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Assessing Parental Involvement In Type 1 Diabetes Management During Adolescence, Elizabeth M. Robinson
Assessing Parental Involvement In Type 1 Diabetes Management During Adolescence, Elizabeth M. Robinson
Theses and Dissertations
Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common pediatric chronic illnesses. Adolescents are at risk for poorer glycemic control; however, youth whose parents remain involved in diabetes care are in better control. The current study examined parental involvement (PI) using a multi-method, multi-source approach in a sample of 255 youth (Age M = 12.83). The Diabetes Family Responsibility Questionnaire, Parental Monitoring of Diabetes Care Scale, and 24-Hour Diabetes Interview assessed two types of PI, parental responsibility and parental monitoring. Global and specific assessment served to cross-corroborate indicators of PI related to HbA1c. Higher levels of monitoring related to lower …
Comparing The Efficacy Of Two Cognitive Dissonance Interventions For Eating Pathology: Are Online And Face-To-Face Interventions Equally Effective?, Kasey Serdar
Theses and Dissertations
Clinical and subclinical eating pathology are common, especially among female undergraduates. Such problems are often chronic and associated with a range of negative medical and psychological outcomes. Thus, it is important to develop effective prevention programs to reduce eating disorder risk. Numerous studies suggest that dissonance-based prevention programs are the most successful in reducing eating disorder risk factors, however, such programs might not be convenient for students limited by scheduling restraints or geographic proximity. Further, some students may be reluctant to attend such groups due to lack of anonymity. One way to address these potential barriers is to adapt dissonance-based …
Evaluating The Incremental Validity Of The Mmpi-2-Rc Scales For Custody Litigants, Elizabeth Wheeler
Evaluating The Incremental Validity Of The Mmpi-2-Rc Scales For Custody Litigants, Elizabeth Wheeler
Theses and Dissertations
The use of psychological testing in child custody assessments has become more common and important as psychologists are increasingly used as expert witnesses in contested child custody and visitation cases. Currently, the MMPI-2 is the most commonly used psychological test in child custody cases, but there is no research indicating which version of the measure (K-corrected, non-K-corrected, or the RC scales) provides the most accurate picture of the custody litigant in terms of substantial correlations with external variables. This study represents the first examination of the convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity of the MMPI-2 K-corrected Basic Clinical Scales, the MMPI-2 …
Disclosure And Health: Enhancing The Benefits Of Trauma Writing Through Response Training, Andrea Konig
Disclosure And Health: Enhancing The Benefits Of Trauma Writing Through Response Training, Andrea Konig
Theses and Dissertations
Writing about a personal traumatic event has been found to have psychological and physical health benefits. Focusing on traumatic memories in writing may be a form of exposure. In imagery exposure and trauma writing, greater physiological reactivity was predictive of better outcomes. Given the importance of physiological output in emotional processing, response training was developed and found to be effective in increasing appropriate physiological reactivity in imagery exposure. If response training amplifies physiological reactivity and the benefits of writing, the hypothesis that writing is a form of exposure would be strengthened, and training may be a valuable tool to improve …
Efficacy Of A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Insomnia Among Afghanistan And Iraq (Oef/Oif) Veterans With Ptsd, Margolies Skye Ochsner
Efficacy Of A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Insomnia Among Afghanistan And Iraq (Oef/Oif) Veterans With Ptsd, Margolies Skye Ochsner
Theses and Dissertations
Sleep disturbances are a core and salient feature of PTSD and can maintain or exacerbate associated symptoms. Recent research demonstrates that cognitive-behavioral sleep-focused interventions improve sleep disturbances as well as PTSD symptoms. The present study is a randomized controlled trial comparing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) to a waitlist control group. Conducted at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the study: 1) compared subjective outcome measures of sleep amongst veterans assigned to either a treatment group (CBT-I) or a waitlist control group; (2) examined the influence of the intervention on measures of PTSD, general mood and daytime functioning, comparing veterans …
Childhood Maltreatment, Coping, And Coping Self-Efficacy Among Offenders, David Guion
Childhood Maltreatment, Coping, And Coping Self-Efficacy Among Offenders, David Guion
Theses and Dissertations
This study explored the relationship between childhood interpersonal trauma and coping self-efficacy, coping styles, and emotion regulation difficulties among male and female offenders in detention and diversion centers (N = 183). The coping-relapse model of recidivism posits that offenders’ coping ability plays a pivotal role in successful reentry (Zamble & Quinsey, 1997). Past research reveals that childhood maltreatment is associated with avoidant coping and emotion regulation difficulties, which could negatively impact reentry (e.g., Cloitre et al., 2009; Min, Farkas, Minnes, & Singer, 2007). The relationship between childhood maltreatment and coping self-efficacy has not been addressed. This study found that childhood …
