Digital Commons Network^™

Interactive Gaming Reduces Experimental Pain With Or Without A Head Mounted Display, Nakia Gordon, Juniad Merchant, Catherine Zanbaka, Larry F. Hodges, Paula Goolkasian

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

While virtual reality environments have been shown to reduce pain, the precise mechanism that produces the pain attenuating effect has not been established. It has been suggested that it may be the ability to command attentional resources with the use of head mounted displays (HMDs) or the interactivity of the environment. Two experiments compared participants’ pain ratings to high and low levels of electrical stimulation while engaging in interactive gaming with an HMD. In the first, gaming with the HMD was compared to a positive emotion induction condition; and in the second experiment the HMD was compared to a condition …

Depressive Symptoms And Relational Uncertainty As Predictors Of Reassurance-Seeking And Negative Feedback-Seeking In Conversation, Leanne K. Knobloch, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, C. Emily Durbin

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Integrative interpersonal theory implies that relational uncertainty may play a role in the reassurance-seeking and negative feedback-seeking behavior of people with depressive symptoms. We sought to extend the theory by (a) documenting how individuals with depressive symptoms communicate under conditions of relational uncertainty, (b) evaluating actor and partner effects, and (c) utilizing observational measures of reassurance-seeking and negative feedback-seeking. Sixty-nine romantic couples engaged in 50 minutes of conversation rated by independent judges. Multilevel modeling results indicated that the depressive symptoms of actors and partners were the primary predictor of an actor's reassurance-seeking, but an actor's relational uncertainty was the primary …

Healing Images: A Historical Outline Of Their Use In Western Medical And Psychotherapeutic Traditions, Anees A. Sheikh

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The ancient literature of numerous cultures abounds with accounts of spectacular cures resulting from the imaging process. These accounts are now being corroborated by a growing body of clinical and experimental evidence. The effectiveness of mental imagery in the treatment of a wide variety of problems has been convincingly documented (Sheikh, 1983). This paper outlines the use of imagery in Western medical as well as psychotherapeutic traditions. It concludes with a discussion of the reasons that make imagery an excellent healing agent.

A Naturalistic Study Of The Associations Between Changes In Alcohol Problems, Spiritual Functioning And Psychiatric Symptoms, Melissa L. Miller, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The study evaluated how spiritual and religious functioning (SRF), alcohol-related problems, and psychiatric symptoms change over the course of treatment and follow-up. Problem drinkers (n = 55, including 39 males and 16 females) in outpatient treatment were administered questionnaires at pretreatment, posttreatment, and follow up, which assessed two aspects of SRF (religious well-being and existential well-being), two aspects of alcohol misuse (severity and consequences), and two aspects of psychiatric symptoms (depression and anxiety). Significant improvements in SRF, psychiatric symptoms and alcohol misuse were observed from pretreatment to follow-up. Although SRF scores were significantly correlated with psychiatric symptoms at all three …

Does Physical Activity Influence Semantic Memory Activation In Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment?, J. Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Matthew D. Verber, Sally Durgerian, Piero Antuono, Alissa M. Butts, Nathan C. Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The effect of physical activity (PA) on functional brain activation for semantic memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) was examined using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging during fame discrimination. Significantly greater semantic memory activation occurred in the left caudate of High- versus Low-PA patients, (P=0.03), suggesting PA may enhance memory-related caudate activation in aMCI.

Exploratory Analysis Of The Relationships Among Different Methods Of Assessing Adherence And Glycemic Control In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Jessica C. Kichler, Astrida S. Kaugars, Kelly Maglio, Ramin Alemzadeh

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives: The present study examined four methods of assessing diabetes adherence (self-report, diary measure, electronic monitoring, and provider rating) within a population of youth with Type I Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Methods: Comparisons were conducted among the four methods of assessing diabetes adherence. Associations among the seven different measures of blood glucose monitoring (BGM) and HbA1c were examined. An exploratory stepwise regression analysis was conducted to determine the best predictors of glycemic control (i.e., Hemoglobin A1c; HbA1c) while controlling for relevant demographic variables. Results: The adherence measures appeared to be interrelated. The relationships between many of the BGM measures and HbA1c …

Read-React-Respond: An Integrative Model For Understanding Sexual Revictimization, Jennie G. Noll, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Females who have been sexually abused in childhood are at significantly higher risk to be revictimized in adolescence and adulthood. Revictimization is associated with a raft of adverse mental and physical health outcomes, and so understanding why victims of childhood sexual abuse are more vulnerable to later sexual assaults has critical implications for their development. It has been hypothesized that sexual abuse in childhood results in reduced ability to recognize and/or respond effectively to sexual threats later in life, but studies examining these ideas have produced inconsistent results. Further, this research has failed to incorporate the powerful physiological reaction elicited …

