Digital Commons Network^™

Creativity In Counseling: Breathe Life Into Your Work An Experiential Workshop For The Novice Counselor, Tina Marie Johnston

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Designed for use by novice counselors and other clinicians who would like to reawaken their creativity, this guide describes the need for creativity in counseling and presents the theories describing the creative process. It also includes a practical workshop with experiential exercises to reawaken creativity in the counselor and a pull out section with expressive arts activities that can be used in the counseling session.

An Overview And Introduction: Neuroscience For Counselors, Kirk Damond Saunders

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This project is literary review of current neuroscience research that can document the impact of counseling. Neuroscience is providing support for the counseling process. The research findings of neural plasticity offer promising support for the therapeutic process. While counseling offers a new environment in which a person can re-learn, neural plasticity proves that at the neural network level these possibilities are now a reality. Counseling does, in fact, help change the brain.

Applying The Cultural-Linguistic Interpretive Matrix To Neuropsychological Assessment, Karol J. Mendoza

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Psychologists are administering assessments to culturally and linguistically diverse individuals with limited information regarding validity and are left with many scores to subjectively interpret. This study looked at developing a guideline when administering seven frequently administered neuropsychological assessments based on the Cultural-Linguistic Interpretive Matrix. Practitioners were asked to rate the cultural loading and linguistic demand and provide rationale for the placement. Results indicated that the Judgment of Line Orientation, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Trail Making Test (Part A), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test have low cultural loading and linguistic demand. The Trail Making Test (Part B) was rated as Moderate …

You And Me Baby Ain't Nothing But Mammals: Disgust, Evolution, And The Transcendence Of An Immaterial Soul, Sara G. Gottlieb

Psychology Honors Projects

Materialist theories of mind are disturbing for those who endorse the idea that an immortal soul is distinct from the material body. Many argue for a uniqueness of the human spirit that transcends bodily qualities. The present research focuses on the rejection of human evolution from the perspective of disgust, which has both a physical (body) and moral (soul) component and is elicited by objects that remind us of both death and animals. Study 1 asked whether those primed to feel disgusted would show an implicit preference for creationism over evolution on an Implicit Associations Test but failed to find …

Curiosity, Demand Characteristics, And The Tip-Of-The-Tongue State, Chelsea Voskuilen

Psychology Honors Projects

The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) state is generally described as the feeling that one knows a target word and recall of this word is imminent, although the word is currently unrecallable. Research suggests participants’ beliefs about their own knowledge affect the level and type of curiosity experienced while in a TOT state. This study examined the interaction between demand characteristics and specific types of curiosity experienced while in a TOT state. Demand characteristics were expected to affect the type of curiosity experienced, with participants in the high-demand group experiencing more negative forms of curiosity and the low-demand group experiencing more positive forms …

The Accuracy Of Observers' Estimates Of The Effect Of Glare On Nighttime Vision: Do We Exaggerate The Disabling Effects Of Glare?, Stacy Balk

All Dissertations

Designing headlights involves balancing two conflicting goals: maximizing visibility for the driver and minimizing the disabling effects of glare for other drivers. Complaints of headlight glare have increased recently. This project explored the relationship between subjective (discomfort and expected visual problems) and objective (actual visual problems) consequences of glare. Two experiments - a lab-based psychophysical study and a field study - quantified the accuracy of observers' estimates of the effects of glare on their acuity. In both experiments, participants over-estimated the extent to which glare degraded their ability to see a small high contrast target. Observers' estimates of the disabling …

The Role Of Progesterone Receptor In Development Of Medial Prefrontal Cortex And Impulsive Behavior, Vanessa Costanzo

Psychology

Human behaviors are regulated by the complex functions of the brain and many behavioral disorders are assumed to be the result of alterations or deficits in neural function. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), characterized by differences in complex behaviors such as attention, memory and impulse control has been linked to alterations in dopaminergic activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Therefore, factors that regulate development of this region may be implicated in ADHD. For example, steroid hormones can alter fundamental processes of neural development through interaction with their nuclear receptors, which act as transcription factors. Progesterone receptor (PR) is transiently …

The Effect Of Recurrent Hypoglycemia On Mental Flexibility, Justin Ramcharitar

Psychology

A major side-effect of intensive insulin replacement therapy, is recurrent hypoglycemia (RH). Clinical and experimental evidence suggest that RH may be associated with deficits in higher cognitive processes; specifically, in judgment and mental flexibility, processes believed to be mediated in large part by the medial prefrontal cortex. The present study investigates the effects of short-term RH on mental flexibility in rats. Animals underwent food restriction and were extensively handled and habituated. Prior to testing animals were randomly assigned to one of four groups with varying levels of RH. Animals were then tested for two consecutive days on a set-shift maze …

