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Articles 1 - 17 of 17
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Influence Of Child Maltreatment In The Manifestation Of Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms At The Age 18, Maria J. Velasquez
The Influence Of Child Maltreatment In The Manifestation Of Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms At The Age 18, Maria J. Velasquez
LSU Master's Theses
Child maltreatment affects thousands of children and adolescents every year. This phenomenon is multidimensional, meaning there are different subtypes (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect) known to predict various mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. While previous research has investigated mental health outcomes in maltreated youth, results may vary based on the dimensions of abuse considered. This study aims to expand on previous literature to examine how a history of child maltreatment subtypes influences the manifestation of anxiety and depressive symptoms in youth at age 18. The current study uses secondary data analysis of the Longitudinal …
Examining The Relationship Between Functionally Assessed Parental Behavior And Child Anxiety, Allison Smith
Examining The Relationship Between Functionally Assessed Parental Behavior And Child Anxiety, Allison Smith
LSU Master's Theses
Etiological theories of child anxiety suggest an interaction of multiple factors that lead to the development and maintenance of child anxiety. Environmental influence, specifically that involving the family or parent, has been a target area of study for decades. Additionally, functional assessment of behavior indicates that certain behaviors may be maintained primarily by specific functions. Functional assessment has been successful at identifying functions of problematic behavior and planning treatment accordingly. However, in the realm of child internalizing disorders, research has not utilized functional assessment in this way. Acknowledging the impact of parental behavior on child anxiety as well as the …
Anxiety And Depression's Incremental Effect On Executive Functioning Deficits In Children And Adolescents, Paige Picou
Anxiety And Depression's Incremental Effect On Executive Functioning Deficits In Children And Adolescents, Paige Picou
LSU Master's Theses
Children and adolescents experiencing anxiety and/or depression experience impairment in a myriad of domains and often engage in maladaptive strategies that then exacerbate or prolong their current symptomology. However, there is still a paucity of research examining anxiety and depression’s impact on executive functioning in children and adolescents, and existing research is muddled with problems in how researchers both define and choose to measure executive functioning. This study aims to clarify some of the conflicting research on anxiety and depression’s impact on executive functioning by using Barkley’s hybrid theory of executive functioning to determine whether anxiety and depressive symptomology add …
The Impact Of Mindfulness Training On Post-Event Processing In Social Anxiety: A Multi-Method Investigation, Elizabeth Mara Lewis
The Impact Of Mindfulness Training On Post-Event Processing In Social Anxiety: A Multi-Method Investigation, Elizabeth Mara Lewis
LSU Master's Theses
Post-event processing (PEP) is theorized to maintain pathological social anxiety. However, little is known about the impact of interventions that may interfere with this maintenance factor. The current study examined the impact of mindfulness training on PEP and state anxiety among socially anxious individuals. Participants were 81 persons (74.07% female, 61.72% non-Hispanic White, Mage = 21.83) with clinically elevated social anxiety who attended one appointment in the laboratory during which they were randomized to receive a brief mindfulness-based training (n = 41) or no training (i.e., thinking as usual control group; n = 40). After the training period, …
Control, Care, And Stress: Parenting's Effect On Child Internalizing Symptoms, Maysa Kaskas
Control, Care, And Stress: Parenting's Effect On Child Internalizing Symptoms, Maysa Kaskas
LSU Master's Theses
Theoretical models of childhood psychopathology suggest that the parent-child relationship serves an influential role in the development and maintenance of internalizing disorders such as anxiety and depression. However, there is a great deal of inconsistency in the research literature on the predictive power of parenting variables such as parental control and parental care. Furthermore, these parenting variables are often poorly defined and inconsistently operationalized across studies, hampering interpretation of results and limiting conclusions on the strength of the effect. Additionally, few studies have examined the role of parenting with careful attention to moderators. In order to investigate these problems, 189 …
Individuals With Dementia In Respite Care: Longitudinal Changes In Anxiety, Social Engagement, And Problem Behaviors, Rachael Elizabeth Mills
Individuals With Dementia In Respite Care: Longitudinal Changes In Anxiety, Social Engagement, And Problem Behaviors, Rachael Elizabeth Mills
LSU Master's Theses
