risk behavior (IMB) specifically a...

The use of heuristic biases and the false consensus effect can lead individuals to misperceive risk of HIV infection. The current paper presents the results of two studies which sought to examine whether individuals, (a) weigh risk relevant information accurately in their assessments of HIV risk, and (b) are susceptible to the false consensus effec...

Scientific rigor in intervention trials is frequently used in systems that identify effective interventions for dissemination. In these systems, and in work that synthesizes bodies of research, percent attrition is often considered a fatal threat to validity. However, differential attrition, versus percent total, is of primary concern. Key methodol...

Suboptimal adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may have serious consequences for HIV patients, and for public health overall. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of HAART adherence can be used to understand the dynamics of HAART adherence and to intervene with patients to promote more optimal levels of adh...

Although incarceration has a substantial impact on intimate relationships, little is known about how individuals cope with their separation and reunification. Incarceration also poses serious health risks for HIV infection, as rates are up to 6 times higher in the prison than the general population. A series of focus groups were conducted with indi...

We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate behavioral HIV risk reduction interventions targeting people who inject drugs. We included 37 RCTs evaluating 49 independent HIV risk reduction interventions with 10,190 participants. Compared to controls, intervention participants reduced injection drug use (IDU) and n...

HIV-positive persons who do not maintain consistently high levels of adherence to often complex and toxic highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens may experience therapeutic failure and deterioration of health status and may develop multidrug-resistant HIV that can be transmitted to uninfected others. The current analysis conceptualize...

To conduct a quantitative review of published trials of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence interventions. A research synthesis of published ART adherence intervention outcome studies. ART adherence intervention outcome studies meeting inclusion criteria published between 1996 and December 2004 (k=24). Effect sizes (ESs [d]) were calculated for...

Although there has long been demand for programs and procedures that support or enhance adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV+ patients, there is scant evidence about the extent to which medical clinics have been able to incorporate adherence interventions into their standard care. A survey of clinical care settings in New York and Co...

Even though transmission rates of HIV infection have increased steadily among heterosexual adults, current health behavior change models have not accounted for relationship-specific factors that may be involved with the virus's transmission, nor have they examined these processes statistically at the dyadic level in which these behaviors occur. The...

Comments on the article by B. Lott (see record 2002-10716-002) which argues that distancing is the dominant response to poor people on the part of those who are not poor and that distancing, separation, exclusion, and devaluing operationally define discrimination. Such responses, together with stereotypes and prejudice, define classism. The authors...