Gender Socialization In Toys By Parents, Christina A. Simmons

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Substantial research in child development focuses on the formation of gender identity and how socialization in the home contributes to the acquisition of gender-linked behavior; however, there is not much recent discussion of the parents’ influence in the formation of gender stereotypes, specifically of those regarding toys, in Spain. Research indicates that children are able to identify the gender appropriateness of certain toys at early ages (between 2 and 4 years of age) and their interest in playing with stereotyped toys varies as a function of the toys' gender appropriateness. This study focused specifically on gender and toys and how …

Second Language Inner Voice And Identity, Brandon Kenji Shigematsu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study investigates the phenomena of second language (L2, hereafter) inner voice for three Japanese-American English bilinguals who had long-term exposure to the L2 in naturalistic contexts, that is, by living and/or working or studying in the U.S. American English learners of L2 Japanese were included in the study as well, although only one of them had naturalistic exposure, the other having traveled to Japan in addition to being married to a Japanese national. Data for the study reveals how and when L2 inner voice is utilized, how it appears to develop, how it leads to shifts in identity toward …

Cluster Analysis Of The Tomal Standardization Sample, Nicholas Shizuo Thaler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Children experience natural cognitive changes as they grow older, with more rapid memory development when they are younger. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expected normal variation in youth using the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL; Reynolds & Bigler, 1994). The TOMAL is a broad-band verbal and nonverbal memory battery that has been standardized on youth aged 5-19, providing a good source of information on memory development in healthy children. Cluster analysis analyzed 1121 children selected from the TOMAL standardization sample and identified homogeneous profile subtypes of memory and learning. In addition, three age ranges …

Principal Stress: Working In Conflicting Paradigms From Newtonian To New Science, Shelley Kresyman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Shortages of qualified principal candidates and retention of motivated principals, combined with the evidence that the principal is a vital part of effective school improvement, has ominous implications for the future quality of education. A body of research exists describing school administrators' stress over the last 25 years; yet, limited research reflects the impact the changing role of the principal in the accountability era of No Child Left Behind has had on principal stress and the possible connections to the shifting paradigms in organizational leadership.

If principals perceive themselves to be overstressed and unprepared to meet the current expectations and …

Narrative Comprehension For Functional Survival Spatial Relations, Paul James Schroeder Iii

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Spatial situation models are mental representations of the relationship between characters and objects in the narrative environment. Functional spatial relationships describe an interaction (or potential interaction) between characters and objects in the narrative environment. Although functional relations tend to produce stronger representations as compared with nonfunctional ones (Radvansky & Copeland, 2000), recent data also suggest that specification of causal information, specifically, survival-based scenarios in which characters are described as in immediate danger, may contribute to the construction and maintenance of spatial situation models (Jahn, 2004). For the current study, this idea was tested by comparing reading times and comprehension for …

African American And Caucasian Males' Evaluation Of Racialized Female Facial Averages, Rhea M. Watson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The answer to what makes a face attractive has been debated for generations and studied in different disciplines. The current study investigated African American and Caucasian males' evaluation (attraction) to racialized female faces. Faces varied from 100% African American to 100% Caucasian (and included variations that were 25% of either group, or 50% of both groups). Twenty African American and 30 Caucasian men each viewed ten faces, and evaluated them in terms of their appearance and the likelihood that the men would interact with (befriend, date, or marry) the person pictured. Findings revealed that African American men found the 100% …

Enhanced Food Marketing To Children On The Internet: A Content Analysis, Sarah A. Ochsner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In light of the continuing epidemic of childhood obesity, aggressive food marketing strategies have come under increased scrutiny as a possible contributing factor. It has been acknowledged in numerous studies, that poor nutrient quality of food and beverages dominate children's programming. The growth in child-specific media envoys has further increased favorable opportunities to market food and beverages to children, notably less regulated and parentally unsupervised. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 65% of children aged 6-11 have home access to the Internet; and today, the majority of food manufacturers operate websites appealing to children. The Institute of Medicine issued a …

Evaluation Of Medication Effects On Academic Performance, Sleep, And Core Adhd Symptoms In Children, Tina K. Head

