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Factor Analysis Of The Borderline Personality Inventory Using Item Response Theory, Courtney Mozo

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The current study used a sample of 251 undergraduate females &om Old Dominion University to assess the item properties of the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI). The BPI is a true/false self-report instrument used to measure borderline personality disorder. The BPI was created using classical test theory techniques, and traditional methods were used to assess the scale's properties (Leichsenring, 1999). Due to the dichotomous nature of the BPI, traditional classical test theory techniques are not ideal. The current study used Item Response Theory (IRT) to characterize the scale and item properties. The study was conducted using an online survey that also …

Are Successful Applicants To The Roman Catholic Deaconate Psychologically Healthy?, Thomas G. Plante, Kathleen Lackey

Psychology

The current investigation evaluated psychological and personality profiles of successful applicants to the deaconate in several Roman Catholic dioceses in California. The MMPI-2 and 16PF were administered to 25 applicants between 2004 and 2006 who subsequently entered the permanent deaconate program. Results indicate that these applicants to the deaconate were generally well-adjusted as well as being socially responsible. Findings also suggest some tendency for defensiveness, repression, naivete, and a strong need for affection, as well as for being emotionally stable, genuine, and cooperative.

Early Psychosis: A Bridge To Future, Amresh Srivastava

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Versus Education On Stigma Toward People With Psychological Disorders, Akihiko Masuda, Steven C. Hayes, Lindsay B. Fletcher, Paul J. Seignourel, Kara Bunting, Scott A. Herbst, Michael P. Twohig, Jason Lillis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has previously been shown to alter stigmatizing attitudes and to be relatively useful for psychologically inflexible participants. The present study is the first to bring those two findings together by comparing ACT to an education intervention for reducing stigma toward people with psychological disorders, and examining whether results differ for psychologically inflexible versus flexible individuals. A sample of college students (N=95) was randomly assigned to a 2¹/₂ h ACT or educational workshop. Measures were taken before and after the workshop and at a 1-month follow-up. ACT reduced mental health stigma …

Perceiving The Relationship Between Discrete And Continuous Data: A Comparison Of Sonified Data Display Formats, Carina M. Mccormick, John H. Flowers

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study compared the effectiveness of two auditory display designs for conveying the relationship between discrete and continuous data. Participants judged the relationship between simulated data representing “sea temperature,” (a continuous variable) and “storm occurrence” (a categorical variable) by rating the strength of covariation between these variables and qualitatively describing the relationship for one of two types of auditory displays. One format integrated the representation of storms and sea temperature into a single pitch-varying “stream” by signaling storms occurrence by momentary amplitude and timbre changes. The other format presented the storm occurrence information as atonal percussive events separate from the …

A Specialized Domestic Violence Court In South Carolina: An Example Of Procedural Justice For Victims And Defendants, Angela R. Gover, Eve M. Brank, John M. Macdonald

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current research details interviews with 50 victims and 50 defendants who participated in a specialized criminal domestic violence court in Lexington County, South Carolina. These victims and defendants indicated satisfaction with their court experiences, thought the process allowed them to voice their views, felt they were treated with respect, and were generally satisfied with the outcome of their cases. Court observations and interviews with court personnel confirmed that this court has successfully incorporated victims and defendants into the decision-making process while also providing a fair system to address the issue of violence against women.

The Relations Of Pain, Religious Coping, And Depression In Fibromyalgia Patients, Derek O. Bacchus

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study attempted to examine the relationship between Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) pain, religious coping, and depression. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), RCOPE, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to assess these constructs in 50 participants. The sample was primarily middle aged and female, which is typical of the FMS population. This study used multiple regression to make assumptions about the causal progression of the variables. Study findings show that religious coping does not appear to significantly mediate the strong relationship between FMS pain and depression. This research served to uncover …

An Analysis Of Nicotine Exacerbation Of Reductions In Ppi In A Rodent Model Of Schizophrenia., Amanda Marie Maple

