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Mindfulness And Physical Activity As Moderators Of Behavioral Inhibition Sensitivity And Psychological Distress, Edward Silber Mar 2022

Mindfulness And Physical Activity As Moderators Of Behavioral Inhibition Sensitivity And Psychological Distress, Edward Silber

LSU Master's Theses

Framed in Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, the current study examined the moderating effects of mindfulness and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on the relationship between behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity and psychological distress. Participants (N=183) were college students at a large public university in the Southeastern United States. Data were collected using an online survey with self-report questionnaires that demonstrated acceptable reliability. Data analysis utilized multiple linear regression models to test study hypotheses. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between BIS sensitivity and psychological distress, with mindfulness and MVPA significantly moderating this association. Specifically, increased reports of mindfulness and MVPA …


Quijano As Quijote: Decoding Madness Through Psychological Theory, Cristian Rivera Mar 2021

Quijano As Quijote: Decoding Madness Through Psychological Theory, Cristian Rivera

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis approaches Alonso’s Quijano’s conversion into Don Quijote from the point of view of a psychologist. The aim of this thesis is to explain the cognitive and psychological experiences that move Alonso Quijano to become Don Quijote and its impact in the development of our current studies of the mind. Thus, one specific question will direct my project although this question will be addressed using a multidisciplinary psychologist approach. The research question is “How can Alonso Quijano’s psychological experiences and interpretations of the real world be explained today?” This question will be addressed by referencing five episodes in the …


Interrelationships Among Medication Types And Health Characteristics In Individuals With Bipolar Disorder Receiving Integrated Health Services, Laura Pier Valle Jan 2017

Interrelationships Among Medication Types And Health Characteristics In Individuals With Bipolar Disorder Receiving Integrated Health Services, Laura Pier Valle

LSU Master's Theses

Integrated primary and behavioral healthcare (PBHC) programs are a recent development in the field of mental health. The purpose of these programs is to combat the sizeable health discrepancies among persons with serious mental illness (SMI), who suffer from more comorbidities and lower life expectancy than the general population. Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a common SMI diagnosis that is associated with a substantial health burden. Research has shown that Bipolar disorder (BPD) responds well to medication, but clients with BPD often struggle with adherence to a medication regimen. Side effects and other health-related factors are often cited by clients as …


Treatment Acceptability And Child Discipline: The Influence Of Parent Factors, Kasia Simone Plessy Jan 2016

Treatment Acceptability And Child Discipline: The Influence Of Parent Factors, Kasia Simone Plessy

LSU Master's Theses

The consideration of parents’ acceptance of child discipline methods is important when developing culturally sensitive parent training programs, as treatment acceptability has been associated with treatment adherence and effectiveness. Past parent training research has primarily been conducted with middle-income, Caucasian mothers. The purpose of this study is to examine parents’ acceptance of five common discipline methods often used by or recommended to parents. To address the lack of research considering parental factors, this study examines the influence of gender, race, and income on parents’ acceptability ratings. Participants were 106 mothers from heterogeneous backgrounds. Acceptability ratings were measured using the Treatment …


Caregiver Choice In Autism Intervention: Selections And Influential Factors, Hilary Lynn Adams Jan 2016

Caregiver Choice In Autism Intervention: Selections And Influential Factors, Hilary Lynn Adams

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Although research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase, there is not yet a “cure” for the disorder. There is a lack of consensus regarding most effective treatments, much less an accepted treatment plan or course. Families may feel alone and lost in the treatment decision process. In order to best assist caregivers, psychologists must understand the selections caregivers make, their sources of information, and what influences them in their decision-making process. With this knowledge, clinicians may best effect change in caregiver choice by encouraging informed decision-making and use of empirically-based interventions. Thus, the purpose of the current study …


Inattentional Blindness And Auditory Attention: Effects Of Cognitive Load On Visual Awareness, Dillon James Cornett Jan 2014

Inattentional Blindness And Auditory Attention: Effects Of Cognitive Load On Visual Awareness, Dillon James Cornett

LSU Master's Theses

The current study investigated the effects of cognitive load, in the presence or absence of distractors, during a dynamic inattentional blindness (IB) task on IB rate. IB is a phenomenon where one fails to notice an unexpected object (UEO) or event (UEE) that is in full view while attention is occupied. In the present study, the presence of distractors was manipulated (present/absent) to investigate the effects of selective attention in inattentional blindness when inhibition of distractors is required or not required. Undergraduates at Louisiana State University completed a visual task while listening to music embedded with sine wave tones (low …


