Psychology Commons^™

Values Narratives For Personal Growth: Formative Evaluation Of The Laws Of Life Essay Program, Victoria Banyard, Sherry L. Hamby, Ed De St. Aubin, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Evidence that even very brief writing exercises can change the way people see themselves and promote more positive mental and physical health has led to increased interest in their use in school settings and elsewhere. To date, however, research designs rely heavily on samples of college students and experimental studies of writing tasks carried out in the lab. There has been less investigation of the potential impact of more naturally occurring expressive writing exercises that exist in places like schools and that focus on adolescents. The current study was a process evaluation of the Laws of Life Essay, a values-based …

Defining Treatment Response In Trichotillomania: A Signal Detection Analysis, David C. Houghton, Matthew R. Capriotti, Alessandro S. De Nadai, Scott N. Compton, Michael P. Twohig, Angela M. Neal-Barnett, Stephen M. Saunders, Martin E. Franklin, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The Massachusetts General Hospital Hairpulling Scale (MGH-HPS) and the NIMH Trichotillomania Severity Scale (NIMH-TSS) are two widely used measures of trichotillomania severity. Despite their popular use, currently no empirically-supported guidelines exist to determine the degrees of change on these scales that best indicate treatment response. Determination of such criteria could aid in clinical decision-making by defining clinically significant treatment response/recovery and producing accurate power analyses for use in clinical trials research. Adults with trichotillomania (N = 69) participated in a randomized controlled trial of psychotherapy and were assessed before and after treatment. Response status was measured via the Clinical …

Improved Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is Associated With Increased Cortical Thickness In Mild Cognitive Impairment, Katherine Reiter, Kristy A. Nielson, Theresa J. Smith, Lauren R. Weiss, Alfonso J. Alfini, J. C. Smith

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Cortical atrophy is a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that correlates with clinical symptoms. This study examined changes in cortical thickness from before to after an exercise intervention in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy elders. Thirty physically inactive older adults (14 MCI, 16 healthy controls) underwent MRI before and after participating in a 12-week moderate intensity walking intervention. Participants were between the ages of 61 and 88. Change in cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using residualized scores of the peak rate of oxygen consumption (V̇O_2peak) from pre- to post-intervention. Structural magnetic resonance images were processed using FreeSurfer v5.1.0. …

Barriers And Facilitators Of Suicide Risk Assessment In Emergency Departments: A Qualitative Study Of Provider Perspectives, Megan L. Petrik, Peter M. Gutierrez, Jon S. Berlin, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To understand emergency department (ED) providers’ perspectives regarding the barriers and facilitators of suicide risk assessment and to use these perspectives to inform recommendations for best practices in ED suicide risk assessment.

Methods

Ninety-two ED providers from two hospital systems in a Midwestern state responded to open-ended questions via an online survey that assessed their perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to assess suicide risk as well as their preferred assessment methods. Responses were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach.

Results

Qualitative analysis yielded six themes that impact suicide risk assessment. Time, privacy, collaboration and consultation with other …

A Review Of Peer Relationships And Friendships In Youth With Adhd, Denise M. Gardner, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: The purpose of this essay is to examine peer relationships in youth with ADHD and to review current peer functioning interventions.

Method: The studies included in this review were identified using the following search terms: “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,” “ADHD,” “peer relationships,” “friendships,” “social skills,” “intervention,” and “treatment.” Other than a few seminal studies published prior to 2000, studies included were published between 2000 and 2012.

Results/Discussion: Background information regarding peer relationship difficulties and specific social skills deficits of youth with ADHD is reviewed and current social skills and friendship intervention programs are examined. Future directions also are provided.

Treatment Response In Couple Therapy: Relationship Adjustment And Individual Functioning Change Processes, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, William M. Pinsof, Claudia M. Haase

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study, a naturalistic investigation of the process of change in relationship adjustment and individual functioning during conjoint therapy, examined the first 8 sessions of a multisystemic model of couple therapy, integrative problem-centered metaframeworks (Breunlin, Pinsof, Russell, & Lebow, 2011; Pinsof, Breunlin, Russell, & Lebow, 2011). The sample consisted of 125 heterosexual couples who reported on their relationship adjustment and individual functioning before every session using the Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change (Pinsof et al., 2009; Pinsof, Zinbarg, et al., in press). Data were analyzed using dyadic latent growth curve and cross-lagged models. For both men and women, relationship adjustment …

