Digital Commons Network^™

Emotions, Cognitions, And Discipline Style In Parents Of Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Brooke Catanzaro

Theses and Dissertations

Raising a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder places tremendous stress on parents, which can interfere with their parenting skills more than the stress of raising a typically developing child. Parents’ levels of emotions, irrational and rational beliefs, self-compassion, psychological flexibility and overreactive and lax parenting discipline style were analyzed. Two hundred and eighty-five parents of children and adolescents aged 6-18 completed several self-report measures. Results indicated that there were significant correlations between parents’ irrational beliefs, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and negative emotions in both the clinical and non-clinical groups. Further, parents of ADHD youth reported experiencing less psychological flexibility and less …

Examining The Impact Of Big Five Personality Traits And Learning Styles On Academic Achievement: The Mediation Effects Of Learning Styles In Post Secondary Education, Kristen Lillian Sweeney

Theses and Dissertations

The relationships between personality, learning styles, and their impact on academic achievement were explored. College students from St. John’s University in Queens, NY (91 undergraduates) completed the International Personality Item Pool Representation of the NEO PI-R (IPIP-NEO), the Inventory of Learning Processes (ILP), and reported their grade point average (GPA). Two of the Big Five traits, conscientiousness and extraversion, were positively correlated with all four learning styles (synthesis analysis, methodical study, fact retention, and elaborative processing), whereas neuroticism was negatively related with all four learning styles. In addition, openness and agreeableness were positively correlated with synthesis-analysis. Conscientiousness was the only …

An Investigation Into Orthographic Processing Deficits In Schools, Shannon Santoro

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant educational milestones in a child’s development is learning how to read and write. Phonological and orthographic processing skills are essential in the development of reading and writing. Currently, research exists that provides insight into school psychologists’ knowledge of phonological processing’s impact on reading and writing development and how deficits in this area are evaluated. However, very little is known about the overall level of familiarity school psychologists have with the construct of orthographic processing and how deficits are evaluated at the school level. The following study investigated the knowledge school psychologists have regarding orthographic processing. …

The Role Of Self-Regulation And Mindset In The Academic Outcomes Of Low-Income Students, Jamilah Shanice Lindo

Theses and Dissertations

The present study builds upon the existing research regarding the role of self-regulation and mindset as they relate to academic achievement. Currently, little is known regarding how self-regulation and mindset relate to the academic outcomes of low SES students as identified by their qualification for free or reduced-priced lunch (FRPL). The present study examined the relationship between self-regulation, mindset, and achievement for a sample of 44 low SES students in grades four through six to understand if these factors can predict academic outcomes in ELA and mathematics. This information is particularly valuable as schools often make investments in intervention programming …

Adaptive Functioning And Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptom Severity In Childhood: Parent Perception Vs Clinician Rating, Corin Lillian Osborn

Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurocognitive developmental disorder that impacts over one percent of the population. As of 2016, one in 64 children were diagnosed with ASD by four years of age, with males receiving the diagnosis 3.5 times more often than females (Shaw et al. 2020). Research also indicates that ASD prevalence varies by socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity (Diguiseppi et al., 2016). These differences may be a result of differential access to resources, a connection between SES and race/ethnicity, measure sensitivity to child sex, cultural differences in sensitivity to symptomatology, or a true difference in ASD presentation. …

Covid-19: Social Support Among The Bereaved, Fernande Nanda Mamane

Theses and Dissertations

Bereavement is a universal experience. Presently, there have been over 1,024,611 deaths in the United States alone related to the COVID-19 virus and this number is growing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). With the significant rise in deaths, as well as subsequent societal health and safety measures due to the pandemic, social support for the bereaved is expected to be severely impacted. Limited access to social spheres, as well as adjustments to typical funeral practices, may impact the perception of support by those grieving. The purpose the study was to gain a better understanding of bereaved individual’s experiences …

