Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Engaging Youth And Families Within The Context Of Evidence-Based Treatment (Ebt) Implementation: Examining Integrity Of Engagement Practices To Different Ebt Information Sources, Eleanor Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Promoting and maintaining client engagement has proven to be a significant challenge across community mental health settings, including within the context of implementing evidence-based treatments (EBTs) (De Haan et al., 2013). Few efforts have been made to equip providers with empirically-sourced engagement strategies outside of the limited set of engagement procedures covered in EBT protocols. To inform efforts for improving EBT accessibility, the current study characterizes the delivery of engagement practices from the literature within the context of EBT implementation, and examines provider integrity of engagement practice use according to two information sources (i.e., the provider’s EBT training history and …

Application Of The “Idisco” Full-Brain Tissue Clearing Method: A View Of Dopamine And Inflammation In The Hiv-1 Transgenic Rat, Kristin Nickole Kirchner

Theses and Dissertations

The iDISCO (immunolabeling-enabled three-dimensional imaging of solvent-cleared organs) method is a quick, inexpensive, and easily adaptable tissue staining and clearing procedure that allows neuroscientists to study a protein of interest in a whole, unaltered tissue sample. While the iDISCO method was initially tested and validated for mice embryos and brains, the current experiment sought to adapt the method for use in the rat using HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rat brain tissue. Antibodies for tyrosine hydroxylase and Iba-1 were validated in the HIV-1 Tg rat and in F344/N control rats using iDISCO. Confocal images were taken of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in …

Sleep Quality And The Prospective Pain-Fatigue Relationship Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease, Julia D. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk for poor psychosocial and functional outcomes due, in part, to disease effects like vaso-occlusive pain crises, fatigue, and poor sleep quality (Brown, 2006). A growing body of literature has examined temporal associations between pain, sleep quality, and mood using daily diary studies (Valrie, Gil, Redding-Lallinger, & Daeschner, 2007a; Valrie et al., 2019). These studies help to identify how symptoms are prospectively related to each other, but they are often limited to small sample sizes and may lack generalizability. Additionally, despite ubiquitous reports of fatigue among sickle cell patients, few studies …

Engaging Youth And Families Within The Context Of Evidence-Based Treatment (Ebt) Implementation: Examining Integrity Of Engagement Practices To Different Ebt Information Sources, Eleanor Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Promoting and maintaining client engagement has proven to be a significant challenge across community mental health settings, including within the context of implementing evidence-based treatments (EBTs) (De Haan et al., 2013). Few efforts have been made to equip providers with empirically-sourced engagement strategies outside of the limited set of engagement procedures covered in EBT protocols. To inform efforts for improving EBT accessibility, the current study characterizes the delivery of engagement practices from the literature within the context of EBT implementation, and examines provider integrity of engagement practice use according to two information sources (i.e., the provider’s EBT training history and …

Distinguishing Neuro-Markers Of Math Learning Disability Using Eeg Coherence, Jessica C. Luedke

Theses and Dissertations

Math learning disability (MLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from specific cognitive deficits involved with numeric computation and arithmetic that cannot be attributed to low general ability. Although MLD has a significant impact on life outcomes, only a few studies have evaluated unique neurological profile differences between those with and without specific math deficits. EEG coherence has been useful for evaluating neural disconnections in children with neurodevelopmental disorders but has never been used to explain cognitive deficits found in children with MLD. The current study contributed to the literature by evaluating at-rest electrocortical signatures in those with MLD ( …

The Roles Of Social Support And Personal Mastery In The Health Behaviors Of Adults With Cancer: A Survey Study, Kristen Marie Pasko

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The majority of individuals struggle to adhere to recommended dietary and physical activity guidelines. Specifically, older adults with cancer struggle to meet health behavior recommendations, and tend to have additional risk factors, such as poor social support. Following the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, an individual's response to a stressful situation (cancer diagnosis) would be influenced by the interaction between their internal resources (personal mastery) and external resources (social support). Using archival data from the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, 725 older adults were surveyed …

Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Moral Disengagement, And Victimization: The Demeaning Socio-Cognitive Attitudes Of Bullies, Megan E. Donnelly

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To examine the socio-cognitive attitudes of Right-wing authoritarianism and moral disengagement as they relate to bullying victimization and perpetration within the high school context. Method: Ninth grade students (N = 212; 50% male) at a public Midwest high school completed self-report measures during study hall assessing their levels of Right-wing authoritarianism, moral disengagement, and the frequency with which they were involved (i.e., as perpetrators and victims) in bullying both online and in person within the last month. The current study utilized a moderated mediation model to examine the effects of Right-wing authoritarian and morally disengaged attitudes on the school-based …

Parent Reactions To Individualized Education Program ( Iep ) Meeting Vignettes: The Effect Of Jargon And Labels On Emotional Reactivity And Feelings Of Collaboration, Kristin Gallaway

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the emotional responses of parents of school-aged children who read a vignette describing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. The vignette used either specific or generic language to label the participants’ relationship to the child who meets the eligibility criteria for Specific Learning Disability. The label used was either a specific “Your Child” description or a generic description of “A Child.” Further, the vignettes were presented either with or without technical professional jargon commonly used in an IEP setting.

In a pilot study, parents provided emotional response ratings for the 13 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act …

We All Feel Feelings, Ben Ohene

Theses and Dissertations

Consisting of three illustrated books, We All Feel Feelings is designed as a vehicle for the discussion of emotional and mental health with young boys. These books will help foster a mindset of openness and acceptance through different methods of displaying and understanding emotions.

The Moderating Effect Of Physical Health On The Relationship Between Coping Style And Engagement In Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Alexander Jaffe

Theses and Dissertations

Coping skills can be used in a myriad of situations, as these alleviate unwanted feelings. While negative coping skills might be effective in the short term, their long term effects are not beneficial. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), a type of negative coping mechanism, has been shown to be reported by college students most when compared to adults and young adults. The independent relationships between coping strategy, physical health, and NSSI have been previously established. There is a paucity of literature assessing NSSI while considering the pre-existing relationship between physical and mental health. As such, this study examines the moderating function of …

The Effects Of Long-Term Memory Prioritization On Attention During Visual Search, Joshua Hoelter

Theses and Dissertations

Attention has traditionally been divided into a dichotomy, however mounting evidence suggests a third attention process is at work, one that shows attention capture because of previous experiences with a stimulus, not its physical properties. In line with this, items that have been paired with a rewarding or aversive outcome, items held in working memory, and items incidentally retrieved from long term memory have all been shown to capture attention in an obligatory fashion similar to bottom-up attentional processes. More recent work into how items in working memory capture attention, has demonstrated that items can attain a special status that …

Medical Provider Reactions To An Adolescent Chronic Pain Complaint And A Dismissive Interaction, Eva Igler

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood chronic pain impacts approximately 15-33% of children and adolescents and can significantly impact physical and psychosocial functioning. Children and adolescents with chronic pain have a decreased ability to participant in normal childhood activities and are more likely to have sleep difficulties, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and sedentary behavior. The etiology underlying chronic pain can be particularly difficult to diagnose because often, it does not have a clear physiological etiology and assessment relies almost solely on patient report. This often leads to under-treatment of pain and can lead to pain dismissal, particularly by medical providers. The literature regarding diagnosis and …

Stability And Predictive Value Of Intellectual Functioning In Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Beginning In The Preschool Years, Gregor Nathanael Pau Schwarz

Theses and Dissertations

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a rare genetic disorder that affects multiple aspects of cognitive functioning, including intellectual functioning, attention, and executive functioning. The predictive value of intellectual functioning (IF) in the preschool years for IF in the school- age and early adolescent years has not been examined in youth with NF1. In this study, the reliability and predictive value of preschool IF for school-age IF were examined using both bivariate correlation and more complex linear mixed models. The participants were 55 youth with NF1 from ages 3 to 13 years. Intellectual functioning was measured with the Differential Ability Scales …

