Psychology Commons^™

“I Knew I Wanted More For Myself”: Sexual Minority Men’S Narratives About Getting Help For Intimate Partner Violence, Jonathan Ryser-Oatman

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Sexual minority men experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at rates similar to, if not higher, than heterosexual individuals (Finneran & Stephenson, 2013). IPV is associated with a range of negative health outcomes in this population, such as increased risk for depression and anxiety (Miller & Irvin, 2017) and increased sexual risk-taking and subsequent HIV acquisition (Craft & Serovich, 2005; Houston & McKirnan, 2007). Many barriers prevent sexual minority men from getting help for IPV including stigma-related stressors, socioeconomic status, HIV status, perceived lack of helping resources, and a lack of knowledge about IPV (Duke & Davidson, 2009; Edwards, Sylaska, & …

Mobile Technology Use During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yi Lin

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

The COVID-19 pandemic led to quarantines and mandatory spatial distancing; people of all ages were encouraged to use technologies instead of actual human contact for COVID-19 prevention and daily activities. The special circumstances of living plus innovation and promotion of mobile applications (apps) during the pandemic influenced mobile technology use behavior. In this study we explored age differences in mobile technology use, the factors that influenced use behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, and proposed a research model that aimed to predict behavioral intention and mobile technology use behavior. A pilot-tested survey was distributed through online survey software. Participants were 35 …

Rehabilitation Counseling Perceptions And Psychosocial Stressors Of Arab-Immigrant Caregivers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Maram Alfulayyih

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This research study provides important insights on the psychosocial stressors faced by U.S. Arab immigrants when raising a child with ASD, their perceptions of rehabilitation counseling, and the implications of rehabilitation counseling practice based on gender, age, education, and race. More specifically, this study has provided a detailed literature review as well as new insights into the challenges faced by the caregivers and recommendations that rehabilitation counselors should consider when helping these families overcome psychosocial issues and adjust to their circumstances. Using the DASS-21 questionnaire and a multi-factor analysis, it has identified specific groups of caregivers that may need help …

When Worlds Collide: An Intersectional Approach To Understanding The Relationship Experiences Of Bisexual-Identifying Asian Men With Same And Different Gender Partners, Cheryl Kwok

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The relationship experiences of bisexual-identifying men of color have been neglected in psychological studies of race, gender, and sexuality. Few studies, if any, have examined the relationship experiences of Asian bisexual men, even though this population’s multiple marginalized and stigmatized social identities increase their health risks (Bryant-Davis, 2007; Carter, 2007; Ching et al., 2018). Bisexuality is commonly defined by an individual’s intimate partner attraction and/or behavior (e.g., Swan & Habibi, 2018), making relationship experiences fundamental to bisexual identity. More generally, intimate relationships can contribute to and/or pose challenges to psychological well-being (Feinstein, et al., 2016; Whitton et al., 2018), yet …

Whiteness And Multiculutral Competence: Counseling Psychology Faculty As Gatekeepers To Understanding Whiteness, Blanka Angyal

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The current phenomenological study aimed to explore how counseling psychology faculty’s understanding of whiteness informs their definition of multicultural competence and practice of psychology. The study presents a conceptual model for researching multicultural competence informed by critical race (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001), feminist standpoint (Smith, 1987, 1997), and intersectional (Collins, 1986; Chrenshaw, 1989) paradigms. Twelve counseling psychology faculty (N=12) teaching in APA-accredited programs were nominated by graduate trainees who deemed them multiculturally competent. Participants’ understanding and experiences of whiteness are described, including the dispositions, behaviors, and academic socialization that propagate whiteness. White faculty’s experience of whiteness and that of faculty …

Distractors As A Tool To Increase “Self-Control” In Pigeons (Columba Livia), Peyton Mueller

