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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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- Keyword
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- Attitudes (3)
- Mindfulness (3)
- Obesity (3)
- Binge eating (2)
- Caregivers (2)
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- Cognition (2)
- Condom use (2)
- Culture (2)
- Drug Discrimination (2)
- Persuasion (2)
- Religion (2)
- Stress (2)
- 129S2 (1)
- Acculturation (1)
- Adolescence (1)
- Adolescent (1)
- Adolescent obesity (1)
- Adolescents (1)
- Affect (1)
- African American Women (1)
- African American girls (1)
- Aggression (1)
- Amisulpride (1)
- Attitude extremity (1)
- Attitude polarization (1)
- Attributional ambiguity (1)
- Atypical Antipsychotic (1)
- Autism (1)
- Autism spectrum disorders (1)
- Behavior (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 37
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Bereavement In Emerging Adulthood: The Influence Of Religion And Type Of Loss, Elizabeth Collison
Bereavement In Emerging Adulthood: The Influence Of Religion And Type Of Loss, Elizabeth Collison
Theses and Dissertations
Bereavement is an important area of research as it may result in grief reactions that lead to serious psychological and health consequences (Stroebe, Schut, & Stroebe, 2007). Positive outcomes, such as personal growth or spiritual well-being, may also transpire post-loss (Hogan & Schmidt, 2002; Paloutzian & Ellison, 1982). Though research on bereavement has grown, few studies have focused on the at-risk group of emerging adults (Hardison, Neimeyer, & Lichstein, 2005; Arnett, 2000). The current study aims to add to the bereavement in emerging adulthood literature through analyzing descriptive data and assessing the impact of type of loss (i.e., nonviolent vs. …
Nobody’S Perfect: A Qualitative Examination Of African American Caregivers And Their Adolescent Daughters’ Perceptions Of Adolescent Girls’ Body Image, Michell Pope
Theses and Dissertations
The increasingly high rates of body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls are alarming. Research suggests that cultural norms emphasizing thinness and unrealistic standards of beauty may be contributing to this growing problem. This is concerning given the link between negative body image and a host of unhealthy behaviors in girls. Although historically African American adolescent girls have exhibited higher levels of body satisfaction than their counterparts, there is growing evidence to suggest that this may be changing because of the body-related messages they receive from their parents, peers and the media. The present study examines these messages from both maternal caregivers’ …
Ecological Momentary Assessment And Time-Varying Factors Associated With Eating And Physical Activity, Amy Jeffers
Ecological Momentary Assessment And Time-Varying Factors Associated With Eating And Physical Activity, Amy Jeffers
Theses and Dissertations
The obesity epidemic is a significant problem in the United States. It is well established that lifestyle factors, such as unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, are key contributors. These causes are generally voluntary activities and it is important to examine health decision-making with respect to these behaviors. The current study examined time-varying factors of stress and mood and their relationship with healthy eating and physical activity in a sample of undergrads (N = 26). Ecological momentary assessment via one's cell phone was used to collect multiple measurements over six days. Positive mood was found to follow physical activity episodes for …
Effects Of Imagery Training On Language In Expressive Writing, Therese Verkerke Cash
Effects Of Imagery Training On Language In Expressive Writing, Therese Verkerke Cash
Theses and Dissertations
Research examining language in written and oral trauma narratives indicates that exposure and cognitive processing are important processes responsible for therapeutic change. Bio-informational theory, which defines emotions as the activation of response, stimulus, and meaning units in memory, provides a meaningful structure for evaluating language in traumatic and neutral essays. This study examined the effects of imagery training procedures designed to prime activation of response or stimulus units on word usage. The effect of writing instructions on activation of meaning units was also investigated. Unscreened undergraduates (n=246) were randomly assigned in a 2 writing condition (traumatic or neutral) x 3 …
Inspiration: Examining Its Emotional Correlates And Relationship To Internalized Values, David Jennings Ii
Inspiration: Examining Its Emotional Correlates And Relationship To Internalized Values, David Jennings Ii
Theses and Dissertations