Children’S Perceptions Of Intimate Partner Violence: Causes, Consequences, And Coping, Renee L. Deboard-Lucas, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Children’s appraisals of conflictual and aggressive parental interactions mediate their effect on children’s adjustment. Previous studies have relied almost exclusively on self report questionnaires to assess appraisals; consequently we know little about perceptions that occur naturally when children witness interparental aggression. This study employed a semistructured interview to assess the thoughts and feelings of 34 children (ages 7–12) whose mothers were receiving services at domestic violence agencies, and mothers reported on interparental aggression that took place in the home. Children’s thoughts centered on consequences and efforts to understand why fights occurred. They generally viewed their mother’s partner as responsible for …

An Examination Of Relational-Interdependent Self-Construal, Communal Strength, And Pro-Relationship Behaviors In Friendships, Brent A. Mattingly, Debra Oswald, Eddie M. Clark

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Individual differences in relational-interdependent self-construal (RISC) are associated with positive relationship characteristics. This suggests that RISC is positively associated with the degree to which individuals view their relationships as communally-oriented (i.e., governed by norms of responsiveness), which should in turn be associated with increased use of pro-relationship behaviors. Thus, the current study explored the associations between RISC, communal strength, and pro-relationship behaviors in friendships. As predicted, RISC was positively associated with pro-relationship behavior use, but this association was mediated by greater communal strength. This suggests that increased RISC is associated with greater relationship satisfaction because the manner in which individuals …

Catastrophe Models For Cognitive Workload And Fatigue, Stephen J. Guastello, Henry Boeh, Curt Shumaker, Michael Schimmels

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

We reconceptualised several problems concerning the measurement of cognitive workload – fixed versus variable limits on channel capacity, work volume versus time pressure, adaptive strategies, resources demanded by tasks when performed simultaneously, and unclear distinctions between workload and fatigue effects – as two cusp catastrophe models: buckling stress resulting from acute workload, and fatigue resulting from extended engagement. Experimental participants completed a task that was intensive on non-verbal episodic memory and had an automatically speeded component. For buckling stress, the epoch of maximum (speeded) performance was the asymmetry parameter; however, anxiety did not contribute to bifurcation as expected. For fatigue, …

Brain Mechanisms Supporting The Modulation Of Pain By Mindfulness Meditation, Fadel Zeidan, Katherine Martucci, Robert Kraft, Nakia Gordon, John Mchaffie, Robert Coghill

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The subjective experience of one’s environment is constructed by interactions among sensory, cognitive, and affective processes. For centuries, meditation has been thought to influence such processes by enabling a nonevaluative representation of sensory events. To better understand how meditation influences the sensory experience, we used arterial spin labeling functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the neural mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation influences pain in healthy human participants. After 4 d of mindfulness meditation training, meditating in the presence of noxious stimulation significantly reduced pain unpleasantness by 57% and pain intensity ratings by 40% when compared to rest. A two-factor repeated-measures …

Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Applications To Psychology And Management, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Parental Functioning In Families For Behavioral Parent Training And Importance Of Clinically Meaningful Change, Alyson C. Gerdes, Lauren M. Haack, Brian W. Schneider

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective/Method: Statistically significant and clinically meaningful effects of behavioral parent training on parental functioning were examined for 20 children with ADHD and their parents who had successfully completed a psychosocial treatment for ADHD.

Results/Conclusion: Findings suggest that behavioral parent training resulted in statistically significant improvements in some domains of parenting behavior for both mothers and fathers and in reductions in most domains of parenting stress for mothers. Importantly, clinically meaningful change also was noted for these parental functioning areas, as well as for other domains of parental functioning that did not result in statistically significant findings. Clinical implications …

Comparison Of Wechsler Memory Scale–Fourth Edition (Wms–Iv) And Third Edition (Wms–Iii) Dimensional Structures: Improved Ability To Evaluate Auditory And Visual Constructs, James B. Hoelzle, Nathaniel W. Nelson, Clifford A. Smith

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Dimensional structures underlying the Wechsler Memory Scale–Fourth Edition (WMS–IV) and Wechsler Memory Scale–Third Edition (WMS–III) were compared to determine whether the revised measure has a more coherent and clinically relevant factor structure. Principal component analyses were conducted in normative samples reported in the respective technical manuals. Empirically supported procedures guided retention of dimensions. An invariant two-dimensional WMS–IV structure reflecting constructs of auditory learning/memory and visual attention/memory (C1 = .97; C2 = .96) is more theoretically coherent than the replicable, heterogeneous WMS–III dimension (C1 = .97). This research suggests that the WMS–IV may have greater utility in identifying lateralized memory dysfunction.