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In the successive delay-discounting task, all trials start with a stimulus to which a response results in a small amount of reinforcement (smaller-sooner). If no response is made, the stimulus changes and a response results in a larger reinforcer (larger-later). The purpose of this study was to examine the use of a non-reinforced distractor (a stimulus to which responding has no programmed consequence) as a method of increasing the proportion of larger-later (LL) choices in a successive delay-discounting task. Earlier research studying the use of distractors may have inadvertently associated the distractor with reinforcement. Four experiments were conducted and each …

Altering The Distance: Using Construal Level Theory To Examine Conciliatory Policy Support, Brandon Reinkensmeyer

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Distancing—a cognitive reappraisal strategy—increases conciliatory policy support (i.e., policies redressing inequity) by reducing anger. Related but distinct research has used construal level theory (CLT), which explains the relationship between psychological distance and mental representations (e.g., events and attitudes), to explore intergroup relations. CLT demonstrates increased psychological distance induces abstract thinking, which leads to high-level construal (HLC) mindsets. HLC mindsets, like distancing, decrease political polarization and prejudice toward out-groups. As both distancing (an appraisal technique) and HLC mindsets (a potential outcome of appraisal techniques) may decrease political polarization and prejudice toward outgroups, across two experiments, the present work investigated whether …

Comparison Of Differential Effects Of Interpolated And Intermittent Reinforcement On Extinction Resistance: A Simulated Study, Cara D. Baxter

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Schedules of reinforcement explain when a reinforcer may be delivered. Among the different schedules exists continuous (CRF), intermittent (INT), and extinction (EXT). When employing a CRF, reinforcement is delivered following every occurrence of the target response. An INT schedule includes varying the delivery of reinforcement. While both of these schedules include the delivery of reinforcement, EXT means that reinforcement is no longer delivered for the target response (Lee & Belfiore, 1997). Studies have shown that behaviors may be less resistant to extinction if moved from an INT schedule to a CRF schedule than if EXT followed the INT schedule alone. …

The Effects Of Escalated Cocaine Intake On Decision-Making Dynamics, Mcallister Stephens

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) is characterized partly by the use of cocaine at the expense of other alternatives, in other words, it is a decision-making pathology (Kalivas & Volkow, 2005). Concurrent choice tasks assess decision-making in a dynamic scenario that more closely resembles real life. Value-based decision-making is an important facet of understanding the addictive properties of drugs of abuse. In order to compare two value-based theories of addiction (habit theory and relative value theory), a concurrent choice task was run in tandem with an escalation procedure. First, animals were trained on a choice task until stable, then trained on …

The Utility Of The Unified Protocol In Treating Borderline Personality Disorder, Martina Fruhbauerova

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by maladaptive levels across three personality domains: Neuroticism, (low) Agreeableness, and (low) Conscientiousness. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic treatment that targets neuroticism and has demonstrated promising effects with BPD. However, not all individuals with BPD respond to UP treatment. The aim of the current study was to explore the extent to which the UP is an efficacious treatment for BPD symptoms. This study represents a secondary analysis of a clinical trial in which the UP was the study treatment; data from the full sample and a subset of nine participants who likely …

The Interactive Effects Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf) Polymorphisms And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder On Neurocognitive Functioning In U.S. Military Veterans, Colton Shafer Rippey

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is associated with mild-to-moderate deficits in neurocognitive functioning. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, namely, the Met allele, may also be associated with mild deficits in neurocognitive functioning. However, findings are inconsistent and may be sensitive to environmental epigenetic moderators such as psychopathology.

The current study analyzed data from European-American U.S. military veterans (n = 1,244) who participated in the 2011 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS). Multivariate analyses of covariances were conducted to evaluate the unique and interactive effects of the Met allele and probable PTSD on …

The Person Of The Therapist: Therapists’ Personal Characteristics As Predictors Of Working Alliance And Treatment Outcomes, Alyssa Laura Clements

