Psychology Commons^™

Assessing The Factor Structure Of The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, And Cumulative Effect Of Abuse And Neglect On Mental Health Among Adolescents In Conflict-Affected Burundi, Ruby Charak, Jtvm De Jong, Lidewyde H. Berckmoes, Herman Ndayisaba, Ria Reis

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The present study aimed to examine the factor structure of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ; Bernstein & Fink, 1998), highlight rates of abuse and neglect among Burundian adolescents, compare these rates with those found in high-income nations, and examine the cumulative effect of multiple types of abuse and neglect on depression and PTSD symptoms. Participants were 231 adolescents and youth (M = 14.9, SD = 1.99, 58.4% female) from five provinces of Burundi, a country in Central Africa affected by war and political violence. Translation and back-translation of the CTQ was carried out to obtain an adaptation of CTQ …

Workforce Well-Being: Personal And Workplace Contributions To Early Educators' Depression Across Settings, Amy M. Roberts, Kathleen C. Gallagher, Alexandra Daro, Iheoma Iruka, Susan Sarver

Buffet Early Childhood Institute Reports and Publications

Building on research demonstrating the importance of teachers' well-being, this study examined personal and contextual factors related to early childhood educators' (n =1640) depressive symptoms across licensed child care homes, centers, and schools. Aspects of teachers' beliefs, economic status, and work-related stress were explored, and components of each emerged as significant in an OLS regression. After controlling for demographics and setting, teachers with more adult-centered beliefs, lower wages, multiple jobs, no health insurance, more workplace demands, and fewer work-related resources, had more depressive symptoms. Adult-centered beliefs were more closely associated with depression for teachers working in home-based settings compared …

Taking A Person-Centered Approach To Personality: A Latent-Profile Analysis Of The Hexaco Model Of Personality, Kabir N. Daljeet, Nicholas L. Bremner, Erica A. Giammarco, John P. Meyer, Sampo V. Paunonen

Psychology Publications

Our study applies a person-centered approach to the HEXACO model of personality using latent profile analysis (LPA). While the traditional variable-centered approach assumes that the relations among variables within a population are homogenous, the person-centered approach identifies subgroups within samples that have similar scores on several variables of interest, in this case, the six factors of personality. Data from two independent samples were collected at a large North American university. The results of LPA revealed five distinct and interpretable profiles that replicated and were found to be consistent across both samples. We discuss how our findings attest to the meaningfulness …

Cognitive Impairment, Depression, Anxiety, And Personality And Ms Patient Estimations Of Memory Function, Jordan Charboneau

Dissertations (1934 -)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, characterized by a wide range of physical, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral symptoms. To effectively diagnose and treat MS, clinicians rely on patient reports of function to help identify and treat their problems (Kinsinger, Lattie, & Mohr, 2010). Specifically, self-reports of cognitive symptoms are a valuable source of information upon which clinicians depend (Van der Hiele, Spliethoff-Kamminga, Ruimschotel, Middelkoop, & Visser, 2012). While patient reports of cognitive functioning, including memory, are important, there has been substantial debate about the accuracy of such information. The present study investigated the association between general …

Sleep, Internalizing Symptoms, Executive Functioning, And Diabetes Outcomes In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Ashley Charlene Moss

Dissertations (1934 -)

Insufficient sleep is a nearly universal problem during adolescence and is likely associated with various biopsychosocial and contextual factors present with this developmental period. Youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may experience greater sleep difficulties, poorer sleep quality, and greater daytime sleepiness/fatigue compared to healthy youth. Also, sleep difficulties are associated with poorer diabetes outcomes (e.g., treatment adherence). Understanding how sleep may impact illness management during adolescence is critical given increasing rates of non-adherence during this developmental period. Although research suggests poor sleep is associated with decreased neurocognitive functioning and increased internalizing behavior among healthy youth, limited research has …

Post-Learning Arousal Enhances Veridical Memory And Reduces False Memory In The Deese-Roediger-Mcdermott Paradigm, Kristy A. Nielson, Anthony N. Correro

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm examines false memory by introducing words associated with a non-presented ‘critical lure’ as memoranda, which typically causes the lures to be remembered as frequently as studied words. Our prior work has shown enhanced veridical memory and reduced misinformation effects when arousal is induced after learning (i.e., during memory consolidation). These effects have not been examined in the DRM task, or with signal detection analysis, which can elucidate the mechanisms underlying memory alterations. Thus, 130 subjects studied and then immediately recalled six DRM lists, one after another, and then watched a 3-min arousing (n = 61) …

Self-Compassion, Self-Injury, And Pain, Wesley Ellen Gregory, Jillian V. Glazer, Kathy R. Berenson

