Psychology Commons^™

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Empathy In Pre-Nursing Students Exposed To A Four-Week Mindfulness Training, Debra L. Klich

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To investigate the effects of a four-week mindfulness program on levels of mindfulness, empathy, and anxiety in a group of pre-nursing students.

Methods: This study utilized a multiple-baseline across subjects design. Results from nine study participants were examined.

Results: Data demonstrates that a detectable decrease in anxiety levels can result from participation in self-directed mindfulness program as short as four weeks. Results regarding mindfulness and empathy levels were less conclusive. A specific relationship between empathy and mindfulness cannot be determined from this study.

Conclusions: Because previous studies have demonstrated a persistence of skills, practice, and benefits acquired through mindfulness …

Cholesterol: A Possible Mediator Of Apoe Risk For Alzheimer's Disease, Michelle Marie Dunk

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the well-established link between the ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and AD, the underlying mechanisms that mediate the risk of developing AD remain elusive. Literature on the role of APOE in cholesterol metabolism suggests that blood cholesterol may be a key factor in the development of AD pathology. Current study aims to investigate whether total cholesterol differs by APOE status and whether this relationship is predictive of AD diagnosis and its biomarkers. Baseline total cholesterol, APOE status, AD diagnosis, global cognitive function, brain Aβ, plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ, tau, and phosphorylated …

Reexamining Object-Based Visual Attention: Understanding The Nature Of Direction-Dependent Attention Shifts, Adam Joseph Barnas

Theses and Dissertations

Attentional selection is a process by which relevant sensory stimuli are afforded enhanced priority for processing over and above irrelevant sensory stimuli. Object-based attention is a form of selection that leads to preferential processing of visual information contained in/on an attended object versus an unattended object. Observers typically exhibit enhanced performance to a target at an invalidly cued same object location compared to a different-object location, which results in a same object advantage as measured by the response time (RT) difference between these two target locations. A growing body of research has shown that object-based effects are small, inconsistent, and …

Degree Of Bilingualism, Age, Income And Teacher Ratings Of Giftedness As Potential Predictors Of Dichotic Listening Performance, Francisco J. Sierra

Theses and Dissertations

Bilinguals and gifted individuals have consistently shown distinctive patterns of performance on measures of brain laterality and auditory processing. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between bilingualism, teacher ratings of giftedness, and auditory divided attention by comparing children and adults with income partialed out. Child participants from first to fifth grade were included in addition to an adult comparison group. Assessment of bilingualism, auditory divided attention, and giftedness occurred via the Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey-III (WMLS-III), the Dichotic Test of Attention (DITA), and the Hispanic Bilingual Gifted Screening Instrument (HBGSI). The main hypothesis of this study is …

Implementing An Abbreviated Assessment To Compare Error-Correction Procedures For Teaching Intraverbal Behavior To Children, Victoria Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

Young children with Autism (ASD) often have difficulty responding appropriately to questions asked by their peers, parents, or teachers. Teaching intraverbal behavior using Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI) has shown effective results with the use of specific stimulus-transfer procedures (e.g., vocal, textual, or pictures). Previous research has suggested using an abbreviated assessment for error correction procedures as a tool to determine the most effective and efficient procedures when teaching children. In addition, such tools have been shown to not only be effective at predicting a child’s most effective error-correction, but also in less time, allowing practitioners to make data-based decisions and …

Fool Me Once: Response To Trust Violation In Collaborative Dyads, Trevor Noah Fry

Theses and Dissertations

Much of what is known about trust violation in collaborative contexts has emerged in the body of trust repair literature, broadly implicating that trust repair behaviors will be the immediate response to follow a trust-related transgression. However, when trust is violated in the workplace, it is possible that substantial time may pass before any movements toward trust repair are attempted. During that time between a trust violation experience and attempts to repair trust the trustor may experience a range of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in response to the violation. This dissertation aims to begin unpacking that black box through systematic …

