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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Using Behavioral Incentives To Promote Exercise Compliance In Women With Cocaine Dependence, Leila Islam Aug 2013

Using Behavioral Incentives To Promote Exercise Compliance In Women With Cocaine Dependence, Leila Islam

Theses and Dissertations

To date, low rates of patient compliance have made it impractical to study whether regular exercise can contribute to positive outcomes in women with substance use disorders (SUD). One robust strategy for promoting and maintaining behavior change is contingency management (CM). CM has been used successfully to reinforce drug abstinence, treatment attendance, and other pro-social behaviors. CM delivers incentives (prizes) contingent upon target behaviors, though can be expensive. To reduce costs, CM is often delivered with an escalating variable-ratio schedule, first tested by Petry and colleagues (2005). As a Stage Ib behavioral therapies development project (Rounsaville et al., 2001), the …


Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Exercise Differences, Karissa Dold Jan 2013

Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Exercise Differences, Karissa Dold

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

In 2011, the U.S. reported 3 million child maltreatment cases, an uncomfortably high but recurring figure each year. Research shows exposure to early life stress (ELS) increases an individual’s susceptibility to substance abuse, specifically of nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine. Increased susceptibility may result from dysregulation of the HPA axis sustaining activation into adulthood after ELS. Hyperactivation of the HPA axis significantly reduces hippocampal BDNF, a neurotrophin involved in neuronal growth and plasticity. Reduced hippocampal BDNF may be a factor in substance abuse vulnerability. Additionally, research shows exercise protects hippocampal BDNF from stress induced down-regulation. To explore these relationships, this study …


Investigating The Main Effects And Interactions Of Induced Mood And Emotional Urgency On Self-Report Cannabis Craving And Consumption, Joseph Anthony De Leo Jan 2013

Investigating The Main Effects And Interactions Of Induced Mood And Emotional Urgency On Self-Report Cannabis Craving And Consumption, Joseph Anthony De Leo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current research investigates the role of induced mood states and emotional urgency - a mood-based facet of impulsivity, on cannabis use behaviors. Specifically, this research aims to extend previous work linking impulsivity and substance use behaviors by examining the relation of `emotional urgency' on cannabis craving and consumption.


Outcome Expectancies Mediate The Impact Of Olfactory Cues On Marijuana Craving, Mallory Loflin Jan 2013

Outcome Expectancies Mediate The Impact Of Olfactory Cues On Marijuana Craving, Mallory Loflin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Current work suggests that the presence of "craving" may be a significant indicator of problematic substance use. Nevertheless, little work has examined how cannabis users experience and develop craving. Most relevant studies focus on samples in treatment. Previous work suggests that cues for marijuana might activate outcome expectancies that contribute to the development of craving. The present study sought to test whether an olfactory marijuana cue would create changes in expectancy, mood, and craving in a non-treatment seeking sample representing both users and non-users. Unlike control cues, olfactory cues for marijuana increased perceptions of the likelihood of marijuana-induced positive outcomes …


An Analysis Of Treatment Retention And Attrition In An Australian Therapeutic Community For Substance Abuse Treatment, Mark Robert Porter Jan 2013

An Analysis Of Treatment Retention And Attrition In An Australian Therapeutic Community For Substance Abuse Treatment, Mark Robert Porter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research undertaken in the last three decades has consistently reported that the length of time spent in inpatient and outpatient alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment programs predicts treatment success (De Leon, Melnick, Kressel, & Jainchill, 1994; Hubbard, Craddock, & Anderson, 2003; Simpson, Joe, Fletcher, Hubbard, & Anglin, 1999). However, treatment attrition rates are high and present a major problem for improving treatment outcomes. Various factors that have been reportedly associated with increased AOD treatment attrition rates include being female, younger clients, clients using methamphetamines, and clients with elevated psychopathology scores. The aim of this thesis is to improve understanding …