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Changes In Cerebral White Matter, Vascular Risk And Cognition Across The Adult Lifespan, Andrew Robert Bender

Wayne State University Dissertations

Numerous studies over the past decade have used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine associations between age, diffusion and anisotropy measures of cerebral white matter (WM), and cognitive performance. However, few have examined relationships between intra-individual change in DTI measures of WM and cognitive function. It is possible that the extant cross-sectional findings are a poor representation of age-related change in WM and cognition. The present study used latent difference-score modeling (LDM) to assess change over two years in DTI indices fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (DR), axial diffusivity (DA) and mean diffusivity (MD). In addition, we examined the effects …

The Difference In Perception Of Gerotranscendence Between College Students And Healthy, Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Duc Viet Lai

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Within the field of gerontology, some notable attempts to explain the aging process include activity theory, disengagement theory, Erikson's eight stages model, and socioemotional selectivity theory. The theory of gerotranscendence, recently developed by Lars Tornstam (1989), incorporates some aspects of these theories, and seeks to provide an overarching theme to the process of aging. The theory of gerotranscendence explains a shift in meta-perspective that a person experiences as they live, from a more materialistic and pragmatic view of the world to a more cosmic and transcendent one. Corresponding with this shift, the gerotranscendent individual exhibits certain behaviors, some of which …

The Effects Of Geriatric Sexual Orientation On Caregiver Reactions To Resident Sexual Behavior Within Long-Term Care Facilities, Andrew Jonathan Ahrendt

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Within the paucity of literature regarding older adult sexuality, a larger dearth exists concerning biases of long-term care facility staff toward gay and lesbian older adult residents. Prior literature has documented that LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) individuals' perceive that they do not receive the same quality of care as that of heterosexual individuals within long-term care facilities. Thus researchers aimed to evaluate whether these biases truly exist within care facilities that can prevent holistic care from being comprehensively provided to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. 153 residential care facility staff members from two separate facilities read one of …

Differences In Mental Health Treatment Recommendations For Older And Younger Adults, Michelle M. Smith

Masters Theses

Failure to meet geriatric mental health needs is increasingly problematic. Research indicates that the problem is not simply a matter of insufficient numbers of mental health practitioners (MHPs), but also ageist attitudes and lack of knowledge about and training with older adults. The current study reviews the literature regarding knowledge about older people, education and training that mental health professionals receive, and the attitudes that are held by mental health professionals. The study also assessed for differences in treatment recommendations that MHP made for older versus younger clients, investigated whether MHP knowledge about the mental health of older adults, attitudes …

How Old We Are & How Old We Feel, Trevor Fry, Collin Keating, Diana Mcswain, Patrice Frazier, Christin Quinn, Andrea Zimmerman

2014 Symposium

Many researchers assess differences in age as a distinct independent variable for a wide range of empirical analyses. However, subjective age (how old people feel) is a construct that has been relatively neglected in the literature. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between chronological age and subjective age, as well as subjective age differences between genders. As part of a larger study, 95 participants completed the Subjective Age Questionnaire (Montepare, Rierdan, Koff, & Stubbs, 1989) including 5 items on a 7-point Likert scale. Reported subjective age was subtracted by chronological age (age discrepancy) for comparison …

Attitudes Toward Anger Management Scale: Development And Initial Validation, David J. Boudreaux, Eric R. Dahlen, Michael B. Madson, Emily Bullock-Yowell

Faculty Publications

This article describes the development and preliminary validation of the Attitudes Toward Anger Management Scale (ATAMS), a self-report measure of attitudes toward anger management services. Undergraduate volunteers (N = 415) completed an initial version of the instrument. Principal components analysis yielded a two-factor solution. Convergent and incremental validities were supported.

Applying The Biopsychosocial Model: Factors Associated With Depression In Mexican-American Adults, Alison B. Ross

Scripps Senior Theses

Although professionals in psychiatry, psychology and medicine claim to endorse the biopsychosocial model as proposed by George L. Engel (1977), clinicians in all three fields still tend to underutilize it. Some academics have also criticized the model for its inadequate emphasis on cultural contextualization. To improve upon the model, I sought to empirically establish the relationship between culturally-specific social factors and psychological disorder, in this case depressive symptoms in Mexican-American adults. Eighty-six Mexican-American participants living on the US-Mexico border completed scales measuring depressive symptoms, bidirectional acculturation, living situation, diabetes, and health beliefs regarding the origins of diabetes. The results revealed …

