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Examining The Association Between Personality And Alcohol Use Among Mexican Americans: Acculturation And Gender As Moderators, Miguel A. Reyes Aug 2013

Examining The Association Between Personality And Alcohol Use Among Mexican Americans: Acculturation And Gender As Moderators, Miguel A. Reyes

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this study the moderating effects of gender and acculturation on the association between personality traits and alcohol use among Mexican American adults were examined. Participants for this study were undergraduate students from a university in the southwestern USA (N=572, 94.5% Hispanic, 72.6% female). The sample completed self-report measures of personality, alcohol use, and acculturation. When using, regression analyses, alcohol use was found to be weakly yet negatively associated with Conscientiousness, weakly yet positively with Neuroticism, and statistically unrelated to Extroversion. The moderation hypotheses were not supported when utilizing a multiple regression analyses. However, a post-hoc analysis of variance involving …


Analyzing The Effects Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder On Marital Satisfaction Among The Veteran Latino Population Of South Texas, Iris J. Segundo Aug 2013

Analyzing The Effects Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder On Marital Satisfaction Among The Veteran Latino Population Of South Texas, Iris J. Segundo

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The current study examined the relation between combat exposure and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), PTSD and marital satisfaction and the influence of religion/spirituality as a moderator. Study consisted of 31 participants; male veterans (n=19) and female spouses (n=12), of which 11 were couples (n=22). Participants were recruited from the University of Texas Pan-American (UTPA), local veteran organization and networking. The sample completed self-report measures for combat exposure, PTSD, marital satisfaction, and religiosity/spirituality. When using a correlation analyses to examine the relation between combat exposure and PTSD and PTSD and marital satisfaction, results showed a negative relation for both; thus, supporting …


Sex As A Moderator Of The Association Between Childhood Trauma, Impulsivity, And Primary Psychopathy In A Hispanic Undergraduate Sample, Judy D. Sifonte Aug 2013

Sex As A Moderator Of The Association Between Childhood Trauma, Impulsivity, And Primary Psychopathy In A Hispanic Undergraduate Sample, Judy D. Sifonte

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The current study investigates the effect that sex as a moderator has on the association between childhood trauma and impulsivity on primary psychopathy in a Hispanic college sample. The online survey obtained 443 responses from undergraduates; however after incomplete responses were removed and the data was cleaned, a sample size of 367 remained for use in primary analysis. The study utilized a hierarchical moderation regression analysis to determine the effect of sex on the association of predictor variables—childhood trauma and impulsivity, to the dependent variable, primary psychopathy. Researchers hypothesized that sex will enhance the association between childhood trauma and psychopathy, …


Comparisons Of Emotional Reactivity In Two Variations Of Schedules Of Reinforcement, Mayra A. Aguillon Aug 2012

Comparisons Of Emotional Reactivity In Two Variations Of Schedules Of Reinforcement, Mayra A. Aguillon

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which the frequency of behavior is affected by its consequences (Powell, Symbaluk & Honey 2009).The main focus of the study was to compare two different schedules of reinforcement: gradual group versus the abrupt group (FI-20 sec).Both groups were used to observe emotional reactivity in 8 Sprague Dawley female rats from the Behavioral Neuroscience lab at UTPA. The hypothesis presented was that animals will reveal less emotional reactivity in the gradual than in the abrupt. According to Skinner, behavior is affected more by the consequence that is followed. Results suggested that the abrupt …


Mental Health Factors That May Contribute To Sexual Functioning, Monique Tenay Cano Aug 2012

Mental Health Factors That May Contribute To Sexual Functioning, Monique Tenay Cano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study investigated the relationship between mental health factors— depression, dysfunctional eating habits, and sexual abuse trauma—and sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunction was measured with The Sexual History Form (Nowinski & LoPiccolo, 1979 as cited in Davis, Yarber, Bauserman, Schreer, & Davis, 1998), a self report questionnaire. Depression was measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D Scale) (Radloff, 1977). Dysfunctional eating habits were measured by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0) (Fairburn & Beglin, 2008). Sexual abuse trauma was measured by a subtest—the Sexual Experiences Short Form Version Victimization—of the Sexual Experiences Survey (Koss et al., …


Perceived Anxiety Control And The Contribution Of Gender In Social Anxiety Symptoms Within Latinos, Delia Yazmin Villarreal Aug 2012

