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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Autobiographical Memory And Theory Of Mind In Schizotypy, Andrew Deptula Jan 2013

Autobiographical Memory And Theory Of Mind In Schizotypy, Andrew Deptula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit marked impairments on tasks assessing theory of mind (ToM) and autobiographical memory (AM) qualities, and preliminary research has indicated a positive link between these abilities. This study is the first to systematically explore this relationship in the related personality trait of schizotypy. In a study of 47 undergraduate students (23 males) reporting a wide continuous range of schizotypy, we found that females, but not males, exhibited a negative correlation between ToM and schizotypy, and an unexpected positive correlation between AM qualities and schizotypy. Factor score analysis within females indicated that disorganized schizotypy was the strongest correlate …


Is Experiential Avoidance A Factor In Maternal Overprotection?, Melissa Nieves Jan 2013

Is Experiential Avoidance A Factor In Maternal Overprotection?, Melissa Nieves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined experiential avoidance (EA) as an explanation for parental overprotectiveness, a behavior often found among parents of anxious children. EA parenting theory posits that parents engage in overprotective behaviors in order to reduce their own anxiety. In order to test the theory, mothers’ electrodermal activity (EDA) and blindly-coded overprotective behaviors were examined when a child with SAD was engaged in a reading performance task. In line with EA theory, it was hypothesized that EDA levels would increase before an overprotective behavior (OB) occurred and decrease afterwards as a result of decrease in anxiety. The sample consisted of …


Does Virtual Reality Elicit Physiological Arousal In Social Anxiety Disorder, Maryann Owens Jan 2013

Does Virtual Reality Elicit Physiological Arousal In Social Anxiety Disorder, Maryann Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the ability of a Virtual Reality (VR) public speaking task to elicit physiological arousal in adults with SAD (n=25) and Controls (n=25). A behavioral assessment paradigm was employed to address three study objectives: (a) to determine whether the VR task can elicit significant increases in physiological response over baseline resting conditions (b) to determine if individuals with SAD have a greater increase from baseline levels of physiological and self-reported arousal during the in vivo speech task as opposed to the VR speech task and (c) to determine whether individuals with SAD experience greater changes in physiological …


Hyperactivity In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Testing Functional Relationships With Phonological Working Memory Performance And Attention, Dustin Sarver Jan 2013

Hyperactivity In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd): Testing Functional Relationships With Phonological Working Memory Performance And Attention, Dustin Sarver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Excessive gross motor activity is currently considered a ubiquitous and disruptive feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, an alternative model challenges this premise and hypothesizes a functional relationship between activity level, attention, and working memory. The current study investigated whether, and the extent to which, particular forms of gross motor activity are functionally related to children’s attention and phonological working memory performance. Objective observations of children’s gross motor movements and attention by independent observers were conducted while children with ADHD (n = 29) and typically developing children (n = 23) completed multiple counterbalanced tasks entailing low and high phonological working …


Social Skills And Social Acceptance In Childhood Anxiety Disorders, Lindsay Scharfstein Jan 2013

Social Skills And Social Acceptance In Childhood Anxiety Disorders, Lindsay Scharfstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the social skills and social acceptance of children with SAD (n=20), children with GAD (n=18), and typically developing (TD) children (n=20). A multimodal assessment paradigm was employed to address three study objectives: (a) to determine whether social skills deficits are unique to children with SAD or extend to children with GAD, (b) to assess whether skills vary as a function of social context (in vivo peer interaction Wii Task versus hypothetical Social Vignette Task) and (c) to examine the relationship between anxiety diagnosis and social acceptance. Parent questionnaire data indicated that both youth with SAD and …


Evaluating The Utility Of A Virtual Environment For Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder, Nina Sarver Jan 2013

Evaluating The Utility Of A Virtual Environment For Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder, Nina Sarver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Two significant challenges for the dissemination of social skills training programs are (a) the need to provide sufficient practice opportunities to assure skill consolidation and (b) the need to assure skill generalization (i.e., use of the skills outside the clinic setting). In the case of social anxiety disorder, virtual environments may provide one strategy to address these issues. This investigation describes the development of an interactive skills-oriented virtual school environment and evaluated its utility for the treatment of social anxiety disorder in preadolescent children (Study 1). This environment included both in-clinic and at-home solutions. In addition, a pilot replication/extension …


Multicultural Personality And Psychological Functioning, Lauren Trottier Jan 2013

Multicultural Personality And Psychological Functioning, Lauren Trottier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the U.S. becomes increasingly diverse, individuals will need to interact effectively with a wide range of people. The theory of multicultural personality refined by Ponterotto (2010) proposes that some individuals may be better suited than others to adapt to the changing demographic landscape. Individuals with a multicultural personality are theorized to have the ability to interact effectively within a wide range of contexts and draw on diverse experiences and resources to solve everyday problems in multiple ways as well as seek out diversity in their lives. Because of their skills and disposition, Ponterotto (2010) suggests that those with a …


Do Programs Designed To Train Working Memory, Other Executive Functions, And Attention Benefit Children With Adhd? A Meta-Analytic Review Of Cognitive, Academic, And Behavioral Outcomes, Sarah Orban Jan 2013

Do Programs Designed To Train Working Memory, Other Executive Functions, And Attention Benefit Children With Adhd? A Meta-Analytic Review Of Cognitive, Academic, And Behavioral Outcomes, Sarah Orban

