Digital Commons Network^™

Selective Self-Stereotyping And Women’S Self-Esteem Maintenance, Debra Oswald, Kristine M. Chapleau

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The process and implications of gender-based self-stereotyping are examined in this paper. Women displayed a tendency to selectively self-stereotype for personality and physical traits such that they endorsed positive stereotypic traits and denied negative traits as descriptive of the self and closest women friends. However, negative traits were endorsed as descriptive of women in general. Cognitive stereotypes were endorsed as more descriptive of all women than of the general university student. The tendency to selectively self-stereotype on physical traits was positively associated with appearance, social, and performance self-esteem. The results are discussed for their theoretical and practical implications.

Memory For Emotionally Provocative Words In Alexithymia: A Role For Stimulus Relevance, Mitchell Meltzer, Kristy A. Nielson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Alexithymia is associated with emotion processing deficits, particularly for negative emotional information. However, also common are a high prevalence of somatic symptoms and the perception of somatic sensations as distressing. Although little research has yet been conducted on memory in alexithymia, we hypothesized a paradoxical effect of alexithymia on memory. Specifically, recall of negative emotional words was expected to be reduced in alexithymia, while memory for illness words was expected to be enhanced in alexithymia.

Eighty-five high or low alexithymia participants viewed and rated arousing illness-related ("pain"), emotionally positive ("thrill"), negative ("hatred"), and neutral words ("horse"). Recall was assessed 45 …

Families' Perspectives On The Effect Of Constipation And Fecal Incontinence On Quality Of Life, Astrida S. Kaugars, Alan Silverman, Margo Kinservik, Susan Heinze, Lisa Reinemann, Megan Sanders, Brian W. Schneider, Manu Sood

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives: Understanding families' quality of life can be important for interdisciplinary treatment planning. The present study examined child and parent perspectives about how constipation and fecal incontinence affect families' quality of life.

Patients and Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 children/adolescents and 8 caregivers. All of the children met Rome II criteria for functional constipation. Interviews were analyzed by an interdisciplinary team using a content analysis approach, which included developing a coding manual that described emergent themes from the interview transcripts.

Results: Qualitative and quantitative responses revealed the varied experiences of participating families. Child and parent views may be …

Shyness And Online Social Networking Services, Levi Baker, Debra Oswald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Online social networking services are Internet websites that allow individuals to learn about and communicate with others. This study investigated the association between use of these websites and friendship quality for individuals varying in shyness. Participants (N = 241) completed questionnaires assessing their use of Facebook, an online social networking service, shyness, perceived available social support, loneliness, and friendship quality. Results indicated an interaction between shyness and Facebook usage, such that individuals high in shyness (when compared to less shy individuals) reported stronger associations between Facebook use and friendship quality. Facebook use, however, was unrelated to loneliness among highly shy …

Use Of The Family Interaction Macro-Coding System With Families Of Adolescents: Psychometric Properties Among Pediatric And Healthy Populations, Astrida S. Kaugars, Kathy Zebracki, Jessica C. Kichler, Christopher J. Fitzgerald, Rachel Neff Greenley, Ramin Alemzadeh, Grayson N. Holmbeck

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective To examine reliability and validity data for the Family Interaction Macro-coding System (FIMS) with adolescents with spina bifida (SB), adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and healthy adolescents and their families. Methods  Sixty-eight families of children with SB, 58 families of adolescents with T1DM, and 68 families in a healthy comparison group completed family interaction tasks and self-report questionnaires. Trained coders rated family interactions using the FIMS. Results Acceptable interrater and scale reliabilities were obtained for FIMS items and subscales. Observed FIMS parental acceptance, parental behavioral control, parental psychological control, family cohesion, and family conflict scores demonstrated convergent …

Reduction Of The Misinformation Effect By Arousal Induced After Learning, Shaun English, Kristy A. Nielson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Misinformation introduced after events have already occurred causes errors in later retrieval. Based on literature showing that arousal induced after learning enhances delayed retrieval, we investigated whether post-learning arousal can reduce the misinformation effect. 251 participants viewed four short film clips, each followed by a retention test, which for some participants included misinformation. Afterward, participants viewed another film clip that was either arousing or neutral. One week later, the arousal group recognized significantly more veridical details and endorsed significantly fewer misinformation items than the neutral group. The findings suggest that arousal induced after learning reduced source confusion, allowing participants to …

