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A Retrospective Look At A Sample Of Juvenile Sex Offenders From Two Level Six Residential Treatment Centers In Utah: 1998-2007, Miriam Elizabeth Gunn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study and treatment of juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) has been steadily growing since its separation from the adult sex offender category in the early 1980s. Although many studies concern themselves with one specific research variable, this study looked at the presence of twelve characteristics historically associated with JSOs: sexual abuse, early exposure to sexuality, conduct disorder problems, exposure to crime in the family of origin, personal substance abuse, family substance abuse, school performance difficulties, school behavior problems, mental health difficulties, social skills deficits, changes in family structure, and nonsexual forms of abuse. This was an effort to see if …

Measuring Unawareness Of Cognitive Decline In A Population Of Elderly Individuals: The Cache County Study, Trevor Buckley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The metacognitive skills of elderly individuals were examined using a brief, seven-item questionnaire. The construct validity of the questionnaire was examined using two forms of external criteria, the Modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS), and informant reports of functional ability. Analysis of Cronbach’s alpha coefficients suggested moderate levels of internal consistency for the questionnaire (alpha = .75). Factor analysis (principal components) revealed two factors, one functional and one cognitive. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the metacognition questionnaire did not significantly predict 3MS change over a 3-year interval. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the metacognition questionnaire significantly predicted informant ratings. The metacognition …

Across The Pond: Ea-Ohp— Sohp Summit Meeting, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Jonathan Houdmont

Publications and Research

On March 6, 2008 at the APA/NIOSH/SOHP Conference on Work, Stress, and Health in Washington, DC, the executive committees and other involved members of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology held a summit meeting. The gathering was the latest in an ongoing series that began at the EA-OHP Dublin 2006 conference. The main discussion points and outcomes of interest to members are presented here.

An Innovative Treatment Approach For Children With Anxiety Disorders And Medically Unexplained Somatic Complaints, Laura C. Reigada, Paige H. Fisher, Cynthia Cutler, Carrie Masia

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents are largely undetected and the majority of youth do not receive services. Given the deleterious consequences of anxiety disorders, early identification and intervention have public health implications. In order to increase identification and treatment of anxious youth, expansion to nonpsychiatric settings (i.e., pediatric medical settings, schools) is necessary. Pediatric medical offices represent ideal settings for detection and intervention for several reasons: (1) access to large numbers of children, (2) high prevalence of unrecognized anxiety disorders in medical settings, and (3) an association between anxiety disorders and medically unexplained somatic symptoms. This paper describes a …

Sexual Harassment Experiences And Harmful Alcohol Use In A Military Sample: Differences In Gender And The Mediating Role Of Depression, Jaimie L. Gradus, Amy E. Street, Kacie Kelly, Jane Stafford

Faculty Publications

The current investigation identified the genderspecific prevalence of sexual harassment and assault experienced during U.S. military service and the negative mental and physical health correlates of these experiences in a sample of former reservists. We surveyed a stratified random sample of 3,946 former reservists about their experiences during military service and their current health, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, somatic symptoms, and medical conditions. Prevalence estimates and confidence intervals of sexual harassment and assault were calculated. A series of logistic regressions identified associations with health symptoms and conditions. Both men and women had a substantial prevalence of military sexual harassment …

The Effects Of Combining Reduced Luminance And Increased Blur On Older Driver Speed And Visual Acuity, Nathan Klein

All Theses

Drivers may be at more risk to themselves and other roadway users when vision is blurred or when luminance levels are reduced. Past research has investigated these visual conditions separately, finding that each degrades acuity without severely impairing steering ability. However, it is unknown how reduced luminance in combination with increased blur will affect driving performance. This study sought to quantify this combined effect on older adults' comfortable driving speed and visual acuity by testing 10 participants in a driving simulator. The majority of the luminance and blur conditions are comparable to those the driving population may realistically encounter. Participants …

Smile, But Don't Wear Yourself Out Doing So: Emotional Labor, Ego Depletion, Customer Anger, And Performance Over Time, Eric Mckibben

All Theses

The present study examined the motivational and performance consequences of emotional labor by having participants respond to multiple transactions in a simulated banking environment. Type of acting strategy (surface versus deep) and customer anger (high versus low) were manipulated to examine ego depletion and performance over time. Although prior research has examined these independent variables, no research has examined the relationships among the variables of interest over time. Study participants were randomly assigned to either one of four experimental groups (surface acting X angry customer, surface acting X non-angry customer, deep acting X angry customer, deep acting X non-angry customer) …

