Digital Commons Network^™

How Do Brazilian Street Youth Experience ‘The Street’?: Analysis Of A Sentence Completion Task, Marcela Raffaelli, Silvia H. Koller, Caroline T. Reppold, Mateus B. Kuschick, Fernanda M. B. Krum, Denise R. Bandeira

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study investigated how homeless Brazilian youth experience the street and examined factors linked to positive and negative feelings about the street. An opportunity sample of 35 boys and 34 girls aged 10–18 completed a structured interview and sentence completion task aimed at eliciting open-ended responses in a standardized manner. Analyses revealed great diversity in youths’ views of the street; moreover, in analyses controlling for age and gender, youth reporting feeling positive on the street differed from those who felt negative in reasons for leaving home, family situation and daily survival. The findings support the value of the sentence completion …

State Mental Hospital Continuity Of Care Study: Addendum To Year One Report, Timothy Boaz, Keith Vossberg

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Stress And Prostate Cancer: A Theoretical Model, Gary L. Ellison, Ann L. Coker, James R. Hebert, Maureen Sanderson, Charmaine D. Royal, Sally P. Weinrich

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

African-American men are more likely to develop and die from prostate cancer than are European-American men; yet, factors responsible for the racial disparity in incidence and mortality have not been elucidated. Socioeconomic disadvantage can lead to psychosocial stress and may be linked to negative lifestyle behaviors. Regardless of socioeconomic position, African-American men routinely experience racism-induced stress. We propose a theoretical framework for an association between psychosocial stress and prostate cancer. With the context of history and culture, we further propose that psychosocial stress may partially explain the variable incidence of prostate cancer between these diverse groups. Psychosocial stress may negatively …

Just Deserts: An Experimental Study Of Distributive Justice Norms, John T. Scott, Richard E. Matland, Philip A. Michelbach, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We present a theoretically Informed experimental study of distributive justice norms concerning income distribution. Our study consists of three related experiments that examine how individuals use four distinct allocation principles derived from both normative and empirical research— equality, merit, need, and efficiency— under a condition of impartiality. Our experiments are designed to investigate these principles and to determine how independent factors influence how individuals use them. We find that individuals tend to use all or most of these principles simultaneously in making distributive justice judgments, but that they weigh them differently according to various factors. In particular, we find an …

Maternal Use Of Baby Walkers With Young Children: Recent Trends And Possible Alternatives, David Dilillo, Amy Damashek, Lizette Peterson

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives—To examine recent trends in baby walker and exersaucer use, and to assess maternal motivations for choosing to use or not use these devices with children.
Setting—Small, Midwestern city in the United States.
Methods—Retrospective telephone survey with a sample of 329 mothers who provided information about their use of walkers and exersaucers with 463 children born in Columbia, Missouri between January 1994 and April 1999.
Results—Baby walker use in the sample declined fairly steadily from 1994 to 1999, whereas exersaucer use increased during the same period. Altogether 88% of mothers were aware of the injury risks …

The Environment Of Child Maltreatment: Contextual Factors And The Development Of Psychopathology, Debra B. Hecht, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Some professionals have hypothesized that the observed problems in children who have been maltreated may actually be a result of the combination of risk factors surrounding the child, including but not limited to direct results of the abuse itself. This article examines the complexity of hypothesized pathways to poor adjustment after physical and sexual abuse. The literature on the impact of major risk factors associated with maltreatment is reviewed in an attempt to clarify the potential contributions of these contextual variables on the development of psychopathology in physically and sexually abused children. The implications this analysis may yield for prevention, …

Maternal And Child Reports Of Behavioral Compensation In Response To Safety Equipment Usage, David Dilillo, George Tremblay

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess maternal and child risk compensation behaviors in response to several commonly used safety measures.

Methods: We administered a previously validated self-report measure of risk tolerance to a total of 151 mothers and their children in grades 3–7. Mothers indicated the level of risk they would permit their child to assume; children were questioned regarding the degree of physical risk they would typically assume while unsupervised by an adult. Participating families were randomly assigned to conditions in which safety equipment either was or was not present during assessments of risk tolerance.

Results: Mothers who viewed the stimulus materials …

Analysis Of Factors Involved In Ratings Of Treatment Acceptability For Trichotillomania, Amy J. Elliott

Dissertations

Based on the literature, trichotillomania (or chronic hair pulling) appears to be responsive to behavioral interventions, with habit reversal as the most promising intervention. Habit reversal has been shown effective with children and adults of varying levels of severity, but some have questioned the generality and acceptability of the procedure. Little is known about the acceptability of interventions for habit disorders. These two research studies were designed to answer questions regarding the acceptability of behavioral and pharmacological interventions for trichotillomania and to expand the conceptual knowledge of treatment acceptability.

