Digital Commons Network^™

The Extent That Self-Compassion And Well-Being Predict Burnout In Online Clinical Psychology Phd Students, Tiffany Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online clinical psychology doctoral students simultaneously experience stressful environments while managing school and life. These stressful experiences can lead to burnout. The concepts of self-compassion and well-being are intertwined with success and burnout. Previous research has indicated that burnout is likely to occur; however, a lack of research has identified specific factors that collectively predict burnout in online clinical psychology doctoral students. Thus, a gap in the current literature regarding burnout using these variables and within clinical psychology PhD students remains to be addressed. This quantitative study investigated the impact of self-compassion and well-being on burnout levels among online clinical …

Implicit Biases And Attitudes On Decision Making Among Child Protection Workers, Demetria Turnage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial disproportionality remains a historical issue in child welfare systems. It was important for this research to focus on characteristics, professional qualifications, and racial attitudes of those in child welfare decision-making roles to examine how they contributed to racism. To address the gap in the literature, the relationship between years of experience, race/ethnicity, risk of harm, advocacy, racial attitudes, and decision-making among child protection were examined to develop a greater understanding of the ongoing issues and development of reforming the child welfare decision-making process to capture racism among child protection workers. Increasing equality in the child welfare system will benefit …

The Influence Of Task Process And Task Structure On Transactive Memory Systems And Team Outcomes: A Meta-Regression Analysis, Crystal Fausett

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern work environments, teams remain a foundation for achieving organizational goals. The efficacy of teams often hinges on the presence of Transactive Memory Systems (TMS), a shared cognitive mechanism that facilitates the distribution and retrieval of specialized knowledge within teams. However, gaps remain in understanding the dynamics of how TMS influences team outcomes, especially in the context of varying task structures, task processes, and TMS operationalization. This dissertation introduces a theoretical model where TMS directly influences team outcomes, with task structure, task process, and TMS operationalization acting as moderators. Meta-analytic results indicate positive effects …

The Psychological Significance Of Cultural And Religious Values Among The Arab Population, Michel Sherif Mikhail

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Values, which are the guiding principles and beliefs of our lives, have an influence over one’s psychological health. This study aims to investigate how Schwartz’s four higher-order values (conservation, openness to change, self-transcendence, and self-enhancement) and religious values influence psychological health among the Arab population. Methods: A total of 1,023 respondent from nine Arab countries aged 18 to 71 filled an online survey with measures of the following constructs: Schwartz’s four higher-order values (Portrait Value Questionnaire-21), religious values (Sahin’s Index of Islamic Moral Values), and general psychological health (General Health Questionnaire-28). Results: Two models of multiple regression were …

Understanding The Relationship Between Perceived Childhood Experiences And Relationship With God, Remaz Bahaa

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the relationship between perceived childhood experiences and one’s current relationship with God in an Egyptian Muslim sample. While such relationship has been researched in Western contexts, there is a notable gap in understanding these dynamics within Muslim Middle Eastern cultures. In this study, 180 participants, brought up in Muslim households, were given the following questionnaires: both versions of the Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) referring to the father and mother, Attachment to God Inventory (AGI), and Images of God (LAMBI Scale). The results presented the internal consistency of both the AGI and LAMBI scales with the …

Under Pressure: The Interplay Of Hypertension And White Matter Hyperintensities With Cognition In Chronic Stroke Aphasia, Jade Hannan, Natalie Busby, Rebecca Roth, Janina Wilmskoetter, Roger Newman-Norlund Ph.D., Chris Rorden, Leonardo Bonilha, Julius Fridriksson Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

While converging research suggests that increased white matter hyperintensity load is associated with poorer cognition, and the presence of hypertension is associated with increased white matter hyperintensity load, the relationship among hypertension, cognition and white matter hyperintensities is not well understood. We sought to determine the effect of white matter hyperintensity burden on the relationship between hypertension and cognition in individuals with post-stroke aphasia, with the hypothesis that white matter hyperintensity load moderates the relationship between history of hypertension and cognitive function. Health history, Fazekas scores for white matter hyperintensities and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Matrix Reasoning subtest scores for …

A Cognitive Approach To Supervisor Training Intervention Evaluation: Analyzing Change With Response Shift Theory And Models Of Measurement Invariance, Luke Daniel Mahoney

Dissertations and Theses

Field-based experimental training intervention research continues to grow in importance as a method of simultaneously testing and advancing the theoretical and empirical basis for designing and deploying interventions to improve people's lived experiences. Training interventions are often designed to create positive change in the workplace context, for example, by providing behavioral tools to supervisors to help them become more supportive of their employees. Such a training intervention was the focus of this intervention evaluation -- one focused on interpersonal dynamics between supervisors and employees. However, change is often complex and may manifest in ways not accounted for by conventional ways …

