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A Correlational Study Of Anxiety Level, Spiritual Practices, And Spiritual Well-Being, Darren N. Janzen

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research has indicated that anxiety is the most prevalent of all psychological disorders, affecting up to 30 million people in the United States at some point during their lives (Lepine, 2002). It has also been determined that anxiety may be a fairly stable trait that people experience. Some people are more likely to experiencing anxiety than others, and for those who are more likely it is also more difficult to stop having anxiety. Predictors of anxiety have been identified and include such items as: low self-esteem, ineffective social support, high education, low religiosity (Hovey & Magana, 2002), low vocational satisfaction …

Transient Inactivation Of Perirhinal Cortex Disrupts Encoding, Retrieval, And Consolidation Of Object Recognition Memory., Boyer D Winters, Timothy J Bussey

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Damage to perirhinal cortex (PRh) impairs object recognition memory in humans, monkeys, and rats when tested in tasks such as delayed nonmatching to sample, visual paired comparison, and its rodent analog, the spontaneous object recognition task. In the present study, we have capitalized on the discrete one-trial nature of the spontaneous object recognition task to investigate the role of PRh in several distinct stages of object recognition memory. In a series of experiments, transient inactivation of PRh was accomplished with bilateral infusions of lidocaine directly into PRh immediately before the sample phase (encoding), immediately before the choice phase (retrieval), or …

The Use Of Phenomenology For Family Therapy Research: The Search For Meaning, Carla M. Dahl, Pauline Boss

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Memory Training Programs In Improving The Subjective Memory Characteristics Of Healthy Older Adults With Memory Complaints : A Meta-Analysis, Kimilee Y. Wilson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The focus of this study was to examine the effectiveness of memory training programs in improving the metamemory (i.e., subjective memory characteristics) of healthy older adults by integrating recent research findings in a meta-analysis. In particular, the following research questions were proposed: (a) How effective are memory training programs in improving the subjective memory characteristics of healthy older adults with memory complaints? (b) Which components of the memory training programs increase the effectiveness of memory training (in terms of metamemory characteristics)? (c) How do the results of this meta-analysis compare to those reported by Floyd and Scogin (1997)? Studies that …

Recalled Childhood Sexual Abuse Related To Marital Satisfaction, David Lawson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sexual satisfaction of participants who recalled childhood sexual abuse was investigated. A survey asking several questions pertaining to sexual activities was completed by 417 adult heterosexual females and 179 adult heterosexual males. The results indicated that three groups had lower sexual satisfaction than controls: (1) underage females who were victims of coerced sexual situations with male partners who were within four years of the victim’s age, (2) underage females who voluntarily experimented sexually with underage males who were more than four years older than themselves, and (3) females who reported that they were raped as adults by adult males. Underage …

The Development Of A Counselor Performance Evaluation, Amanda Christine Messina

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Client’s Evaluation of Counselor Behavior Short Form (CECB-S) is a 33-question survey based on the factors of empathy, genuineness and unconditional positive regard. It was completed by the clients following every therapy session for a three-week period for a group of inexperienced counselors just starting their practicum, and a group of experienced counselors getting ready to leave their practicum. A factor analysis found that the CECB-S has 7 factors; Listening/Empathy Skills, Techniques, Goal Setting, Achievements, Availability, Counseling Action and Knowledge. To examine the validity of the survey, a MANOVA was also run to see if clients perceived differences between …

Intimacy, Orgasm Likelihood Of Both Partners, Conflict, And Partner Response Predict Sexual Satisfaction In Heterosexual Male And Female Respondents, R. Vernon Haning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Anonymous data provided by 417 female and 179 male sexually active heterosexual respondents showed that in long term sexual relationships sexual satisfaction was positively correlated with two different intimacy variables, the respondent’s orgasm likelihood, and the partner’s orgasm likelihood and negatively correlated with conflict in the relationship. All were significant predictors together in a multiple linear regression model. Empathic sexuality was defined as sexual response modulated by the sexual arousal or lack of arousal of the partner. Of 696 respondents, 90.3% reported empathic turn-on, 68% reported empathic turn-off, and 63.4% reported both empathic turn-on and turn-off, findings significantly different from …

Three American Troops In Iraq: Evaluation Of A Brief Exposure Therapy Treatment For The Secondary Prevention Of Combat - Related Ptsd *, Jeffrey A. Cigrang, Alan L. Peterson, Richard P. Schobitz

