Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Openness, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, And Family Health And Aging Concerns Interact In The Prediction Of Health-Related Internet Searches In A Representative U.S. Sample, Tim Bogg, Phuong T. Vo

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

Recent estimates suggest 60 % of the U.S. adult population uses the Internet to find health-related information. The goal of the present study was to model health-related Internet searches as a function of an interdependent system of personality adaptation in the context of recent health and aging-related concerns. Assessments of background factors, Big Five personality traits, past-month health and aging-related concerns, and the frequency of past-month health-related Internet searches (via Google, Yahoo, AOL, Bing, or some other search engine) were obtained from a representative U.S. sample (N = 1,015). Controlling for background factors, regression analyses showed more frequent health-related …

What Residualizing Predictors In Regression Analyses Does (And What It Does Not Do), Lee H. Wurm, Sebastiano A. Fisicaro

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

Psycholinguists are making increasing use of regression analyses and mixed-effects modeling. In an attempt to deal with concerns about collinearity, a number of researchers orthogonalize predictor variables by residualizing (i.e., by regressing one predictor onto another, and using the residuals as a stand-in for the original predictor). In the current study, the effects of residualizing predictor variables are demonstrated and discussed using ordinary least-squares regression and mixed-effects models. Some of these effects are almost certainly not what the researcher intended and are probably highly undesirable. Most importantly, what residualizing does not do is change the result for the residualized variable, …

Student Perspectives On How Trauma Experiences Manifest In The Classroom: Engaging Court-Involved Youth In The Development Of A Trauma-Informed Teaching Curriculum, Shantel D. West, Angelique G. Day, Cheryl L. Somers, Beverly A. Baroni

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explores how the lived experience of court-involved youth impacts learning and school culture, and solicits youth voice in creating a trauma-informed intervention to improve student educational well-being. Thirty-nine female students, ages 14 to 18, participated in focus groups to describe externalizing behaviors that they have both witnessed and personally struggled with in the classroom, discuss the perceived causes of these behaviors, and their suggestions for improving school culture to reduce these behavior manifestations in the classroom. Two major categories of behavior were identified, including: “anger emotions” and “aggressive actions.” Students described the causes of behavior as, “environmental influences” …

Responsible Integration Of Biological And Psychosocial Models: Comments On “Genetic Associations With Intimate Partner Violence In A Sample Of Hazardous Drinking Men In Batterer Intervention Programs”, Antonia Abbey

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

Despite research demonstrating that gene expression differs in response to social environmental circumstances, deterministic views of biology are common. Stuart and colleagues (this issue) encourage readers to think about genetic factors in the same dynamic and probabilistic manner that they consider other causes of intimate partner violence. Given that participants had co-occurring alcohol problems, future studies should evaluate how different genetic polymorphisms uniquely and synergistically contribute to heavy drinking and aggression under different socio-environmental conditions. Psychological expectancies have a powerful impact on behavior, thus extreme caution is required before labeling people as genetically predisposed to violence.

Comparing The Characteristics Of Homeless Adults In Poland And The United States, Paul A. Toro, Karen Hobden, Kathleen Wyszacki Durham, Marta Oko-Riebau, Anna Bokszczanin

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

This study compared the characteristics of probability samples of homeless adults in Poland (N = 200 from two cities) and the United States (N = 219 from one city), using measures with established reliability and validity in homeless populations. The same measures were used across nations and a systemic translation procedure assured comparability of measurement. The two samples were similar on some measures: In both nations, most homeless adults were male, many reported having dependent children and experiencing out-of-home placements when they themselves were children, and high levels of physical health problems were observed. Significant national differences were …

Change In Coping And Defense Mechanisms Across Adulthood: Longitudinal Findings In A European-American Sample, Manfred Diehl, Helena Chui, Elizabeth L. Hay, Mark A. Lumley, Daniel Grühn, Gisela Labouvie-Vief

