Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal最新文献

The report of family and consumer sciences research from graduate programs documents valuable scholarly contributions to the profession's body of knowledge. The report has been compiled annually since 1992. Requests for the 2024 data began in August 2025 with a distribution list of 506 contacts at 162 U.S. universities and colleges with graduate family and consumer sciences programs. Reports from 25 institutions indicated 1,155 graduate degrees were conferred collectively at these institutions, with 856 non-thesis master's degrees, 120 master's theses, and 179 dissertations completed. This review reports graduate degree completion and highlights topical trends of the theses and dissertations.

This study explores the relationship between socio-emotional competencies (SEC) and academic performance (AP) during two phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: Fall 2020 and Fall 2021. A sample of 112 college students (M = 22.55, SD = 5.11) completed a retrospective survey on their SEC and AP. Results showed lower SEC and AP at the pandemic's peak, with improvement by Fall 2021. Female students reported higher SEC and AP at both points. Notably, relationship management was more strongly linked to AP in Fall 2020, while self-awareness and decision-making became key in Fall 2021, highlighting shifting student needs during prolonged crises.

This study examines the associations among thinking about finances, financial anxiety, and student loan repayment behaviors. Analysis of 2021 NFCS data shows that thinking about finances predicts an increase in student loan delinquency, while better financial behaviors and objective financial knowledge predict lower delinquency. Additionally, thinking about finances and subjective financial knowledge are associated with higher financial anxiety, whereas financial behaviors and objective financial knowledge are linked to lower financial anxiety. These findings highlight the need for interventions informed by a deeper understanding of how thinking about finances consumes considerable mental bandwidth of individuals, particularly individuals with mental health issues.

Asynchronous mental health interventions, studied for nearly three decades, have faced skepticism despite recent technological advances and increased adoption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article reviews research on asynchronous interventions, focusing on conceptualization, effectiveness, and implementation. Asynchronous intervention is defined based on communication purpose, medium, type, and engagement. Research on effectiveness and potential influencing factors is summarized. Logistical, ethical, and legal considerations for implementation are reviewed. This literature review informs family and consumer sciences professionals about asynchronous mental health interventions and facilitates their implementation in an increasingly technology-based society.

Grounded in the Theory of Affordances, this exploratory study examined the afforded behaviors of play in outdoor play environments. Although studies have extensively examined affordances for physical development, this study contributes to the lesser-published topic of designing spaces that foster socioemotional development in young children. A survey utilized heat map images and open-ended questions to collect qualitative data from 44 early childhood educators at campus children's centers. The data were analyzed using Strauss' three-step coding method, resulting in the confirmation of four of Kyttä's affordances for sociality and the proposal of additional affordances for solitary, parallel, and cooperative play.

This study explores how companies practice and assess their traceability and transparency efforts, offering an initial comparison of their approaches. Qualitative research methodology and inductive theorizing approaches were utilized. One-on-one in-depth interviews with 11 apparel industry professionals and thematic analysis via NVivo 12 revealed that companies use advanced tools like Oritain technology and certifications for traceability but simpler methods for transparency. While internal traceability evaluation systems exist, none are in place for transparency. The findings highlight the need for affordable solutions for smaller companies with financial constraints and standardized indicators for a holistic assessment of traceability initiatives.