Perceived Anxiety Control And The Contribution Of Gender In Social Anxiety Symptoms Within Latinos, Delia Yazmin Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examined the severity of social anxiety symptoms and levels of perceived anxiety control in a Latino sample. It explored how perceived control, over anxiety-provoking events and reactions to those events, contributed to social anxiety symptoms of social interaction fears and performance fears. Potential gender effects were also examined. Gender differences for fear of performance and for levels of perceived anxiety control were found. However, no gender difference was found for social interaction fears. In general, men reported higher levels of perceived anxiety control than women. Low perceived anxiety control significantly correlated with higher social interaction fears and performance …


Family Members' Support Approaches Toward Veterans Exhibiting Symptoms Of Ptsd: A First Step Toward Validating The Inconsistent Nurturing As Control Theory Scale, Danielle M. Reed Aug 2012

Family Members' Support Approaches Toward Veterans Exhibiting Symptoms Of Ptsd: A First Step Toward Validating The Inconsistent Nurturing As Control Theory Scale, Danielle M. Reed

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study was an initial step toward validating a new quantitative measure, the Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Theory (INCT) Scale, designed to quantitatively operationalize the INCT and assess whether functional family members take a controlling, nurturing, or inconsistent support approach to deal with their veteran’s PTSD behavior. Functional family members (88%) indicated that their veteran relative exhibited signs indicative of PTSD, using the PTSD Checklist (PCL-M). The INCT Scale was then used to determine which support approach family members used to deal with their veteran’s behavior. Results indicated that question items on nurturing and controlling yielded .70 or above internal …


Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Collectivism, And Job Satisfaction: Evidence From Mexico, Miguel Angel Baeza May 2012

Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Collectivism, And Job Satisfaction: Evidence From Mexico, Miguel Angel Baeza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct a field study in a Mexican company in several Mexican regions. This study considered administrative professionals as a continuation to assess the validity of a recently developed Mexican Border OCB (MBOCB) scale by Ortiz (2000). This validation/refinement of an MBOCB scale was accomplished by comparing and contrasting results of this investigation, given the name of Mexican OCB (MOCB), with other OCB dimensions studies in other regions in order to evaluate criterion validity (e.g., convergent and discriminat) through factor loadings. Furthermore, this dissertation categorized these MOCB dimensions into more conceptualized terms utilized by …


The Relation Between Gender Role Socialization, Work-School-Family Conflict And Mexican-American College Students' Academic Performance, Alma D. Trevino May 2012

The Relation Between Gender Role Socialization, Work-School-Family Conflict And Mexican-American College Students' Academic Performance, Alma D. Trevino

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

he present study investigated the relation between gender role socialization, work-school-family conflict and Mexican-American college students’ academic performance. Gender role socialization was measured with the gender role socialization scale (Raffaelli & Ontai, 2004). Work-Family Conflict was measured with the Work-School Family Conflict Scale (WFC) and Family-Work Conflict Scale (FWC) (Netemeyer, Boles, & McMurrian, 1996), School-Work Conflict Scale (SWC) and Work-School-Conflict Scale (WSC), Family-School Conflict Scale (FSC) and School-Family Conflict Scale (SFC) were modified versions of Netemeyer et al (1996). Academic performance was measured using participants disclosed GPA (Grade point average). Regression analyses were used to establish predictions between each variable. …


Awareness Of Individual Daily Caloric Requirements And Food Energy Content And Its Relation To Calorie Intake: A Multiple Baseline Design, Frances Rachel Morales May 2012

Awareness Of Individual Daily Caloric Requirements And Food Energy Content And Its Relation To Calorie Intake: A Multiple Baseline Design, Frances Rachel Morales

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The terms overweight and obesity are used to identify ranges of body weight that are linked to an increased risk for certain diseases and health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, certain cancers, and others. Current estimates indicate that over two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese while one-third of American children are overweight or obese. Therefore, this has become a significant public health issue. One strategy for combating overweight and obesity is to educate people about nutrition and the nutritional content of the food they consume. Nutrition labeling of prepackaged foods and calorie posting in restaurants …


Enriched Vs Impoverished Housing: Food Choice And Consumption, Berenice Martinez Dec 2011

Enriched Vs Impoverished Housing: Food Choice And Consumption, Berenice Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study focused on the relationship between environmental setting, eating choices and food intake. Ten Swiss Webster female subjects were socially housed under impoverished environmental conditions and ten under enriched housing conditions. Subjects were exposed to a nutritious food and sweet fat-laden food diet together with ad lib access to regular tap water on a 12 h light and dark cycle for four weeks. Results showed that an impoverished environment does not lead to an increase in body weight (t(6)= 0.293, p > .05) and environmental manipulations do not delineate a preference for diet type (t(6)= .877, p >.05). Further research …


The Effects Of Physical Activity On Self-Injurious Behavior, Lynnette D. Aguilar Dec 2011

