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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Emotion Regulation And The Experience Of Racial Microaggressions., Broderick Sawyer May 2019

Emotion Regulation And The Experience Of Racial Microaggressions., Broderick Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racial microaggressions are defined as subtle racial insults or slights that racial minorities may encounter daily, communicating negative messages to victims. Perceiving discrimination has been associated with negative outcomes in racial minorities such as symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, and low self-esteem. Previous research has suggested emotion regulation and psychological symptoms as playing significant roles in the experience of discrimination. Research has yet to identify specific emotion regulation tactics that might offset the harm of racial microaggressions. Mindfulness and self-compassion have been found to buffer the negative emotional impact of chronic stressors that are similar to racial microaggressions. The current …


Microaggressions In Lgb Individuals: The Protective Role Of Positive Lgb Identity., Ghazel Tellawi Dec 2018

Microaggressions In Lgb Individuals: The Protective Role Of Positive Lgb Identity., Ghazel Tellawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine LGB identity from a multidimensional approach in the context of microaggressions. The aims of the study were as follows: 1) to examine whether positive and negative facets of LGB identities are correlated; 2) to determine whether positive LGB identity facets served as protective factors against the negative impact of microaggressions; 3) to explore the unique contribution of having a positive LGB identity against the negative impact of microaggressions when compared to other protective factors (social support and outness). Participants were 135 undergraduate students recruited through the University of Louisville’s research participant …


Repetitive Negative Thinking Styles And First-Semester Academic Performance: Psychological Risk And Resilience Among Low-Income College Students., Darlene M. Davis Dec 2018

Repetitive Negative Thinking Styles And First-Semester Academic Performance: Psychological Risk And Resilience Among Low-Income College Students., Darlene M. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College students face significant mental health and academic challenges their first academic year. The college transition period can be stressful. In addition, students are increasingly endorsing anxious and depressive symptoms. Depressive and anxious symptoms are linked to repetitive negative thinking styles that present in college students, which contributes to academic interference. The first year of college can be challenging for students who are unable to adjust and adapt. Students who struggle and feel overwhelmed by life stressors experience psychological disruption that interferes with academic performance. Growing up in poverty has been associated with lower grade point averages and poorer graduation …


Fostering Positive Emotion Through Self-Compassion In Individuals With Chronic Pain., Melissa E. Ellsworth Aug 2018

Fostering Positive Emotion Through Self-Compassion In Individuals With Chronic Pain., Melissa E. Ellsworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research in chronic pain has established that reducing or removing negative aspects of functioning, such as negative emotion, maladaptive thoughts and behaviors are associated with better outcomes in this population. More limited is the research on the role of positive aspects of functioning in those with chronic pain, specifically exploring the benefits of positive emotion and how this can be bolstered in individuals with chronic pain. Limited research to date has explored strategies to promote positive aspects of functioning, including savoring, gratitude, and mindfulness, but even more limited is research exploring the role of self-compassion as a resource for …


Understanding The Relationship Between Positive Affect And Cortisol In Lung Cancer Patients., Lauren Ann Zimmaro Aug 2018

Understanding The Relationship Between Positive Affect And Cortisol In Lung Cancer Patients., Lauren Ann Zimmaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive psychobiological processes within lung cancer patients are drastically understudied. This dissertation explores the nature of positive affect (PA) and potential associations with diurnal cortisol among lung cancer patients, given the prognostic significance of diurnal cortisol rhythms. Theoretical underpinnings and current literature involving PA, cancer, and diurnal cortisol are first reviewed. An original integrated model of PA and cortisol among cancer patients is then presented, from which the proposed dissertation study and analyses are derived. Sixty-one non-small cell lung cancer patients provided self-report assessment of mood (PANAS PA and NA subscales, CES-D PA subscale), medical and demographic characteristics, and 10-day …


Screening Older Adults For Depression : The Relationship Among Clinical Discipline Training, Barriers, Attitudes, Norms, And Perceived Behavioral Control., Ronald W. Smith Aug 2018

Screening Older Adults For Depression : The Relationship Among Clinical Discipline Training, Barriers, Attitudes, Norms, And Perceived Behavioral Control., Ronald W. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is examine the influence of barriers on clinicians’ decisions to screen for depression in older adults or to refer to other health professionals. A second purpose is to explore how well the Theory of Planned Behavior is supported as a framework for understanding the likelihood of screening for depression and how the variables within the theory interact with barriers to affect clinician behavior. A final purpose is to explore characteristics of depression screening or referral of older adults by several clinical disciplines. Design and Methods: This study featured a …


