Psychology Commons^™

Experiences Of Resident Assistants With Potentially Suicidal Students: Identification, Referral, And Expectations, Katherine M. Bender

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Resident Assistants (RAs), living on campus and tasked with advising students while keeping them safe, are in a position to identify and refer students who may be at risk for suicide or other mental health issues. This study examined RA ability to identify students at risk for suicide, RA comfort in working with students at risk for suicide, RA actions taken when working with students who may be at risk for suicide, and RA expectations for shared information about students the RAs have referred for counseling because they may be at risk for suicide. The study found that RAs report …

91st Annual Meeting Of The Virginia Academy Of Science: Proceedings

Virginia Journal of Science

Proceedings of the 91st Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, held at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, May 22-24, 2013.

Investigating Similarities And Differences As Measured By The Durel And Gsq Between Three Subgroups Attending A Local Aa Meeting To Develop A Profile Of Long Term Attendees, Keesha Masean Kerns

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Alcoholics Anonymous groups are growing in popularity due to their cost effectiveness and history of dependability. Although the program clearly has the numbers to support its popularity, skeptics continually analyze its claims of effectiveness through research. While research pertaining to AA is diverse, very little is presented concerning factors that contribute to retention in the program. The primary purpose for this quantitative study was to investigate the similarities and differences in the various stages of participants of a sample attending a local AA program, identify variables that contribute to retention in the AA sample, and to use Grounded Theory to …

Protective Behavioral Strategy Subtypes As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption And Alcohol-Related Problems, Benjamin A. Kite

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Protective behavioral strategy (or drinking control strategy) use is widely regarded as an effective tool for reducing negative consequences from consuming alcohol (Martens et al., 2005; Martens et al., 2008). Research has shown that frequent protective behavioral strategy use buffers the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems (Borden et al., 2011), and that gender moderates this effect (Benton et al., 2004); however. The present research was used to expand on previous research showing that protective behavioral strategy use can buffer the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Further, the assessment of protective behavioral strategy use across gender was …

Predictive Effects Of Good Self-Control And Poor Regulation On Alcohol-Related Outcomes: Do Protective Behavioral Strategies Mediate?, Matthew R. Pearson, Benjamin A. Kite, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

In the present study, we examined whether use of protective behavioral strategies mediated the relationship between self-control constructs and alcohol-related outcomes. According to the two-mode model of self-control, good self-control (planfulness; measured with Future Time Perspective, Problem Solving, and Self-Reinforcement) and poor regulation (impulsivity; measured with Present Time Perspective, Poor Delay of Gratification, Distractibility) are theorized to be relatively independent constructs rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. The analytic sample consisted of 278 college student drinkers (68% women) who responded to a battery of surveys at a single time point. Using a structural equation model based on the …

Impulsivity Like Traits And Risky Driving Behaviors Among College Students, Matthew R. Pearson, Elaine M. Murphy, Ashley N. Doane

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the predictive effects of five impulsivity-like traits (Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Negative Urgency, and Positive Urgency) on driving outcomes (driving errors, driving lapses, driving violations, cell phone driving, traffic citations, and traffic collisions). With a convenience sample of 266 college student drivers, we found that each of the impulsivity-like traits was related to multiple risky driving outcomes. Positive Urgency (tendency to act impulsively when experiencing negative affect) was the most robust predictor of risky driving outcomes. Positive Urgency is a relatively newly conceptualized impulsivity-like trait that was not examined in the driving literature previously, suggesting a …

Unplanned Drinking And Alcohol-Related Problems: A Preliminary Test Of The Model Of Unplanned Drinking Behavior, Matthew R. Pearson, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Much research links impulsivity with alcohol use and problems. In 2 studies, unplanned (or impulsive) drinking is assessed directly to determine whether it has direct effects on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. In Study 1, we examined whether unplanned drinking serves as a proximal mediator of the effects of impulsivity-like traits on alcohol-related outcomes. With a sample of 211 college student drinkers, we found that the Unplanned Drinking Scale was significantly related to alcohol use, and perhaps more important, had a direct effect on alcohol-related problems even after controlling for frequency and quantity of alcohol use. Furthermore, unplanned drinking partially …

A Brief Motivational Intervention For Heavy Alcohol Use In Dental Practice Settings: Rationale And Development, James A. Neff, Scott T. Walters, Abby L. Braitman, Michelle L. Kelley, Michele L. Darby, Margaret F. Lemaster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although brief alcohol interventions have proven effective in a variety of health care settings, the present article describes the development of the first brief intervention for heavy drinkers in dental practice. Elements of motivational interviewing and personalized normative feedback were incorporated in a 3- to 5-minute intervention delivered by dental hygienists. The intervention is guided by a one-page feedback report providing personalized normative feedback regarding the patient's current oral health practices, their drinking in comparison to others, and oral cancer risk associated with current smoking and drinking. Future publications will present data regarding intervention effectiveness from an ongoing randomized trial.

Alcohol Use And Trauma Exposure Among Male And Female Veterans Before, During, And After Military Service, Michelle L. Kelley, Jennifer Runnals, Matthew R. Pearson, Marinell Miller, John A. Fairbank, Va Mid-Atlantic Mirecc Women Veterans Workgroup

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: The present study examined lifespan and combat-related trauma exposure as predictors of alcohol use among male and female veterans. Posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms were examined as mediators of the effects of trauma exposure on alcohol use.

Methods: Data were examined from 1825 (1450 male, 375 female) veterans and active duty service members who took part in a multi-site research study conducted through the Department of Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (VISN 6 MIRECC).

Results: For both men and women, depressive symptoms significantly mediated the effects of non-combat trauma exposure experienced before, during and …

The Assessment Of Protective Behavioral Strategies: Comparing The Absolute Frequency And Contingent Frequency Response Scales, Benjamin A. Kite, Matthew R. Pearson, James M. Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present studies was to examine the effects of response scale on the observed relationships between protective behavioral strategies (PBS) measures and alcohol-related outcomes. We reasoned that an "absolute frequency" scale (stem: "how many times..."; response scale: 0 times to 11 + times) conflates the frequency of using PBS with the frequency of consuming alcohol; thus, we hypothesized that the use of an absolute frequency response scale would result in positive relationships between types of PBS and alcohol-related outcomes. Alternatively, a "contingent frequency" scale (stem: "When drinking ... how often ..."; response scale: never to always …

Daily Use Of Protective Behavioral Strategies And Alcohol-Related Outcomes Among College Students, Matthew R. Pearson, Gabrielle M. D'Lima, Michelle L. Kelley

Psychology Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) and alcohol-related outcomes (alcohol consumption, negative alcohol consequences, and positive alcohol consequences) using a daily diary approach. This approach is less affected by retrospective memory biases than typical self-reports of alcohol-related variables and allows the examination of both between-subjects and within-person effects. Using hierarchical linear modeling of data from 40 subjects who completed daily dairies for up to 15 days, we found significant within-person variation in PBS use over time, and each type of PBS had unique relationships with alcohol-related outcomes. For example, …