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Single Or Dual Resources: The Role Of Working Memory In Syntactic Processing, Rebecca Ann Horn Jan 2015

Single Or Dual Resources: The Role Of Working Memory In Syntactic Processing, Rebecca Ann Horn

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Within the field of psycholinguistics there are those who argue for a close relationship between working memory capacity (WMC) and syntactic processing (Just and Carpenter, 1992) and those who argue that there is no such relationship (Waters and Caplan, 1996b; 2004). Despite years of research, empirical data has yet to settle this disagreement, perhaps because a number of methodological differences between studies from each side make direct comparisons of data nearly impossible. The current study was designed to partially replicate three previous studies using their own experimental sentence types in a self-paced word-by-word reading paradigm in order to examine the …


Functional Interplay Between Neurocognitive Decline And Risk Factors In Older Adults: A Multivariate Latent Growth Curve Model Of Risk, Rebecca Kathryn Macaulay Jan 2015

Functional Interplay Between Neurocognitive Decline And Risk Factors In Older Adults: A Multivariate Latent Growth Curve Model Of Risk, Rebecca Kathryn Macaulay

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a heterogeneous brain disease with multiple interacting risk factors, suggesting equifinality. Research indicates that the pathophysiological processes involved in AD are evident years prior to disease onset with significant variability in neurocognitive functioning being apparent during preclinical stages. Identification of individuals in preclinical stages is vital, as earlier interventions may prove more effective at ameliorating AD’s devastating effects. In this respect, clarifying relationships between risk factors and neurocognitive functioning in cognitively intact older adults can improve our understanding of mechanisms involved in preclinical AD, which may allow for earlier detection and intervention. The present study employed …


The Baby And Infant Screen For Children With Autism Traits: A Dsm-5 Update, Matthew Jason Konst Jan 2015

The Baby And Infant Screen For Children With Autism Traits: A Dsm-5 Update, Matthew Jason Konst

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Interest surrounding the investigation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased exponentially since it was initially described over a half-century ago. With this passage of time our conceptualization of the ASD diagnosis has undergone multiple changes. An increasing trend in research has been an emphasis on early identification and intervention. This trend has brought about the creation and adaptation of multiple measures designed to inform early ASD diagnosis. Recently, the ASD diagnostic category underwent significant revisions. In response to revisions, it is necessary to adapt preexisting measures to reflect these significant changes in order to maintain diagnostic accuracy. The Baby …


Utilization Of The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire Across Family Structures: Do The Same Constructs Apply?, Leah Michelle Adams Jan 2015

Utilization Of The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire Across Family Structures: Do The Same Constructs Apply?, Leah Michelle Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

America has experienced a marked increase in non-nuclear family structures over the last five decades. The evolution of more diverse family systems has led some researchers to eschew a “one size fits all” approach to parenting assessment, as these measures may neglect or misconstrue parent-child dynamics unique to non-nuclear families. The current study examined the underlying factor structure of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) in two distinct family structures to determine if parenting constructs were replicated across groups. Participants included 246 mothers from single parent and two-parent households in Louisiana. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis, replication analysis, hierarchical regression …


A State-Level Analysis Of Deinstitutionalization And The Impact Of Chlorpromazine, Joni Maria Lee Pow Jan 2015

A State-Level Analysis Of Deinstitutionalization And The Impact Of Chlorpromazine, Joni Maria Lee Pow

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

US state mental hospitals were rapidly depopulated in the decades following 1955. This was a demographic phenomenon of major proportion. The introduction of antipsychotics in 1954 has often been considered instrumental in this population movement. To date, studies of the role of antipsychotics in deinstitutionalization have been state specific, methodologically weak, inconsistent in their findings and fail to consider inter-state differences which could reveal previously unknown causal variables. This study used US Census data and pooled cross sectional time-series analysis to estimate the impact of chlorpromazine and policy changes on mental hospital population movement. To that end, the population movement …


Effect Of Attention Retraining On Pathological Eating Behaviors And Body Dissatisfaction, Jose Silgado Jan 2015

