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Across The Pond: Ea-Ohp— Sohp Summit Meeting, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Jonathan Houdmont

Publications and Research

On March 6, 2008 at the APA/NIOSH/SOHP Conference on Work, Stress, and Health in Washington, DC, the executive committees and other involved members of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology held a summit meeting. The gathering was the latest in an ongoing series that began at the EA-OHP Dublin 2006 conference. The main discussion points and outcomes of interest to members are presented here.

Gender Differences In Cam Usage In Undergraduates, Mary E. Pritchard, Patt Elison-Bowers, Phares Book, Bobbie Birdsall

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently opened a center for the study of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). While the NlH has conducted a few random sampling studies, none have examined the knowledge and use of CAM among undergraduates and whether these differ by gender. 111 college students were asked about the usage of a variety of CAM techniques, as well as about beliefs and opinions about CAM techniques. Several gender differences emerged. Implications for college wellness centers will be discussed.

The Effects Of Damage To The Central Thalamus On Learned Behaviors, Kimberly Voorhies

Inquiry Journal 2008

No abstract provided.

An Experimental Juvenile Probation Program: Effects On Parent And Peer Relationships, Eve M. Brank, Jodi Lane, Susan Turner, Terry Fain, Amber Sehgal

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In an effort to provide a wider range of services to youth and their families than is traditionally available in routine probation, the South Oxnard Challenge Project (SOCP) employed a team approach to service delivery of an intensive probation program. The researchers interviewed juveniles who were randomly assigned to either the SOCP experimental condition or the control condition of a routine probation program. The intensive probation program, among other goals, focused on improving parent-child relationships and teaching youth how to choose better peers. At 1 year post random assignment, experimental and control youth were not significantly different on key family …

A Technological Approach To Reaching A Hidden Population Of Problem Drinkers., Daniel Z Lieberman, Suena W Huang

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: The most common obstacle to the treatment of individuals with drinking problems is that most do not seek treatment. This study compared a group of treatment-seeking patients with users of an alcohol-evaluation Web site to determine whether an Internet application could reach a population of problem drinkers who are distinct from those served by currently available forms of care.

METHODS: An open-source application was developed that was modeled on the Drinker's Check-Up, which has been shown to increase motivation for behavior change while presenting itself as a nonthreatening evaluation. To recruit non-treatment seekers, the program was offered as a …

Family Burden Of Compulsive Hoarding: Results Of An Internet Survey, David F. Tolin, Randy O. Frost, Gail Steketee, Kristin E. Fitch

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Compulsive hoarding, the acquisition of and failure to discard large numbers of possessions, is associated with substantial health risk, impairment in functioning, and economic burden. Despite clear indications that hoarding has a detrimental effect on people living with or near someone with a hoarding problem, no empirical research has examined these harmful effects. The aim of the present study was to examine the burden of hoarding on family members. Six hundred sixty-five family informants who reported having a family member or friend with hoarding behaviors completed an internet-based survey. Living with an individual who hoards during childhood was associated with …

Memory For Emotional Images : Recognition And Temporal Contexts, George E. Devore

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Negative emotional stimuli are usually better remembered than neutral emotional stimuli. Previous examination of binding theory found no differences in recall for homogeneous lists of taboo and neutral words. The current study expands on binding theory using negative and neutral visual stimuli in homogeneous lists. A rapid serial visual presentation paradigm and recognition and temporal memory item-discrimination tasks were used. Binding theory predicts no differences between negative and neutral images for recognition and temporal memory. Results were consistent with the assumptions of binding theory and no significant differences were found. This result suggests that binding theory generalizes for visual stimuli …

Exposure To Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analysis Of Child And Adolescent Outcomes, Corrie A. Davies, Sarah E. Evans, David K. Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study used meta-analysis to examine the relationship between childhood exposure to domestic violence and children’s internalizing, externalizing, and trauma symptoms. Results from 60 reviewed studies revealed mean weighted effect size d­values of .48 and .47 for the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and childhood internalizing and externalizing symptoms, respectively, indicating moderate effects. A larger mean weighted effect size d-value of 1.54 was obtained for the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and childhood trauma symptoms, though this figure was based on only six studies. Moderator analyses for gender showed that the relationship between exposure to domestic …

A Synaptic Basis For Auditory-Vocal Integration In The Songbird, Eric E. Bauer, Melissa J. Coleman, Todd F. Roberts, Arani Roy, Jonathan F. Prather, Richard Mooney