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is an operational measure of sensorimotor gating and is known to be reduced when the dopamine D² receptor is activated. We used a rodent model of psychosis in which increases in dopamine D_{2 receptor sensitivity are produced through neonatal quinpirole (a dopamine D2 / D3 agonist) treatment to rats. Rats were administered quinpirole (1mg/kg) or saline from postnatal day (P) 1-21. Rats were raised to adulthood and tested on PPI. Results showed that neonatal quinpirole treatment produced a significant reduction in PPI, and nicotine exacerbated this reduction. This reduction was partially blocked by …}

Nicotine Sensitization In A Rodent Model Of Schizophrenia: A Comparison Of Adolescents, Adults, And Neurotrophic Factors., Marla Kay Perna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The behavioral effects of nicotine on locomotor activity in a rodent model of psychosis were analyzed. This model is based on neonatal quinpriole treatment (a dopamine D2/D3 agonist) which causes increased D2 receptor sensitivity, a phenomenon known as D2 priming that is common in schizophrenia. D2-primed adolescent rats did not demonstrate nicotine-induced hypoactivity early in training, and males demonstrated more rapid sensitization to nicotine as compared to controls administered nicotine. D2-primed females administered nicotine demonstrated increased stereotypic behavior. D2-primed adult rats given nicotine demonstrated significantly more robust sensitization to nicotine than controls given nicotine. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was analyzed …

The Effects Of Child Sexual Abuse And Posttraumatic Stress On Levels Of Self-Efficacy, Lary L. Anderson

Graduate Theses

Sexually abused children often develop posttraumatic stress disorder, a distressing and potentially debilitating condition that renders children to feelings of helplessness. Past studies have explored these effects in adults concerning sexual abuse, health issues, war, and natural disaster but not much research has been done for children. This study examined childhood sexual abuse, PTSD, and the relation that exists with self-efficacy. Thirty-nine children, 7 males and 32 females, participated in the study. The ages ranged from age eight through age eighteen, with a mean age of 12.5. Each participant was tested for levels of PTSD, using the Trauma Check list …

Unique And Combined Contributions Of Multiple Child Abuse Types And Abuse Severity To Adult Trauma Symptomatology, John C. Clemmons, Kate Walsh, David K. Dilillo, Terri L. Messman-Moore

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Studies have documented the co-occurrence and cumulative impact of multiple types of child maltreatment on later psychosocial difficulties. Other research suggests that child abuse characteristics indicative of severity may also increase risk of later adjustment problems. However, little effort has been made to examine the co-occurrence of both multiple types of maltreatment and abuse severity within a single study. The present investigation examines self-reported child maltreatment and adult functioning in a geographically diverse sample of 1,396 undergraduate students. Results indicate that experiencing multiple types of maltreatment is positively associated with more severe abuse. Although increased maltreatment types and more severe …

Behavioral And Neuropharmacological Characterization Of Nicotine As A Conditional Stimulus, Jennifer E. Murray, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In rats, the pharmacological (interoceptive) effects of 0.4 mg/kg nicotine can serve as a conditional stimulus in a Pavlovian conditioning task. Nicotine administration is paired with intermittent access to a liquid sucrose unconditional stimulus; sucrose is withheld on saline sessions. An increase in sucrose receptacle entries (goal tracking) on nicotine sessions indicates conditioning. Rats were trained on a nicotine dose ((-)-1-Methyl-2-(3-pyridyl)pyrrolidine; 0.1, 0.2, or 0.4 mg base/kg, s.c.). Generalization was examined using 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg nicotine and saline. Some behavioral effects of nicotine have been attributed to dopamine and glutamate. Accordingly, potential blockade of the nicotine …

Comprehension Of Health Plan Language For Denial Of Benefit Claims, E. Kiernan Mcgorty

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

ERISA requires that plan administrators provide consumers with understandable health plan documents. The present study assessed the readability and comprehensibility of medical necessity and claims procedure clauses. For Study 1, I collected 40 summary plan descriptions from a diverse sample of employers and ran readability tests on the medical necessity and claims procedure clauses. Scores on the Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch Grade Level, and Fog Index indicated that the clauses were, in violation of ERISA’s disclosure requirement, written at reading levels beyond those one might expect the average plan participant to possess.

