Digital Commons Network^™

The Association Between Symptoms Of Adhd And Alcohol Use And Related Consequences In College Students: Social And Environmental Protective And Risk Factors As Moderators Of This Relation, Cameron Shepard Massey

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use, while common in college student populations, can bring about significant mental health and educational problems that have negative consequences (Harris et al., 2017; White & Hingson, 2013). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can also result in significant impairment in academic settings (Kuriyan et al., 2012; Blase et al., 2009, Barbaresi et al., 2007), and those with ADHD often show increased rates of alcohol consumption and related problems, which can greatly increase the risk for students to struggle in college (Barbaresi et al., 2013; Baker et al., 2012). Examining the impact that specific risk and protective factors play in this relation …

Supporting Our Heroes: The Need For A Community Of A Community Of Practice Dedicated To The Support Of Military-Connected Families Living In The Southeastern United States, Ashley Gwyneth Monier

Theses and Dissertations

Military families face unique challenges that many civilian families may not be familiar with, to include frequent geographical relocations and extended periods of separation due to military deployments. This study aims to identify the resources available to military families and identify gaps in services and programming to highlight the need for a Community of Practice dedicated to addressing issues that impact our all-volunteer force in the southeastern United States. Furthermore, this study aims to give a voice to the military community regarding the unique difficulties that are commonplace within the military life, to include regular mandated geographical relocations and extended …

The Effects Of Mental Health Literacy And Perceived Social Support On Mental Health Stigma Across Racial And Ethnic Groups In The United States: A Survey-Based Analysis, Isabel R. Jordan, Dan Cooper, Jayxa Alonzo

Senior Theses

The goals of this study were to determine a) whether minoritized groups in the United States had lower levels of mental health literacy (MHL) and higher levels of stigma, b) whether people with higher rates of MHL and social support had lower rates of stigma and c) whether MHL and perceived social support were stronger predictors of stigma levels depending on racial group membership. I hypothesized that people with both high levels of MHL and high levels of social support would have lower levels of mental health stigma, minoritized groups would have lower levels of MHL and social support and …

The Influence Of Tiktok And Social Media On Body Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating Behavior In College-Aged Women, Ariana R. Faraci

Senior Theses

This thesis aims to evaluate the impact of social media, especially TikTok, on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior in college-aged women. Previous research established connections between increased social media usage and body dissatisfaction and between the type of content viewed on social media and body dissatisfaction. In addition, several studies showed a connection between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior. To investigate the impact of social media on body image and body dissatisfaction in college-aged women at the University of South Carolina, I collected data using a self-report survey that asked participants questions about which social media platforms they …

The Effect Of Model Size On The Root Mean Square Error Of Approximation (Rmsea): The Nonnormal Case, Yunhang Yin

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the effect of model size on the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) under nonnormal data. We considered three methods for computing the sample RMSEA and the associated confidence intervals (i.e., the normal theory method [Browne & Cudeck, 1993], the BSL method [Brosseau-Liard, Savalei & Li, 2012], and the Lai method [Lai, 2020]). The performance of the three methods was compared across various model sizes, sample sizes, levels of misspecification, and levels of nonnormality. Results indicated that the normal theory RMSEA should not be used under nonnormal data unless the model size is very …

Piloting Brief, Just-In-Time Training Videos For Mentors: Expanding And Strengthening Motivational Interviewing For Youth, Mackenzie J. Hart

Theses and Dissertations

Having paraprofessional providers, such as youth mentors, deliver evidence-based services, has been posited to increase the reach of youth services given the affordability and ubiquity of mentors in school settings. Further, examinations of mentor-delivered Motivational Interviewing (MI) have shown promise in increasing youth mentees’ academic performance and wellbeing. Yet, traditional methods used for training mentors to use MI effectively and sustainably can be costly and time-consuming processes. Previous work has suggested the value of asynchronous, brief, just-in-time trainings (JITTs) to help offset these challenges; however, MI JITTs for mentors have not yet been formally evaluated. As such, the present study …