Association Between Lifetime Adverse Events, Emotion Dysregulation, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Acculturation, And Chronic Pain: A Moderated Mediation Model, Miriam El-Haj

Theses and Dissertations

The association between traumatic experiences and chronic pain is well established. Lesser is known about how acculturation might affect this relation, specifically with Hispanics. In the present study, self-report measures on traumatic experiences, posttraumatic stress symptoms, emotion dysregulation, chronic pain, and acculturation were administered to 140 participants (71.4% females) aged 18–65 years old (M = 35.06, SD = 11.55), to determine whether acculturation moderates the relation between adverse lifetime experiences and chronic pain as mediated by posttraumatic stress symptoms and emotion dysregulation.

Those who were highly acculturated to the U.S. Anglo culture were higher on chronic pain than those who …

Motivation Is Deficient In The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (Shr), A Rodent Model Of Adhd: Evidence From An Operant Breakpoint Paradigm, Amanda S. Nazario

Theses and Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood neurobehavioral disorders. ADHD is characterized by three core behavioral deficits (hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity) that significantly hinder the daily functioning of those diagnosed. Furthermore, children with ADHD have problems with motivation and often require larger, more frequent rewards in order to complete a task. In this study, we used the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR), a rodent model of ADHD that exhibits all the core deficits of the disorder. The goal of the current study was to further validate the SHR as a model of ADHD by training …

Examining The Impact Of Standardized Fine Motor Activity Selection On Various Fine Motor Skills In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cheyenne Lee Dong

Theses and Dissertations

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate deficits in fine motor skills, requiring therapies to help improve their performance of a variety of self-care, daily living, and academic skills. Research in the occupational therapy literature suggests several methods of assessing and teaching fine motor skills and represents an area that is understudied in the applied behavior analysis research. The two disciplines may offer a complementary approach to targeting emerging skills, shaping desired responses in naturalistic contexts, and reinforcing participation. This study aimed to examine the impact of occupational therapy-recommended activities on fine motor skills by blending the occupational therapy …

Motivated Interpersonal Emotion Regulation In Leadership, Julianna Jasmin Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Emotions are important and prevalent workplace phenomena. Previous research has found that emotions can impact different workplace-related outcomes, from increasing employee performance to increasing employee well-being (Barsade & Gibson, 2007). Leaders are expected to engage in interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) strategies that influence their followers’ emotions to facilitate these outcomes. However, little is known about this process. Leaders might have different motives for regulating followers’ emotions, such as to help them learn a skill, to be compassionate with them, or to push them to get work done. Additionally, they might target specific emotions depending on that intention and, in turn, …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Errors During Conditional Discriminations: Changing Sample-Stimuli Disparity In Delayed Matching-To-Sample Task With Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tiara Rahadian Putri

Theses and Dissertations

Conditional discrimination skill is foundational in teaching many other functional skills in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and error occur during training. Antecedent- and consequence-based intervention are commonly used without the understanding of underlying behavioral mechanism responsible for these errors. A quantitative framework based on choice- and signal-detection analyses (Davison & Tustin, 1978) was used to quantify and categorize errors. Three children diagnosed with ASD participated. The current study used an automated 0-s delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS) procedure on an iPad Pro® 9.7”. Four experimental conditions were arranged successively, wherein each corresponded with a level of sample stimuli disparity: …

The Effects Of Reinforcement Magnitude On Unprompted Intraverbal Responses To Mands For Personal Information In Adolescents With Disabilities, Rachel Ruthann Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of reinforcement magnitude plus praise on correct, unprompted responding during Discrete Trial Training (DTT) among adolescents with an intellectual disability. Participants were teenaged individuals with an intellectual disability who are able to engage in vocal-verbal responding and can read independently. An alternating treatments design with generalization probes to novel environments and people (using confederates within the research lab) was used to evaluate intervention effects. During baseline, participants were asked each intraverbal question but were not given any prompting or feedback. During treatment, edible items were delivered contingent upon correct, …