The study of inspiration as a psychological construct has received little empirical attention to date. In the present dissertation, I review the empirical literature on inspiration and present a theoretical model and definition of inspiration. In two studies, I tested a Value-Congruent Model of Inspiration and my proposed definition. In Study 1 (N = 134), I explored inspiration’s emotional correlates and tested whether individuals experience greater inspiration if the inspirational content is concordant with individual meaning and values. As predicted, state inspiration was positively related to state levels of admiration, awe, and elevation, and value-congruent stimuli significantly predicted self-reported experiences …
Relationships Among Acculturation, Self-Positivity Bias, Stigma, And Condom Use In A Sample Of Urban College Students, Molly Neff
Theses and Dissertations
Despite an increase in interventions targeted at lowering the rate of HIV/AIDS among college students, the rate of HIV/AIDS infections has not decreased. The purpose of this study was to identify factors (i.e., HIV-sexual knowledge, self-positivity bias, peer norms, acculturation, perceived risk of HIV, HIV-related stigma, and condom use) that may affect condom use among college students who live in an area where the prevalence of HIV is relatively high. The current study utilized a sexually active sample (N=397) of diverse college students (predominantly African American and White) in an urban setting to examine the relationships. Path analysis was used …
Personality And Interpersonal Predictors Among Ministers: Preference For Pastoral Counseling Tasks, Jessica Young Brown
Personality And Interpersonal Predictors Among Ministers: Preference For Pastoral Counseling Tasks, Jessica Young Brown
Theses and Dissertations
A review of vocational assessment in ministry populations revealed that since the 1950s, ministers have been assessed using psychological and vocational assessments in an effort to ascertain goodness of fit for ministry tasks. However, ministers consistently produce profile reports that are significantly different from the population as a whole. In addition, while there has been much research on the general ministerial vocation, there has been little research on particular ministerial roles and the predictors for ministers who will excel in those tasks. The literature on ministers is outdated and has not taken into consideration the peculiar characteristics of the ministry …
Care For The Socially Disadvantaged: The Role Of Race And Gender On The Physician-Patient Relationship And Patient Outcomes In A Safety Net Primary Care Clinic., Daniel Baughn
Theses and Dissertations
Compared to the general population, socially disadvantaged patients have higher rates of chronic illness and require more complex medical care. They also endorse higher levels of psychological distress and tend to engage in behavioral risk factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking. These issues are particularly concerning given that this population tends to adhere less to medical recommendations, has limited access to health resources, and receives poorer treatment from providers. In an effort to address this disparity, The Affordable Care Act will expand health care access to an additional 23 million uninsured and 17 million underinsured Americans. However, …
Stakeholder Views On Children’S Mental Health Services, Adriana Rodriguez
Stakeholder Views On Children’S Mental Health Services, Adriana Rodriguez
Theses and Dissertations
Identification of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) has been an important development; however recently, some shortcomings of the approach have been highlighted. These complexities have led to a surge in transportability research in mental health services science with goals of identifying needed strategies to encourage the adoption of innovations. The mental health system ecological (MHSE) model is an approach necessary to assist with closing this gap effectively as it integrates mental health contexts: client-level, provider-level, intervention-specific, service delivery, organizational, and service system characteristics. The aim of this study is to use the MHSE model to examine perspectives of mental health stakeholders on …
The Impact Of Ambiguous Versus Blatant Race Related Stress On Ego Depletion In African American Adults, Benita Belvet
The Impact Of Ambiguous Versus Blatant Race Related Stress On Ego Depletion In African American Adults, Benita Belvet
Theses and Dissertations
The aim of the current study was to examine variations in the impact of ambiguous versus blatant race related stressors on ego depletion in a sample of African American adults. Blatant race related stress was compared with ambiguous race related stress in regards to the relative impact on the constructs of ego depletion and perseverative cognition. Perseverative cognition was also examined as a potential mediating variable in the relationship between race related stress and ego depletion. Additionally, attributional ambiguity was hypothesized to moderate the effect of race related stress on perseverative cognition. The study implemented an experimental design, and assessed …