Counseling Psychologists' Experiences Addressing Sexual Health Of Clients: A Sex-Positive Perspective, Jennifer Watjen

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lived experiences of counseling psychologists in assisting their clients with sexual health needs. Special attention was given to their understanding and feelings of competency in using a sex-positive framework to assist clients with their sexual health. The study used a phenomenological data analysis method to qualitatively study 5 semi-structured interviews of licensed counseling psychologists. Interview questions addressed counseling psychologists’ experiences in assisting clients with their sexual health and focused on the following areas: (a) counseling psychology values, (b) professional experiences with sexual health, (c) graduate training experiences in sexual health, and (d) value influences related to …

The Impact Of Task Load On Neural Entrainment To Attended Speech: A Dual-Task Magnetoencephalography (Meg) Paradigm, Michelle Tamar Kassel

Theses and Dissertations

Speech comprehension in a noisy environment requires active cognitive control mechanisms to select the relevant speech signal while filtering out irrelevant distractions. When processing speech in a multitask scenario, neural resources underlying cognitive control are considerably burdened and interfering information becomes more difficult to ignore. The present study utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate the impact of multitasking on selective attention to speech. Twenty healthy adults performed a multitask paradigm with varying levels of both competing auditory distraction and concurrent visual working memory load. While increased visual working memory load was associated with reduced selective attention to speech in both the …

Utilizing Cognitive Assessment To Predict Exposure And Response Prevention Treatment Response, Gregory Samuel Berlin

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the first-line treatment for the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, a substantial portion of individuals in treatment may not see benefit, and efforts to find predictors of treatment outcomes have been challenging. Response inhibition (RI), which has been linked to OCD symptoms, is theoretically promising as a predictor of ERP treatment outcomes. In this study, we utilized inhibitory capabilities, measured at admission to partial hospitalization programs (PHP) at Rogers Memorial Hospital, to predict treatment outcomes in ERP. We hypothesized that worse performance in RI subdomains of action cancellation, action withholding, and interference control, as well …

The Role Of Ethnic Identity, Perceived Cultural Distance And Social Network Composition In Predicting Acculturative Stress Among Indian International Students In The U.S, Devyani Gore

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how ethnic identity, perceived cultural distance and cultural composition of social networks interacted to influence acculturative stress, among Indian international students studying in the United States. Acculturation models and the stress-buffering hypothesis served as theoretical frameworks. Participants consisted of 100 international students (56 % female, 44 % male; mean age = 24.72 years) who were mainly recruited with the support of Office of Student Affairs of a midwestern university. Data was collected through an online survey comprised of the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS), Multigroup Measure of Ethnic Identity-R (MEIM-R), Cultural Distance Index (CDI) and …

The Association Of Aerobic Fitness With Resting State Functional Connectivity And Verbal Learning And Memory In Healthy Young Adults, Kyle Joseph Jennette

Theses and Dissertations

The beneficial effects of exercise and cardiopulmonary fitness on general health, quality of life, and reduction of mortality are well known in older adults. There is evidence to support the positive effects of exercise and aerobic fitness on psychiatric and neurocognitive function in children, adults, and older adults. Indeed, many studies have explored the positive effects of aerobic fitness on slowing cognitive decline associated with normal and pathological aging. However, comparatively fewer empirical studies in the literature exist to support and understand the effects of aerobic fitness on the developing brain, particularly during adolescence and young adulthood, especially as it …

Factors Contributing To Executive Functioning In Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Brianna Yund

