Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Examining The Effects Of A Multi-Component Neurocognitive Intervention For School-Aged Children With Co-Occurring Adhd And Reading Difficulties, Alyssa L. Chimiklis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently exhibit impairments in neurocognitive pathways (i.e., deficits in sustained attention, response inhibition, processing speed, working memory, and cognitive flexibility). There is also extensive support indicating that youth with co-occurring ADHD and reading difficulties share pathological pathways and exhibit deficits in executive functions. Neither behavioral nor pharmacological interventions have been able to fully address executive dysfunction and/or reading deficits in this population. Computerized neurocognitive training interventions have been explored as a treatment alternative for youth with pure ADHD and have demonstrated some merit. Conceptually, computerized neurocognitive training programs that target overlapping pathways …

Subjective Experience Of Autonomy And Psychological Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Study With Korean American And European American Young Adults, Esther J. Lee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study aimed to explore whether parenting beliefs and practices that might promote academic or professional achievements also undermine aspects of psychological well-being. Specifically, the study focused on the relationship between the experience of subjective autonomy and psychological well-being measured in terms of self-esteem, flourishing, and life satisfaction. The sample consisted of 86 second-generation Korean Americans (KAs) and 99 European Americans (EAs) ages 25-35. Perceived parental autonomy support (versus psychological control) and perceived parental modernity (versus traditionalism) were also examined for group differences and associations with psychological well-being. As a group, KAs perceived greater parental psychological control and parental traditionalism …

Internal And External Attention In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tehila Eilam-Stock

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental condition affecting individuals throughout the lifespan. Sensory hypersensitivity and superior perceptual acuity are well documented in individuals with ASD, and may indicate heightened orientation of attention to external stimuli, as attention can augment sensory perception. Recent evidence from mind-wandering research suggests that the ability to disengage attention from the external environment and direct it internally to self-generated mentation is crucial for adaptive cognition and behavior, as it allows for incorporation of past knowledge and experience in the interpretation of novel situations. We hypothesized that ASD is related to an imbalance between externally …

The Social Cost Of Pain: Rejection Sensitivity, Social Rejection, And Cannabis Use In Young Adults, Naomi Dambreville

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cannabis has been implicated in relieving distress and social pain, an important area of research in young adult samples, given the saliency of peer and social networks to addiction. Cannabis, via opioid pathways, has been shown to reduce, or potentially buffer, the effects of social pain and rejection. Thus, cannabis may be protective against the painful feelings of social stress, particularly for heavier or more frequent users. However, findings are not wholly positive, as other research indicates cannabis may blunt affective responses and impair social processing. The effects of cannabis use in young adults are understudied, as well as its …

Getting The Benefit Of The Doubt: The Effect Of Randomization Ratio On The Placebo Response, Taiki Matsuura

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Placebos are commonly employed in clinical trials as inactive treatments to which experimental treatments are compared against in order to control for psychological “noise.” Randomized double-blind placebo control studies are considered the “gold standard” in epidemiologic research because they can provide the strongest possible evidence of causation if designed correctly (Hulley, Cummings, Browner, & Grady, 2007). One phenomenon that poses a threat to the integrity of this evidence is the placebo response (PR), or referred to as the “placebo effect.” Expectancy is considered a central PR mechanism and boasts the most empirical support among all proposed mechanisms. Expectancy is not …

Exploration Of The Interaction Of Maternal Experience Of Trauma And Infant Temperament On Maternal Parenting, Julie Christine Van Weelden

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Among women over age 18, 1 in 3 have experienced intimate partner violence, including physical aggression and stalking, and nearly 1 in 5 have experienced some type of sexual violence during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood (Black et al., 2011). Given the high rates of trauma experiences in women of childbearing age, especially in low-income populations (Gillepsie et al, 2009), it is critical to examine the effect these experiences have on women´s parenting, especially during infancy, a sensitive period for many important domains of child development (Bornstein, 2002). Previous research has demonstrated experiencing victimization can affect maternal caregiving (Trickett, Noll, Putnam, …

Effective Screening Of Postpartum Depression And Its Potential To Increase Treatment: An Integrative Literature Review, Isabella C. Huminsky

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Background: Several studies suggest nurses specializing in women’s health, pediatrics, and family health have a critical role quickly identifying and subsequently, treating postpartum depression. Due to lack of knowledge surrounding postpartum depression and differences among assessments, it is estimated that almost half of postpartum depression cases go undiagnosed and untreated.