The Effects Of Physical Activity On Self-Injurious Behavior, Lynnette D. Aguilar

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Auto-mutilation is a maladaptive coping mechanism and a major problem confronting behavioral medicine with no known treatment to date to place the behavior on complete extinction. The purpose of this experiment is to examine the possible beneficial effects of running relative to caffeine-induced SIB. Female Sprague Dawley rats (n = 4) served as subjects with each having a different extended baseline and treatment condition. Visual analysis of a multiple baseline graph did not support the hypothesis that as treatment (physical activity) was implemented SIB would decrease. It was found that subjects who drank more caffeinated water had higher amounts of …


Parenting Strategies As Predictors Of Cognitive Development Among Children, Nydia E. Martinez Dec 2011

Parenting Strategies As Predictors Of Cognitive Development Among Children, Nydia E. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study investigated relationships among parenting strategies, socioeconomic status, and theory of mind development in 88 (43 girls and 45 boys) predominantly Hispanic 3 – to 7-year-old children. Vocabulary and ToM reasoning (via one true and one false belief task) levels were assessed. Parents completed demographic surveys and a disciplinary questionnaire, which presented the parents with hypothetical corrective behavioral situations. Contrary to expectations there were no significant relations between ToM, parenting strategies, and socioeconomic status in the overall sample. However, examining children tested in English and children tested in Spanish separately yielded some significant results. In the Spanish-speaking sample, …


Social Skills As Predictors Of Theory Of Mind Development Among Children, Lucia A. Salinas Dec 2011

Social Skills As Predictors Of Theory Of Mind Development Among Children, Lucia A. Salinas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study examined relationships among social skills including deceptive behavior, socioeconomic status, and theory of mind development in 98 predominantly Hispanic 3- to 7-year-old children residing in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Measures were of vocabulary, deceptive ability, true belief, and false belief understanding. Children’s interactions with others were also measured through observational methods and parental data was obtained to compute socioeconomic status and validate social skills information. It was hypothesized that social skill development, including deception would emerge along with theory of mind understanding in this population, and that children from households of lower socioeconomic status would …


The Use Of Debit Cards In Promoting On-Time Payment Behavior In A Daycare Center In The Rio Grande Valley Region Of Texas, Ruben James Nieto Dec 2011

The Use Of Debit Cards In Promoting On-Time Payment Behavior In A Daycare Center In The Rio Grande Valley Region Of Texas, Ruben James Nieto

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The study investigates the inappropriate payment behavior of consumers at a local daycare in the Rio Grande Valley. An AB, baseline and intervention, single subject design was used to increase the on-time payment behavior of consumers paying on time at the daycare. Baseline data was taken for 14 weeks before the intervention was implemented. The intervention consisted of an alternative payment method, accepting credit and debit cards, [as an antecedent, to the consumer in order to receive payments on time]. This alternative payment method showed that on-time payment behavior increased compared to pre-intervention.


History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse In Mexican Origin Undergraduate Students And Its Relationship To Impulsivity, Jessica Lee Graham Aug 2011

History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse In Mexican Origin Undergraduate Students And Its Relationship To Impulsivity, Jessica Lee Graham

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

It is estimated that twenty-five percent of undergraduate female students have experienced some form of sexual abuse while under the age of 18. The definition of childhood sexual abuse, CSA, consists of abusive behaviors of varying intensity and duration and varies across states. Few studies have been done addressing the relationship between CSA and impulsivity. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an association between a history of childhood sexual abuse and impulsivity in adults of Mexican origin. One hundred fifty-one undergraduates from UTPA participated. For the purposes of this study focus was placed on the …


Binge Drinking In Undergraduate Mexican-Origin Students And Its' Relation To Impulsivity, Rosalva M. Longoria Aug 2011

Binge Drinking In Undergraduate Mexican-Origin Students And Its' Relation To Impulsivity, Rosalva M. Longoria

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Heavy drinking is more prevalent in college students ages 18 through 21 than non-students (NIAAA, 2010). Impulsivity and binge drinking have shown an association (Balodis, Potenza & Olmstead, 2009). An important aspect of this relationship is the influencing factors that may help in determining the effects of drinking on academic performance. In order to predict this behavior, we collected information on tendencies to be impulsive and those that have shown binge drinking behavior from 151 undergraduate students, 11 non-Hispanics, 3 Hispanics, and 137 Hispanics of Mexican-origin attending the University of Texas-Pan American. Of the Mexican-origin students, 37% reported binge drinking …


Variation In Parenting Style In A Captive Group Of Western Lowlands Gorillas, Ana E. Fernandez Aug 2011

Variation In Parenting Style In A Captive Group Of Western Lowlands Gorillas, Ana E. Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Parenting styles were examined in a group of western lowland gorillas to determine the relationship between parenting style and multiple births with a single individual. Another interest in this study was on varying ways that motherhood can be approached, with partial attention to the relationship between parenting style and social rank. Observational data was collected by means of focal animal sampling and used to analyze contact behaviors in mother-infant relationship. Results indicated that parenting style stayed consistent within the same mother, but different between mothers.