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children with ADHD are characterized frequently as possessing underdeveloped executive functions and sustained attentional abilities, and recent commercial claims suggest that computer-based cognitive training can remediate these impairments and provide significant and lasting improvement in their attention, impulse control, social functioning, academic performance, and complex reasoning skills. The present review critically evaluates these claims through meta-analysis of 25 studies of facilitative intervention training (i.e., cognitive training) for children with ADHD. Random effects models corrected for publication bias and sampling error revealed that studies training short-term memory alone resulted in moderate magnitude improvements in short-term memory (d= 0.63), whereas training attention …


A Randomized Trial Of Attention Training For Generalized Social Phobia: Does Attention Training Change Social Behavior?, Brian Bunnell Jan 2013

A Randomized Trial Of Attention Training For Generalized Social Phobia: Does Attention Training Change Social Behavior?, Brian Bunnell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The use of attention training protocols for the treatment of generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD) is undergoing increased examination. Initial investigations were positive but more recent investigations have been less supportive of the treatment paradigm. One significant limitation of current investigations may be over-reliance on self-report. In this investigation, we expanded on initial investigations by using a multimodal assessment of patient functioning (i.e., including behavioral assessment). Patients with a primary diagnosis of SAD (n = 31) were randomly assigned to eight sessions of attention training (n = 15) or placebo/control (n = 16). Participants were assessed at pre- and post-treatment …


Evaluation Of A Digitally Enhanced Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (Ecalc) For Use With Mandated College Students, Abigail Fried Jan 2013

Evaluation Of A Digitally Enhanced Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (Ecalc) For Use With Mandated College Students, Abigail Fried

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use has been a longstanding problem on college campuses. Despite the efforts National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the commissioned Task Force on College Drinking (2002), there has been a recent rise in the number of alcohol related arrests and violations on college campuses. Within the high-risk mandated student population, the most successful programs utilize motivational enhancement strategies, such as the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS). Likely due to financial constraints, an important issue that has been raised is the limited availability of validated methods for alcohol prevention and intervention on college campuses. …


Bisexuality And Identity Formation, Jessica Fuoss Jan 2013

Bisexuality And Identity Formation, Jessica Fuoss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the identity development and psychological adjustment of bisexual individuals (n = 138) as compared to homosexual (n = 45) and heterosexual participants (n = 558). Undergraduate students recruited from psychology classes at a large metropolitan university in Florida (67% female, 65% Caucasian) took an online survey for course extra credit. Bisexual and homosexual participants scored higher in identity exploration than the heterosexual participants. Bisexual participants scored significantly higher in psychological symptom severity than heterosexual participants. The three groups were not significantly different in identity commitment nor in identity distress. Female bisexual participants scored more similar to the …


Measurement Of Negative Affectivity In Psychometrically Defined Schizotypy Using Facial Electromyography, Jonathan Mitchell Jan 2013

Measurement Of Negative Affectivity In Psychometrically Defined Schizotypy Using Facial Electromyography, Jonathan Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Schizotypy is a sub-threshold syndrome associated with schizophrenia. Much of the research on schizotypy concerns its component features, one of which being blunted or constricted affect. While several investigations have addressed this common “negative” symptom within the context of schizophrenia, few have focused on schizotypy directly, and none have utilized psychophysiological measurement to examine affective constriction. The present investigation uses facial electromyography (EMG) to measure patterns of affective expression within a psychometrically defined schizotypal population when presented threatening and distressing pictures from the IAPS. Twenty-eight individuals with elevated schizotypal features and 20 healthy controls were recruited for this investigation. The …


An Event-Related Potential Investigation Of Error Monitoring In Adults With A History Of Psychosis, Chi Chan Jan 2013

An Event-Related Potential Investigation Of Error Monitoring In Adults With A History Of Psychosis, Chi Chan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metacognition, which involves monitoring and controlling of one’s thoughts and actions, is essential for guiding behavior and organization of information. Deficits in self-monitoring have been suggested to lead to psychosis and poor functional outcome. Abnormalities in eventrelated potentials originating from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region associated with error detection, have been consistently reported in individuals with schizophrenia during error monitoring tasks. This study sought to examine whether these abnormalities are present in individuals with a history of psychosis across diagnostic categories and whether they are associated with subjective appraisal of self-performance and personality traits related to psychosis. …


A Meta-Analytic Approach To Examining Psychosocial Correlates Of Risk In Hiv-Diagnosed And Hiv-Nondiagnosed Men Who Have Sex With Men, Katharine Lacefield Jan 2013

A Meta-Analytic Approach To Examining Psychosocial Correlates Of Risk In Hiv-Diagnosed And Hiv-Nondiagnosed Men Who Have Sex With Men, Katharine Lacefield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to disproportionately affect men who have sex with men (MSM). Gay, bisexual, and other MSM are estimated to account for two percent of the population, yet they constitute more than half of all individuals living with HIV in the United States (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2010). Collectively, both HIV-diagnosed (HIV-D) and HIV-nondiagnosed (HIV-ND) MSM report a variety of reasons for intentional and unintentional nonuse of condoms. Depending on partner status, HIV-D MSM are in the unique position of having the potential both to increase risk of infecting others with HIV and to expose themselves …


Psychopathology And Functional Impairment In Adolescents With Social Anxiety Disorder, Franklin Mesa Jan 2013

Psychopathology And Functional Impairment In Adolescents With Social Anxiety Disorder, Franklin Mesa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although social anxiety disorder is most often diagnosed during adolescence, few investigations have examined the clinical presentation of this disorder exclusively in adolescents. Prior studies have demonstrated that some clinical features of SAD in adolescents are unique relative to younger children with the condition. Furthermore, the extant literature on daily functional impairment in this population is limited. In this investigation, multiple areas of functioning were examined in adolescents with SAD (n = 16) and normal control adolescents (n = 14): specific social skills, subjective distress and physiological reactivity during one speech performance task and one social interaction task; alcohol use …