Objectives: To explore what research has been conducted regarding the clinical outcomes associated with effective screening of postpartum patients, to recommend educational programs for staff and patients, and screening and treatment protocols development so screening for postpartum depression can becomes universal.

Methods: This integrative literature review was conducted …

Addressing Racial Disparities In Parent Training Enrollment: An Examination Of Help-Seeking For Child Behavior Problems Among African American Mothers, Kasia Plessy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The consideration of African American mothers’ mental health help-seeking attitudes and intentionsis important when developing culturally sensitive parent training programs and potentially help bridge a critical knowledge and service gap for this population. The purpose of this study is to examine the parental help-seeking for child externalizing behavior problems in order to delineate variables that might influence BPT enrollment among African American families. To address the lack of research considering cultural factors, this study examines the influence of racial group identification, cultural childrearing values, and mental health stigmatization on African American mothers’ problem recognition and willingness to engage in behavioral …

Recent Trends, Current Research In Cyberpsychology: A Literature Review, Amarjit Kumar Singh, Pawan Kumar Singh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Cyberpsychology refers to the study of the mind and behavior in the context of interactions with technology. It is an emerging branch, which has focused on the psychological aspects connected to the increasing presence and usages of technology in modern lives. This paper traces recent advancement and trends of Cyberpsychology is an emerging domain of knowledge and goes on the give a literature review of the same. An analysis of the recent research and literature covering 300 most relevant research papers from the period of 2012 to 15, August 2019 was conducted to determine and shape the research pattern based …

Mindfulness And Blood Pressure Across Demographics: Analyses From The Serenity Study, Gabrielle R. Chin

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness, as a state, trait, and training, is linked with myriad positive mental and physical health outcomes. Understanding the individual characteristics potentially influencing links between mindful traits, mindfulness training, and physical health, is therefore important, yet remains under-addressed. Utilizing data from the ongoing Serenity Study (NCT02371317), the current project examines if (1) at baseline, higher trait mindfulness relates to lower BP consistently as a function of demographics, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training lowers BP consistently across demographic subgroups and initial levels of trait mindfulness, and (3) if change in trait mindfulness following MBSR training correlates with change in BP …

Effort, Avolition And Motivational Experience In Schizophrenia: Analysis Of Behavioral And Neuroimaging Data With Relationships To Daily Motivational Experience, Adam Culbreth

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has suggested an association between motivational impairment in those with schizophrenia and reduced willingness to expend effort on experimental tasks. However, few studies have examined the neural correlates of effort-based decision-making in those with schizophrenia. In the current study, we aimed to examine willingness to expend effort, the associated neural circuitry of effort-based decision-making, and the impact of experimentally-defined effort-based decision-making on daily motivational experience in schizophrenia. We recruited 28 individuals with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls to perform an effort-based decision-making task while undergoing fMRI scanning. In order to assess whether willingness to expend effort was associated …

Effort, Avolition And Motivational Experience In Schizophrenia: Analysis Of Behavioral And Neuroimaging Data With Relationships To Daily Motivational Experience, Adam Culbreth

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research has suggested an association between motivational impairment in those with schizophrenia and reduced willingness to expend effort on experimental tasks. However, few studies have examined the neural correlates of effort-based decision-making in those with schizophrenia. In the current study, we aimed to examine willingness to expend effort, the associated neural circuitry of effort-based decision-making, and the impact of experimentally-defined effort-based decision-making on daily motivational experience in schizophrenia. We recruited 28 individuals with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls to perform an effort-based decision-making task while undergoing fMRI scanning. In order to assess whether willingness to expend effort was associated …

Spatial Navigation Ability As A Predictor Of Increased Clinical Impairment, Taylor Hendershott

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spatial navigation deficits are observed in Alzheimer disease (AD) cross-sectionally, but prediction of longitudinal clinical decline has been less examined. Cognitive mapping (CM) was assessed in 95 participants and route Learning (RL) was assessed in 65 participants at baseline. Clinical progression over an average of 4.16 years was assessed using the Clinical Dementia Rating scale. Relative predictive ability of these tasks was compared to episodic memory, hippocampal volume and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (ptau₁₈₁/Aβ₄₂ ratio). CM and RL were significant predictors of clinical progression (ps181/Aβ₄₂ in prediction (psTaken together the results suggest that baseline spatial navigation …

