First Advisor
Susana Beltrán-Grimm
Date of Award
Spring 6-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology and University Honors
Department
Psychology
Language
English
Subjects
childhood trauma, social-emotional development, flourishing, female college students, ACE
DOI
10.15760/honors.1835
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences are events of trauma and abuse that occur prior to age eighteen. High rates of sexual violence against girls and female undergraduate students inspired this study to explore how trauma may impact development and overall college experience. This thesis employed a small exploratory pilot study to investigate childhood trauma and social-emotional development among a small sample of female college students (ages 18-25; n = 41). Participants recruited through the Prolific Database completed an online Qualtrics survey consisting of screeners, demographic questions, measures of trauma history and emotional functioning, and optional open-ended experience-based questions. Measures were guided by the Adverse Childhood Experience assessment (ACE), Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ), Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SREIT), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ).
The following research question guided this study: What role do adverse childhood experiences play in the social-emotional development of a female college student's emerging adulthood? I hypothesized that adverse childhood experiences are negatively associated with social-emotional development during emerging adulthood, and that sexual trauma is more prevalent among girls raised in low-income single-parent households.
Results from Hypothesis 1 indicate that students with higher ACE scores reported more emotional challenges and expressive suppression. Findings from Hypothesis 2 showed no relationship between parent relationship type, childhood household income, and unwanted sexual experiences. However, these patterns were not statistically significant due to the small nature of the pilot study. Future research should replicate these findings with larger sample sizes and explore what traits and resources may help female college students flourish.
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44768
Recommended Citation
Kirkwood, Kaylee, "The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Female College Students' Social Emotional Development: Is Flourishing Possible?" (2026). University Honors Theses. Paper 1796.
https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.1835