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Racial-Ethnic Differences In Social Networks And Perceived Support: Measurement Considerations And Implications For Disparities Research, Melissa Flores, John M. Ruiz, Christian Goans, Bert N. Uchino, Michiyo Hirai, Ruben Tinajero, Timothy W. Smith

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Objectives: Racial-ethnic differences in physical/mental health are well documented as being associated with disparities; however, emerging conceptual models increasingly suggest that group differences in social functioning and organization contribute to these relationships. There is little work examining whether racial-ethnic groups respond similarly to classic measures of social networks and perceived support and whether there are significant between-groups differences on these measures.

Method: A multisite, cross-sectional study of 2,793 non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic participants was conducted using common measures of social networks and perceived support. A confirmatory factor analytic model was used to test for the invariance …

A Melting Pot Of Medications: Issues Regarding Over-Prescribing In Dementia Populations, Angela Gifford

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Over-prescribing is an issue faced by many in the older population, but dementia patients statistically experience higher prescribing rates of potentially inappropriate medications compared to their peers. There are currently no FDA approved medications available for the direct treatment of dementia, but drug classes like anticholinergics and psychotropics are used for the management of behavioral symptoms associated with the disease. These drugs can cause negative side-effects in the dementia populations including gastrointestinal issues, neurological issues, increased hospitalizations, and increased mortality rates within this group. Most troubling, the benefits that are supposed to occur from taking these drugs have been show …

Path Analysis Of Education And Disease Burden In Dementia Vulnerability, Sarah Hubner, Hyeon Jung (Judith) Kim, Julie Blaskewicz Boron

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

When considering the various extrinsic variables that affect disease vulnerability, it is valuable to study temporal ordering of factors to identify areas for disease intervention. This study sought to inform improvement of networks for the purposes of education and health by attempting to better define the causal ordering of ethnicity, age, gender, education, disease burden, and dementia diagnosis with the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study, a sub-study of the Health and Retirement Study. Participants and/or proxies self-reported total number of chronic conditions, subsequently regarded as disease burden. Assessments occurred over four waves; participants were not reassessed after dementia diagnosis. The …

Cognitive, Social, Emotional, And Subjective Health Benefits Of Computer Use In Adults: A 9-Year Longitudinal Study From The Midlife In The United States (Midus), Andree Hartanto, Jose C. Yong, Wei Xing (Zhuo Weixing) Toh, Sean Teck Hao Lee, Yue Qi Germaine Tng, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Computer use has been proposed to carry a host of benefits for cognitive function and socioemotional well-beingin older adults. However, the literature on computer use remains equivocal as extant research suffers from mixedfindings as well as methodological limitations, such as overreliance on cross-sectional designs, small samplesizes, and use of narrow criterions. The current studies (NStudy 1 ¼ 3,294, NStudy 2 ¼ 2,683) sought to address theselimitations through the use of a large-scale, nationally representative, and longitudinal dataset. We found thatfrequency of computer use—over a period of approximately 9 years—longitudinally predicted positive changesin executive functioning, hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, sense of …

The Project Talent Twin And Sibling Study: Zygosity And New Data Collection, Carol A. Prescott, Ellen E. Walters, Thalida Em Arpawong, Catalina Zavala, Tara L. Gruenewald, Margaret Gatz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The Project Talent Twin and Sibling (PTTS) study includes 4481 multiples and their 522 nontwin siblings from 2233 families. The sample was drawn from Project Talent, a U.S. national longitudinal study of 377,000 individuals born 1942–1946, first assessed in 1960 and representative of U.S. students in secondary school (Grades 9–12). In addition to the twins and triplets, the 1960 dataset includes 84,000 siblings from 40,000 other families. This design is both genetically informative and unique in facilitating separation of the ‘common’ environment into three sources of variation: shared by all siblings within a family, specific to twin-pairs, and associated with …

Regulating Positive Emotions: Implications For Promoting Well-Being In Individuals With Depression, Rebecca L. Silton

