Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Mindfulness Within Relationships: Is Partner Discrepancy Related To Relationship Satisfaction, Chelsea Carson

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness has been linked with positive relationship outcomes; however, there is limited understanding regarding which facets of mindfulness are most related to couples’ relationship satisfaction and the potential role of discrepancy in mindfulness between partners for relationship satisfaction. Additionally, previous studies did not account for individuals’ well-being, a potential confounding variable in the association between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction. The present study examined the relation between each facet of mindfulness using the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire and relationship satisfaction (Couple Satisfaction Inventory), while controlling for well-being (Compass Assessment System) using Actor Partner Interdependence Models. The relation between discrepancies in …

The Role Of Individual Difference In Predicting Psychopathology Following Peer Victimization, Miranda Evans

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

eer victimization is a common experience that is associated with later psychopathology. However, there is inconsistency in the strength and statistical significance of this effect. The current study used two methods to try to understand this inconsistency. First, co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms were considered dimensionally. Second, the present study considered temperament as a potential moderator to explain the multifinality of outcomes that occur following peer victimization. A community sample (N = 387; 52% female) of early adolescents (11-15) from a longitudinal study of risk and resilience factors for psychopathology was utilized to test hypotheses. Cross-lagged examinations between victimization and …

A Darker Side Of Venus: An Empirical-Phenomenological Study Of Women's Negative Experiences Encountering Pornographic Imagery, Rebecca Gimeno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This empirical-phenomenological study explores the psychological dimensions of negatively encountering a pornographic image. The study includes four participants, all adult women who have had an adverse encounter with a pornographic image within the past five years at the time of the data collection. The recollected experiences of the participants were collected through written narratives as well as semi-structured interviews.

The written narratives and recorded audio interviews were transcribed and subsequently analyzed using an empirical-phenomenological analysis, a process that yielded situated structures. From this analysis, thematic elements of each structure were brought to light. Some of the thematic elements that were …

Towards Collaboration: A Comparative, Longitudinal, Conversation Analysis Of Change In Talk-In-Interaction In Psychotherapy, Kai Bekkeli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study utilizes conversation analysis to describe changes at the level of talk-in-interaction across four points of time (beginning, middle, late, and ending sessions) in four different psychotherapies: two “successful” psychotherapies and two “unsuccessful” ones, with the author of this study conducting the psychotherapies in each case. The analytic domains, practices, and sequence types of interest were not pre-defined at the outset, though the analysis showed alignment to be of principal interest. Patients whose therapies were “successful” progressively aligned with therapeutic activities over time, with a difference revealed in how quickly this alignment occurred according to the ‘type’ of activity …

Fear Of Positive Evaluation And Negative Affect From Inclusion In Cyberball, Jason Ted Grossman

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fear of positive evaluation (FPE) is a construct related to social anxiety that involves discomfort when receiving positive attention and feedback from others. FPE research has increased over the past decade, and results suggest that it may be an important part of social anxiety for some individuals; however, it is not yet known whether FPE may also include discomfort from being included in social situations. Level of inclusion was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between FPE and negative affect from being over included such that those with high FPE would feel more uncomfortable the more they were included. To test …

Sexting Among Adolescents: Examining The Association Between Sexting And Self-Esteem, Hanaah Fannin

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Capstone Presentations

The primary objective of this study is to provide a systematic review of the published literature, examining the association between sexting and self-esteem in adolescents, and to identify gaps in existing knowledge to provide recommendations for future research.

The Influence Of Publicized Suicides On Depressive Symptoms, Kallie R. Stephens, Andrew Terranova

Honors Theses

The aim of the current study was to examine how media influences cognitions and emotions. It was hypothesized that those who viewed a media report on suicide would have higher levels of death thought accessibility, while also displaying a more negative mood. Gender differences were also considered. The study consisted of 71 participants, predominantly White (84.5%) with an average age of 19.93 (SD = 5.41). The design of the study was experimental in nature. Participants viewed either a neutral news report or a news report on suicide. After reading, participants completed a word completion task to measure death thought accessibility …

Pilot Study Of The Contributions Of Achievement-Striving And Dutifulness On Intimate Partner Violence In Intimate Dyads, Ernest M. Oleksy, Liz Goncy