The Relationship Of Developmental Stages In Adults In Psychotherapy To Different Types Of Mental Health Symptoms, Shannon E. Gasparro

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, we examine the pattern of mental health symptoms across adult development using data from a community-based clinic in Queens, NY. Age was represented by three qualitative stages, “early adulthood,” “middle adulthood,” and “late adulthood.” Early adulthood has been characterized as a period of heightened emotional instability, with less clear long-term commitments to romantic relationships, career paths, work, and living arrangements. Middle adulthood has been characterized as a more emotionally stable period in terms of relations with friends and family and social roles. Finally, late adults, although also viewed as more emotionally regulated, may again experience greater interpersonal …

The Effects Of Socioeconomic Status And Language Difference On Specific Cognitive Test Performance: A Comparative Study Of African American Children, Fernanda Carvalho

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has established a high correlation between socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. Historically, indicators of SES are often patterned by race, with African American children generally being the highest percentage of children living in poverty. The implication of childhood SES to brain development lies in its evident relationship to cognitive ability as measured by cognitive assessments, particularly in the area of language. The present study investigated the influence of language on performance of African American children when compared to normative performance on the WISC-V, a common and widely used cognitive assessment tool. Test creators claim to have included SES as …

When Age Matters: Child Age As A Moderator Of Outcome In A Caregiver Prevention Program For Abuse And Bullying, Jenni R. Marques

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood physical abuse (CPA), childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and bullying continue to impact children across the United States at an alarming rate, with immense psychological, physiological, and social cost (Child Maltreatment, 2020; U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017; Carr, Duff, & Craddock, 2018; Ferrara et al., 2019). While majority of prevention programs target elementary age children (6-10), there is some disagreement amongst researchers as to the appropriateness of introducing these programs to children of the pre-school age (3-5 years). Keeping Every Child Safe (Child Safe; Brown & Beekman, 2014) is an evidence-based primary prevention program for caregivers …

Associations Between Empathy-Related Processes And Prosocial Behaviors In Toddlerhood, Jordan Holmén

Theses and Dissertations

Different prosocial behaviors, such as sharing, helping, and comforting emerge during the second year of life. Empathy-related processes play a key role in the development of such early behaviors. Children can demonstrate empathy via personal distress or other-oriented empathy. Whereas personal distress is considered an aversive reaction, associated with emotion dysregulation and desire to reduce one own’s discomfort, other-oriented empathy involves a concern for others—a feeling that should motivate one to alleviate another person’s distress. There is a dearth of studies examining how these two theoretically distinct empathy-related processes relate to various prosocial behaviors in early development. Thus, in this …

The Effectiveness Of The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Module Of Interpersonal Effectiveness Compared To Traditional Assertiveness Training: A Randomized Control Trial., Daniella Difabio

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the efficacy of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) module of Interpersonal Effectiveness compared to Traditional Assertiveness Training. In recent years, DBT has become one of the most effective psychotherapeutic treatments for individuals with borderline personality disorder (Linehan et al., 1991). DBT has been determined to be effective across inpatient, outpatient, and school settings and across multiple populations (i.e., BPD, PTSD, eating disorders, etc.). Traditional Assertiveness Training has been forgotten despite some of its skills being similar or identical to DBT (Goldfried et al., 2017). In the past, Assertiveness training was found to be effective across various populations. …

Anti-Immigration-Related Stressors And Latine Immigrant Well-Being: The Role Of Family & Community Resilience, Lisa S. Fuentes

Theses and Dissertations

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies have continued to adversely impact Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protection Status (TPS) beneficiaries (Arevalo et al., 2015; Cleary, 2017; Li, 2015; Sangalang et al., 2018). There have been numerous attempts to revoke DACA, TPS, and other policies that temporarily protect immigrant families. Although the number of resilience literature has grown, more strength-based approaches are still needed. Additionally, given that familismo (familism) and collectivism are key cultural values for Latine families (Campos et al., 2019; Corona et al., 2017), it is imperative to explore family and community resilience among Latine immigrants to gain …