Color Journal, Meichi Lee Jan 2013

Color Journal, Meichi Lee

LSU Master's Theses

Color Journal consists of a collection of works, which depict landscapes and cityscapes with an underlining consciousness of the interrelationship between humans and their environment. Over the ages, the relationship changes through the history of human civilization. In the current age, nature seems to suffer a losing battle. Therefore, there is a personal nostalgic sentiment to emphasize the beauty of our natural environment and the importance of the balance of the relationship. The image of houses is chosen to represent human activities because of the inherent symbols embedded in houses. All the paintings in the collection rely heavily on memory …


Escape To Utopia: Mental Illness, Veterans, And Gowanda State Hospital (1946-1952), Ursula Irene Anna Goldsmith Jan 2006

Escape To Utopia: Mental Illness, Veterans, And Gowanda State Hospital (1946-1952), Ursula Irene Anna Goldsmith

LSU Master's Theses

This study will cover the history from 1946 to 1952 of a state hospital located in Helmuth, New York, known as Gowanda State Homeopathic Hospital (GSH). It describes the community, physical campus and the surrounding area where it is located. The experience of treating military personnel suffering from combat-related mental illness during the 1940s led many psychiatrists to emphasize the social dimensions of mental disorder and to hypothesize that mentally ill civilians and veterans may best be treated outside of traditional mental institutions in their hometowns. This theory was implemented with the discovery of psychotropic drugs in the mid 1950s. …


Blood Work, Mack Gingles Jan 2005

Blood Work, Mack Gingles

LSU Master's Theses

The visual portion of BLOOD WORK is a record of my reconciliations with its parts: description based on the photograph, memory, and my concerns for abstraction. I am interested in the nuances of gesture as they convey meaning and evoke memory response. Though non-specific, the space surrounding the figures is emptied to accentuate their psychology. By adumbrating one reality and effacing another I attempt to transform the mundane into what I perceive as the uncanny.


The Effect Of Prime Word Processing On The Semantic Priming Effect., Satomi Imai Jan 2001

The Effect Of Prime Word Processing On The Semantic Priming Effect., Satomi Imai

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In three experiments the effect of ease of prime word access on semantic priming was investigated. Ease of prime access was manipulated by prime word frequency, by prime degradation, and by prime repetition. Primes accessed faster (high frequency prime words, repeated primes) should produce larger priming than those accessed more slowly (low frequency prime words, degraded prime words). The time course of priming was also examined by comparing a 150 ms SOA to a 500 ms. The results partially supported the hypothesis. There was a prime word frequency effect on priming in both short and long SOA conditions. High frequency …


Effects Of The High -Probability Sequence With And Without Extinction In Children With Feeding Disorders., Jennifer Eileen Dawson Jan 2001

Effects Of The High -Probability Sequence With And Without Extinction In Children With Feeding Disorders., Jennifer Eileen Dawson

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The effects of the high-probability instructional sequence, with and without extinction, on increasing compliance to eat in three children with severe food refusal and selectivity were evaluated. Pediatric feeding disorders, in which children refuse most or all food and drink, are a rare and life threatening problem that requires intensive treatment. The majority of behavioral techniques used with feeding disordered children manipulate the consequence of food refusal. The use of antecedent procedures in the treatment of food refusal has been limited. One antecedent technique, the high-probability instructional sequence, involves first presenting the individual with a series of instructions that he/she …


Variables Related To Sexual Aggression In Male College Students., Laura Anne Estupinan-Kane Jan 2001

Variables Related To Sexual Aggression In Male College Students., Laura Anne Estupinan-Kane

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Using the Pathfinder computer algorithm comparisons were made of participants' knowledge organization of sexual, sexually aggressive, and aggressive concepts. Three hundred and fifty-two heterosexual males (81 admitting a past history and future likelihood of sexual aggressive/coercive behavior; 111 admitting a past history of engaging in sexual aggression; 88 admitting no past history of or future likelihood of engaging in sexual aggression) rated all possible pairwise combinations of 18 words relevant to sex, aggression, sexual aggression, and emotion. Analyses of the dependent variable, number of links, failed to support predicted differences as a function of level of sexual aggression in the …


A Treatment-Based Reading Assessment., Gary Joseph Duhon Jr Jan 2001

A Treatment-Based Reading Assessment., Gary Joseph Duhon Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Each year a large number of students are identified as having problems in reading. The methodology for the identification of reading problems has been established and in practice for several years, however, the tools necessary for the identification of remediation procedures appropriate for the individual student lack this level of refinement. This study is an attempt at refining current assessment practices for the purpose of identifying remediation procedures that are effective on the level of the individual student. A conceptual model of learning (instructional hierarchy) was combined with a treatment based functional assessment methodology, resulting in a behavior analytic approach …