Practices Of Professionals Providing Services To Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Testing The Theory Of Planned Behavior In Predicting Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions And Family-Centered Care, Lillian Christon
Theses and Dissertations
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are chronic and pervasive developmental disorders; children with ASDs require more multidisciplinary services than children with other developmental, behavioral, and emotional disorders (Kogan et al., 2008). Little research has been done on the practices and perspectives of the professionals providing services to children with ASDs. Evidence-based practice (combining use of evidence-based interventions [EBIs], family-centered care [FCC] respecting patient/family values, and clinical expertise) leads to the best outcomes for children with ASDs (APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006). The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which psychological constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, …
Health And Religious Commitment Among College Students: The Effects Of Health Behavior, Mental Health, And Social Support, Monica Yvette Jones
Health And Religious Commitment Among College Students: The Effects Of Health Behavior, Mental Health, And Social Support, Monica Yvette Jones
Theses and Dissertations
Empirical findings supporting the connection between religion and spirituality and health have been consistently found in the literature, whereas the factors explaining this relationship have lacked clarity. The present study sought to explore this relationship and establish health behavior, mental health, and social support as mediating factors to the proposed association between religious commitment and physical health. Physical health was measured by a number of indicators: body mass index, self-reported medical conditions, prescription drug use, over-the-counter medication usage, and problem use of drugs and alcohol. A sample of 150 college students from a university in Central Virginia participated in this …
Establishing The Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of The Atypical Antipsychotic Amisulpride In C57bl/6 Mice, Timothy J. Donahue
Establishing The Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of The Atypical Antipsychotic Amisulpride In C57bl/6 Mice, Timothy J. Donahue
Theses and Dissertations
Abstract ESTABLISHING THE DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS PROPERTIES OF THE ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC AMISULPRIDE IN C57BL/6 MICE Antipsychotic medications are used to treat schizophrenia. The present study used the drug discrimination paradigm to measure the subjective effects of the atypical antipsychotic amisulpride and to examine the underlying neuropharmacological mechanisms responsible for the discriminative stimulus property of the drug. Male C57BL/6 mice were trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg (-)S amisulpride from vehicle in a two-lever drug discrimination task. A dose effect curve for (-)S amisulpride yielded an ED50 = 1.77 mg/kg 95% CI [1.28, 2.45 mg/kg]. Substitution testing was conducted for the isomer (+)R …
Behavioral Phenotyping Of The Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of The Atypical Antipsychotic Drug Clozapine In 129s2/Hsv Mice, Kevin Webster
Behavioral Phenotyping Of The Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of The Atypical Antipsychotic Drug Clozapine In 129s2/Hsv Mice, Kevin Webster
Theses and Dissertations
The 129S2 inbred mouse strain is often used as a background strain in the production of genetically altered mice (i.e. knockout and transgenic mice). It is important to establish the behavioral phenotype of wild-type mice before making comparisons to genetically altered mice. Also, those comparisons can assist in the evaluation and interpretation of the in vivo effects of drugs. The drug discrimination assay measures the subjective effects of drugs and provides a measure of underlying neuropharmacological mechanisms responsible for the discriminative stimulus properties of drugs. The present study established the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine as a discriminative stimulus in male …
Preventing Guilt By Association: Mindfulness And Susceptibility To Evaluative Conditioning, Laura Kiken
Preventing Guilt By Association: Mindfulness And Susceptibility To Evaluative Conditioning, Laura Kiken
Theses and Dissertations
