Digital Commons Network^™

Gene Expression Networks Regulated By Human Personality, Coral Del Val, Elisa Díaz De La Guardia-Bolívar, Jorge Igor Zwir, Pashupati Mishra, Alberto Mesa, Ramiro Salas, Guillermo F. Poblete, Gabriel A. De Erausquin, Emma Raitoharju, Mika Kähönen

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Genome-wide association studies of human personality have been carried out, but transcription of the whole genome has not been studied in relation to personality in humans. We collected genome-wide expression profiles of adults to characterize the regulation of expression and function in genes related to human personality. We devised an innovative multi-omic approach to network analysis to identify the key control elements and interactions in multi-modular networks. We identified sets of transcribed genes that were co-expressed in specific brain regions with genes known to be associated with personality. Then we identified the minimum networks for the co-localized genes using bioinformatic …

Temperament & Character Account For Brain Functional Connectivity At Rest: A Diathesis-Stress Model Of Functional Dysregulation In Psychosis, Igor Zwir, Javier Arnedo, Alberto Mesa, Coral Del Val, Gabriel A. De Erausquin, C. Robert Cloninger

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) provides stable trait-like measures of differences in the perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning of individuals. The rsFC of the prefrontal cortex is hypothesized to mediate a person’s rational self-government, as is also measured by personality, so we tested whether its connectivity networks account for vulnerability to psychosis and related personality configurations. Young adults were recruited as outpatients or controls from the same communities around psychiatric clinics. Healthy controls (n = 30) and clinically stable outpatients with bipolar disorder (n = 35) or schizophrenia (n = 27) were diagnosed by …

Complex Trauma: Counselors' Self-Efficacy And Treatment, Breeze Valenska Rueda

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive and exploratory mixed-method study was twofold: to explore counselors’ perceptions and knowledge regarding complex trauma and, assess counselors’ perceptions regarding their level of confidence when working with this population. The study determined what relevant factors were related to counselors’ perceived self-efficacy concerning complex trauma. Although complex trauma is emerging as an important issue, there is limited research regarding counselors’ experiences with complex trauma. The current study explored participants’ perceptions when providing services to individuals with prolonged and cumulative trauma and provided a greater understanding of counselors’ recognition and selfefficacy when working with this population. A …

How Chess Relates To Theory Of Mind, Noemi Trevino

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to investigate the how playing chess relates to Theory of Mind. By design, the study will call for 160 participants recruited through social media, email, and SONA system. 60 of the participants are USCF rated players. The other 100 participants are not be USCF rated. Pending the results, the hypothesis being tested are that chess players would have a higher ToM score and that higher rated players would have a higher ToM score.

Hispanic Culture And Machismo: How Hispanics Interpret Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Identities, Karen R. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines dynamics linked to normative gender expectations and gender identities within Hispanic culture. Little is known in this regard concerning how Hispanics perceive and interpret transgender and gender non-conforming identities. The analysis provides qualitative assessment using 35 in-depth face-to-face interviews and examines the following research questions: 1) how do life experiences such as marriage, parenthood, and work force participation among Hispanics shape their formation of gender expectations? 2) Among Hispanics, how do class, race/ethnicity, and education shape the construction of gender ideologies.

The present study, in turn adds to the literature by examining gender norm constructs among Mexican-origin …

Cost Of Caring: The Effects Of Euthanasia On Animal Shelter Workers, Kim L. Nguyen-Finn

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study focuses on animal shelter workers, a population that has often been overlooked in research and clinical practice, and the emotional strains of the task of euthanasia. The effects of employment in a kill or no-kill shelter, participation in euthanasia, and number of years employed on mental health issues of substance abuse, anxiety, depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout were examined. A three-way MANOVA was run to test the hypothesis that there is a cell effect among the type of shelter employed in, participation in euthanasia, and years of experience on mental health, which was not supported by …

Underrepresentation Of Hispanic Bilingual Students In Gifted And Talented Programs: The Role Of Teacher Expectations, Melissa I. Leon Leal

Theses and Dissertations

There is currently an underrepresentation of Hispanic and bilingual students in Gifted and Talented (GT) programs. The present study examines the role of teachers’ expectations and preconceptions of what constitutes a gifted student as possible contributing factors to the underrepresentation of Hispanic and bilingual students in GT programs. Participants will include approximately 100 pre-service teachers and currently practicing teachers in the community. Measures will include a demographic survey, vignettes for identifying giftedness which describe bilingual and monolingual potential gifted students across three ethnic groups, and a survey about student qualities that includes both quantitative and qualitative items. Results and implications …

The Relationship Between Brooding, Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity, Physical Anxiety Sensitivity, And Suicide Behaviors In Latino/A College Students, Eric E. Escamilla

