Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Justice: Theory Into Action, Sharon Bowman, Suzette Speight

Suzette L Speight

Dr. Bowman’s presentation, “Putting the ‘Social’ in Social Justice: Who says You Have to do it Alone?” will discuss social justice as practiced in counseling psychology and present some examples of how students have put their personal beliefs into action.

Dr. Speight’s presentation, “Disruptive Justice” will discuss the principles and goals of social justice which challenge the status quo.

Ample time will be available for audience discussion of ways to apply social justice principles in their own work.

Sex Differences In The Toxic Relationship Shared By Spinal Injury And Sleep Disorders, Pennie Seibert

Pennie S. Seibert

No abstract provided.

The Potential For Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury Is Compromised By Sleep Disturbance, Pennie Seibert

Pennie S. Seibert

No abstract provided.

The Brain's Fear Factory, Pennie Seibert

Pennie S. Seibert

No abstract provided.

Anxiety, Stress, And Self-Esteem Across Genders In A University Sample: Exploring The Role Of Body Avoidance, Richelle Murphy, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

The present study aimed to investigate whether university students’ body avoidance behaviors could be predicted by their level of self-esteem, anxiety, and stress, as well as their BMI and gender. University students (n = 86) completed a self-report package and results indicated that anxiety was the most important predictor of body avoidance for university students. Gender was also predictive of avoidance for university students. Post Hoc analyses indicated that body avoidance, anxiety, stress, and BMI, were higher for female university students, yet no difference was found for self-esteem between genders. These results suggest preliminary evidence for the importance of elevated …

What Is More Likely To Predict Prejudicial Attitudes Towards Overweight Individuals: Gender, Locus Of Control, Or Social Dominance Orientation?, Joanna Kelly, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

As obesity has become an important healthcare issue, more research has revealed a pervasive bias against overweight individuals. Individuals are often perceived to be in control of their own weight, and therefore, if one is overweight they are considered lazy, lacking in self-control, and non-compliant (Rukavina & Li, 2011; Stapleton, 2013). Although obesity rates are rising across countries, there has been no reduction in the negative attitudes and prejudices expressed towards the overweight (Stapleton, 2013). This study was conducted to assess the effects that Health Locus of Control (HLOC), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) (Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth & Malle, 1994), and …

Effectiveness Of A Peer-Delivered Dissonance-Based Program In Reducing Eating Disorder Risk Factors In High School Girls, Anna Ciao, Janet Latner, Krista Brown, Daria Ebneter, Carolyn Becker

Carolyn Becker

Objective This pilot study investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a peer-led dissonance-based eating disorders (ED) prevention/risk factor reduction program with high school girls. Method Ninth grade girls (n  = 50) received the peer-led program within the school curriculum. A quasi-experimental design was used to assess changes in ED risk factors preintervention and postintervention compared with waitlist control. Participants were followed through 3-month follow-up. Results Peer-leader adherence to an intervention manual tailored for this age group was high. The intervention was rated as highly acceptable, with a large proportion of participants reporting that they enjoyed the program and learned …

A Dyadic And Longitudinal Investigation Of Adjustment In Couples Coping With Multiple Sclerosis. Research In Developmental Disabilities, Christina Samios, Kenneth Pakenham, Jill O'Brien

Christina Samios

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect adjustment at both the individual and couple level. Purpose This study examined differences and associations between MS patient and spouse adjustment, and whether one partner’s adjustment predicts the other partner’s adjustment over time. Methods A total of 160 couples at Time 1 and 98 couples at Time 2 completed questionnaires. Results Mixed-model ANOVAs found that patients reported poorer adjustment than their spouse on a range of adjustment indicators and that positive affect and relationship satisfaction declined over time for both patients and spouses. Intraclass correlations found that patient and spouse scores on all adjustment …

Use Of Complementary Therapies By Registered Psychologists: An International Study, Peta Stapleton, Hannah Chatwin, Emma Boucher, Sue Crebbin, Sandra Scott, Dean Smith, Gail Purkis

Peta B. Stapleton

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a category of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. However, the use of CAM by lay people is increasing worldwide. This study investigated the utilization pattern of CAM among registered psychologists, and level of training in delivering a CAM service. Psychologists (N = 193) participated from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Almost all (99.6%) respondents reported using at least 1 CAM service in the past, and 64.2% indicate they were trained to deliver at least 1 area …

Dysfunctional Eating In An Australian Community Sample: The Role Of Emotion Regulation, Impulsivity, And Reward And Punishment Sensitivity, Peta Stapleton, Melissa Whitehead

