Psychology Commons^™

Ethnic-Racial Socialization Experiences Of Mexican American Youth, Katherine J. Bingham, Elizabeth A. Cutrer-Párraga, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Research has shown that ethnic–racial socialization (ERS) predicts education and mental health outcomes for adolescents. However, limited research has evaluated the ERS experiences of Latinx students. The current study examined ERS experiences of Mexican American youth in four focus group interviews that were transcribed and analyzed at both the individual and group level using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Main themes included feeling like an outsider, navigating discrimination, encountering social/emotional difficulties, and achieving a positive identity. Each theme contained two to three subcategories that provide further insight into the Mexican Americans' ERS experiences. Participants reported within-group discrimination, motivation to disprove stereotypes, and …

Maternal Depression Moderated By Family Resources When Children Have Developmental Disabilities., Timothy B. Smith, Terisa P. Gabrielsen

Faculty Publications

Children with developmental disabilities require extensive parental involvement in intervention, but parents with depression may be less able to intervene effectively. We examined prevalence of depression symptoms and predictors among 131 mothers of children with disabilities enrolled in early childhood special education. Participants completed several self-report measures of depression and child and family functioning. Children were directly evaluated using the Battelle Developmental Inventory. One year later, 68 mothers repeated self-report measures. Participants (30%) reported elevated depression symptoms across time. Depression scores were correlated with parental stress and family resources. An interaction between higher maternal depression and higher child functioning with …

Failure To Report: The Detrimental Effects Following Sexual Assault, Lindsey R. Osborne

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Sexual assault is a prominent issue in society, yet many people remain unaware of the serious effects following sexual assault. Victims who report to legal authorities tend to experience disbelief and blame because of the prevalence of rape myths. Due to the severity of the trauma, hormones released by the brain hinder proper brain functioning and can cause a little-known evolutionary response termed tonic immobility (TI). The psychological outcome of sexual assault commonly results in or worsens several psychological conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and drug and alcohol abuse. Guilt, self-blame, and adverse emotions are accelerated with negative interactions while …

Incorporating Religion Into Therapy To Better Treat Depression, Jacob Tubbs

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment option for depression. Often, CBT is only effective at masking the symptoms of depression without helping the person overcome depression altogether; thus, it may benefit CBT patients if alternative therapies are combined with CBT. Incorporating the patient’s religion into therapy is an alternative that may help many people. A large percentage of Americans are still religious or spiritual. This literature review discusses methods of building a personalized version of CBT that incorporates the patient’s religion, or religiously integrated CBT (RCBT), and the effects …

Exposure To Nature: An Underutilized Component Of Student Mental Health, Jeremy S. Bekker

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Nature-exposure interventions on university campuses may serve as an effective addition to overburdened counseling and student support centers. Nature-exposure interventions can work as a preventative health measure on campuses, which can be used adjacently with existing health resources. This paper outlines the potential benefits of nature exposure for students’ physical health, mental well-being, and academic success. Previous research has demonstrated that nature exposure may help reduce cognitive load, decrease negative psychological symptoms, increase psychological coping ability, and lead to better physical health. Many campuses already contain green spaces, defined as any part of an environment that is predominately made of …

Effects Of Psychosocial Support Interventions On Survival In Inpatient And Outpatient Healthcare Settings: A Meta-Analysis Of 106 Randomized Controlled Trials, Timothy B. Smith, Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Faculty Publications

We evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychosocial support interventions in inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings reporting survival data, including studies reporting disease-related or all-cause mortality. LOdds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) data were analyzed separately using random effects weighted models. Of 42,054 studies searched, 106 RCTs including 40,280 patients met inclusion criteria. Across 87 RCTs reporting data for discrete time periods, the average was OR = 1.20 (95% CI = 1.09 to 1.31, p < 0.001), indicating a 20% increased likelihood of survival among patients receiving psychosocial support compared to control groups receiving standard medical care. Among those studies, psychosocial interventions explicitly promoting health behaviors yielded improved likelihood of survival, whereas interventions without that primary focus did not. Across 22 RCTs reporting survival time, the average was HR = 1.29 (95% CI = 1.12 to 1.49, p < 0.001), indicating a 29% increased probability of survival over time among intervention recipients compared to controls. Among those studies, meta-regressions identified 3 moderating variables: control group type, patient disease severity, and risk of research bias. Studies with patients having relatively greater disease severity tended to yield smaller gains in survival time relative to control groups. In this meta-analysis, OR data indicated that psychosocial behavioral support interventions promoting patient motivation/coping to engage in health behaviors improved patient survival, but interventions focusing primarily on patients’ social or emotional outcomes did not prolong life. HR data indicated that psychosocial interventions, predominantly focused on social or emotional outcomes, improved survival but yielded similar effects to health information/classes and were less effective among patients with apparently greater disease severity.