Building Climate Resilience: How Climate Groups Can Channel Anxiety And Grief Into Action, Martin J. Lemke

University Honors Theses

As the impacts of climate change increasingly stress the ecological and social systems of the planet there is also a greater incidence of psychological struggles related to climate instability. Climate change is a significant source of psychological distress for many individuals, often manifesting as climate anxiety and grief. This thesis explores research and therapeutic experience that has been generated as the discipline of psychology seeks to meet this rising challenge. In particular, the fields of ecopsychology, psychodynamic therapy, existential psychology and Indigenous knowledge contributed the majority of the insight to the conclusions drawn along with contributions from potentially applicable emotions …

Tsunami Exposure And Mental Health Consequences: Protective Role Of Cultural Coping Strategies, Thulitha Wickrama, Michael J. Merten, K. A.S. Wickrama, Amanda Terrell

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

There is a knowledge gap regarding the link between disaster exposure and adolescent mental health problems in developing countries. This study examines the case of Sri Lanka to investigate (a) the immediate and long-term mental health impact of the 2004 tsunami disaster on adolescents and (b) the potential moderating effects of unique cultural and family practices that prevail in Sri Lanka. This study used a random sample of 160 adolescents (ages 12–19) and their mothers who were exposed to the tsunami disaster while living in a southern Sri Lankan village and provided prospective data immediately after the disaster (2005) and …

Examining The Relations Between Number Of Opportunities To Self-Monitor And Self-Monitoring On-Task Or Accuracy In Children, Alison Ruby

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Difficulties in academic achievement have been linked to adverse outcomes such as increased problem behavior and delays in development (Hinshaw, 1992). Early education should include training to self-monitor, as self-monitoring can improve academic performance and has a wide range of uses (Harris et al., 2005). Previous literature typically uses frequent self-monitoring opportunities ranging from every 30 seconds to 1 minute. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the number of self-monitoring opportunities when self-monitoring on-task behavior and self-monitoring accuracy of task completion, on-task behavior, disruptions, and accuracy of self-monitoring (types of errors) and determine the preferences …

The Winding Path: Reflections On Preparing For A Career In Neuropsychology, Derek Mckay Phd

Journal of Neuropsychology and Behavioral Processes

Career decision-making can be a complicated process, particularly for Psychology majors who often find many areas of the discipline interesting. Students are often confronted with questions such as, “what do I really want to do?”, and “how much future education will I need to achieve my goals?” Moreover, there are often many uncertainties regarding how to take specific steps toward a particular professional direction in Psychology. In this article, neuropsychologist and university professor Derek McKay shares a unique perspective on his own process of finding his way toward a career as a neuropsychologist. He addresses a number of important steps …

An Epigenetically Driven Relationship Between Parental Ptsd And Inflammatory Disease In Offspring: A Proposal, Emma Griffith, Kevin P. Kaut

Journal of Neuropsychology and Behavioral Processes

Could a combat veteran's horrific experiences in early-2000s Afghanistan have a direct, biological impact on his or her now-adult daughter's risk of a heart attack later in her life? This concept would have been unapologetically mocked a mere twenty years ago, and it has only been in the past decade that the new field of epigenetics has revealed a distinct possibility for this event to actually take place—for parents' experiences to profoundly influence the biology of their children. The major objective of this research project is to argue for the legitimacy of this theoretical phenomenon by discussing the latest data …

Repetitive Thinking, Social Connectedness, And Distressing Sexual Experiences In Autistic And Non-Autistic Students: Examining Social-Cognitive Risk Factors And Mental Health During The College Transition, Erin Elizabeth Mckenney

Theses and Dissertations

The prevention and treatment of mental health concerns are consistently named among autistic adults’ highest clinical and research priorities. While several theories have been proposed to explain the high prevalence of depression and anxiety in autistic populations, virtually no longitudinal research has evaluated causal mechanisms. The first study in this dissertation aims to explore how known contributors to depression and anxiety identified by general population research – namely, rumination, dissatisfaction with social connectedness, and distressing sexual experiences – relate to the development of internalizing symptoms in autistic individuals during the transition to college. The second study explores potential contributors to …

Mexican American Men Who Have Sex With Men: Cultural Factors And Substance Use, Michael L. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown substance use affects sexual minority communities disproportionately. Studies have shown when individuals are part of ethnic or sexual minority groups, negative attitudes and risk behaviors that can lead to substance use are experienced at a greater scale compared to their majority counterparts. There have not been significant investigations regarding relationships between cultural values and sexual and ethnic minority subpopulations within the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify relationships between religion, family structure, traditional gender roles, and substance use in terms of Mexican American men who have sex with men (MAMSM) populations. This …