Cognitive Effects And Academic Consequences Of Video Game Playing, Sean Hollis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: prior video game playing (vgp) research has generated mixed empirical findings. Recent studies suggested positive effects vgp may have on cognitive skills, particularly improvements in visuospatial skills, processing speed, working memory, multitasking, and problem solving skills. By contrast, other studies have suggested that vgp leads to lower academic performance - indicating further research on vgp effects is needed. This study investigated the effects of vgp on cognitive skills and academic performance. Methods: 208 participants were recruited from the University of Mississippi psychology department in exchange for research participation credit. The sample was 68.9% female and 31.1% male. Ages ranged …

Parkinson's Diagnosis From The Caregiver's Perspective, Helen Maree Bradley

Theses : Honours

Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The irreversible and accumulating disability experienced means that people with Parkinson’s progressively lose their autonomy, eventually requiring complete care. Consequently, Parkinson’s significantly impacts sufferers and the people who care for them. Informal care, predominantly provided by female spouses becomes exceptionally demanding over time, and caregivers experience significant morbidity. Stress manifests across all stages of the caregiving trajectory, with diagnosis reported as a particularly stressful period for caregivers; however, few attempts have been made to understand what makes it stressful. The current study explored female spousal caregivers’ subjective experience of the Parkinson’s diagnosis, …

The Year Of Magical Thinking: Fraud, Loss, And Grief, Jayne W. Barnard

Faculty Publications

In The Year of Magical Thinking, her wrenching memoir of the year following the death of her husband John Gregory Dunne, Joan Didion describes the episodes of magical thinking that forestalled her acceptance of Dunne's sudden absence from her life. In the hours after his death, she charged his cell phone. Weeks later, she gave his clothes to charity but kept his shoes because, she thought, "He would need shoes if he were to return."

Modern grief theory tells us that episodes like these are common during the months following a loved one's death, particularly when the death, like …

Does Monogamy Harm Women? Deconstructing Monogamy With A Feminist Lens, Ali Ziegler, Jes L. Matsick, Amy C. Moors, Jennifer D. Rubin, Terri D. Conley

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

In this paper, we utilize a critical feminist lens to analyze the advantages and disadvantages found within two different romantic relationship configurations: monogamy and polyamory. While visibility of polyamorous relationships has increased in recent years, there is still a lack of information and a plethora of misinformation concerning non-monogamous romantic relationship dynamics (Conley, Moors, Matsick, & Ziegler, 2012; Conley, Ziegler, Moors, Matsick, & Valentine, 2012). One such notion is that polyamory is differentially damaging to women vis-à-vis men. From a phenomenological perspective, sociocultural values dictate that women, unlike men, are prescribed to be dependent upon monogamy in order to define …

Self-Regulation In Older Adults: The Prioritization Of Emotion Regulation, Daniel R. Evans

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Despite having fewer cognitive resources, older adults regulate their emotions as well as, if not better than, younger adults. This study aimed to (1) test the limits of older adults’ emotion regulation capacity and (2) gain a better understanding of how older adults use their more limited resources to regulate their emotions. Participants included 48 healthy older adults aged 65-85 from the community and 50 healthy younger adults aged 18-25 from the student population. They were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups involving an initial activity that was high or low in self-regulatory demand followed by a test …

Making Space For Dying: Portraits Of Living With Dying, Elise Lark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In Making Space for Dying: Portraits of Living with Dying, I describe the everyday lived experience of dying and the care culture within freestanding, community-based, end-of-life residences (CBEOLR) utilizing portraiture and arts-based research. I craft four case studies into “portraits,” based on interviews, on-site visits, up-close observation, and field notes. In the person-centered portraits, I reveal the inner landscape of two terminally ill women, with data represented in poetry. In the place-centered portraits, I “map” the social topography of two CBEOLRs to illustrate how lives and care of the dying are emplaced, from the perspectives of community leaders, …

An Investigation Into The Psychological Impact Of Informal Aged Care: The Lived Experience Of Older Female Informal Aged Carers, Emma Stein

Theses : Honours

It has been estimated that 196,000 (38%) informal carers in Australia are aged over 65 years, with the majority of these carers providing care to someone in their own age group. In particular, it is women who have been providing most informal care. Recognition of this has highlighted women’s needs for psychological support in their caregiving roles. However, research into women’s experiences of this phenomenon is scarce. The present study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women in this context, asking the question “what are the perceived psychological impacts of aged care on older women who are informal carers?” …

Memory Self-Efficacy And Beliefs About Memory Controllability In Late Life, Bethany A. Lyon