Sexual Minority Stress And Suicide Risk: Identifying Resilience Through Personality Profile Analysis, Nicholas A. Livingston, Nicholas C. Heck, Annesa Flentje, Hillary Gleason, Kathyrn M. Oost, Bryan N. Cochran

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Sexual minority-based victimization, which includes threats or enacted interpersonal violence, predicts elevated suicide risk among sexual minority individuals. However, research on personality factors that contribute to resilience among sexual minority populations is lacking. Using the Five-Factor Model, we hypothesized that individuals classified as adaptive (vs. at-risk) would be at decreased risk for a suicide attempt in the context of reported lifetime victimization. Sexual minority-identified young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years (N = 412) were recruited nationally and asked to complete an online survey containing measures of personality, sexual minority stress, and lifetime suicide attempts. A 2-stage …

Confirming, Validating, And Norming The Factor Structure Of Systemic Therapy Inventory Of Change Initial And Intersession, William M. Pinsof, Richard E. Zinbarg, Kenichi Shimokawa, Tara A. Latta, Jacob Z. Goldsmith, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Anthony L. Chambers, Jay L. Lebow

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Progress or feedback research tracks and feeds back client progress data throughout the course of psychotherapy. In the effort to empirically ground psychotherapeutic practice, feedback research is both a complement and alternative to empirically supported manualized treatments. Evidence suggests that tracking and feeding back progress data with individual or nonsystemic feedback systems improves outcomes in individual and couple therapy. The research reported in this article pertains to the STIC^® (Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change)—the first client‐report feedback system designed to empirically assess and track change within client systems from multisystemic and multidimensional perspectives in individual, couple, and family therapy. …

The Potential To Promote Resilience: Piloting A Minority Stress-Informed, Gsa-Based, Mental Health Promotion Program For Lgbtq Youth, Nicholas C. Heck

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This article describes the results of a pilot study to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a mental health promotion program that was developed to address minority stressors and promote coping skills among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. It was hypothesized that the program would be feasible to implement within the context of a gay–straight alliance (GSA) and that GSA members would find the program acceptable (e.g., educational, enjoyable, helpful, and relevant). Participants included 10 members of a high school GSA in the northeastern United States. The program sessions were delivered during GSA meetings. The first session …

Web-Based Training For An Evidence-Supported Treatment: Training Completion And Knowledge Acquisition In A Global Sample Of Learners, Nicholas C. Heck, Benjamin E. Saunders, Daniel W. Smith

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this investigation is to describe the characteristics of professional and preprofessional learners who registered for and completed TF-CBTWeb, a modular, web-based training program designed to promote the dissemination of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and to demonstrate the feasibility of this method of dissemination. Between October 1, 2005, and October 1, 2012, a total of 123,848 learners registered for TF-CBTWeb, of whom 98,646 (79.7%) initiated the learning activities by beginning the first module pretest. Of those, 67,201 (68.1%) completed the full training. Registrants hailed from 130 countries worldwide, and they had varied educational backgrounds, professional identities (both …

Ethnic Microaggressions, Traumatic Stress Symptoms, And Latino Depression: A Moderated Mediational Model, Lucas Torres, Joelle T. Taknint

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Although ethnic microaggressions have received increased empirical attention in recent years, there remains a paucity of research regarding how these subtle covert forms of discrimination contribute to Latino mental health. The present study examined the role of traumatic stress symptoms underlying the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression. Further, ethnic identity and general self-efficacy were tested as moderators between the ethnic microaggressions and traumatic stress link. Among a sample of 113 Latino adults, moderated mediational analyses revealed statistically significant conditional indirect effects in which traumatic stress symptoms mediated the relationship between ethnic microaggressions and depression while ethnic identity and self-efficacy …

Examining Dsm Criteria For Trichotillomania In A Dimensional Framework: Implications For Dsm-5 And Diagnostic Practice, David C. Houghton, Steve Balsis, Dan J. Stein, Scott N. Compton, Michael P. Twohig, Stephen M. Saunders, Martin E. Franklin, Angela M. Neal-Barnett, Douglas W. Woods

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Diagnosis of Trichotillomania (TTM) requires meeting several criteria that aim to embody the core pathology of the disorder. These criteria are traditionally interpreted monothetically, in that they are all equally necessary for diagnosis. Alternatively, a dimensional conceptualization of psychopathology allows for examination of the relatedness of each criterion to the TTM latent continuum.