Neuropsychological Effects Of Acute Mustard Gas Exposure., James Bryon Pinkston Jan 2001

Neuropsychological Effects Of Acute Mustard Gas Exposure., James Bryon Pinkston

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Introduction. Approximately 600 industrial workers reported exposure to sub-lethal levels of sulfur mustard gas and nitrogen mustard gas. A sample of 203 of these workers were administered standardized measures of perceptual, motor, intellectual, academic, attentional, memory, abstract reasoning, and psychological functioning, as well as level of effort during testing. Mean time from exposure to testing was 1.18(SD = .35) years. Males comprised 97.5% of the participants and 79.3% were Caucasian. Mean education was 11.67(SD = 1.73) years and mean age at exposure was 36.74( SD = 10.31) years. Method. Mustard gas exposure severity was defined by the presence of obvious …


The Effect Of Psychotropic Medications On Social Skills In Persons With Profound Mental Retardation., Jerald Wayne Bamburg Jr Jan 2001

The Effect Of Psychotropic Medications On Social Skills In Persons With Profound Mental Retardation., Jerald Wayne Bamburg Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

People with mental retardation exhibit a large number of behavioral excesses and deficits and the full range of psychopathology. As a result, interventions involving psychotropic medications are widely used in the population. However, few conducted studies have examined the effect of psychotropic interventions on the total behavioral repertoire. Most studies examine only the suppression of symptoms or maladaptive behaviors without considering the manner in which medications may alter the positive behavioral repertoire or cause deleterious side effects. This study aimed to address medication effects on the positive behavioral spectrum by examining the effects of these interventions on social skills, adaptive …


Treatment Outcome Of Childhood Obesity: The Effect Of Children's Psychological Distress And Problematic Behavior., Tana Louise Hope Jan 2001

Treatment Outcome Of Childhood Obesity: The Effect Of Children's Psychological Distress And Problematic Behavior., Tana Louise Hope

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The number of children and adolescents effected by obesity has been increasing over the past 30 years. Current treatment of childhood obesity focuses primarily on increasing physical activity, modifying diet, providing nutritional education and teaching self-monitoring and stimulus control procedures. Although children have been shown to lose weight by participating in these treatment programs, the amount of weight children lose during treatment is often small, and long-term maintenance of weightloss continues to be challenging for many. Given the relatively weak outcome of childhood obesity treatment programs, research into factors that effect treatment outcome is needed. Psychological distress and problematic behavior …


Parenting Practices As A Moderator Of Exposure To Community Violence., Nicole Francingues Lanclos Jan 2001

Parenting Practices As A Moderator Of Exposure To Community Violence., Nicole Francingues Lanclos

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Numerous studies evidence that urban youth are exposed to epidemic proportions of community violence. Exposure to community violence has been associated with significant levels of distress including aggression, academic difficulties, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Although it is clear that children who experience chronic levels of violence exposure are at increased risk for poor developmental outcome, the consequences of exposure are not the same for all children. Parenting factors found to buffer the effects of community violence exposure include family size, parental presence in the home, family support, parenting resources, family cohesion, and strong parental monitoring. It is less …


Predicting Short -Term Violence Among Forensic Inpatients., Mac Marcantel Martin Jan 2001

Predicting Short -Term Violence Among Forensic Inpatients., Mac Marcantel Martin

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Legal reforms initiated in 1975 led to an increasing reliance upon mental health professionals to make predictions concerning violent behavior among the mentally ill, giving way to a series of violence prediction studies. However, these studies were noted to have major limitations, including unacceptably low rates of correct classification, high rates of misclassification, use of static, unavailable, or impractical predictors, and failure to cross-validate findings. Further, the bulk of these studies focused on predicting post-hospitalization violence, as opposed to inpatient violence, which can have important ramifications in treatment settings. The current study therefore examined the ability of forensic patients' current …


Examination Of A Method For Increasing Adjustment To And Compliance With Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (Cpap) In Persons With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome., Jack Allen Johnson Jr Jan 2001

Examination Of A Method For Increasing Adjustment To And Compliance With Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (Cpap) In Persons With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome., Jack Allen Johnson Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a serious medical condition that occurs during sleep and consists of episodes of complete (respiratory pauses) or partial obstruction (hypoventilation) of the upper airway. Approximately 80% of persons diagnosed with OSAS are prescribed nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment, which has proven to be the treatment of choice for OSAS. However, noncompliance with CPAP treatment in OSAS patients is a widely recognized problem, and many persons refuse CPAP as a treatment option or fail to use it reliably. Investigations of CPAP use in OSAS patients have generally found that nightly use averages less …


