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Attrition In Behavioral Parent Training Programs In Clinical And Community Settings: A Meta-Analytic Review, Brett C. Michael

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

It is estimated that approximately 16-20% of youth will develop a diagnosable behavior disorder. Behavioral parent training is a valuable approach to address disruptive behaviors by teaching parents how to effectively manage their child’s challenging behavior with non-physical disciplinary techniques. While these programs are generally effective, attrition rates have been found to be as high as 60% in some cases. This review provides information about the characteristics commonly associated with these programs, the attrition rates of each program, and the general effectiveness of the programs. Meta-analytic procedures were implemented to identify contributing factors leading to withdrawal from intervention.

Keywords: …

The Effects Of Tact-To-Mand Transfer Procedures And Prompting Procedures For Increasing Independent Mands In A Child With Autism, Melissa C. Perdomo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined tact-to-mand transfer procedures and prompting procedures on a child diagnosed with autism. There was one participant, a 3-year-old Hispanic male, with a limited manding repertoire whom also possessed knowledge of tacting items. A multiple baseline design across settings was implemented in order to increase the number of mands emitted by the participant. Data were collected using paper and pen recording by the researcher and another observer to provide interobserver agreement. Mastery probes were collected at one week, two weeks, and four weeks. Results indicated that transfer procedures may be helpful in generalizing manding for a child …

Agricultural Adaptation To Climate Change: How Risk Influences Decision-Making, Brandon Araujo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is currently threatening the livelihoods of farmers in developing countries. Psychological models have been developed to identify factors associated with adapting to climate change; however, little work has investigated the role of farmers’ risk attitudes in these models. We assessed perceptions of adaptation cost and adaptation intentions for five drought- specific adaptive behaviors among 550 farmers from 12 villages in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, as well as their attitudes toward risk. Results suggest that perceived adaptation cost and risk attitude are negatively associated with adaptation intentions. The conditional effect of adaptation cost on adaptation intention as …

Ptsd’S True Color; Examining The Effect Of A Short-Term Coloring Intervention On The Stress, Anxiety And Working Memory Of Veterans With Ptsd., Jourdan A. Rodak

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to explore the effect a coloring condition had on minimizing anxiety and stress experienced daily by veterans. The effect that coloring had on working memory was also explored.

A sample of 24 armed forces veterans were split into two coloring conditions, a mandala and a free draw condition, and asked to complete the Primary Care PTSD Screen, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Brief State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Working memory scores were established via a Backward Digit Recall task; pre-and posttest scores were evaluated for significant differences.

Our research suggests the act of coloring, …

Attrition From School-Based Behavioral Parent Training Programs A Meta-Analytic Review, Dominique Levert

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, very little is understood regarding the effectiveness of school-based Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) programs or associated attrition rates. The goal of the current study is to examine the effectiveness of school-based BPT programs, associated attrition rates, and possible moderator variables related to attrition. Searches within the databases EBSCOhost were conducted to find BPT programs located at schools as well as the associated attrition rates for each individual study. Mean associated attrition rates were calculated using the software Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. The mean weighted attrition rate across all trials of school-based studies was 42.2%. Significant moderators were also found to increase …

Can Coloring Reduce Stress And Increase Working Memory In The Elderly?, Alexus Lepere

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores whether the observed effects of coloring on anxiety and stress apply to the elderly. Two coloring activities were administered to elderly participants to evaluate the effects on stress, anxiety, and working memory. The Mini Mental State Examination was used to establish cognitive level. The Perceived Stress Scale and Brief State Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to obtain pretest and posttest scores on stress and anxiety levels. Working memory was measured using the Backward Digit Recall to test if the potential calming effects improve working memory. A near significant increase in stress scores was demonstrated in the mandala …

Testing A Communal Goal Affordance Intervention For Increasing Women's S.T.E.M. Motivation, Dominic George Mercurio Iv

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current research aims to integrate previous research on the host of negative consequences associated with women’s experience of stereotype threat in a science context. Using an expectancy-value framework, the current research explores potential indirect effects of a communal goal affordance intervention on science motivation, via stereotype threat, state anxiety, communal goal affordances, and belonging in science. Building upon the previous literature, the current research attempts to link stereotype threat to science motivation via communal goal affordances and state anxiety’s effect on belonging in science. Additionally, the current research attempts to illustrate the efficacy of a communal goal affordance intervention …

Mother-Child Planning: Microgenetic Changes In Maternal Instruction Behaviors As A Function Of Task Goals, Candance Wise Gilberstadt