Psychiatric Diagnostic Decision-Making: Investigating The Theory Of The Dual-Process Model, Christopher S. Kleva

Theses and Dissertations

Diagnostic decision-making is an important component of clinical practice; however, there is substantial diagnostic unreliability within mental health diagnoses. The lack of reliability emphasizes the importance of investigating diagnostic decision-making; however, the research to date is limited, primarily relying on a vague definition of decision-making based on the dual-process model. The present study is an exploratory attempt to apply the dual-process model to explain how mental health clinicians (n = 30, 73.3% cisgender female, 96.7% psychologists) arrive at making diagnostic decisions through the use of an interactive interview mechanism. For each participant, we are able to create a figure …

Recovery Sleepers: A Pilot Study Of A Sleep Health Intervention For College Students In Recovery From Substance Use Disorder, Morgan P. Reid

Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing number of students in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) on college campuses, and collegiate recovery programs have been designed to support students’ recovery and global health needs. However, little research has focused on interventions that can promote health outcomes within this population. Chronic substance misuse can have lingering, negative effects on sleep even after sustained remission; thus, the present paper describes a pilot study of Recovery Sleepers, a sleep health promotion intervention rooted in self-determination theory for college students in recovery from SUD. Study aims were to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the …

Examining The Home Interventionist Model Of Care In Pediatric Asthma, Katherine D. Lohr

Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric asthma disproportionately affects children living in urban areas and within families reporting an income below the poverty threshold. Home interventionist models of care, utilizing interventionists from the communities they serve, have been found to improve pediatric asthma symptoms and reduce Medicaid costs. Home interventionists, such as community health workers (CHWs) and Healthy Homes assessors (HHAs), focus on connecting care among schools, providers, and homes, and empowering families in accessing resources to overcome barriers to care. However, research is just beginning to understand how home interventionists create positive change among families within low-income, urban communities. This dissertation study used a …

The Lived Experiences Of 911 Telecommunicators: Life Outside Of The Call Center, Mary's Dariela Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

911 operators are tasked with solving the caller's problem by promptly and efficiently decoding a cry for help, collecting pertinent information, quickly deciding its priority level, and dispatching the appropriate assistance. These employees are responsible for what happens on that line, internalizing their problems to solve those of the callers, which often result in stress disorders, trauma, and personal, professional, and social issues. Their job duties are extensive, the responsibility is vast, and the overall environment can be overwhelming. Aside from the environmental stressors, the details of each critical incident leave the employee susceptible to various risk factors and other …

Multilevel Modeling Of Academic Self-Concept And Moderation Of The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect In Math And Science For Timss 2019 Participating Countries, Heather Marie Spangler

Theses and Dissertations

Self-concept is an important construct across a variety of disciplines as a facilitator of a full range of human potential. Big Fish Little Pond Effect (BFLPE) results have confirmed global generalizability for the negative effects of school- and country- averaged achievement on students’ academic self-concept based on social comparisons with implications that generally discredit ability grouping, streaming or tracking. However, few studies have identified variables that ameliorate the negative effects of BFLPE. Accordingly, this study applied hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) in HLM 8.2 software to examine the effects of student, school, and country-level moderators of both school- and country-level BFLPE …

Effective Approaches To Establishing And Maintaining A Strong Therapeutic Alliance With Men: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Ferdinand Aliga

Theses and Dissertations

Consequences of mental health issues in men that are left untreated can affect a man’s partner, friends, family, and co-workers. While much research has described the efficacy of psychotherapy with this population, adult male clients may be hesitant to even start treatment. This is due to several reasons including stigma, toxic masculinity, and accessibility. To combat this, the American Psychological Association published Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men in 2018. Research from 2005--the year the guidelines were conceived--to 2021 suggests that three therapeutic approaches are among the most effective in establishing or maintaining a therapeutic alliance. The approaches …