Social Support And The Prevalence Of Depressive And Anxiety Disorders In Low -Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes And Other Chronic Illnesses., Janet Leigh Thomas Jan 2001

Social Support And The Prevalence Of Depressive And Anxiety Disorders In Low -Income Adults With Type 2 Diabetes And Other Chronic Illnesses., Janet Leigh Thomas

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The present study used a cross-sectional design to answer the following questions: (a) what is the prevalence of DSM-IV depressive and anxiety disorders in a population of low-income primary care patients with type 2 DM, and does a diagnosis of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) contribute to an increased prevalence of affective disorders above the rate identified in other chronic illness groups and those suffering from no medical diagnoses, (b) does perceived social support, as measured by the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) have a direct and/or buffering effect on the association between chronic disease and affective disorder diagnoses, and …


Effects Of Bilingualism On Cognitive Processing In Adults., Christy J. Witt Jan 2001

Effects Of Bilingualism On Cognitive Processing In Adults., Christy J. Witt

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The primary objective of this dissertation was to empirically test the implications of the code-switching hypothesis (Peal & Lambert, 1962) for nonlinguistic cognitive abilities in bilingual adults. It was hypothesized that bilinguals, by virtue of their ability to switching between two linguistic systems, may enjoy cognitive advantages in the nonlinguistic domain for tasks that require abilities related to language switching. It was postulated that the underlying mechanisms of code switching are the bilingual's abilities to inhibit the processing of irrelevant information and activate previously suppressed information. To determine if a bilingual advantage exists for these abilities, bilingual and monolingual adults …


It Rarely Occurs: Mock Juror Reactions To A Physician's Defense In A Lack Of Informed Consent Case., Douglas J. Zickafoose Jan 2001

It Rarely Occurs: Mock Juror Reactions To A Physician's Defense In A Lack Of Informed Consent Case., Douglas J. Zickafoose

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Three experiments examine how expressions of probability concerning why a risk involved in a medical procedure was not disclosed influence mock juror decisions (e.g., liability, culpability, and damage awards). Across all three experiments, no differences were found in mock juror judgments of liability due to the probability expression used, be it verbal, quantitative, percentage, or frequency. Furthermore, differences in mean damage awards were only found when psychological uncertainty was manipulated using a frequency expression. However, an examination of the median damage awards suggests that some expressions of probability are likely to result in higher damage awards than others. Thus, while …


Psychosocial Correlates Of Eating Disorder Symptoms In A Young, Black, Female Sample., Nancy Lee Zucker Jan 2001

Psychosocial Correlates Of Eating Disorder Symptoms In A Young, Black, Female Sample., Nancy Lee Zucker

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

The present investigation examined the psychosocial correlates of eating disorder symptoms among a young sample of Black female adolescents. Recent epidemiological investigations have documented higher rates of disordered eating in Black females than had previously been reported. Because of the high prevalence of these symptoms both in majority and in minority populations, many eating disorder researchers are promoting preventive strategies to stem further increases in symptom levels. To this end, several longitudinal investigations have been conducted to delineate the risk factors of disordered eating among White adolescent populations. However, Black adolescents have been minimally represented in these samples. Thus, there …


The Remote Neuropsychological Assessment -Category Test: Development And Validation Of A Computerized, Internet -Based Neuropsychological Assessment Measure., Jeffrey Nicholas Browndyke Jan 2001

The Remote Neuropsychological Assessment -Category Test: Development And Validation Of A Computerized, Internet -Based Neuropsychological Assessment Measure., Jeffrey Nicholas Browndyke

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

In the current investigation, a prototype for the remote assessment of cognitive skills, the "remote neuropsychological assessment (RNA) model," was proposed, and the development and validation of a computerized, Internet-based neuropsychological assessment measure was undertaken to demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of this untapped model of assessment delivery. The Remote Neuropsychological Assessment-Category Test (RNA-CT), a test of abstract concept formation administered via the World Wide Web (WWW), was developed and contrasted with a conventional, non-computerized version of the measure---the Booklet Category Test (BCT). Traditional and novel measurement variables from both measures were compared in a randomized group design of normal …


Behavioral Outcome Of Preschoolers Exposed Prenatally To Cocaine: The Role Of The Caregiving Environment., Veronica L. Haynes Jan 2000

Behavioral Outcome Of Preschoolers Exposed Prenatally To Cocaine: The Role Of The Caregiving Environment., Veronica L. Haynes