Indirect Screening: Enhancing Identification Of Illicit Drug Use During Pregnancy, Courtney Smith
Indirect Screening: Enhancing Identification Of Illicit Drug Use During Pregnancy, Courtney Smith
Theses and Dissertations
OBJECTIVE: Most drug use screening measures rely on and are validated against self-report. Fear of negative consequences often promotes denial of drug use. For pregnant women, social stigma and fear of legal consequences make underreporting of drug use even more likely. An indirect screener that could effectively identify pregnant women at risk for illicit drug use without reliance on disclosure would be clinically significant. The purpose of the current study was to develop and validate an indirect measure of prenatal drug use by comparing correlates of prenatal drug use to urinalysis results. METHOD: Pregnant women attending an OB appointment at …
Evaluation Of A Community Mental Health Center’S Assessment Clinic: Development Of A Novel Assessment Evaluation Tool, Cassidy C. Arnold
Evaluation Of A Community Mental Health Center’S Assessment Clinic: Development Of A Novel Assessment Evaluation Tool, Cassidy C. Arnold
Theses and Dissertations
High quality assessment services are the linchpin connecting youth with mental health problems to diagnosis-specific, evidence-based treatments. The effort to improve assessment services is in its early days and faces a number of substantial challenges. This study was an initial effort to address these challenges through the development of a standardized, multi-dimensional Assessment Instrument evaluation tool—the Strength of Measure (SoM)—based on operationally defined criteria supported by decades of psychometric research. The SoM and other criteria addressing assessment practices were piloted with data from 32 consecutive assessment reports from a community mental health center’s Assessment Clinic. Results indicate that none of …
The Development Of The Common Factor Therapist Competence Scale For Youth Psychotherapy, Ruth Brown
The Development Of The Common Factor Therapist Competence Scale For Youth Psychotherapy, Ruth Brown
Theses and Dissertations
In order to continue to improve the effectiveness of psychotherapy, researchers must identify key change processes. Unfortunately, there are disparate views in the field about the relative importance and potency of specific techniques versus relationship factors. Few measures have been developed to examine the relative contribution of these factors, particularly for child-focused treatment. The Common-Factor Therapist Competence Scale for Youth Psychotherapy (COMP-CF) was developed to address this deficit. For this study, 142 video-taped sessions of child CBT for anxiety were observed and rated by independent coders using the COMP-CF. The measure demonstrated good reliability and internal consistency. Significant between-therapist and …
Identity And Psychological Needs Among National Guard Service Members And Undergraduates, Bradley Antonides
Identity And Psychological Needs Among National Guard Service Members And Undergraduates, Bradley Antonides
Theses and Dissertations
This study measured identity style and identity status within military and academic populations (N = 286) to investigate whether low levels of identity commitment predict dissatisfaction in meeting basic psychological needs. Analysis of identity style and identity status subscales examined the reliability of traditional measures of identity in an atypical emerging adult population. Group comparisons based on participant characteristics (identity commitment, work experience, age, combat experience) explored differences between and within institutions. Results supported the reliability of traditional identity measures in a non-traditional population. A diffuse identity status and diffuse identity style both significantly predicted lower reported levels of psychological …
The Interpersonal Process And Predictors Of Consent In Tissue Donation Requests, Lindsey Dorflinger
The Interpersonal Process And Predictors Of Consent In Tissue Donation Requests, Lindsey Dorflinger
Theses and Dissertations
The present study examined the interpersonal process during tissue donation requests and evaluated demographic and interpersonal/behavioral predictors of consent or refusal to donate. One hundred and two audiorecordings of tissue donation requests were evaluated using several different observer measures of interpersonal behavior and decision making. Results showed that tissue requesters (TRs) and next-of-kin (NOKs) tended to match one another’s level of affiliation, and complemented one another on interpersonal dominance. TRs infrequently used negative or disapproving statements during the request, but when they did NOKs were less friendly, more disapproving, and more likely to express concern. Overall there were few differences …
Pre- And Post-Migration Attitudes Among Ghanaian International Students Living In The United States: A Study Of Acculturation And Psychological Well-Being, Nicole Fischer
Theses and Dissertations
This qualitative study investigated attitudes among international students prior to their departure and following their arrival in the United States through a phenomenological research approach. Eight participants completed individual interviews in Accra, Ghana, and four participants completed follow-up email correspondence. The purpose of the study was to explain pre-migration expectations, post-migration experiences, and compare similarities and differences between perceptions and actual encounters. The researcher investigated five principle components of pre-migration: satisfaction with life prior to departure from the country of origin, impressions and expectations of the host country and predominate influences, awareness of discrimination in the host country, and culture-specific …
