Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Historical Trauma, Self-Compassion, And Resistance Against Racism Among African Americans, Darrick Scott

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

For African Americans, historical trauma is described as collective psychological, emotional and cognitive distress, producing an intergenerational impact through repeated experiences of oppression that both stems from slavery and continues into the present day through patterned experiences of racism (Williams-Washington & Mills, 2018). The current study explored the association between historical racial trauma, resistance and empowerment against racism, self-compassion, and internalized racism, and symptoms of depression in a sample of 100 African American adults. Due to low internal reliability of the measure, self-compassion in the context of historical trauma could not be examined. The study included exploration of simple correlations, …

Exploring Predictors Of Healing From An Expressive Writing Intervention About Heterosexism And Why Lgbtq+ Clients Might Withhold From Their Therapists, Ally B. Hand

Graduate Masters Theses

Heterosexism is a cultural system that impacts LGBTQ+ individuals internally, interpersonally, institutionally, and structurally. Exposure to these different levels of heterosexism, whether enacted overtly, covertly, intentionally, or unintentionally, contributes to the well-documented and disproportionate negative mental health outcomes experienced by the LGBTQ+ community (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2020). Subsequently, LGBTQ+ individuals seek out professional mental health services at higher rates than cisgender and heterosexual populations, though access to therapeutic care that addresses sexual minority specific stressors, such as experiencing heterosexism directly, is limited (Williams & Fish, 2020). The current study is a secondary analysis of a …

Examining Culturally Adapted, Values Based, Mental Health Stigma Reduction And Help-Seeking Messages For Asian Americans, Anna M. Ying

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Mental health stigma is a ubiquitous concern impacting help-seeking in the United States and worldwide, including in college students. Insufficient attention has been given to the cultural context of stigma and help-seeking in Asian Americans, constructs in which culture has inherent relevance. The current study was the first to develop and test the acceptability of an online culturally adapted, values-based stigma and help-seeking intervention for Asian American college students, intentionally framing the benefits of therapy and mental wellness as congruent with values-based behaviors, intending to reduce the social costs and stigma of impaired functioning. A sample of 115 East, South, …

Religious Coping After Natural Disaster: Predicting Long-Term Mental And Physical Health In Survivors Of Hurricane Katrina, Monica Arkin

Graduate Masters Theses

Natural disasters are increasing with regards to both frequency and severity (CRED & UNDRR, 2015; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2020). Exposure to natural disasters, in turn, increases the likelihood for the development of adverse mental and physical health outcomes (Augustinavicius et al., 2021). Religion and spirituality is an accessible form of coping that many people turn to during and after natural disasters, and may be especially valuable to those who face barriers to accessing mental health treatment or may not feel served by formal mental health institutions (Abu-Raiya & Pargament, 2015; Bryant-Davis & Wong, 2013). However, there …

The Power Of Friendships: Associations Between Friendship Quality, Satisfaction, And Well-Being For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Melanie S. Feldman

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit characteristic deficits in the social domain, which can interfere with their ability to form and maintain high quality relationships with their peers. Indeed, children with ASD are generally regarded as having lower quality friendships than typically developing (TD) children. However, based on a small emerging literature, children with ASD, despite reporting having lower quality friendships, indicate that they are satisfied with their friendships at similar levels to their TD peers. This apparent discrepancy between friendship quality and satisfaction for children with ASD as compared to TD children suggests that another factor may account …

Developmental Profiles Of 57,966 Children In Early Intervention: A Confirmatory Latent Profile Analysis, Mary E. Troxel

Graduate Masters Theses

Part C Early Intervention, which is a state and federally funded nationwide program, seeks to support children ages zero to three years old who demonstrate delays in developmental functioning or who are at-risk for developmental delays. The Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-2) is frequently used in Early Intervention (EI) to assess the developmental functioning of children across five domains—Communicative, Cognitive, Motor, Adaptive and Personal/Social—yet relatively little is known about child developmental profiles based on these domain scores. This study aimed to replicate and extend findings from the only known study (Elbaum & Celimli-Aksoy, 2017) that has conducted a latent …

