Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Identifying Publication Outlets In Occupational Health Psychology: An Opinion Survey, Maria Karanika-Murray, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Leigh Schmitt

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Attachment: The Antidote To Trauma, Joshua Straub

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Trauma and loss in life are inevitable. And all too often the traumatic experience itself can be enough to paralyze the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of any given person. Unable to interpret the traumatic experience, many instead are left defined by it. Helping clients discern the objective experience and their subjective reactions to it will help free them from the emotions and beliefs that subsequently control their lives. Based on the most relevant attachment theory research and clinical techniques, this workshop teaches the attentional strategies necessary to helping clients overcome trauma.

Sexual Risk Recognition Deficits: The Role Of Prior Victimization And Emotion Dysregulation, Kate L. Walsh

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recent theoretical writings suggest that the ineffective regulation of negative emotional states may reduce the ability of women to detect and respond effectively to situational and interpersonal factors that increase risk for sexual assault. However, little empirical research has explored this hypothesis. In the present study, it was hypothesized that prior sexual victimization and negative mood state would each independently predict poor risk recognition and less effective defensive actions in response to an analogue sexual assault vignette. Further, these variables were expected to interact to produce particularly impaired risk responses. Finally, that the in vivo emotion regulation strategy of suppression …

The Role Of The Peer Group In Adolescence: Effects On Internalizing And Externalizing Symptoms, Glen J. Veed

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

An adolescent’s peer group has been theorized to influence the development of psychopathology. However, little research has examined the adolescent peer group using information obtained directly from peers in a longitudinal framework. Research has also been limited on peer group influence on the development of internalizing disorders. The study used Social Network Analysis to examine self-reported anxiety, depression, aggression, and delinquency in the fall and spring of one school year for students in a rural high school. In addition to examining the effect of the peer group on individual reports of psychopathology, the strength of this relation was compared to …

Social Support Domains For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Assessing Perceived Needs And Stress Levels, Rachel N. Wolf

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study investigated types of social support needs through a number of domains reported by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) along with the relationship of these needs to reported parental stress. Female participants (N = 35) in the South Central Kentucky region responded to a number of measures regarding perceptions of their current stress levels on the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF) and their perceptions on social support needs through a modified version of the Family Needs Questionnaire (FNQ). The results indicated that there was a moderately strong correlation between social support needs and …

Adhd Differences On The Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition, Meridee Runge, Rodger K. Bufford, Elizabeth Hamilton, Gale Roid

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric diagnosis in childhood that requires a level of attention or hyperactivity that falls short of the expected developmental level. Past research shows cognitive discrepancies in ADHD populations with verbal deficiencies observed primarily in tasks that require a combined auditory and verbal component. Working memory has been a long acknowledged deficit in persons with ADHD. This research examines cognitive differences among children with ADHD on working memory and other components of the Stanford Binet, 5th edition (SB5). Stanford Binet verbal and nonverbal working memory was hypothesized to be different for the ADHD sample compared …

Religious Affiliation, Religious And Spiritual Practices, And Burnout Among Adolescent Residential Staff Members, Tara Sanderson, Rodger K. Bufford, Mary K. Peterson, Victoria Ravensberg

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Adolescent residential treatment staff members have jobs that are emotionally exhausting, physically taxing and spiritually draining. Good coping skills, including religious/spiritual practices, may reduce burnout. Results from a small rural adolescent residential treatment center indicated a high degree of burnout. Burnout was negatively correlated with existential and religious well-being, stress, income, social support and personal mental health treatment

A Pilot Study Of Bibliotherapy To Reduce Alcohol Problems Among Patients In A Hospital Trauma Center, Paul Amrhein, Timothy Apodaca, William R. Miller, Carol R. Schermer