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study evaluated the long-term effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on child behavioral outcome at age 5 years, while considering the influence of the postnatal caregiving environment indicated by maternal drug use, maternal psychological functioning, and parenting quality. Behavioral outcome was measured by parent-reported behavior problems on the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. Subjects were 210 preschoolers (107 cocaine-exposed and 103 nondrug-exposed) and their biological mothers drawn from a larger cohort of mother-child pairs enrolled at birth in a longitudinal study evaluating the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children prenatally exposed to cocaine. The relationships among prenatal cocaine exposure, maternal adaptation (i.e., maternal …


Using A Behavioral Economic Assessment To Evaluate Stimulus Preferences And To Predict Treatment Outcomes For Aberrant Behavior., Henry Stanley Roane Jan 2000

Using A Behavioral Economic Assessment To Evaluate Stimulus Preferences And To Predict Treatment Outcomes For Aberrant Behavior., Henry Stanley Roane

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Problem behavior (e.g., self-injury, aggression, and disruption) may impede the development of many individuals with disabilities. These behaviors may occur for many reasons (Iwata et al., 1994). Most problem behaviors are controlled by social stimuli; however, for some individuals, problem behavior occurs independent of the social environment (i.e., by automatic reinforcement). That is, an individual may engage in these behaviors regardless of what is occurring around them. Presumably the behavior persists because the behavior produces (or alleviates) some type of stimulation. As such, the reinforcer for the behavior can not be controlled directly, making behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement difficult …


The Relationship Of Daily Stress And Health In Adolescents: Development Of The Daily Stress Inventory For Adolescents (Dsi -A)., John Michael Huete Jan 2000

The Relationship Of Daily Stress And Health In Adolescents: Development Of The Daily Stress Inventory For Adolescents (Dsi -A)., John Michael Huete

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Daily stress has been documented to play a significant role in symptom exacerbation of chronic illnesses in adults, such as coronary heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and chronic headaches. Mediating daily stress may be effective in not only decreasing problem symptoms in chronic illness, but also decreasing unnecessary and costly primary and tertiary health care services. While the effects of daily stress have been well researched and documented with adult populations, adolescent populations have been afforded only minimal research attention. Given that the period of adolescence is a time when persons are first experiencing the stresses of adult life, understanding the …


The Role Of Major And Minor Stressors In Moderating The Transtheoretical Model Of Exercise Behavior Among Predominantly Low -Income Patients Attending Primary Care Clinics., Shawn Kahlil Jeffries Jan 2000

The Role Of Major And Minor Stressors In Moderating The Transtheoretical Model Of Exercise Behavior Among Predominantly Low -Income Patients Attending Primary Care Clinics., Shawn Kahlil Jeffries

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

A sedentary lifestyle is prevalent in the United States and is associated with poor health outcomes (Blair et al., 1989). While regular exercise has been shown to have numerous physical and mental health benefits, much of the population does not perform physical activity at a level necessary to achieve significant health benefits. Primary care settings have become increasingly targeted areas for physician-based exercise counseling. One popular theoretical model of exercise adoption is the transtheoretical model of exercise behavior (Prochaska & Marcus, 1994) which proposes that individuals progress through stages of exercise behavior. Researchers have explored constructs affecting movement through the …


Validation Of A Screening Instrument For Exposure To Violence In Children: The Kid -Save., Anise Lavaun Flowers Jan 2000

Validation Of A Screening Instrument For Exposure To Violence In Children: The Kid -Save., Anise Lavaun Flowers

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Children in the United States have an increasing rate of exposure to chronic community violence. Research on children exposed to community, domestic, and war-related violence has demonstrated the traumatic effects of violence on children. The KID-SAVE was developed as an empirically-based self-report measure of violence exposure for children in grades three through seven. During an initial development study, the KID-SAVE demonstrated excellent reliability and preliminary construct validity data. The purpose of the present study was to provide further validity data on the KID-SAVE. A sample of 188 children (96 boys and 92 girls) and their parents participated in the study. …


Coping Strategies And Effectiveness Among Low -Income, Primary Care Patients With Anxiety Disorders., Daniel J. Mehan Jr Jan 2000

Coping Strategies And Effectiveness Among Low -Income, Primary Care Patients With Anxiety Disorders., Daniel J. Mehan Jr

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

This study examined the patterns and effectiveness of coping strategies utilized by individuals in a low-income, primary care environment. Documented relationships among coping strategies and the characteristics of this population suggest that the population should be marked by high levels of emotion-focused coping and low levels of problem-focused coping relative to the normal population. Descriptive statistics confirmed high levels of emotion-focused coping but failed to demonstrate low levels of problem-focused coping within the study sample. The influence of control (actual and perceived) on the patterns and effectiveness of coping strategies was also studied. Regression analyses indicated that, in the low-control …