Psychology Faculty Research Publications

This study examined longitudinal changes in coping and defense mechanisms in an age- and gender- stratified sample of 392 European-American adults. Nonlinear age-related changes were found for the coping mechanisms of sublimation and suppression and the defense mechanisms of intellectualization, doubt, displacement, and regression. The change trajectories for sublimation and suppression showed that their use increased from adolescence to late middle age and early old age, and remained mostly stable into late old age. The change trajectory for intellectualization showed that the use of this defense mechanism increased from adolescence to middle age, remained stable until late midlife, and started …

Changes In Cerebral White Matter, Vascular Risk And Cognition Across The Adult Lifespan, Andrew Robert Bender

Wayne State University Dissertations

Numerous studies over the past decade have used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine associations between age, diffusion and anisotropy measures of cerebral white matter (WM), and cognitive performance. However, few have examined relationships between intra-individual change in DTI measures of WM and cognitive function. It is possible that the extant cross-sectional findings are a poor representation of age-related change in WM and cognition. The present study used latent difference-score modeling (LDM) to assess change over two years in DTI indices fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (DR), axial diffusivity (DA) and mean diffusivity (MD). In addition, we examined the effects …

Religiosity-Spirituality And Risky Drinking Over The Transition To College: A Multi-Wave Longitudinal Study, Brian J. Klassen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Although the relationship between religiosity-spirituality and risky alcohol use is one of the most frequently studied topics in mental health, relatively little is known about how these variables relate to each other over time, especially during specific developmental periods such as the transition from high school to college. This study analyzed three waves of self-report data collected from a sample (N=623) of college students over a two-year period. Analyses examined (1) the stability of religiosity-spirituality and risky drinking over the transition to college, (2) the magnitude and direction of relationships between religiosity-spirituality and risky drinking, (3) the degree to which …

Self-Construal Moderates Testosterone Reactivity To Competitive Outcomes, Keith Welker

Wayne State University Dissertations

Previous research shows that testosterone reactivity to competitive outcomes predicts aggressive behavior in men. However, some studies have failed to find these effects, and it has been suggested that individual differences moderate the relationships between competitive outcomes, testosterone fluctuations, and aggressive behavior. The current research examined whether one individual difference--self-construal--would moderate these effects. In Study 1, participants were assigned to win or lose a competitive video game and engaged in a reactive aggression task. Results indicated that increases in testosterone in response to winning and decreases in response to losing occurred in men with independent, not interdependent, self-construals. These changes …

The Effect Of Gaba A Antagonism On Locomotor Activity And Dopamine Release In The Mouse Caudate Putamen Following Acute Toluene Inhalation: An In-Vivo Microdialysis Study, Sean Callan

Wayne State University Theses

Toluene is ubiquitous solvent commonly inhaled recreationally. Despite its frequency of misuse, there is little understanding of how toluene acts within the brain. To examine this, this master's thesis examined the impact of acutely inhaled toluene on dopamine (DA) release in the mouse CPu in vivo using microdialysis techniques. Toluene inhalation produced dose-dependent increases in DA levels as well as changes in locomotor activity. These effects were potentiated by pre-treatment with the GABAA antagonist bicuculline via reverse microdialysis delivery. These results suggest that the DA dynamics of toluene abuse are related to toluene's previously explored effects on the GABA system. …

The Reliability And Validity Of The Thin Slice Technique: Observational Research On Video Recorded Medical Interactions, Tanina Suzanne Foster

Wayne State University Dissertations

The Reliability and Validity of the Thin Slice Technique: Observational Research on Video Recorded Medical Interactions

Introduction: Observational research using the thin slice technique has been routinely incorporated in observational research methods, however there is limited evidence supporting use of this technique compared to full interaction coding. The purpose of this study was to determine if this technique could be reliability coded, if ratings are consistent between the first, second and third slice, and if they are indeed representative of full interactions.