Theses and Dissertations

The current study explored if (1) brooding, cognitive anxiety sensitivity (AS), physical anxiety sensitivity (AS), and suicide behaviors will be strongly correlated; (2) brooding will mediate the relationship between cognitive AS and suicide behaviors; (3) brooding will mediate the relationship between physical AS and suicide behaviors; (4) physical AS will moderate the relationship between cognitive AS and suicide behaviors, (5) brooding will mediate the relationship between the physical AS and cognitive AS interaction with suicide behaviors in a Latino/a college student sample. All hypotheses were supported except for physical AS significantly moderating the relationship between cognitive AS and suicide behaviors. …

Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Persons With Schizophrenia Among Hispanic University Students Enrolled In Mental Health And Non-Mental Health Disciplines, Manisha Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine university students’ knowledge regarding schizophrenia and factors that can influence university students’ attitudes toward persons with schizophrenia. An attribution questionnaire ([AQ-27], Corrigan, Markowitz, Watson, Rowan, & Kubiak, 2003), the Error Choice Test ([ECT], Michaels & Corrigan, 2013), and the Social Desirability Scale ([SDS-13], Reynolds, 1982) were utilized to collect data from undergraduate students attending The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), the largest U.S. Hispanic serving university located on the Texas-Mexico border. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the survey data. Results indicated a non-significant relationship between students’ knowledge regarding …

Multicultural Counselor Supervision And Perceived Differences On Client Outcome, Andrew Perez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences between counselor supervisors’ and supervisees’ perceptions of the impact of multicultural supervision on client outcome. Counselor supervisors and supervisees may have differences in how much they believe multicultural factors affect client outcome and this study aims to determine what differences exist. These differences are important in understanding how supervisors might better serve supervisees and in turn clients. There were 61 participants in the study that consisted of faculty, counselor supervisors, counselors, and graduate students in counseling-related fields. The current study found that multicultural supervision/competence alone predicted supervisor client outcome. The …

Roller Derby As A Form Of Self-Empowerment: An Examination Of Female Athletes' Resilience To Intimate Partner Violence, Esmeralda Castillo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore if playing roller derby can yield one more resilient to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). IPV is a major wellness concern to our present lives. However, there are many who experience violence, yet do not develop debilitating symptoms. The subject of resilience has emerged to account for this. Resilience can be interpreted as “bouncing back” from adversity, and adapting well to sources of stress (American Psychological Association, n.d.). Sport psychologists have recognized sport as a site for the development of resilient qualities. For females, team sports offer a context to experience empowerment. The …

In His Wake: Applying Life's Truths In Fiction, Joseph M. Balderas

Theses and Dissertations

The culmination of the creative work and its introduction attempt to delve into the psyche of what it means to lose someone you love. The screenplay explores the grieving process and the coping mechanisms that accompanies it, with an examination on how far some people are willing to go for closure.

To reach my conclusions, I draw from my own life experience, the experiences of others, and a fine amount of research. It also means to shed light on the impermanent mental strain that chaperon’s grief.

Investigating The Relationships Of Attitude Clarity And Correctness With Political Identification Strength And Evaluations Of An Ideological Group, Gustavo Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines two underlying attitude certainty dimensions in the context of political groups: attitude clarity and attitude correctness. Attitude clarity is the subjective sense that one knows what one’s attitude is, and attitude correctness is the subjective sense that one’s attitude is correct or valid. Based on predictions derived from social identity theory and attitude attribution research, it is expected that attitude clarity and attitude correctness will have diverging effects with political groups. First, it is expected that attitude clarity will better predict political identification than attitude correctness due to stronger ties to the self-concept. Secondly, it is …

Resilience And Social Support Among College Students With Disabilities, Rachita Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Since the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, individuals with disabilities have found enhanced opportunities in various areas of living. The numbers of students with disabilities in institutions of postsecondary education have also increased in the past few decades; however, despite this increase, the degree completion rates of students with disabilities continue to lag in comparison to their non-disabled peers in colleges and universities. As such, most universities currently have a designated office or department of disability accommodations designed to provide academic accommodations for students with disabilities. Nonetheless, current rehabilitation research is lacking in knowledge regarding interventions …

Examining Culture And Gender Roles In Latina Undergraduate Participation In Stem At Utrgv, Stephanie Garza

Theses and Dissertations

The study was designed to examine the role of familism and gender role beliefs on Latina pursuit of a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. This study surveyed Latino/a undergraduate students at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley to determine the influence of socioeconomic status, familism and gender role beliefs on pursuit of careers in STEM. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Pan-Hispanic Familism scale, the Attitudinal Familism scale and the Gender Role Beliefs scale. Findings revealed how major selection and pursuit of STEM is affected by students’ income level, familism, gender, and gender role beliefs. Results …