Let's Get Physical: The Role Of Physical Activity In The Training Of Graduate Mental Health Students, Cassandra Pasquariello
Let's Get Physical: The Role Of Physical Activity In The Training Of Graduate Mental Health Students, Cassandra Pasquariello
Theses and Dissertations
There is growing awareness of the role of physical activity (PA) in the prevention and treatment of health disorders. Mental health practitioners are well positioned to provide PA counseling and may have ethical obligations to address PA. Researchers have cited insufficient training as a barrier to PA counseling, yet little is known about training in mental health. This exploratory study examines the need for training students in PA counseling. A national sample of 361 current graduate students in psychology, social work, rehabilitation counseling, and psychiatric nursing completed a Web-based survey on their training, knowledge, attitude towards PA, personal PA, and …
Adjustment Of Families With Children Adopted From Eastern Europe, Maria Kuznetsova
Adjustment Of Families With Children Adopted From Eastern Europe, Maria Kuznetsova
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to examine the adjustment of older children and adolescents adopted from Eastern Europe and the impact of their preadoption history and family’s functioning on their adjustment. This is a follow-up study of families first surveyed in 2005 with an addition of new families. One hundred and forty-five families reporting on 194 adopted children (9 to 19 years; 104 girls) participated in this study at Time 2. The project was conducted as an internet-based survey. Parents and adopted children reported on children’s emotional, behavioral and social problems (CBCL and YSR), as well as family environment …
The Professional Identity Development Of Gerontologists: An Experiential Learning Approach, Tracey Gendron
The Professional Identity Development Of Gerontologists: An Experiential Learning Approach, Tracey Gendron
Theses and Dissertations
Professional identity is a complex construct that describes how an individual develops a sense of self-concept within a chosen profession. Professional identity refers to a self definition within a professional role based on attributes, beliefs, values, motives, and experiences (Ibarra, 1999). This study explored the relationships between the professional identity of gerontology graduates and age, career stage, student typology, occupation, and value of experiential learning both quantitatively and qualitatively. Survey results indicate that experiential learning opportunities provide a framework for all gerontology students to gain and apply the skills and knowledge necessary for professional identity development in the field of …
The Protective Role Of Psychological Empowerment On Tobacco Use Behaviors, Brittany Berry
The Protective Role Of Psychological Empowerment On Tobacco Use Behaviors, Brittany Berry
Theses and Dissertations
THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT ON TOBACCO USE BEHAVIORS By: Brittany M. Berry, B.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Aashir Nasim Associate Professor Department of Psychology The primary aim of this study was to determine the protective effects of psychological empowerment (i.e., the belief that one has the knowledge, capabilities, and authority to be an active agent in their own life and in the surrounding community) on the tobacco use behaviors of young adults. A secondary aim was …
Parent-Child Communication About Substance Use: Experiences Of Latino Emerging Adults, Kathryn Reid-Quiñones
Parent-Child Communication About Substance Use: Experiences Of Latino Emerging Adults, Kathryn Reid-Quiñones
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of the current studies was to identify messages that Latino parents communicate to their offspring about the use of legal and illegal drugs and to determine associations between parental messages and substance use outcomes. Previous research has identified parent-child communication as protective against tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use. However, most of these studies have failed to examine the specific messages communicated and those that have focused almost exclusively on non-Hispanic Caucasians. Study 1 identified messages that Latino parents communicate to their offspring regarding legal and illegal drugs through two focus groups with Latino college students (N = …
Social Support Received Online And Offline By Individuals Diagnosed With Cancer, Jessye Cohen
Social Support Received Online And Offline By Individuals Diagnosed With Cancer, Jessye Cohen
Theses and Dissertations
Life after treatment for cancer has become a primary focus for health service provider communities as the number of individuals living longer grows. The medical and psychosocial needs of cancer survivors have been prominent in the popular and scientific literature. A major focus for psychologists has been the relationships and social support networks of individuals diagnosed with cancer. The current study explored a recent phenomenon within this realm, the use of Internet resources for online support. The purpose of this study was to compare social support received online and social support received offline among people diagnosed with cancer who use …