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study examined microgenetic changes in mother-child behaviors while they collaborated on a cognitive task that involved planning shopping routes around a table model of a grocery store across 4 trials. Sixty- eight mother-child dyads were randomly assigned to two conditions in which the goals of the task differed. In the experimental condition (n = 32) mothers were encouraged to help their child prepare for a solitary posttest and the dyad was informed they would be timed. In the control condition (n = 36), dyads were simply asked to work together. Research suggests that maternal instruction is most effective …

Prosociality And Risk: How Risky Decision-Making In Young Adults Relates To Altruistic Tendencies, Empathic Concern, And Prosocial Peer Affiliation, Sarah J. Beard

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence involves an increase in risky decisions, such as reckless driving and illicit substance use, but prosocial characteristics and peer affiliation have yet to be investigated as protective factors. The present study assessed altruistic tendencies, prosocial peer affiliation (PPA), and empathic concern as predictors and moderators of risk-taking, including both self-reported health risks and riskiness in a behavioral task. Young adults from ages 20 to 25 (M = 22.55, SD = 1.38) completed a battery of behavioral tasks (including the Balloon Analogue Risk Task and the Dictator Game) and questionnaires on Amazon MTurk, measuring risk-taking (drunk driving, texting while …

The Effects Of Ego Depletion And Emotional Intelligence On Risk-Taking, Travis Bishop

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ego depletion theory postulates that the ability to exert self-control depends upon the availability of a limited mental resource. In this experiment, we investigated the effects of ego depletion on risky decision-making. We also examined the moderating effect emotional intelligence may have on this relationship. First, participants completed a trait emotional intelligence questionnaire and a self-control task. This was followed by a mood questionnaire and a series of risky-decision scenarios. Results showed (1) participants who were depleted made more risky decisions than non-depleted participants, (2) no differences in perceived task effort between groups, (3) no evidence of a moderating effect …

Loneliness And Student Health: Replication And Exploratory Analysis, John Copeland

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Loneliness occurs in the absence of belonging or social connectedness and has been linked to many physical and mental health problems. Among these conditions are depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and stress. College students report these four conditions as the largest barriers to good academic performance. For as much is known about loneliness, much less is known about belonging and health or the role loneliness plays in these relationships prompting a need for investigation. Using a sample of 301 university students, we replicated previous findings that loneliness predicts depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and stress. Next we replicated and contributed new findings …

Sentence Recall In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Brett Wallace

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an age-shift in neurotypical children: younger children tend to remember information in a verbatim manner so they store item-specific surface characteristics; between nine and ten children engage in gist recall where they store meanings of presented information. The aim of the present study was to explore false memory in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as some research suggests that they develop gist recall at a later age than neurotypical children. We are also interested in the role of working memory.

One approach to understanding false memory creation is activation-monitoring (AM) theory. Working memory can play a role …

Thinking About How You Feel: The Relationship Between Cognitive Variables In The Context Of Depressive Symptoms, John C. Horton

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by multiple symptoms such as psychomotor retardation, sleep disturbances, and cognitive deficits in decision making. The current study explores the relationships between cognitive variables and depressive symptomology and seeks to determine what predictive relationships exist between these constructs and if items from these constructs can accurately classify depressed persons. A normal sample of N = 116 participants were administered the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) as well as the Adult Hope Scale (ADH; Snyder et al., 1991), the Index of Autonomous Functioning(IAF; Weinstein, Przybylski, & Ryan, 2012), the …

Seft-Monitoring And Attitude Polarization: Individual Differences In The Role Of Belief Consistency And Belief Confidence In The Mere-Thought Effect, Rosanna Rodriguez

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The mere thought effect is the tendency for favorable attitudes to become more favorable and unfavorable attitudes to become more unfavorable following thought (Tesser, 1978). Changes in belief-consistency and belief-confidence mediate this effect (Tesser, Martin, & Mendolia, 1995). However, there are self-monitoring differences in the extent to which people are driven by consistency in their beliefs (Fuglestad & Snyder, 2009; Snyder, 1974). It was predicted that mere-thought and self-monitoring will interactively influence attitude polarization. We also hypothesized that the interactive effects of mere-thought and self-monitoring on attitude polarization will be mediated by belief-consistency and belief-confidence. After indicating their initial attitudes …

Pain And Principle: The Effects Of Nociceptive Stimuli On Moral Decision Making, Tyler Robinson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As both a Working Memory (WM) task and as a more integrated reasoning process, moral decision making appears susceptible to interference by nociceptive stimuli. Differentiation, however, between conflicting occupation of WM resources and the influence of pain-induced autonomic activation as potential pathways of interaction represents a considerably more difficult task than simple measurement of WM performance. To clarify the basis of any noted effects, this study recorded both self-report pain intensity and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) as a separate measure of autonomic activation under a cold pressor task using a sample of 122 undergraduate participants. Recorded pain and physiological data …

My Own Worst Enemy: Exploring Factors That Predict Self-Harm, Matthew Allen Loesch