Predictors Of Attitudes Towards Law Enforcement Among Hispanics Living In The U.S.-Mexico Border Region, Ivan Avila

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has shown that minorities hold negative attitudes towards members of law enforcement. Contact with law enforcement has been shown as a major predictor of attitudes towards law enforcement among minorities. Research on this subject has primarily focused on Blacks’ attitudes towards police. Hispanics have been the focus of only a small amount of research on police contact and attitudes towards law enforcement. This study examined contact and attitudes towards several law enforcement entities: local police, state troopers, and border patrol agents. The current study took place along the U.S.-Mexico border, an area with a high population of Hispanics, …

The Development Of Theory Of Mind And Inhibitory Processing Among 7-11 Year Old Mexican And Mexican American Children, Daniela Kuri

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the relationships among demographic factors and aspects of social and cognitive development in 130 predominantly bilingual Mexican and Mexican-American 7-to-11-year-old children residing in Mexico and the United States. Measures assessed children’s WMLS-R Picture Vocabulary, inhibitory processing, visual-spatial problem solving, and theory of mind development. Demographic information was obtained from parents. Intercorrelations among age, WMLS-R Picture Vocabulary , inhibitory processing, visual-spatial problem solving, and theory of mind (ToM) revealed that ToM related to inhibitory processing, but not with visual-spatial problem solving skills, after controlling for age. Findings suggest that cultural and other individual factors might play an …

The Gratitude Questionnaire And Mindful Attention Awareness Scale For Use With Latina/O College Students: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Dion B. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Interventions based on positive psychology constructs have become increasingly popular over the past two decades, necessitating validation of instruments for use with underrepresented populations (Pawelski, 2016; Vela, Lerma, & Ikonomopoulos, 2016). This study reports an evaluation of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003) and the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6; McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002) for use with Latina/o college students. Sample sizes used in this study are N = 207 (99 women and 104 men; 4 did not identify) for the MAAS and N = 127 (84 women and 38 men; 5 did not identify) for the …

An Exploratory Investigation Of Tele-Counseling: Looking At The Power Of Therapeutic Alliance In Improving Wellness, Jorge Rostro

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explored the power of one tele-counseling session to elicit change within post wellness ratings scores and the relationship between clients’ perceptions of relationship, goals and topics, approach and method, and overall session with clients’ wellness ratings. Results indicated that the mean for post-session wellness was significantly greater than pre-test wellness ratings. The standardized effect size, d, was .43, indicative of a moderate effect size. No difference was found between client’s perceptions of predictor variables with post-wellness rating scores. This study adds support for the use of tele-counseling services as one session might have the power to elicit …

Don't Bring Me Down: A Study Of The Perceived Emotional Impact Of Positive, Negative, And Neutral Content On Facebook, Isis Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study seeks to examine the influence of viewing pages that are categorized as positive, negative, or neutral on the social network (SN) Facebook in relation to college students’ levels of happiness and self-esteem. Viewers were predicted to spend more time viewing the Facebook pages that have been coded as negative compared to positive or neutral pages because of cognitive saliency, and they were predicted to show lower levels of self-esteem and happiness. In addition, participants who view the positive pages were predicted show higher levels of selfesteem and happiness. The results suggested no significant difference in emotion on …

Gratitude And Kindness: Just What The Doctor Ordered, Kathleen E. Glynn

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In recent years, the positive psychology movement has grown and researchers have become interested in studying overall well-being and the predictors of happiness. Previous studies have indicated that biology plays a role in determining an individual’s happiness, but this is not the only contributing factor. Thought patterns and behaviors play a key role in one’s overall wellbeing. The current study evaluated the relationship that a practice of gratitude and performing acts of kindness had on participants’ scores on happiness, gratitude and social support scales. It was predicted that individuals who performed acts of kindness and practice gratitude for one week …

Personality Of Personal Trainers: A Study Of Perception And Preference, Andy L. Chasse

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study used a personality questionnaire to address the lack of literature concerning how the general population perceives personal trainers and what qualities they desire in them. The Big Five Inventory (BFI) with two demographic items (gender and previous experience) was administered to 130 undergraduate students at The University of Texas-Pan American to determine perceived and desired characteristics. High extraversion was most commonly associated with personal trainers. High extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, as well as low neuroticism, were most desired in personal trainers. Significant differences were seen between perceived and desired means across all dimensions. Additionally, gender produced main effects …

Theory Of Mind And Inhibitory Processing Among Bilingual Mexican American Young Children, Sarah E. Stegall

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Bilingual children have been found to demonstrate advantages on tasks dependent in part or in whole on inhibitory processing compared to their language dominant and/or monolingual peers. This study examines relations among performance on theory of mind (ToM), inhibitory processing (FF), and performance on an ambiguous-figures (AF) tasks among monolingual and bilingual children. Participants included 135 Hispanic children ages 4.5 to 8 from predominately low-income families. Results revealed a relationship between FF and AF performance with ToM performance and found no differences in performance between monolingual, language-dominant, and balanced-bilingual children.