Microaggressions And Psychological Functioning Among High Achieving African-Americans: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Lucas Torres, Mark W. Driscoll, Anthony L. Burrow

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Racial microaggressions and their influence on mental health were examined among African American doctoral students and graduates of doctoral programs. Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study first identified the types of microaggressions reported by African American participants (N = 97) and then investigated the mechanism by which these experiences influence mental health over time with a separate sample of African Americans (N = 107). The qualitative findings revealed three categories of microaggressions including Assumption of Criminality/Second-Class Citizen, Underestimation of Personal Ability, and Cultural/racial Isolation. The quantitative analyses found support for a moderated-mediational model by which Underestimation of …

Impact Of Parenting Factors And Personal Ego Development On Risk For Eating Disorders Among College Women, Valerie J. Lucas

Dissertations (1934 -)

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of parental factors and individual ego development in identifying an at-risk profile for eating disordered behavior among female emerging adults. Specifically, this study was designed to test the hypotheses that parent eating attitudes and behavior and parenting style are correlated phenomena associated with a self-reported proclivity for eating disordered behavior among female offspring with individual ego development level as either a protective or exacerbating factor. Previous research with parental factors and eating disorders does not address a comprehensive model that utilizes the multiple parental variables of parent eating attitudes and …

A Daily Diary Investigation Of Latino Ethnic Identity, Discrimination, And Depression, Lucas Torres, Anthony D. Ong

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The objectives of the current study were to document the effects of discrimination on Latino mental health and to identify the circumstances by which ethnic identity serves a protective function. Instances of discrimination and depressive symptoms were measured every day for 13 days in a sample of Latino adults (N = 91). Multilevel random coefficient modeling showed a 1-day lagged effect in which increases in depression were observed the day following a discriminatory event. The findings also revealed differential effects of ethnic identity exploration and commitment. Whereas ethnic identity exploration was found to exacerbate the influence of daily discrimination …

Exploring The Role Of Attachment Style In The Relation Between Family Aggression And Abuse In Adolescent Dating Relationships, John H. Grych, Kristen M. Kinsfogel

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated romantic attachment style as a potential moderator of the link between family aggression and dating aggression, and examined its relations with documented mediators of the impact of interparental conflict on dating behavior: attitudes about the justifiability of aggression and anger regulation. Participants were 391 ethnically diverse 14-to 18-year-olds (52% female). Attachment style was a significant moderator for boys and girls, but the pattern of results differed by gender. In general, attachment anxiety was a more consistent predictor than avoidance of boys’ dating aggression, cognitions, and emotions, whereas anxiety and avoidance both acted as significant moderators for girls. …

Prediction Of Cognitive Decline In Healthy Older Adults Using Fmri, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Kristy A. Nielson, J Carson Smith, Piero Antuono, Sally Durgerian, Leslie Guidotti, Qi Zhang, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Few studies have examined the extent to which structural and functional MRI, alone and in combination with genetic biomarkers, can predict future cognitive decline in asymptomatic elders. This prospective study evaluated individual and combined contributions of demographic information, genetic risk, hippocampal volume, and fMRI activation for predicting cognitive decline after an 18-month retest interval. Standardized neuropsychological testing, an fMRI semantic memory task (famous name discrimination), and structural MRI (sMRI) were performed on 78 healthy elders (73% female; mean age = 73 years, range = 65 to 88 years). Positive family history of dementia and presence of one or both apolipoprotein …

Modulating Emotion To Understand Prosocial Behavior, Nakia S. Gordon

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Reviews the book, Prosocial motives, emotions, and behavior: The better angels of our nature edited by Mario Mikulincer and Phillip R. Shaver

This book serves as a well-organized primer for anyone interested in factors governing prosocial behaviors. Importantly, it also highlights why behaving prosocially is beneficial not only to the recipient but also to the provider, even when that deed is as simple as forgiveness. The broad goal of this book is to integrate what is known about prosocial behavior. The editors do a magnificent job making this edited work tell a cohesive story. In sum, this book does more …