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Recent years has seen an increase in studies examining the unique contribution that the therapist has on treatment outcomes, which is commonly referred to as “therapist effects” (Barkham et al., 2017). Therapist effects on outcomes are believed to occur primarily via how the therapist’s interpersonal and intrapersonal qualities influence the therapeutic relationship, which in turn influences outcomes (Wampold et al., 2017). The current study focused on professional self-doubt, counseling self-efficacy, and humility because of previous writings about their potential to influence therapists’ interpersonal behaviors. Data was collected from Southwest Behavioral and Health Services (SBHS), a non-profit, comprehensive community behavioral health …

Helping The Have-Nots: Examining The Relationship Between Rehabilitation Adherence And Self-Efficacy Beliefs In Acl Reconstructed Naia And Ncaa Dii And Diii Female Athletes, Myles Tutin Englis

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are among the most common and traumatic sport-related injuries, and often negatively impact one’s quality of life during and post-rehabilitation. For many NCAA Division I and professional female athletes, rehabilitation is streamlined with a multidisciplinary team, including sport psychology. For others (e.g., NAIA, NCAA Division II, III athletes) this may not always be the case, as many of these athletic programs may not have the resources to meet the various needs of injured and rehabilitating female student-athletes. In these instances, rehabilitation motivation, adherence, and success may be more dependent on the athletes’ individual resources and personalities, …

A Within-Session Analysis Of The Interview Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis In A University Clinic Setting, Jenna M. Venuto

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

In this study, a within-session analysis of the interview informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) was conducted to determine if the function of challenging behavior could be determined within the first 5 min test session and the extent that results from the first 5 min test session aligned with results from the full IISCA. An alternating treatment design was used to evaluate differentiated rates of challenging behavior during a full IISCA and the within-session analysis for four clients in a clinic setting. Results indicated that contingencies maintaining challenging behavior could be identified within the first 5 min test session and align …

A Test Of The “Teachable Moment” Heuristic’S Relevance For Understanding Cancer Survivors’ Health Behavior Motivation And Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study, Gabriella Puleo

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Cancer diagnosis has potential to motivate health behavior changes to promote better health outcomes. The Teachable Moment Heuristic is a parsimonious, transtheoretical framework for understanding the conditions under which behavior change might occur, with constructs that include affective, cognitive, and social factors. This exploratory study aimed to measure the three primary constructs of the Teachable Moment, evaluate the extent to which they are associated with cancer survivors’ motivation to adopt favorable health behaviors, and explore their potential as a model for health behavior performance. Participants (n = 93) in this cross-sectional study were adult breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, and …

Impact Of Ptsd On Hcv/Hiv Risk-Reduction Interventions Among Incarcerated Drug-Using Women In Rural Appalachia, Caitlyn Hood

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Justice-involved women in rural Appalachian Kentucky are a particularly vulnerable group in need of targeted risk-reduction interventions for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Compared to women in the general U.S. population, justice-involved women in rural Appalachia report dramatically higher rates of HCV/HIV risk behaviors (e.g., injection drug use and risky sex), interpersonal violence (IV; e.g., physical, sexual, or emotional abuse), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). IV and PTSD may exacerbate rural Appalachian women’s risk for contracting and transmitting HIV/HCV, indicating a need to approach HCV/HIV risk-reduction interventions from a trauma-informed perspective.

Brief motivational interviewing and psychoeducation …

The Effects Of A Strengths Based Faculty Coaching Intervention On First-Year Undergraduate Student Academic Confidence: A Mixed Methods Action Research Study, Conrad Alfred Davies Sr.

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Deficiency remediation models of education imply that students may enter the university with deficiencies, problems, or needs that imply the student needs to be “fixed” before they can proceed in their academic studies. In contrast, strengths-based education models infer that students come to the university with inherent talents, natural propensities, and behaviors that can be leveraged to overcome their challenges. These differing perspectives can influence the effectiveness of university policies designed to improve student retention. This mixed methods action research study, undergirded by student development theories, examined the effects of a strengths-based, faculty-led coaching intervention on first-year undergraduate students’ academic …