First Semester Academic Functioning Of College Students : The Role Of Stressful And Traumatic Life Events., Ashlee J. Warnecke Aug 2018

First Semester Academic Functioning Of College Students : The Role Of Stressful And Traumatic Life Events., Ashlee J. Warnecke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A large number of the nearly 20 million students who were attending American colleges in 2015 will not graduate. One factor that may affect the success of students is the influence of past experiences, including past adversity, or exposure to traumatic or non-traumatic stressors. The present study sought to better describe and understand the role of stress/trauma history in college students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The potential relationship this history has with academic outcomes was explored. Additionally, as not all students with a history of stressful and traumatic life events struggle academically, self-reported resilience, as well as resiliency factors, were …


Cross-Validation Of The Body Compassion Scale In A Sample Of Women In Perimenopause., Jennifer K. Altman Aug 2018

Cross-Validation Of The Body Compassion Scale In A Sample Of Women In Perimenopause., Jennifer K. Altman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a cross-validation of the Body Compassion Scale (BCS) to confirm its factor structure and to assess concurrent validity in women in perimenopause. Body compassion is a construct developed by the author referring to the level of compassion with which an individual relates to her body. It is based in contemporary mindfulnessand acceptance-based conceptual models. The body is central to the experience of women in perimenopause. Moreover, this important transition has been largely medicalized— with little attention given to experiential aspects of this natural phase of life. A total of 281 women in perimenopause completed online questionnaires assessing …


Emotion Socialization And Families Of Children With And Without Adhd., Danielle M. Walerius Dec 2017

Emotion Socialization And Families Of Children With And Without Adhd., Danielle M. Walerius

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emotional competence (EC) represents several distinct emotional skills found to be strongly associated with children’s socioemotional outcomes. EC is thought to develop through a process known as emotion socialization (ES), whereby children’s emotions and emotion-based behaviors are socialized through interactions with parents and/or other primary figures. The present study examined ES across families of children with and without ADHD in order to clarify the role ES plays in the development of EC in typically developing (TD) children versus children more prone to EC impairments due to intrapersonal characteristics (e.g., inattention, disinhibition, etc.). Forty-eight children 5 to 8-years-old (23 with ADHD, …


The Roles Of Anxious Rearing, Negative Affect, And Effortful Control In A Model Of Risk For Child Perfectionism., Nicholas William Affrunti Aug 2017

The Roles Of Anxious Rearing, Negative Affect, And Effortful Control In A Model Of Risk For Child Perfectionism., Nicholas William Affrunti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our understanding of perfectionism and its developmental trajectory and impact on children has experienced a recent growth. Research has shown that child perfectionism is associated with a number of negative outcomes including anxiety and depressive disorders, hopelessness, poor psychosocial treatment outcomes, and researchers have not found it to be associated with actual achievement. As such, research has begun to examine the developmental risk factors that predict for its development. The current study proposes utilizing a developmental psychopathology approach, one that purports a complex interaction among internal, external, risk and protective processes in the developmental of perfectionism. Specifically, the study examined …


Exploring A Multifactorial, Clinical Model Of Thought Disorder : Application Of A Dimensional, Transdiagnostic Approach., Mara Ann Hart Aug 2017

Exploring A Multifactorial, Clinical Model Of Thought Disorder : Application Of A Dimensional, Transdiagnostic Approach., Mara Ann Hart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Bleuler saw thought disorder as the core defining feature of psychotic phenomena, reflective of the “splitting of the psychic functions” that occurred when, in the process of thinking, one’s ideas and feelings disconnect, becoming fragmented and competing functions. Unfortunately, interest in thought disorder as the conceptual core of psychosis was lost with rise of the modern DSM system, paralleling the shift towards a more simplistic, categorical way of defining psychiatric disorders. Aims: This study examined thought disorder from a dimensional perspective, with the aim of disentangling qualitative heterogeneity and diverse sources of influence. Analyses were based on …


Preparing For Racial Discrimination : The Role Of Cognition And Emotion In The Proactive Coping Process Of African American College Students., Ryan Christopher Tyler Delapp Aug 2017