Peta B. Stapleton

This study aimed to examine the role of emotion regulation and reinforcement sensitivity in dysfunctional eating behaviours. Two hundred twenty-eight adults from the Australian community completed self-report inventories assessing the variables. Dysfunctional restrained eaters differed from those who did not engage in restrained eating in terms of their emotion regulation, impulsivity, and sensitivity to reward. Difficulties in emotion regulation, low impulsivity, and sensitivity to reward predicted engagement in restrained eating. Emotional eaters significantly differed from those who did not engage in dysfunctional levels of emotional eating in terms of their emotion regulation, impulsivity, and sensitivity towards reward, and difficulties in …

Researching Depression In Prostate Cancer Patients: Factors, Timing, And Measures., Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie, James Denham, Gillian Duchesne, Jeremy Couper

Vicki Bitsika

Background: Due to the pressing need to understand the causal and associative factors of depression among prostate cancer (PCa) patients, a comprehensive research protocol for investigating depression in prostate cancer patients is suggested as a way of furthering the collection of data in consistent and informative ways. Methods: A detailed review of a range of predictors of, and buffers against, depression, plus methods of assessing depressive symptomatology and optimum time to collect data were used to develop a model for a comprehensive research protocol. Results: A model protocol is described that includes socioeconomic, genetic, endocrinal, immunological, physiological, psychological, relationship, and …

Experiences Of Australian Siblings Of An Individual With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli

Vicki Bitsika

The experiences of 75 non-Autism Spectrum Disorder (NASD) children and adolescents who had a sibling with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were investigated. Differences were found according to age and gender for issues such as amount of time spent with their sibling and access to parents. Having a younger sibling with an ASD was associated with a lower level of confidence in being able to live their lives as they wished. Female NASD participants commented that their lives were more influenced than male NASD participants. About half of all NASD participants reported inconsistencies in family rule adherences and parental expectation.

Finding A Happier Ending: The Role Of Narrative In Post Traumatic Meaning-Making, Donna Henson

Donna Henson

This chapter explores the intersections of meaning-making, the narrative construction of identity, and story-telling as implicated in the experience of post traumatic recovery. Based on the view of human-beings as storytellers, the intent here is to explicate the idea that victim recovery, that living post-victimhood, may be best achieved through the recognition that recovery is both outcome and process. Toward this end, the chapter presents a critical review of literature drawn primarily from the fields of psychology and communication, centering on contributions across the domains of post traumatic growth and narrative. Despite the unavoidable conclusion that there is no neat …

Chapman, John D. Foubert

John D. Foubert

Click here for Chapman Presentation

Distributed And Condensed Versions Of A Cognitive Dissonance Programme: Comparative Effects On Eating Disorder Risk Factors And Symptoms, Lisa Kilpela, Lindsey Deboer, Mary Alley, Katherine Presnell, Julia Mcginley, Carolyn Becker

Carolyn Becker

Research regarding different learning schedules is equivocal. Learning theory suggests that distributed learning may better facilitate long-term maintenance of behaviour change [Bouton, M. (2000). A learning theory perspective on lapse, relapse, and the maintenance of behavior change. Health Psychology: Special Issue: Maintenance of Behavior Change in Cardiorespiratory Risk Reduction, 19, 57–63]. Alternatively, some research suggests that massed-intensive content delivery can be as beneficial as distributed delivery [e.g. Rogojanski, J., & Rego, S. A. (2013). Advances and controversies in the application of a modified version of cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder. Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy, 9(3), 337–346]. The …

Reducing Eating Disorder Risk Factors: A Controlled Investigation Of A Blended Task-Shifting/Train-The-Trainer Approach To Dissemination And Implementation, Lisa Kilpela, Kaitlin Hill, Mackenzie Kelly, Joanna Elmquist, Paige Ottoson, Demetra Keith, Thomas Hildebrandt, Carolyn Becker

Carolyn Becker

Recent advances in psychological intervention research have led to an increase in evidence-based interventions (EBIs), yet there remains a lag in dissemination and implementation of EBIs. Task-shifting and the train-the-trainer (TTT) model offer two potential strategies for enhancing reach of EBIs. The Body Project, an EBI found to prevent onset of eating disorders, served as the vehicle for this dissemination/implementation study. The primary aim of this study was to determine if training of peer-leaders for the Body Project could be task-shifted to undergraduate students using a hybrid task-shifting/TTT model. Our secondary aim was to determine if subgroups of participants evidenced …