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Experiencing positive emotions is paramount to derive vitality from daily lived experiences. Positive emotions are associated with a range of beneficial outcomes, including longevity, reduced incidents of stroke, improved sleep quality, larger social networks, increased prosocial behavior, lower cortisol levels, and increased endogenous opioids and oxytocin. Despite these benefits, only limited research has focused on understanding positive emotion regulation within the context of depression. Rather, mechanisms related to the regulation of negative emotion have been the focus of research and evidence-based treatments. This interdisciplinary review article aims to advance knowledge regarding the role of positive emotion regulation in individuals with …

Ageism And Embodied Stereotypes: A Study Of Adult Learners In Community College At Midlife, Marla Jane Erwin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adult students are generally classified as a single group for study, yet developmental psychologists recognize separate developmental periods during adulthood that suggest adult students at midlife may experience development within higher education differently that younger adult students, in part due to ageism expressed at individual, institutional and internalized levels. This project applies the concept of lifespan developmental periods to distinguish students at midlife as a focus of inquiry using a mixed method design. Twenty-nine faculty and 205 students responded to the Relating to Older People Evalution (ROPE; Cherry & Palmore, 2008) to assess self-reports of both positive and negative ageist …

Relation Of Conscientiousness, Hostility, And Negative Affect To Blood Pressure Measured In An Unrestriced And In A Restriced Condition: Supplemental Analyses Of Data Generated From Hypertension Optimal Treatment (Hot Study)., Samantha Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

he relationship between personality and blood pressure (BP) was examined under two conditions. Six hundred and sixty-six participants were selected from the original HOT study data set and asked to complete the Big Five Inventory, Cook Medley Hostility Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. The two conditions were enrollment blood pressure, when the treatment of BP was unrestricted and qualifying blood pressure, when treatment of BP was restricted. Results revealed that conscientiousness had a strong relation to blood pressure in both conditions but had a stronger relation to blood pressure in the unrestricted condition. Hostility and negative affect …

Health Conditions, Access To Care, Mental Health, And Wellness Behaviors In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Adults, Richard S. Henry, Paul B. Perrin, Ashlee Sawyer, Mickeal Pugh Jr.

Psychology Publications

This study examined relationships among wellness behaviors, physical health conditions, mental health, health insurance, and access to care among a sample of 317 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adults. Participants completed a web-administered survey from May 2013 to April 2014. Of the sample, 41.6% of the participants reported having one or more health conditions. Most participants (92.1%) reported access to a health care facility and current health insurance coverage (84.9%), though 24.9% of those with health insurance reported being incapable of paying the copayments. Physical health conditions, age, and self-esteem explained 24% of the variance in engagement in wellness …

Victim Silencing, Sexual Violence Culture, Social Healing: Inherited Collective Trauma Of World War Ii South Korean Military “Comfort Women”, Mijin Cho

VCU Phi Kappa Phi Award Winners

The unresolved reconciliation process for WWII South Korean military “comfort women” presents a case of nationally inherited collective trauma, in which South Koreans far removed in time and space from the historical tragedy feel its implications and obligations for reparations and social healing. In examining the South Korean comfort women redress movement and systemic concealment of WWII military sexual slavery, this study investigates a pattern of victim silencing, characterized by institutional patriarchy and ineffective government involvement, from 1945 to 2019. Following the South Korean government’s formal rejection of the 2015 agreement with Japan regarding a final and irreversible conclusion to …

Prefrontal Cortical Activation In Naturalistic Walking, Aimee L. Klaschus

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Tasks and environments that demand greater attention resources result in greater activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). To explore this effect in a naturalistic setting, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record the PFC activation of six undergraduate participants while they walked in a busy environment (attention-demanding) and quiet environment (non-attention-demanding). Walking speed was recorded as a behavioral correlate. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in walking speed or cortical activity between busy and quiet conditions, though the trend was in favor of the hypotheses. This is likely because crowd density within each condition was not …

An Evaluation Of The Advance Directives-Live Action Simulation Training (Ad-Last) Program, Alexandra Rosa Spinelli