Methods: Three 30-second thin slices were sampled from the beginning, middle and end of a full-length video-recorded …

The Effects Of A Career-Planning Course On Community College Students' Career Self-Efficacy And Career Indecisiveness, Jefferey Samuel Lip

Wayne State University Dissertations

The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a career-planning course for college students who were undecided on a major or want to change or confirm their major at community college. The career-planning course was designed to assist students in becoming more aware of themselves and career options. From this study, the career-planning course assisted students in improving their career decision-making self-efficacy. A reduction in career decision-making difficulties for students was seen in this study. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group research design was used for this study. To determine if the experimental and control group were …

Employee Pronoun Use In Verbatim Comments As A Predictor Of Job Attitudes And Turnover Intentions, Amy E. Sund

Wayne State University Dissertations

It is common in employee attitude surveys to collect open ended comments from employees, yet this data remains largely under-utilized. In the present study, it is hypothesized that employee pronoun use is related to job attitudes and turnover intentions, such that the use of "we" type pronouns is higher among more satisfied employees; and that the use of "non-we" type pronouns is higher among less satisfied employees. Results largely did not support hypotheses - although "non-we" use was negative related to job attitudes, "we" use was also negative related. It is believed that the reason for the lack of findings …

Empathy As A Moderator Of Adolescent Bullying Behavior And Moral Disengagement After Controlling For Social Desirability, Amy Zelidman

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the moderating influence empathy has on the associations between adolescent bullying behavior and moral disengagement after controlling for social desirability (e.g., response bias). 676 students in 7th and 8th grade from a suburban middle school in Southeast Michigan participated in this study in the fall of 2012.

Results showed male respondents were more likely than female respondents to (a) report engaging in all forms of traditional bullying behavior overall, including physical, verbal, and social bullying and (b) report higher rates of physical victimization and moral disengagement. Female respondents were more likely to …

Understanding The Role Of Nutritional Stress In The Adult And Developing Zebra Finch, Jessica Bayley Thompson

Wayne State University Dissertations

Songbirds are particularly susceptible to stress during the sensitive period for song learning. Thus the developmental stress hypothesis (DSH) proposes that adult song reflects a male's early life environment during this period. Nutritional stress (NS) has been shown to cause deficits in song learning and adult song output that are salient to females. Female song birds consistently prefer control males over those raised under NS, yet the effects NS on females are still unclear. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) has been implicated in this process. However, evidence directly linking HPA functioning to the deficits due to NS have inconsistently shown elevations …

Does The Leader Fit The Place? Examining Leader-Culture Fit And Its Implications For Leader Effectiveness, Benjamin John Biermeier-Hanson

Wayne State University Dissertations

The present study focused on a relatively new concept, Leader-Culture Fit (L-C Fit), to help bridge the empirical gap that exists between the literatures on leadership and organizational culture. L-C Fit, a subtype of Person-Environment fit, was examined here by testing the complex relationships between perceptions of leaders, perceptions of their cultures, and how the fit between the two relates to leader effectiveness. The present study found that fit (and misfit) between a leader and their culture for perceived leader effectiveness. Specifically, fit is beneficial for perceived leader effectiveness when the leader and the culture are in alignment and are …

Process Group Vs. Skills Group Modalities In The Treatment Of Individuals Diagnosed With Major Depressive Disorder, Kirk David Duncan

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PROCESS GROUP

VS.

SKILLS GROUP MODALITIES

IN THE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH MAJOR

DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

by

KIRK DAVID DUNCAN

August 2014

Advisor: Dr. George Parris

Major: Counseling

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of a process group vs. a cognitive behavioral skills group modality on depression while investigating the effects of facilitator bond on outcomes. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted on the BDI-II posttest scores, and pretest scores served as the covariate and the group membership as the independent variable. When observing Figure 1 there was a visual desired …

Identifying And Understanding Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among College Students, Angela S. Fedewa

Wayne State University Dissertations

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior in college students

at an urban university was studied. Relations between NSSI

and poor quality relationships with their parents and peers, as

well as deficient coping and help-seeking behavior were examined

from an attachment perspective. Undergraduates were recruited

via an online psychology subject pool and completed an online survey.

T-tests were conducted to identify what variables differed between

students who engaged in NSSI in contrast to students that did not.