Theses and Dissertations

Despite variability in the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) cognitive phenotype, attention and executive functioning (EF) difficulties are often described, and high rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have long been associated with NF1. Despite the known clinical relation between NF1 and ADHD, there is a paucity of research exploring potential factors that contribute to ADHD vulnerabilities in children and adolescents with NF1. Furthermore, recent research suggests that impairment in EF, a construct highly associated with ADHD, occurs in children with NF1 independent of ADHD diagnosis suggesting that the presence of EF impairment in children with NF1 may not be uniquely associated …

Exploring The Effect Of Service Dogs On Ptsd Symptoms In Veterans, Lauren Floore-Guetschow

Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing psychiatric service dogs for PTSD is a relatively new area of research and treatment option for veterans. This qualitative research study aims to look at the effects of the use of psychiatric service dogs on veterans with PTSD for veterans who have or were previously receiving traditional mental health treatment. The researcher was looking to see: how does day-to-day life look for these veterans, have they noticed a change in PTSD symptoms, what are their views on mental health treatment, and how do they view being in public? 7 veterans, from a variety of conflicts and branches were interviewed …

Response To Uncertain Threat In Acute Trauma Survivors, Kenneth Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Uncertainty is often associated with subjective distress and a potentiated anxiety response. The heightened response to uncertainty may be a central mechanism via which anxiety-, trauma-, and stressor-related disorders are developed and maintained. The current study compared the neural response to predictable and unpredictable threat in acute trauma survivors to clarify the role of the response to uncertain threat in fear circuitry and further inform the nature of the development of PTSD in the context of uncertain threat. The novel study showed that anticipating unpredictable (primarily negative images) relative to predictable images increased activation in a frontoparietal network and was …

Treatment Predictors Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Among Adolescent Females In Residential Care, Taylor Davine

Theses and Dissertations

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive intervention for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterized by significant emotion dysregulation and associated parasuicidal behaviors. Findings from 21 randomized-controlled trials indicated that DBT is effective in the treatment of BPD symptoms. While effective, some individuals do not obtain symptoms reductions after completing DBT. The aim of the current study was to identify factors that predict treatment response among adolescent females (N = 107) receiving DBT in a residential setting. It was hypothesized that residents with elevated scores of emotion regulation difficulties, intolerance of uncertainty, experiential avoidance, social anxiety …

Psychosocial Experiences That Support Positive Self-Concept In Children With Cleft Lip And/Or Palate Adopted From China, Samantha Everhart

Theses and Dissertations

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) is the most common birth defect occurring in the United States (Parker et al., 2010). Children diagnosed with CL/P and their families face significant burden associated with frequent and costly medical appointments (Tolarova, Al-Kharafi, & Tolar, 2018). Children with CL/P are at higher risk for associated genetic conditions, neuropsychological correlates (Conrad, Richman, Nopoulos, & Dailey, 2009), and psychosocial stressors such as social difficulties and internalizing symptoms (Richman, McCoy, Conrad, & Nopoulos, 2012). Self-concept and other self-perceptions have been found to mediate the relationship between negative events and internalizing symptoms (Feragen, Borge, & Rumsey, 2009; Rumsey …

School Psychologists' Beliefs, Perceived Competence, Knowledge, Social/Norms Expectations, And Implementation Of School-Based Trauma-Focused Interventions, Amanda Rian Hanrahan

Theses and Dissertations

Two out of every three children will experience a traumatic event before the age of 16 (APA, 2008). Due to a variety of barriers, many of these children will not receive the mental health treatment and support they need (GAO, 2009). Researchers have identified School Psychologists as the primary school-based mental health professionals to provide services in schools (Jaycox et al., 2007). The present study aimed to better understand the prevalence of childhood trauma, analyze the factors that lead to increased intervention implementation for School Psychologists, and identify factors that decrease the negative association between barriers and implementation frequency of …

Gender Role Conflict, Emotion Regulation, And Ptsd Symptom Severity In Acutely Injured Trauma Survivors, Katelyn Elaine Heyrman