Theses and Dissertations

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a process that captures a patient’s wishes in the case of future circumstances in which they are unable to express them. Studies show that less than one third of the general population has completed some type of formal Advance Directive (AD). There are barriers to completing ADs, and these barriers operate on multiple levels, including, patient, provider and institutional. To improve providers’ capacity to help patients complete ACP, and overcome these barriers, a provider-focused intervention was conducted. The current study is an analysis of archival data collected from the Advance Directives-Live Action Simulation Training (AD-LAST) …

Age Bias In Clinical Judgment: Moderating Effects Of Ageism And Multiculturalism, Kristin Pyne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of older adults in the United States is growing rapidly (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014) and mental health concerns in older adults are expected to increase rapidly (Choi, DiNitto & Marti, 2015). Despite increasing caseloads of older adults, few practicing psychologists have received specific training or specialization in geropsychology (American Psychological Association, 2016). Simultaneously, a growing body of literature demonstrates differential treatment of older adults in psychotherapy (Kessler & Bowen, 2015, Kessler & Schneider, 2016, Mejia et al., 2018). The present study aimed to examine the prevalence of clinical bias toward older adults among clinical trainees and to explore …

Loneliness And Sleep: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Sarah C. Griffin, Allison B. Williams, Scott G. Ravyts, Samantha N. Mladen, Bruce D. Rybarczyk

Psychology Publications

Despite the mounting evidence linking loneliness with health, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain obscure. This systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between loneliness and one potential mechanism—sleep—identified 27 relevant articles. Loneliness correlated with self-reported sleep disturbance (r = .28, 95% confidence interval (.24, .33)) but not duration, across a diverse set of samples and measures. There was no evidence supporting age or gender as moderators or suggesting publication bias. The longitudinal relationship between loneliness and sleep remains unclear. Loneliness is related to sleep disturbance, but research is necessary to determine directionality, examine the influence of other factors, …

Physical Activity Moderates The Relationship Between Apoe4 Status And Working Memory: The Health And Retirement Study, Dalia T. El-Shafie

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between physical activity and working memory decline among older adults with APOE4 status. The APOE4 allele is currently the strongest predictor of risk for Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias. The publicly available data from the Health and Retirement Study was used to complete this Retrospective Longitudinal study. Three hypotheses were explored. H₁: It is expected that the presence of the APOE4 allele will be associated with worse overall working memory performance and a steeper rate of decline in working memory over time. H₂: Meanwhile, it is expected that participants …

An Investigation Into The Perceptions Of Elderspeak And How It Effects Mood Among An Assisted Living Population, Paige T. Shoutz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study aimed to examine perceptions of ES and its effect on mood among older adults residing in assisted living facilities (ALFs). Residents (N=6) were exposed to two videos comprised of an interaction of a nursing assistant aiding an older adult resident during activities of daily living. One of the videos demonstrated neutral communication, whereas the other video demonstrated communication with elderspeak. A mood rating was obtained prior to and immediately following exposure to each of the videos. Participants also provided ratings of the nursing assistant, and completed a qualitative interview that gathered their opinions, perceptions, and perceived differences between …

Why Do Cognitive Prompts Hurt Learning In Older Adults?, Kurt Kraiger, Thomas M. Cavanagh, Collin M. G. Willis

Barowsky School of Business | Faculty Scholarship

The purposes of the present investigation were to attempt to replicate the negative effects for learning prompts in older adults reported by Cavanagh, Kraiger and Peters (2016), determine if the impact of learning prompts depends on type of prompt, and investigate the two possible explanations of the negative impact of prompts – increased cognitive load and higher negative affect. Learning prompts refer to short text inserted into training content to encourage trainees to rehearse new content or engage in meta‐cognitive activity. Although learning prompts generally lead to greater learning in training, Cavanagh et al. reported a negative impact for prompts …

