Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Language Use Patterns Of People With Chronic Pain: A Novel Assessment Approach, Jodie Maccarrone

Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that 35% of Americans or 116 million people report experiencing chronic pain daily (Nahin, 2015). Due to the unique and individualized nature of chronic pain, successful treatment of this condition is difficult to achieve. The heterogeneity and complexity in presentation may help explain why, as all methods of treatment have fallen short of providing consistent and reliable outcomes (Finnerup et al., 2015; Lumley & Schubiner, 2019), resulting in unsuccessful treatment approaches that can lead to compounding negative consequences such as hyperalgesia (Garland et al., 2013) and even death (Scholl, Seth, Kariisa, Wilson, & Baldwin, 2019). As such, …

A Comparison Of Teleneuropsychological And Traditional Neuropsychological Battery Factor Structures, Alison Datoc

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the factor structures of a traditional neuropsychological battery, administered in-person, and a teleneuropsychological battery, administered remotely. Participants were divided into two groups dependent on test condition (i.e., in- person or remote). Individuals in the in-person test condition group (n = 100) were selected from a sample of individuals who were assessed in-person in a previous archival study, and individuals in the remote testing condition group (n = 100) were assessed via teleneuropsychology in their home environment.

Two Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method were conducted on the T-scores and scaled scores of each …

Assessment Of Psychological Functioning In Retired Firefighters, Jordana Simone Pepper

Theses and Dissertations

The past decade has witnessed a significant increase in clinical attention directed to mental health problems in firefighters. The basis for heightened activity in this area is the convergence of evidence indicating that firefighters demonstrate significantly high levels of psychological disorders such as depression and PTSD (Henderson et al., 2016). A previously unexplored risk factor for psychopathology in firefighters is active retirement. Retirement can lead to a decline in psychological functioning, as well as a decline in a person’s self-concept clarity through group loss (Slotter, Winter & Soto, 2015). This loss has the potential to cause, or enhance, feelings of …

Exploration Of The Wechsler Memory Scale Fourth Edition (Wms-Iv) Designs Content And Spatial Memory Scales, Maya Pinjala

Theses and Dissertations

The Designs subtest was newly added as a measure of visual memory to the Wechsler Memory Scale, 4th edition (WMS-IV). This study examined this measure in a mixed clinical sample (n = 158). Specifically, the aim of the study was to evaluate the publishers’ claims that the Designs test assesses both visual content (“what”) and spatial (“where”) memory, as these functions are processed within distinct neurological systems. To date, no studies have specifically examined the individual Content and Spatial scores in relation to other neuropsychological variables. The purpose of this study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the …

School Functioning Of Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss In Comparison To The Functioning Of Children With Normal Hearing, Tova Most, Naama Tsach

JADARA

The present study assessed the school functioning of children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) in comparison to the functioning of their hearing classmates. The effect of the degree of hearing loss and the use of hearing aids were assessed as well. Forty-seven elementary school children participated in the study: 33 children with UHL and 14 children with normal hearing. The Screening Instrument for Targeting Educational Risk (SIFTER) questionnaire was used to assess the children's performance in the schools. The questionnaire assessed the children's performance in 5 domains: academics, attention, communication, class participation and school behavior. The results revealed significant differences …

Major Depressive Disorder Among Individuals Who Are Deaf: Implications For Rehabilitation Professionals, Sandra Hansmann, Shawn P. Saladin, Diana Fraser-Mendez

JADARA

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a potentially disabling condition which adversely affects psychosocial functioning in the lives of many people. Individuals who are prelingually and/or profoundly Deaf are especially at risk of misdiagnoses, which in turn may prevent them from receiving the treatment needed to reach their full potential in independent living or vocational rehabilitation. This article reviews general depressive symptomology, followed by a discussion of challenges associated with diagnosing MDD in individuals who are Deaf. Suggestions for therapeutic interventions are also included. The article concludes with a summary of the implications of Deafness and MDD for independent living and …

An Analysis And Comparison Of Wms-Iii And Wms-Iv Verbal Paired Associates: Practical Implications For Neuropsychologists, Anthony Paul Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the performance of clinical outpatients on the Verbal Paired Associates (VPA) subtest from current and prior versions of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). It was predicted that VPA from the WMS-III (VPA3) would be similar in agreement to the WMS-IV (VPA4) and that VPA4 would show a stronger relationship than VPA3 with intellectual abilities, sustained attention, and executive function abilities as assessed by the WAIS-IV; CPT-2; and the TMT, Category Test, and Stroop, respectively. Thirty-six adults were administered both the WMS-III and the WMS-IV, along with the other measures as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. …

