Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 211 - 240 of 269

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Competency In Forensic Examinations: What Variables Predict Restoration?, Devan R. Guidry Jan 2007

Competency In Forensic Examinations: What Variables Predict Restoration?, Devan R. Guidry

LSU Master's Theses

Competency to Stand Trial (CST), also known as adjudicative competency, remains an important issue for both judicial and mental health systems, and much effort is invested in research designed to define, assess and determine what factors are most relevant for restoring CST. The purpose of this study was to provide information that might improve the ability to predict which individuals would eventually become competent. Archival data were reviewed for 79 inpatient defendants referred for competency restoration treatment. Although information was incomplete, comparisons were made between those who remained incompetent (IST; n =15) and those who were restored to competency (CST; …


The Convergent Validity Of The Scale For The Evaluation And Identification Of Seizures, Epilepsy And Anticonvulsant Side Effects-B (Seizes-B), Kimberly Robin Michelle Smith Jan 2007

The Convergent Validity Of The Scale For The Evaluation And Identification Of Seizures, Epilepsy And Anticonvulsant Side Effects-B (Seizes-B), Kimberly Robin Michelle Smith

LSU Master's Theses

Prevalence rates of epilepsy in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are much higher than in the general population. Although antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy is considered the first line of treatment, a significant number of individuals on AEDs still do not achieve total seizure control. Further, many individuals experience side effects (SE) from long-term AED use. The assessment of AED SE in individuals with ID and epilepsy is an important aspect of treatment. The present study focused on the Scale for the Evaluation and Identification of Seizures, Epilepsy, and Anticonvulsant Side Effects-B (SEIZES-B), developed to assess SE from AED use in …


Reducing Homework Problems In Adhd Adolescents: A Comparison Of Two Self-Management Interventions, Valerie Paasch Jan 2007

Reducing Homework Problems In Adhd Adolescents: A Comparison Of Two Self-Management Interventions, Valerie Paasch

LSU Master's Theses

Self-managed interventions can be especially beneficial during the adolescent years, as expectations of a child’s academic independence increase. Self-monitoring, a type of self-managed intervention, has been used to assess problem behaviors, evaluate treatment effectiveness, promote behavior change, and increase homework production. Goal-setting, another form of self-management has been associated with improvements in behavior, academics, and homework. However, no known studies have compared the effectiveness of self-monitoring and goal-setting homework interventions in ADHD adolescents. The current study compares two self-managed interventions, goal-setting and self-monitoring, in an attempt to determine their effectiveness with ADHD adolescents with problematic homework behavior. Participants were trained …


In Search Of The Optimal Cueing Schedule In Self-Monitoring Of Attention With Typically Developing Children, Amanda M. Dahir Jan 2007

In Search Of The Optimal Cueing Schedule In Self-Monitoring Of Attention With Typically Developing Children, Amanda M. Dahir

LSU Master's Theses

Self-Monitoring of Attention (SMA) is a behavioral technique in which an individual assesses whether or not a target behavior (e.g. off-task behavior) has occurred and then records the result. In this study, two components were manipulated in a SMA procedure: the use of a tactile prompt and the schedule at which prompts are delivered. While SMA is a well-established intervention for increasing on-task behavior and decreasing problem behavior, standardizing the procedures has received little to no research. The current study examined the length of the cueing interval and compared different percentages of an individual's inter response time (IRT) (50% IRT, …


Behavior Problems Exhibited In Institutionalized Persons With Intellectual Disabilities And Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Ryan Thorson Jan 2007

Behavior Problems Exhibited In Institutionalized Persons With Intellectual Disabilities And Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Ryan Thorson

LSU Master's Theses

Although our understanding of dual diagnosis has improved in recent years, a deficit exists in our knowledge of how schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) manifest themselves in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). We also know very little about the behavioral problems present with the ID population based on the existence of psychopathology. The present research attempted to extend the literature by comparing behavior problems of individuals with intellectual disability with SSD, any form of psychopathology, and no psychopathology. Utilizing the Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI), three areas of problem behaviors were examined (self-injurious behavior, stereotypic behavior, and aggressive/destructive behavior) and a total …


Integration Of Conceptual Mathematical Relationships Into Constant Time Delay Instruction, Bethany Ann Porter Jan 2006

Integration Of Conceptual Mathematical Relationships Into Constant Time Delay Instruction, Bethany Ann Porter

LSU Master's Theses

There is constant debate over mathematics education in the United States. One central controversy is whether or not the current methods used to teach students mathematics are effective. Some scholars believe that students are not getting enough practice and that they are not getting a good conceptual understanding of mathematics. It has been shown that mathematics equations are rich in patterns and inter-relationships and when children understand these relationships they have higher mathematic skill levels than their peers who do not. This study examined the effectiveness of using an empirically supported, fast paced mastery oriented teaching procedure that promotes automaticity …


