Psychology Commons^™

Early Diagnosis Methods For Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Megan Denise Mccarthy

Doctoral Dissertations

Objective: This systematic review aimed to comprehensively synthesize existing literature on early detection methods for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children birth to 3 years, that lead to an effective and reliable early diagnosis in children 2 to 3 years of age.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO following PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting on early detection methods for ASD in infants and toddlers within ages 0 to 3 years that lead to early diagnosis of children ages 2 to 3 years were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction and quality assessment were …

Contextualizing Bipoc High School Students’ Racialized Experiences Under Trump, Christina Ung

Master's Theses

This thesis contextualizes public high school experiences of self-identified students of color during Trump’s presidency. The study features three recent high school graduates from the same campus, and their perspectives on a series of topics related to their racial identity. It was important that this research served as a space for marginalized voices to share their lived experiences, as they are frequently left out of American curriculum. More specifically in this case, the high school is located in a small, rural town where the population is majority white and politically conservative. Through the lens of critical race theory (CRT), data …

The Role Of Family Dynamics In Receiving Autism And Neurodevelopmental Services: A Needs Assessment, Bianca Kalia

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study aims to document the effects an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) diagnosis, or other behavior disturbances has on the family unit as a whole. Through this analysis, we can develop measures that are personalized for the child with autism as well as the caregiver and family unit.

Estimating Predictors Of Mental Well-Being Through Analysis Of Children’S Drawings: The Case Of Syrian Refugees, Stephanie Smith

Master's Theses

There are currently over 65 million individuals that have been forcibly displaced globally. The cumulative trauma that comes from the refugee experience and exposure to violence has proven to have long-term negative psychological outcomes and thus negative impacts on human capital in the long run. Given that over 50% percent of the global refugee population are children, the ability to efficiently and accurately assess their mental well-being is of critical importance. Using data from over 2000 refugee children in Jordan, I use machine learning techniques to find key predictors of psychological distress, PTSD, and exposure to violence found in children’s …

Entropy As A Method For Identifying Treatment Resistant Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nathan Wright

Doctoral Dissertations

Background: Individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience lifelong challenges which can impact peer relationships, adaptive functioning, and independent living. Verbal intelligence has proven to be the strongest indicator of outcomes and responsiveness to behavioral intervention, but this property only stabilizes in children between 6 and 8 years of age. Behavioral treatment is the primary intervention for individuals diagnosed with ASD, but it is most effective when delivered as an early intervention strategy for toddlers and very young children. A biomarker which could distinguish treatment resistant subgroups of ASD from would allow for the development and implementation of alternative …

Exploring Masculinity For A Healthy Campus Culture, Jason M. Gant

Master's Projects and Capstones

1 in 5 female students is and will be sexually assaulted in college. This is a public health issue as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sexual violence (SV) is a significant problem in the United States. SV refers to sexual activity when consent is not obtained or not given freely. Anyone can experience SV, but most victims are female. The person responsible for the violence is typically male and usually someone the victim is familiar with. The person can be, but is not limited to, a friend, coworker, neighbor, family member and even classmate. Boys …

Religious Vs. Secular Communities: Sources Of Social Support For Emerging Adult Black Gay And Bisexual Men, Sienna L. Williams, Caleb J. Banks, Erika J. Janke, Justine A. Stallings, Ja'nina Walker Ph.D.

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This research investigates factors that contribute to emerging adult black gay and bisexual men’s sources of social support. Participants were 20 Black, gay/bisexual men between 18-25 years old (M_age = 22.8, SD = 1.7). Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and utilized grounded theory to determine intersectionality between participants’ religious upbringing as well as their racial, spiritual, sexual, and HIV identities. Participants who self-identified as bisexual continued to seek social support within churches despite having endured repeated exposure to negative religious rhetoric pertaining to same-sex behavior in religious settings. Participants who self-identified as queer did not seek social support within …

External Vs. Innate: Sources Of Resiliency Among Emerging Adults, Black Gay And Bisexual Men, Caleb J. Banks Mr., Sienna L. Willams, Erika J. Janke, Justine A. Stallings, Ja'nina J. Walker Ph.D.

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The purpose of this research was to examine the main sources and origins of resiliency that are present among Black gay and bisexual men. Resiliency refers to one’s response to adversity and ability to positively adapt to difficult situations. Twenty participants ranging in age between 18-25 years old (M = 22.8 years, SD = 1.7 years) participated in a semi-structured interview. Participants indicated varying sources of resiliency, which they utilize to encounter hardships. Innate sources (i.e., I was born this way) and external sources (i.e., music, my grandmother’s spirit) were conveyed by participants as mechanisms to overcome adversity. The …

Maternal Employment And The Mother-Child Relationship, Marie Ortega, Margaret Gross, Helena Karnilowicz, Veronica Kreter, Lindsey Butrera, Shirley Mcguire, Nancy Segal

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

It has been suggested that a mother’s employment status affects her relationship with her children. This study examined whether children of stay-at-home mothers showed differences in the mother-child relationship than those of employed mothers. Participants were 252 sibling-pairs, 8-13 years, in the Twins, Adoptees, Peers and Siblings Study. Children completed measures on maternal warmth, trust, and conflict. Mothers reported their occupations. Independent t-tests were used to compare mean scores for maternal warmth, trust and conflict. There was no significant statistical difference between the groups, which suggests maternal employment does not affect relationship quality. Follow up analyses will examine biological …

Parental Differential Treatment: A Twin-Sibling-Adoptee Study, Meenakshi Palaniappan, Helena Karnilowicz, Shannon Mccarthy, Taryn Larribas, Margaret Gross, Shirley Mcguire, Nancy Segal

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

From a behavioral genetic perspective, similar experiences between siblings will vary by genetic relatedness. The purpose of the present study was to examine parental differential treatment across twins, siblings, and adoptees using a genetic model. Mothers of 54 monozygotic (MZ) twins, 86 dizygotic (DZ) twins, 68 full siblings (FS), and 43 same-aged adoptees (VT) reported their differential treatment of both siblings in three dimensions: school, play, and discipline. The results supported our genetic hypothesis, with a significant effect for dyad type, F (9, 581) = 2.47, p<0.01.

Loneliness In Middle Childhood: Social Connectedness And Genetic Relatedness, Taryn Larribas, Margaret Gross, Meenakshi Palaniappan, Helena Karnilowics, Shannon Mccarthy

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The evolutionary approach argues that genetic similarity contributes to greater social similarity due to their desire to protect their genes. The social perspective model argues that loneliness is impacted by social relationships. It is hypothesized that MZ twins will show support for the evolutionary perspective, having the closest levels of loneliness, and will have levels comparable to FFs (Segal, 2000). It is hypothesized that loneliness means will show the following pattern: MZ < DZ = FS < VT with MZ = FF. Additionally, it is hypothesized that there will be a gender difference in loneliness in that M > F (Junttila & Vauras, 2009).

Participants were 300 pairs of children (8-12 years), who took part in the TAPS Study. The hypothesis was examined using 54 pairs of …