Actual And Self-Assessed Performance On A Logical Reasoning Task After A Night Of Total Or Partial Sleep Deprivation, Melissa Vander Wood

All Theses

The effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive task performance is becoming more important in today's society. Because of this, how total and partial sleep deprivation affect performance in the workplace needs to be better understood to increase awareness of how employees are able to perform. In addition, employers need to know if employees are able to accurately judge how sleep deprivation is affecting their own performance. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of total and partial sleep deprivation on actual and self-assessed performance on a logical reasoning task. Two studies, one under total sleep deprivation …

Future Psychologists' Perceptions Of Managed Care, Michele Renae Boyer Blood

Dissertations

This study was designed to examine future psychologists' perceptions of managed care, as well as their managed care related training and work experience. Data for this project were gathered electronically via a specially designed website. Participants were 119 future psychologists completing predoctoral internships in university counseling centers (n = 61) and hospitals (n = 58). Variables examined included predoctoral interns' attitudes towards managed care and their perceptions of the importance of knowledge in three critical domains relevant to service provision in the contemporary marketplace (i.e., general reimbursement, risk management, misdiagnosis). One measure, the Demographic and Practice Information Form (DAPIF), was …

Gender Difference In Emotional And Behavioral Responses Of Being Rendered Invisible, Juemei Yang

Honors Scholar Theses

This study examined gender differences in emotional and behavioral responses to an experience of being invisible to others. Invisibility was defined as being ignored, slighted and overlooked by others. Participants recalled their own experience and answered questions about it and their responses on an anonymous web-based survey. Although such experiences could be very unpleasant, people may respond to such negative experiences very differently. It was hypothesized that in a patriarchal society like the United States in which men hold more power than women, that men would show emotion that was more aggressive such as anger, and respond more violently to …

Adolescent Values And Exercise Behaviors, Kameron C. Dill

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in adolescent obesity in America (Mayo Clinic, 2006). Given this, there is a corresponding need to develop targeted adolescent obesity interventions. The current study examined how a psychosocially based intervention impacted adolescents' perceived value, frequency, and amount of exercise. Participants included 55 adolescents, (28 male, 26 female) ranging in age from 15-18. Separated by class, the three groups included one control group and two separate intervention groups. All groups completed an Exercise Checklist (Anshel, 2006), measuring the value, :frequency, and amount of exercise prior to any intervention. Classes then received different …

The Effect Of Computer-Based Biofeedback On Creativity, Qin Li

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In recent decades, Psychology has advance empirical studies of creativity, aiming for a better and more concrete understanding of this elusive topic. One branch of these studies investigates creativity’s physiological manifestation in an attempt to isolate underlying neurophysiologic mechanisms involved in creative thinking. These studies, through EEG recording of electrical brain activity, indicated that highly creative individuals tend to express a low arousal state as compared to less creative individuals. This experiment investigates the relationship between induced low arousal and creativity. A computer-based biofeedback game is used to induce low arousal. A multivariate analysis of our data revealed no significant …

Eating Disorders: A Study Of University Type And Prevalence, Emily C. Riggins

Senior Honors Theses

Disordered eating has become an increasing problem, especially in western culture. A study was conducted to determine a possible relationship between disordered eating among college students and type of university. Previous studies allude to the possibility of private evangelical colleges yielding more eating disorders than private non-evangelical and public colleges. College students at two east coast universities were compared on the Eating Attitudes Test and a demographic questionnaire. The research indicated that prevalence of eating disorders is not significantly different between private evangelical institutions and private non-evangelical institutions. The findings show some background, prevalence, causes, and theoretical explanation of eating …

The Influence Of Species And Context On Human-Dolphin Interactions, Deirdre Breen Yeater

Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities pose a threat to marine mammals around the world. Cetaceans that use coastal waters are at particular risk for potential disturbances caused by vessel traffic and human swimmers. Although many cetacean species are found near the coast of Utila, Honduras, little is known about their behavior or the effects of anthropogenic activities on their behavior. Whether the presence of boats and human swimmers led to short-term changes in dolphin behavior was investigated for three commonly sighted species of dolphins; rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis), spinner (Stenalla longirostris), and bottlenose (Turslops truncatus). The dolphins' behavioral activities, with and without other boats …

Normative Misperceptions Of Drinking Among College Students: A Look At The Specific Contexts Of Prepartying And Drinking Games, Eric R. Pedersen, Joseph W. Labrie

Heads Up!

Objective

In the collegiate context, misperceptions of student drinking norms are among the most salient predictors of heavy drinking, Despite overall overestimations of peer alcohol use, misperceptions of context-specific behaviors have been infrequently studied. The present study examines students' perceptions of the high-risk behaviors of prepartying and drinking games and investigates the relationship between perceived and actual behaviors.