Preparing For Racial Discrimination : The Role Of Cognition And Emotion In The Proactive Coping Process Of African American College Students., Ryan Christopher Tyler Delapp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, conceptual models of racial discrimination have characterized the reactive experiences of African Americans, particularly identifying how African Americans cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally respond to racial stress. The current study extends beyond the reactive coping experience and identifies nuances in the anticipatory and preparatory coping processes associated with racial discrimination. Methods: 62 African American college students participated in a stress induction experiment that prompted anticipatory judgments of discrimination. The full sample completed quantitative self-report questionnaires about their anticipatory thoughts (SAM; Peacock & Wong, 1990; Roesch & Rowley, 2005), state-based affect (PANAS-X; Watson & Clark, 1994), and proactive coping behaviors (PPCB; …


The Relationship Between Trauma And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Lung Cancer Patients : The Potential Protective Role Of Mindfulness., Rene Bayley-Veloso Aug 2017

The Relationship Between Trauma And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Lung Cancer Patients : The Potential Protective Role Of Mindfulness., Rene Bayley-Veloso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the most common malignant disease worldwide, and the rapid decline in functioning due to the often-later stage diagnosis can strongly impact a patient’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Palliative care, with the aim of improving later-stage HRQOL, is often a main goal of treatment. Compared to other cancer types, patients with lung cancer experience the greatest amount of psychological distress during and after treatment. Prior trauma exposure, and the potentially traumatic nature of the cancer experience, can further complicate HRQOL. Mindfulness, an innate or acquired capacity for sustaining attention in the present moment with qualities of self-warmth …


Cumulative Trauma, Emotion Reactivity And Salivary Cytokine Response Following Acute Stress Among Healthy Women., Yvette Z. Szabo Aug 2017

Cumulative Trauma, Emotion Reactivity And Salivary Cytokine Response Following Acute Stress Among Healthy Women., Yvette Z. Szabo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study furthers understanding of how trauma exposure may be connected to the development and maintenance of poor health by focusing on cytokines, tightly regulated proteins of the immune system. Cytokine responses to acute stress have been associated with the onset of poorer mental health in physically healthy women. The present study examined how two factors recently associated with cytokine reactivity –cumulative trauma and emotion reactivity– are associated with salivary cytokine reactivity among healthy women. Seventy-one women, screened to be physically and mentally healthy, completed a laboratory acute stress paradigm and self-report measures of state emotion and trauma exposure. Participants …


Social Comparison Processes As Contributors To Consistent Physical Activity., Holly M. Knight Aug 2016

Social Comparison Processes As Contributors To Consistent Physical Activity., Holly M. Knight

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the impact that attention to social comparison (SC) information may have on consistency in physical activity (PA) behaviors across genders. SC factors, including SC frequency, SC direction and trait tendency to compare (SCO) were assessed within the Dynamic Relapse Model (DRM) as markers of PA consistency within men and women. Participants were N=200 individuals engaging in physical activity at YMCA gym facilities. Data collection utilized cross-sectional methods including anthropomorphic data collection at the point of recruitment and online selfreport measures post-recruitment. High adherence to regular physical activity was observed, with participants reporting infrequent slips in PA …


Nurses' Intentions To Initiate An Antipsychotic Or Behavioral Intervention With Nursing Home Residents : The Role Of Norms, Being Evaluated, Self-Efficacy, Time Pressures, And Staffing., Brian M. Ludwin Aug 2016

Nurses' Intentions To Initiate An Antipsychotic Or Behavioral Intervention With Nursing Home Residents : The Role Of Norms, Being Evaluated, Self-Efficacy, Time Pressures, And Staffing., Brian M. Ludwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose of the Study: This experimental study examined whether exposure to an injunctive norm against antipsychotic use and a sense of being evaluated influenced nurses’ intentions to initiate an antipsychotic or behavioral intervention with nursing home residents who have dementia-related behavioral difficulties, and examined the interrelationships of perceived time pressures, staffing, self-efficacy, and the nurses’ treatment intentions. Design and Methods: A total of 158 nurses from 28 long-term care facilities were randomized to one of four conditions within a two (injunctive norm: salient vs. not salient) x two (sense of evaluation: salient vs. not salient) between-participants design in …


A Culturally-Sensitive Model Of The Development Of Child Anxiety., Jenny Marie Petrie Dec 2015