Effects Of Smoking Cessation And Female Sex Hormones On Food Intake In Postmenopausal Women, Megan Ranae Apperson Jan 2006

Effects Of Smoking Cessation And Female Sex Hormones On Food Intake In Postmenopausal Women, Megan Ranae Apperson

LSU Master's Theses

Following smoking cessation, individuals increase their food intake. Women experience greater postcessation hyperphagia than men, and older women may increase their food intake more than younger women. Some research has suggested that postcessation increases in food intake may be macronutrient specific. However, previous investigations of macronutrient specific changes in food intake following smoking cessation have had significant methodological problems. The current study assessed changes in total food intake and macronutrient selection using the Macronutrient Self-Selection Paradigm (MSSP), a direct, laboratory based measure of food intake that is valid and reliable with respect to macronutrient intake. Fifty-five postmenopausal females completed the …


Animation In Artificial Grammar Learning: Can Animation Facilitate Learning?, Bill Sallas Jan 2006

Animation In Artificial Grammar Learning: Can Animation Facilitate Learning?, Bill Sallas

LSU Master's Theses

Domangue, Mathews, Sun, Roussel, and Guidry (2004) trained participants to generate valid exemplars from an artificial grammar using either memory-based or model-based processing. Their results showed that learning by memory-based processing resulted in fast but inaccurate performance, while model-based learning resulted in slow but accurate performance. Attempts to integrate both types of training did not result in fast and accurate string generation. Fast and accurate performance was achieved by Sun and Mathews (2004) using a computer animated display to train participants. The current study used a 2x2x2 factorial design to determine why participants who view an animated display of a …


The Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Conflict And Academic Achievement, Marie S. Nebel-Schwalm Jan 2006

The Relationship Between Parent-Adolescent Conflict And Academic Achievement, Marie S. Nebel-Schwalm

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research has shown family conflict to have a detrimental effect on the academic functioning of children and adolescents. Most research conceptualizes family conflict as marital distress or divorce. Additional factors that have been shown to effect academic functioning include cognitive ability (i.e., intelligence), academic skills (e.g., homework behaviors), and amount of resources (i.e., socioeconomic status, SES). The present study investigated whether parent-adolescent conflict is related to adolescent academic achievement after accounting for cognitive ability and homework behaviors. Participants include 74 middle school students attending public school in a low-SES urban environment. Prior to conducting analyses, parent and adolescent reports …


Spaced-Retrieval Effects On Memory For Scenes In Older Adults With Probable Alzheimer's Disease, Emily Olinde Jan 2006

Spaced-Retrieval Effects On Memory For Scenes In Older Adults With Probable Alzheimer's Disease, Emily Olinde

LSU Master's Theses

Previous studies have found the spaced-retrieval memory intervention technique to be successful in training people with probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to learn new, simple associations. In the present study, we expanded on these previous findings by training eight participants with probable AD to learn the names and pictures of countries via spaced retrieval. We demonstrated the flexibility of the technique, gave insight as to the effects of distracters on the spaced-retrieval training performance, and demonstrated the memorial effects of adding pictorial support to the text.


Is Attention Unitary Or Divisible By Modality?, Sharon Diane Lynn Jan 2006

Is Attention Unitary Or Divisible By Modality?, Sharon Diane Lynn

LSU Master's Theses

Using the attentional network task (ANT) developed by Fan et al. (2002) and a modification of this task, the development of selective attention in a bimodal (auditory and visual) task is measured and compared to the results and development of the visual version of the task. The theoretical purpose of the study was to determine whether the attentional mechanism involved in this task is organized as a single mechanism or into modality-specific mechanisms. It was shown that adults needed specific instructions to efficiently use the auditory spatial warning cues but instructions were not required for efficient use of visual spatial …


Knowledge Representation Acquired In A Dynamic Process Control Task, Robert Prattini Jan 2006

Knowledge Representation Acquired In A Dynamic Process Control Task, Robert Prattini

LSU Master's Theses

The dissociation between explicit and implicit knowledge has been shown in a number of previous studies utilizing the process control task, where participants would learn to control the system well, but not be able to verbally articulate their knowledge (Berry & Broadbent, 1984; Berry & Broadbent, 1988; Mathews, Buss, Stanley, Blanchard-Fields, Cho, & Druhan, 1989; Roussel, 1999; Sun & Mathews, 2005). This study attempts to advance this basic research in the area of implicit learning by examining the type of mental knowledge representation acquired in implicitly learned tasks, and also assess the transfer of that knowledge to conceptually similar tasks. …