Physical Activity As A Behavioral Treatment In Shr Rats: An Animal Model Of Adhd, Jessica A. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder defined by inattentive, hyperactive, and/or impulsive behaviors, typically treated with medications. Physical activity has been investigated as a treatment for children with ADHD and provides the ability for the individual to use it as a lifetime treatment option. Animal models can control for many of the issues posed by using human subjects. This study investigates whether physical activity in the form of wheel running reduces hyperactivity in an animal model of ADHD, the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), compared to its control, Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY). Using an ABAB design, …

Anxiety Symptoms Among Mexican And Mexican American Groups Based On Acculturation, Yolanda Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The incidence of somatic and cognitive anxiety symptomatology has been found to affect up to 29% of Latinos. Currently literature is problematic in regards to its neglect of the heterogeneous nature of the Latino population. In order to correctly analyze the within-group differences in anxiety symptomatology, this study focused in identifying the individual characteristics of Latinos of Mexican origin residing in the United States. Participants consisted of 190 college students from the University of Texas-Pan American. The relationships between vertical/horizontal collectivism, vertical/horizontal individualism, sex, annual income, and immigration status were studied. Vertical and horizontal individualism were found to be positively …

Bilingualism And Age Of Onset Of Alzheimer's Disease And Vascular Dementia In Hispanic Americans, Deborah M. Lawton

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Studies have linked bilingualism to later age of onset of Alzheimer’s disease in comparison to monolinguals. It has been theorized that in bilinguals inhibitory control is consistently used to suppress one language, leading to enhanced executive functioning and an increase in cognitive reserve. The effect of bilingualism on age of diagnosis was investigated retrospectively using data from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. This involved a longitudinal cohort of 1,789 Hispanic Americans > 65 years of age. Within the cohort there were 128 cases of dementia: 85 diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and 43 diagnosed with vascular dementia. Analysis of variance …

Premenstrual Experiences: The Simultaneous Examination Of The Association Of Self-Perceived Stress, College-Related Stress, And Sleep Quality, Sara Julia Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Research suggests that stress may contribute to the severity of premenstrual experiences, but the contribution of different types of stress has not been carefully examined. Using self-report measures, the current study examined the relation between self-perceived stress, college-related stress, sleep quality, and premenstrual experience in a predominantly Hispanic female college sample. Results indicated that self-perceived stress accounts for a statistically significant proportion of the variance in premenstrual experience ratings, with higher stress associated with greater premenstrual distress. Based on a hierarchical regression analysis, adding college-related stress to the predictive model allows for a significantly larger amount of the variance in …

Snow Monkeys In South Texas, A Thirty Year Study Of Behavioral Adaptation, Lou E. Griffin

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A thirty year study of a transplanted species of primate, Macaca fuscata, Japanese snow monkey, documents the environmental influences on an intact troop relocated from Arashiyama, Japan to south Texas. These influences include novel disease, toxins, and predation. The effects of the environment on the social structure, hierarchy, and population of the primates are presented. The study begins in 1972 and is completed in 2002.

An Evaluation Of Alternative Methods For Online Survey Recruitment: The Equivalency Of Data Collected Through Amazon Mechanical Turk And Second Life To Traditional Undergraduate Student Samples, Elizabeth M. Briones

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A major proportion of psychological research uses subjects from undergraduate populations. Increasingly, researchers are exploiting the Internet to reach beyond the traditional undergraduate sample. The current study sought to compare data obtained from a conventional undergraduate student sample to data collected via two online survey recruitment platforms: Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) crowdsourcing site and the virtual environment of Second Life (SL). Data obtained via these online recruitment platforms was statistically equivalent to the data obtained from the college sample, based on standardized measures of psychological stress and sleep quality. Additionally, correlations between the sleep and stress measures were not statistically …

Will A Confederate's Initial Decline Of Assistance Influence People's Willingness To Help Others?, Israel Vela

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Observational study testing the effect a confederate has on social influence. The study examined whether overhearing a prior refusal to assist from a confederate had an influence on a subsequent person’s willingness to help in time of need. Similarity characteristics between model and participant were also examined to determine if they contributed to an increased likelihood of helping. Observation was held at the University of Texas-Pan American and consisted of 60 male participants. Participants were approached, and asked for assistance, in two separate conditions: Experimental (confederate) condition (n=30) and Control (non-confederate) condition (n=30). Assistance was determined by a participant’s willingness …