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia commonly referred to as persons with dementia (PWD), often experience behavioral and psychological symptoms as a result of the disease process. With no cure for AD and no way to prevent the onset of this disease, studies are analyzing methods to manage the symptoms of this disease. Previous literature on the effect of social adult day models is limited, especially pertaining to particular symptoms linked to this disease. This study explored three presenting symptoms associated with AD: anxiety, problem behaviors, and social engagement. Using a secondary data analysis, a sample of 30 participants …
Activity Level As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Child And Maternal Anxiety, Paige Marie Ryan
Activity Level As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Child And Maternal Anxiety, Paige Marie Ryan
LSU Master's Theses
Anxiety is excessive and impairing for approximately 30% of individuals. Families with anxiety problems tend to pass on those problems to their children, specifically due to a variety of factors: genetics, parenting style, and other environmental risks. On the other hand, promoting behaviors like positive activity scheduling, participation in clubs, and physical activity has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety. However, research has yet to focus on this relationship by increasing activity level (e.g., participation in organizations, hobbies, sports). The purpose of this study is to investigate if the relationship between maternal and child anxiety is dependent upon the …
Stress, Anxiety Symptomology, And The Need For Student Support Services For University Freshmen Of First-Generation Status, Low-Ses Backgrounds, And Those Registered With Disabilities, Kelly Dale Allison
LSU Master's Theses
Three populations of concern for professional social workers in higher educational settings include first-generation college students (FGCSs), students from low socio-economic (low-SES) backgrounds, and students with disabilities. As the national demand for degrees in higher education rises both socially and economically, the push for young adults’ postsecondary success becomes increasingly crucial. In college and university settings, a significant portion of students may be classified as FGCSs, low-SES, or may be registered with a disability. Examining these vulnerable populations within higher education settings, particularly regarding stress and anxiety symptomology, can help social workers recognize the social, developmental, and academic inhibitions that …
The Effect Of Habituation And Changes In Cognition On Anxious Children's Performance On The Wisc-Iv, Franziska Noack
The Effect Of Habituation And Changes In Cognition On Anxious Children's Performance On The Wisc-Iv, Franziska Noack
LSU Master's Theses
Researchers have shown that children with anxiety disorders perform worse on intelligence tests than children with no diagnosable disorders. At this point, two theories have been put forth to describe the direction of this relationship: anxiety results in lowered test performance, and underlying cognitive deficits result in the development of anxiety. Lowered test performance as a result of anxiety may either be due to attention-deficits due to state anxiety or anxiety-elicited difficulties with long-term retention and learning. The purpose of this study was to further examine the first theory: that clinical levels of anxiety can hamper intelligence test performance in …
Everything Is Alright: Parental Positive Impression Management In Assessment Of Anxious Youth, Megan Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
Everything Is Alright: Parental Positive Impression Management In Assessment Of Anxious Youth, Megan Elizabeth Kirkpatrick
LSU Master's Theses
Lifetime prevalence rates of anxiety disorders in youth are substantial and range from 6-15%. Valid evidence-based assessments are therefore of critical importance in screening pediatric clients. Assessment of childhood disorders requires multi-informant data (e.g., parents, teachers, child); however, this presents a host of obstacles not found in adult assessment. No single source represents the gold standard and it is therefore up to the judgment of the clinician to integrate often conflicting information. Parents’ reports of their children's symptomology may be marred by their own anxious or depressive symptoms as well as conflict due to differing motivations, values, and goals. This …
Social Support As A Protective Factor For Bullied Children And Adolescents, Seandra Jean Cosgrove
Social Support As A Protective Factor For Bullied Children And Adolescents, Seandra Jean Cosgrove
LSU Master's Theses
The impact of bullying on children’s self-esteem, confidence, and social acceptance has become increasingly recognized. Considerable research has evaluated the deleterious effects of bullying and protective and risk factors as a result of victimization. Past research has shown social support to be a protective factor for children and adolescents who have been subjected to negative experiences, such as experiencing traumatic events (Vigna, Hernandez, Paasch, Gordon, & Kelley, 2009). However, research has not evaluated whether social support buffers the impact of bullying on children and adolescents. The current study investigated perceived social support and its role as a protective factor against …
An Examination Of Induced Anxiety And Its Interaction With Trait Anxiety On Executive Functioning Tasks, Joseph Harris
An Examination Of Induced Anxiety And Its Interaction With Trait Anxiety On Executive Functioning Tasks, Joseph Harris
LSU Master's Theses
