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Understanding Posttraumatic Growth Among Individuals With Cancer: The Role Of Social Support And Unsupportive Interactions, Wendy Balliet
Understanding Posttraumatic Growth Among Individuals With Cancer: The Role Of Social Support And Unsupportive Interactions, Wendy Balliet
Theses and Dissertations
The experience of being diagnosed with and treated for cancer is an extremely stressful experience for most individuals. Historically, the literature on stress and coping has focused on negative outcomes, such as depression and anxiety, in relation to one‘s experience with cancer. Under-represented in the literature has been a theoretical framework that examines positive and transformative experiences that may occur throughout the cancer experience. The current study assessed interpersonal variables that rarely have been investigated in relation to one‘s experience with cancer (i.e., received social support and unsupportive interactions) and their association with depressive symptoms, positive emotion, and posttraumatic growth …
The Effect Of Power On Exploratory Behavior, William Clay
The Effect Of Power On Exploratory Behavior, William Clay
Theses and Dissertations
The relations between power, exploratory behavior, and willingness to take risks were investigated. It was hypothesized that high power would be associated with increases in exploratory behavior, and that this relationship would be mediated by participants’ willingness to take risks. In Study One, one-hundred forty-one undergraduates (66% female) completed questionnaires to assess trait power and willingness to take risk, as well as a computer-based research paradigm, BeanFest, to assess exploration. Willingness to take risks correlated positively with exploration. However, the predicted relations involving power were not observed. In Study Two, power was experimentally manipulated. One-hundred thirty-three undergraduates (61% female) were …
Self-Forgiveness Interventions For Women Experiencing A Breakup, Kathryn Campana
Self-Forgiveness Interventions For Women Experiencing A Breakup, Kathryn Campana
Theses and Dissertations
This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase self forgiveness for women who have recently experienced a romantic relationship breakup. Of particular interest were the interactions between adult attachment style, treatment condition, and time. The current study examined how the following variables differ between attachment style groups and how they change over time with respect to treatment condition: aspects of the former relationship, emotional responses to personal transgressions within the relationship, general negative and positive affect, dispositional forgivingness, positive and negative attitudes toward self, feelings of unforgiveness toward self and ex-partner, and feelings of forgiveness of self …
More Than A Prayer: Pastors' Perception And Practice Of Mental Health Services, Jessica Young
More Than A Prayer: Pastors' Perception And Practice Of Mental Health Services, Jessica Young
Theses and Dissertations
While African Americans show similar rates of mental health concerns, they seek and obtain significantly fewer traditional mental health services (MHS) as compared to other groups. One alternative to traditional forms of MHS is the use of church-based resources, such as pastoral counseling. Pastors frequently report counseling as a large part of their duties. Therefore, their perceptions about mental health have a major impact on services that parishioners receive. This online survey assessed 40 pastors' perceptions about mental health services, as well as perceived needs for information or training. Attitudes about mental health were significantly related to variety of counseling …
Afro-German Biracial Identity Development, Rebecca R. Hubbard
Afro-German Biracial Identity Development, Rebecca R. Hubbard
Theses and Dissertations
An increase in the biracial population has heightened our awareness of unique issues that pervade the experience of these individuals. The importance of environmental influences on biracial identity development has been established, but investigations concerning racial socialization of biracial individuals are scarce. This study, utilizing a qualitative design, explores racial identity development of biracial Afro-Germans living in Germany. The purpose of the study is to understand the strategies that biracial individuals use to negotiate their racial identity, factors that influence their development, cultural influences, and racial socialization processes. Interviews with biracial Afro-Germans were conducted using phenomenological interviewing techniques. Twelve themes …
With Or Without You: The Impact Of Partner Presence And Attachment On Exploration, Anthony Coy
With Or Without You: The Impact Of Partner Presence And Attachment On Exploration, Anthony Coy
Theses and Dissertations
Expanding upon past research demonstrating that attachment orientation influences adult exploration, this thesis examined the impact of both actor and partner attachment anxiety and avoidance as well as real or imagined partner presence on outcomes of exploratory behavior (study 1a) and the desire to explore (study 1b). Eighty six couples were randomly assigned to explore (i.e., a meditation activity) with or without their partner in the lab, and to imagine exploring with or without their partner when rating their desire to complete potential exploratory behaviors. The effects of actor anxiety and avoidance on exploration were moderated by partner presence for …