Cognitive Adaptation's Implication On Diabetic Adherence, Martin Ancona Jan 2005

Cognitive Adaptation's Implication On Diabetic Adherence, Martin Ancona

LSU Master's Theses

Diabetes, affecting more than 18 million people in the United States, is an epidemic problem. The illness is usually progressive, leading to neuropathy, blindness, and limb amputation. The most common type of the illness, Type 2 diabetes, is usually controllable through a strict combination of diet, exercise, and medication. However, non-compliance, rather than compliance, to prescribed diabetes regimens is the norm. Although past research has uncovered many of the reason that diabetics may fail to adhere to their regimen, the whole puzzle has not yet been solved. This study looked at the Cognitive Adaptation Theory in relation to diabetic adherence. …


Reinforcement Magnitude: An Evaluation Of Preference And Reinforcer Potency, Nicole M. Trosclair Jan 2005

Reinforcement Magnitude: An Evaluation Of Preference And Reinforcer Potency, Nicole M. Trosclair

LSU Master's Theses

Reinforcers that maintain problem behavior often are an integral part of treatment with differential reinforcement. Basic research suggests that various parameters of reinforcement (e.g., rate, quality, delay, and magnitude) may influence treatment outcomes. Germane to the current study, the voluminous basic literature on reinforcement magnitude indicates that this parameter may influence responding, especially in choice situations or when response requirements are systematically increased over time. Although consideration of reinforcer magnitude may be important for maximizing treatment effectiveness, relatively little is known about children’s preference for different magnitudes of reinforcement or the extent to which relative preference would be related to …


Effects Of 5-Ht2 Receptor Ligands On Tail Pinch-Induced Stress Responding And Open Field Behavior, John K. Hearn Jan 2005

Effects Of 5-Ht2 Receptor Ligands On Tail Pinch-Induced Stress Responding And Open Field Behavior, John K. Hearn

LSU Master's Theses

Stress is known to exert an influence on neuroendocrine, autonomic, hormonal, and immune functioning. As a result of the debilitating effects of stress on numerous bodily systems, there exists a large body of research devoted to the etiology, physiological sequelae, and treatment of the condition. Further, the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in stress responding. Presently, there is conflict in the literature as to the precise role serotonin plays in mediating the stress response. This study was an attempt to further elucidate the role of 5-HT in mediating an organism’s response to tail pinch stress and the open field. …


Jury Knowledge Of Eyewitness Memory: Can Jurors Use This Knowledge In The Courtroom?, Jill D. Alonzo Jan 2005

Jury Knowledge Of Eyewitness Memory: Can Jurors Use This Knowledge In The Courtroom?, Jill D. Alonzo

LSU Master's Theses

As a result of Daubert, trial judges were advised to only admit an expert once they determine 1) that the testimony is supported with scientific evidence and 2) would assist the trier(s) of fact. The present studies were designed to address the second criterion of admissibility by 1) assessing jurors' knowledge of eyewitness memory, and 2) determining if they can apply this knowledge when assessing mock courtroom testimony. In the first study, subjects evaluated trial transcripts of testimony concerning an eyewitness account where factors that influence eyewitness memory were present in either a negative form or a positive form. In …


An Examination Of Psychotropic Medication Prescription Practices Among Individuals With Mental Retardation, Ashvind Nand Singh Jan 2005

An Examination Of Psychotropic Medication Prescription Practices Among Individuals With Mental Retardation, Ashvind Nand Singh

LSU Master's Theses

While there is an extensive literature on the use of psychotropic medications among individuals with mental retardation, little of it has focused on the reasons for these prescriptions. Researchers have shown that the prevalence of psychotropic medication use among individuals with mental retardation is relatively high when compared to people with other disabilities and that the reasons for these drug prescriptions may not be based on rational pharmacotherapy. Data is needed on the prescribing physician’s adherence to consensus guidelines or algorithms developed to enhance rational psychopharmacotherapy. In order to do this, the rationales being used by physicians when they decide …


Weight Concern And Smoking In Children, Darla E. Kendzor Jan 2005

Weight Concern And Smoking In Children, Darla E. Kendzor

LSU Master's Theses

Studies have shown that weight concern is prevalent in children and that many children believe smoking can be used to control appetite and weight. However, little is known about the impact of the combination of these factors on smoking initiation in children. Initial research has indicated that weight concern predicts smoking initiation in adolescents, but these studies have not addressed the role of weight control outcome expectancies. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the relationship between weight concern and smoking initiation, and to evaluate weight control outcome expectancies as a moderator of this relationship in children. Cross-sectional …