Method

A sample of 524 college students completed an online assessment of actual and perceived alcohol use related to prepartying and drinking games. Quantity and frequency of overall drinking, prepartying, and drinking games were assessed for perceptions of all students at the …

Season Of Birth Effects In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kastley Marvin

Honors Scholar Theses

One factor that is investigated as a possible clue to etiological factors in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is season of birth. Season of birth effects could be the result of temperature, toxins, dietary changes, viral infections, and cultural or social factors that change seasonally (Bolton, Pickles, Harrington, Macdonald, & Rutter, 1992). A number of studies have looked for season of birth effects in ASD with no conclusive results. The current study analyzed season of birth effects in a sample of 441 children diagnosed with ASD. Analysis was also repeated after excluding prematurely born children from the data. Level of functioning …

Effects Of Food Primes And Thought Suppression On Eating Habits, Laura A. Sharpe

Honors Scholar Theses

Food primes and thought suppression have been identified as factors influencing poor eating choices. Primes affect people non-consciously by activating thoughts of food. Suppression of food thoughts leads to a preoccupation with food that is often followed by a hyperaccessibility of food thoughts and increased binging. The current study paired these two processes to examine their interactional effects. We manipulated exposure to food primes and instructions to suppress thoughts of a tasty snack food (M&Ms) for 76 college-aged women. We hypothesized that participants both primed with food images and asked to suppress would consume the most M&Ms at the end …

Characteristics Of Head Mounted Displays And Their Effects On Simulator Sickness, Jason Moss

All Dissertations

Characteristics of head-mounted displays (HMDs) and their effects on simulator sickness (SS) and presence were investigated. Update delay and wide field of views (FOV) have often been thought to elicit SS. With the exception of Draper et al. (2001), previous research that has examined FOV has failed to consider image scale factor, or the ratio between physical FOV of the HMD display and the geometric field of view (GFOV) of the virtual environment (VE). The current study investigated update delay, image scale factor, and peripheral vision on SS and presence when viewing a real-world scene. Participants donned an HMD and …

The Underpinnings Of Psycap Variance : An Examination Of Goal Orientation And Dark Side Versus Bright Side Personality Dimensions, Mark David Scott

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The present research examines the effects of the four-factor model of goal orientation, two dimensions from the five-factor personality model, and two of the Hogan dysfunctional personality dimensions on a measure of Psychological Capital. Relationships in regard to grade level and job status, as well as intercorrelations between the individual factors of the constructs are also explored. Participants included 219 undergraduate and graduate students. Overall, the findings suggest that emotional stability, MPGO, and PPGO are all positively related to PsyCap, whereas MVGO, PVGO, excitability, and dutifulness are all negatively related to PsyCap. Furthermore, it was found that full-time employees tend …

Application Of Quantitative Models Of Choice To Alcohol-Maintained Behavior, Corina Jimenez-Gomez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Choice procedures and quantitative models of choice behavior have been used to assess the reinforcing efficacy of drugs. Few studies, however, have used quantitative models of choice for the study of behavior maintained by alcohol. In addition, no studies have assessed the usefulness of quantitative models of concurrent-chains performance for the study of drug-associated cues. The purpose of the present series of experiments was to test the generality of the matching law with alcohol as a reinforcer and extend the use of quantitative models of concurrent-chains performance to behavior maintained by alcohol and alcohol-associated cues. In the first experiment (Chapter …

Sex Differences In The Use And Evaluated Helpfulness Of Premarital Advice, Neal J. Sullivan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to explore sex differences in the use and evaluated helpfulness of advice received before marriage. In addition, this study explored who typically gave premarital advice. Advice is considered by some to be a form of social support which can be helpful or hurtful to the marriage relationship. The sex of the advice-giver and advice-receiver as well as the relationship quality between them was explored in order to highlight how these variables affect advice use and helpfulness. Utilizing a questionnaire and interviews with individual newlywed husbands (n = 56) and wives (n = …

Maternal Experience And Alzheimer's Disease : Degenerative Differences In The Female Rat, Lindsay W. Victoria

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease found in many aging adults. The presence of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is an early indicator of the onset of Alzheimer’s, primarily in memory-related brain regions like the hippocampus. Hormones accompanying pregnancy, such as estrogen, may provide the female brain with protection against neurodegeneration and deposits of APP. The present study will compare concentrations of APP in the brains of parous and nulliparous animals and examine the interaction of APP with estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). Young and aged animals will also be compared to determine any early effects of APP or ERβ. It is …