Identifying, Increasing Awareness, And Supporting Military-Connected Adolescents In Public Schools, Amanda Bushman

Theses and Dissertations

Of the nearly 1,000,000 children of active duty members of the military, around 80% attend civilian schools not affiliated with the Department of Defense Education Activity ([DoDEA] DoDEA, 2018; Department of Defense [DoD], 2018). This creates a need for schools to be aware of the challenges that military-connected (MC) students face and understand how best to support them. Recent research indicates that the prevalence of mental health problems in MC youth populations has been rising since the war on terrorism began (De Pedro et al., 2011). MC youth experience an array of internalizing and externalizing problems, including stress disorders (Gorman …

Success Off The Field: Academic Strategies Of High-Gpa College Athletes, Ashlynn Erbe

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the strategies academically successful college student athletes use to do well in their class work, where academic success was defined as a 3.5 GPA for 12 or more credits for the two semesters preceding the study. Data were transcriptions of individual interviews with five male and five female athletes in seven sports at an NCAA Division I university in the western United States. Independent coders analyzed the data and agreed upon themes related to challenges to academic success and strategies to meet those challenges. Findings add to the literature by detailing self-regulatory habits that academically underprepared athletes …

A Test Of The Whytry Program On Youth Resilience, Travis Guy Price

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the WhyTry program in enhancing adolescent resilience. Ninety-four adolescents in grades seven–nine had been screened for Tier two intervention at the local junior high. The school assigned these students to either a WhyTry treatment group or an alternative treatment group. The students were all from economically disadvantaged situations and were predominantly Hispanic. The treatment group participated in the WhyTry program, led by a trained facilitator at the school. Students in the treatment and comparison groups completed a pre-test and post-test using the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales (SEARS). …

Inclusive Teaching In Faith Communities: Examining The Effects Of Brief Video Trainings On Planning Inclusive Teaching For Individuals With Disabilities, Mary Margaret Woodruff

Theses and Dissertations

Many individuals within faith congregations are primarily taught by volunteers desiring to edify and support those they teach. Unfortunately, these devoted teachers also feel heightening insecurity in accomplishing this task because they lack professional training and experience working with individuals with disabilities. As volunteer teachers, many of these instructors do not have access to training that is efficient and affordable. The purpose of this study was to examine the how brief training videos on inclusive teaching practices, gleaned from empirically-supported practices promoted in special education classrooms, impact faith-based instructors' knowledge, confidence, and planning skills. Participants included three lay teachers from …

General Education Teachers' Self-Reported Response To Overt Student Problem Behavior In The Classroom, Ingrid Lewis Shurtleff

Theses and Dissertations

The need for teachers to respond effectively to student problem behaviors is vital for positive student outcomes. This study examined how general education teachers respond to different problem behaviors, what variables possibly predict those responses, and if dealing with problem behaviors plays a possible role in teacher attrition. Results were reported using descriptive and statistical analyses. Three-hundred sixty-three elementary and secondary teachers in five school districts were invited to participate in a survey. Findings indicate that teachers primarily use individually directed responses to problem behaviors and the responses had little differentiation according to intensity of behavior. The data revealed some …

Stack The Deck: A Self-Monitoring Intervention For Adolescents With Autism For Balancing Participation Levels In Groups, Lauren Elizabeth Lees

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects the lives of 1 in 54 children in the United States. By definition, these children often have social communication deficits as well as restrictive and repetitive behaviors that are socially isolating. Inclusion of participants with disabilities such as ASD in classroom or group settings with peers is a high-priority goal for building skills that lead to independent living and higher quality of life for all. Balancing an individual’s class or group participation is not always easy with different levels of social skills, however. In a classroom, this can translate to difficulty in knowing how to …

An Evidence-Based Evaluation Of Behavior Management Practices Among Paraprofessionals, Jordan Mark Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Paraprofessionals (i.e., paid school employees working under the supervision of licensed and certified personnel) are being given expanded roles and responsibilities in schools. Unfortunately, many paraprofessionals in the United States are not well trained and are asked to take on responsibilities they have not been prepared for. One of those responsibilities is managing student behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate paraprofessionals' self-reported behavior management practices. Using a survey, we collected information concerning paraprofessionals' feelings of confidence in managing problem behavior, techniques to manage problem behavior, feelings concerning their behavior management training, and their views on certain problem …