Improving Homework In Adolescents With Adhd: Comparing Training In Self- Vs. Parent-Monitoring Of Homework And Study Skills Completion, Kara J. Meyer Jan 2005

Improving Homework In Adolescents With Adhd: Comparing Training In Self- Vs. Parent-Monitoring Of Homework And Study Skills Completion, Kara J. Meyer

LSU Master's Theses

Self-monitoring has been proven to be effective in increasing performance, on task behavior, and homework completion in students with learning disabilities and other academic difficulties. Parent supervision and involvement in homework also has been shown to improve performance. However, the effectiveness of parent vs. self-monitoring of homework completion and test preparation has never been examined in adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The current study compared the effectiveness of self- and parent-monitoring of homework and study skills completion in middle school students with ADHD. Students were trained in the SQ4R study strategy and homework completion skills. In one group students monitored …


Comorbidity Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Low Income Urban Youth, Karen Ann Laslie Jan 2005

Comorbidity Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Low Income Urban Youth, Karen Ann Laslie

LSU Master's Theses

Chronic exposure to violence is becoming increasingly common for urban children, placing them at an increased risk of developing psychopathology. For children exposed to chronic violence, two common diagnoses are Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, symptom overlap between these disorders has made differential diagnosis difficult. Most studies looking at the comorbidity between ADHD and PTSD have focused only on maltreated children. This study is the first to look at comorbid rates of ADHD and PTSD for children exposed to chronic violence, not limited to maltreatment. Specifically, this study evaluated rates of PTSD symptoms in children with …


Mania And Intellectual Disability: The Course Of Mania Symptoms In Persons With Disability Over Three Years, Melissa Luke Gonzalez Jan 2005

Mania And Intellectual Disability: The Course Of Mania Symptoms In Persons With Disability Over Three Years, Melissa Luke Gonzalez

LSU Master's Theses

Although bipolar disorder was one of the earliest described mental illnesses, there is a dearth of research on bipolar disorder in individuals with intellectual deficits. The present study aimed to extend this literature by comparing the presence and variation of manic symptoms over time of persons with intellectual deficits with and without bipolar disorder. Three groups of individuals participated: a bipolar group, a psychopathology group (other than bipolar disorder) and a control group. Two dependent measures of mania were taken from retrospective data, Mania subscale of the DASH-II and a Criterion-referenced subscale. The presence and consistency of mania symptom endorsements …


Relationships Among Performance On Simulated Tasks Of Decision-Making, Positive Outcome Expectancies For Mdma, And Age Of First Mdma Use, Scott Michael Patterson Jan 2005

Relationships Among Performance On Simulated Tasks Of Decision-Making, Positive Outcome Expectancies For Mdma, And Age Of First Mdma Use, Scott Michael Patterson

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use patterns and beliefs, the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, and the Adult Self-Report (ASR). Sixty-eight college students completed measures of substance use, social desirability, the MDMA Beliefs Questionnaire (MDMA-BQ), the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, and the ASR. Contrary to predictions, participants who had used MDMA at least once did not vary from those who had never used MDMA on the Gambling Task, the delay discounting task, or the ASR. As predicted, MDMA users’ outcome expectancies for MDMA significantly differed from non-users. MDMA-BQ scales and …


Relative Efficacy Of School-Home Notes And Classroom Based Contingencies In Low-Income Elementary School Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Jennette Lea Palcic Jan 2005

Relative Efficacy Of School-Home Notes And Classroom Based Contingencies In Low-Income Elementary School Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Jennette Lea Palcic

LSU Master's Theses

A great deal of evidence suggests that ADHD negatively impacts children’s academic performance and on-task behavior. School-home notes have proven to be an effective and acceptable method of classroom behavior management. A school-home note is a daily report card in which a teacher rates a student on any number of target behaviors. The note is then sent home so that the child may receive consequences contingent on that day's behavior. Although successful at decreasing off-task behavior in the classroom, treatment integrity is not always maintained at acceptable levels. Additionally, ADHD children have been shown to be more responsive to immediate …


Efficacy Of Modified Parent Training To Facilitate Expressive Language Of Children With An Expressive Language Delay, Marie Henderson Jan 2005

Efficacy Of Modified Parent Training To Facilitate Expressive Language Of Children With An Expressive Language Delay, Marie Henderson