Achievement Goal Theory: Achievement Goals In Predicting Pre-Competitive Anxiety In Athletes, Ysmara Sainz

Theses and Dissertations

Being involved in a sport (team or individual) can offer numerous benefits for an athlete, such as physical and health advantages. Yet, some athletes strive for more than physical and health benefits. Some athletes strive for sport achievements and mastering sport techniques and skills. According to the achievement motivation theory, athletes are motivated for the need of achievement and striving for perceived high ability (i.e., achievement behavior). Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) proposes achievement motivation is a combination of achievement goals, achievement behavior, and perceived ability, and achievement behavior. Additionally, achievement motivation can be manipulated by achievement goal orientations. Achievement goal …

Experiences And Perceptions Of Bilingual Spanish-English Latinx Clients And Bilingual Spanish-English Latinx Therapists In Psychotherapy: A Systematic Review, Irvin I. Navarrete

Theses and Dissertations

As the bilingual Spanish-English Latinx population in the United States increases, so will the need for culturally and linguistically competent mental health therapists. While past research has focused on providing culturally competent care, the role of language in the process of psychotherapy has received limited attention. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the existing literature on bilingual Spanish-English Latinx clients’ and bilingual Spanish-English Latinx therapists’ experiences and perceptions within a bilingual psychotherapy setting and identify recommendations to enhance language proficiency. A systematic review was conducted and identified nine studies for inclusion. Results highlight seven themes focusing on bilingual Spanish-English Latinx …

Black Racial Identity And Externalizing Symptoms: The Regulatory Role Of Dyadic Relationships, Sultan A. Hubbard

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored caregiver impact on Black racial identity (BRI) and externalizing through the integration of BRI, racial socialization (RS), and social support theoretical frameworks. The study used 85 Black undergraduates (Mean age =19.3, SD=3.43) who rated three caregivers, respectively. Restricted maximum likelihood estimation was conducted to estimate variance components. BRI, RS, internalizing, and externalizing variables reflected significant trait effects and dyadic effects. However, racial centrality and public regard did not reflect significant dyadic effects. Participant burden due to randomization of caregivers and items likely suppressed dyadic effects. Moreover, caregivers who evoked private regard were perceived as having high cultural …

Law Enforcement Training On Suicide By Cop: Implications Of Mental Health Crisis And Encounters With Those Individuals Who Want To Die, Juan C. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

There is a high prevalence of suicide in people who engage in Suicide by Cop (SbC), a method of suicide that involves provoking law enforcement into fatal use of force. This research study aimed to examine the changes in knowledge about SbC, self-efficacy when dealing with SbC offenders, and empathy toward SbC offenders in response to law enforcement officers’ (LEO) participation in a 30-minute SbC intervention training. This dissertation first introduced information about defining features and prevalence of suicide as a whole and SbC in particular. SbC factors include SbC intent, mental health history, noncompliance with LEO commands, and multiple …

Targeting Parental Behavior: Contingency Contracting To Increase Parental Competence And Adherence, Sara Clasky Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of using behavior contracts specifically targeting parental behavior and providing reinforcing consequences for the parent’s behavior on parental adherence in implementing behavior contracts to address their child’s behavior problems. Parents used identical procedures to implement behavior contracts with their children to address their child’s noncompliance and associated problem behavior. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine parent perceptions about the impact their use of behavior contracts had on the behavior of their children.

This study used a multiple baseline across participants design to measure the effectiveness of a …

A Systematic Review On The Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Chronic Pain, Samantha M. Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic pain (CP), a leading cause of disability, is associated with addiction, physical and psychosocial impairment and tremendous financial burden. Childhood experiences contribute to the genesis of different attachment styles. Attachment theory offers a useful framework for the conceptualization of CP, with different attachment styles impacting the experience and clinical manifestations of CP. This systematic review aims to evaluate the relationship between attachment styles and CP, to investigate which attachment styles pose the greatest risk for CP, to examine how CP is expressed in the context of different attachment styles, and to gain insight regarding the treatment approach to CP. …