Concussion Severity And Generalized Anxiety In Professional Ice Hockey Players, Edward Louis Yerage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions occur annually in the United States, and 42 million concussions occur annually worldwide, making concussions one of the most frequent injuries among all athletes at all levels. Research in detecting the relationship between generalized anxiety and concussions in ice hockey players from all professional ranks was lacking. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether professional ice hockey players experienced a form of generalized anxiety when they returned to play following a severe concussion. The intolerance of uncertainty model detailed anxiety regarding fear and anticipation of the unknown or future uncertainty …

Concussion Severity And Generalized Anxiety In Professional Ice Hockey Players, Edward Louis Yerage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million concussions occur annually in the United States, and 42 million concussions occur annually worldwide, making concussions one of the most frequent injuries among all athletes at all levels. Research in detecting the relationship between generalized anxiety and concussions in ice hockey players from all professional ranks was lacking. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether professional ice hockey players experienced a form of generalized anxiety when they returned to play following a severe concussion. The intolerance of uncertainty model detailed anxiety regarding fear and anticipation of the unknown or future uncertainty …

Mexican American Men Who Have Sex With Men: Cultural Factors And Substance Use, Michael L. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown substance use affects sexual minority communities disproportionately. Studies have shown when individuals are part of ethnic or sexual minority groups, negative attitudes and risk behaviors that can lead to substance use are experienced at a greater scale compared to their majority counterparts. There have not been significant investigations regarding relationships between cultural values and sexual and ethnic minority subpopulations within the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify relationships between religion, family structure, traditional gender roles, and substance use in terms of Mexican American men who have sex with men (MAMSM) populations. This …

Relationships Between Parenting Styles And Oppositional Defiant Disorder In African American Families, Sierra Savedge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a mental health disorder that is seen throughout adolescent populations; however, limited research has been conducted on African American adolescents. Based on the parenting theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between parenting styles, African American cultural influences, and ODD. A sample of 125 parents with adolescents in Virginia was surveyed. The Parenting Styles Questionnaire was used to measure parenting styles. The African American Acculturation Scale Revised was used to measure African American cultural influences. Symptoms of ODD were measured using the Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavior Inventory. Chi-square tests, independent …

Relationships Between Parenting Styles And Oppositional Defiant Disorder In African American Families, Sierra Savedge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a mental health disorder that is seen throughout adolescent populations; however, limited research has been conducted on African American adolescents. Based on the parenting theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between parenting styles, African American cultural influences, and ODD. A sample of 125 parents with adolescents in Virginia was surveyed. The Parenting Styles Questionnaire was used to measure parenting styles. The African American Acculturation Scale Revised was used to measure African American cultural influences. Symptoms of ODD were measured using the Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavior Inventory. Chi-square tests, independent …

Determining The Cerebellum’S Functional Role In Adolescent Reward Processing, Teagan Mullins

Psychology ETDs

Cerebellar contributions to adolescent reward processing have not been explored in prior research, despite the fact that both reward processing and the cerebellum are undergoing significant maturation during this time. Reward processing in the cerebellum has been found in both adults and in animal models. However, given both maturational changes and a variety of reward related psychopathology that emerges during adolescence, reward processing in the cerebellum during adolescence may not mirror that of the cerebellum during adulthood and may shift over adolescence and be linked to psychopathology. This dissertation reviews the existing literature on cerebellar reward in adolescence (chapter one). …

Learning Strategies, Motivation, Perceived Covid Stress, And Academic Dishonesty: U.S. College Students’ Perceived Experience From 2019 - 2023, Caleb Wang Yuan

Lawrence University Honors Projects

As higher education in the U.S. approaches a post-Covid-19 pandemic era, the trajectory of college students’ academic experience remains unclear. Two questions are addressed in this study. How do college students perceive their academic experience over time, including the Covid-19 pandemic? Has college students’ learning recovered since the peak of the pandemic in April 2020? This study investigated students' perceptions of their academic motivation, learning strategies, perceived Covid stress and academic dishonesty from 2019 to 2023. A total of 99 undergraduate students from Lawrence University completed an online survey. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected for analyses. The results implied …

From Identity To Intimacy: Exploring Transgender People’S Dating Attitudes For Gender Experience, Finneas Frawley