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Songbirds learn to sing by memorizing a tutor song that they then vocally mimic using auditory feedback. This developmental sequence suggests that brain areas that encode auditory memories communicate with brain areas for learned vocal control. In the songbird, the secondary auditory telencephalic region caudal mesopallium (CM) contains neurons that encode aspects of auditory experience. We investigated whether CM is an important source of auditory input to two sensorimotor structures implicated in singing, the telencephalic song nucleus interface (NIf) and HVC. We used reversible inactivation methods to show that activity in CM is necessary for much of the auditory-evoked activity …

Depression In Parkinson's Disease: Health Risks, Etiology, And Treatment Options, Pasquale G. Frisina, Joan C. Borod, Nancy S. Foldi, Harriet R. Tenenbaum

Publications and Research

Depression is found in about 30%-40% of all patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), but only a small percentage (about 20%) receive treatment. As a consequence, many PD patients suffer with reduced health-related quality of life. To address quality of life in depressed PD patients, we reviewed the literature on the health correlates of depression in PD (eg, cognitive function), etiology of depression in PD, and treatment options (ie, antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy, and psychotherapy). The current review is unique in its focus on psychosocial aspects, as well as neuropathological factors, of depression in PD. Overall, we conclude that neurochemical (eg, serotonin) …

Does Gender Moderate Associations Among Impulsivity And Health-Risk Behaviors?, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Brian D. Batien, Denis G. Birgenheir

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study explores the relations among gender, impulsivity and three health-risk behaviors relevant to young adults (tobacco use, alcohol problems and gambling problems) in a sample of 197 college-age individuals. We sought to determine whether impulsivity is associated with health-risk behaviors in the same ways for men and women. For tobacco use and gambling problems, men were at higher risk than women, and impulsivity was not significantly associated with higher risk. Higher levels of motor impulsivity in men accounted for a significant amount of the gender difference in risk for alcohol problems. That is, impulsivity as measured by the …

Resting And Reactive Frontal Brain Electrical Activity (Eeg) Among A Non-Clinical Sample Of Socially Anxious Adults: Does Concurrent Depressive Mood Matter?, Elliott A. Beaton, Louis A. Schmidt, A R. Ashbaugh, D L. Santesso, M M. Antony, R E. Mccabe

Psychology Faculty Publications

A number of studies have noted that the pattern of resting frontal brain electrical activity (EEG) is related to individual differences in affective style in healthy infants, children, and adults and some clinical populations when symptoms are reduced or in remission. We measured self-reported trait shyness and sociability, concurrent depressive mood, and frontal brain electrical activity (EEG) at rest and in anticipation of a speech task in a non-clinical sample of healthy young adults selected for high and low social anxiety. Although the patterns of resting and reactive frontal EEG asymmetry did not distinguish among individual differences in social anxiety, …

Attention And Emotion Influence The Relationship Between Extraversion And Neural Response, C. A. Hutcherson, P. R. Goldin, W. Ramel, Kateri Mcrae, J. J. Gross

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Extraversion has been shown to positively correlate with activation within the ventral striatum, amygdala and other dopaminergically innervated, reward-sensitive regions. These regions are implicated in emotional responding, in a manner sensitive to attentional focus. However, no study has investigated the interaction among extraversion, emotion and attention. We used fMRI and dynamic, evocative film clips to elicit amusement and sadness in a sample of 28 women. Participants were instructed either to respond naturally (n = 14) or to attend to and continuously rate their emotions (n = 14) while watching the films. Contrary to expectations, striatal response was negatively associated with …

Built Environment And Physical Functioning In Hispanic Elders: The Role Of “Eyes On The Street”, Scott C. Brown, Craig A. Mason, Tatiana Perrino, Joanna L. Lombard, Frank Martinez, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Arnold R. Spokane, José Szapocznik

School of Architecture Articles and Papers

Background: Research on neighborhood effects increasingly includes the influences of the built environment on health and social well-being.

Objectives: In this population-based study in a low-socioeconomic-status (SES), Hispanic neighborhood, we examined whether architectural features of the built environment theorized to promote direct observations and interactions (e.g., porches, stoops) predicted Hispanic elders’ social support and psychological and physical functioning.