The Heads-Ed: A Psychosocial Screening For Pediatric Patients In Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review, Jessica Burns

Theses and Dissertations

The rates of mental health (MH) conditions among the pediatric population are rising steadily (Abramson, 2022; Clark et al., 2019). Given that MH symptoms and concerns frequently present in the emergency department (ED)-particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic-the ED setting may be a practical and effective setting to implement screening measures to identify youth at risk for mental illness and suicide (Leeb et al., 2020; Leff et al., 2021). This integrative systematic review examined the extent to which the HEADS-ED, one specific psychosocial screening measure, has been administered in the ED setting with youth and which healthcare professionals …

The Out-Of-Sport Transition Experience Of Ncaa Athletes: A Systematic Review, Stephanie Tuncel

Theses and Dissertations

During the 2018-2019 academic year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reported 1,004,450 student-athletes across Division I, II, and III universities. Of these athletes, only a small percentage will go on to play at a professional level. The majority of these student-athletes will go through an out-of-sport transition that, without proper preparation, can result in a variety of psychosocial difficulties. However, there are opportunities for student-athletes, athletic departments, academic departments, and psychological counseling centers to target different factors that could increase the likelihood of experiencing a positive out-of-sport transition. The focus of this systematic review was to address two primary …

A Systematic Review Of Canine Assisted Psychotherapy For Youth At Risk Or With Mental Health Disorders, Hedieh Hakakian

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders among youth are often underrepresented in research, resulting in a delay and under-treatment of their needs (Catania et al., 2011). While their needs are frequently under-treated, research suggests that youth often experience mental health problems that subsequently lead to difficulties in adulthood (Carballo et al., 2011) necessitating a need to identify efficacious treatments to these problems. This systematic review used a mixed-methods design to analyze current literature on the use of Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy (CAP) with youth ages 0-20. The aims of the study were to (a) understand the impact of CAP on mental health (i.e., clinical diagnosis …

A Systematic Review On Anxious Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction, Laura Mendez

Theses and Dissertations

Romantic relationships can serve as a source of intimacy, security, support, and comfort for many individuals. Many studies have identified adult attachment as an important predictor of romantic relationship/marital satisfaction. However, many studies have found anxious attachment to be a predictor of poor relationship satisfaction. Moreover, individuals high in attachment anxiety have been found to constantly worry and ruminate about their relationships, specifically, about the fear of being abandoned or rejected by their romantic partner. As such, it is important to further understand which factors strengthen or weaken relationship/marital satisfaction in anxiously attached adults. This systematic review aimed to answer …

Proper Punctuation: A Qualitative Exploration Of Changes In Conflict Management Processes During Revolutionary Periods In Teams, Cody J. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Teams experience periods of dramatic change, known as revolutionary periods, during their developmental life cycles. These periods have an outsized impact on performance as they provide an opportunity to reconsider and reshape the fundamental assumptions and processes that teams deploy to accomplish their goals. The transient and durable changes to transition, action, and interpersonal processes which occur during revolutionary periods are critical mediators which convert the team’s inputs into outcomes including productivity, group viability, and individual group member satisfaction. Teams are ubiquitous in for-profit organizations, and these organizations are situated in increasingly dynamic and volatile environments. Despite this, little research …

Client Perspectives On Effective Psychotherapy: A Systematic Review And Foundation For A Consilient Psychology, Sam Han

Theses and Dissertations

This study will explore client perspectives on what works in psychotherapy in an effort to elucidate critical ideas for more consilience, or the unity of knowledge, in the field of clinical practice. The objective is to generate a theory from the data that can serve as a foundation for an eventual unified model of psychotherapy. A qualitative narrative synthesis approach was taken using grounded theory principles to analyze data from common factors outcome research. The results appear to confirm prior findings on the importance of interpersonal dynamics and the therapeutic relationship. The data demonstrates a potential connection between interpersonal factors …