The Effect Of Victim Status And System Threat On Rape Myth Acceptance, Kristine M. Chapleau

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study examined how rape myths are used to protect the perpetrator, particularly high-status perpetrators. Participants read a date-rape scenario. The status of the victim and perpetrator were manipulated as well as the threat the victim posed to the perpetrator as depicted by whom the victim would tell about the rape. Participants with a strong system justification orientation reported lower rape myth acceptance when a low-status victim decided to tell no one about a high-status perpetrator raping her compared to when she decided to report him to the police. This suggests that rape myth acceptance is malleable and that the …

Normal And Abnormal Personality Traits Are Associated With Marital Satisfaction For Both Men And Women: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Model Analysis, Catherine B. Stroud, C. Emily Durbin, Seema D. Saigal, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Research has demonstrated associations between relationship satisfaction and personality traits. Using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model, we explored associations between self-reported relationship satisfaction in couples (n = 118) and various measures of normal and abnormal personality, including higher-order dimensions of PE/Extraversion, NE/Neuroticism, Constraint (CON), and their lower-order facets. We also examined gender differences and moderators of associations. Consistent with the Vulnerability Stress Adaptation Model, self- and partner-reported NE and PE were related to satisfaction, and their lower-order traits demonstrated differential associations with satisfaction. Further, abnormal personality traits specific to the interpersonal domain and personality disorder symptoms demonstrated effects. Relationship …

Interactive Effects Of Physical Activity And Apoe-Ε4 On Bold Semantic Memory Activation In Healthy Elders, J. Carson Smith, Kristy A. Nielson, John L. Woodard, Michael Seidenberg, Sally Durgerian, Piero Antuono, Alissa Butts, Nathan Hantke, Melissa A. Lancaster, Stephen M. Rao

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) is associated with the maintenance of cognitive function across the lifespan. In contrast, the apolipoproteinE-ε4 (APOE-ε4) allele, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with impaired cognitive function. The objective of this study was to examine the interactive effects of PA and APOE-ε4 on brain activation during memory processing in older (ages 65–85) cognitively intact adults. A cross-sectional design was used with four groups (n = 17 each): (1) Low Risk/Low PA; (2) Low Risk/High PA; (3) High Risk/Low PA; and (4) High Risk/High PA. PA level was based on …

Neural Dedifferentiation In Relation To Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Nathan C. Hantke

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research indicates that as an individual's age increases, the task-related spatial extent of neural activation increases. This decrease in neural specificity, or dedifferentiation, is often demonstrated by older adults during challenging cognitive tasks. Cognitively intact individuals at-risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), as deemed by having an apolipoprotein-E ε4 allele or a family history of AD, demonstrate increased fMRI activation as compared to individuals at lower risk. Using a low effort, high accuracy event-related semantic memory task involving the presentation of famous and non-famous names, we examined spatial neural specificity through a measure of dedifferentiation using …

Functional Resting State Connectivity In Individuals At-Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Alissa M. Butts

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have examined the connectivity between the hippocampus (HIPP) and the posterior cingulate (PC) in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and younger individuals at risk for AD. The present study aimed to examine the functional connectivity between these two memory structures and targets of AD neurodegeneration in cognitively intact elders at risk for AD (positive for ApolipoE protein (ε4) and family history of dementia), MCI, and healthy controls. Seeds and regions of interest were defined in the bilateral hippocampus and posterior cingulate, and the time courses were cross-correlated to generate …

The Influence Of Family Factors On Neuropsychological Outcome In A Clinical Sample Of Preschool Children, Kara Leiser

Dissertations (1934 -)

Children impacted by neurological insult or disorder are at risk for impaired neuropsychological functioning; however, there is substantial variation in outcome, with many affected children doing very well. The factors that explain the variation in outcome in children with compromised neurological functioning are poorly understood. The present study examined the nature of relationships among family factors, including primary caregivers' appraisals of stress (i.e., primary caregivers' injury/medical condition-related stress, parenting stress, psychological distress, and relationship quality) and the primary caregiver-child relationship, and neuropsychological outcomes (i.e., intellectual functioning; language skills; adaptive, socio-emotional, and behavioral functioning). A clinical sample of 72 preschool children …