Methods: We coded built-environment features for all 3,857 lots in the 403-block area of an urban Miami, Florida, community. We then conducted three annual assessments of social support, psychological distress, and physical functioning in a population-based sample of 273 low-SES Hispanic elders …

Fas And Cfl Forms Of Verbal Fluency Differ In Difficulty: A Meta-Analytic Study, Danielle Barry

UCHC Articles - Research

The Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA) Test is a brief and sensitive measure of executive cognitive dysfunction. There are two commonly used forms of the test, one using the letters F, A, and S, and the other using C, F, and L. This study examines the relative difficulty of the two forms using a meta-analytic approach that includes multiple samples of normal individuals. The effects of age, education, gender composition, exclusion criteria, and age of study are also examined. Results indicate that the CFL form of the test is more difficult and that age, education, and the use of strict …

Antidepressant Medications, Amir A. Afkhami

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mental Health And Business Professionals’ Employment-Related Perceptions Of Individuals With Psychological Disorders, Kevan Mock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Mental health and business professionals’ employment-related perceptions of 6 psychological disorders (i.e. alcoholism, insomnia, major depression, social phobia, post- traumatic stress disorder, obesity) were examined. The 33 professionals (n = 18 mental health; n = 15 business) evaluated each disorder on 18 employment-related dimensions (e.g. employability, productivity, trainability). Specifically, they evaluated the perceived likelihood of each of the 18 employment-related dimensions being associated with each of the 6 psychological disorders (1 = not likely; 5 = highly likely). Perceptions of the 33 mental health and business professionals were compared with the perceptions of college students (n = 106) obtained in …

Combinations Of Dsm-Iv-Tr Criteria Sets For Bipolar Disorders., Daniel Z Lieberman, Roger Peele, Maryam Razavi

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: DSM-IV-TR is the standard for making psychiatric diagnoses in many countries. The diagnostic categorization of DSM-IV-TR is valued for its reliability, however it is well accepted that patients with the same diagnosis demonstrate substantial heterogeneity. In order to quantitatively characterize the degree of possible heterogeneity that can exist, combinatorial mathematics was used to calculate the number of possible ways to satisfy symptom criteria for the diagnosis of bipolar disorder as an example of this problem.

SAMPLING AND METHODS: The formula n!/(r!(n - r)!), which calculates the number of different ways of choosing an unordered number of items without repetition …

Of Mice And Men: A Comparative Study Assessing Behavioral Indicators Of Sugar Addiction In Mice And College Students, Kahlilia Morris

Capstone Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Genome-Wide Association Identifies A Common Variant In The Reelin Gene That Increases The Risk Of Schizophrenia Only In Women, Sagiv Shifman, Martina Johannesson, Michal Bronstein, Sam X. Chen, David A. Collier, Nicholas J. Craddock, Kenneth S. Kendler, Tao Li, Michael C. O'Donovan, F. Anthony O'Neill, Michael J. Owen, Dermot Walsh, Daniel R. Weinberger, Cuie Sun, Jonathan Flint, Ariel Darvasi

Psychiatry Publications

Sex differences in schizophrenia are well known, but their genetic basis has not been identified. We performed a genome-wide association scan for schizophrenia in an Ashkenazi Jewish population using DNA pooling. We found a female-specific association with rs7341475, a SNP in the fourth intron of the reelin (RELN) gene (p = 2.9 × 10−5 in women), with a significant gene-sex effect (p = 1.8 × 10−4). We studied rs7341475 in four additional populations, totaling 2,274 cases and 4,401 controls. A significant effect was observed only in women, replicating the initial result (p = 2.1 × 10−3 in …

Self-Mutilating Behaviors, Patience Niemoth-Coleman

Graduate Research Papers

Treating self-mutilating behaviors (SMB) is complex. Since people are continuing to engage in the behaviors, counselors need to be informed of the various techniques that are used with SMB as well as to be informed about common myths around self-mutilating behaviors. This paper will explore the methods of SMB, the common myths surrounding SMB, and the theories that explain and inform treatment of.

Telemedicine Facilitates Chf Home Health Care For Those With Systolic Dysfunction, Pennie S. Seibert, Tiffany A. Whitmore, Carin M. Patterson, Patrick D. Parker, Caitlin C. Otto, Jean Basom, Nichole Whitener, Christian G. Zimmerman

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

An estimated 5 million Americans have congestive heart failure (CHF) and one in five over the age of 40 will develop CHF. There are numerous examples of CHF patients living beyond the years normally expected for people with the disease, usually attributed to taking an active role in disease management. A relatively new alternative for CHF outpatient care is telemedicine and e-health. We investigated the effects of a 6-week in-home telemedicine education and monitoring program for those with systolic dysfunction on the utilization of health care resources. We also measured the effects of the unit 4.5 months after its removal …

Assessing Risk Of Reoffending In Adolescents Who Have Committed A Sexual Offense: The Accuracy Of Clinical Judgments After Completion Of Risk Assessment Instruments, Natasha Elkovitch, Jodi L. Viljoen, Mario J. Scalora, Daniel Ullman