The Impact Of Overt And Relational Victimization On Adolescents' Well Being: Moderating Effects Of Ethnicity At The Individual And School Level, Krista Mehari
Theses and Dissertations
The sociocultural influence of ethnicity on peer victimization among youth has received little attention in the research literature. Individual ethnicity within school ethnic composition may influence the frequency of victimization and the effect of victimization on adolescents’ well being. The current study investigated these issues using a data set of 5,581 sixth grade students attending 37 schools located in four sites. Multilevel models examined the extent to which individual ethnicity within school ethnic composition influenced the frequency and impact of overt and relational victimization on changes in life satisfaction. Ethnic differences were found in the frequency of victimization, but these …
Meaning Maintenance In Close Relationships, Daryl R. Van Tongeren
Meaning Maintenance In Close Relationships, Daryl R. Van Tongeren
Theses and Dissertations
The human motivation for meaning has been a longstanding topic of inquiry, and recent research has begun to investigate how individuals maintain a sense of meaning in life. Given the importance of social connectedness in human life, as well as the role of relationships in providing a sense of meaningfulness, the present investigation explored meaning maintenance within the domain of close relationships. Specifically, a theoretical model for interpersonal meaning maintenance is presented, which proposes that moral actions—particularly forgiveness—are oriented toward restoring relationship quality, and, in turn, meaning in life, in the wake of interpersonal transgressions. The tenets of this model …
Turning To The Bottle For Answers: Identifying Racial Differences In Predictors Of Risk Drinking Among College Women, Melody Mickens
Turning To The Bottle For Answers: Identifying Racial Differences In Predictors Of Risk Drinking Among College Women, Melody Mickens
Theses and Dissertations
Epidemiological data suggest that alcohol use and related problems have increased among college women. The current study examined psychosocial predictors of risk drinking in a sample of college women (N=360), whether race moderated this relationship. Potential predictors included: daily smoker; premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptom severity; age at first alcohol use, negative affect, parental history of alcohol problems and minority status. Analyses found that somatic PMS symptom severity score, age of first alcohol use, daily smoking, age of first alcohol use and non-minority status were related. Findings suggest that minority group membership was associated with low risk drinking, while somatic PMS …
Attitude Alignment Among Couples In The Face Of Belonging Threat, Chelsea Reid
Attitude Alignment Among Couples In The Face Of Belonging Threat, Chelsea Reid
Theses and Dissertations
The present research sought to expand upon previous research demonstrating that individuals shift their attitudes to match the attitudes of their romantic partner. This research examined whether attitude alignment is influenced, in part, by belonging threats. Participants reported their attitudes about social issues and were randomly assigned to receive a belonging threat (or acceptance) in the form of feedback about their future relationships prior to discussing issues about which they disagreed with their partner. Partners discussed issues that were central to self - peripheral to partner and peripheral to self - central to partner. Attitude alignment was measured following discussion …
Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of 3-Substituent Rimonabant Analogs, D. Matthew Walentiny
Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of 3-Substituent Rimonabant Analogs, D. Matthew Walentiny
Theses and Dissertations
Cannabinoid agonists (e.g., THC) dose-dependently decrease locomotor activity and body temperature and produce antinociception and catalepsy. Drugs that produce this tetrad of effects within a limited dose range are likely to function as CB1 receptor agonists. A structure activity relationship study from our laboratory investigating analogs of the CB1 antagonist rimonabant revealed that certain alterations in the 3-substituent of rimonabant’s pyrazole core conferred agonist-like properties in the tetrad. Interestingly, these effects were present in CB1 -/- mice, and were not reversed by rimonabant in wild-type mice. The present study evaluated two novel 3-substituent rimonabant analogs, O-6629 and O-6658 in the …
The Influence Of Family Structure And Transitions On Parenting, Income, Residential Mobility, And Substance Initiation In Early Adolescence: A Comparison Of Caucasian And African American Youth, Sally Mays
Theses and Dissertations
The effect of family structure on youth adjustment has received increasing attention as historical trends in single parenting, divorce, remarriage, and cohabitation with partners and extended family members have produced a diverse constellation of structures. African American youth are less likely than Caucasian youth to live in an “intact” family. Links between family structure and a variety of indices of youth adjustment have been established, although a relatively understudied outcome is that of substance initiation, despite its association with dependence and other negative sequelae. The dynamic effect of transitions has additionally been less studied than the static effect of structure. …