Neural Correlates Of Audiovisual Integration, Jonathan Conrady

Theses and Dissertations

Successfully integrating multiple streams of information is paired with a variety of behavioral enhancements. Multisensory research over the past few decades has demonstrated the criticality of spatial proximity and stimulus effectiveness. Here, we focused on the temporal aspects and underlying neural activity of frequency-varying, audiovisual stimuli using scalp recorded electroencephalography (EEG). Our set of stimuli was particularly chosen because humans are most sensitive to the auditory sound and visual spatial frequencies that make up speech. Recent work has shown that audiovisual integration effects of low-level, simple stimuli are largest when both modalities fall within, compared to outside of, their respective …

Understanding The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Borderline Features And Deliberate Self-Harm Behaviors Among College Students: The Mediating Roles Of Emotion Regulation And Interpersonal Functioning, Sydney Mari Levine

Theses and Dissertations

Research has established ACEs as significant predictors of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in both clinical and community populations. Further, adults meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) are nearly 14 times more likely to report childhood adversity. No previous studies have examined the critical roles of emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning as mediating mechanisms in these relations. Thus, the current study explored the mechanism by which ACEs affect borderline personality features (BPF) or deliberate self-harm through emotion regulation and interpersonal functioning in a sample of emerging adult college students. Participants (N = 2,255, M age = 19.25) included college students from …

Neural Mechanisms Of Lexical Semantics: Investigating The Roles Of Hubs And Distributed Action-Perception Systems, Nicholas Andrew Riccardi

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the meaning of words and concepts is vital for communication, forming relationships, and navigating everyday life. Loss of this knowledge through brain damage can have drastic consequences for one’s health and well-being. It is therefore important to learn how this information is organized anatomically in the brain. In this dissertation, I report a series of structural and functional neuroimaging studies in healthy adults and survivors of stroke seeking to understand how lexical semantics are represented. Specifically, I used a variety of tasks to examine the contributions of putative ‘hubs’ and distributed action-perception systems. Results indicated that damage or disruption …

Comorbid Adhd And Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease: Prevalence And Risk Factors, Sarah Bills

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic blood condition that places youth at increased risk for deficits in attention and executive functioning suggestive of increased rates of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). There is pronounced inconsistency in reported prevalence rates for attention deficits and ADHD diagnoses among youth with SCD, which is due in part to variability in methodology of previous studies. The primary aim of the present study is to use systematic screening to identify the prevalence of inattentive ADHD symptoms and ADHD diagnoses in a pediatric SCD population seen at a large hematology clinic. A secondary aim is …

An Examination Of Sustained Attention During Complex Multitasking Scenarios, Jonathan Cheshire Rann

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project examined the time-course of vigilance decrements that occur when operators perform demanding multitasking activities. For this aim, we conducted three experiments which implemented a novel paradigm we developed that measured performance during two sessions: a Single-Task session in which participants performed a go-no-go target detection task in the absence of any other task for approximately 12 minutes; and a Multi-Task session in which participants performed the detection task simultaneously with a driving-based tracking task for the same duration. A total of 183 participants from the University of South Carolina Department of Psychology took part in this study. …

The Effects Of Poly-Strengths On Psychological Wellbeing Amongst Young Adults With Childhood Poly-Victimization, Nakisa Asefnia

Theses and Dissertations

The field of trauma and victimization has undergone many evolutions in its efforts to conceptualize the impacts of victimization and more recently poly-victimization. Poly-victimization refers to the experiencing of multiple types of victimization over the lifespan. This has led to an ever-growing base of literature highlighting the many deleterious effects of these experiences on individuals’ wellbeing, and the factors which may make a person more vulnerable to victimization. However, a growing movement in the field aims to take a more strengths-based perspective that highlights the resilience of individuals, rather than risk factors, in the hopes of better understanding the factors …