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

As courts often rely on clinicians when differentiating between sexually abusive youth at a low versus high risk of reoffense, understanding factors that contribute to accuracy in assessment of risk is imperative. The present study built on existing research by examining (1) the accuracy of clinical judgments of risk made after completing risk assessment instruments, (2) whether instrument- informed clinical judgments made with a high degree of confidence are associated with greater accuracy, and (3) the risk assessment instruments and subscales most predictive of clinical judgments. Raters assessed each youth’s (n = 166) risk of reoffending after completing the SAVRY …

Juries And Eyewitnesses, Cindy Laub, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The role of an eyewitness can be extremely important in the legal system, as eyewitness testimony and eyewitness identifications play a major role in the prosecution of a criminal defendant. Often the courts are left to rely solely on an eyewitness because there is no other physical evidence. This leaves the jury to rely on a witness’s testimony. Jurors are asked to determine the credibility of an eyewitness at trial when rendering a verdict, and jurors have been found to place more emphasis on eyewitness testimony than on any other kind of evidence. However, there are numerous documented cases of …

A Review Of The Tripartite Model For Understanding The Link Between Anxiety And Depression In Youth, Emily R. Anderson, Debra A. Hope

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although research from numerous investigations indicates that there is substantial overlap in anxiety and depressive symptoms and comorbid diagnoses in youth, these constructs can be adequately differentiated. Clark and Watson [Clark, L. A. & Watson, D., (1991). Tripartite model of anxiety and depression: Psychometric evidence and taxonomic implications. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100: 316-336] proposed a tripartite model to account for the symptom overlap and diagnostic comorbidity between anxiety and depression. This tripartite model posits that anxiety and depression share a common component of negative affect, but can be differentiated by low positive affect associated with depression and high …

Electroconvulsive Therapy : A Brief Overview, Adam A. Sauceda

Graduate Research Papers

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been increasing in popularity for treating various types of mental health disorders. Although a notably controversial medical procedure, ECT continues to be an option when intense therapy and psychopharmacology fails. This research project will review the recent literature on ECT and provide useful information specific to mental health professionals. A definition, administration procedures, effectiveness, side effects, and specific disorders that have been targeted and most and least receptive for ECT treatment will be the focus of attention

Amphetamine Selectively Enhances Avoidance Responding To A Less Salient Stimulus In Rats, Ming Li, Wei He, Rebecca Munro

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This preclinical study examined the psychological processes affected by amphetamine that contribute to human psychosis. Using a novel avoidance conditioning paradigm involving two conditioned stimuli (CS) with varied salience, we found that acute amphetamine (1.5 mg/ kg, i.p.) selectively enhanced avoidance responding to a less salient stimulus, but not to a salient one. These findings suggest that elevated dopaminergic activity selectively enhances the attributions of motivational salience to a less salient stimulus, a process that may bear relevance to the development of human delusional thoughts.

Signs For The Future Of Civil Justice Research, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The chapters in the present volume [Civil Juries and Civil Justice (New York: Springer, 2008)] provide a number of signs for the future of civil justice research. Many of the signs are favorable and point to continued fruitful collaborations between legal and psychological researchers on pressing topics in the justice arena with important policy implications; yet the contributions also highlight several gaps in the literature, data limitations, and false steps. In other words, some of the signs are not-so-favorable, and there is still much work to be done. In this concluding commentary, I identify the major portents for the …

Rigid Thinking About Deformables: Do Children Sometimes Overgeneralize The Shape Bias?, Larissa K. Samuelson, Jessica S. Horst, Anne R. Schutte, Brandi N. Dobbertin

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Young children learning English are biased to attend to the shape of solid rigid objects when learning novel names. This study seeks further understanding of the processes that support this behavior by examining a previous finding that three-year-old children are also biased to generalize novel names for objects made from deformable materials by shape, even after the materials are made salient. In two experiments, we examined the noun generalizations of 72 two-, three- and four-year- old children with rigid and deformable stimuli. Data reveal that three-year-old, but not two- or four-year-old, children generalize names for deformable things by shape, and …

Response, Remission & Recovery: Need To Review Outcome Measures For Schizophrenia, Amresh Shrivastava, Nilesh Shah

Psychiatry Publications

Schizophrenia is a complex neurobehavioral disorder known to be associated with poor outcome. It causes significant disability in patients and burden of care amongst relatives. Outcome in developing countries has been reported to be far better than western world, which has come into scientific scanner recently. Wide gap exists between expectations of outcome amongst patients, relatives, caregivers and professionals, which is possibly because of limitations in measurements tools. Significant number of patients remain marginalized without improvement in social & occupational functioning preventing their integration into mainstream of society despite 'clinically reported good outcome' and significant advancement in treatments. The contemporary …