Assessment Of Diabetes Regimen Disease Care In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes Via The Diabetes Behavior Rating Scale And The 24-Hour Diabetes Interview, Kathryn Maher
Theses and Dissertations
The psychometric properties of two measures of diabetes disease care, the Diabetes Behavior Rating Scale (DBRS) and the 24-hr Diabetes Interview (24-hr) were evaluated. The 24-hr is a widely used, structured interview while the DBRS is a self-administered, fixed-choice questionnaire. Both measures were administered to 250 youth with Type 1 Diabetes (aged 11–14 years) and their parents. Overall, both measures demonstrate adequate psychometric properties. The DBRS and the 24-hr demonstrated good incremental validity and low convergent validity with each adding significant additive value. Both measures demonstrated good concurrent validity with HbA1c. As expected, scores on the 24-hr demonstrated less than …
Developmental Trajectories Of Physical And Relational Aggression And Their Relation To Delinquency And Substance Use In Adolescence, Denicia Titchner
Developmental Trajectories Of Physical And Relational Aggression And Their Relation To Delinquency And Substance Use In Adolescence, Denicia Titchner
Theses and Dissertations
Although researchers studying adolescent aggression have proposed a conceptual distinction between physical and relational aggression, there is contradictory evidence regarding the degree to which they differ in their trajectories and relations to other outcomes. This study explored the importance of differentiating between these two forms of aggression based on comparisons of their trajectories, relation with each other, impact on delinquency and substance use, and gender differences. Data were collected as part of the Multisite Violence Prevention Project, conducted at 19 middle schools from four sites with a predominantly low-income, minority sample of students (N = 2,822). Growth curves showed significant …
Suc Khoe La Quan Trong Hon Sac Dep! Health Is Better Than Beauty! Improving Breast And Cervical Cancer Screening Outcomes Among Vietnamese Women, Anh Nguyen
Theses and Dissertations
Vietnamese women experience cancer screening disparities and inconsistent adherence to screening guidelines. The goal of this study was to implement and evaluate a breast and cervical cancer screening intervention to promote cancer screening knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, intention, and behavior for Vietnamese women. Secondary objectives of the study included examining the relationships between cultural variables (e.g., acculturation, ethnic identity, religiosity, and collectivism) and cancer screening variables. The study enrolled 102 women from the greater Richmond metropolitan area. Participants were assigned to an intervention group or a print material control group. In the intervention session, participants were exposed to information on female …
What It Means To Be A Man: Masculinity, Sexual Risk-Taking, And Hiv Testing Behavior Among Heterosexual African American Males, Jessica Johnson
What It Means To Be A Man: Masculinity, Sexual Risk-Taking, And Hiv Testing Behavior Among Heterosexual African American Males, Jessica Johnson
Theses and Dissertations
HIV/AIDS is a growing concern in the African American community. From 2005 to 2008, there was a 12% increase in HIV/AIDS diagnoses among African Americans (CDC, 2010a). African American males have higher rates of HIV/AIDS diagnoses than any other ethnic or racial groups. In 2006, 65% of the HIV/AIDS cases among African Americans were from adult males (CDC, 2010a). These higher rates are in part attributed to higher levels of sexual risk-taking including unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, and sex with high-risk partners. African American adult men get tested at almost the same rate (52%) as African American women …
Adapting Evidence-Based Treatments For Youth In A Community Mental Health Setting: Single Case Design, Alexis Quinoy
Adapting Evidence-Based Treatments For Youth In A Community Mental Health Setting: Single Case Design, Alexis Quinoy
Theses and Dissertations
This single-case design study examined the effectiveness of adapting evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for children in a community clinic through a university-community partnership. Community clinic therapists treated eight youths (five males), ages 10 to 14, of whom four were Caucasian, two were Latino, one was African-American, and one was Caucasian/African-American. Youths presented with a primary diagnosis of a DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) internalizing disorder (plus multiple comorbidities). An adapted treatment combining multiple elements based on two primary treatment manuals: Coping Cat (Kendall et al., 1990) and PASCET (Weisz et al., 1999) was used. Youths with comorbid externalizing symptoms were also …
Sweet Mercy: A Scientific Investigation, Aubrey Gartner
Sweet Mercy: A Scientific Investigation, Aubrey Gartner
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of the following studies is to understand the factors that are related to and influence a person’s merciful behavior toward an offender. I define mercy as an act by a person who has the authority to do so that administers or recommends less negative consequence or punishment than is deserved by someone justly deserved. In Study 1, undergraduate students (N = 400) completed the Mercy Meter, a self-report measure of mercy. The Mercy Meter’s scale structure and psychometric properties were examined using Item Response Theory Rasch Analysis. A 14-item, 2-factor scale was established with good psychometric properties. Evidence …