In addition, a discriminant function analysis was conducted. It was

found that intrapersonal and interpersonal variables predicted group

membership (i.e. social desirability, body protection, positive affect, …

A Pilot Study To Determine The Value Of Bilingual Counseling In A High School Where The Student Population Is Predominately Spanish/English Bilingual, Terrence Michael Mccabe

Wayne State University Dissertations

The present study examined bilingual counseling in a localized setting: a high school in southwest Detroit. The study assessed the ways in which bilingual counseling increases effective communication among bilingual students, school personnel, and students' parents/guardians. Participants included a cross-section of educators and support staff who work at a high school in southwest Detroit where the student population is predominately Spanish/English bilingual. Questionnaires were distributed to 81 participants; 59 completed questionnaires were returned. The instrument that was used to collect data was a questionnaire, which consisted of 19 questions. The questions reflected the participants' attitudes with respect to the research …

A Daily Study Of The Sleep-Pain Relationship In Fibromyalgia, Maren Elizabeth Hyde-Nolan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Fibromyalgia (FM) impacts millions of individuals around the world and is characterized by widespread chronic pain and tenderness as well as nonrestorative sleep, fatigue, and stiffness (Wolfe et al., 1990; Wolfe et al., 2010). Poor sleep quality is reported by more than 90% of individuals with FM, suggesting that sleep disturbance may be a contributing factor to the pain experience (Moldofsky, 2008). Recent reviews of the literature have established the connection between sleep and pain, although the direction of this relationship remains unclear (Finan et al., 2013; Moldofsky, 2001). This dissertation sought to examine the daily relationship between sleep and …

Longitudinal Change In Regional Cortices And Fluid Intelligence, Peng Yuan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Fluid intelligence (Gf) and crystalized intelligence (Gc) are two factors of the general intelligence. They have distinct age-related trajectories of change. Jung and Haier proposed Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory (P-FIT, 2007) to account for the inter-person variance in reasoning intelligence. Some brain regions such as prefrontal, parietal, temporal and anterior cingulate cortices were included in the P-FIT model and were hypothesized to be involved in fluid reasoning task. Therefore, in the current study, we examined latent growth curves (LGC) of longitudinal change in Gf, Gc, prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, anterior cingulate, temporal cortex and primary visual cortex. Forty-six healthy middle-aged and …

Mental Health Service Utilization Among African-American Adolescents, Marilyn Franklin

Wayne State University Dissertations

Underutilization of mental health services by ethnic minorities has been identified as a major public health threat by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2001). Research on ethnic disparities has focused on identifying the sociodemographic correlates of between group differences in treatment attendance. The current study adds to the utilization literature by exploring within group differences amongst a sample of African-American families. Based on extant literature related to treatment utilization in other samples, this study examined the associations between multiple modifiable factors and adolescent treatment engagement amongst 90 African-American caregiver-adolescent dyads.

Consistent with previous research, psychological symptoms, functional …

Factors Related To Quality Of Life In Families Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica R. Garrett

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how caretakers of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are able to move through adverse circumstances with which they are confronted while raising their child with considerable developmental needs and challenges. Family resilience in this study includes family quality of life, locus of control, sense of coherence, perceived stress, uncertainty, severity, and demands. The participants in this study were 153 parents of children diagnosed with ASD. The parents were members of the Autism Society of Oakland County. The participants completed a survey comprised of six scales (Parental Concerns Questionnaire, Perceived …

Health-Related Behaviors In Low-Income, Minority Youth: The Role Of Motivation, Basic Needs, Mental Health, And Environmental Barriers, Brittany A. Kohlberger

Wayne State University Dissertations

Engaging in health-related behaviors, such as exercise, healthy eating, and sleep hygiene, are associated with fewer externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and higher self-esteem, suggesting that there may be large benefits to engaging in health-related behaviors during the transitional developmental phase of adolescence (Ong, Wickramaratne, Tang, & Weissmann, 2006; Stathopoulou, Power, Berry, Smits, & Otto, 2006). The purpose of the current study was to identify key psychological processes and external factors that may boost or impede youths' motivation and engagement in health-related behaviors. Specifically, we expected that higher levels of psychological symptoms and environmental barriers will be significantly, negatively associated …