Understanding Communication Dynamics In Group Home Setting, Jacinta O. Anyanwu

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Purpose: Limited research has examined the communicative interaction patterns within group home settings between adults with developmental disabilities and their non-disabled direct care staff. There is evidence from studies that improving the communication pattern of caregivers will eventually lead to better interaction with residents. An approach that might clarify this issue is to have direct care staff who currently work in group homes describe their interaction with their residents. This study evaluated the communication pattern of direct care staff and their residents in group home settings by looking at the types of instructions that direct care staff use on a …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of The Psychiatric Emergency Response Team At A Washington State Hospital, Laura Kay Schilling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patient-to-staff assaults have become a barrier to workplace safety at U.S. psychiatric hospitals. Assaults on staff result in loss of productive social service for the mentally ill; increases in labor, industrial, and medical costs from claims; and psychological scars, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, that may never completely heal. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the effectiveness of the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) at the Washington state hospital in reducing patient assaults on staff. There is very little research to substantiate the effectiveness of the PERT program as a conduit of workplace safety in psychiatric institutional …

The Effects Of Cognitive Training On Behavioral Functioning In Persons With Dementia, Abigail J. Dye

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Lack of engagement in pleasant activities and negative mood are two factors that decrease quality of life (QoL) for older adults with moderate to severe cognitive impairment. As enhancing QoL has become a primary treatment outcome for individuals with cognitive impairment, investigation into the ability of nonpharmacological interventions to increase engagement and positive mood has come to the forefront of research. Cognitive training is a nonpharmacological intervention that utilizes manualized techniques with the primary goal of enhancing different areas of cognitive function. Although the cognitive benefits of the programs have been widely investigated and established, the potential benefits that cognitive …

Working Memory In Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An Investigation Of Short-Term And Central Executive Memory Components Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Samuel Eckrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an early onset, highly heritable, chronic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by underdeveloped/deficient executive functions, particularly those entailing working memory (WM). Substantial research exists documenting WM deficits in pediatric age range ADHD and their relation with adverse learning outcomes; however, relatively little is known concerning the extent to which deficient WM processes reflect underlying deficiencies in hemodynamic functioning (OxyHb). This is the first study to use a movement-tolerant neuroimaging tool—functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)—to investigate hypothesized prefrontalOxyHb differences between children with ADHD and typically developing (TD) children while they complete memory tasks differing in cognitive processing demands (e.g., …

Attributions Of Blame In A Hypothetical Child Sexual Abuse Case: Roles Of Behavior Problems And Frequency Of Abuse, Kate Theimer, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Youth who are blamed for their sexual abuse may experience increased negative outcomes, such as amplified self-blame. Similarly, blaming nonoffending parents can impede their ability to support their child following disclosure. Understanding the factors that influence how people perceive victim, caregiver, and perpetrator responsibility is imperative for the protection and treatment of families who have experienced sexual abuse. Little research has explored victim and abuse characteristics that influence the perception of sexual abuse. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the roles of behavior problems and frequency of abuse in the attribution of blame in a hypothetical …

Remember To Color: How Coloring Impacts Elderly Mental Health And Working Memory, Griselda Alaves

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the study of gerontology, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has received much attention as it is the progressive stage before Alzheimer’s disease (AD). According to lifespan studies, people with MCI advance to AD at a much-accelerated pace than people without MCI. In this study, I am investigating whether art activities (coloring versus drawing) has any influence on the elderly’s levels of stress and anxiety. More specifically, current research in art therapy points to a significant reduction in participant’s stress and anxiety levels after being involved in coloring and drawing activities. In addition to mental health, I am also investigating how …

The Effects Of A Cognitive Training Program For Healthy Older Adults: A Program Evaluation Study, Jacklyn Gehling

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

As one ages, some degree of cognitive decline is expected. Despite this, declines in cognitive abilities and the possibility of developing dementia are common concerns among older adults. In response to these concerns, a variety of cognitive training programs have been developed that aim to improve or maintain cognitive functioning. Previous literature has shown mixed or limited findings on cognitive changes after implementation of cognitive training. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive training program designed for older adults with no to minimal cognitive decline. The current study included 19 participants who engaged in two, one-hour long cognitive training …

Emotional Closeness Within Romantic Relationships: Is There Transmission Between Generations?, Mckenna Diane Fey