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Because alcohol use plays a major role in many injuries that require hospital care, there is increasing interest in developing interventions to address alcohol problems among emergency department and trauma center patients. The aim of the current study was to extend past research on brief interventions by investigating the use of a self-help manual to treat problem drinkers in a hospital trauma center. Forty injured patients who were either intoxicated at the time of injury or screened positive for harmful drinking were randomly assigned to receive either a brief assessment and a self-help booklet with no more than 5 minutes …

Neuropsychological Effects Of The Traumatic Stress Response In Sexually Abused Adolescents Throughout Treatment, Kathryn R. Wilson

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child maltreatment is a pervasive problem in our society that has long-term detrimental consequences to the development of the affected child such as future brain growth and functioning. The alteration of the biochemical stress response system in the brain that changes an individual’s ability to respond efficiently and efficaciously to future stressors is conceptualized as the traumatic stress response. The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of the traumatic stress response on sexually abused adolescents’ through a two-tiered study of neuropsychological functioning throughout treatment. It was determined that there are measurable differences in neuropsychological processing in sexually …

Participation In Prevention Programs For Dating Violence: Beliefs About Relationship Violence And Intention To Participate, Tara L. Cornelius, Kieran T. Sullivan, Nicole Wyngarden, Jennifer Milliken

Psychology

This study utilizes the Health Belief Model to examine the factors related to the intention to participate in prevention programming for dating violence. Perceptions of susceptibility to future violence and the benefits of prevention programming appear to be the strongest predictors of participation in prevention programs. Perceptions of the severity of dating violence do not appear to be related to intentions to participate. There were no differences in intention between those reporting psychological or physical violence in their dating relationship, although some of the HBM factors were associated with a history of violence. Contrary to hypotheses, psychological and physical violence …

Salivary Cortisol, Psychological Stress And Depressive Symptoms Among Patients Undergoing Colon Cancer Screenings, Allyson Reid

Honors Scholar Theses

As the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, colon cancer has a high cure rate if detected early by a colonoscopy (U.S.

Cancer Statistics Working Group, 2007). However, more than 41 million at-risk Americans are not properly receiving colonoscopy screenings according to the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control. This study provides insight into the physiological and psychological benefits of the colonoscopy procedure over and above cancer detection and prevention. Thirty-six patients receiving colonoscopic screening at the University of Connecticut Health Center participated in this study. A questionnaire battery that assessed perceived stress, depressive symptoms, …

History Of Maltreatment And Psychiatric Impairment In Children In Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment, Kerry Gagnon

Honors Scholar Theses

There is increasing evidence that childhood victimization and attachment disruptions impact a child’s development. In this study, children and adolescents from an outpatient psychiatric clinic were assessed, measuring history of trauma, history of out-of-home placement, initial diagnoses, and CBCL internalizing and externalizing problem scores. Multiple regression analyses showed that both violent abuse trauma (physical/sexual abuse) and victim trauma (physical abuse/sexual abuse/witnessing domestic violence/witnessing community violence) are prevalent among patients with externalizing severity problems; concluding that diagnosis alone may not account for a history of victimization, but externalizing problem severity does. Overall, the study is consistent with past literature that it …

Suicide Associated With Military Service, Margo R. Genderson, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Mark S. Kaplan, Michael J. Lyons

Publications and Research

Suicide rates among soldiers and veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) have been steadily growing since 2004, with sharp increases observed more recently. Suicides in the Army are a growing concern on Capitol Hill and in the media. Last month, the Senate Armed Services Committee held hearings on the growing incidence of suicides across the armed forces (Federal city digest, 2009, March 18). The Associated Press (AP) underlined the increasing suicide rates among Army personnel (Army reports sharp rise in suicides in January, 2009, Feb. 5). According to the AP, there were 64 suicides in 2004, and …

Behavior Rating Scales As Screeners For Autism? A Closer Look At The Cab-P And Cbcl/1.5-5, Brandy Mickele Mcreynolds