A Transition To Using Online Learning Modules For Staff Education, Kevin Dvorak, Kelly A. Concannon, Jacqueline Lytle, Emalee M. Shrewsbury, Michaela Greer

CAHSS Faculty Presentations, Proceedings, Lectures, and Symposia

This panel will discuss how a writing center transitioned staff education and training from being primarily onsite to being primarily online. We will review methods used to develop a series of online learning modules, how we conducted assessment, and how we plan to revise in the future.

A Randomized Trial Of Brief Assessment Interventions To Reduce Hiv/Sti Sexual Risk And Drug Use Among Young Adults Who Use Drugs In The Club Scene, Steven P. Kurtz, Mance E. Buttram, Maria Elizabeth Pagano, Hilary L Surratt

CAHSS Faculty Presentations, Proceedings, Lectures, and Symposia

Extensive polydrug use puts nightclub attendees at high risk for health problems, including HIV/ STI; mental distress; and drug dependence.

There is pervasive resistance to participation in formal interventions. Club scene participants tend to be suspicious of or disinterested in drug use and sexual risk prevention messages delivered by governmental or health authorities.

Efficacious interventions to reduce sexual risk, drug use, and related consequences for this population are not apparent in the literature.

Teaching, Learning, And Assessment: Insights Into Students’ Motivation To Learn, Simon R. Walters, Pedro Silva, Jennifer Nikolai

The Qualitative Report

This study draws upon the perspectives of sport and recreation undergraduate students in New Zealand who were involved in the design of their own assessments, and discusses the implication of the teaching and learning environment on this process. In a previous study, student criticism had emerged of current teaching strategies and assessment methods at their institution. The purpose of this current study was to directly address some of these concerns and for lecturers and students to work collaboratively to develop a more learner-centred teaching and learning environment. Students from a second-year sociology of sport paper were invited to design their …

Past, Present, And Future Of Assessment In Schools: A Thematic Narrative Analysis, Stephanie Green, Jessica Kearbey, Jennifer Wolgemuth, Vonzell Agosto, Jeanine Romano, Mike Riley, Aimee Frier

The Qualitative Report

As a diverse group of educationalists, we worry about the role of assessment in K-12 schools and current neoliberal education policies. In this paper, we aim to highlight some of the unintended or often overlooked consequences of these policies by taking an arts-based approach to our research. We interviewed various educational stakeholders about their past and present experiences with assessment, as well as their imagined futures. By creating poetic representations to present the results, we aim to shed a new light on the otherwise familiar contexts of assessment in the schools. Many are afraid of a future where neoliberal policies …

The Effects Of Ongoing Assessment During A Psychoeducational Evaluation, Joseph Elliot

Theses and Dissertations

Statistically significant reductions in scores from initial pretreatment testing to subsequent pretreatment testing in self-report measures are a widespread phenomenon (Arrindell, 2001). If valid, these reductions reflect improvement in psychological functioning absent any formal treatment (Arrindell, 2001). Many explanations for these reductions in scores have been offered (Arrindell, 2001) including assessment reactivity (Epstein et al., 2005), social desirability (Henderson, Byrne, & Duncan-Jones, 1981); and mechanical responding (Bromet, Dunn, Connell, Dew, & Schulberg, 1986; Durham et al., 2002). However, relatively few studies have examined this phenomenon empirically. Even fewer studies have examined pretreatment improvements in parent ratings. The present study sought …

The Unexpected Rewards Of Qualitative Research In Assessment: A Case Example, Penny Singh

The Qualitative Report

This paper reports on the inclusion of an oral component of assessment in science at two tertiary institutions in South Africa. The purpose of this paper is not to report on the results of the assessments conducted, but to focus on some of the unexpected rewards of conducting qualitative research in assessment. Using focus group discussions within a qualitative framework allowed me insights into the thoughts and experiences of the students and assessors, making the benefits of oral assessment apparent. These benefits included how assessment can be used as a learning opportunity, the advantages of homogeneous versus heterogeneous groups, and …