What Are Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Rural School District Needs To Effectively Educate Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kari Lyn Pugh

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has continued to rise each year. This fact has significance in the area of education. The rise in prevalence of autism means an increase of students with autism in schools. Educators have the need to be prepared to provide an appropriate education for these students but may not have training or resources to be effective. Rural communities may have even more concerns about education for students with ASD due to geographic isolation and the lack of available educators in their area trained to support the specific needs of these students. To determine the …

Drawing Out Trauma: Visual Art Therapy For Child Sexual Abuse Victims, Katelynn K. Mckinnon

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global problem that can have lasting effects cognitively, physiologically, and emotionally for the victim. If the psychological damage from CSA goes untreated, it can lead to unstable conditions within one’s self, and in relationships. When children are affected by sexual abuse, it can be difficult for them to verbalize the traumatic incident. This inability to express can lead to problems in viewing and experiencing the self, and may lead to dissociation. Many aspects of trauma symptoms are difficult for individuals and especially children to express verbally. Visual arts therapy offers an alternative to verbal-based …

Humanizing The Model Minority: A Literature Review Of Current Research Concerning Counseling Asian American College Students, Austin M. Lynn

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

A detailed examination of the past 10 years of literature regarding the counseling of college-age Asian Americans is undertaken, with an emphasis on counselor and client perspective. The applicability of Western counseling to individuals steeped in Asian culture is examined, and suggestions aimed towards increasing counselor competency provided. Counselors’ self-perceived competency and Asian American client experience are reviewed. The effects of acculturation and enculturation are discussed; with a special focus on the impact of Asian cultural values and their potential negative relationships with help-seeking attitudes. The nature, implementation, and efficacy of multicultural counseling is explored. Data comparing college-age Asian Americans …

The Effects Of Telehealth Training On Parents Of Children With Autism In Albania, Freskida Griffiths

Theses and Dissertations

The present study evaluated telehealth training with parents on techniques for working with their children with autism spectrum disorder in Southeastern Europe. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of telehealth training on the parents and the increase of mands on the children. The participants of this study included three mothers and three children, which totaled six participants. Parents were trained on how to increase functional communication in their child. Telehealth training was based on an effective training package called Behavior Skills Training (BST). BST consist of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. The resources needed for the …

Personality And Coping, Alyssa Seely

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, And Finding Joy, Ammon Kou

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

The Expression Of Gratitude As A Contributor To Marital Strength, Kandace R. Palmer

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Abstract

Gratitude is an important positive emotion for personal and social growth. Because of innate human needs, gratitude strengthens and builds interpersonal connections (Carnegie, 1936/1981; Johnson, 2008; Lambert & Fincham, 2011). In light of more recent research on the expression of gratitude in dyadic relationships, gratitude is considered to be an essential emotion for communicating “responsiveness” and for marriage survival (Algoe, Fredrickson, & Gable, 2013; Algoe, Kurtz, & Hilaire, 2016; Algoe & Zhaoyang, 2016). When spouses express appreciation, sincerity is necessary for gratitude to strengthen a marriage (Gordon, Arnette, & Smith, 2011; Leong, 2012). Furthermore, insincere gratitude, or a belief …

One Jump Forward, Two Jumps Back: A Qualitative Study Of Parental Issues Raising Adolescents With Autism, Molly Anne Rosenbaum

Theses and Dissertations

There have been numerous investigations seeking to quantify the experience of parents raising adolescents of autism, but remarkably few have looked at the total experience qualitatively, as reported by parents. The present study was conducted along with a larger study for adolescents with autism participating in the PEERS® social skills group intervention, which includes simultaneous parent sessions. This study analyzed comments made in the parent group, identifying the issues parents reported spontaneously through a qualitative analysis of 12 unstructured hour-long sessions including parents (n = 16) and graduate student clinicians. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the …

A Hermeneutic Exploration Of The Therapeutic Process Of Clinicians At An Eating Disorder Treatment Center, Sabree Anne Crowton

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disorders remain extremely difficult to treat and investigation has revealed that manual-based eating disorder treatment outcomes have failed to improve over the second half of the last century. Various studies have observed that clinicians use evidence-based treatments for eating disorders inconsistently and often exclude fundamental theoretical techniques. Some argue that this departure from evidence-based practice may in some cases be the efforts of clinicians to develop methods more sensitive to real world situations. It stands to reason that some of the techniques currently being used by clinicians are promising treatment approaches. The purpose of this study was to explore …

Look Again—Traditional Women As Nontraditional Students: A New Face In Higher Education, Candi Jones Newell