LSU Master's Theses

The Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC) model for lifespan development (Baltes & Baltes, 1990) holds that as we age, our goals change from growth to maintenance. When people face difficulties, they work to minimize losses in order to maintain skills they already have physically, mentally, and socially. Thus, we compensate when possible in order to maintain the life we have established. In the case of memory people assume that there is little they can do when memory starts to fail and forgetfulness becomes more prominent. In the present research, we examine memory self-appraisals to provide new evidence on memory self-efficacy …

Security Of Attachment To Spouses In Late Life: Concurrent And Prospective Links With Cognitive And Emotional Wellbeing, Robert J. Waldinger, Shiri Cohen, Marc S. Schulz, Judith A. Crowell

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Social ties are powerful predictors of late-life health and well-being. Although many adults maintain intimate partnerships into late life, little is known about mental models of attachment to spouses and how they influence aging. A total of 81 elderly heterosexual couples (162 individuals) were interviewed to examine the structure of attachment security to their partners; respondents also completed measures of cognition and well-being concurrently and 2.5 years later. Factor analysis revealed a single factor for security of attachment. Higher security was linked concurrently with greater marital satisfaction, fewer depressive symptoms, better mood, and less frequent marital conflicts. Greater security predicted …

A Good Old Age: Experiencing A Satisfying Life, Kaitlin Thimann

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The definition of successful aging has been changing, however, there is a lack of current studies on existing aging trends and how to experience a good old age. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe themes and factors that can lead to an individual experiencing a good old age. This study is a qualitative, exploratory ethnography in which interviews were used to gather information on a good old age from adults aged sixty-five and older. The study revealed that there were several common factors throughout the interviews. Physical and mental health, social support, and financial stability are …

Personality Accounts For The Connection Between Volunteering And Health, Hannah Rose King

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Purpose In Life Predicts Better Emotional Recovery From Negative Stimuli, S. M. Schaefer, J. M. Boyland, C. M. Van Reekum, R. C. Lapate, Catherine Norris, C. D. Ryff, R. J. Davidson

Psychology Faculty Works

Purpose in life predicts both health and longevity suggesting that the ability to find meaning from life’s experiences, especially when confronting life’s challenges, may be a mechanism underlying resilience. Having purpose in life may motivate reframing stressful situations to deal with them more productively, thereby facilitating recovery from stress and trauma. In turn, enhanced ability to recover from negative events may allow a person to achieve or maintain a feeling of greater purpose in life over time. In a large sample of adults (aged 36-84 years) from the MIDUS study (Midlife in the U.S., http://www.midus.wisc.edu/), we tested whether purpose in …

The Development Of A Discipline: Examination Of The Profession Of Gerontology And Gerontological Professionals, Tracey Gendron

Theses and Dissertations

The growth of the aging population has warranted increased training and education to prepare professionals with the specific knowledge needed to best serve older adults. Gerontology, as an academic discipline, provides professionals with the conceptual knowledge and the skills necessary to address the complexities of working with a diverse aging population. Little research has been done of the characteristics of professionals both with and without formal education in gerontology that are working with the aging population. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of career motivation, job satisfaction, attitudes about aging, career commitment, and professional identity among …

Graduate Students’ Geropsychology Training Opportunities And Perceived Competence In Working With Older Adults, Erin Woodhead, Erin Emery, Nancy Pachana, Theresa Scott, Candace Konnert, Barry Edelstein

Faculty Publications

The current study surveyed clinical and counseling graduate students in the United States (n = 380), Canada (n = 211), Australia (n = 117), and New Zealand (n = 20) to assess geropsychology training opportunities and perceived competency in working with older adults. More geropsychology opportunities were available to participants from the United States and Australia/New Zealand than from Canada. Participants not enrolled in programs with specialty geropsychology tracks reported a lower proportion of faculty doing research, F(1, 537) = 182.13, p < .001 and clinical work, F(1, 452) = 36.13, p < .001 with older adults, lower perceived level of interest among faculty in increasing aging content, F(1, 584) = 59.98, p < .001, fewer aging courses taken, F(1, 582) = 46.91, p < .001, and fewer total practicum hours with older adult clients, F(1, 313) = 10.88, p = .001. For participants enrolled in a program with a specialty track, higher levels of perceived competency were associated with higher levels of perceived interest among faculty in increasing aging content (β = 0.29, p = .045) and more courses that included geropsychology topics (β = 0.42, p = .020). Significant associations were similar for participants not enrolled in a program with a specialty track, except that more practicum sites with older adults (β = 0.19, p = .002) and more total practicum hours with older adults (β = 0.31, p < .001) were also associated with ratings of perceived competency. Participants anticipated working with older adults in their future careers via seeing a wide age range of clients in independent practice, working in a specialty that includes older adults (neuropsychology), or including older family members in services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)

Motivational Interviewing Group To Address Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, Salma A. Salem

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this doctoral project was to create a group treatment manual for adults diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, who were displaying adverse health behaviors that were modifiable by lifestyle change. In order to create the manual, an extensive literature review was conducted in the areas of the prevalence of chronic illness in the United States, cardiovascular disease and associated health risk factors, motivational interviewing, health behavior change, and group therapy with adults. The result is a manual consisting of 10 detailed weekly sessions, including pre/post outcome measures, complete with handouts and facilitator guidelines for working with this population.