Parent School Involvement, Student School Engagement, And Academic Achievement In Children Adopted From Foster Care By Lesbian And Gay Parents, Cassandra P. Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Sparse research has examined academic outcomes of children adopted from foster care by lesbian and gay (LG) parents. Children who have experienced foster care are at greater risk for negative outcomes, but investment in academic achievement could help buffer potential adversity. Parent and student engagement with school peaks in middle childhood, so this may be an important period for understanding processes that influence academic achievement. This study explores how LG parents (N = 57) of school-aged children (Mage = 10.56 years) adopted from foster care in the U.S. involve themselves in their child’s school, how this involvement may …

Himpathy? The Impact Of Defendant Social Status On Perceptions Of A Rape Legal Case, Andrea Pals

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

There is limited work regarding multiple indicators of social status in the legal system (e.g., power and SES). The present study investigated the influence of defendant social status on case judgments in a first-degree rape case. The experiment used a 2 (defendant power: high vs. low) x 2 (defendant SES: high vs. low) x 2 (participant gender) between-subjects design. A sample of 282 community members were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants were presented with a case summary, asked to make guilt and credibility judgments, complete the system justification gender scale (gender SJ: Jost & Kay, 2005), and answer standard …

Associations Between Identity And Future Parenthood Among Lgbtq+ Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, Kay Simon

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In recent years, the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (and additional identities; LGBTQ+) identified people and the number of Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) have been increasing in the United States (Movement Advancement Project 2019; Newport, 2018). As the individuals in these demographic groups develop over their lifespan, many will become parents and form families, but little work is currently available on the experiences of LGBTQ+ APIA individuals and future parenthood. Here, I report findings on the perceptions and importance of future parenthood, identity development, identity integration, and microaggressions and/or discrimination (as they relate to racial-ethnic and …

Pharmacokinetics And Reward-Related Behaviors Of Ethanol In Male And Female Japanese Quail (Coturnix Japonica), Shannon Eaton

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Ethanol is one of the most widely used and abused drugs. Problem use is associated with many different health problems and the economic burden is in the billions of dollars. Additionally, many people have difficulty controlling their ethanol consumption and about 5% of adults end up with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Many people with an AUD often find themselves in a cycle of binge, remission, and relapse.

Following ethanol consumption ethanol enters the bloodstream from the small intestine where it gets distributed to peripheral tissues. Ethanol in the bloodstream is cleared from the system by the liver. The primary …

Physiological Stress Responding During Negative Memory Recollection And The Habitual Use Of Psychological Coping Strategies, Kyle P. Rawn

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Coping represents an important process for stress: how effectively one copes dictates how a person experiences stress. However, research has not yet examined how a person’s long-term coping habits are related to their physiological stress responding during a particular situation. The current study addresses this through examination of skin conductance level (SCL) trajectories and coping tendencies (i.e. habitual use of coping strategies) during an autobiographical interview. 167 college students completed questionnaires assessing their demographics and their frequency of use for fourteen coping strategies. SCL was collected while participants recalled and discussed a negative family memory from their childhood. Multilevel modeling …

Toward An Understanding Of Treatment Moderators Based On Etiological Models Of Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Tess E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Extant research suggests negative outcomes associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) can be avoided with early intervention, with the most efficacious being behavioral parent training. However, parent training suffers from limitations including high drop-out rates, adherence, and long-term maintenance. Yet, consistent predictors of differential outcomes among individuals have not been identified. Etiological work suggests traits may be an early marker of disruptive behaviors. The goal of the current study is to examine child traits as a moderator of treatment outcomes for ADHD and ODD, using an efficacious short parent training treatment, Brief Behavioral Intervention (BBI). Twenty-six …

Religious Beliefs And Behaviors As Predictors Of Substance Use In First-Year College Students: A Longitudinal Study, Hannah B. Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Substance use is prevalent on college campuses (e.g., Douglas et al., 1997) and can create significant negative consequences (Kodjo & Klein, 2002; NIAAA, 2006). Research suggests that religious beliefs and religious behaviors interact to predict risky substance use in first-year undergraduate students, such that students with religious beliefs but no corresponding behaviors are at risk for significant alcohol use and related problems (Brechting et al., 2010; Cole et al., 2020). However, these studies have only been cross-sectional in nature.