A Culturally-Sensitive Model Of The Development Of Child Anxiety., Jenny Marie Petrie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Explanatory models significantly enhance the understanding of etiological influences that place children at risk for anxiety, yet little is known about processes that promote resilient outcomes in children. While contextual factors influence risk and protective processes, cultural constructs have not been incorporated into existing models of anxiety and the role of culture remains obscure. The current study proposes a culturally sensitive model for understanding the etiological and mitigating processes underlying anxious symptoms in ethnic minority youth, and preliminarily tests basic components of the proposed model within a non-clinical community sample of 49 African American (AA) parent-child dyads who completed self-report …


The Neuropsychological Profile Of Older Adult Musicians And Non-Musicians : Implications For Cognitive Reserve In Late Life., Jessica Vemich Strong, Aug 2015

The Neuropsychological Profile Of Older Adult Musicians And Non-Musicians : Implications For Cognitive Reserve In Late Life., Jessica Vemich Strong,

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Published literature studying children and adults musicians suggests significant differences in neuroanatomy, in brain regions that include the auditory and motor cortices, language centers, and frontal regions and tracts. Studies examining cognitive correlates to these neuroanatomical differences have consistently found that children and adult musicians have better cognitive abilities in the domains of language, verbal or non-verbal memory and executive function. Only one study has examined the differences in cognitive performance between older adult musicians and non-musicians to see how normal age-related cognitive changes may affect these differences. The current study compared cognitive test performance among older adult non-musicians, low-activity …


Awareness Of Executive Functioning As A Diagnostic Tool For Mild Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer's Disease., Jeremy Stark Carmasin Aug 2015

Awareness Of Executive Functioning As A Diagnostic Tool For Mild Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer's Disease., Jeremy Stark Carmasin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the utility of older adults’ awareness of their executive functioning abilities to predict future cognitive decline. The recently revised Cognitive Awareness Model (CAM) forms the conceptual background of this approach, and suggests that executive dysfunction disrupts awareness in a manner distinct from episodic memory dysfunction. The study design examined how awareness of executive functioning ability may predict both continuous decline on neuropsychological testing and qualitative change in diagnostic status. This form of prediction was tested using a longitudinal sample (n = 661) of older adults with either normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or Alzheimer’s disease (AD). …


Testing The Chronic Care Model For Depression In Homebound Older Adults., Brittney Rose Getz Aug 2015

Testing The Chronic Care Model For Depression In Homebound Older Adults., Brittney Rose Getz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Homebound older adults are a unique population of older adults with many chronic illnesses and complex care needs (Qui et al., 2010). Depression is highly prevalent in homebound older adults (Qui et al., 2010). Many Chronic Care Models (CCMs) have been developed to provide a better system of care to those with chronic health conditions (Bodenheimer, Wagner, & Grumbach, 2002; Wagner et al., 2001; Wagner, Austin, & Von Korff, 1996a, 1996b). The Chronic Care Model for Depressed Homebound Older Adults is a model that was specifically designed for the depressed homebound elderly. It addresses many areas for improvement of care …


Intimate Partner Psychological Abuse And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms : The Role Of Shame During Recall Of Psychological Abuse Memories., Kimberly N. Fleming May 2015

Intimate Partner Psychological Abuse And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms : The Role Of Shame During Recall Of Psychological Abuse Memories., Kimberly N. Fleming

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To help understand why intimate partner psychological abuse has been associated with posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in past studies, two studies of college-aged individuals tested a mediational model in which shame during recall was hypothesized to mediate associations between psychological abuse memory recall and PTS symptom severity. The model was partially supported. Experiment 1 established the first piece of the model by linking recall of a psychological abuse memory to increases in state shame from pre- to post-recall. Consistent with the hypothesis, there was a statistically significant interaction between memory condition (psychological abuse memory, non-abuse relationship memory) and time of …


Dysthymia And Major Depression : Distinct Conditions Or Different Stages Along A One-Dimensional Continuum?, Patrick Pössel Jan 2003

Dysthymia And Major Depression : Distinct Conditions Or Different Stages Along A One-Dimensional Continuum?, Patrick Pössel

Faculty Scholarship

Until recently researchers have discussed whether dysthymia and major depression represent distinct conditions or rather different stages along a one-dimensional continuum. This study addresses this question by examining the belief systems of normal, dysthymic, and depressed participants. We explored participants‘ beliefs and differentiated between positive and negative as well as between core and peripheral beliefs. Normal participants showed fewer negative beliefs and negative peripheral beliefs than the dysthymic group, whereas normal participants had more positive beliefs and positive core beliefs as well as fewer negative core beliefs than the depressed group. The hypothesized one-dimensional continuum could not be demonstrated for …