In Studies 2 and 3, employees read either …

A Latent Growth Curve Analysis Of Prosocial Behavior Among Rural Adolescents, Gustavo Carlo, Lisa J. Crockett, Brandy A. Randall, Scott C. Roesch

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study was designed to investigate stability and changes in pro-social behavior and the parent and peer correlates of prosocial behavior in rural adolescents. Participants were from a rural, low SES community in the Eastern United States. The participants were in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades at Time 1 and 10th, 11th, and 12th grades at Time 4, and completed measures of prosocial behavior and quality of parent and peer relationships. Latent growth curve modeling revealed that despite moderate stability in individual differences in prosocial behavior and slight increases in quality of peer and parent relationships, level of prosocial …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior: Predicting Physical Activity In Mexican American Children, Jeffrey J. Martin, Kimberly L. Oliver, Nate Mccaughtry

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Theoretically grounded research on the determinants of Mexican American children's physical activity and related psychosocial variables is scarce. Thus, the purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the ability of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to predict Mexican American children's self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Children (N = 475, ages 9–12) completed questionnaires assessing the TPB constructs and MVPA. Multiple regression analyses provided moderate support for the ability of the TPB variables to predict MVPA as we accounted for between 8–9% of the variance in MVPA. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control accounted for 45% of the …

Childhood Trauma Enhances The Association Between Age Of Cigarette Smoking Initiation And College Drug Use Frequency, Tara K. Cossel, Alicia Klanecky, Dennis E. Mcchargue

Department of Psychology: Presentations

Previous research has reported that across the nation 29% of college students engage in cigarette smoking while four out of five students who have reported smoking in the past 30 days have also binge drank or used an illicit substance. In turn, 70% of students who described using an illicit substance in the past month have smoked cigarettes as well. Because the number of college students abusing substances continues to increase, the prevalence of both cigarette and illicit substance use denotes a major health concern.

Developed to explain the rate and onset of specific use patterns, the “gateway” hypothesis posits …

Smoking During Pregnancy Affects Speech-Processing Ability In Newborn Infants, Alexandra P.F. Key, Melissa Ferguson, Dennis L. Molfese, Kelley Peach, Victoria J. Molfese

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific language/auditory tests.

OBJECTIVES: In the current study we examined the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on newborns’ speech processing ability as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs).

METHOD: High-density ERPs were recorded within 48 hr of birth in healthy newborn infants of smoking (n = 8) and nonsmoking …

Les 25 Ans De La Revue Canadienne De Santé Mental Communautaire: Observations Et Perspectives, Geoffrey Nelson

Psychology Faculty Publications

En tant qu’ancien rédacteur de la Revue canadienne de santé mentale communautaire (RCSMC), membre de longue date de son comité de rédaction et collaborateur régulier, j’ai accepté avec plaisir de commenter l’analyse de contenu de la RCSMC faite par Fortin-Pellerin, Pouliot-Lapointe, Thibodeau et Gagné. Je tiens d’abord à préciser que je ne prétends pas ici faire un compte rendu objectif, non seulement à cause de mon profond investissement dans la Revue, mais aussi à cause de ma partialité, de mes valeurs et de ma position privilégiée, tant personnelles que professionnelles, qui m’empêchent d’être totalement objectif. Je peux toutefois offrir, en …

Strengthening Ontario's System Of Housing For People With Serious Mental Illness, John Sylvestre, Lindsey George, Tim Aubry, Janet Durbin, Geoffrey Nelson, John Trainor

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article describes recent work to support recommendations for improving Ontario’s system of housing for people with serious mental illness. This multifaceted project engaged stakeholders in discussions concerning strategies for improving the system based on (a) values that underlie housing programs, (b) evidence of effective housing practices, (c) the current status of the system, and (d) international practices for monitoring community mental health systems. Stakeholders reviewed summaries of the work and discussed implications for improving the provincial system of housing and supports. Recommendations are made for improving the system, focusing on both regional and provincial level actions.