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This study tested the existence of intergenerational transmission of romantic emotional closeness using Galovan and Schramm’s (2018) model of relationship flourishing as a theoretical backbone. Romantic emotional closeness in the present study included intimacy (i.e., self-disclosure), admiration (i.e., appreciation expression), and dyadic coping. Couples among three generations from the Panel of Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (Brüderl et al., 2013) were examined to test whether romantic emotional closeness in the first generation predicted romantic emotional closeness in the second generation, and whether that of the second generation predicted that of the third. Regressions within a partial latent model …

Dissociation And Metacognition: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Richard E. Nalbandian

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Dissociation commonly occurs as a defense against trauma and can be understood as a breakdown in metacognition. The present research investigated the relationship between trauma, dissociation, and metacognition in subjects with PTSD, a trauma-related disorder. Specifically, we investigated a potential inverse relationship between metacognition and dissociation in participants who have undergone psychoanalytic therapy. Participants were patients admitted to the Austen Riggs Center, who consented to be a part of the Follow Along Study (FAS), a longitudinal investigation spanning 15 years. Quantitative and qualitative analyses examined differences in themes of dissociation across initial and follow-up-clinical interviews. Quantitatively, all subscales for metacognition …

Putting Adversity In Perspective: Purpose In Life Moderates The Link Between Childhood Emotional Abuse And Neglect And Adulthood Depressive Symptoms, Andree Hartanto, Jose C. Yong, Sean T. H. Lee, Wee Qin Ng, Eddie M. W. Tong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Childhood emotional abuse and neglect is linked with a host of adverse outcomes later in life, including depression. However, potential psychological resources that may mitigate the adverse outcomes of childhood emotional abuse and neglect are not well-understood. Aims: Drawing from the insight that having a sense of purpose can help individuals deal with setbacks and difficulties better, we propose that purpose in life can also help sufferers of childhood maltreatment cope more effectively and reduce the onset of depressive symptoms. Methods: Participants were drawn from two large, nationally representative studies comprising a total of 3664 respondents. Purpose in life, …

Attributions Of Blame In A Hypothetical Child Sexual Abuse Case: Roles Of Behavior Problems And Frequency Of Abuse, Kate Theimer, David J. Hansen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Youth who are blamed for their sexual abuse may experience increased negative outcomes, such as amplified self-blame. Similarly, blaming nonoffending parents can impede their ability to support their child following disclosure. Understanding the factors that influence how people perceive victim, caregiver, and perpetrator responsibility is imperative for the protection and treatment of families who have experienced sexual abuse. Little research has explored victim and abuse characteristics that influence the perception of sexual abuse. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine the roles of behavior problems and frequency of abuse in the attribution of blame in a hypothetical …

Role Centrality And Shared Activities With Grandchildren: Effects On Grandparent Wellbeing, Madeline Marie Marello

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research shows that physical and mental health are closely linked (Ohrnberger, Fichera, & Sutton, 2017). Further, social role theory states that holding and enacting valued roles, such as grandparenting, can buffer the negative effects of health on depression (Reitzes & Mutran, 2004). Using data from 247 grandparents (Mean age = 66.5; range 42 to 90 years; 46.2% grandfathers), we examined whether grandparent role centrality and engagement with grandchildren altered the effects of physical health on depression. We then explored model differences between 164 custodial and 83 traditional grandparents. We found that for all grandparents the model was of sufficient fit: …

Comprehensive Elderly Care: Moving Towards A Person Centered Care Model Of Dementia Care, Evan Cerebe

Capstone Showcase

Person Centered Care, or PCC is a framework of care which emphasizes the importance of individuality and individually based needs. This framework takes into account all aspects of the human being, such as their personality and personal history. This stands in stark contrast to the traditional model of care, the medical model, which focuses on the disease and its treatment, rather than the psychosocial needs of the individual. Proper care in the psychosocial realm is a necessity within elderly populations with Dementia. This is because Dementia manifests itself differently depending on the person. This, along with the incredible rate of …