Forgiveness And The Bottle: Promoting Self-Forgiveness With Alcohol Misuse, Michael Scherer
Forgiveness And The Bottle: Promoting Self-Forgiveness With Alcohol Misuse, Michael Scherer
Theses and Dissertations
Forgiveness research has seldom been directed toward alcohol use, misuse, and abuse. To date, forgiveness research in the realm of alcohol use, misuse, and abuse has focused on interpersonal consequences (e.g., Lin, Mack, Enright, Krahn, & Baskin, 2005; Scherer, Worthington, Hook, Campana, West, & Gartner, 2009; Worthington, Scherer, & Cooke, 2006), but has paid minimal attention to intrapersonal consequences. Psychologists today are just beginning to explore the complex and murky waters of self-forgiveness (or lack of it) and the alcohol misuser (e.g., Webb, Robinson, Brower, & Zucker, 2006). In the current dissertation, I review the literature on self-forgiveness, drinking refusal …
Polytrauma Family Needs Assessment, Schaaf Kathryn Wilder
Polytrauma Family Needs Assessment, Schaaf Kathryn Wilder
Theses and Dissertations
There is a great deal of literature in civilian rehabilitation settings that documents the tremendous impact a brain injury has on both the injured person and the family as a whole. TBI is a leading cause of both death and disability world-wide and is often cited as the signature injury of the ongoing OEF/OIF conflict. In 2005, Congress recognized the severity of injuries that military personnel were encountering in the OEF/OIF conflicts and created the Polytrauma System of Care (PSC). While the PSC has made great efforts to provide innovative and effective treatment for active duty and veteran patients, little …
Hunger For Grace: The Association Between Eating Disorders And Religiousness, Janet Lydecker
Hunger For Grace: The Association Between Eating Disorders And Religiousness, Janet Lydecker
Theses and Dissertations
Religiousness is one potential, understudied psychosocial correlate of eating disorders. To assess associations between religiousness and eating disorders, this study developed the Religious Attendance and Belief Scale (Rel-AB), and examined its psychometric properties. Women from a large population-based sample (N = 1510; M(age) = 42.5) completed subscales measuring (1) belief in a personal and loving God, and (2) attendance at religion-related activities, as well as eating disorder measures. Belief was negatively associated with eating disorder symptomatology among women meeting broadly defined criteria for bulimia nervosa. Eating disorders and religiousness were not associated in the overall sample, and associations were largely …
Hope And Worry Among Mothers Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder Or Down Syndrome, Paula Ogston
Hope And Worry Among Mothers Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder Or Down Syndrome, Paula Ogston
Theses and Dissertations
The present study used quantitative and qualitative methodology to examine mothers’ hope and worry. Participants were recruited via autism and Down syndrome organizations. Two hundred fifty-nine mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (n = 199) and Down syndrome (n = 60) responded to the online questionnaire. Most mothers were white (n = 230); eighty-seven percent were married and their average age was 39.06 years. Findings support previous research suggesting that hope is a protective factor against psychological distress: mothers with higher hope reported lower dispositional worry. Mothers were asked to describe what they worried about when they woke up …
Mindfulness, Health, Well-Being, And Patient Care Of Oncologists, Amanda Kracen
Mindfulness, Health, Well-Being, And Patient Care Of Oncologists, Amanda Kracen
Theses and Dissertations
Demands on physicians in the workplace are growing, as are the occupational and psychosocial stressors they encounter. However, there is scant research regarding physicians, their patient care, and strategies that enhance their well-being. Mindfulness, the ability to be present in the moment, is increasingly being encouraged among healthcare workers for personal benefits and possible positive effects for patients. Thus, the present study examined (a) the health, well-being, and patient care practices of oncologists, (b) the relationship between oncologists’ mindfulness and health indicators (general health and sleep problems) with three outcomes (satisfaction with life [SWL], job satisfaction, and suboptimal patient care), …
An Examination Of Factors That Influence Friendships In Young Adults From Intact And Divorced Families, Stephanie Wolf
An Examination Of Factors That Influence Friendships In Young Adults From Intact And Divorced Families, Stephanie Wolf
Theses and Dissertations
Specific factors affecting young adult friendship development have been identified by the literature with little focus on which are most influential in determining friendship composition.. Hierarchical regression was used to examine such factors. Participants included 400 undergraduate Psychology students at a state university in the mid-Atlantic region. Findings indicated parental relationships were the strongest predictor of friendship quality. Parent-child bonds, conflict between parents, and emotion regulation skills best predicted levels of intimacy. Parent-child bond-especially with mother-best predicted satisfaction with friendship network as did conflict between parents. In addition, parent-child bond with mother and conflict between parents were found more important …
Assessment Of Perceived Positive And Negative Outcomes In Risky Adolescent Dating And Peer Situations: A Descriptive Analysis Of Risk And Benefit Perception, Sarah Helms
