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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Stress, Anxiety, And Somatic Symptoms: A Comparison Of Biomarkers In A Clinical Sample, David J. Finitsis Mar 2013

Stress, Anxiety, And Somatic Symptoms: A Comparison Of Biomarkers In A Clinical Sample, David J. Finitsis

Master's Theses

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent class of mental disorders, often characterized by a chronic course and comorbid psychopathology. The anxiety-stress literature utilizing cortisol as a biomarker of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis has been inconsistent. The establishment of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) as a biomarker of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation allows researchers an opportunity to examine the stress response more fully. This study sought to explore relationships between trait anxiety and salivary stress biomarkers in an outpatient sample attending a specialized anxiety treatment center. Multiple regression and moderator analyses were conducted to examine associations between psychosocial and physiological …


Negative Event Appraisals, Cognitive Processing, And Adjustment, Kristen E. Riley Nov 2012

Negative Event Appraisals, Cognitive Processing, And Adjustment, Kristen E. Riley

Master's Theses

Appraisals of stressful events are linked to their adjustment to those stressful events. Appraisals can include perceptions of an event as threatening, uncontrollable, controllable, central, or challenging (Peacock & Wong, 1990). Many studies have examined effects of these appraisals on adjustment and cognitive processing (Aldwin, 2007; Lazarus, 1993; Tan, Jensen, Thornby, & Anderson, 2005), and a few have suggested that cognitive processing mediates relationships between appraisals and adjustment (Peacock & Wong, 1996). We tested cognitive processing in mediation models between appraisals and adjustment, and compared to active coping, in the context of ongoing stressors. Active coping appears to be particularly …


Repetitive And Stereotyped Behaviors From Age 2 To Age 4: A Look At The Development Of High- And Low-Level Repetitive Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kelley Knoch Jul 2012

Repetitive And Stereotyped Behaviors From Age 2 To Age 4: A Look At The Development Of High- And Low-Level Repetitive Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kelley Knoch

Master's Theses

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are core features in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous literature has subdivided RRBs into low and high levels. Low-level behavior is characterized by a repetition of movement, such as stereotyped movements, whereas high-level behavior includes insistence on sameness and rigid adherence to a routine. There is conflicting evidence frequency and severity of RRBs in early development in children with ASD. In the current study, we examined developmental differences in the frequency and severity of RRBs in children with ASD (n = 109) compared to children with developmental delays (DD) (n= 34). Participants were evaluated at …


Differences In Body Image: Comparing Asian American Ethnic Groups And White Americans, Alefiyah Z. Pishori Dec 2011

Differences In Body Image: Comparing Asian American Ethnic Groups And White Americans, Alefiyah Z. Pishori

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.


Racial/Ethnic Differences In Possible Selves Of Diverse Adolescents: Implications For Higher Education And Mental Health, Viana Y. Turcios-Cotto Dec 2011

Racial/Ethnic Differences In Possible Selves Of Diverse Adolescents: Implications For Higher Education And Mental Health, Viana Y. Turcios-Cotto

Master's Theses

There are striking disparities in the academic achievement of American youth, with Latino and Black adolescents attaining higher education at vastly lower rates than White adolescents. Though numerous reasons exist for these educational disparities this study examines possible selves as they may relate to educational achievement among Latinos. Specifically, this study investigates: a) racial/ethnic differences in the content and themes of expected possible selves held by young adolescents; b) within group differences among Latino students and their expected possible selves; c) racial/ethnic differences in the relation between higher education possible selves and current mental health adjustment. Written responses reflecting types …


The Impact Of Breast Cancer Screening On Sleep, Affect, And Immune Functioning, Caitlin Burbridge Dec 2011

The Impact Of Breast Cancer Screening On Sleep, Affect, And Immune Functioning, Caitlin Burbridge

Master's Theses

Despite great strides that have been made over the past several decades in terms of diagnosis and treatment, breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American women and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women in the United States. Although the benefits of early detection of breast cancer have been clearly established, the advantages of screening must also be weighed against a potential corresponding negative psychological impact of screening procedures. The purpose of the present study was to further investigate the impact of breast cancer screening on previously unstudied or understudied aspects of psychological and physiological …


Rejection Sensitivity And Early Relationships: Explaining Differential Outcomes In Early Dating, Heather Holly Nov 2011

Rejection Sensitivity And Early Relationships: Explaining Differential Outcomes In Early Dating, Heather Holly

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.


Intact Statistical Word Learning In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jessica Mayo Aug 2011

Intact Statistical Word Learning In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jessica Mayo

Master's Theses

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have impairments in language acquisition, but the underlying mechanism of these deficits is poorly understood. Implicit learning appears potentially relevant to language development, particularly in speech segmentation, which relies on sensitivity to the transitional probabilities between speech sounds. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between implicit learning and current language abilities in school-aged children with autism (n = 17) and typical development (n = 24) using a well-studied artificial language learning task. Results suggest that the ASD and TD groups were equally able to implicitly learn transitional probabilities from a lengthy …


Academic Abilities In Children And Adolescents With A History Of Autism Spectrum Disorders Who Have Achieved Optimal Outcomes, Eva Troyb Aug 2011

Academic Abilities In Children And Adolescents With A History Of Autism Spectrum Disorders Who Have Achieved Optimal Outcomes, Eva Troyb

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.