Investigating The Contribution Of Instance-Reliant Learning In Visuomotor Adaptation And Its Generalization, Shancheng Bao

Theses and Dissertations

Motor adaptation has been of great interest in the past two decades as it reflects how movement skills are acquired and consolidated by the nervous system. In our recent studies, instance-reliant learning is considered as an essential component of visuomotor adaptation, since it plays a unique role in fast and automatized control of movement output. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate the nature of instance-reliant learning on two aspects: to determine the differential contributions of algorithmic learning and instance-reliant learning to visuomotor adaptation; and to determine the nature of movement instance involved in visuomotor adaptation and its generalization …

The Impact Of Culturally Different Types Of Faking On Test Properties, Yumiko Mochinushi

Theses and Dissertations

Personality measures have become a key component of the human capital strategies of organizations (Hough & Oswald, 2008). Multinationals often conduct employee selection across countries, and opportunities have expanded for using personality tests in selection across cultures. However, few studies have yet investigated applicant faking behavior in cross-cultural contexts, despite research suggesting that psychometric assessment tools are vulnerable to this (Salgado, 2016). One of main causes of the limited number of cross-cultural faking studies is the difficulty in data collection. Simulation is one of the more promising methods, and current research of similar problems often uses simulation (e.g., Jin & …

The Effects Of The High Probability Instructional Sequence On Compliance With Multiple Low Probability Instructions, Ma Krishna Francisco Rosales

Theses and Dissertations

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence is an antecedent intervention often used to improve compliance with instructions. It typically consists of multiple high-p instructions followed by a single low-probability (low-p) instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the high-p instructional sequence on compliance with multiple low-p instructions and the first low-p instruction in the sequence. More specifically, this study investigated the effects of three to five high-p instructions on compliance with 1, 2, and 3 low-p instructions. Three individuals diagnosed with ASD participated. Results showed that the high-p instructional sequence was only effective for 1 out …

The Effects Of Lag Reinforcement Schedules And Differential Reinforcement Of Alternative Responding On Reinforced Variability And Resurgence, Weizhi Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Differential reinforcement of an alternative responding (DRA) is a commonly used procedure to teach children with ASD more functionally and socially appropriate skills and decrease problem behavior. However, resurgence of problem behavior could occur when treatment integrity errors appearing while implementing DRA procedure. In research, one approach to mitigating resurgence is to reinforce varied alternative responses using a lag schedule. A lag schedule of reinforcement is a method to increase variability in which a reinforcer will be delivered contingently if the response differs from a certain number of previous responses. The present laboratory study evaluated whether reinforced behavioral variability could …

The Effect Of Social Comparison Feedback On Task Completion In A Human-Service Setting, Curtis Thomas Phillabaum

Theses and Dissertations

There has been much debate over the most successful types of feedback, but little research has examined the use of social comparison feedback. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of social comparison feedback on the percentage of end-of-shift cleaning tasks completed by three behavior technicians identified as exhibiting lower performance. The social comparison feedback consisted of a bar graph depicting the percentage of tasks completed by the individual participant in relation to two behavior technicians identified as high performers. Following the client shift, the researcher shared the graph and delivered vocal social comparison feedback during …

Multimethod Assessment Of Interpersonal Dysfunction Using The Rorschach And The Mmpi-2-Rf, Ryan Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

Well established and widely used personality measures such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) and Rorschach contain several scales or indices related to interpersonal dysfunction, but from very different methodologies. Using a multimethod assessment framework, the current study examined four primary areas of interpersonal dysfunction assessed by these measures in a sample of 65 adult outpatient clients who underwent services at a Community Psychological Services center. The four areas examined were hostility and aggression; isolation and avoidance; passivity and dependency; and insecurity and ineffectiveness. First, the study postulated that MMPI-2-RF and Rorschach variables within an interpersonal domain would …