Psychology Faculty Publications

We conducted an experiment to examine self-compassion and responses to pain among undergraduate women with and without histories of self-injury. After a writing task that has been shown to increase self-compassion in a values-affirming condition relative to a neutral control condition, participants completed a self-report measure of state self-compassion and the cold pressor task. As predicted, participants with a history of self-injury reported lower trait self-compassion than those without such a history, and participants in the values-affirming condition reported significantly higher state self-compassion than those in the control condition. Moreover, participants with a history of self-injury demonstrated significantly less insensitivity …

An Empirical Examination Of A Well-Being Engine Model, Korey Jacob Connor

Dissertations (1934 -)

Humanity has struggled to define the good life from, at very least, the beginning of recorded history. The last three decades have seen a major uptick in the amount of scholarly activities in this vein, with contemporary iterations falling under the auspices of well-being studies. These studies in the field of psychology, while abundant, have tended to align closely with one of a select few schools of thought while eschewing alternative approaches. Studies are produced at a dizzying rate, but are often limited in scope and in need of greater conceptual clarification. A promising integrative theoretical model, called the engine …

Feature Space Augmentation: Improving Prediction Accuracy Of Classical Problems In Cognitive Science And Computer Vison, Piyush Saxena

Dissertations (1934 -)

The prediction accuracy in many classical problems across multiple domains has seen a rise since computational tools such as multi-layer neural nets and complex machine learning algorithms have become widely accessible to the research community. In this research, we take a step back and examine the feature space in two problems from very different domains. We show that novel augmentation to the feature space yields higher performance. Emotion Recognition in Adults from a Control Group: The objective is to quantify the emotional state of an individual at any time using data collected by wearable sensors. We define emotional state as …

Biculturalism, Bilingualism, & Executive Function Among U.S. Latinos: Implications For Cognitive Reserve, Leticia G. Vallejo

Dissertations (1934 -)

The current study was an exploratory investigation of the cultural constructs of biculturalism and bilingualism as predictors of executive function among a community-based sample of 25 older adult Latinos living in the U.S. The potential moderating effects of education and bicultural identity integration were also examined. Using regression analyses, biculturalism and bilingualism were examined independently as predictors of performance on three separate tasks of executive function: trail making tests, a phonemic fluency task, and a clock drawing task. Bilingualism was not found to predict performance on any of the executive functioning tasks. In the overall sample, biculturalism also was not …

Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Through Body Adornment, Linore Huss

Honors Projects

I conducted a series of interviews with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder survivors or their family members and completed an interactive body of work in body adornment and jewelry that reflects their stories. Last year I decided to focus on the people behind the trauma rather than the trauma itself, which I feel connects the survivor and the viewer more deeply than presenting a general image. Each piece draws from a survivor's personal story, the titles pulling from interview quotes, and the interaction with the viewer representative of each personal struggle.

Initial Development And Validation Of The Deliberate Denial Of Disordered Eating Behaviors Scale, Lindsay Marie Howard

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

It is common for individuals who engage in disordered eating behaviors to intentionally conceal symptomatology. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid measure of deliberate denial as it relates to disordered eating behaviors in a non-clinical population. Deliberate denial of disordered eating behaviors can be defined as any conscious omission, concealment, or misrepresentation of behavior related to disordered eating. The present scale was developed within the context of two studies. Study 1 focused on item generation. Items were based on the definition of deliberate denial of disordered eating behaviors, taken from existing eating disorder assessments …

Creativity And Innovation Through The Job Demands-Resources Model, Nathan Haugejorde Bjornberg

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Organizational innovation is key to organizations’ financial performance and long-term success (Anderson, Potočnik, & Zhou, 2014; Bowen, Rostami, & Steel, 2010). Employees drive organizational innovation through their creativity and innovation, making the understanding of how to influence these behaviors especially important. Previous research has stressed the importance of the work environment and individual differences in supporting creativity and innovation (Byron & Khazanchi, 2011; Hammond, Neff, Farr, Schwall, & Zhao, 2011; Hülsheger, Anderson, & Salgado, 2009; Hunter, Bedell, & Mumford, 2007), but results have been unclear about how this occurs (Hennessey & Amabile, 2010). This study used the job-demands resources model …

Examining Body-Focused Self-Improvement And Self-Evaluation Social Comparisons On Exercise In Young Adult Women Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, Rachel I. Macintyre