The Effectiveness Of A Mindfulness, Acceptance, Valued Action, And Flexible Coping Intervention For Race-Based Stress On Momentary Coping And Distress Symptoms, Jennifer Honculada Martinez

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Racism and racism-related stress has been shown to be associated with negative mental health outcomes among people of color (POC), such as increased depressive and anxious symptoms (e.g., Williams, Neighbors, & Jackson, 2003). Further, approximately up to 98% of all POC report experiencing a racist experience over the past year and in their lifetime, indicating that racism-related stress is a chronic experience. Most research on coping with racism has evaluated the cross-sectional impact of racism and mental health but has yet to identify which coping strategies may be most effective as buffers against the psychological impact of racism. Further, little …

Cross-Age Peer Mentoring: A Meta-Analysis, Samantha Burton

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Youth mentoring programs are a promising intervention for youth, particularly those who experience or are at risk for developing a range of psychological, social, behavioral, and contextual difficulties. Cross-age peer mentoring is a form of formal peer mentoring that matches an older youth mentor with a younger youth mentee to promote positive youth outcomes. The current study used meta-analysis to explore the overall effectiveness of cross-age peer mentoring programs, as well as to explore moderators of cross-age peer mentoring program effectiveness. A comprehensive search of the literature published prior to April 2019 was conducted to identify evaluations of cross-age peer …

A Heavy Burden: Associations Between Sexual Minority Status, Mental Health, And Bmi In Women, Alison E. A. Goldblatt

Graduate Masters Theses

Sexual minority women (SMW) are at increased risk of elevated body mass index (BMI) compared to heterosexual women, which increases their vulnerability to a variety of chronic diseases. This increased risk of elevated BMI is likely due to unique minority stressors faced by sexual minority individuals, such as internalized heterosexism and discrimination. Minority stressors are associated with poorer mental and physical health among SMW, and SMW may engage in unhealthy coping strategies, like binge eating, to cope with these minority stressors. Research suggests that bisexual women, and other women with non-monosexual orientations, face elevated risks to their physical and psychological …

Novice Therapist Responsiveness: Description And Development, Max B. Wu

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

There is increasing empirical evidence that psychotherapy is very effective when therapists tailor interventions in ways that fit their clients’ difficulties and needs (Kramer, 2009; Snyder & Silberschatz, 2017), a concept that has been named “therapist responsiveness” in the psychotherapy literature (Bacal, 1985; Stiles, Honos-Webb, & Surko, 1998). However, the question of how therapists learn to be responsive rarely has been addressed in research (Hatcher, 2015). The central question of this study was, “How did you learn how to be responsive to clients as a novice therapist, and in what ways are you responsive?” Eleven graduate student therapist trainees were …

Working Memory And Mindfulness In An Rct Of Abbt And Ar, Anna M. Hall

Graduate Masters Theses

Working memory capacity (WMC) can be degraded by anxiety, stress, and worry, but can also be protected by mindfulness interventions (Jha et al., 2010). The current study was the first to investigate the relations between WMC, anxiety, and mindfulness within two interventions for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) that promote mindfulness: Acceptance Based Behavioral Therapy (ABBT) and Applied Relaxation (AR). In this exploratory study, we analyzed a subset of participants from a RCT of ABBT and AR who had completed the Operation Span Task (OSPAN; n = 21). First, we found that pre- to post-treatment measures of WMC (e.g., OSPAN scores) …

Healing From Heterosexism Through Expressive Writing, Kathleen M. Collins

Graduate Masters Theses

Simply by existing within our society, LGBTQ people encounter widespread exposure to heterosexist attitudes, behaviors, and policies on a daily basis that ignore, invalidate, or outright discriminate against them. This marginalization contributes to myriad psychological consequences such as depression, suicidality, anxiety, and substance abuse. Despite the fact that LGBTQ people experience mental health issues and some subsequently seek treatment, few interventions exist that specifically address LGBTQ minority stressors; those that do exist tend to treat mental health consequences of societal heterosexism, rather than offering ways to heal from heterosexist experiences directly. In the current study, I explored the ability of …