Study 1 compared the acceptability of four interventions targeting trichotillomania. The …

‘She’S 16 Years Old And There’S Boys Calling Over To The House’: An Exploratory Study Of Sexual Socialization In Latino Families, Marcela Raffaelli, Lenna L. Ontai

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Compared to other ethnic groups in the USA, Latino populations are at high risk for negative sexual outcomes, including unplanned pregnancy and HIV/AIDS infection. The goal of this study was to explore the role of cultural beliefs and values in sexual socialization by focusing on the family socialization of adolescent romantic and sexual behavior described by 22 Latina/Hispanic women who took part in in-depth individual interviews. Four broad themes were explored: parental concerns regarding dating, family communication about sexual issues, family rules about dating, and actual dating and sexual experiences. Consistent with traditional cultural views, female romantic involvement outside of …

Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism Genotype Is Associated With Behavioral Disinhibition And Negative Affect In Children Of Alcoholics, Geoffrey R. Twitchell, Gregory L. Hanna, Edwin H. Cook, Scott F. Stoltenberg, Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Robert A. Zucker

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background: Serotonergic (5-HT) dysfunction has been implicated in the etiology of both behavioral disinhibition (BD) and negative affect (NA). This work extends our previous finding of relationships between whole blood 5-HT and both BD and NA in pubescent, but not prepubescent, children of alcoholics and continues examination of a hypothesized role of 5-HT dysfunction in alcoholism risk. The long and short (L and S) variants of the 5-HT transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) are responsible for differing transcriptional efficiencies in 5-HT uptake. Although associations have been found between the SS 5-HTTLPR genotype and severe alcoholism and neuroticism, recent reports describe …

Internet Facilitation Of Opioid Dependence., D Z Lieberman

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Towards Guns: Associations With Alcohol Use And Impulsive Behaviors, Catherine A. Martin, Arch G. Mainous, Harriett H. Ford, Rosalie Mainous, Susan Slade, David Martin, Hatim A. Omar

Psychiatry Faculty Publications

This study was an investigation of the association of attitudes toward guns with self-reports of alcohol/drug use, and impulsivity. Participants included 160 male and female high school students, who completed five questions regarding attitudes toward guns, in addition to questions about alcohol/drug use. Data were analyzed using t-tests. Males were more likely to feel that a home was safer with a gun. Feeling positively about a gun was associated with alcohol use in males and impulsive, aggressive behavior in males and females. A greater understanding of attitudes toward guns must take into account gender, alcohol use, and impulsive and aggressive …

Trends. The Privileged Status Of The Physical In Health Ideology: The Security Consequences Of Aids, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the importance of recognizing both physical and psychological factors of the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) pandemic on security.

Advancing Scientific Discourse In The Controversy Surrounding The Comprehensive System For The Rorschach: A Rejoinder To Meyer (2000), James M. Wood, M. Teresa Nezworski, William J. Stejskal, Sena Garven

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A recent commentary by Meyer (2000) in the Journal of Personality Assessment alleged that Rorschach critic Wood and his colleagues had intentionally published information that they knew to be in error. To substantiate this contention, Meyer’s commentary published information that was part of the peer review process at another journal. In this rejoinder, we present factual information that shows we have consistently acted in good faith. This rejoinder suggests that the scientific debate regarding the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach is unlikely to be advanced by speculating about the intentions of Rorschach critics, or by publishing information from the peer …

Advancing Scientific Discourse In The Controversy Surrounding The Comprehensive System For The Rorschach: A Rejoinder To Meyer (2000), James M. Wood, M. Teresa Nezworski, William J. Stejskal, Sena Garven

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A recent commentary by Meyer (2000) in the Journal of Personality Assessment alleged that Rorschach critic Wood and his colleagues had intentionally published information that they knew to be in error. To substantiate this contention, Meyer’s commentary published information that was part of the peer review process at another journal. In this rejoinder, we present factual information that shows we have consistently acted in good faith. This rejoinder suggests that the scientific debate regarding the Comprehensive System for the Rorschach is unlikely to be advanced by speculating about the intentions of Rorschach critics, or by publishing information from the peer …