Theses and Dissertations
Peer and dating violence perpetration and victimization are common experiences placing adolescents at-risk for maladaptive outcomes, yet little research has focused on specific problematic situations associated with these types of violence and other related risk-taking behaviors. Further, prevention programs have typically focused on changing beliefs, attitudes, and skill-deficits, with little attention to adolescents’ motivations or perceptions of costs and benefits associated with risky situations, despite support for this type of research in other health-related fields (e.g., substance abuse, behavioral medicine). The current study assessed adolescents’ perceptions of potential positive and negative outcomes associated with risky dating and peer situations, many …
Ethnic Effects On Biological, Psychosocial And Disease Care Factors In African-American Youth With Type 1 Diabetes, Priscilla Powell
Ethnic Effects On Biological, Psychosocial And Disease Care Factors In African-American Youth With Type 1 Diabetes, Priscilla Powell
Theses and Dissertations
Person-oriented and variable-oriented analyses were conducted to investigate sociodemographic differences in biological, psychosocial and disease care factors in youth with type 1 diabetes. Additionally, diabetes knowledge was evaluated as a potential mediator of SES effects on HbA1c and disease care. The sample included 349 youth, age 9-17 years (79.9% Caucasian, 71.3% lived with two biological parents, M SES = 46.24). Person-oriented t-tests confirmed commonly reported ethnic differences in HbA1c and disease care behaviors. However, variable-oriented analyses controlling for confounding sociodemographic influences showed most disease care effects attributed to ethnicity were better explained by SES. While diabetes knowledge was not a …
Examining The Mindfulness – Stress Resistance Relation: The Mediational Role Of Autonomy, Melissa Holt
Examining The Mindfulness – Stress Resistance Relation: The Mediational Role Of Autonomy, Melissa Holt
Theses and Dissertations
Mindfulness – a receptive attentiveness to present experience – has been shown to promote more adaptive emotion regulation (Brown, et al. 2007) and predict autonomy - motivation to behave in a self-directed manner. In turn, autonomy has been shown to predict self-regulation (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This suggests a psychological pathway from mindfulness to autonomy to emotion regulation. To better understand the regulatory potential of a mindful disposition and the possible mediating role of autonomy in healthy adult participants (N = 69), a laboratory social evaluative threat was used called the Trier Social Stress Task (Kirschbaum, et al., 1993). Results …
The Genetic Epidemiology Of Purging Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, And Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, Sara Trace
Theses and Dissertations
Although a variety of factors influence the development of eating disorders, genetic factors contribute notably to their etiology. Understanding genetic factors associated with eating disorders is important, as they can influence how these disorders are recognized, researched, and treated. This dissertation included two studies addressing important questions within the fields of eating disorders and genetics; specifically, Study 1 addressed the prevalence and heritability of purging and purging disorder in a population-based sample of female twins from the United States; and Study 2 investigated the nature of the co-morbidity between anorexia nervosa and obsessive compulsive personality disorder in a population-based sample …
The Effectiveness Of Religiously Tailored Couple Counseling, Joshua Hook
The Effectiveness Of Religiously Tailored Couple Counseling, Joshua Hook
Theses and Dissertations
Large numbers of couples seek treatment from religious counselors who integrate religion and spirituality (R/S) into counseling. The present dissertation reviewed the literature examining the effectiveness of R/S counseling. Several R/S treatments were helpful in treating psychological problems. There was little evidence that R/S treatments outperformed secular treatments. In Study 1, a nationwide survey was conducted that examined the beliefs of Christian counselors about integrating R/S into couple counseling. Christian counselors (N = 630) completed measures of religious commitment, experience in couple counseling, attitudes toward using religious techniques in couple counseling, and the use of theory in couple counseling. Counselors …
The Influence Of Parental Verbal Messages About Fighting And Nonviolent Responses On Adolescent Aggressive And Effective Nonviolent Behavior, Alison Kramer
Theses and Dissertations
Research suggests that adolescent health requires both reducing problem behavior and promoting the development of social competence. There is strong support for the influence of parenting practices on both aggressive and competent behavior. However, there has been little research to date focused on parental messages, or the verbal communication parents provide to their children, about aggressive and effective nonviolent responses to conflict. The present study used hierarchical regression to examine parental messages supporting fighting and parental messages supporting effective nonviolent responses to problem situations in relation to adolescent aggressive and effective nonviolent behavior. These relations were expected to be moderated …
Parent-Adolescent Discrepancies In Ratings Of Youth Victimization: Associations With Psychological Adjustment, Kimberly Goodman