School of Professional Psychology Faculty Publications

Relatively little research has been devoted to developing empirically-supported interventions for the secondary prevention of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (i.e., for individuals who have developed PTSD symptoms but not the full PTSD disorder). One-session psychological debriefing has been routinely used as a primary preventive intervention for individuals exposed to trauma, but the appropriateness of this practice has been questioned. The authors describe an alternative, secondary prevention model of brief exposure- based treatment using three cases of military members seeking help at a forward-deployed medical clinic in Iraq for PTSD symptoms following combat -related traumas. Treatment involved repeated imaginal exposure and …

Collaborate With Whom? Clergy Responses To Psychologist Characteristics (Chapter 2 Of Psychology And The Church), Mark R. Mcminn, Jeff Ammons, Brian R. Mclaughlin, Colleen Williamson, Justin W. Griffin, C. Richelle Fitzsimmons, Brandi Spires

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Some clergy and psychologists are willing to collaborate in providing for people under their care and some are reticent. The purpose of this research is to see if clergy are more likely to collaborate with psychologists of a particular sex or training background. Six groups of clergy were given written descriptions of a psychologist that varied on these two dimensions-the institution from which the psychologist received training and sexand were then asked to rate how likely they would be to participate in 7 collaborative scenarios with the psychologist. No group differences were found. Furthermore, clergy characteristics were not significantly related …

Overview Of Attachment Disorder And Effective Treatments For Children, Kathryn H. Hedican

Graduate Research Papers

When children experience extreme chronic trauma as a result of the effects of the disruption of healthy attachment patterns, a disorder known as Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) can develop. The importance for mental health counselors to understand the etiology of RAD cannot be overemphasized. Symptoms most often associated with this disorder include the inability to trust, failure to develop intimate relationships, or show affection, lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem, and anti-social behaviors and attitudes (Levy & Orlans, 1998 as cited in Sheperis, Renfro-Michel, & Doggett, 2003). Highlighting the foundational work of Erikson, Harlow, Bowlby, and Ainsworth includes a brief overview …

Content Analysis Of Drug Offenders' Sketches On The Draw-An-Event Test For Risky Sexual Situations, Alan W. Stacy, Susan L. Ames, Barbara C. Leigh, Brian R. Houska, Julia Andsager

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of the Draw-an-Event Test for risky sexual situations (DET-RS), a nonverbal memory-based assessment tool used for productions of spontaneous content associated with risky sex. Methods: Traditional holistic coding analysis of 298 drug offenders' content productions. Results: Content analyses of DET-RS sketches provided increased understanding of substance use and other context preceding risky sexual situations with different types of sex partners. None of the sketches including drugs depleted condoms, only one of the sketches with alcohol included a condom, and only 2 sketches mentioned sexually transmitted diseases. Conclusions: The DET-RS is a useful research tool for …

Implicit Cognition And Dissocative Experiences As Predictors Of Adolescent Substance Use, Susan L. Ames, Steve Sussman, Clyde W. Dent, Alan W. Stacy

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The present study evaluated the mediating role of implicit cognitive processes in the prediction of alcohol and marijuana use and examined the relationships between dissociative experiences, implicit processes, and sensation seeking in models of drug use and problem experiences. Participants were 467 diverse at-risk adolescents in California. Results from latent variable models revealed that implicit cognition independently predicted alcohol and marijuana use and mediated the predictive effects of sensation seeking on drug use. Dissociative experiences did not predict implicit cognition or drug use in this sample, though this factor was a significant predictor of problem experiences and was positively correlated …

The Reliability And Validity Of Two Ambulatory Monitoring Actigraphs, Warren W. Tryon

Psychology Faculty Publications

Evidence for the reliability and validity of two models of Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc. actigraphs was obtained by testing four instruments of each kind 10 times each on a precision pendulum. Correlation and coefficient of variation methods were used to analyze the data. Reliability coefficients of .98 were obtained for both models. Coefficient of variation methods yielded reliability coefficients of 92% for the MotionLogger model and 97% for the BuzzBee model. Validity coefficients of .99 were obtained for both models. However, MotionLogger means were found to differ by up to 36% from one instrument to another, whereas BuzzBee means differed by …

Engaging Rural Youth In Physical Activity Promotion Research In An After-School Setting, Nancy O’Hara Tompkins, James A. Rye, Sam Zizzi, Elizabeth Vitullo

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background

West Virginia, the second most rural state in the nation, has a higher than average prevalence of chronic diseases, especially those related to physical inactivity and obesity. Innovative educational approaches are needed to increase physical activity among adults and youth in rural areas and reduce rural health disparities. This paper describes West Virginia's Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) Education and Outreach on Healthy Weight and Physical Activity. The project involved teachers and underserved high school students in social science research aimed at increasing physical activity among student and community participants.