Pilot Rct Of Mbrp In Outpatient Methadone Clinic: A Neuropsychologically-Informed Approach, Jessica Pommy

Psychology ETDs

Introduction: The primary study goal was to assess the feasibility of implementing a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) in a substance use and methadone clinic using a neuropsychological framework. Methods: Participation interest, retention rates, and feasibility of study design were examined. 13 participants were randomized to waitlist (n = 6) or MBRP (n =7). Associations between baseline variables and retention were examined. Executive function (EF) performance and topological properties of fNIRS resting-state networks were assessed. Results: Power was limited, but quantity of outside treatment was associated with retention. EF was variable, but within the average range. …

Using The Coaching Approach Behavior And Leading By Modeling (Calm) Program To Examine Attachment And Parental Behaviors In Childhood Anxiety, Seana Bandi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is one of the most common disorders in children that can often lead to detrimental outcomes. Empirically-supported risk factors for child anxiety include the child’s temperament and behavioral inhibition, insecure attachment, parental over-controlling behaviors, parental anxiety, and the impact of adverse life events on the child. Targeting these risk factors early on has the ability to lead to a decrease in anxiety symptoms later in adolescence and adulthood.

Evidence suggests behavioral, therapeutic interventions are effective for treating anxiety and other mood disorders for middle childhood and adolescents. Recent research has begun to focus on developmentally-appropriate adaptations for younger children …

Kink In Flux: Bdsm Theory And Sexual Praxis, Celeste Pietrusza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The opening decades of the 21^st century have seen a veritable explosion of representations of bondage, discipline and sadomasochism (BDSM) and kink practices in mainstream media and American culture. Along with this, empirical researchers working in sexuality studies continue to show, contrary to the history of stigmatizing accounts in the history of clinical psychology, no evidence of increased pathology and, in some studies, better outcomes on measures of mental health.

Given the legacy of psychoanalysis in foregrounding considerations of sadomasochism and sexuality for the human psyche, it seems particularly well positioned to approach the complexities of dynamic fantasies involved …

Listen For The Desert: An Ecopsychological Autoethnography, Dorothy Cashore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What does it mean for human beings to be part of nature – not just as a conceptual justification for doing right by the planet, but actually as an embodied, emotional, and sensuous experience? What happens to the experience of being human when notions as fundamental as voice, absence, suffering, and psyche are re-encountered from a perspective rooted within, rather than apart from, the natural world? While this dissertation responds to these questions, it initially took shape in response to something that felt less like a research question and more like a summons. Following a startling experience of feeling called …

Weak Social Support As An Indicator For Worse Trauma Related Symptoms, Michael B. Sugarman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between social support and trauma related symptoms in trauma exposed participants. Using the SCID and CAPS, weak family support factors were found to be associated with a greater number and severity of trauma related symptoms; suggesting that family support is important for trauma exposed people.

Behavioral Hypervigilance In A Normative Population, Karly Weinreb

Theses and Dissertations

Hypervigilance is conceptualized as a symptom of trauma-related disorders, however it can also occur in a normative population. To distinguish normative hypervigilance from trauma-related hypervigilance, 372 participants (123 trauma-exposed and 249 non-trauma-exposed) completed a questionnaire assessing hypervigilance in contexts. Trauma-exposed participants reported greater levels of hypervigilance in 3 contexts.

Cognitive, Mood, And Cardiovascular Reactivity And Recovery In Response To Sadness In Remitted Major Depressive Disorder, Olivia Bogucki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder is marked by high rates of relapse and recurrence. Research has suggested that formerly depressed individuals exhibit dysphoric mood or dysfunctional beliefs that are similar to currently depressed individuals while in a dysphoric, but not euthymic, mood and these changes prospectively predict relapse and recurrence over time.While there is still disagreement as to whether dysfunctional thinking or dysphoric mood characterizes remitted depression, these changes appear to be mood state dependent, or undetectable until activated by sadness. These findings have led to the hypothesis that cardiovascular functioning may also be mood state dependent in remitted depression; however, this …