The Early Development Of Visual Attentional Mechanisms In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Hayley Smith

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Attention plays a fundamental role in shaping cognitive development. What we attend to and what we ignore alters our visual experience of the world. Atypical attention has long been implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) yet our understanding of the early development of this ability has been limited by methodological factors. The aim of this thesis was to address the “toddler gap” in the literature by developing novel measures of attention that are ideal for use with toddlers, do not require verbal instructions, and can be easily scaled up or down for older or younger children. A series of three …

Examining Attentional Control And Processing Speed Deficits As Underlying Mechanisms Of Neuropsychological Impairment In Schizophrenia, Mayte Forte

Graduate Masters Theses

Neuropsychological impairment is a key characteristic of schizophrenia (SZ), but its cognitive profile and underlying information processing mechanisms are not yet well understood. We compare patterns of neuropsychological functioning in 85 persons with SZ and 76 healthy controls across measures of intelligence, memory, and executive function. We then test the hypothesis that neuropsychological impairment in SZ is related to dual deficits in two related but distinct information processes: processing speed and attentional control. All research participants completed Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III), Wechsler Memory Scale Third Edition (WMS-III), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), all of which provided measures …

Whether Or Not 'It Gets Better'…Coping With Parental Heterosexist Rejection, Cara Herbitter

Graduate Masters Theses

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people face the burden of additional stressors as a result of their experiences of stigma and discrimination regarding their sexual minority status. Parental rejection of LGB people in the context of heterosexism serves as a powerful minority stressor associated with poorer mental health (e.g., Bouris et al., 2010; Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009). Few contemporary theories exist to describe the experience of parental rejection. In addition, the extant empirical research has focused primarily on youth experiences among White and urban LGB samples, signaling the need for research across the lifespan investigating more diverse samples. …

Experiences Of Trust In Longer-Lasting Formal Youth Mentoring Relationships, Michelle Levine

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative study was to investigate youth experiences of trust and mentor experiences supporting youth trust in longer-term formal youth mentoring relationships. Trust was defined as youth relying on and confiding in their mentors based on experiences of mentor reliability, honesty, and emotional sensitivity and protection from emotional harm. Thematic analysis was conducted on interview data from a longitudinal dataset, involving analysis of narratives from interviews (n=147) with youth, mentors, and parents for mentoring matches that lasted at least two years. Overall, participants in this study identified multiple ways trust was experienced by youth and supported …

Self-Reported Sexuality Among Women With And Without Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Hillary Hurst Bush

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) – characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities –increasingly are being diagnosed in individuals of all ages. However, as children on the autism spectrum enter adolescence, self-report research on ASD and sexuality is currently limited to 14 empirical, peer-reviewed articles, misconceptions are prevalent, and professionals remain underequipped to support their sexuality needs. The goal of the current study was to expand the current knowledge base by exploring multiple aspects of sexuality (including relationship and family status, gender identity, sexual history, sexual orientation, sexual desire, sex education exposure, …

The Influence Of Mentor-Youth Activity Profiles On School-Based Youth Mentoring Relationship Processes And Outcomes, Stella S. Kanchewa

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Although quality formal mentoring relationships are associated with beneficial effects on youth’s academic and social-emotional development, these effects have been relatively modest. As such, research has focused on factors that may contribute to relationship quality. Within this context, relatively little is known about the effects of activities that matches engage in on relationship processes and youth outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to investigate associations between mentor-youth activities, and processes and outcomes of school-based mentoring. First, a person-centered approach using latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to examine whether match activity (i.e., how matches spend their time together) …

Cognitive Processes And Moderators Of Willingness In Individuals With Social Anxiety Disorder And Non-Anxious Controls In Response To A Social Performance Task, Lauren P. Wadsworth