The Downtown Review

The purpose of this pilot study was to further our knowledge about the interaction of trait conscientiousness of one’s self and one’s partner with the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) as we prepare for a larger study that will utilize this pilot study’s protocol. Conscientiousness has been demonstrated to be positively correlated with increased satisfaction in couples (Malouff, Thorsteinsson, Schutte, Bhullar, & Rooke, 2010), while different facets of conscientiousness have been demonstrated to have differential effects on relational behavior, like achievement-striving and duty’s opposing effects on commitment dilemmas (Moon, 2001). Furthermore, the negative correlation between conscientiousness and deviance (Rao, …

Empirical Justification For Supportive Other Involvement In Collegiate Athletes’ Mental Health Intervention, Elena Gavrilova

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Student-athletes have been identified to evidence similar or higher rates of mental health difficulties and lower levels of mental health engagement as compared with non-athlete peers. Along these lines, sport-specific mental health intervention has been justified by researchers, yet only one randomized clinical trial has been conducted in collegiate student-athletes who have been formally assessed for mental health disorders (i.e., a family behavior therapy as compared with traditional campus counseling as usual; Donohue et al., 2018a). Results of this outcome study demonstrated greater improvements for participants who received the family-based intervention up to 8-months post-randomization. In this clinical trial, the …

Examining The Experiences Of Chinese Multilingual Therapists In Training, Stephanie Li-Wei Lin

Doctoral Dissertations

According to the 2015 Census, 44% of people ages five and older in California speak a language other than English in their household, indicating the growth of multilingual persons in California. Among the top three languages spoken at home in California, Chinese takes third following English and Spanish. The demand for multilingual mental health services may continue to grow with the increase of multilingual individuals. Although there is an increase in need for multilingual mental health services, there remains a lack of formal training and clinical supervision for multilingual trainees. This study adopted a qualitative approach and utilized semi-structured interviews …

Examining Mental Health Stigma Among Police Officers And Intended Behavior Towards People With Mental Illness, Sara Soomro

Student Theses

This research examines where or not stigma about mental illness exists among police officers in the United States and whether it shapes their attitudes about seeking mental health. It has been estimated that police officers have a prevalence rate of 13%, while the general population has a prevalence of 4%. Given the increased exposure to trauma, police officers are still unlikely to seek professional help. Moreover, police officers are first responders to incidents involving individuals with a mental illness and are often tasked with playing the role of a mental health professional. This study further examines how stigma effects intended …

Examining The Self-Schema Within A Cognitive Vulnerability-Stress Framework Of Mania, Nadia Maiolino

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation aimed to inform a cognitive vulnerability-stress theory of mania, which addresses both the content and structure of the self-schema, along with the conditions under which these self-relevant cognitions are activated. Extant research on mania has primarily considered self-schema content, or an individual’s actual beliefs (e.g., “I am incompetent”). Although these investigations have successfully identified maladaptive self-beliefs associated with bipolar disorder, this research has been prone to inconsistencies and limited in distinguishing between mania and related forms of psychopathology (e.g., unipolar depression). Furthermore, very little research on mania has considered the organization of self-schema beliefs, referred to here as …

Child And Adolescent Sleep Disturbances And Psychopathology In A Mental Health Clinic Sample, Aviva Blacher

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sleep disturbances in children and adolescents (hereafter children) are associated with significant short-term and long-term impairments including more severe psychopathology, reduced cognitive functioning, and poorer general health. We know that children being treated in specialty mental health services are more likely to have sleep disturbances than community samples. We also know that relationships exist between sleep and psychopathology in children with specific disorders (e.g. ADHD, depression, etc.). However, few studies have investigated the relationship between sleep and psychopathology in a broad sample of children seen at mental health agencies. Both child factors and family factors may influence both sleep and …

Associations Between Adolescent Cannabis Use Trajectories And Anxiety, Jacqueline C. Duperrouzel

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the effects of cannabis use is critical for reducing adverse behavioral, social, and academic outcomes, particularly among adolescent users who are most at risk for cannabis related problems. Although support from both the animal and human literatures suggests the relationship between cannabis and anxiety may be associated with levels of use, much is still unknown. Thus, examining relationships between the most common mental health issue in adolescence and one of the most commonly used drugs is of great public health significance and impact. Prior longitudinal studies assessing effects of cannabis use on anxiety have not evaluated different patterns of …

The Healing Power Of The Arts - Drama Therapy And The Use Of Theatre In The Treatment Of Trauma, Brooklyn Snyder