Theses and Dissertations

Within the acutely injured population, men are at an increased risk for trauma exposure and hospitalization. Previous literature has suggested that emotional dysregulation and masculine gender roles are associated with psychological distress and maintenance of PTSD symptoms. Despite these findings, researchers have focused their attention on masculine gender roles within the Veteran and college populations. The current study aimed to assess the Gender Role Conflict within the acutely injured population and determine if emotion regulation strategy moderated the relationship between masculine gender roles and PTSD symptom severity. Participants consisted of 90 traumatically injured, cisgender males (Mage= 44.88 years; 60% White) …

Rest Day Stress In Runners, Hanna Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Exercise has long been known to promote psychological well-being and resilience against stress. More recently, research has shown that habitual exercisers who are deprived of exercise experience negative psychological changes as a result. It is not completely known how planned non-exercise (“rest”) days affect exercisers affectively, physiologically, or behaviorally, nor how factors like exercise dependence or cognitive appraisal may moderate these effects. This study used an in situ methodology to monitor stress in 18 runners on a run day and a rest day, in comparison to 21 non-exercising controls who ran on neither day. Stress was assessed via affective self-reports, …

Measuring Outcome Expectations In Academic Persistence, Michael Kozlowski

Theses and Dissertations

Academic persistence, or a student’s decision to leave an institution of higher education, has remained an inveterate puzzle to researchers, theoreticians, institutions, and counselors. Despite a large body of theoretical and empirical literature, the rate at which students leave institutions of higher education has remained stable over the past 50 years. The discipline of counseling psychology has a long tradition of investigating academic persistence from a psychological perspective. Earlier investigations in counseling psychology focused on identifying psychopathological traits, cognitive abilities, and contextual factors associated with a student’s decision to leave. These investigations were met with a sociological reaction that has …

A Psychometric Evaluation Of Computerized Attention Measures In Young Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Sara Katharine Pardej

Theses and Dissertations

Children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) often demonstrate difficulties with attention and executive functioning that can be evident even starting at a young age. Despite this consistent finding in the literature, there has been no research to determine which measures of attention are most suitable for use with children with NF1. Recently, there have been several computerized measures of attention and executive abilities that have become available to researchers and clinicians. This study explored the National Institute of Health Toolbox Flanker, Dimensional Change Card Sort, and List Sort Working Memory; Cogstate Identification; and Conners Kiddie Continuous Performance Test, second edition …

Shaped By The Environment: The Influence Of Childhood Trauma Exposure, Individual Socioeconomic Position, And Neighborhood Disadvantage On Brain Morphology, Elisabeth Kathleen Webb

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between an individual’s socioeconomic position (SEP) and their overall physical and mental health has been well demonstrated. Far less is known about how area-level factors, such as neighborhood disadvantage, “get under the skin”. Previous research indicates lower SEP and childhood trauma negatively effects brain structure and function. The hippocampus, amygdala, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are particularly vulnerable to adversity. The current study investigated how individual SEP, childhood trauma, and neighborhood disadvantage impact these structures. Two-hundred and fifteen individuals were recruited from an Emergency Department in southeastern Wisconsin. Two-weeks post-traumatic injury, participants completed a structural magnetic resonance imaging …

From Playing To Directing: A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Athlete To Coach Transition, Jamie M. Zalasin

Theses and Dissertations

The following dissertation explored six (n = 6), current, professional baseball coaches' experience with transitioning from playing to coaching. Some experiences associated with athletic transitions based on the literature include missing sport or competition, body changes, social status changes, and vocational concerns (Wylleman & Reints, 2010; Park & Lavallee, 2015). Additionally, the salience of one's athletic identity can create difficulties such as identity loss, emotional distress, and grief (Lally, 2007; Fortunato & Marchant, 1998; Grove, Lavalle, & Gordon, 1997). Within vocational concerns, there can be uncertainty about the next career's link to sports. For many professional athletes, their age of …