Child Sexual Abuse In Asian American Families: An Examination Of Cultural Factors That Influence Prevalence, Identification, And Treatment, Kristine T. Futa, Eugenia Hsu, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Child sexual abuse affects thousands of families each year. Issues pertaining to the prevalence, identification, and treatment of sexual abuse have been relatively well explored in the literature as they pertain to the dominant European American culture. These issues, however, are still relatively unexplored in terms of how sexual abuse affects Asian American families and the Asian American community. We review the relevant literature in Asian American families. These matters are explored in the context of Asian American values such as collectivity, conformity, inconspicuousness, middle position virtue, shame, self-control, and fatalism. Attitudes toward family, sexuality, and the mental health system …

The Effects Of Limiting Punitive Damage Awards, Edith Greene, David Coon, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

In response to concerns that jury awards in tort cases are excessive and unpredictable, nearly every state legislature has enacted some version of tort reform that is intended to curb extravagant damage awards. One of the most important and controversial reforms involves capping (or limiting) the maximum punitive damage award. We conducted a jury analogue study to assess the impact of this reform. In particular, we examined the possibility that capping punitive awards would cause jurors to inflate their compensatory awards to satisfy their desires to punish the defendant, particularly in situations where the defendant’s conduct was highly reprehensible. Relative …

Self-Criticism As Experienced By Performing Artists A Phenomenological Study, Rosemary Hakes

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and document the essence of the experience of self-criticism for performing artists with the aim of providing recommendations for educational and therapeutic purposes. Moustakas (1994) defines essence as “that which is common or universal, the condition or quality without which a thing would not be what it is” (p. 100). In this study a phenomenological research paradigm was used. Each step in the data reduction process built directly toward revelation of essence through synthesis.

The central question guiding this research was: What is the essence of self-criticism as it is experienced by …

Prediction Of Long-Term Intellectual And Neuropsychological Effects Of Closed Head Injury In Infants And Children, Tamara Sue Brenner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The ability to predict long-term intellectual and neuropsychological outcome (1-7 years post-injury) in children (ages 1 week - 14 years at injury) with a history of closed head injury were investigated. Clinical indicators of injury severity including EEG reading and age at injury as well as ’H-MRS variables of NAA/Ch, Ch/Cr, and lactate presence accurately classified 100% of children as functioning either within or above the average range or below the average range for most outcome measures. Combined clinical and H-MRS variables accounted for approximately 50% of the variance in outcome confirming the validity of their predictive use and also …

Getting What They Came For: How Power Influences The Dynamics And Outcomes Of Interpersonal Interaction., Mark Snyder, Marc T. Kiviniemi

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Many social interactions are indelibly tinged by issues of power and of power differences. Consider some common social interactions: First, imagine a job candidate going in for an interview with a potential employer. Next, consider a teacher meeting new students on the first day of class. Then, imagine two people meeting for a first date. Finally, imagine two college roommates meeting for the first time at the beginning of the semester. Each of these scenarios contains at least two common features, which together set the stage for the arguments that are offered in this chapter. First, each scenario involves a …

Multidisciplinarity And Cognitive Science, Barbara Von Eckardt

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The aim of Schunn, Crowley and Okada’s (1998) study is to address the question of whether the current state of cognitive science, as represented by Cognitive Science and the Cognitive Science Society, “reflects the multidisciplinary ideals of its foundation.” To properly interpret and respond to their results, we need to ask a prior question: What is cognitive science’s multidisciplinary ideal? There are at least two conceptions—a “localist” conception, which seems to be implicit in Schunn, Crowley and Okada’s discussion, and a “holist” conception. I argue that while both have been endorsed by some cognitive scientists, there are reasons for preferring …

Interpersonal Functioning Among Women Reporting A History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Empirical Findings And Methodological Issues, David Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

A subset of research exploring the long-term impact of child sexual abuse (CSA) has examined the adult interpersonal functioning of female survivors. The present review discusses empirical findings and critical methodological issues related to this important but often overlooked aspect of adult adjustment. Though characterized by several methodological limitations, this literature, as a whole, suggests that early sexual abuse represents a risk factor for a range of interpersonal dysfunction among female survivors, including problems with intimate partner relations, disturbed sexual functioning, and difficulties in the parental role. Suggested methodological improvements for future research include new approaches to the measurement of …

Relational Aggression, Television Viewing, And Expectation Of Reward, Sarah Marie Money

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children in contemporary society can access all manner of aggressive content via the media, including violent television fare, video games that literally hone children's sharpshooting skills, and abusive pornography on the Internet. Fortunately, governments and concerned citizens worldwide have endeavored to control children's access by implementing various rating systems and devising security for certain sites on the Internet.