In-Group Implicit Prejudice Against Mexican Americans In The Rio Grande Valley, Christelle Fabiola Garza May 2011

In-Group Implicit Prejudice Against Mexican Americans In The Rio Grande Valley, Christelle Fabiola Garza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The existence of in-group implicit prejudice against persons of Mexican origin was examined. Implicit refers to cognitive processes that the individual is unaware. Implicit attitudes are associations between social targets and positive or negative feelings that are passively learned from the environment. The measure we used to assess implicit prejudice was the Implicit Association Test. We also examined acculturation using the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (Flores-Niemann et al., 1999). Family values, assessed using the Cultural Values Scale (Unger, et al., 2002), and skin tone defined by light or dark complexion using a Photovolt 577 reflectance meter, were also …


False Positive Rates In The Neuropsychological Assessment Of Neurologically Intact Bilingual Hispanic American Adults, Cassandra Dayanira Gonzalez Dec 2010

False Positive Rates In The Neuropsychological Assessment Of Neurologically Intact Bilingual Hispanic American Adults, Cassandra Dayanira Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Hispanic Americans perform more poorly than White Americans on neuropsychological tests, leading to a higher misclassification rate of brain injury (false positives) among Hispanics when using the 50th percentile of published norms as the estimate of preexisting neuropsychological skill. This study aimed to determine if using an individual comparison standard to estimate preexisting skill levels would reduce the number of false positives in a sample of 20 bilingual Hispanic American adults. Two individual comparison standards were used: (a) WMLS-R Picture Vocabulary scores, and (b) WMLS-R Picture Vocabulary scores and WAIS-III Matrix Reasoning scores combined. Both individual comparison standards were found …


Attitudinal Measures Of College Students' Punitiveness Toward Sex Offenders, Antonio Zamorano Dec 2010

Attitudinal Measures Of College Students' Punitiveness Toward Sex Offenders, Antonio Zamorano

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The following experiment investigates punitiveness toward sex offenders using a sample of one hundred sixty students from the University of Texas-Pan American student population recruited from undergraduate introductory psychology courses and compensated with extra course credit. Punitiveness toward sex offenders was measured with six-point bipolar Likert scales using two attitudinal research methodologies: a randomly assigned between group experiment using a manipulated hypothetical crime scenario, and a survey using a shortened version of the Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders Scale (CATSOS). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison tests of attitudinal responses to the hypothetical crime scenario determined that …


Sociocultural Attitudes And Expectations As A Result Of Media Internalization: An Exploration Of Potential Cultural Resiliency Factors Among Mexican-American College Women, Natalie Marie Perez Aug 2010

Sociocultural Attitudes And Expectations As A Result Of Media Internalization: An Exploration Of Potential Cultural Resiliency Factors Among Mexican-American College Women, Natalie Marie Perez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study involved a final sample of 153 Mexican-American college women who viewed photos of models who exemplify the thin ideal and models who are considered average and overweight according to society’s standards of beauty. The order of the photos was manipulated to determine if subjection to the thin ideal would negatively affect body satisfaction and or affect how the participants judged the models who did not meet the thin ideal. Manipulation did not negatively affect how participants judged the average and overweight models. In addition, upon manipulation, both groups rated themselves as heavier despite group assignment. Finally, acculturation level …


Gender Differences In Advanced Theory Of Mind And Social Competence Among School-Age Children, Cheryl A. Barton Aug 2010

Gender Differences In Advanced Theory Of Mind And Social Competence Among School-Age Children, Cheryl A. Barton

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study explored gender differences in the development of theory of mind (ToM) and social competence among school-age children. It was hypothesized that children’s ToM ability related to their social competence. Children, ages 6 to 12-years (N=62; 38 girls, 24 boys) were administered 12 advanced ToM stories and a language assessment. Parents and teachers evaluated the children’s social skills (N=70; 40 girls, 30 boys), - using a 23 item social competence inventory which consisted of positive behaviors and two forms of negative behaviors: relational aggression and overt hostility. Results indicated positive associations between children’s ToM ability and positive social …