Context

The HSTA is an ongoing initiative of …

The Influence Of Psychosocial Maturity On Male Juvenile Offenders' Comprehension And Understanding Of The Miranda Warning, Lori H. Colwell, Keith R. Cruise, Laura S. Guy, Wendy K. Mccoy, Krissie Fernandez, Heather H. Ross

Psychology Faculty Publications

Self-report measures of psychosocial maturity and screening measures of achievement and intelligence (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence; WASI) were used to investigate the influence of psychosocial maturity on male juvenile offenders’ comprehension and appreciation of the Miranda warning (Grisso’s Instruments for Assessing Understanding and Appreciation of Miranda Rights; GUAM). A sample of 67 male juvenile offenders, placed in a short-term detention facility or juvenile boot camp facility, participated in the study. Demographic differences revealed that youths in short-term detention were approximately one year older than boot camp youths. The two groups did not differ in IQ or measures of psychosocial …

Neuropsychological Impairment In Racial/Ethnic Minorities With Hiv Infection And Low Literacy Levels: Effects Of Education And Reading Level In Participant Characterization, Elizabeth L. Ryan, Reon Baird, Monica Rivera-Mindt, Desiree Byrd, Jennifer Monzones, Susan Morgello, The Manhattan Hiv Brain Bank

Psychology Faculty Publications

Educational attainment is an important factor in the interpretation of cognitive test scores but years of education are not necessarily synonymous with educational quality among racial/ethnic minority populations. This study investigated the comparability of educational attainment with reading level and examined whether discrepancies in education and reading level accounted for differences in neuropsychological test performance between HIV+ racial/ethnic minority and nonminority participants. Study participants (N = 200) were derived from the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank (MHBB) where 50% of the cohort had ≤8th grade reading level but only 5% had ≤8 years of education. Significantly lower reading ability and education …

The Nature Of Bullying In Schools, Rachel M. Cole

Graduate Research Papers

Bullying is one of the leading social problems facing young people today. The negative consequences of bullying affect everyone – the bullies, the victims, the bystanders, the school, parents, and the community. According to Barton (2003), absenteeism due to bullying occurs among 6% of boys and 9% of girls on a weekly basis. Due to the alarming statistics and long-term effects of bullying, it is imperative that school personnel and parents help prevent bullying by knowing the facts. This author has chosen to concentrate on the various types of bullying, as well as the characteristics of bullies and vulnerability to …

Weight Loss Practices In Amateur Wrestlers And Its Relationship To Disordered Eating, Lyndsey M. Manderfield

Graduate Research Papers

The premise behind many athletic programs is to encourage wellness, a state of well being in both physical and emotional aspects. This research paper reviews how wrestling and other athletic programs where weight plays a significant role, may affect eating and other weight-related habits. It addresses whether weight loss practices in wrestling play a role in disordered eating patterns of its participants.

A Narrative Group Model To Reduce Gender Role Conflict In Adult Males, Dennis K. Smithe

Graduate Research Papers

This manuscript provides a therapeutic group model to address gender role conflict in males based on a narrative approach. The use of story telling and metaphor are central to the process because they are reflective of how men tend to communicate. This approach reflects a shift away from traditional counseling approach often seen as the antithesis of a masculine ideology. This process provides group members the opportunities to co-create and re-author socially constructed stories of masculinity and maleness that have taught males to abuse and neglect their bodies while at the same time not seek help. Unique to this model …

Oppositional Defiant Disorder : Using Family Therapy And Parent Training Techniques For Effective Treatment Outcomes, Caroline S. Dieken

Graduate Research Papers

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) clinically affects children and adolescents through the display of unwanted disruptive, hostile, defiant, and oppositional behaviors. Development of these can be linked to parental psychopathology, family and marital dysfunction, poor parent-child interaction, atypical parenting, maternal age, substance abuse, poor supervision, and inconsistent or harsh discipline. The effects of ODD lead to impaired social functioning, depression, low self-esteem, academic failure, substance abuse, delinquency, and family discord. Compared to other treatments ( e.g., medication, behavior modification, punishment, or removal from the home) the most effective course of treatment for ODD is the use of family therapy and parent …

Successful Midlife Aging In A Changing Work Environment: A Model Of Midlife Adaptation, Autumn Nichole Carroll

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to construct a model of midlife work adaptation that depicts a basic framework outlining coping processes by which midlife adults use to approach changes identified in the current midlife context that challenge them cognitively, physically, and emotionally.