Effect Of Attention Retraining On Pathological Eating Behaviors And Body Dissatisfaction, Jose Silgado

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Prevalence rates of pathological eating behaviors (PEB) and body dissatisfaction are high among college women, and rates are rising among college men. PEB and body dissatisfaction are also risk factors for the development of clinically significant eating disorders. Further, a lesser studied factor involved in male body dissatisfaction is drive for muscularity. With approximately 70% of college women and 45% of college men experiencing body dissatisfaction, it is important to identify its potential etiological and maintaining risk factors. One such mechanism may be the construct of attentional bias. Research suggests that individuals that engage in PEB or have high levels …


Trait Affective, Behavioral, And Cognitive Factors Of Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms In Children And Adolescents: A Hierarchical Model, Reanna Elise Whiting Jan 2015

Trait Affective, Behavioral, And Cognitive Factors Of Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms In Children And Adolescents: A Hierarchical Model, Reanna Elise Whiting

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Researchers have proposed a vulnerabilities model that attempts to explain the similarities between the internalizing disorders via a hierarchical pathway of trait affectivity and cognitive factors among adults. The current study aimed to replicate and extend this model to symptoms of four internalizing disorders among youth: obsessions and compulsions, generalized anxiety/worry, social anxiety, and depression. Regression-based path analyses utilized data from a community sample of 105 youth aged 12-17 (67.6% female, 80% white, non-Hispanic). Results largely replicated prior models in the adult literature and overall supported a hierarchical paradigm. Trait negative affect and avoidant behavior predicted mid-tier cognitive vulnerabilities (anxiety …


The Moderating Effects Of Anxiety On The Relationship Between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Jamarri Raimon Aikins Jan 2015

The Moderating Effects Of Anxiety On The Relationship Between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Jamarri Raimon Aikins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are two of the most prevalent childhood disorders, and the co-occurrence of these disorders is associated with an exacerbation of certain behavioral difficulties such as opposition, defiance, and anger when compared to the independent presentation of either disorder. Several researchers have demonstrated that anxiety may buffer against oppositional behavior by inhibiting responses that may lead to aversive consequences. Thus, the current study sought to examine the potentially suppressing role of anxiety when symptoms of ADHD and ODD are both present. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the extent to which …


Effects Of Mirror Exposure And Brief Mindfulness Interventions In Undergraduate Females With Weight And Shape Concerns, Jessica Abaigeal Esmeier Kinsaul Jan 2015

Effects Of Mirror Exposure And Brief Mindfulness Interventions In Undergraduate Females With Weight And Shape Concerns, Jessica Abaigeal Esmeier Kinsaul

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Risk of disordered eating is high amongst college women in the U.S., often resulting in negative outcomes with regard to health, social functioning and psychological well-being. Disordered eating is associated with multiple aspects of emotional processing, such as emotion regulation, negative affect, and avoidance. Emotional processing difficulties can be addressed with both exposure techniques and mindfulness, which involves present moment awareness with an attitude of acceptance and non-judgment. Interventions using mirror exposure (standing before a mirror and systematically describing the body) to treat disordered eating and body image, particularly those utilizing aspects of mindfulness, show promise in terms of improving …


Evaluating And Increasing The Range Of Reinforcers For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Megan Kliebert Wiggins Jan 2015

Evaluating And Increasing The Range Of Reinforcers For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Megan Kliebert Wiggins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Prior research has demonstrated the utility of several preference-assessment methodologies to identify stimuli more likely to function as reinforcers for individuals with limited verbal repertoires. However, differing results have been obtained from studies evaluating the reinforcement effects of stimuli identified as high preference by one assessment method but low preference by another assessment method. The first focus of the project was to evaluate the reinforcing efficacy of edible and leisure items based on predictions from preference assessments. Results indicated that edible and leisure items approached frequently during a single-stimulus preference assessment but infrequently during a paired-stimulus preference assessment produced less …