Graduate Masters Theses

The present study investigated differences between individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and non-anxious controls (NAC) on measures of thought processes and anxiety responses surrounding an anxiety-provoking situation. Participants gave a spontaneous speech to an audience and reported their anxiety throughout. Measures of trait decentering and anxiety, situational anxiety, negative thoughts and believability, and willingness to repeat the task were administered. Compared to NAC, individuals with SAD reported a higher prevalence of negative thoughts, found the thoughts more believable, reported lower levels of trait decentering, and reported less willingness to repeat an anxiety-provoking task. Collapsing the groups, we found an …

What Factors Determine Disclosure Of Suicide Ideation In Adults 60 And Older To A Treatment Provider?, Steven D. Vannoy

Steven D Vannoy

Correlates of patient disclosure of suicide ideation to a primary care or mental health provider were identified. Secondary analyses of IMPACT trial data were conducted. Of the 107 patients 60 years of age or older who endorsed thoughts of ending their life at least "a little bit" during the past month, 53 indicated they had disclosed these thoughts to a mental health or primary care provider during this period. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify predictors of disclosure to a provider. Significant predictors included poorer quality of life and prior mental health specialty treatment. Among participants endorsing thoughts of …

The Role Of Social Support In Adolescents: Are You Helping Me Or Stressing Me Out?, Gonzalo Bacigalupe, Maria Camara

Counseling and School Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Interpersonal relationships are indispensable in helping adolescents cope with stressors, acting as social support sources that protect them from psychological distress. Learning from their experiences may elucidate what strategies could be employed to support adolescents during this vulnerable life stage. Focus groups (N = 80) with adolescents in the Basque Country, Spain, were conducted to capture adolescents' narratives on stress and social support. Findings revealed the dual role of interpersonal relationships – as stressors and as sources of social support. Adolescents draw on sources of support that are familiar, mature, friendly, and, most importantly, worth of trust. Their most valued …

The Role Of Social Support In Adolescents: Are You Helping Me Or Stressing Me Out?, Gonzalo Bacigalupe, Maria Camara

Gonzalo Bacigalupe, EdD, MPH

Interpersonal relationships are indispensable in helping adolescents cope with stressors, acting as social support sources that protect them from psychological distress. Learning from their experiences may elucidate what strategies could be employed to support adolescents during this vulnerable life stage. Focus groups (N = 80) with adolescents in the Basque Country, Spain, were conducted to capture adolescents' narratives on stress and social support. Findings revealed the dual role of interpersonal relationships – as stressors and as sources of social support. Adolescents draw on sources of support that are familiar, mature, friendly, and, most importantly, worth of trust. Their most valued …

The Effects Of Nesting Environment On Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury, Laura Grace Rollins

Graduate Masters Theses

Term neonates with hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury are at risk for devastating neurological sequelae. The objective of this study is to determine if altering the early environment for maternal care-taking impacts the immediate and long-term sequelae of HI offspring. The Rice-Vannucci model was used to induce HI in postnatal day (PND) 7 Long-Evans pups. Litters were assigned to a closed nest (CN) or normal standard housing (SH) condition. Neurobehavioral development, cognitive ability, and stress response were assessed to establish any benefits of the CN condition. Finally, postmortem brain tissue was analyzed for morphometric markers of injury.

Maternal Self-Efficacy And Perceived Stigma Among Mothers Of Children With Asd, Adhd, And Typically Developing Children, Sara D. Rosenblum-Fishman

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Maternal self-efficacy (a mother's beliefs about her parenting competence) is an important area of mothers' wellbeing and overall family functioning. This study examined environmental factors that are related maternal self-efficacy among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD group), mothers of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD group), and mothers of typically developing children (Typical group). Environmental factors included (a) messages of criticism or blame about one's parenting competence (parenting-related perceived stigma), (b) child problem behaviors, (c) maternal stress, and (d) social support. One hundred eighty mothers of school-age children living in the United States completed the measures on-line. Results …

Experiences Of Latina First Generation College Students: Exploring Resources Supporting The Balancing Of Academic Pursuits And Family Life, Hercilia B. Corona-Ordoñez

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This study used a qualitative interview approach and thematic analysis (Braune and Clark, 2006) to interview first generation college student Latinas, exploring their experiences with higher education, their navigation/negotiation of resources for academic success and for wellness of self and family, and barriers they face as they attempt to both safeguard self and family wellness and reach their academic goals. It also directly explored the potential resources participants would find useful and ways in which colleges/universities might support them in these pursuits.