Neuropsychological Functioning And Attrition Rates In Outpatient Substance Dependence Treatment, Sandra M. Adams

Dissertations (1934 -)

Numerous neuropsychological factors have been associated with substance dependence, however, very few studies have evaluated the relationship of the neuropsychological functioning and attrition rates in substance dependence treatment. This study examined the relationship of neuropsychological functioning and attrition rates in 68 homeless, substance dependent men participating in outpatient treatment at the 7C's Community Counseling Clinic located in the Guesthouse of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A neuropsychological battery including the Delis Kaplan Executive Functioning System, the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) and the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading was given to all participants to evaluate neuropsychological …

Assessment Of Life Satisfaction In Apostolic Women Religious: The Development Of A New Instrument, Maria Clara Kreis

Dissertations (1934 -)

The trend in today's U.S. society is one of decreased membership within traditional civic/faith organizations and in particular within women's religious organizations. Women religious are known particularly for their historic contribution to the U.S. social capital (Ebaugh et al., 1996; Nygren & Ukeritis, 1993; Weakland, 1994). Thus, there is a need to study the motivational factors and life satisfaction levels across different generations of apostolic women religious within the Roman Catholic Church.

The purpose of the current study was to (a) develop an instrument specifically designed to assess the life satisfaction levels of the various generations of women religious, (b) …

Adolescent Triangulation Into Parental Conflicts: Longitudinal Implications For Appraisals And Adolescent-Parent Relations, Gregory M. Fosco, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Although triangulation into parental conflict is a risk factor for child and adolescent maladjustment, little is known about how triangulation affects adolescents’ functioning or the factors that lead children to be drawn into parental disagreements. This prospective study examined the relations between triangulation, appraisals of conflict, and parent-child relations in a sample of 171 adolescents, ages 14 to 19 years, at 2 time points. Cross-lagged path analyses revealed that youths who experienced greater threat in response to conflict reported increases in triangulation over time, and triangulation was associated with increased self-blame and diminished parent-adolescent relations. This study highlights links between …

Predicting Levels Of Latino Depression: Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, And Coping, Lucas Torres

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Past research has noted that aspects of living in the United States place Latinos at risk for experiencing psychological problems. However, the specific features of the adaptation process that contribute to depression remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ability of acculturation, acculturative stress, and coping to predict membership into low, medium, and high groups of depression among Latinos. Within a group of 148 Latino adults from the community, a multinomial logistic regression revealed that an Anglo orientation, English competency pressures, and active coping differentiated high from low depression and that a Latino orientation and, …

Common Neural Systems Associated With The Recognition Of Famous Faces And Names: An Event-Related Fmri Study, Kristy A. Nielson, Michael Seidenberg, John L. Woodard, Sally Durgerian, Qi Zhang, William L. Gross, Amelia Gander, Leslie Guidotti, Piero Antuono, Stephen M. Rao

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Person recognition can be accomplished through several modalities (face, name, voice). Lesion, neurophysiology and neuroimaging studies have been conducted in an attempt to determine the similarities and differences in the neural networks associated with person identity via different modality inputs. The current study used event-related functional-MRI in 17 healthy participants to directly compare activation in response to randomly presented famous and non-famous names and faces (25 stimuli in each of the four categories). Findings indicated distinct areas of activation that differed for faces and names in regions typically associated with pre-semantic perceptual processes. In contrast, overlapping brain regions were activated …

Predictors Of Retention In Physical Therapy: Client-, Disease-, And Treatment-Related Factors, Marc A. Silva

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study are to (1) document the incidence of veterans who prematurely terminate physical therapy before medically indicated, and (2) identify reliable predictors of treatment retention and attrition. The potential benefit of this study is the identification of reliable variables that predict who is at risk for terminating physical therapy prematurely, which may lead to targeted interventions designed to increase treatment retention. RESEARCH DESIGN: This study will be a retrospective design involving a review of medical records of veterans receiving referral to physical therapy. METHODOLOGY: Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) will be used to examine the effects …