Unfortunately, there is a type of aggression portrayed in the media and in various video games to which the public has paid little attention. In fact, many people are not even aware of its existence, yet it may negatively impact children (and …

Rationality In Medical Decision Making: A Review Of The Literature On Doctors’ Decision-Making Biases, Brian H. Bornstein, A. Christine Emler

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were to describe ways in which doctors make suboptimal diagnostic and treatment decisions, and to discuss possible means of alleviating those biases, using a review of past studies from the psychological and medical decision-making literatures. A number of biases can affect the ways in which doctors gather and use evidence in making diagnoses. Biases also exist in how doctors make treatment decisions once a defi nitive diagnosis has been made. These biases are not peculiar to the medical domain but, rather, are manifestations of suboptimal reasoning to which people are susceptible in general. None the …

Between- Or Within-Culture Variation? Culture Group As A Moderator Of The Relations Between Individual Differences And Resource Allocation Preferences, Gustavo Carlo, Scott C. Roesch, George P. Knight, Silvia H. Koller

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Recent theoretical discussion of the influence of between- and within-culture factors on social behaviors suggests that both approaches may be useful. The present study was designed to investigate the joint influence of sociocultural (between-group) and individual (within-group) factors on resource allocation preferences. Brazilian (n = 166) and European-American (n = 99) children with ages ranging from 37 to 140 months were administered a resource allocation task, which consisted of distributing rewards to themselves or to an acquaintance. As expected, individualistic resource allocation preferences decreased with age, whereas competitive and cooperative resource allocation preferences increased with age. Culture group, the task-specific …

Transitioning And Adapting To College: A Case-Study Analysis Of The Experience Of University Students With Psychiatric Disabilities, Kenneth M. Werner

Dissertations

The psychiatric rehabilitation literature (Unger, 1987) indicates that few studies have been conducted about the adaptational demands associated with the transition to college for young adults with psychiatric disabilities who negotiate the university experience without the benefit o f a supported education program .

The purpose of this study was to describe how individual, social, and institutional factors contributed to the successful transition and adaptation to college life for students with psychiatric disabilities. The study sought to identify how students with psychiatric disabilities disclosed their illness in order to request support services and accommodations, and which services were essential or …

State Mental Hospital Continuity Of Care Study: Preliminary Report, Timothy Boaz, Keith Vossberg

Mental Health Law & Policy Faculty Publications

This study reports on the analysis of several existing administrative data sets to examine issues related to the continuity of care in the community for persons discharged from the Florida state mental health hospitals. The validity of conclusions based on such analysis is dependent on the adequacy of the existing data. While certain types of reporting errors can be identified and remediated (to a degree), other types of errors, particularly omission of reporting, often cannot be identified or remediated. Thus, the conclusions of this report need to be taken somewhat tentatively.

Trends. China And Homosexuality: The Politics Of Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the removal of homosexuality from a list of mental illnesses by the Chinese Psychiatric Association (CPA) in the context of international security.

Individual Differences In Rat Locomotor Activity Are Diminished By Nicotine Through Stimulation Of Central Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors, Rick A. Bevins, Joyce Besheer

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

An increasing body of research has focused on isolating factors that predict or alter individual differences in the behavioral and neural processes mediating the effects of abused drugs. Within this framework, the current report assessed individual differences and the locomotor effect of nicotine. Rats were screened for activity induced by a novel environment. Rats, which were more active to initial environment exposure, remained more active even after seven additional 30-min exposures to the same environment. Treatment with nicotine-di-D tartrate (1 mg/kg, sc) disrupted this effect. This nicotine disruption of individual differences occurred whether nicotine suppressed locomotor activity (initial administration) or …

An Exploration Of Factors Related To Deviant Sexual Arousal Among Juvenile Sex Offenders, William D. Murphy, Mary R. Haynes, David Dilillo, Elaine Steere

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

To date, there has been limited literature on the measurement of sexual arousal in adolescent sex offenders. The data that exist have been somewhat mixed in terms of factors related to deviant sexual arousal in this group. The present study, with 71 adolescent sex offenders, investigates the relationship between offender and offense characteristics, including gender of victim, history of sexual abuse, history of physical abuse, race, and interactions between these factors in the prediction of physiologically measured sexual arousal to deviant and nondeviant stimulus categories. A number of variables significantly predicted sexual arousal. The most consistent predictors were gender of …