Dissertations

Idiosyncratic effects of Vyvanse™ (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) and placebo were evaluated in a double-blind alternating treatments experimental design in this 4-week study. Direct, objective measures were combined with traditional behavior ratings to provide data sets to assess whether or not the prescribed stimulant medication showed detectable therapeutic effects for a child whose positive response to medication was not obvious via traditional subjective methods. Effects of medication on core ADHD symptoms, academic performance, and sleep in four children ages 10-12 with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. Potential side effects were also measured. Daily measures included parent rating scales, side effects checklist, sleep journal …

The Development Of The Basal Ganglia In Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus Apella), Kimberley A. Phillips, C. A. Sobieski, V. R. Gilbert, C. Chiappini-Williamson, Chet C. Sherwood, P. L. Strick

Psychology Faculty Research

The basal ganglia are subcortical structures involved in the planning, initiation and regulation of movement as well as a variety of non-motor, cognitive and affective functions. Capuchin monkeys share several important characteristics of development with humans, including a prolonged infancy and juvenile period, a long lifespan, and complex manipulative abilities. This makes capuchins important comparative models for understanding age-related neuroanatomical changes in these structures. Here we report developmental volumetric data on the three subdivisions of the basal ganglia, the caudate, putamen and globus pallidus in brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Based on a cross-sectional sample, we describe brain …

Reel Talk: Deconstructing Communication Disorders In A Sampling Of Modern Films, Lisa M. Beccera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study focused on films that depicted characters that had a communication disorder or characters that have a disability which resulted in a communication disorder. This study examined types of communication disorders depicted in films and the accuracy to which communication disorders are portrayed in films. Thirty films were used in this study and 32 characters were found to have communication disorders. The author used qualitative methods and quantitative methods to examine and deconstruct the depiction of communication disorders in modern films. This paper also illustrates the effective and efficient manner films can be used to educate society and college …

Site Fidelity And Association Patterns Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus In The Mississippi Sound, Angela D. Mackey

Master's Theses

The current study examined the site fidelity and association patterns of a community of 678 wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mississippi Sound (Sound) over a three-year period (May 2004 - April 2007). Using photoidentification techniques, 74% (n = 498) of the identified dolphins were classified as transients, while 10% (n = 71) were classified as year-round residents, and 16% (n = 109) were classified as seasonal residents based on their sighting histories. Thirty-nine "select" dolphins (n = 17 seasonal residents, n = 22 yearround residents) that were sighted five or more times over the study period were used …

An Examination Of Aggressive Behavior In Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Aduncus), Lauren Elizabeth Miller

Master's Theses

Agonistic behavior is often observed in animal groups in which individuals have long-term relationships. Although bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) are known to behave aggressively, relatively little is known about such behavior among wild animals. Much of the data on delphiilid aggression comes from captive studies, and is likely biased by the limited space available to the animals. In this study, video data collected from 1997 to 2007 were analyzed to examine aggressive behaviors in a wild population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) off the coast ofMikura Island, Japan. The purpose of the study was to determine if age class, …

Does Health Anxiety Moderate The Effects Of Mortality Salience On Worldview Defense?, Toni Brooke Merkey

Master's Theses

Research generated from Terror Management Theory has demonstrated that reminding participants of their eventual death increases self-esteem striving and worldview defense (Pyszczynski, Greenberg, Solomon, Arndt, & Schimel, 2004). The hypothesis in the present study was that health anxiety would moderate this effect, based on the premise that health-anxious individuals are chronically more aware of their own mortality. To test this hypothesis, the Illness _and Attitudes Scale (IAS) was administered to 65 undergraduates to determine level of health anxiety. Participants were then randomly assigned to a mortality salience or control condition. Level of worldview defense was measured by participants' reactions to …

Variation In Social Behavior Throughout The Estrous Cycle Of A Captive Killer Whale Orcinus Orca, Kristina Marie Horback

Master's Theses

The study of cetaceans in captivity provides information on behavior, acoustics, reproduction and physiology that is often difficult to obtain with free-ranging populations. The present study examined the influence of the estrous cycle of a captive female killer whale on the rate, duration, initiation and reception of social behavior she performed with her only pool mate, a male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Although these two delphinid species do not commonly associate in the wild, these pool mates often engaged in affiliative tactile and social behaviors. The objectives of this project were to: (a) examine the influence of cycli~ gonadal steroid hormones …

Finding, Nurturing, And Instilling Hope In Family Therapy, Joseph Daniel Tschudy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The development of a personal theory of therapy and change is an integral part of the training and educational philosophies of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Utah State University. This personal theory attempts to identify and explain each student's beliefs regarding the specific mechanisms by which change occurs, thus providing a therapeutic backbone from which one may integrate various interventions, ideas, concepts, and approaches to therapy. As one engages in the process of integration, it becomes critical for students to evaluate their performances. A thorough self-evaluation that includes the utilization of scientific methods leads to the development of …