Age Differences In Women’S Anger Experience And Expression, A. Antonio González-Prendes, Nancy Praill, Poco Kernsmith

Social Work Faculty Publications

Research on women’s anger is relative scarce. In this study the authors examined differences in anger experience and expression in women across three distinct age groups: 18-30, 31-49, and 50 and above. The authors used the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2) to survey a sample of 239 women in the United States and Canada. The groups were established according to hypothesized transitional life stages of changing responsibilities and expectations. A MANCOVA was used to test the effect of age and covariates of education, employment, relationship status, and country of residence on participants’ experience and expression of anger. The authors discuss …

Using Mouse Tracking To Examine The Time Course Of An Auditory Lexical Decision Task, Maura Krestar, Sara Incera, Conor T. Mclennan

Psychology Faculty Publications

Mouse-tracking studies demonstrate that hand movements reveal the progression of responses over time during
psychological tasks. In the present study, we examined the time course of cognitive processing during an auditory lexical
decision task. The following predicted results emerged to indicate facilitation for words relative to nonwords: 1) shorter
reaction times; 2) fewer direction changes, and, compared to the ideal trajectory; 3) smaller deviation; and, 4) area under
the curve for words relative to nonwords. We also found predicted differences between words and nonwords in velocity
throughout the trials, providing a greater understanding of the real-time processing dynamics throughout the …

Testing An Attribution Model Of Caregiving In A Latino Sample: The Role Of Familismo And The Caregiver-Care Recipient Relationship, Bianca Teresa Villalobos

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Social and economic consequences of depression place a heavy burden on society. Many family members and friends often feel the need take on the role of informal caregivers when loved ones require assistance due to disabling conditions. However, caregiver burden can arise when providing support for a person with a chronic condition. Caregiver burnout is associated with numerous negative outcomes for both the caregiver and care recipient. As such, efforts to understand factors related to reducing caregiver burden are necessary. Research on help giving has been guided by an attribution model developed by Weiner (1988), which describes how attributions …

Generation And The Google Effect: Transactive Memory System Preference Across Age, Jessica Siler

HIM 1990-2015

A transactive memory system (TMS) is a means by which people may store information externally; in such a system the task of remembering is offloaded by remembering where information is located, rather than remembering the information itself. As Sparrow et al. (2011) suggest in the article Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips, people are beginning to use the internet and computers as a TMS, and this use is changing the way people encounter and treat information. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether preference for TMS type (either with books or with …

A Description Of Group Supervision In Internships: A National Study Of Programs Accredited By Cacrep, Robert Powell

Dissertations

Counselor Education programs that are accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) must provide group supervision for students during their internship experience. To gain an understanding of what is currently taking place in group supervision during a student’s internship experience in CACREP-accredited counselor education programs, descriptive and qualitative data were collected utilizing an online survey. To capture a profile of who is teaching group supervision as well as their qualifications and experience, the researcher gathered demographic data from 62 participants. All participants in the study had taught group supervision in a CACREP program within …

Frequent False Hearing By Older Adults: The Effects Of Predictive Context In Speech Perception, John Ryan Morton

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Improving Patient-Centered Care: Personal Models Of Depression Among Older Male Veterans, Erin Woodhead, Sarah Brunskill, J. Lisa Tenover, Joung Huh

Faculty Publications

A quality improvement project was undertaken at the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System to better understand how older veterans think about depression diagnosis and treatment so that patient education efforts and communication between older veterans and their health care providers could be improved.

Dimensions Of Subjective Well-Being, Arie Kapteyn, Jinkook Lee, Caroline Tassot, Hanka Vonkova, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Using the American Life Panel, we conduct an experiment to investigate the relations between various evaluative and experienced well-being measures based on the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, the Gallup Wellbeing Index, and a 12-item Hedonic Well-Being module. We find that all evaluative measures load on the same factor, but the positive and negative experienced affect measures load on different factors. We find evidence of an effect of response scales on both the estimated number of underlying factors and their relations with demographics. We conclude that finer scales allowing more nuanced answers offer more reliability.