Evaluative conditioning (EC) is a type of attitude formation in which a stimulus is evaluated as positive or negative based on repeated pairings with valenced stimuli. Emerging evidence suggests that individuals differ in susceptibility to EC and these differences may be related to various social and psychological biases. One variable that has been linked with less negative attitude formation, although not using an EC paradigm, is mindfulness. Further, mindfulness is proposed to alter dimensions of elaboration that may underlie EC, particularly conditioning of negative attitudes. Therefore, three studies were conducted to examine whether mindfulness is linked to differential susceptibility to …
To Use Or Not To Use: The Role Of Affect And Cognition In Changing Attitudes Toward Using Condoms Among African American Women, Kristina Hood
To Use Or Not To Use: The Role Of Affect And Cognition In Changing Attitudes Toward Using Condoms Among African American Women, Kristina Hood
Theses and Dissertations
The current project involved three studies designed to examine which characteristics of persuasive communications change condom use attitudes. Study 1 investigated the effect of message type (affective versus cognitive) and source (male versus female) on attitude change among a sample of African American women attending college. In Study 1 (N = 146), the affective message and female source produced the most positive change in condom use attitudes. Study 2 examined whether message type and source were associated with favorable condom attitudes in a community sample and whether these findings differed from a college sample. Twenty-seven women participated in group discussions …
The Evolution Of Conservative Attitudes As A Complement To Cognitive Threat Detection Mechanisms, Russ Clay
The Evolution Of Conservative Attitudes As A Complement To Cognitive Threat Detection Mechanisms, Russ Clay
Theses and Dissertations
Conservatism reflects a general attitude structure characterized by a preference for traditional social practices and an aversion to uncertainty and threat. Though the social environment undoubtedly plays a role in shaping conservative attitudes, recent studies suggest that trait-level characteristics may contribute to their development as well. The present research investigated trait-level cognitive threat detection ability as a factor which may influence the development and maintenance of conservative social attitudes. A computer simulation indicated that socially conservative attitudes may function as a strategy for increasing the survival rate of an individual with poor threat detection ability living in a relatively dangerous …
The Effect Of Legal Status On Responses To Brief Motivational Interviewing With Substance Users, Thomas Moore
The Effect Of Legal Status On Responses To Brief Motivational Interviewing With Substance Users, Thomas Moore
Theses and Dissertations
The effectiveness of drug abuse treatment for clients coerced into care remains controversial. Some studies find clients with legal pressure do better than those without legal pressure, while others report the exact opposite. Opposing views are often fueled by the wide-ranging models that guide delivery of addiction treatment. The present study examined how participants with and without legal pressure to attend treatment responded to a motivational (MET) vs. traditional (TAU) form of addiction treatment. Additionally, the predictive value of the Readiness to Change (RTC) score, from the URICA, was assessed across days of substance use and treatment retention. Legal status …
Racial Socialization In A Black-White Interracial Family In Virginia, Rebecca Hubbard
Racial Socialization In A Black-White Interracial Family In Virginia, Rebecca Hubbard
Theses and Dissertations
The Black-White biracial population is the largest and fastest growing subgroup of multiracial individuals in the United States. Despite substantial research literature on the positive relationship between Black racial identity and psychological wellbeing, Black-White biracial individuals are underrepresented in studies that provide evidence for this relationship. Root (1998) put forward an Ecological Metamodel of Biracial Identity, comprised of several factors related to contextual (e.g. class, regional history of race-relations, parental identity, extended family) and intra-psychic processes (e.g. social skills, coping skills). The ecological metamodel served as the theoretical framework for the current study. This study is a comprehensive investigation of …
Parental And Family Predictors Of Adolescent Weight Loss And Health Change In A Multidisciplinary Obesity Intervention, Jacqueline Woods
Parental And Family Predictors Of Adolescent Weight Loss And Health Change In A Multidisciplinary Obesity Intervention, Jacqueline Woods
Theses and Dissertations
The home environment, parental health attitudes, and parental diet and exercise behaviors have been associated with childhood obesity. The current study utilized a family systems framework to examine the effect of these variables on weight and health changes in a primarily Black sample of 530 parent-adolescent dyads enrolled in a multidisciplinary weight loss intervention. Parent-reported psychosocial variables and demographic information were used to test models predicting changes in adolescents’ body mass index, cholesterol, and percentage body fat over the first six months of the intervention. The effect of parent participation in a psycho-education parent group on adolescent health outcomes was …