Anxiety is a common human experience which has been shown to have detrimental effects on cognitive abilities, particularly the executive abilities of inhibition, shifting and updating. Previous studies in this area have been highly specific in their focus, leaving gaps in the literature. As a result, the general nature of anxiety’s effect on executive functioning has yet to be fully defined. The current study attempted to establish such a definition by exploring the effects of state anxiety and trait anxiety on each of the executive functions, both in terms of task performance and efficiency. In addition, because working memory has …
The Moderating Effect Of Autism Symptomology On The Relationship Of Cognitive And Adaptive Functioning With Anxiety Symptoms In Infants And Toddlers, Robert D. Rieske
The Moderating Effect Of Autism Symptomology On The Relationship Of Cognitive And Adaptive Functioning With Anxiety Symptoms In Infants And Toddlers, Robert D. Rieske
LSU Master's Theses
Anxiety disorders have been shown to have a high prevalence rate in the general population and the prevalence in those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is even higher. The detection, diagnosis, and implementation of an early intervention program for these disorders are crucial to the developmental outcome for such individuals. Researchers have shown how cognitive and adaptive functioning are related and affect anxiety symptoms in children as well as the high comorbidity with ASD. The aim of this study was to confirm those relationships, using scores from the BISCUIT-Part 2 (anxiety symptomology) and the BDI-II (Cognitive and Adaptive Developmental Quotient), …
Development And Validation Of The Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire (Tcq-A), Reanna (Sara) Elise Whiting
Development And Validation Of The Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire (Tcq-A), Reanna (Sara) Elise Whiting
LSU Master's Theses
Despite receiving widespread attention in the adult literature, virtually no information about the effects of thought suppression currently exists using a developmental psychopathology perspective in adolescents. The current study describes the development and preliminary validation of The Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire, a self-report measure of thought suppression strategy use among adolescents. A principal factor analysis revealed an identical factor structure to the adult Thought Control Questionnaire (Wells & Davies, 1994) and included subscales measuring Distraction, Reappraisal, Social, Worry, and Punishment strategies. Adequate evidence of internal and test-retest reliability was obtained. The TCQ-A evidenced strong validity when tested for relations to …
Assessing Attentional Bias And Cerebral Laterality In Specific Phobia Using A Dichotic Listening Paradigm, Whitney Shay Jenkins
Assessing Attentional Bias And Cerebral Laterality In Specific Phobia Using A Dichotic Listening Paradigm, Whitney Shay Jenkins
LSU Master's Theses
Researchers have found fear to impact a variety of cognitive variables in individuals with specific phobia. Attentional bias is a cognitive variable that has received considerable attention in the specific phobia literature; however, the existing literature follows only one line of attentional bias—bias as encoded through images, words, or other content presented visually. This study aimed to expand on this area by assessing attention and cerebral laterality in individuals with specific phobia using a dichotic listening paradigm (i.e., via auditory means). Results indicated that participants with specific phobias do not significantly differ from controls in terms of the number of …
Intellectual Ability In Children With Anxiety: A Replication And Exploration Of The Differences, Melissa S. Munson
Intellectual Ability In Children With Anxiety: A Replication And Exploration Of The Differences, Melissa S. Munson
LSU Master's Theses
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of anxiety on the intellectual functioning of children. Specifically, the current researchers sought to replicate previous findings that children with higher levels of anxiety have significantly lower scores on tests of intelligence. A second goal was to examine possible reasons for these deficits, including possible deficits in working memory and/or attention. Participants were divided into two groups with high and low anxiety, based on a self-report measure, though none of the children reported clinically problematic anxiety. The participants were 19 children (10 males, 9 females) who were recruited from the …
Effects Of 5-Ht2 Receptor Ligands On Tail Pinch-Induced Stress Responding And Open Field Behavior, John K. Hearn
Effects Of 5-Ht2 Receptor Ligands On Tail Pinch-Induced Stress Responding And Open Field Behavior, John K. Hearn
LSU Master's Theses
Stress is known to exert an influence on neuroendocrine, autonomic, hormonal, and immune functioning. As a result of the debilitating effects of stress on numerous bodily systems, there exists a large body of research devoted to the etiology, physiological sequelae, and treatment of the condition. Further, the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) has been implicated in stress responding. Presently, there is conflict in the literature as to the precise role serotonin plays in mediating the stress response. This study was an attempt to further elucidate the role of 5-HT in mediating an organism’s response to tail pinch stress and the open field. …