The Effects Of Ssris On Sexual Function In College Students, Adriana Ivette Sanchez Aug 2010

The Effects Of Ssris On Sexual Function In College Students, Adriana Ivette Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study will investigate the effects of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) on sexual function in college students. Depression is the most prevalent disorder individuals’ encounter. Depression could occur at any age but is most prevalent at 25-years to 44-years of age. The most common treatment is antidepressant specifically SSRIs, but it’s most common side effect is sexual dysfunction. The study includes 328 participants. The average age of the participants is 23.9 years old and had a standard deviation of 6.8. The participants answered a questionnaire asking about their sexual function. This study resulted with a very low sample …


Digit Ratio And Sexually Dimorphic Psychopathology, Miriam Sarahi Izaguirre Aug 2010

Digit Ratio And Sexually Dimorphic Psychopathology, Miriam Sarahi Izaguirre

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The 2D:4D ratio is a sexually dimorphic trait which is lower in males than in females. A low value of 2D:4D indicates a uterine environment high in testosterone and low in estrogen which is a characteristic of males. Smaller 2D:4D ratios have been associated with disorders that occur more frequently in males, such as autism and ADHD. In contrast, eating disorders and depression (disorders that occur more frequently in females) suggests larger 2D:4D ratios. The purpose of the study is to replicate and extend the findings of previous research concerning the relationship of masculinized and feminized digit ratio to the …


Sequelae Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Chronic Headache Pain In Women, Kathy L. Theiss Jul 2010

Sequelae Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Chronic Headache Pain In Women, Kathy L. Theiss

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

For many years the association of headache with CSA has been postulated and results have been similar across studies indicating a robust connection. Chronic headache is one of the most common causes of visits to physicians and contributes to decreased quality of life for those who suffer with them. Although CSA is detrimental to both men and women, evidence supports that women are more likely to suffer from chronic somatic headache pain than men. Therefore, it is hypothesized that chronic headache is significantly more common among women with a history of childhood sexual abuse when compared to women who have …


Sibling Stress In Families Of Children With Autism, Valerie N. Moreno May 2010

Sibling Stress In Families Of Children With Autism, Valerie N. Moreno

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have an increased chance of experiencing more stress than siblings of typically developing children. Stress experienced by siblings of children with an ASD may be dependent on the adaptive and maladaptive behavior of the child with autism. A total of 30 mothers were recruited in this study. Results indicated that the difference in stress levels in siblings of children with an ASD and siblings of typically developing children were not statistically significant. It was also found that the stress levels in siblings of children with an ASD were not dependent …


Parenting Stress On Mothers Of Children With Autism, Janett Cantu May 2010

Parenting Stress On Mothers Of Children With Autism, Janett Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Recent research has underscored that having a child with autism can be particularly stressful for parents. The purpose of the current study was to identify sources stress in mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with mothers of typically developing children (TDC). A total of 33 mothers were recruited in this study; 18 mothers had at least one child with ASD and 15 mothers had at least one typically developing child. The results showed higher levels of stress in the ASD group compared to the TDC group. The main source of stress for the mothers in both …


Emotion Understanding And Social Competence In Balanced Bilinguals And Language-Dominant Children, Katrina Meza May 2010

Emotion Understanding And Social Competence In Balanced Bilinguals And Language-Dominant Children, Katrina Meza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The present study investigated the development of emotion understanding and social competence among 106 culturally and linguistically diverse children (50 girls and 56 boys). It investigated if there were differences in the development of emotion understanding and social competence between balanced bilinguals and language-dominant children. Balanced bilinguals outperformed language-dominant children on two advanced tasks of emotion understanding, in which they evidenced an increased understanding that emotions can be based on desires and that emotions can be hidden. Balanced bilinguals and language-dominant children follow a similar developmental trajectory on emotion understanding. There were no significant differences between language groups in social …


Does Tactile Stimulation Attenuate The Adverse Effects Of Maternal Separations In Rats?, Nancy I. Salinas May 2010

Does Tactile Stimulation Attenuate The Adverse Effects Of Maternal Separations In Rats?, Nancy I. Salinas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Handling has been used as a stressor and a stress-protector in research on development in rats. Tactile stimulation (TS), on the other hand, has consistently been shown to favorably affect the performance and exploratory behaviors of stressed rats in novel environments and this effect is usually interpreted as evidence of attenuating the developmentally-related emotional consequences of stress. In the present study, the effects of TS during maternal separation (MS) were explored during a critical period of development in rats. An open-field task to measure exploratory behavior was used as a dependent measure of anxiety at a pre-pubertal period. It was …