LSU Master's Theses

This study aimed to study the efficacy of a modified parent-training program on parents’ use of language facilitative techniques. The training method employed a handout and discussion of the facilitative techniques and how they could be incorporated into play time with the children. Participants included 4 parent-child dyads recruited from a school for children with language delays. Effectiveness of the training was determined by taking data on parent and child behaviors from tape recordings of parent-child play interactions that occurred in each family’s home. Results showed that parents were able to use the procedures during baseline and maintained relatively stable …


The Effect Of Emotion On Witness Suggestibility, Cristine Carmen Roussel Jan 2005

The Effect Of Emotion On Witness Suggestibility, Cristine Carmen Roussel

LSU Master's Theses

When witnesses are exposed to highly stressful and emotional events, the result is often increased arousal and a change in the pattern of attention. Both of these factors are likely to impact witnesses’ memory for the event. In addition, witnesses are often exposed to post-event information from a variety of sources (e.g., investigators, other witnesses, media reports). The goal of the present study was to explore, in the context of the eyewitness suggestibility paradigm, the impact of emotional arousal and attentional focus on event memory and the incidence of eyewitness suggestibility. A secondary goal of this study was to explore …


Reciprocal Peer Tutoring And Treatment Integrity Of Elementary School Students, Brian M. Esteve Jan 2005

Reciprocal Peer Tutoring And Treatment Integrity Of Elementary School Students, Brian M. Esteve

LSU Master's Theses

Academic concerns are the most common reason students are referred for special services in schools. This obviously leads to the necessity for schools to have secondary prevention services in place to address the needs of students who are struggling. Peer tutoring, in its various forms, has been well documented as an effective and inexpensive intervention for all academic areas. Despite the promise of peer tutoring, research evidence suggests that teachers may not consistently carry out their roles in the peer tutoring process with sufficient accuracy to ensure positive outcomes. One possible solution to this problem is to have a consultant …


Teaching Elementary Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder To Recruit Teacher Attention: Effects On Teacher Praise, On-Task Behavior, And Academic Work, Angie Lynn Pellegrin Jan 2004

Teaching Elementary Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder To Recruit Teacher Attention: Effects On Teacher Praise, On-Task Behavior, And Academic Work, Angie Lynn Pellegrin

LSU Master's Theses

Recruitment training and self-monitoring skills have proven to be effective methods of decreasing off-task behavior and increasing work productivity and positive teacher-student interactions. Teaching students to recruit teacher attention provides an opportunity for the teacher to praise the child or to offer instructional feedback. However, research on this topic has not examined its utilization and effectiveness in children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, the present study will examine the effectiveness of training students with ADHD to monitor task progress and recruit teacher attention.


The Effects Of Internal And External Context Reinstatement On Source Memory, Jeffrey Joseph Starns Jan 2004

The Effects Of Internal And External Context Reinstatement On Source Memory, Jeffrey Joseph Starns

LSU Master's Theses

Memory for attended aspects of an encoded event (item memory) is facilitated when features of the encoding context are reinstated at test, indicating that item and context features are bound together in memory traces (Smith, 1979). The present study investigated whether reinstated contextual features similarly enhance memory for other contextual details of an event (source memory). Participants studied words that appeared on either the top or bottom of the computer screen in either a large or small font size. Following the study phase, participants completed a recognition/source test in which they had to indicate the location in which they studied …


State-Specific Effects Of Withdrawal In Smokers, Carla J. Rash Jan 2004

State-Specific Effects Of Withdrawal In Smokers, Carla J. Rash

LSU Master's Theses

Comparisons of responses to a free-recall task were made in withdrawal and non-withdrawal states of 41 smokers. A 2 x 2 design was used to investigate state-specific learning effects in smokers during nicotine withdrawal using a list of 20 common words. Nicotine withdrawal was defined as a minimum of 12 hours abstinence from smoking. Physiological measures of heart rate and blood pressure were examined for drug-compensatory responses. No significant decreases in physiological responding were found. Additionally, no interaction was found between reported urge and withdrawal. The primary hypothesis regarding state-specific effects on recall was not supported. These findings are to …


Attribution Processes In Mother-Adolescent Conflict, Ann Elisabeth Wingate Jan 2004

Attribution Processes In Mother-Adolescent Conflict, Ann Elisabeth Wingate

LSU Master's Theses

The present study aimed to determine whether negative mother and adolescent attributions about one another are associated with increased conflict levels in a heterogeneous sample, examine the possible differential predictive power of certain negative attribution types for different groups within the sample, determine whether level of negative attribution, SES, or daily stress level are significant predictors of conflict, and examine the potential mediating role of negative attributions in the relationship between SES and conflict level, as well as the relationship between and daily stress and conflict level. One hundred forty-five mother-adolescent dyads from various racial and SES backgrounds of a …