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current research on factors predicting self-harm focus on disparate factors and may not be able to comprehensively explain the mechanisms causing self-harm. The aim of the current study was to examine factors that may be related yet independently predict self-harm. Factors discussed include rumination, self-criticism, and working memory. A binary logistic regression found that the only factor that predicted the presence of self-harming behavior was a high level of self-criticism. Further, a Classification and Regression Tree found that the single strongest predictor of self-harming behavior was a belief that love needs to be continually earned from others. Our findings have …

The Relationship Between Illness Representations, Avoidant Coping, And Health Outcomes In People With Ongoing Symptoms Of Chronic Illness, Emily A. Bell

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Illness representations play an important role in the way people with chronic illness manage symptoms and view their overall health. Those suffering from functional somatic syndromes as well as conventional diagnoses seek information and meaning about their health threats in order to make appraisals concerning health outcomes. The primary interest of this study was to determine whether illness representations predict coping strategies which in turn influence general health outcomes. Data was collected from a series of four online surveys that measured an individual’s illness representations (IPQ-R), coping responses (Brief COPE), and health outcomes (RAND-36). The sample included 204 participants (169 …

Parental Self-Efficacy: Development Of A Measure To Reduce Children’S Contaminant Exposure, Lauren James

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Indoor environmental contaminants (ECs) such as lead, mold, mercury, radon, and bisphenol A (BPA) are prevalent in American homes and have dire consequences to children’s development, especially for children under six. To optimize the efficacy of programs aiming to prevent exposure to ECs, it is necessary to investigate parental factors that influence behavioral change. Parental self-efficacy is one such psychological construct which could help explain why and for whom an intervention is effective. The current study presents a measure developed to assess parental self-efficacy for preventing children from being exposed to ECs, the Parental Self-efficacy for Contaminant Exposure Prevention (PS-CEP). …

Adapting To Water Scarcity: Effects Of Irrigation Management, Andrew Provenzano

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In developing countries, farmers are dealing with climatic changes by adapting their agricultural practices. Little work has investigated the direct impact of structural variables (e.g., central vs. local management of irrigation water, location of village), psychological variables (e.g., risk perceptions, self-efficacy), and adaptation on crop yield. We tested a psychology-based model that focused on risk perceptions and efficacy beliefs by longitudinally surveying 278 Sri Lankan rice farmers. We assessed risk perceptions and efficacy beliefs before the major paddy-growing season and measured whether farmers performed adaptations as well as their paddy yield/acre after the season. The model significantly predicted more than …

The Role Of Neurotensin Receptors On Visceral Pain And Activity Levels In Mice., Christopher J. Walker

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of neurotensin (NT) receptor sites on the sensation of visceral pain. Previous work by researchers has found, through the use of NT analogs, that visceral pain is closely associated with NT receptor 2 (NTSR2). This study tested 70 genetically modified mice. The mice were either missing NTSR1, NTSR2, or were wild-type (WT) mice that were not missing any NT receptors. The mice were injected intraperitoneally with either saline or acetic acid then observed for a 60 minute period and writhing behavior was recorded. Twenty four hours later activity levels were recorded in the open field …

Is What Is Past Always Prologue? Priming To Past Conflicts And Fear Of Terrorism Influence Americans’ Support For Military Intervention In Syria, Daniel Walter Snook Ii

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Implicit knowledge influences decision-making in a variety of areas, including conflict resolution and decisions about war. Individuals may unknowingly apply implicit knowledge from past experiences to present experiences, even if that information leads to less accurate decisions in the present experience. The current study is an exploration into how implicit knowledge of past international conflicts and fear of terrorism affects recommendations for military conflict resolution in current international conflicts. Priming is one way to make implicit knowledge salient, and participants in this study were implicitly primed to think of either the Iraq War, World War II, or no war in …

Taking The Victim Out Of Sexual Assault: The Effect Of Self-Compassion On Sexual Assault Survivors, Stephanie Cazeau

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-compassion is defined as the ability to treat oneself kindly following perceived failures and/or painful events; this construct is characterized by three components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness (Neff, 2003). Although some people may naturally be more self-compassionate than others, previous self-compassion manipulations have shown that self-compassion is a mindset that can be taught. Several short-term self-compassion inductions have been published (Adams & Leary, 2007; Breines & Chen, 2012; Leary, Tate, Adams, Allen, & Hancock, 2007) showing that such inductions lead to more positive emotional and behavioral outcomes. The purpose of this research study was to determine whether a short …

The Effect Of Music Familiarity On Driving: A Simulated Study Of The Impact Of Music Familiarity Under Different Driving Conditions, Zachary N. Jimison