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of 13 culturally traditional women who returned to higher education as nontraditional students. An individual unstructured interview, with guiding questions, was held with each woman. This provided the opportunity for these women to articulate their experience. The interviews were transcribed and interpreted using a synthesis of qualitative methods based upon Kvale's method. Seven themes emerged: (a) participants would tell a woman considering a return to school to "do it!" (b) participants saw spousal support as significant in their ability to return to school, (c) participants saw their families as generally supportive of their return to …

Video Prompting Delivered Via Augmented Reality To Teach Transition-Related Math Skills To Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Giulia Cacciatore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-based instruction packet as a method of teaching math-based vocational skills delivered through augmented reality to three adults with intellectual disabilities. The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly to solve each selected type of math problem. The independent variable was the video-based math intervention delivered via augmented reality, which modeled the individual steps for solving three different multi-step math problems: (1) adjusting a recipe to serve a different number of people, (2) calculation of salary, (3) calculation of unit prices. Visual and statistical analysis demonstrated …

Beauty As A Confounding Variable: Refining Measure Of Viewing Time, Rachael Caryn Pinkerman

Theses and Dissertations

Current research on viewing time measures of sexual attraction fail to explore potential confounding variables of viewing time. One viewing time measure, the LOOK, has been shown to be reliable over time and generally correlated with self-reported sexual orientation but has been unable to differentiate between a non-offending group and an offending group of individuals. This study utilizes the LOOK to examine the relationship between viewing time and a potential confounding variable of viewing time, beauty, using two constructs of beauty (facial beauty and full-body beauty). Facial beauty scores were created by measuring the degree of adherence to four universal …

Navigating Conflicts Between Religious And Professional Values: Psychologists' Experiences, Michael Ray Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The issue of psychotherapists' values in psychotherapy has become increasingly challenging as philosophers have questioned the viability of concepts such as objectivity and relativism. Historically, psychotherapists have relied on notions such as bracketing or suspending their own values to avoid the moral and ethical implications that such values might be active in psychotherapy. Acknowledging that psychotherapists' values are active in psychotherapy raises a host of important issues, including how to appropriately navigate value conflicts. This study explored the experience of psychotherapists as they navigate conflicts between their religious and professional values. Qualitative interviews with eight religiously committed psychologists were transcribed …

Psychotherapy Utilization And Presenting Concerns Among Asian International And Asian American Students In A University Counseling Center, Hannah La Stokes

Theses and Dissertations

To date, there has not been research that disaggregates the experiences of Asian American and international Asian college students seeking psychotherapy in college campus settings. We examined archival data collected over the course of a 17-year period that focused on experiences of Asian American, international Asian, and European American students at a large university in the intermountain west, US. More specifically, we used archival data to identify differences between the aforementioned groups of students in regard to psychotherapy utilization, presenting concerns, distress levels endorsed at intake, and distress levels endorsed at termination. Results were calculated based on findings from the …

Reducing The Impact Of Disabilities In Developing Nations: Implications From A Parent Delivered Behavioral Intervention In Macedonia, Sophie Visick Rindlisbaker

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is recognized the world over as a major public health issue. Autism is highly prevalent, persists across the lifespan, and is characterized by behaviors that can profoundly impair typical functioning. Interventions based on behavioral strategies have proven effective, but there are significant barriers to care, including cost, intensity of treatment, and access to qualified practitioners. The impact of ASD and obstacles to appropriate care are magnified by systemic limitations in developing countries. Parent training holds promise as a method of disseminating therapy to underserved areas. This study investigated the effectiveness of a pyramidal parent training intervention …

Video-Based Interventions For Teaching Calendar Skills To Individuals With Autism, Malinda Glasgow

Theses and Dissertations

Video-Based Instruction (VBI) is an evidence-based practice that has been used for teaching new skills to individuals with disabilities for over two decades. VBI involves the use of pre-recorded videos to teach new skills. Benefits of VBI include flexibility in when the instruction is provided to students and allows students to receive instruction while the teacher is working with another person. A multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the impact of the independent variable of VBI, upon the dependent variables of (a) the percentage of steps completed correctly to make novel calendar entries; (b) the timeliness of …

Pyramidal Parent Training For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Southeast Europe, Laura Lyn Knecht

Theses and Dissertations

Families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in developing countries may not have as much access to needed behavioral services as families living in developed countries. Caregivers of children with ASD in developing countries would benefit from an affordable, efficient parent training to teach them behavior techniques to use with their children. Pyramidal training is a cost-efficient method of training individuals through peers and would be a supportive intervention for families in developing countries. This study used a repeated acquisition design across three variables to examine whether a caregiver could train another caregiver on three behavioral interventions. These interventions …