Advancing Our Knowledge Of Adhd In Latino Children: Psychometric And Cultural Properties Of Spanish-Versions Of Parental/Family Functioning Measures, Lauren M. Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes, Brian W. Schneider, Gabriela Dieguez Hurtado

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The lack of available Spanish versions of assessment measures contributes to insufficient research and underutilization of mental health services for Latino children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine the psychometric and cultural properties of several Spanish versions of parental/family functioning measures commonly used in comprehensive ADHD assessments (i.e., the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale). Participants included 68 Spanish-speaking, Latino parents in Southeast Wisconsin. In general, the Spanish translations of the measures demonstrated good reliability and validity. Furthermore, the psychometrically-sound measures were significantly related …

Evaluating The Impact Of Service Learning On Student Outcomes In A Health Psychology Course, Astrida S. Kaugars

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Although positive effects of service learning have been demonstrated for personal, citizenship, and social outcomes there is a need to target specific outcomes in psychology course design and to incorporate appropriate service learning experiences (Conway, Amel, & Gerwien, 2009). The purpose of the present study was to examine how aspects of an undergraduate Health Psychology course, which included a project-based model of service learning, may contribute to changing students’ perspectives on public service, community engagement, and social justice.

Comprehensive Creativity When We Need It, Review Of "The Cambridge Handbook Of Creativity," Edited By James C. Kaufman And Robert J. Sternberg, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Reviews the book, The Cambridge handbook of creativity edited by James C. Kaufman and Robert J. Sternberg (see record 2010-21837-000). The title suggests that The Cambridge handbook of creativity is an encyclopedic collection of all the major chunks of knowledge connected to creative behavior. Although it does not disappoint in that regard, the contributing authors do a superb job of capturing the coherence and the theoretical and thematic developments of their respective areas. Overall the reviewer would recommend The Cambridge handbook of creativity to serious researchers in creativity and anyone who wants to be seriously creative. Psychologists and educators are …

Culturally-Modified Recruitment Strategies For Latino Families In Clinical Child Research: A Critical First Step, Lauren M. Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes, Bethdalie Cruz, Brian W. Schneider

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The goals of the current study were to develop and employ culturally-modified recruitment strategies utilizing flexibility and creativity to combat practical and cultural barriers to Latino participation in clinical child research, as well as to quantitatively examine individual and cultural factors related to the different recruitment strategies. In total, 45 Latino parents were successfully recruited and primarily included married mothers of Mexican origin with varied socioeconomic backgrounds. To address the first study goal, an initial culturally-modified recruitment strategy (i.e., postcard strategy, n = 23) was developed to combat both practical and cultural barriers; an augmented strategy (i.e., face-to-face strategy, n …

Neuropsychological Evaluation Of Blast-Related Concussion: Illustrating The Challenges And Complexities Through Oef/Oif Case Studies, Nathaniel W. Nelson, James B. Hoelzle, Kathryn A. Mcguire, Amanda G. Ferrier-Auerbach, Molly J. Charlesworth, Scott R. Sponheim

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background/objective: Soldiers of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) sustain blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) with alarming regularity. This study discusses factors in addition to concussion, such as co-morbid psychological difficulty (e.g. post-traumatic stress) and symptom validity concerns that may complicate neuropsychological evaluation in the late stage of concussive injury.

Case report: The study presents the complexities that accompany neuropsychological evaluation of blast concussion through discussion of three case reports of OEF/OIF personnel.

Discussion: The authors emphasize uniform assessment of blast concussion, the importance of determining concussion severity according to acute-injury characteristics and elaborate …

A Survival Guide For The Creativity Economy, Review Of "The Dark Side Of Creativity," Edited By David H. Cropley, Arthur J. Cropley, James C. Kaufman, And Mark A. Runco, Stephen J. Guastello

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Reviews the book, The dark side of creativity by David H. Cropley, Arthur J. Cropley, James C. Kaufman, and Mark A. Runco (see record 2010-16278-000). Theory and research on creativity clearly address how breakthrough ideas are formed and what happens to them next, but the present state of creativity research needs a few breakthrough ideas of its own. The Dark Side of Creativity , edited by David Cropley, Arthur Cropley, James Kaufman, and mark Runco, has hit that target. It also resonates with contemporary concerns about creativity and technology. There is a long-standing ethic in engineering that a technology itself …