Playing Isn’T Just For The Kids: The Effects Of Video Modeling On Adult Play Behavior, Grace Fancine Boatman

Theses and Dissertations

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder lack appropriate play skills. To provide quality care to these children, practitioners who work with these children should be versed in how to play. The researchers for the current study used a multiple baseline design across stimulus sets. A pre-experimental assessment, naturalistic generalization probe, and a toy generalization probe were conducted prior to baseline. The baseline phase demonstrated the participant’s performance in playing with a confederate researcher. Task clarification represented the participant’s performance in playing with a confederate researcher after a verbal prompt to play more. The researchers implemented video modeling to increase the frequency …

An Evaluation Of The Utility Of The Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services (Pdc-Hs): A Comparison Of Formal And Informal Assessment Strategies, Cherish Chalk

Theses and Dissertations

The PDC-HS is a performance assessment tool that assists in the identification of variables contributing to performance problems among human service employees. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of the PDC-HS as a formal assessment strategy. Specifically, the PDC-HS was compared to an informal assessment strategy consisting of a single open-ended interview question and a single structured interview question. Participants included 40 supervisors in varying positions in the human services industry. Descriptive statistics were used to compare participant responses to the open-ended and structured questions to the results indicated by the PDC-HS. Results suggest that the …

Effect Of Multiple Operant Training Across Similar And Different Response Topographies, Ashley Anna Felde

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared skill acquisition rates during multiple operants training across similar responses and different responses in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Secondary measures included functional independence of verbal operants and children’s teaching condition preference. Discrete-trial instruction was used during both teaching conditions. An adapted alternating treatment design embedded in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants was used to examine rates of skill acquisition. Results showed that two of the three participants acquired skills in fewer sessions during the multiple operants training across similar responses when compared to multiple operant training across different responses. Two of the three participants …

A Comparison Of Mmpi-2-Rf Profiles Of Outpatients With Reported Chronic Medical Conditions, Reported Disability, Or Psychological Ailments, Natalie Hicks

Theses and Dissertations

Past personality assessment research using MMPI instruments has examined their use in a variety of contexts, including in healthcare settings. The utility of the more recently developed Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2- RF), however, has not been examined in these contexts to the same degree. The present study evaluated differences between MMPI-2-RF scores in a sample of 154 adult outpatient community mental health clients who (a) reported a preexisting physical condition in conjunction with psychological symptoms (n = 66), (b) were either in the process of applying for or were already receiving Social Security disability compensation (n = …

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-Iv (Mcmi-Iv) Profile Patterns And Scale Score Correlates For Jail Inmates Referred For Mental Health Services, Lauren Ashley Price

Theses and Dissertations

Personality assessment measures have been heavily used and researched with criminal offender populations in the realms of clinical, forensic, and correctional psychology for reasons including assessing reoffending risk, informing predictions regarding future behavior, and treatment planning. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) features among the personality assessment measures widely used in evaluating criminal offenders. This current study compromised of adults male inmates (N=95) incarcerated in Brevard County, Florida examined scores from the recently released Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-Fourth Edition (MCMI-IV). The study’s goals included (a) providing reference data based on a sample of jail inmates receiving mental health services, (b) …

Visual Illusion Susceptibility In Dogs Using The Ebbinghaus-Titchener Illusion In A Spontaneous Choice Task, Nicolette Becker

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, dogs have been a popular test subject when studying visual illusion susceptibility. Multiple studies have investigated whether animals perceive illusions as humans do, but few studies have evaluated dogs’ perception of illusory stimuli. In this thesis, we studied if dogs are visually susceptible to the Ebbinghaus-Titchener illusion when presented in a spontaneous choice task. Subjects were presented two visual images on a board, which had bologna pieces embedded in the stimuli. In control trials, two different sized bologna pieces were placed in the center of the images. In these control conditions, dogs were expected to choose the …