An Exploration Of Racial Trauma And Protective Factors In Black Youth, Daria Chantal Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Black students’ experiences in school can vary due to racism and discrimination within and outside of the classroom, which can impact their academic progress and overall well-being. In this three-part study, the impact of discrimination is observed to determine if there is a long-term effect of these situations and, if so, determine if there is utility to implement school-based resources to decrease these negative effects. The first study examined whether ethnic-racial socialization in childhood could moderate against symptoms of trauma in young adulthood that were potentially caused by discrimination from peers and teachers in childhood through hierarchical regressions. The second …

Effects Of Parenting And Self-Efficacy On Diet, Family Mealtime And Weight-Related Outcomes In African American Adolescents, Haylee Michele Loncar

Theses and Dissertations

Despite substantial research and concern, adolescent overweight and obesity continues to be a significant public health problem. Theory based on developmental literature emphasizes the role of adolescent self-regulatory factors, like self-efficacy, in health behavior engagement and weight-related outcomes. There is also extensive literature that highlights parents’ role in promoting self-regulatory development through warm and responsive behaviors and practices. However, few studies have considered longitudinal associations and changes in weight-related outcomes over time, as well as moderated effects by parenting. This study assessed longitudinal associations between adolescent self-efficacy parenting factors and adolescent BMI, diet, and family mealtime to fill gaps in …

Feasibility Of A Parent-Focused, Stress Management Intervention To Decrease Adolescent Bmi, Reduce Stress, And Increase Well-Being Among African American Families, Colby J. Kipp

Theses and Dissertations

African American adolescents in the United States experience a higher prevalence of obesity as compared to their White counterparts. This health inequity presents a public health concern as consequences of weight-related chronic diseases often persist into adulthood and are increasingly problematic. As chronic stress has been found to be higher among African American youth compared to White adolescents, it presents as a potential barrier to participation for African American families in health promotion interventions. Additionally, it may be beneficial to target stress in health promotion programs as a modifiable factor in conjunction with health behaviors that may improve outcomes related …

Parent Facilitation Of Child Emotion Regulation In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aimee K. Rovane

Theses and Dissertations

Parents play a substantial role in their children's emotional regulation (ER) abilities, promoting both adaptive and maladaptive development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties regulating their emotions, manifesting in externalizing behavioral issues (Mazefsky & White 2014). Though there are many similarities to parents of typically developing (TD) children, parents of children with ASD facilitate their children's ER development (i.e., emotion socialization) in response to unique challenges, often developing resiliency but other times contributing to their children’s dysregulation and behavioral challenges. Using Morris et al.'s (2007) Tripartite Model of Family Impact of Children's Emotion Regulation and Adjustment as …

Socio-Emotional Resilience Among Older Adults During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Cindy J. Lahar, Angela L. Nadeau, Jayne Violette, Summer Roberts, Diana Reindl

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The detrimental impact of social isolation on health and well-being has been reported in older adults (Prohaska, et al., 2020). Yet findings also demonstrate that older adults have a motivational shift to prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and experiences (Carstensen, 1993; Sakaki, et al., 2019), prioritize emotional meaning in situations, focus on positive emotions and stimuli over negative feelings and live in the present rather than focus on future preparedness. Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) (Carstensen, 1993; Carstensen, Fung & Charles, 2003) suggests that older adults have a limited sense of time left in life and shift their focus to meaningful and …

Psychosocial Outcomes Of African American Traumatic Race-Based Stress, Zenith Lamb

Senior Theses

Most research into trauma-related mental health concerns has focused predominantly on European American participants, leading to many African American individuals receiving inaccurate diagnoses, if they are able to receive diagnoses at all. This project sought to help fill that gap by identifying clear definitions and examples of “racial trauma” and “race-based stress” - as defined during participation in a focus group interview by the collective experience-based responses of two undergraduate African American students at a predominantly White institution - and identifying symptoms of posttraumatic stress and dissociation - measured by an online survey distributed to the participants that included questions …

