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Physiological And Cognitive Factors In Asthma And Panic Disorder: Application Of The Cognitive And Dyspnensuffocation Fear Theories, Diana M. Dorhofer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the relationship of anxiety with asthma has been investigated in the psychological literature, revealing that individuals with asthma are more likely to develop panic disorder than are individuals without asthma (e.g., Carr, 1998). Two theories (dyspnedsuffocation fear theory and cognitive theory) have been used to explain how asthma symptoms are affected by panic attacks or panic disorder. The present study examines both theories, as well as a hypothesis developed by Carr (1 998) that suggests that the presence of panic disorder in individuals with asthma may lead to better lung functioning in response to stressful stimuli than for individuals …

Temporal, Perspectives, Dispositional Styles, And Subjective Well-Being, Mary Naeger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study investigated the relationship between time perspective (TP) and the personality dispositions of optimism, pessimism, and realism with regard to their proposed influence on three measures that collectively assessed subjective well-being (SWB). The Depression-Happiness Scale (McGreal & Joseph, 1993) assessed happiness or the presence of positive affect and the absence of negative affect, the cognitiveaffective components of SWB. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985) provided the measurement of subjective life satisfaction, the essential final cognitive-judgmental component of SWB. The Life Orientation Scale-Revised (LOT-R) (Scheier, Carver, and Bridges, 1994) and a Reality Scale, composed …

Superior Episodic Memory Is Associated With Interhemispheric Processing, Ruth E. Propper, Stephen D. Christman

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The dependence of episodic memories on interhemispheric processing was tested. In Experiment 1, positive familial sinistrality (FS+; e.g., the presence of left-handed relatives) was associated with superior episodic memory and inferior implicit memory in comparison with negative familial sinistrality (i.e., FS-). This reflected a greater degree of interhemispheric interaction in FS+ participants, which was hypothesized as facilitating episodic memory. In Experiment 2, the authors directly manipulated inter- versus intrahemispheric processing using tests of episodic (recognition) and semantic (lexical decision) memory in which letter strings were presented twice within trial blocks. Semantic memory was superior when the 2nd presentation went to …

Parapsychological Beliefs And The Effects Of Exposure To Skeptical Inquiry, Augustine Seeger

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Belief in parapsychological/paranormal phenomena is widespread in the American public (Gallup & Newport, 1991). Messer and Griggs (1989) reported that misinformation through the media, including uncritical reports of events and pseudodocumentaries about paranormal phenomena, is a possible reason for the substantial belief in the paranormal evidenced by the American public. The realm of the parapsychological is a particularly important area of research, especially to those who teach psychology. Messer and Griggs (1989) provided evidence that the prevalence of belief in the paranormal was also rather extensive in a sample of college students. Belief and involvement in certain paranormal phenomenon has …

The Nature Of The Traumatic Event As A Predictor Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Chronic Low Back Pain Patients, Lorie Tulia Decarvalho

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study investigated the specific nature of the traumatic event in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Specifically, the following questions were asked: (1) Do individuals with CLBP evidence posttraumatic stress disorder?, (2) In patients with CLBP, what is the trauma which predicts the development of PTSD- the specific event which led to the lower back pain, any other traumatic event, or is it the chronic low back pain itself which is traumatic? (3) In CLBP patients who evidence PTSD, do the intensity and duration of the trauma predict the development of PTSD? Participants were 112 patients receiving …

An Examination Of Racial Identity And Auitudes, Perceived Cultural Competence, And Level Of Academic Training Of European-American Graduate Studen!S With Culturally Diverse Clients, Justin Kyckelhann Crawford

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

No abstract provided.

Are Suicide Attempters Who Self-Mutilate A Unique Population?, Barbara Stanley, Marc Gameroff, Venezia Michalsen, John Mann

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

OBJECTIVE: Individuals who mutilate themselves are at greater risk for suicidal behavior. Clinically, however, there is a perception that the suicide attempts of self-mutilators are motivated by the desire for attention rather than by a genuine wish to die. The purpose of this study was to determine differences between suicide attempters with and without a history of self-mutilation.

METHOD: The authors examined demographic characteristics, psychopathology, objective and perceived lethality of suicide attempts, and perceptions of their suicidal behavior in 30 suicide attempters with cluster B personality disorders who had a history of self-mutilation and a matched group of 23 suicide …

Treatment Utilization By Patients With Personality Disorders, Donna S. Bender, Regina T. Dolan, Andrew E. Skodol, Charles A. Sanislow, Ingrid R. Dyck, Thomas H. Mcglashan, M. Tracie Shea, Mary C. Zanarini, John M. Oldham, John G. Gunderson

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

Objective: Utilization of mental health treatment was compared in patients with personality disorders and patients with major depressive disorder without personality disorder.

Method: Semistructured interviews were used to assess diagnosis and treatment history of 664 patients in four representative personality disorder groups—schizotypal, borderline, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive—and in a comparison group of patients with major depressive disorder.