Identification Of Latent Subgroups Of Obese Adolescents Enrolled In A Healthy Weight Management Program, Cassie Brode
Identification Of Latent Subgroups Of Obese Adolescents Enrolled In A Healthy Weight Management Program, Cassie Brode
Theses and Dissertations
In obesity research, it is assumed that the population is homogeneous. While this approach has yielded important insights, testing this supposition might reveal information that could impact our understanding of the phenomena and its treatment. In this study, data from obese teenagers (N = 248, Mean BMI percentile = 99%; Mean age = 13.9, SD = 1.8) who were predominantly minority (n = 182), female (n = 169), and enrolled in a weight loss intervention were analyzed. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to segment patients into groups based on their scores on PedsQL 4.0 scales (physical-, emotional-, social-, and …
Efficacy Of Reach Forgiveness For Foreign And Virginia Students, Yin Lin
Efficacy Of Reach Forgiveness For Foreign And Virginia Students, Yin Lin
Theses and Dissertations
People agree that forgiveness is a virtue in essentially all countries. However, different cultures have different ideas about how willing one should forgive and under what circumstances. Although the study occurred in the USA, I recruited both foreign-extraction and Virginia born-and-raised female college students (N=102) to participate a six-hour REACH forgiveness intervention, promoting their forgiveness through psychoeducational groups. In my thesis, I investigated whether students of foreign extraction and Virginia-born students would respond similarly to the intervention. I operationalized culture in two ways—by country and by individual self-reported self-construal. I measured forgiveness using two measures—decisional forgiveness and emotional forgiveness. I …
Evaluation Of Psychological Services Provied In A University-Based Primary Care Clinic, Elizabeth Sadock
Evaluation Of Psychological Services Provied In A University-Based Primary Care Clinic, Elizabeth Sadock
Theses and Dissertations
Primary care clinics are increasingly integrating psychological services into their service programs; however few studies have provided quantitative data to support these services. This study served as a program evaluation of the psychological services provided at the Ambulatory Care Clinic at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. It includes: 1) a description of the program, including types of patients served, their presenting problems, and treatments administered and 2) evidence of the impact of mental health services on primary care patients’ emotional adjustment and progress on behavioral goals. Data on exposure to stressful life events and intake and …
Blurring The Lines Of Traditional Gender Roles: Beliefs Of African American Women, Jasmine Abrams
Blurring The Lines Of Traditional Gender Roles: Beliefs Of African American Women, Jasmine Abrams
Theses and Dissertations
Gender role beliefs of African American women in the United States should be investigated in a manner that considers their unique experiences and the distinct background of her cultural sharing group. In this study, gender role beliefs of African American women were examined by addressing the research question: What are the gender role beliefs of African American women for African American men and women? Eight focus groups comprising 44 African American women were conducted. Women were diverse in terms of age, religion, and socio-economic status. An ethnographic phenomenological approach was used to explore views related to gender roles among African …
The Reciprocal Relation Between Maternal Depressive Symptomatology And Adolescents’ Aggression: The Role Of Parenting Practices And Family Functioning, Kelly Pugh
Theses and Dissertations
Research on family influences on adolescents’ aggression has revealed a relation between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescents’ frequency of aggression. A recent cross-sectional study of these relations (Pugh & Farrell, 2011) indicated that maternal depressive symptoms had a significant relation with teachers,’ students,’ and mothers’ reports of adolescents’ aggression. This effect was mediated by parenting practices and family functioning. The cross-sectional designs used in previous studies examining relations between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescents’ aggression make it difficult to draw clear inferences regarding the causal nature of this association. The present study used longitudinal data across five waves of data …