Parent-Adolescent Discrepancies In Ratings Of Youth Victimization: Associations With Psychological Adjustment, Kimberly Goodman
Theses and Dissertations
Epidemiological research indicates that parents report lower levels of youths’ exposure to violence than youth self-report, and theory suggests that such discrepancies reflect parents’ lack of knowledge of youth victimization and impaired ability to help children cope with victimization. This study extends prior research examining the implications of parent-youth informant discrepancies on ratings of victimization. Latent class analysis (LCA) was employed to identify groups of dyads distinguished by patterns of parent and youth report of victimization, uncovering heterogeneity based on patterns of parent-youth ratings of victimization. Analyses examined how latent classes reflecting parent-youth agreement on victimization were related to adjustment …
Thankful Feelings, Thoughts & Behavior: A Tripartite Model Of Evaluating Benefactors And Benefits, Maureen Mathews
Thankful Feelings, Thoughts & Behavior: A Tripartite Model Of Evaluating Benefactors And Benefits, Maureen Mathews
Theses and Dissertations
Gratitude and indebtedness have been treated as similar constructs that occur in social exchange, but little work has examined how these constructs are independent from each other. Relatedly, how a person evaluates the components of a social exchange – the benefactor and benefit – can vary. Two exploratory studies examined affective, cognitive and behavioral measurement during a social exchange to test whether they were associated with gratitude and indebtedness. Participants completed a distribution game for which they gave and received tickets for a raffle with a fictitious partner. Study 1 (N=34) findings indicated that gratitude was associated with positive affect, …
Predictors Of Smoking Initiation In African American Adolescents, Jennifer Kienzle
Predictors Of Smoking Initiation In African American Adolescents, Jennifer Kienzle
Theses and Dissertations
Cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco use are responsible for over 440,000 deaths per year in the U.S. Health consequences associated with cigarette smoking include cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer. Despite awareness of the health risks, approximately 21% of the U.S. adult population smokes. Efforts to-date to reduce smoking-related disease and illness have focused on prevention and intervention strategies that encourage cessation. Adolescence is a critical period for both intervention and prevention. Because more than three-fourths (80%) of adult smokers reported starting to smoke prior to the age of 18, prevention and brief intervention is likely to be …
Expressive Writing As A Therapeutic Process For Drug Dependent Women, Meshberg Cohen Sarah
Expressive Writing As A Therapeutic Process For Drug Dependent Women, Meshberg Cohen Sarah
Theses and Dissertations
Women with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) have high rates of trauma and PTSD, which is linked to greater physical and mental health problems and poorer SUD treatment outcomes. While research affirms trauma should be addressed during SUD treatment, the majority of addiction programs do not offer such services. One promising intervention is Pennebaker’s expressive writing paradigm, which includes disclosure of traumatic/stressful experiences through 20-minute writing sessions over 3-5 consecutive days. While expressive writing has been linked to improvements in mental and physical health, the intervention has not been studied in persons with SUDs. The present study was a randomized clinical …
Expressive Writing With University Students With Disabilities, Geraldine Lotze
Expressive Writing With University Students With Disabilities, Geraldine Lotze
Theses and Dissertations
Research suggests college students with high incidence disabilities experience more distress than their peers without disabilities as they adapt to college. The expressive writing paradigm developed by Pennebaker and Beall (1986) effectively reduced distress in college students and other nonclinical samples when participants wrote about emotions they experienced surrounding an upsetting event. Previous research on expressive writing has not addressed the effectiveness of the paradigm with students with disabilities. A randomized control trial study examined changes in distress and daily hassles for participants with disabilities who engaged in expressive writing compared to a control condition in which participants wrote about …
Does Mindfulness Reduce Negativity Bias? A Potential Mechanism For Reduced Emotional Distress, Laura Kiken
Does Mindfulness Reduce Negativity Bias? A Potential Mechanism For Reduced Emotional Distress, Laura Kiken
Theses and Dissertations
The present research examined if mindfulness reduced negativity bias on measures of attitude formation and cognitive style, as a potential explanation for the beneficial effects of mindfulness on emotional disturbance. Two studies were conducted. Study One was correlational and found that trait mindfulness inversely correlated with measures of negative cognitive style, and that the latter partially mediated an inverse association between mindfulness and predisposition to depression and anxiety. Further, correlations between mindfulness and both positive attitude formation and optimism hinted at a potential positivity bias. Study Two extended these findings using a randomized experimental design comparing a mindfulness induction to …