Objectives: First, to examine the ability of recently removed criteria (B and C) to identify the latent dimensions of TTM psychopathology, such that they discriminate between individuals with low and high degrees of hair pulling severity. Second, to determine the impact of removing criteria B and …

Examination Of A Parent-Assisted, Friendship-Building Program For Adolescents With Adhd, Denise M. Gardner, Alyson C. Gerdes, Kelsey Ann Weinberger

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Youth with ADHD experience significant impairment in peer functioning. Based on recommendations from the literature, the current pilot study examined the effectiveness of a parent-assisted, friendship-building program at establishing mutual friendships and improving peer relationships in adolescents with ADHD. Method: Participants included 20 adolescents with ADHD (ages 11-16 years) and their parent(s). Families completed the Program for the Evaluation and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS). Measures of friendship quality, social knowledge, social self-efficacy, get-togethers, and peer conflict were completed at baseline and post-treatment. At post-treatment, participants also reported on the initiation of a new friendship. Results: Baseline to post-treatment …

Defining Early Positive Response To Psychotherapy: An Empirical Comparison Between Clinically Significant Change Criteria And Growth Mixture Modeling, Julian Rubel, Wolfgang Lutz, Stephen Mark Kopta, Katharina Köck, Takuya Minami, Dirk Zimmermann, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Several different approaches have been applied to identify early positive change in response to psychotherapy so as to predict later treatment outcome and length as well as use this information for outcome monitoring and treatment planning. In this study, simple methods based on clinically significant change criteria and computationally demanding growth mixture modeling (GMM) are compared with regard to their overlap and uniqueness as well as their characteristics in terms of initial impairment, therapy outcome, and treatment length. The GMM approach identified a highly specific subgroup of early improving patients. These patients were characterized by higher average intake impairments and …

Executive Functioning And Risk For Alzheimer's Disease In The Cognitively Intact: Family History Predicts Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance, Kathleen Hazlett, Christina Marie Figueroa, Kristy A. Nielson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research typically focuses on memory. However, executive functioning (EF) deficits are also common among AD patients; these deficits are associated with decreased functioning in activities of daily living, an important criterion in diagnosing AD. A classic test of EF ability, the Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST), has demonstrated sensitivity to differentiating individuals with AD from healthy controls, discriminating AD groups based on disease severity, and distinguishing AD from other types of dementia. Such sensitivity to AD raises the possibility that the WCST is also sensitive to very early, preclinical differences between those who have heightened risk for …

The Role Of Personality In Predicting Drug And Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minorities, Nicholas A. Livingston, Kathyrn M. Oost, Nicholas C. Heck, Bryan N. Cochran

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Research consistently demonstrates that sexual minority status is associated with increased risk of problematic substance use. Existing literature in this area has focused on group-specific minority stress factors (e.g., victimization and internalized heterosexism). However, no known research has tested the incremental validity of personality traits as predictors of substance use beyond identified group-specific risk factors. A sample of 704 sexual minority adults was recruited nationally from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community organizations and social networking Web sites and asked to complete an online survey containing measures of personality, sexual minority stress, and substance use. Hierarchical regression models …

The Interchangeability Of Cvlt-Ii And Wms-Iv Verbal Paired Associates Scores: A Slightly Different Story, Indrani K. Thiruselvam, Elisabeth M. Vogt, James B. Hoelzle

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

We investigated the similarity of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Fourth Edition (WMS-IV) Auditory Memory Index (AMI) scores when California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) scores are substituted for WMS-IV Verbal Paired Associates (VPA) subtest scores. College students (n = 103) were administered select WMS-IV subtests and the CVLT-II in a randomized order. Immediate and delayed VPA scaled scores were significantly greater than VPA substitute scaled scores derived from CVLT-II performance. At the Index level, AMI scores were significantly lower when CVLT-II scores were used in place of VPA scores. It is important that clinicians recognize the accepted substitution of CVLT-II …

Genetic Risk For Alzheimer's Disease Alters The Five-Year Trajectory Of Semantic Memory Activation In Cognitively Intact Elders, Stephen M. Rao, Aaron Bonner-Jackson, Kristy A. Nielson, Michael Seidenberg, J. Carson Smith, John L. Woodard, Sally Durgerian