Moderators And Predictors Of Response To Eating Disorder Risk Factor Reduction Programs In Collegiate Female Athletes, T Stewart, M Plasencia, H Han, H Jackson, Carolyn Becker

Carolyn Becker

Objective The primary aim of this paper was to investigate moderators and predictors of response to two programs designed to reduce eating disorder risk factors in collegiate female athletes. This study served as an ancillary study to a parent trial that investigated the feasibility of an athlete modified cognitive dissonance-based program (AM-DBP) and an athlete modified healthy weight intervention program (AM-HWI). Design 157 female collegiate athletes were randomized to either the AM-DBP or the AM-HWI program. Participants completed surveys at baseline, post-intervention, 6 weeks, and 1 year. Methods After classifying sports as either lean or non-lean, we investigated if sport …

Responding To The Challenge Of Problem Sexual Behaviour By Young People In Queensland: An Opinion, Scott Harden, Michelle Phillips, Stephen Stathis, Kerry Geritz, Tasneem Hasan, Mike Spiller, Bruce Watt, Angela Allen

Bruce Watt

There is general agreement that problematic sexual behaviour by young people is more common than was earlier believed and poses significant public health, juvenile justice and mental health difficulties for the community. A growing body of literature around the treatment of young people with inappropriate sexual behaviour has developed in recent decades. However, significant gaps remain as much of the literature is focused at the individual program level. As professionals in our jurisdiction of Queensland working in child and youth forensic mental health services, we have long been frustrated by the lack of a comprehensive, appropriately layered system of assessment …

Assessing Differences In Emotion Recognition, Non-Verbal Memory And Verbal Memory Between Young, Middle And Older Adults., Victoria Alexander, Richard Hicks, Mark Bahr

Richard Hicks

Deficits in emotion recognition may provide a window into what is occurring in the ageing brain. We investigated whether changes in recognition of emotion could be attributed to a decline in memory processes. Sixty-two participants recruited from South-Eastern Queensland Australia divided into young (19-49), middle old (49-64) and old (65 and above) cohorts were administered computer administered tasks assessing emotion recognition, verbal and non-verbal memory. Emotion recognition declined in older adults for angry, surprised and fearful faces. Age related decline in verbal memory was also observed. This suggests some common element present in verbal memory may be involved in the …

Assessing Differences In Emotion Recognition, Non-Verbal Memory And Verbal Memory Between Young, Middle And Older Adults., Victoria Alexander, Richard Hicks, Mark Bahr

Mark Bahr

Deficits in emotion recognition may provide a window into what is occurring in the ageing brain. We investigated whether changes in recognition of emotion could be attributed to a decline in memory processes. Sixty-two participants recruited from South-Eastern Queensland Australia divided into young (19-49), middle old (49-64) and old (65 and above) cohorts were administered computer administered tasks assessing emotion recognition, verbal and non-verbal memory. Emotion recognition declined in older adults for angry, surprised and fearful faces. Age related decline in verbal memory was also observed. This suggests some common element present in verbal memory may be involved in the …

Reflections In A Mirror, Damian Cox

Damian Cox

In this paper, I develop a solution to the puzzle of mirror perception: why do mirrors appear to reverse the image of an object along a left/right axis and not around other axes, such as the top/bottom axis? I set out the different forms the puzzle takes and argue that one form of it – arguably the key form – has not been satisfactorily solved. I offer a solution in three parts: setting out the conditions in which an apparent left/right reversal of mirror images is generated; explaining why these conditions are so often met; explaining why we are cognitively …

Alexithymia And Drinking In Young Adults: The Role Of Alcohol-Related Intrusive Thoughts, Michael Lyvers, Olena Lysychka, Fred Thorberg

Mike Lyvers

Alexithymia refers to difficulties identifying and describing emotions, an externalised thinking style and a lack of imagination. Alexithymia has been linked to heavier drinking in community samples and is strongly associated with alcohol use disorders. Among patients undergoing treatment for alcohol dependence, alexithymia is associated with more intrusive thoughts about drinking. The present research asked whether this may also be the case in a non-clinical sample of social drinkers and whether such intrusive thoughts mediate the relationship between alexithymia and drinking. Participants were 113 university undergraduates aged 18–30 years who completed self-report indices of alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, or TAS-20), …

Caffeine Use And Alexithymia In University Students, Michael Lyvers, Natalija Duric, Fred Thorberg