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Theatre is an incredibly valuable therapeutic tool. In this thesis, I explore the ways in which trauma can reshape individuals lives, both cognitively and physically, impeding their sense of self, ability to trust, engagement, and many other seemingly ordinary aspects of day to day life that those of us unaffected by trauma take for granted. Additionally, I cover how employing theatrical tools, like improvisation and role play, can act as a beneficial treatment option for those who have suffered a traumatic past. Drama therapy allows individuals to reconnect with their bodies and their minds, gain new perspectives on their experiences, …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Familial Emotion Socialization, And Adult Emotion Regulation: A Moderation Model, Rebecca Otwell-Dove

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with maladaptive outcomes, including difficulties with emotion regulation (ER). ER difficulties, in turn, increase risk for experiencing physical and mental health problems. Parental emotion socialization is one factor that has been associated with ER skills across development. No known studies, however, have examined whether parental emotion socialization moderates the relationship between ACEs and ER difficulties. In the current study, undergraduates (N = 678) completed questionnaires about their history of ACEs, parental emotion socialization experiences, and current ER difficulties. Correlational results indicated a positive correlation between ACEs and ER difficulties. Results of the hierarchical …

A Mediational Analysis: Investigating The Role Of Academic Self-Efficacy In The Relationship Between Bullying Victimization And Depression, Rachel Elizabeth Doody

Senior Honors Projects

Bullying is one of the most pervasive problems faced during childhood. Bullying victimization has been demonstrated to be strongly associated with numerous mental health outcomes, including depression. Research suggests that self-efficacy may play a role in the relationship between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms. The present study hypothesized that academic self-efficacy would mediate this relationship. Participants (N=206, M_age = 19.5, 70.4% female) were college students who completed Bullying and Relationship Scale– Revised, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Regression analyses indicated that the overall regression model was significant (β= .19, t (106) = 6.823, …

The Effect Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Psychosocial Wellbeing, Gabrielle C. Yundt

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

As a result of adversity, trauma, or maltreatment, a child’s primary defense is to engage in self-blame in order to maintain a belief in a safe world. Without intervention, these adaptive strategies may continue to shape the way survivors relate to themselves and make meaning out of negative events. This study hypothesized that participants with adversity in childhood have an increased likelihood of low self-compassion (indicating tendencies towards self-judgment, overidentification, and isolation). This study further hypothesized a positive correlation between posttraumatic growth, resilience and hardiness. Participants in this study were adults recruited from three online sites (social networking, online forum, …

Neuroticism And Stressful Life Events: Probing Mechanisms Underlying Vulnerability To Stress-Related Depression, Erin Bondy

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elevated neuroticism (N) potentiates the depressogenic effects of stressful life events (SLEs). We first replicate this association using longitudinal data (N=971 older adults) from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study. Here, SLEs prospectively predicted future depressive symptoms, especially among those reporting elevated N, even after accounting for prior depressive symptoms and previous SLE exposure (NxSLE interaction: p=0.016, ΔR²=0.003). These findings were further replicated in cross-sectional analyses of the Duke Neurogenetics Study (DNS), a young adult college sample with neuroimaging data (n=1,343: NxSLE interaction: p=0.019, ΔR²=0.003). Because evidence suggests that stress may promote depression …

The Role And Effect Of Mindfulness In Intimate Relationships, Mazyar Karandish

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Mindfulness practice, a present-centered approach to experience, has been shown to effectively enhance various dimensions of the human experience. Recent literature has explored how the practice of mindfulness meditation has provided benefits to practitioners seeking to enhance relationship dynamics. There are multiple examples of mindfulness-based relationship enhancement programs aiming to enhance the quality of intimate relationships in adults. This study utilizes a repeated-measures design to address whether a neutral mindfulness-based program, not geared at enhancing relationships, can significantly alter the quality of intimate relationships. The research will further examine the central mechanisms of action through which mindfulness can enhance relationships. …

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 …

Are Two Unmatched Minority Statuses Worse Than One? The Impact Of Social Status Similarities On Alliance In A Mock Clinical Interview, Roselee Jeannette Ledesma

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Strengthening therapeutic alliance through social identity matching has been a strategy used to reduce psychotherapy dropout among racial/ethnic and sexual minority clients. Limited research has examined social identity match by manipulating social identity (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual orientation) in an analogue therapy setting. This study (1) assessed whether self-reported alliance was positively associated with theoretical proxies of alliance and (2) examined the effects of racial/ethnic and sexual orientation match on therapeutic alliance (self-reported) and proxies of alliance (perceived similarity, liking, blame, empathy, closeness, microaggression proxies, verbal validation, and open body language). Participants (N = 71) were heterosexual White women interested in …

Elevated Adhd Symptoms As A Predictor Of Rule Violations Among Male Juvenile Offenders, Kathleen Lolley Ramsey