The current study assessed longitudinally if the interaction of religious beliefs/behaviors influenced first-year undergraduate student substance use across the early adjustment …

How I Can Be Me: Associations Between Presentation Discrepancy And Mental Health Outcomes Among Lgbtq Adults, Samuel Bruun

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

One’s perception of their own personal appearance, and how one is viewed by others has been previously shown to have an impact on one’s mental health. Whether it be dealing with unrealistic body expectations depicted in the media, or attempting to appear sufficiently masculine, there are a multitude of ways in which one’s appearance can cause distress. Some appearance challenges are more identity specific, such as the struggles that some transgender people experience when attempting to achieve affirming gender presentation. Although these different concerns have been addressed individually in past research, there has not been an attempt to determine how …

Trauma-Related Shame And Guilt As Prospective Predictors Of Daily Mental Contamination And Ptsd Symptoms In Survivors Of Sexual Trauma, Jesse P. Mccann

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Mental contamination–the experience of dirtiness or pollution in the absence of a physical contaminant–has established links with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Emotions such as shame and guilt have well-documented relationships with PTSD symptoms and are suggested to play a role in the development and maintenance of mental contamination. The goal of the present study was to examine whether trauma-related shame and guilt prospectively predicted daily experiences of mental contamination and PTSD symptoms among women with sexual trauma history. Forty-one women with a history of sexual trauma completed baseline and twice-daily assessments of mental contamination and PTSD symptoms over a two-week …

Important Attributes Of A Behaviorally-Based Coaching Culture, Sarah M. Eustice

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Professional coaching is still considered an emerging field. Over the past 30 years, professional coaches and researchers have worked to further this profession by developing coaching competencies, exploring the nuances between various coaching modalities, and developing models to explain the role of coaching in organizations. There remains, however, a dearth of literature on coaching culture, including limited agreement on what it is and how it should look in an organization.

This study aims to establish agreement by investigating the confluence of coaching culture definitions and models present in industry and scholarly literature, and garnering input from a sample of professionals …

"Now Thinking About It, It's Freedom": Conceptualizing Sexual Pleasure For Fat, Queer Women, Carolyn Elizabeth Meiller

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Research considering the positive aspects of sexuality, such as pleasure, within a cultural context is especially important for groups of people that are often seen as separate from the experience of sexuality, such as fat, queer women. Due to perceptions of their bodies and how their sexuality goes against traditional heteronormativity, fat, queer women's experiences with sex and pleasure are under represented. Using a critical sexuality framework, the present study sought to explore the definitions and experiences of sexual pleasure for fat, queer women.

In the present study, constructivist grounded theory methods (Charmaz, 2014) were used to analyze the definitions …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Agency Of Women In Their 30s And 40s Who Use Dating Applications, Tera Buerkle

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The use of dating applications (apps) to find romantic and sexual partners is widespread across age groups, however, there is a paucity of research on dating apps with those in middle adulthood. Sexual script theory suggests that women’s agency (i.e. the ability to act in one’s own best interest) may be impacted by expectations from an inherently sexualized context, such as dating apps. Feminist theory contends that women’s agency is complicated by gender socialization due to the imbalance of power in society that greatly favors men. In this study seventeen women aged 30 to 49 completed in-depth semi-structured interviews, and …

Psychological Distress And Relationship Satisfaction Among Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Alyssa Campbell

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The World Health Organization (WHO; 2002) has indicated that sexual violence is a serious public health concern, and both the WHO and the United Nations (UN) have declared that violence against women, in particular, is a profound violation of human rights (UN General Assembly, 1993; WHO, 2017). Although the systemic and negative impact of trauma on family and intimate relationships have been well documented, the empirical literature regarding the effects of adult sexual trauma on relationship satisfaction is less robust. These studies are designed to address this gap and will do so with analyses centered on an understudied population: the …