Results: Patients with personality disorders had more extensive histories of psychiatric outpatient, inpatient, and psychopharmacologic treatment than patients with major depressive disorder. Compared to the depression group, patients with borderline personality disorder were significantly more likely to have received every type of psychosocial treatment …

Client Weight As A Barrier To Non-Biased Clinical Judgment, Tricia Duncan Hassel, Carol J. Amici, Nancy S. Thurston, Richard L. Gorsuch

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

A sample of 95 Christian and 68 Non-Christian mental health professionals were given a picture of either an overweight or average-weight male or female client and a generic case vignette. Participants were asked to make clinical judgments of pathology and client attributions for the pictured client. Results indicated that mental health professionals ascribe more pathology and negative attributes to obese clients than to average-weight clients. In addition, Christian mental health professionals are just as likely as non-Christians to ascribe more negative attributes to obese clients. Ways to remove barriers to unbiased psychotherapy and deal with countertransference issues are discussed from …

Job Satisfaction Among Psychologists In A Managed-Care Environment, Walter R. Vyhmeister

Dissertations

The problem. The efforts of managed care to balance resources, cost, and quality of services have created new issues among mental health professionals, affecting their careers and having the potential to affect their job satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate how managed care has impacted career satisfaction among professional psychologists.

The method. The present investigation examined 21 factors in the prediction of job satisfaction among licensed psychologists. A sample of 1,000 licensed psychologists located in California, Oregon, and Washington was randomly selected from the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Three hundred seventeen participants …

Protective Factors Of Verbal Aggression, Yuria Morimoto

Masters Theses

The present study aimed to examine the negative long-term outcomes of parental verbal aggression in childhood. It also examined the roles of problem-solving coping skills, family cohesion, and a parental emotional bond as moderators of negative psychological outcomes. Sixty-four-male and169 female university students were recruited from psychology courses and completed a demographic questionnaire, measures of physical maltreatment, psychological maltreatment, family cohesion, parental emotional bonding, and use of coping strategies. Psychological adjustment was assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Aggression Questionnaire, and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. Results indicated that individuals reporting greater verbal aggression histories …

The Effectiveness Of Non-Directive Play Therapy On Decreasing Inappropriate Behavior, Heather M. Sawyer

Masters Theses

The present study investigated the effectiveness of non-directive play therapy, operationalized as non-contingent attention (NCA), no-demands, and an enriched environment, on three developmentally normal children with a history of abuse or neglect. A single-case reversal-replication design was employed. Baseline consisted of contingent attention, demands, and a relatively non-enriched environment. Results indicated that for one of the participants, NCA, no-demands, and an enriched environment successfully decreased inappropriate play behaviors. More specifically, destructive and disrupted play behaviors occurred much less frequently in both treatment conditions compared to the two baseline conditions. The other two participants did not show any clear pattern of …

Perceived Parenting Style, Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction, And Self-Esteem As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Use, Megan Cox

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to identify predictors of adolescent substance use. Eighty-seven junior high school students completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Adolescent Family Life Satisfaction Index, Parental Authority Questionnaire, and the Michigan Alcohol and Other Drug School Survey. When examining self-esteem, adolescent family life satisfaction, and perceived parenting style, it was found that the authoritarian father parenting style was the best predictor of total adolescent substance use and, more specifically, tobacco use. Self-esteem and the authoritarian father parenting style were found to be the best predictors of adolescent alcohol use. Furthermore, the authoritarian father parenting style was significantly correlated with …

Religious Faith And Mental Health Outcomes, Thomas G. Plante, Naveen K. Sharma

Psychology

In this chapter we review recent research regarding the relationship between religious faith/spirituality and mental health outcomes, as well as provide directions for future research and discussion. The specific aspects of mental health and illness that we focus on include well-being, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and schizophrenia. We also briefly discuss research pertaining to religious faith and personality disorders, eating disorders, somatoform disorders, and bipolar disorder.

Suicidal Ideation And Help-Negation: Not Just Hopelessness Or Prior Help., Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Few distressed young people seek professional psychological help and little is known about what sources of help young people seek for different problems. In suicidal youth, poor help-seeking may be exacerbated by the process of help-negation. The current study is the first of a larger program of PhD research developed and led by the second author. In the current study, three hundred and two undergraduate university students completed a questionnaire measuring suicidal ideation, hopelessness, prior help-seeking experience, and help-seeking intentions. Participants indicated they would seek help from different sources of help for different types of problems, but friends were consistently …

Suicidal Ideation And Help-Negation: Not Just Hopelessness Or Prior Help., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

Few distressed young people seek professional psychological help and little is known about what sources of help young people seek for different problems. In suicidal youth, poor help-seeking may be exacerbated by the process of help-negation. The current study is the first of a larger program of PhD research developed and led by the second author. In the current study, three hundred and two undergraduate university students completed a questionnaire measuring suicidal ideation, hopelessness, prior help-seeking experience, and help-seeking intentions. Participants indicated they would seek help from different sources of help for different types of problems, but friends were consistently …

Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief: Factor Structure And Convergent Validity In Inpatient Adolescents, Seth R. Axelrod, Carlos M. Grilo, Charles A. Sanislow, Thomas H. Mcglashan

Charles A. Sanislow, Ph.D.

We examined the internal consistency, factor structure, and validity of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B). Two hundred thirty-seven psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents were administered the SPQ-B and a battery of well-established self-report instruments. The SPQ-B demonstrated adequate internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis provided mixed support for the SPQ-B 3-factor structure of interpersonal deficits, cognitive-perceptual deficits, and disorganization. The Interpersonal and Cognitive-Perceptual subscales demonstrated convergent and discriminant relationships with other measures of interpersonal impairment and cognitive abnormalities. We concluded that the SPQ-B is a promising measure for evaluating schizotypal personality disorder features, specifically interpersonal and cognitiveperceptual deficits, with adolescent psychiatric inpatients.