Prominence Of Slut Shaming Connected With Sexual Objectification: Boys Will Be Boys And Girls Will Be Sluts, Christina M. Whitaker

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research was to develop a psychometric for slut shaming that would serve as a reliable and valid measure. The secondary purpose was to look at the relation between slut shaming and sexual objectification as it pertains to gender and race. Participants (n = 200) were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and asked to complete survey questions. Research analyses found the Slut Shaming Scale to be a reliable and valid measure without having to exclude any of the original items on the psychometric. Additional analyses showed that men reported victim blaming significantly more often than …

Achievement Motivation In Emerging Adulthood: An Examination Of Overparenting, Need Satisfaction And Frustration, And Goal Complexes, Erin D. Turner Carson

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, helicopter parenting, or overparenting, has become an increasing concern on college campuses. Research has linked overparenting to a variety of maladaptive characteristics and outcomes among emerging adults, but little is known about how overparenting predicts achievement goals. This study used an integrated framework of self-determination theory (SDT) and the hierarchical model of achievement motivation from the achievement goal approach (AGA) to examine how overparenting and the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness predict the endorsement of achievement goal complexes. Participants were 176 emerging adult college students who completed an online survey. Data were analyzed using …

Planning For Healthcare Quality Using Procurement As A Strategy: A Case Study Exploring An Outcomes-Oriented Approach To Healthcare Procurement, Kassandra A. Alia

Theses and Dissertations

The United States has one of the most costly healthcare systems in the world, yet also ranks lower in patient outcomes in comparison with many other developed countries. A focus on quality implementation may help accelerate ongoing efforts to improve healthcare quality. The overall purpose of this study was to explore outcomes-oriented contracting as a mechanism for embedding quality implementation planning proactively into the process for procuring healthcare services. A single case study methodology was utilized to examine changes in procurements over time following implementation of an outcomes-oriented contracting approach within an organization that provides funding for behavioral health and …

Predicting Change In Autism Symptomatology In Young Children At Risk For Autism Spectrum Disorder: Fragile X Syndrome, Down Syndrome And Non-Syndromic Asd, Kelly Elizabeth Caravella

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of two manuscripts which examine the longitudinal development of autism symptomatology in young children at risk for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD); individuals with Fragile x syndrome (FXS) and Down syndrome (DS). The first study is a within group analysis of the longitudinal development of ASD symptomatology in young children with FXS, and how diagnostic stability, language and non-verbal cognitive functioning may predict these trajectories. This paper provides insight into ASD diagnostic stability patterns within FXS, and how symptoms change over time across these groups. The second paper will extend this work by presenting a pilot …

Early Behavioral And Physiological Markers Of Social Anxiety In Fragile X Syndrome, Conner J. Black

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Social Anxiety is diagnosed in approximately 10% of neurotypical children. If left untreated, negative outcomes are highly prevalent later in life. Thus, understanding the earliest features of social anxiety can help to mitigate detrimental outcomes. Fragile X Syndrome, which has a high prevalence of social anxiety, is a genetic syndrome which creates a unique opportunity to study the earliest predictors of social anxiety before formal diagnosis. Fragile X Syndrome presents with intellectual disability and an increased prevalence of maladaptive behaviors. The current study utilized a bio-behavioral approach to study the earliest marker of social anxiety in 12- month-old infants …

Motivational And Physiological Dysregulation Due To Development And Onset Of Obesity Via Melanocortin 4 Receptor +/- Haploinsufficiency, Alex Steiner

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is one of the leading most health risks around the world, being especially problematic in the United States. A combination of high-fat diets and genetic abnormalities are to blame for the ever-growing number of obese individuals.

Melanocortin 4 receptors are vital for regulating energy expenditure and feeding behaviors; mutations of the receptors have been found to be the leading monogenetic cause of obesity. Using MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rats being fed a range of dietary fat, we investigated the physiological and motivational differences using a locomotor task, an operant task with fixed and progressive ratios, as well as a distraction …