Altering Positive/Negative Interaction Ratios In Relationships Of Mothers And Young Children: A Preliminary Investigation, Andrew B. Armstrong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Based on classic marital research of John Gottman, a popular notion exists that interpersonal relationships thrive when the number of positive interactions outweighs negative interactions by a ratio of five to one. Though many have given similar advice for parents and caregivers, Gottman's findings and methodology may not generalize to relationships of parents and young children. Were similar ratio findings to be validated for parent-child relationships, explicit ratio advice may be incorporated as a component of clinical practice (e.g., behavioral parent training). To begin investigating potential clinical implications, a project was conducted that examined mothers' ability to achieve prescribed ratios …

The Ability Of The Coping Competence Questionnaire To Predict Resilience Against Learned Helplessness Among Undergraduate College Students: An Experimental Study, Cindy L. Ollis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Coping Competence Questionnaire (CCQ), based on the reformulated learned helplessness theory, was designed to assess a general stress resistance versus a propensity towards learned helplessness with a brief, 12-item self-report questionnaire. In this study the CCQ was administered to 247 undergraduate students, who were then paired, in groups of around 24 at a time, and then randomly assigned to either success or failure conditions on the computer game TetraVex. Mood was pretested using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) depression subscale; the experimental condition, success or failure at TetraVex was conducted; then outcome measures including 20 five letter anagrams …

Examination Of Behavioral Momentum With Staff As Contextual Variables In Applied Settings With Children With Autism, Mark P. Groskreutz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Behavioral momentum theory proposes that the persistence of behavior when exposed to disruptors provides an appropriate measure of the strength of behavior. Basic research has consistently demonstrated that behaviors that occurred in a context with higher overall rates of reinforcement (rich contexts) were more persistent than other behaviors that have occurred in a context with relatively lower rates of reinforcement (lean contexts). More surprisingly, behavioral momentum theory goes on to assert that this greater persistence in richer contexts is found even when rate of responding is lower in the rich context, and when the greater richness is due to noncontingent …

Language Brokering In Latino Families: Direct Observations Of Brokering Patterns, Parent-Child Interactions, And Relationship Quality, Kee J. E. Straits

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With the growing percentage of immigrant families in the USA, language transition is a common immigrant experience and can occur rapidly from generation to generation within a family. Child language brokering appears to occur within minority language families as one way of negotiating language and cultural differences; however, the phenomenon of children translating or mediating language interactions for parents has previously been hypothesized to contribute to negative outcomes for children, such as role-reversals and parentification, emotional distancing and lack of communication, increased parent-child conflict, and increased internalizing/externalizing disorders. The current study used direct observations of 60 Spanish-speaking parent-child dyads (30 …

Self-Construal And Insight Problem Solving, Junaid Salim Merrchant

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Self-construal research has shown that the way people view themselves impacts a variety of cognitive processes. Research has focused on two levels of self-construal: the interdependent self-construal, or when the self is represented in relation to others, and the independent self­ construal, or when the self is represented independently of others. Findings from the self­ construal and cognition research suggest that the interdependent self is associated with diffuse attention, while findings from the self-construal and creativity research indicate that the independent self is associated with divergent thinking important for creativity. The present study examined the effect of self-construal priming in …

Neuropsychological Performance In Cannabis Users And Non-Users Following Motivation Manipulation, Michelle Stiles

Psychology

Background: Previous research has yielded conflicting results regarding the long term consequences of cannabis use on cognitive functioning. Although in the cannabis literature, there is a commonly held belief associated with cannabis use called, “amotivational syndrome” the authors were unable to find any studies of neuropsychological performance that attempted to manipulate motivation. Methods: Fifty-five undergraduates (34 cannabis users and 21 non-users) participated in an extensive neuropsychological battery. The experimenter read a statement at the beginning of the battery designed to induce motivation. Group differences on test performance were calculated with a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for tests that did …

Does Tactile Stimulation Attenuate The Adverse Effects Of Maternal Separations In Rats?, Nancy I. Salinas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Handling has been used as a stressor and a stress-protector in research on development in rats. Tactile stimulation (TS), on the other hand, has consistently been shown to favorably affect the performance and exploratory behaviors of stressed rats in novel environments and this effect is usually interpreted as evidence of attenuating the developmentally-related emotional consequences of stress. In the present study, the effects of TS during maternal separation (MS) were explored during a critical period of development in rats. An open-field task to measure exploratory behavior was used as a dependent measure of anxiety at a pre-pubertal period. It was …