Resilience As A Predictor Of Postpartum Quality Of Life In A Sample Of Women With A History Of Trauma, Jessica Lee Irwin

Wayne State University Theses

Changes in economic, social, and living situations make the postpartum period especially challenging. Despite the growing need to study postpartum mothers' quality of life to determine how to buffer against risk, a vast majority of studies in this area have focused on what negatively impacts quality of life. The current study sought to determine whether factors such as positive parenting, family functioning and resilience positively predict quality of life when controlling for annual household income, depressive symptomatology and posttraumatic stress symptomatology. Using hierarchical regression, it was confirmed that positive parenting and family functioning significantly contribute to quality of life, but …

Everyday Memory: An Expanded View Of Autobiographical Memory Functions, Jana Ranson

Wayne State University Theses

The current study investigated an expanded set of everyday autobiographical memory (AM) functions as proposed by developers of the 7-function Child-Caregiver Reminiscence Scale (CRS) (Kulkofsky & Koh, 2009). The current study adapted the theoretical CRS for use with diverse, adult samples. Participants (N = 1841) from a large, urban university completed the CRS-A online over the course or two academic semesters. Validation analyses included EFA using principal axis factoring, CFA, MGCFA invariance testing, and MTMM tests of construct validity (convergent and discriminant) and method effects. Results yielded evidence for a 6- function (Conversation, Perspective-Taking, Relationship Maintenance, Behavioral Control/Teaching/Problem-Solving, Emotion Regulation, …

Working Through School And Living With Conflict: The Role Of Selective Optimization With Compensation, Lydia Elizabeth Hamblin

Wayne State University Theses

Work-School Conflict (WSC) is defined as the extent to which work interferes with the ability to meet school demands (Markel & Frone, 1998). The aim of the present study was to examine perceptions of WSC among employed college students, as well as a positive antecedent, Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC; Baltes & Baltes, 1990), a group of behavior-based coping strategies. WSC was predicted to be a partial mediator between context-specific SOC strategies and the four outcomes: intent to persist with college, GPA, as well as two components of burnout, disengagement and exhaustion (Demerouti & Bakker, 2008). Structural equation modeling was …

Contextualized Extraversion And Its Change In Cross-Cultural Adjustment, Mengqiao Liu

Wayne State University Theses

Bridging recent developments in personality changes and contextualized personality, the current research focuses on changes in contextualized personality and their impact on cross-cultural adjustment. Findings revealed that contextualized Extraversion provided incremental validity in predicting context-related outcomes (i.e., cross-cultural adjustment) above and beyond global Extraversion. Although no significant changes were revealed regarding contextualized Extraversion, individual characteristics (i.e., cultural flexibility and cross-cultural motivation) negatively predicted individual differences in the rate of contextualized Extraversion changes. Implications and limitations were discussed.

Great Expectations: How Are Couples Influenced By Threatening Information Prior To A Pain Task?, Angelia Marie Corley

Wayne State University Theses

The present study examines the effects of a threat manipulation on romantic partners, in which one partner is about to undergo a painful task. Couples were randomly assigned to high and low threat manipulation groups, designed to alter one's anxiety or fear about the task. The study broadened the theoretical model, the Fear Avoidance Model, to the incorporate the social context and derived hypotheses regarding the role of one's romantic partner in the present paradigm. Results demonstrated preliminary evidence that a romantic partner may reduce one's anxiety about a painful task. Additionally, satisfaction with a conversation with a intimate partner …

Predictors Of Positive And Negative Affect Following Casual Sex, Jacqueline Woerner

Wayne State University Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of positive and negative affect following a recent casual sex experience in a sample of 585 men and women using a cross-sectional design. Structural Equation Modeling analyses identified sexual satisfaction, sexual assertiveness, belief in traditional gender roles, impulsivity, alcohol use, sex-related alcohol expectancies, and peer approval of casual sex as significant predictors of positive and negative affect. Support for hypotheses regarding gender differences were found: men reported greater positive affect and sexual satisfaction, and some predictors were significant for one gender but not the other. Practical implications for emotional and sexual …