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent years, autism diagnoses have steadily increased, putting a substantial emphasis on early identification as a crucial component for intervention. Autism diagnoses, however, often require a thorough and comprehensive assessment from a highly trained practitioner. Although ideal, such assessments are often time consuming and expensive, creating a need for a quicker, more simplistic method of screening for autism. Clinicians customarily used behavior rating scales to identify a number of various problem behaviors and/or disorders. The purpose of the present study is to examine the utility of two common behavior rating scales in accurately discriminating between a group of preschoolers …

The Preliminary Assessment And Incidence Of Sexual Identity Issues At Liberty University, Jessica L. Buker

Senior Honors Theses

Currently, homosexual identity development is discussed through various models: stage model theory and milestone events. Different researchers propose their own models of homosexual identity development. These models may have different stages, but have the same underlying themes which are acceptance, attitude changes, frequent disclosure, and increased social contact with other homosexuals. There was a great need to develop an appropriate measure of homosexuality to be used by the Student Care Office at Liberty University. The measure could be used to asses and obtain a preliminary measure of incidence of the people who met our criteria for being included in the …

Introducing The “Basic Needs Genogram” In Reality Therapy-Based Marriage And Family Counseling, Dr. Jill D. Duba, Mary Amanda Graham, Mark Britzman, Neresa Minatrea

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to address how a genogram can be incorporated in Reality Therapy based family counseling. We will review the core tenets of Reality Therapy, the general therapeutic use of genograms, while introducing the Basic Needs Genogram. Secondly, we will provide a case example to illustrate the use of the Basic Needs Genogram to a family. Finally, we will offer our final thoughts about the therapeutic implications of this intervention tool.

Are Shame And Depression Related? Understanding Their Dynamics, Julie Cradock O’Leary, Nancy S. Thurston, Kimberley A. Moore, Kristin Conlon, Danielle D. Jenkins, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Relationship Between Empathy And Shame, Nancy S. Thurston, Julie Cradock O’Leary, Kimberley A. Moore, Kristin Conlon, Danielle D. Jenkins, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Supervision And The Apa Ethical Code: Remediating An Oversight, Rodger K. Bufford, Syrett Yvonne Torres, Nicole Schneider, Chad A. Houchin, Kristin Berggren

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Spiritual/Religious Practices In Moderating Stress Among Adolescent Residential Treatment Staff, Victoria Ravensberg, Tara Sanderson, Rodger K. Bufford, Mary K. Peterson

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Adolescent residential treatment staff members have jobs that are emotionally exhausting, physically taxing and spiritually draining. Good coping skills, including religious/spiritual practices, may reduce burnout. Results from a small rural adolescent residential treatment center indicated a high degree of burnout. Burnout was negatively correlated with existential and religious well-being, stress, income, social support and personal mental health treatment

Insights From Past Experience With Human Dynamics In Military Operations, Randy Borum

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Longer Duration Of Epilepsy And Earlier Age At Epilepsy Onset Correlate With Impaired Cognitive Development In Infancy, Martina Vendrame

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

We assessed the impact of age at onset of epilepsy and duration and frequency of seizures on cognitive development in children less than 3 years old. Retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data and neuropsychological testing of 33 infants with epilepsy. Developmental quotients were calculated and were correlated with age at epilepsy onset, duration of epilepsy, seizure frequency, brain pathology, and types of seizures (with/without spasms) as potential predictors. Infants with longer duration and earlier onset of epilepsy performed worse on developmental neuropsychological testing. Regression analyses showed that age at epilepsy onset and percentage of life with epilepsy were …

A Search For Meaning: The Family’S Response To Serious Mental Illness, Katherine Marie Burrelsman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

It is a commonly held belief that it is inherent in human nature to strive for coherence and meaning in the midst of adversity. Whether this is short or long term, for immediate or prolonged functioning, we all strive to put experiences within events into a framework that enables us to develop a sense of order leading to acceptance and resolution. Therefore, each individual within a family system may develop a hypothesis in order to make a modicum of sense of what can appear to be an impossible situation. The participants involved in this study were individuals with relatives suffering …