A Comparative Investigation Of Tonal Memory Improvements With Electronic And Vocal Pitch Stimulus Training, Grayson M. Fletcher

Senior Theses

The study described herein compares improvements in tonal memory for young adults (age 19- 22), specifically retention of pitches, between two groups (n1=8, n2=8) with nearly identical training programs. One group was provided electronic pitch stimuli for the training program, while the other group was given human vocal stimuli. Self-paced computerized training sessions were conducted in a soundproofed testing room and interposed between pre-test and post-test measurements. A pre-test—post-test randomized experimental design allowed for assessment of whether the training was effective for each group in addition to comparing effectiveness of training between groups. Analyses with demographic factors, particularly previous musical …

Girls Just Want To Be Safe: An Analysis Of Drugged Drinking And Prevention Amongst Students At The University Of South Carolina, C. Gray Forsberg

Senior Theses

Drink-spiking has become a well-known phenomenon since the turn of the century, especially on college campuses in the United States. Drink-spiking or drugging can be defined as “adding alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink without their knowledge or permission” (Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 2006). Drink-spiking is not just relevant to the concern of an illicit substance being placed into an alcoholic drink, but adding additional alcohol to drinks or adding alcohol or drugs to non-alcoholic drinks is considered drugging as well. This study collected data through a survey sent to 250 current students at the University of South Carolina regarding …

The Relation Between Adhd Symptoms And Life Satisfaction/Self-Esteem Among Youth: Family Structure And Parenting Practices As Moderators, Yvette Rother

Theses and Dissertations

Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be particularly vulnerable to lower life satisfaction and self-esteem, given negative perceptions about their abilities and self, as well as related impairments in academic, social, and interpersonal functioning. Family factors, such as family structure and parenting behaviors, can impact youth development and behaviors. However, it is unclear what role family factors play in the relation between ADHD symptoms and life satisfaction and self-esteem among youth. This study therefore examined whether ADHD symptoms have an impact on the life satisfaction and self-esteem of children and adolescents in grades 4-12. Moreover, it explored whether …

An Exploration Of The Social And Economic Factors That Influence The Mental Health Of Lgbtq College Students, Alexandria Mh Fossum

Senior Theses

LGBTQ individuals face a much higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders and mental health issues than their heterosexual, cisgender counterparts. The added academic pressures of college introduce a unique set of challenges that LGBTQ students face. This thesis includes a review of academic literature and data examining the intersections between social isolation, institutional discrimination, and financial insecurity and the effects they have on the mental health outcomes of LGBTQ college students. The paper is accompanied by a documentary consisting of a set of interviews of LGBTQ college students, giving a more personal insight into the multitude of factors that affect their …

Heroes Or Villains: Modern Rappers And Their Effect On Young Adult Males, Jared J. Mccabe

Senior Theses

This paper examines the role of modern-day rappers and how they affect the growing mental health crisis for young adult males. Recently, an “emo-rap” genre has emerged where vulnerability is common, and rappers share both their mental health struggles and experiences with drug use. The degree to which these artists have influenced their listeners is unclear, and perceptions of them are polarized. There are some who view them as villains who sponsor violence and drug use and others who view them as heroes who break down societal barriers and build supportive networks among their listeners.