Mike Lyvers

Alexithymia refers to difficulties with identifying, describing, and regulating one’s own emotions. This trait dimension has been linked to risky or harmful use of alcohol and illicit drugs; however, the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world, caffeine, has not been examined previously in relation to alexithymia. The present study assessed 106 male and female university students aged 18-30 years on their caffeine use in relation to several traits, including alexithymia. The 18 participants defined as alexithymic based on their Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) scores reported consuming nearly twice as much caffeine per day as did non-alexithymic or borderline …

Educating Medical Students About Anorexia Nervosa: A Potential Method For Reducing The Volitional Stigma Associated With The Disorder, Amy Bannatyne, Peta Stapleton

Peta B. Stapleton

It is frequently reported that clinicians across a range of professional disciplines experience strong negative reactions toward patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study aimed to develop, evaluate, and compare the effectiveness of two different educational programs, based on an etiological framing model. Participants were medical students (N = 41) from an Australian University, who were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (biogenetic intervention vs. multifactorial intervention vs. control). Outcome attitudinal/stigma data were collected preand post-intervention, and at 8 weeks follow-up. Results indicated intervention participations exhibited significantly lower volitional stigma scores compared to the control group, who exhibited …

Body Dissatisfaction And Surveillance, Exercise Frequency, Depression And Self-Esteem In A University Population, Peta Stapleton, Natalie Dzodz

Peta B. Stapleton

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between body dissatisfaction and body surveillance, exercise frequency, depression and self-esteem in 121 university students from various Australian tertiary institutions aged between 17 to 45 years old population. This study also aimed to observe gender differences in the experience of body dissatisfaction. Inconsistent with previous research and the present hypothesis, no significant relationship was found between body dissatisfaction and exercise frequency or body surveillance. However, a significant relationship was found between body dissatisfaction and depression, as well as with self-esteem. Gender was also found to significantly predict body dissatisfaction, …

Annual Editions: Psychology 13/14, R. Landrum

R. Eric Landrum

No abstract provided.

Measuring Individual Burden Of Illness For Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Objective: This study aims to develop and test three potential models of Individual Burden of Illness for Depression (IBI-D) in prostate cancer patients. Methods: Responses to three sets of scales measuring depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and quality of life satisfaction were collected from 191 prostate cancer patients and analysed via principal components analysis to obtain weightings for each of the scales within the three sets of measures. These weightings were then used to form IBI-D Indices, and these were then compared with depressive symptoms alone for their overlap. Results: Single-factor solutions were found for each of the three IBI-D models, …

The Influence Of Gender, Age, Psychological Resilience And Family Interaction Factors Upon Anxiety And Depression In Non-Autism Spectrum Disorder Siblings Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Rebecca Mailli

Vicki Bitsika

The influence of gender, age, Psychological resilience and family interaction factors upon generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) was investigated in 75 non-autism spectrum disorder (NASD) siblings who had a brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GAD and MDD were much more prevalent than in comparable age group samples, and adolescent females had the highest MDD rates. Several Psychological resilience skills were significantly associated with lower GAD and MDD, particularly being able to recognise mistakes in their thinking (for children) and being able to remain in control of their anger (for adolescents). Suggestions are …

Understanding, Experiences, And Reactions To Bullying Experiences In Boys With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley

Vicki Bitsika

Most previous studies of bullying in young people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have relied on data from adults’ rather than the person with an ASD themselves, thus limiting our understanding of the bullying experience from the child’s perspective. To investigate this issue, 48 high-functioning boys with an ASD, and their mothers, completed an online questionnaire about various aspects of bullying. There were some minor discrepancies between mothers’ and their sons’ reported frequency of bullying. Boys demonstrated an understanding of the behaviour that constitutes bullying that was consistent with the wider literature, enhancing the validity of their responses about …

Variability In Depressive Symptoms Of Cognitive Deficit And Cognitive Bias During The First 2 Years After Diagnosis In Australian Men With Prostate Cancer, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

The incidence and contribution to total depression of the depressive symptoms of cognitive deficit and cognitive bias in prostate cancer (PCa) patients were compared from cohorts sampled during the first 2 years after diagnosis. Survey data were collected from 394 patients with PCa, including background information, treatments, and disease status, plus total scores of depression and scores for subscales of the depressive symptoms of cognitive bias and cognitive deficit via the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The sample was divided into eight 3-monthly time-since-diagnosis cohorts and according to depression severity. Mean scores for the depressive symptoms of cognitive deficit were significantly …