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Healthy aging is associated with cognitive declines typically accompanied by increased task-related brain activity in comparison to younger counterparts. The Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC) (Park and Reuter-Lorenz, 2009; Reuter-Lorenz and Park, 2014) posits that compensatory brain processes are responsible for maintaining normal cognitive performance in older adults, despite accumulation of aging-related neural damage. Cross-sectional studies indicate that cognitively intact elders at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) demonstrate patterns of increased brain activity compared to low risk elders, suggesting that compensation represents an early response to AD-associated pathology. Whether this compensatory response persists or declines with the …

Substance Use Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Clients Entering Substance Abuse Treatment: Comparisons To Heterosexual Clients, Annesa Flentje, Nicholas C. Heck, James L. Sorensen

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: This study evaluated whether sexual orientation-specific differences in substance use behaviors exist among adults entering substance abuse treatment. Method: Admissions records (July 2007–December 2009) were examined for treatment programs in San Francisco, California receiving government funding. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons (n = 1,441) were compared to heterosexual persons (n = 11,770) separately by sex, examining primary problem substance of abuse, route of administration, age of first use, and frequency of use prior to treatment. Results: Regarding bisexual males, the only significant finding of note was greater prevalence of methamphetamine as the primary substance of abuse. When compared …

Parent And Family Outcomes Of Peers: A Social Skills Intervention For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jeffrey S. Karst, Amy V. Van Hecke, Audrey M. Carson, Sheryl Jayne Stevens, Kirsten A. Schohl, Bridget Dolan

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with increased family chaos and parent distress. Successful long-term treatment outcomes are dependent on healthy systemic functioning, but the family impact of treatment is rarely evaluated. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) is a social skills intervention designed for adolescents with high-functioning ASD. This study assessed the impact of PEERS on family chaos, parenting stress, and parenting self-efficacy via a randomized, controlled trial. Results suggested beneficial effects for the experimental group in the domain of family chaos compared to the waitlist control, while parents …

Measuring The Plasticity Of Social Approach: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of The Effects Of The Peers Intervention On Eeg Asymmetry In Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Amy V. Van Hecke, Sheryl Jayne Stevens, Audrey M. Carson, Jeffrey S. Karst, Bridget Dolan, Kirsten A. Schohl, Ryan J. Mckindles, Rheanna Remmel, Scott Brockman

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study examined whether the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS: Social skills for teenagers with developmental and autism spectrum disorders: The PEERS treatment manual, Routledge, New York, 2010a) affected neural function, via EEG asymmetry, in a randomized controlled trial of adolescents with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a group of typically developing adolescents. Adolescents with ASD in PEERS shifted from right-hemisphere gamma-band EEG asymmetry before PEERS to left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry after PEERS, versus a waitlist ASD group. Left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry was associated with more social contacts and knowledge, and fewer symptoms of autism. Adolescents with …

A Thoughtful Discourse On Sexuality Education: A Review Of The Sexuality Curriculum And Youth Culture, Amanda E. Ramirez, Nicholas C. Heck

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The present article reviews Carlson and Roseboro's (2011) The Sexuality Curriculum and Youth Culture. The book analyzes factors that influence the sexuality curriculum within today's heteronormative culture, and it is particularly useful for teachers, school administrators, and educators in training. Overall, this book thoughtfully raises awareness about the influences of heterosexist norms and homophobia within the context of traditional education systems.

A Comparison Of Sexual Minority Youth Who Attend Religiously Affiliated Schools And Their Nonreligious-School-Attending Counterparts, Brandon T. Stewart, Nicholas C. Heck, Bryan N. Cochran

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Sexual minority youth are an at-risk group for negative health outcomes. The present study compares descriptive characteristics and outness of sexual minority youth who attend religious schools to sexual minorities who do not attend religious schools, and also investigates if attending religiously affiliated schools is associated with levels of alcohol use and school belonging among sexual minority youth. Results indicated that sexual minority youth attending religiously affiliated schools reported more alcohol-related problems and were less likely to be “out” to students and teachers at their schools when compared to their nonreligious-school-attending counterparts. Attendance at a religiously affiliated school was not …

Discrepancy Between Parents And Children In Reporting Of Distress And Impairment: Association With Critical Symptoms, Laura Bein, Megan Lynn Petrik, Stephen M. Saunders, James V. Wojcik

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background: We examined discrepant parent–child reports of subjective distress and psychosocial impairment.