Emotional Intelligence And Its Relationship With The Goodness Of Fit Hypothesis And Perceived Stress, Ryan Anthony Platt

Theses Digitization Project

This study tested the hypothesis that goodness of fit has a positive relationship with Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Participants were given an EQ survey and a general anxiety inventory and were exposed to two different scenarios, controllable and uncontrollable. The relationship between EQ, coping strategies (problem-focused or emotion focused), general anxiety, and goodness of fit was examined,

Influences Of Supervisor And Peer Support On Transfer Of Training, Suzanne Michelle Anderson

Theses Digitization Project

Student employees (N=86) at a major research institution participated in a new hire orientation training and then responded to questionnaires measuring ten transfer behaviors and eight work environment constructs measuring support, frequency of contact, cohesion, and general means efficacy. Supervisor ratings of trainee performance were used to measure transfer behaviors.

Cholinergic Basal Forebrain Involvement In The Acquisition Of Differential Reinforcement Of Low Rate Responding Tasks In Rats, Sean Ryan Corley

Theses Digitization Project

It was hypothesized that 192 IgG-saporin lesions of the basal forebrain cholinergic system (BFCS) would disrupt differential reinforcement of low rate (DRL) learning in an uncued DRL task, but would not impair acquisition and performance in the cued version of the task. Results suggest that BFCS lesions impair vigilance to the external cues despite continued practice in the cued DRL, whereas continuous attention to internally produced cues recovers with extended practice in the uncued DRL.

The Effect Of Early Psychostimulant Treatment On Abuse Liability And Dopamine Receptors, Steven Wayne Villafranca

Theses Digitization Project

Examines whether the reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse were altered in adulthood by methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin. Subjects were 108 rats of Sprague-Dawley descent (Harlan). Methylphenidate, or saline was administered daily to the subjects from the postnatal period (11-20 days old). The rats preference for morphine during early adulthood was measured using conditioned place preference. The number of dopamine D₂ receptors was measured in each rat and the correlation between receptor number and morphine preference was determined. Results indicate that rats pretreated with methylphenidate showed greater preference for morphine than saline pretreated rats and suggests that exposure …

Predictors Of Attitudes And Turnover Intentions In People With Disabilities: The Importance Of Means-Efficacy, Naomi Charity Schmierer

Theses Digitization Project

This study surveyed 107 working college students with varying disabilities. Individual, job, and organizational characteristics were evaluated for their ability to predict job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover cognitions. One area this characteristic that was explored was that of an individual's perception of organizational resources related to legally mandated reasonable accommodations. Using hierarchal regression this study found that self-efficacy, job characteristics, and means-efficacy were key predictors of job satisfaction. Means-efficacy was the only one of these that was a predictor of turnover intentions.

Assumptive Worlds Of Female Childhood Sexual Abuse Victims, Amy Matosian

Theses Digitization Project

The results of this study revealed that despite the childhood sexual abuse event, the victims were able to change their views in a positive direction with regard to the benevolence of the world and people as they marched through life and presumably experienced positive events.

Bridge Employment: Can Occupational Self-Efficacy Determine Which Bridges Are Crossed?, Alex Brody

Theses Digitization Project

A conceptual model examining the antecedents and outcomes of occupational self-efficacy among the older workforce is presented. Proposed antecedents to occupational self-efficacy included self-perceived stereotypes and work demands.

Impact Of Nutrition Knowledge On Food Evaluations, Stephen Crites, Shelley Aikman

Selected Works Temporary Series

Objective: This study explored whether nutrition knowledge interacted with evaluations of a food’s healthiness to influence food attitudes (ie, global evaluations). Since attitudes guide behavior, understanding factors that impact food attitudes is one way to understand food selection and why factors such as nutrition knowledge have only a modest impact on food selection. We hypothesized that the relation between health evaluations and food attitudes would be stronger for people high in nutrition knowledge. We also explored the macronutrient composition of foods, and how it related to attitudes and health evaluations. Design: Survey employing multilevel analyses to examine within- and between-subject …

The Effects Of Ppa And Nicotine Gum On Cessation Rates And Post Cessation Weight Gain In Women., Theodore Cooper, R. Klesges, M. Debon, S. Zbikowski, K. Johnson, L. Clemens

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.