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Exercise is highly recommended by health professionals due to its numerous health benefits, yet little is known about the social factors that influence people’s motivation to exercise each day. Studies on social comparisons reveal that college women frequently evaluate their weight and shape compared to those around them through upward body-focused comparisons (i.e., comparing themselves to someone they perceive to be thinner or in better physical shape). Research suggests these comparisons can be driven by two different motivations, self-evaluation and self-improvement. However, the occurrence of these two different types of motivations in everyday life and how they may be associated …

Adult Sexual Abuse, Disordered Eating Behaviors, And Substance Abuse: The Role Of Internalized Shame And Maladaptive Coping Strategies, Bilgé Özgé Yilmaz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of sexual abuse and disordered eating in young adulthood is increasing in the United States, with as many as one-quarter of women reporting unwanted sexual contact and two-thirds reporting extreme dieting. Among the numerous deleterious effects of sexual abuse are a greater risk of problematic eating, drinking and drug use among women, making this population at particular risk for co-occurrence of sexual abuse, disordered eating and substance use. Despite these statistics, the impact of adult sexual abuse (ASA) on disordered eating and substance use is largely unknown for this population. Shame and avoidance-focused coping have been identified as …

Affective Factors Explaining The Association Between Depressive Functioning And Alcohol Outcomes, Peter D. Preonas

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Depressive symptoms and alcohol use frequently coexist. In college students, the rates of depression and alcohol use are higher than in the general population, making this population at particular risk for co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and drinking. Though research has shown that depressive symptoms precede alcohol use and problems in non-clinical populations, it is unclear what mechanisms contribute to this relationship. Further exploration into how this relationship occurs could inform and improve intervention of depression and alcohol abuse on college campuses. This study sought to (1) assess three potential mediators (i.e., need for affect, distress tolerance, emotion regulation) to the …

Racial Bias In Drivers' Yielding Behavior At Crosswalks: Understanding The Effect, Kimberly Barsamian Kahn, Jean M. Mcmahon, Tara Goddard, Arlie Adkins

TREC Final Reports

This project explores social identity factors (race and gender) that influence drivers’ behavior in interactions with pedestrians at crosswalks. One dangerous potential point of conflict for pedestrians within the transportation system is interactions with drivers at crosswalks (NHTSA, 2009). In 2010, there was one crash-related pedestrian death every two hours and an injury every eight minutes, and racial minorities are disproportionately represented in these pedestrian fatalities (CDC, 2013). In light of this disparity, this project examines whether racial discrimination occurs at crosswalks, which may lead to disparate crossing experiences and disproportionate safety outcomes. Racial minorities experience racial discrimination across various …

Is Cooperative Memory Special? The Role Of Costly Errors, Context, And Social Network Size When Remembering Cooperative Actions, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Tim Winke

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Theoretical studies of cooperative behavior have focused on decision strategies, such as tit-for-tat, that depend on remembering a partner’s last choices. Yet, an empirical study by Stevens et al. (2011) demonstrated that human memory may not meet the requirements that needed to use these strategies. When asked to recall the previous behavior of simulated partners in a cooperative memory task, participants performed poorly, making errors in 10–24% of the trials. However, we do not know the extent to which this task taps specialized cognition for cooperation. It may be possible to engage participants in more cooperative, strategic thinking, which may …

Is It Just Me Or Was That Sexist? Perception Of Hostile And Benevolent Sexism In The Context Of Race, Mackenzie S. Kirkman

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Sexism is a common problem in the U.S. A major component of addressing this problem is determining the circumstances in which sexism is identified. One particular characteristic relevant to the perception of sexism is the race of the perpetrator of sexist behaviors. Using a vignette design, the current project explored whether sexism was identified at different rates or perceived as more or less sexist depending on the race of the man perpetrating sexist behaviors and whether it was hostile or benevolent sexism (Glick & Fiske, 1996). When a Black man engaged in sexist behavior, he was perceived as more sexist …

Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Youths’ Public Facilities Use And Psychological Well-Being: A Mixed-Method Study, Lance S. Weinhardt, Patricia Stevens, Hui Xie, Linda M. Wesp, Steven A. John, Immaculate Apchemengich, David Kioko, Shannon Chavez-Korell, Katherine M. Cochran, Jennifer M. Watjen, Nickolas H. Lambrou

Publications and Research

Purpose: In this study, we explored experiences and feelings of safety in public facilities in relation to psychological well-being among transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth in the Midwest in the summer of 2016, in the context of ongoing legislative proposals and regulations regarding school and public bathroom use in the United States.

Methods: We used a mixed-method approach, with (1) a self-administered, paper-and-pencil survey of 120 TGNC youth, focusing on differences of self-esteem, resilience, quality of life (QoL), perceived stigma, feelings of safety, and experiences of public facility use and (2) two focus group interviews (n = 9) in …