25 Years Of The Canadian Journal Of Community Mental Health: Reflections And Future Directions, Geoffrey Nelson

Psychology Faculty Publications

As a former senior editor, a long-term member of the editorial board, and a regular contributor to the Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health (CJCMH), I am delighted with the invitation to comment on the 25-year review of the contents of CJCMH by Fortin-Pellerin, Pouliot-Lapointe, Thibodeau, and Gagné. I want to begin by acknowledging that I cannot pretend to give an objective account of CJCMH, not only because of my deep investment in it, but also because of my personal and professional biases, values, and position of privilege. What I can offer are some reflections on CJCMH, as well as …

Child Abuse In The Eyes Of The Beholder: Lay Perceptions Of Child Sexual And Physical Abuse, Brian H. Bornstein, Debra L. Kaplan, Andrea R. Perry

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose was to explore the effects of victim and perpetrator gender, type of abuse, and victim-perpetrator relationship on university students’ and non-students’ perceptions of different kinds of child abuse.

Method: One hundred and ninety-nine participants (including university students and non-student adults) evaluated each of 24 vignettes (within-subjects design) describing an abusive interaction between a child and an adult. The following four variables were manipulated: the victim’s gender, the perpetrator’s gender, the type of abuse (physical, relatively mild sexual, or relatively severe sexual), and the perpetrator’s relationship to the victim (parent or babysitter). Participants rated each vignette on a …

New Directions In Dementia Care At Home, Tracey Vause-Earland, E. Adel Herge, Catherine Verrier Piersol, Laura N. Gitlin, Janice Burke

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Are People Getting Crazier?, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Terrorism, murder, suicide, drunken driving, addictive gambling, pornography, and religiously inspired violence all provide plenty of evidence that behavioral and emotional problems that are ultimately destructive to self and others are often at the root of so many global, national, and local crises. All these troubles in the world prompt several basic and fundamental questions.

The Interoceptive Pavlovian Stimulus Effects Of Caffeine, Jennifer E. Murray, Chia Li, Matthew I. Palmatier, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present research sought to test whether caffeine functioned as a Pavlovian cue in two ways—as a positive drug feature or as a conditional stimulus (CS). As a positive feature (Experiment 1), brief light presentations were followed by sucrose only on sessions in which caffeine (10 mg/kg) was administered. On intermixed saline sessions, light presentations were not followed by sucrose. The light came to control robust goal-tracking (i.e., conditioned responding) only in caffeine sessions. Thus, caffeine disambiguates when the light was paired with sucrose. Decreasing the dose of caffeine decreased the conditioned responding evoked by the light (ED₅₀=4.16 …

Binge Eating, Emotion Regulation, And Cognitive Resources, Jennifer A. Tucker

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Research has shown that individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) have difficulty coping with negative emotions, although no research to date has directly investigated emotion regulation and binge eating. In the current study individuals with varying amounts of BED characteristics were measured for accuracy on a computerized task involving attention and working memory. Subsequent to the task, participants were given three self-report measures: the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ-I; Fairbum & Celio, 2004), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark & Tellgen, 1988), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ; Gross & John, 2003). It was hypothesized that in …

The Saint Of Worcester: Why Pilgrims Visit Audrey Santo, Mathew N. Schmalz

Religious Studies Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nicotine Does Not Produce State-Dependent Effects On Learning In A Pavlovian Appetitive Goal-Tracking Task With Rats, Rick A. Bevins, Rachel D. Penrod, Carmela Reichel

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Past research has shown that when rats received 0.4 mg base/kg nicotine paired reliably with intermittent sucrose delivery that anticipatory sucrose-seeking behavior (i.e., goal tracking) was differentially displayed in the nicotine state relative to intermixed saline sessions in which no sucrose was delivered. The present research extended this observation to a lower dose of nicotine (i.e., 0.2 mg base/kg) and tested a state-dependent learning account of differential conditioned responding. According to this account, the increase in goal tracking on nicotine sessions reflects a chambersucrose association that is only recalled when in the nicotine state. We used a 2 × 2 …

Social Determinants Of Health And Disease Working Together, Amresh Srivastava

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

Schizophrenia: General Findings And Current Status, Amresh Srivastava

Psychiatry Presentations

No abstract provided.

Bereavement In The Modern Western World, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Bereavement is the process of suffering that follows the loss of a living being that is significant to someone. When one suffers, she or he has to endure an unpleasant experience, in the case of bereavement, the loss of something special to the person. This loss most often is a loved one but could also include the loss of a pet, relationship, or physical or mental capability. This state of suffering is called grief. In describing his grief, C. S. Lewis stated, after the loss of his wife, “No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear. …