Method: Parent–child pairs (N = 112 pairs) completed the Health Dynamics Inventory at intake for outpatient therapy.

Results: Average parent scores were significantly higher than average child scores on distress, impairment, and externalizing symptoms, but not internalizing symptoms. There were significant associations between parent–child discrepancy (i.e. children who reported greater distress or impairment than parents or vice versa) and child endorsement of several notable symptoms (rapid mood swings, panic, nightmares, and suicidal ideation).

Conclusion: Parents tended to report more externalizing symptoms, distress, and impairment than children reported; …

College Students’ Perceptions Of Individuals With Anorexia Nervosa: Irritation And Admiration, Danielle M. Geerling, Stephen M. Saunders

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Stigmatizing attitudes against anorexia nervosa (AN) may act as barriers to treatment.

Aims: Evaluated college students’ perceptions of AN as compared to major depressive disorder (MDD).

Method: One-hundred two female undergraduates read vignettes describing targets with mild or severe MDD or AN, then rated biological, vanity, and self-responsibility attributions; feelings of admiration, sympathy, and anger; and behavioral dispositions toward coercion into treatment, imitation, and social distance.

Results: AN was perceived more negatively than MDD in terms of vanity attributions, self-responsibility attributions, and feelings of anger, but more positively in terms of admiration and imitation.

Conclusions …

Individual Differences In The Experience Of Cognitive Workload, Stephen J. Guastello, Anton Shircel, Matthew Malon, Paul Timm

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated the roles of four psychosocial variables – anxiety, conscientiousness, emotional intelligence, and Protestant work ethic – on subjective ratings of cognitive workload as measured by the Task Load Index (TLX) and the further connections between the four variables and TLX ratings of task performance. The four variables represented aspects of an underlying construct of elasticity versus rigidity in response to workload. Participants were 141 undergraduates who performed a vigilance task under different speeded conditions while working on a jigsaw puzzle for 90 minutes. Regression analysis showed that anxiety and emotional intelligence were the two variables most proximally …

When Auditory And Visual Signal Processing Conflict: Cross-Modal Interference In Extended Work Periods, Stephen J. Guastello, Katherine Reiter, Matthew Malon, Anton Shircel

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Auditory and visual stimuli presented at intervals of about 300 m sec often produce miss errors in one or the other channel, which result from a bottleneck in a neural circuit associated with executive memory. The present study examined the possibility that cross-modal interference could carry over to performance units that transpire over 3 min or longer. An N-back task performed by 113 undergraduates with simultaneous auditory and visual stimuli was organised into 1-min blocks of 20 trials in 2-back and 3-back conditions. Results showed that impairment of visual processing was more frequent than impairment of auditory processing under …

Maternal Functioning Differences Based On Adhd Subtype, Kelsey Ann Weinberger, Denise M. Gardner, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Maternal functioning differences in parenting stress, parental efficacy, and parenting behaviors were examined for mothers of children with ADHD. Method: Participants included 29 mothers of children with ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type (ADHD-I) and 38 mothers of children with ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive or Combined Type (ADHD-HI/C). Results: Findings suggest that mothers of children with ADHD-HI/C reported significantly greater parenting stress and engaged in more negative parenting behaviors than mothers of children with ADHD-I. Conclusion: This study suggests that tailoring behavioral parent training based on ADHD subtype may be particularly helpful for parents of children with ADHD-HI/C.

Commentary: Applying Positive Development Principles To Group Interventions For The Promotion Of Family Resilience In Pediatric Psychology, Jessica C. Kichler, Astrida S. Kaugars

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

As described in the call for this special issue, resilience is often defined as “achieving one or more positive outcomes despite exposure to significant risk or adversity” (Hilliard, Harris, & Weissberg-Benchell, 2012, p. 739). Resilience is particularly relevant to pediatric psychology, as youth and their families are tasked with overcoming risk factors simply by the nature of a child’s diagnosis of a disease/chronic illness and subsequent medical management demands. In addition to identifying key resilience factors within this population, it is critical to develop empirically supported clinical interventions to promote healthy biological, psychological, and social development; reduce youth psychopathology; and …