Improving Nutrition In Toddlers And Preschool Children With Cystic Fibrosis: Behavioral Parent Training Intervention, Shannon Estelle Hourigan
Improving Nutrition In Toddlers And Preschool Children With Cystic Fibrosis: Behavioral Parent Training Intervention, Shannon Estelle Hourigan
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this single-case study was to pilot a developmentally sensitive adaptation of an evidence-based intervention aimed at improving nutrition in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Children with CF must adhere to a high-calorie diet to prevent malnutrition and maintain health. Toddler and preschool age children present a unique feeding challenge to parents as they begin to exert independence and exhibit a variety of challenging behaviors. Parents trying to adhere to CF nutrition guidelines often use ineffective strategies that inadvertently encourage children not to eat. This six-week group parent-training intervention combined nutrition and behavior elements to provide parents with …
Associations Between Binge Eating And Executive Functioning Among Young Women, Nichole Kelly
Associations Between Binge Eating And Executive Functioning Among Young Women, Nichole Kelly
Theses and Dissertations
Binge eating is a pervasive disordered eating behavior associated with numerous psychological and physical comorbidities. Preliminary research indicates that emotion regulation difficulties, behavioral impulsivity, and executive dysfunction may contribute to the onset and/or maintenance of these behaviors. However, few studies have utilized neuropsychological measures to examine this link, and the assessment of behavioral and cognitive emotion regulation strategies are limited in scope. The purpose of the current study was to gain a deeper understanding of the emotional, behavioral and cognitive processes associated with binge eating behavior. Greater clarity regarding how these factors relate to binge eating is critical to the …
Dispositional Mindfulness And Cardiovascular Functioning Under Stress: Predictions Of Social Evaluative Stress Reactivity And Recovery, Melissa P. Holt
Dispositional Mindfulness And Cardiovascular Functioning Under Stress: Predictions Of Social Evaluative Stress Reactivity And Recovery, Melissa P. Holt
Theses and Dissertations
Mindfulness – a receptive attentiveness to present experience – has been shown to promote more adaptive emotion regulation (Brown et al. 2008). Additionally, dispositional mindfulness has been shown to predict reduced cortisol response to social stressors (Brown et al, in press) and mindfulness training has been shown to promote more adaptive cardiac functioning at rest (Ditto et al., 2006; Tang et al., 2009; Telles et al., 2005; Zeidan et al., 2010) and in response to social stressors (Kemeny et al., 2012). To better understand the regulatory potential of a mindful disposition on cardiovascular functioning in healthy adult participants (N = …
A Brief Problem-Solving Intervention For Caregivers Of Children With Cancer, Jennifer Lamanna
A Brief Problem-Solving Intervention For Caregivers Of Children With Cancer, Jennifer Lamanna
Theses and Dissertations
OBJECTIVE: Pediatric cancer treatment is stressful for caregivers. Research has indicated that problem-solving coping reduces stress related to caregiving. The current study examines the effects of a problem-solving intervention (Parent Empowerment Program), based on Problem-Solving Therapy, for caregivers of children on active cancer treatment. It was hypothesized that participants who received the intervention would show decreases in caregiving stress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, and increases in problem-solving ability between baseline and post-test assessments compared to those who received an attention control. METHOD: Thirty-nine caregivers (all parents; 48% participation rate) participated. The majority were mothers (90%), married or partnered (59%) and …
Attitudinal Responses To Mixed Evidence: The Role Of Attitude Extremity And Political Ideology In Effecting Change Versus Resistance, Jessica Barber
Attitudinal Responses To Mixed Evidence: The Role Of Attitude Extremity And Political Ideology In Effecting Change Versus Resistance, Jessica Barber
Theses and Dissertations
Four studies investigated the effects of attitude extremity and political ideology on the degree and direction of changes in issue attitudes following the presentation of mixed evidence. Based upon previous work, it was predicted that those holding relatively more extreme attitudes would resist changing those views when presented with a mixture of supporting and opposing statements and would potentially adopt more extreme evaluative positions – a phenomenon known as attitude polarization (Lord, Ross, & Lepper, 1979). Evaluative entrenchment or intensification was also expected among more politically conservative participants, based upon prior work describing cognitive rigidity and resistance to change as …