With this method, this study identified 6 major themes in the lives of first generation college student Latinas: …

Bereavement Among Urban University Students: The Role Of Meaning Making In Adjustment To Loss, Rebecca L. Norris-Bell

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Employing Neimeyer's theory of meaning reconstruction as a guiding framework, this study examined meaning making in a diverse sample of bereaved university students. The aims of this study were to 1) identify types of meanings made about loss, 2) examine socio-demographic and bereavement-related characteristics that might influence meaning making, and 3) investigate associations between types of meanings and post-loss psychological adjustment. Participants were 229 students from an urban commuter university. This was a cross-sectional study, employing self-report data collected on a secure, Web-based system. Participants were 18 years or older and had experienced the loss of a friend or family …

The Neuropsychological Functioning Of Older Adults Pre- And Post-Cognitive Training With A Brain Plasticity-Based Computerized Training Program, Shannon M. Sorenson

Graduate Masters Theses

The present study evaluates the effectiveness of Posit Science Cortex™ with Insight Drive Sharp™ as a tool for improving neuropsychological functioning in a normal aging sample. The purpose of the DriveSharp™ training program is to help an individual improve his or her visual attention and useful field of view. Each exercise continually adapts to the individual’s performance so that the training is always at an appropriate level for that specific person. Thirty-two healthy older adult participants were randomly assigned to either the active intervention group (DriveSharp™) or a waitlist control group. Participants in the intervention group were required to engage …

Maternal Depressive Symptoms And Responsiveness To Infant Distress: Contingency Analyses Of Home Mother-Infant Interactions At 3 Months, Fernanda Lucchese

Graduate Masters Theses

Maternal depressive symptoms during the postnatal period have been shown to be detrimental to the socio-emotional, cognitive, and motor development of infants. Studies indicate that one of the mediators of these detrimental effects is decreased maternal responsiveness, a maternal characteristic that may hinder infant emotion-regulation development and infant secure attachment. Although previous research has shown the impact of infant cries on the behavior and physiology of mothers with elevated depressive symptoms in laboratory-based contexts, little is known about the quality and timing of maternal responsive behaviors to infant negative affect in mothers with elevated or non-elevated depressive symptoms in the …

Implications Of Self-Other Overlap In Unsuccessful Romantic Relationships, Josephine A. Bell

Graduate Masters Theses

The social psychological concept of self-other overlap describes how identities and cognitive representations of people have a tendency to merge as they become closer to one another. Because greater self-other overlap tends to be associated with such positive characteristics as closeness and intimacy, it has generally been considered a desirable trait in relationships. In a previous study (Bell, 2009), preliminary evidence supported the idea that there may in fact be negative consequences to having higher levels of self-other overlap in relationships with domestic violence, including diminished self-esteem and life satisfaction. The current study expands on Bell (2009) study and examines …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Exposure And Extinction Processes In Social Anxiety, Michael Treanor

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The present study sought to examine the potential impact of brief mindfulness inductions to enhance exposure and extinction processes in social anxiety. Mindfulness may enhance extinction through increased awareness of multiple conditioned excitors (thereby "overpredicting" the occurrence of an aversive outcome) or by acting as a retrieval cue to mitigate return of fear. Twenty-two participants high in social anxiety were recruited to participate in a series of massed exposures. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that participants who received mindfulness inductions prior to exposure procedures demonstrated enhanced extinction learning as measured by expectancy ratings, but not when measured by distress, state …