The Moderating Effects Of Family Management Factors On The Relationship Between Violence Exposure And Aggression, Christine Marie Raines Jan 2015

The Moderating Effects Of Family Management Factors On The Relationship Between Violence Exposure And Aggression, Christine Marie Raines

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Community violence, in the form of direct victimization or witnessing violent acts, is a prevalent public safety concern in many communities. Individuals who are exposed to community violence often exhibit a variety of associated mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. One of the most common negative outcomes associated with violence exposure among adolescents is engaging in aggressive or violent behavior. In order to mitigate the health, safety, and legal consequences associated with this outcome, it is worth examining factors that may protect adolescents from exhibiting behavior problems subsequent to community violence exposure. In the present study, …


Social Functioning In Schizotypy: An Exploration Of Communicative Effectiveness Through Speech Analysis And Observer Rated Performance In A Socially Demanding Task, Tracey Lauren Auster Jan 2015

Social Functioning In Schizotypy: An Exploration Of Communicative Effectiveness Through Speech Analysis And Observer Rated Performance In A Socially Demanding Task, Tracey Lauren Auster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Individuals with schizotypal traits have demonstrated sub-clinical symptoms of psychosis (e.g. perceptual disturbances, self-reported social functioning impairment, self-reported memory problems, and delusions). However, the evidence has been mixed regarding what impairments exist, particularly with regards to social functioning domains. As schizotypy is posited to reflect an underlying vulnerability for development of clinical levels of psychosis/risk conversion, individuals with these traits are an important group to study in order to identify these vulnerabilities. Research has indicated that current measures of social functioning (whether they are localized objective measures of verbal and non-verbal communication or global self-report of functioning) are missing some …


The Impact Of Therapist Self-Disclosure On Client-Perceived Working Alliance Amongst Psychiatrist Inpatients, Sean C. Morrison Jan 2015

The Impact Of Therapist Self-Disclosure On Client-Perceived Working Alliance Amongst Psychiatrist Inpatients, Sean C. Morrison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Working alliance has been shown to predict positive psychotherapy treatment outcomes. Past research focuses on therapist characteristics that correlate with working alliance after multiple therapy sessions (e.g., warmth, trustworthy) rather than employing experimental designs examining specific techniques that quickly improve working alliance. Specific techniques that have been empirically shown to improve working alliance quickly may be particularly beneficial today in the age of managed care wherein clinicians often face constraints limiting the amount of time they can spend with clients. Therapist self-disclosure (TSD) of information about a clinician’s personal life, when used appropriately, may have the potential to quickly improve …


Parental Age At Conception: An Examination Of Risk Factors Related To Autism Severity And Comorbid Psychopathology, Robert D. Rieske Jan 2015

Parental Age At Conception: An Examination Of Risk Factors Related To Autism Severity And Comorbid Psychopathology, Robert D. Rieske

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Many researchers have cited the continuing increase in the prevalence of autism worldwide and have speculated on the potential causes of that increase. One theory that suggests at least a contributory effect is the general trend for parents to have children at later ages. Previous research has begun to examine the relationship between advanced parental age at conception and the incidence of autism and have noted strong relationships between advanced parental age and other developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to not only confirm the relationship between advanced parental age and autism risk but to extend that knowledge …


Bullying In Schools: The Relationship Between Educational Staff Burnout And Staff Response To Bullying, Katherine Marie Harrison Jan 2015

Bullying In Schools: The Relationship Between Educational Staff Burnout And Staff Response To Bullying, Katherine Marie Harrison

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bullying among school-aged youth is associated with negative short- and long-term consequences. Research suggests that teachers can be influential in reducing bullying but that they often do little to address it. Occupational burnout is high among educators and can significantly affect students’ motivation, learning, and feelings of support. The current study examines the effect of occupational burnout on educational staff’s likelihood of responding to bullies and victims of physical, verbal, relational, and cyber bullying. Participants (N = 109) were administrators, teachers, and other school staff serving secondary-level students. Overall, most participants reported experiencing low levels of burnout, viewed bullying as …