Based on the existing scientific …

The Effect Of The Degree Of Authoritative Parenting On Adolescents' Adjustment To College, Elizabeth Smith

Senior Theses

This research aimed to explore how parenting style relates to college students’ adjustment in the first month of college. Authoritative parenting is marked by a standard of maintaining some control, while also promoting children’s autonomy. Previous research has found that authoritative parenting is positively associated with adolescent behavior that is more socially responsible, self-reliant, cheerful, and cooperative. Furthermore, the more support and independence that parents encourage, will in turn breed confidence and academic persistence in adolescent years. I will expand on this research by evaluating whether parenting style also relates to adjustment and mental health outcomes among first year college …

Toxic Positivity And Perceptions Of Mental Health, Madeline E. Feltner

Senior Theses

My thesis concerns how toxic positivity, especially the type we commonly see on social media, can affect perceptions and stigma around mental health issues on college campuses. Toxic positivity is the belief that a person should always maintain a positive mindset, no matter what situation they are in, and invalidates negative emotions. Previous research shows that toxic positivity can have a negative effect on mental health, but in this thesis, I study how toxic positivity affects perceptions about others with mental health issues, willingness to interact with those with mental health issues, and self-perception. It is important to research this …

Our Social Packaging: How Labels In Society Affect Our Perceptions Of Ourselves And What This Implicates For The Overdiagnosis And Self-Diagnosis Crisis In Mental Health Conditions, Alexandra X. Cortez

Senior Theses

This paper examines the effects of labeling theory in regard to mental health diagnoses. Specifically, it examines how the self-fulfilling prophecy plays a role after an individual is assigned a label. To view labels and their effects in action, this paper looks to the television show Survivor, specifically Season 37 and uses a television content analysis. Survivor provides an analogy for today’s society and a culturally relevant representation of how individuals are internalizing labels and stereotyping others based on their label. An analysis of season 37 revealed that contestants strongly associated with their assigned label and the specific characteristics that …

Moral Injury To Inform Analysis Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Amanda Julia Manea

Senior Theses

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that almost one out of ten veterans struggle with. Although the National Center for PTSD has made extensive progress in characterizing and developing new treatments for PTSD, most veterans still experience symptoms of PTSD following treatment. Novel avenues of investigation, such as developing algorithms to review electronic health record (EHR) data and better understanding moral injury, are being pursued to address the gap that still exists when it comes to treating veterans. Moral injury is the individual evaluation of exposure to a potentially morally injurious event (PMIE) and can lead to …

Using Factor Mixture Modeling To Counter Faking, Raul Corrêa Ferraz

Theses and Dissertations

Self-reports (SRs) of typical behavior are often the only existing feasible method to gather data on important drivers of human performance. In applications such as personnel selection, SRs are vulnerable to intentional distortions, often referred to as faking. A review of the literature suggests that so far, the methods proposed to address faking are unsatisfactory. In a recent breakthrough, Pavlov et al. (2019) showed that high-stakes scale scores are best modeled as a function of a) propensity to fake, b) honest scores, and c) the interaction of these two terms. Pavlov et al. did not, however, propose any method to …

Understanding Intergenerational Transmission And Frequency Of Ethnic-Racial Socialization Practices Among Racial Ethnic Minority Groups, Ryan Chantz Houston-Dial

Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) is a multidimensional concept that can be defined as the transmission of attitudes, beliefs and messages about ethnic-racial group membership (Hughes et al., 2006). To counteract the negative effects of discriminatory experiences, ethnic minority parents proactively impart race-salient messages to their youth. Sociodemographic variables such as regional location has been shown to affect the frequency of ERS messages as well (Thornton et al., 1990). The current study examines ERS practices in 436 African American, Hispanic/Latinx and Asian American parents. This study also explores the concept of intergenerational transmission, in which parents pass on to their own children …

An Examination Of The Prevalence And Predictors Of Drugging Victimization And Drugging Perpetration In A National Sample, Amber Nicole Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The current study sought to expand the understanding of the nascent phenomenon of drugging, the administering of a drug or alcohol substance to an individual without their knowledge or consent (Swan et al., 2017). Specifically, in this paper, the lifestyle-routine activities theory (L-RAT) is used as a framework to examine what factors may contribute to the occurrence of drugging. Prevalence rates of drugging victimization and drugging perpetration are examined by participant characteristics including gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity, and by risk behaviors including illicit drug use, marijuana use, and binge drinking. Trait sensation seeking, which has been shown to …