The Impact Of Increased Treatment Intensity On A Parent And Child Therapy Program, Jennifer M. Carrasco

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

While the literature suggests that the leading parent child therapy (PCT) programs effectively change parental behaviors, improve young children’s behavior problems, and stop the cycle of escalation and chronicity, it appears that treatment programs for behavior problems are not universally effective for those seeking treatment and may not meet the individual needs of all children and their families. Despite findings that treatment intensity predicts positive treatment outcomes (Medalia & Richardson, 2005) there is dearth of studies that examine treatment intensity in the context of PCT. To date, the role of treatment intensity in PCT programs is not known and the …

Training Students To Do In-Home Behavioral Therapy With Toddlers From Low-Income Families, Ryan Mattek

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

The purpose of this project was to develop an internship training program that offered in-home therapy for young children with significant emotional and behavior problems. The children lived in single-parent, low-income homes in unsafe neighborhoods of a large, urban area. A year-long, training and supervision program was implemented with ten second-year, graduate students enrolled in five different university programs that prepared mental health professionals. Students received specialized instruction in working with diverse families living in poverty and in an evidence-based treatment program. They initially observed veteran counselors implementing the treatment program in homes and gradually assumed responsibility for conducting sessions …

Traumatic Brain Injury Screening In Correctional Populations, Abigail A. Bernett

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

A small but growing body of research looking at the implications of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in correctional populations exists, and it suggests that TBI is a significant problem with serious implications. It appears that the rate of TBI in correctional populations may be significantly higher than that in the general population, and the experience of TBI may contribute to future criminality, violent behavior, poorer mental health, and poor institutional adjustment. However, the absence of a standardized methodology for screening for TBI limits the ability to generalize from the current research. What is needed for researching TBI in correctional populations …

Latino Family Variables And Sexual Activity In Latino Adolescents, Brittany Nicole Barber

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

Researchers’ focused examination of Latino adolescents’ cultural values and sexual activity has yielded questions regarding the cultural- and gender-specific attitudes and practices of these youth (Deardorff, Tschann, & Flores, 2008). Cultural values include family-related variables such as different aspects of familism, parent-adolescent communication, and parental monitoring, which have been found to decrease adolescents’ engagement in other negative activities such as aggressive behavior, (Dishion & McMahon, 1998), substance use (Estrada, Rabow, & Watts, 1982), and delinquency (Clark & Shields, 1997). Research investigating these risk behaviors has often implicated Latino adolescents’ level of assimilation to White, mainstream society as a potential risk …

Cultural Influences On Sexual Activity Among Latina Adolescents, Keyona M. Jarrett

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

Early sexual activity among Latina adolescents has serious consequences (Chesson, Blandford, Gift, Tao, & Irwin, 2004; Mokdad, Marks, Stroup, & Gerberding, 2004; Schuster, 2003). Researchers have examined the influence of cultural variables such as assimilation, enculturation, gender roles, and ethnic identity on the sexual attitudes and behaviors of Latina adolescents (Benson & Torpy, 1995; Gómez & Marín, 1996; Jacobs, 2008; Kirby, 2002). Although there are some inconsistencies, the majority of the research in this area suggests that assimilation functions as a risk factor for engaging in sexual activity. Enculturation, gender roles (e.g., marianismo), and ethnic identity function as protective factors …

Language Outcome After Left Anterior Temporal Lobectomy In Patients With Discordant Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging And Intracarotid Sodium Amobarbital Testing Results, Julie K. Janecek

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Research Exchange Conference

Language Outcome after Left Temporal Anterior Lobectomy in Patients with Discordant Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Intracarotid Sodium Amobarbital Testing Results Rationale: Previous research has examined concordance rates between Wada and fMRI language lateralization indices (LIs) and has yielded variable results with limited post-surgical language outcome data. Therefore, additional evidence of the concurrent and predictive validity of fMRI LIs is needed. We will calculate Wada/fMRI LI concordance rates in the largest sample to date, investigate predictors of discordance and examine the ability of each procedure to predict language outcome in discordant cases. Methods: A consecutive series of 229 presurgical epilepsy …