Master's Theses

Youth with ADHD are disproportionately at-risk for engaging in criminality and aggression relative to the general population, and this may be a function of underlying executive function deficits associated with self-regulation. More specifically, youth with ADHD may be susceptible to difficulties with behavioral regulation (impulsivity) and emotional regulation (e.g., managing feelings of anger). The current study sought to expand on previous research to examine the relationship between ADHD symptoms and aggression and the potential moderating effects of anger control among institutionalized youth. Archival data comprising a sample (N=119) of male adolescents who were admitted to a maximum-security residential facility were …

Expanding The Fear Of Loss Of Vigilance Theory: Using Intolerance Of Uncertainty, Responsibility For Harm, And Fear Of Sleep To Predict Nocturnal Panic Attacks, Nicole S. Smith

Master's Theses

Nocturnal panic involves experiencing panic attacks out of a sleeping state without obvious causes such as nightmares or loud noises. Roughly half of patients with panic disorder will experience nocturnal panic in addition to panic attacks while awake, or daytime panic. Like daytime panic, nocturnal panic also occurs in other disorders such as PTSD. The Fear of Loss of Vigilance theory is currently the only model available to explain nocturnal panic. It suggests that nocturnal panickers fear states in which they cannot easily react to or protect themselves from danger. Prior research using a self-report measure to differentiate nocturnal and …

The Influence Of Neural Reward Processing On Memory In Depression, Nathan M. Hager

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Theories and research suggest that depression involves impaired reward sensitivity and a deficit in memory for rewarding stimuli. Some researchers propose that this memory deficit may result from reduced neural reward sensitivity, which impairs the encoding of reward-related memories, but few studies have directly probed this connection. Such research may benefit from examining the reward positivity (RewP), an event-related potential (ERP) previously linked to reduced reward sensitivity in depression. Undergraduates with high or low self-reported depression completed a task in which they chose one of three doors, revealing a neutral word written in a color which indicated an outcome of …

Help-Seeking For Cognitive Impairment By The Patient : The Role Of Self-Compassion., Allison J. Midden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Older adults represent one of the fastest growing population groups with estimates predicting global growth from 617 million in 2015 to 1.6 billion in 2050. As the aged population increases, incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias will also increase. Professionals agree that early intervention is essential for therapeutic and quality of life purposes. However, many older adults wait several months or years to seek medical help after first noticing signs of cognitive impairment. The present study seeks to identify the predictors of help-seeking for cognitive impairment by an individual for him/herself and the role that self-compassion may play …

Measurement Of Defusion: Further Validation Of The Drexel Defusion Scale, Christopher A. Briggs

Dissertations

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) seeks to develop psychological flexibility through the engagement of the six interrelated processes. Four processes employ mindfulness and acceptance strategies and consist of acceptance, defusion, present moment awareness, and the contextualized self. Two other processes, values and committed action, are grouped with present moment awareness and the contextualized self and are termed behavior change strategies. One issue encountered by contemporary behavioral approaches in general, and ACT in particular, is the measurement of the proposed processes. Measurement is complicated by the functional nature of some of the repertoires described making the development of instruments for assessment …

Turn That Frown Upside-Down! The Effectiveness Of Opposite Action In Changing Emotion, Kaitlyn Diane Chamberlain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While research demonstrates that opposite action (OA) impacts emotion (Rizvi & Linehan, 2005), we lack an understanding of the mechanisms by which it produces opposite emotions. The current study dismantled emotion regulation skill components by comparing tasks with different combinations of cognitive, emotive and behavioral components. I predicted that the OA condition would be the most effective in altering negative emotion. University students (n = 194) completed a sadness induction and were randomly assigned to either a (1) control, (2) low arousal positive imagery (3) high arousal positive imagery, or (4) OA plus high arousal positive imagery condition. The control …

Social Anxiety Reduction In The Context Of Social Modeling Utilizing A Placebo Alcohol Beverage, Kyle K. Jackson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol misuse and elevated social anxiety are found to be highly comorbid, and being exposed to social models consuming alcohol can increase one’s consumption. Yet no research has thus far examined whether the internal experience of alcohol consumption (e.g., social anxiety reduction) can also be transmitted via social modeling. This bar-lab study examined the impact of social modeling behavioral cues of social anxiety on emerging adult drinkers. It was hypothesized that those exposed to a social model experiencing an apparent social anxiety reduction from drinking would themselves report lessened state social anxiety following a placebo drink, and that this effect …

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 …