Mental Health Professionals’ Perceptions Of Voluntarily Childless Couples, Felizon C. Vidad

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Studies conducted in previous decades have examined attitudes toward and perceptions of voluntarily childless men and women. Participants in these studies were usually comprised of high school, college, and university students. The results showed that, compared to those who were parents, voluntarily childless men and women were mostly perceived in a less favorable light. This study sought to investigate how voluntarily childless heterosexual couples are currently viewed and whether attitudes toward the voluntarily childless have changed since the earlier research was conducted. Participants in this study consisted of individuals who were practicing in the field of mental health and who …

“Riding Bareback”: Factors Involved In The Development Of A Bareback Identity, Scott Charles Musgrove

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Researchers in the area of HIV prevention have long been aware of the rising incidence of unprotected sex among men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent years researchers have witnessed the emergence of the behaviors, attitudes and practices that discriminate between those of the MSM community who strictly and consistently adhere to safer sex practices, those who inconsistently practice safer sex, and those who eschew protected sex altogether. Understanding the factors that motivate the development and adoption of a "barebacker identity" in spite of serious potential for HIV infection may well help support the efforts of public agencies …

Child Sexual Abuse, Ptsd, And Substance Use: Predictors Of Revictimization In Adult Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Henrietta Filipas

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

This study examined the unique effects of child sexual abuse simultaneously with post-traumatic stress disorder symptom clusters, problem drinking, and illicit drug use in relation to sexual revictimization in a community sample of female adult sexual assault victims. Participants (N = 555) completed two surveys a year apart. Child sexual abuse predicted more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adult sexual assault victims. Posttraumatic stress disorder numbing symptoms directly predicted revictimization, whereas other post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal) were related to problem drinking, which in turn predicted revictimization. Thus, numbing symptoms and problem drinking may be independent risk …

Atypical Language Lateralization In Epilepsy Patients, Gabriel Möddel, Tara T. Lineweaver, Stephan U. Schuele, Julia Reinholz, T. Loddenkemper

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Purpose:  To investigate whether atypical language dominance in epilepsy patients is related to localization and type of lesions.

Methods:  Four hundred and forty-five epilepsy patients received bilateral Wada testing. Language was classified as left (L), right (R), bilateral-dependent (BD, speech arrest after left and right injections), or bilateral-independent (BI, no speech arrest after either injection). Groups were compared regarding handedness and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions. Lesions were classified as “early” (congenital), “late” neocortical (acquired after birth), and hippocampal sclerosis (HS).

Results:  Of all patients, 78% were L, 6% R, 7% BD, and 9% BI. Right-handers with left lesions did …

Prospective Effects Of Sexual Victimization On Ptsd And Problem Drinking, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and problem drinking are common and often co-occurring sequelae experienced by women survivors of adult sexual assault, yet it remains unclear whether survivors drink to cope with PTSD symptoms or whether PTSD symptoms are exacerbated by drinking. Thus, we used a cross-lagged panel design with a large (N = 555), ethnically diverse sample of women assault survivors to determine whether PTSD prospectively led to problem drinking or vice versa. We also examined whether cumulative sexual victimization experiences related to greater PTSD and problem drinking. Structural equation modeling revealed that child sexual abuse was associated with …

Correlates Of Suicidal Ideation And Attempts In Female Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Relations between (a) serious suicidal ideation and attempts and (b) demographics, trauma history, assault characteristics, post-assault outcomes, and psychosocial variables were examined among female adult sexual assault survivors. Younger, minority, and bisexual survivors reported greater ideation. More traumas, drug use, and assault disclosure related to greater attempts, whereas perceived control over recovery was related to fewer attempts. Child sexual abuse and some assault characteristics predicted suicidal behavior. Depression was related to suicidal behavior until psychosocial variables were accounted for. Specifically, using substances to cope and self-blame predicted greater ideation, whereas receiving aid/information support was related to less ideation. Implications for …