How Does Mothers' Depression Influence Adolescents' Aggression? The Role Of Parenting, Family Functioning, And Informant Discrepancy, Kelly Pugh
Theses and Dissertations
Previous research has found that maternal depression is predictive of adolescents’ aggression. The present study examined three mechanisms believed to account for this relation: parenting practices, family functioning, and informant discrepancy. The data for this study are from the Multisite Violence Prevention Project which collected data from a high-risk sample of sixth grade students, parents, and core teachers. A within-subjects analysis of variance examined the association between maternal depression and informant discrepancy. Structural equation modeling compared the relation between maternal depression and adolescents’ aggression as a function of parenting practices and family functioning. Results indicated that maternal depression was related …
Understanding Death Anxiety In Women With Gynecologic Cancer, Hana Kim
Understanding Death Anxiety In Women With Gynecologic Cancer, Hana Kim
Theses and Dissertations
For most of us, thoughts about our own mortality are largely unconscious, an invisible backdrop to our daily living. However, when forced to face a potentially life threatening event, these otherwise underlying thoughts about human transience rise to consciousness. Given the seemingly inherent link between receiving a cancer diagnosis and developing an increased awareness of one’s own mortality, the present study sought to address the following research question, “What are the experiences and processes by which women with gynecologic cancer construct meaning and manage death anxiety in the face of their cancer diagnosis?” Based on an interpretive grounded theory paradigm, …
Physical Activity, Physical Fitness And The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Obese Adolescents, Nichole Kelly
Physical Activity, Physical Fitness And The Psychosocial Well-Being Of Obese Adolescents, Nichole Kelly
Theses and Dissertations
Overweight and obesity are associated with an array of negative physical and psychosocial symptoms in adolescents. Numerous pediatric obesity interventions have emerged in an attempt to address this significant public health concern. However, few have focused on African American females, a particularly high risk group for negative health behaviors and associated complications. Moreover, research examining the psychosocial changes associated with increases in physical activity and fitness, although promising in elder and adult populations, is nearly nonexistent in adolescents. Thus, the current study addressed limitations in the research and examined the psychosocial outcomes of adolescent participants in T.E.E.N.S., a culturally sensitive, …
Diet-Related Changes In Sensitivity To The Pharmacological Effects Of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Mayo Wright
Diet-Related Changes In Sensitivity To The Pharmacological Effects Of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Mayo Wright
Theses and Dissertations
Recent evidence suggests that sustained consumption of a high-fat diet is associated with reduced CB1 receptor expression in some brain areas. Many of the neuromodulatory functions of endogenous cannabinoids are mediated by the CB1 receptor. The CB1 receptor also mediates the behavioral and physiological effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC), the primary psychoactive constituent of marijuana. While high-fat diets are associated with region-specific changes in CB1 receptor expression, it is not clear whether such changes are behaviorally relevant. To that end, separate groups of male and female rats were placed on either a high-fat diet or a standard diet. Cannabinoid function was …
Interpersonal And Shared Decision Making Models Of Communication Applied To Simulated Requests For Organ Donation, Daniel Baughn
Interpersonal And Shared Decision Making Models Of Communication Applied To Simulated Requests For Organ Donation, Daniel Baughn
Theses and Dissertations
Using an analogue format, the present study evaluated the viability of relationship and interactional concepts that have been applied to the physician-patient interaction to the field of organ donation by examining the donation request process between procurement coordinators and simulated families. Interpersonal processes were assessed using behavioral ratings by independent observers. Procurement coordinators were viewed as being more submissive than dominant and more friendly than hostile. Family members were viewed as being more hostile than friendly, more dominant and hostile than submissive or friendly, disclosing slightly more personal information than medical information, and engaging in slightly more shared decision making …
Experiences Of Post-Processing In Group Psychotherapy, Karen Muehl
Experiences Of Post-Processing In Group Psychotherapy, Karen Muehl
Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological research approach (Moustakas, 1994) to examine the question How do group psychotherapy clients experience post-processing? The conceptual framework for the study was Yalom’s interpersonal process approach to group psychotherapy (Yalom & Leszcz, 2005). Participants were 12 university counseling center clients who were members of an interpersonal process-oriented psychotherapy group at a large urban university. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews. Data analysis procedures followed recommendations by Smith and Osborn (2003) and Creswell (2007). In order to increase the trustworthiness and rigor of the study, the researcher engaged in reflexive journaling, member checking, and the …