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Music is one of the most popular activities while driving. Previous research on music while driving has been mixed, with some researchers finding music to be a distractor and some research finding music to be facilitative to driving performance. The current study was designed to determine if familiarity with the music might explain the difference found between self-selected and experimenter-selected music, and whether the difficulty of the driving conditions affected music’s relationship to driving performance. One hundred and sixty-five University students participated in a driving simulation both with music and without music. Under the “with music” condition, participants were randomly …

Examining The Relationships Among Working Memory, Creativity, And Intelligence, Elizabeth M. Southard

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study we investigated the relationships among working memory, creativity (measured as divergent thinking and creative achievement) and nonverbal intelligence. Furthermore, this study examined the roles of working memory and intelligence in the creative process. In order to examine this, participants were evaluated using a variety of cognitive tasks that included the Alternative Uses Test, the Consequences Task, the Creative Achievement Questionnaire, the Alloway Working Memory Assessment, and the matrix test from the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. The results of this study indicate that verbal working memory was related to divergent thinking over and beyond intelligence and creative …

Effectiveness Of Early Interventions For Children And Adolescents Exposed To Potentially Traumatic Events, Angela Grove

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this analysis was to present a systematic review of the effectiveness of child and adolescent PTSD early intervention programs implemented within 3 months following a potentially traumatic event (PTE). The mean weighted effect sizes of the early interventions were calculated, and study variables were encoded for potential moderator variables. A statistically significant mean weighted effect size of -.26 was calculated at final follow up measures, indicating that children receiving early interventions reported lower scores on PTSD outcome measures. The individual studies’ effect sizes at follow-up showed mixed results, thus CBT-based interventions were used as a moderator variable …

Success And Failure Of Experts And Novices In A Complex And Dynamic Business Simulation, Hannah Edelstein

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the problem solving behaviors of novices and experts in a complex computer simulation. Dynamic decision-making and complex problem solving abilities were analyzed to investigate if experts are the most successful of all participants when simulating the role of CEO of a chocolate factory, CHOCO FINE. Participants included novices, business undergraduate students and psychology undergraduate students, and experts, small business owners. Results revealed that small business owners engaged in the most successful dynamic decision-making strategies. Experts compared to novices had more total monies at the end of the simulation, spent more time in the first two months …

The Influence Of Levels Of Processing On Spanish-English Bilingual False Memory, Hanna I. Giraldo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study we investigated the role of semantic-processing on memory for Spanish-English bilinguals using the DRM paradigm (Deese, 1959; Roediger & McDermott, 1995), a procedure commonly used to elicit false memories. Participants were tested in within-language (i.e., encoding language and recall language match) and across-language (i.e., encoding language and recall language mismatch). The results indicated higher levels of recall for semantic processing in all conditions, however at the cost of higher thematically-related intrusions. These findings are consistent with the “more is less” pattern (Toglia, Neuschatz, & Goodwin, 1999), wherein greater correct recall is accompanied by greater false recall. In …

Social Connectedness And The Quality Of Life In Chronically Ill Patients, Inna Kleynshteyn

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social connectedness, feelings of belonging and closeness with the social world, has been identified as an important aspect for the physical, emotional, and collective well-being. People faced with chronic illness may feel like they no longer belong, and this lack of connectedness may have a negative impact on health, well-being, and psychological functioning. The present study investigated social connectedness and quality of life in 151 patients with ongoing symptoms of chronic illness. It was hypothesized that lower levels of social connectedness would be associated with poorer health-related quality of life and more depression. Participants (N =151, 85.4% women, Mage = …

Under Pressure : Self-Compassion As A Predictor Of Task Performance And Persistence, Allison Landgraf

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-compassion is a characteristic composed of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness that promotes adaptive cognitive, behavioral, and emotional processing. A self-compassionate mindset in the face of difficulties can lead to less anxiety and more self-forgiveness, and because of these benefits, some evidence suggests self-compassionate individuals tend to persist longer on a task after an initial failure. This study focuses on the extent to which self-compassion can improve task performance and persistence under pressure. Participants first completed the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003a) to measure trait levels of self-compassion. Self-compassion was then induced by leading participants to think about a mistake in …

Do Military Personnel Feel Excluded And Ignored In Post-Secondary Education, Clark Ryan-Gonzalez

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study was conducted to investigate whether returning veterans feel ostracized (excluded and ignored) and if they experience its immediate negative impact (reflexive pain response and thwarted basic needs) on university campuses. Additionally, this study was designed to investigate veteran students’ feelings of perceived burdensomeness, and three caveats of student engagement: student faculty engagement, community-based activities, and transformational learning opportunities. Participants in the study were 118 civilian and veteran students at the University of North Florida. All data were collected through a world wide web surveying program that allowed each participant to respond on computers from any location. Both …