The Effects That A One-To-One Laptop Initiative Has On Student Academic Performance And Achievement, Allen Aloys Burgad

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how a one-to-one laptop initiative in a small, rural North Dakota school effected student academic performance based on the perceptions of participating students, teachers, and parents. Existing Northwest Evaluation Association Measure of Academic Progress student test results also were used to determine if the laptop initiative had any significant impact on student achievement in reading, language arts, and math. The primary focus of the study was based on pre-existing data regarding students', teachers', and parents' perceptions of academic performance versus academic achievement. Perceptions of academic performance were utilized by the researcher primarily …

Public Prekindergarten: An Implementation Model For Public Schools In States That Do Not Fund Prekindergarten, Sharon A. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this comparative case study was to develop a prekindergarten implementation model for public school districts located in states without state-funded prekindergarten. The two public school districts selected for the study were located in a rural Midwestern state and differed on the presence or absence of a prekindergarten program within their school settings. This study utilized qualitative case study methods to identify (a) factors that supported and impeded voluntary initiation, implementation, and continuation of a prekindergarten within two public school settings; (b) the role of key stakeholders; and (c) the effects resulting from the implementation or lack of …

Childless Women In The Plays Of William Inge, Tennessee Williams, And Edward Albee, Suzanne Macdonald Winkel

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of three major twentieth-century American playwrights—William Inge, Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee—and their dramatic use of childless women characters in Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) respectively. Although the plays of Inge, Williams, and Albee have been analyzed individually by numerous scholars, they have not been studied together as works about procreation and childlessness. The study's historical focus is the post World War II era during which time the three plays proposed for analysis were written and produced. Commonly called the baby boom …

A Study Of Asian Dust Events Using Surface, Satellite, And Aircraft Measurements During Intex-B, Rebecca L. Obrecht

Theses and Dissertations

Asian dust events occur frequently during the northern hemisphere spring season. Some of these events can transport dust downwind to North America within 7 days’ time and turn a regional impact into one of a much larger scale. To further quantify the transpacific transport and evolution of Asian dust to North America and assess the impact on regional climate, NASA led a field experiment called the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - Phase B (INTEX-B) during April-May 2006 over the eastern Pacific Ocean. This study documents the physical and optical properties of Asian dust, as well as its strength and evolution …

Broken Masks: A Study In Sanity, Jessica Ann Schmidt

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"Broken Masks: A Study in Sanity" is a mixed work of fiction and nonfiction short stories that explore the lives of people who are off center of normal. Some of the protagonists are different because of psychological trauma, some are different because of the circumstances of their birth, and some are different because what is normal to them seems horrific to the reader. The idea of the mask, sense of Self or social role, has interested me since my undergraduate days in psychology, and I have attempted to blend current psychological understanding of trauma and psyche with fictional and nonfictional …

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Knowledge And Practices: A Survey Of Pediatricians And Family Practice Physicians, Kara L. Spielmans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder often treated by pediatricians or family practice physicians. ADHD knowledge held by treating physicians may be an important predictor in patient outcomes. This study examined ADHD knowledge and common assessment and treatment practices of pediatricians and family practice physicians via a national survey sent to members of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Mailings included the Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorders Scale--Revised (KADDS-R) and a demographic/practice questionnaire. Although both physician types reported utilizing assessment and treatment methods consistent with current ADHD practice guidelines, findings suggested that …

Reaping The Rewards Of Diversity: The Role Of Identity Integration, Chi-Ying Cheng, Melissa Sanders, Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Kristine Molina, Fiona Lee, Emily Darling, Yu Zhao

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

How does diversity affect individuals and the groups in which they are embedded? This article examines this question using recent theory and research on Identity Integration (II). II refers to an individual's perceptions about whether two distinct social identities, or social groups to which individuals belong, are viewed as compatible (high II) or not (low II). A review of extant research suggests that individuals with high II are better at simultaneously accessing multiple identities and identity-related knowledge and have improved well-being and social outcomes. Expanding on this work, we argue that individuals who have higher II, and social collectives that …

The Effects Of Attributional Style On Learning : Engagement As A Mediator, Courtney A. Hopkins

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study investigated the effects of attributional style on learning outcomes, with engagement in learning as a mediator. A model was developed to depict this relationship, suggesting that attributional style affects learning both directly and indirectly, with academic and civic engagement as a mediator between attributional style and learning. Hypothesis 1 stated that attributional style is related to academic performance, such that students with a positive attributional style will exhibit higher academic performance than students with a negative attributional style. Hypothesis 2 stated that engagement mediates the relationship between attributional style and academic performance. The data used in this study …