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Of the research that exists on transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people’s dating lives, much of it focuses on cisgender people’s negative perceptions of TGNC partners. The little that does focus on TGNC experiences offers limited and contrasting information about TGNC dating preferences for cisgender and TGNC partners. Using an online survey distributed to TGNC adults (N = 246), we explore TGNC people’s attitudes toward both cisgender and TGNC partners as well as what influences these attitudes. Our predictive model is modified from the Gender Minority Stress and Resilience (GMSR) model (Testa et al., 2015), and we draw upon both …

The Observer Perspective In Music Performance Anxiety Among College Students, Nell Rudoff

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Music performance anxiety (MPA) often keeps musicians from performing the way they would like to in performance situations. Because of its relation to social anxiety disorder, treatments for MPA can be informed by theories of social anxiety disorder. Clark and Wells’ model (1995) and Rapee and Heimberg’s model (1997) suggests that those who have higher levels of social anxiety view past social experiences from an observer perspective, i.e., an external or third person viewpoint. The aim of the current study was to explore the extent to which MPA is associated with mental imagery using an observer perspective among college student …

The Future Of Intergenerational Transmission Research: A Prospective, Three-Generation Approach, Mariann A. Howland, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Dr. Dante Cicchetti’s pioneering theory and research on developmental psychopathology have been fundamental to the proliferation of research on intergenerational transmission over the last 40 years. In part due to this foundation, much has been learned about continuities and discontinuities in child maltreatment, attachment, parenting, and psychopathology across generations. Looking towards the future, we propose that this field stands to benefit from a prospective, three-generation approach. Specifically, following established prospective, longitudinal cohorts of children over their transition to parenting the next generation will afford the opportunity to investigate the developmental origins of intergenerational transmission. This approach also can address key …

The Effects Of Perfume On Work Performance, Tian Soon Choo, Hiral Bharatbhai Variya

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

This study investigates how fragrance could affect staff efficiency at work in the service industry, particularly insurance agents. Scent is recognised to affect human behavior and perception; nevertheless, the majority of study to date has overlooked scent's possible impact on job performance in favor of focusing on its relationship to confidence and beauty. We will explore whether wearing perfume improves work performance through a panel study with 100 insurance agents. Performance is gauged by the number of policies sold and the amount of premium generated. Our study proposes to investigate the potential significant impact of perfume, both positive and negative, …

Growing Together: Cultivating The Social-Emotional Effects Of Art Education Through Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Kaitlyn Lawrence

Masters Theses

In many societies, the process of art is recognized as a healing and transformative practice. In recent years, it has been emerging in tandem with social emotional practices and procedures in American education. However, it is also a fact that social emotional learning (SEL) does not account for all students due to its inability to account for the needs of all students in the classroom. SEL alone aims to teach healthy development and emotional management skills, but fails to account for students with varying experiences. While there are those who can and do integrate the skills from the Social Emotional …

Evaluation Of The Smiling Mind Primary School Program 2023, Tamara Van Der Zant, Katherine Dix, Toby Carslake

Wellbeing

In its various forms, the Smiling Mind Primary School Program (the Program) has been delivered in Australian schools since 2016. The Program is a mindfulness-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program designed for primary school students in Years 1 to 6. It aims to support the mental wellbeing and emotional resilience of students. The Program offers an online, digital, curriculum, delivered by trained classroom educators, that incorporates practices and techniques to help students develop skills for managing stress, building resilience, and enhancing their overall mental health.

The Program was delivered to 733 schools in 2023, and due to the ongoing …

A Brief Self-Compassion Intervention For Survivors Of Sexual Trauma With Psychological Distress, Natalie Marie Hogue

Dissertations

Individuals who have experienced sexual trauma are at an increased risk of psychological disorders and psychological distress (Dworkin, 2020; Dworkin et al., 2017; Dworkin & Schumacher, 2018). Sexual trauma has one of the highest conditional risks for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (Domino et al., 2020; Perrin et al., 2014). Experiential avoidance, shame, and posttraumatic cognitions are associated with psychological distress after experiencing sexual trauma (Bhuptani et al., 2019; Domino et al., 2020; Foa et al., 1999; Merwin et al., 2009). Established research suggests that self-compassion-based therapies can be effective in reducing psychological distress and treating a wide range …

Long Covid Patients: A Phenomenology Study Exploring Mental Health And Psychosocial Adaptation To Disability, Tonia Joy Lans

Dissertations

In the United States, approximately 1 in 13 long COVID patients experience adverse complications two to three years post-recovery (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022), including physical, psychological, and cognitive impairment, issues with daily functioning, and difficulties returning to work (del Rio et al., 2020; Greenhalgh et al., 2020; Ladds et al., 2020; Logue et al., 2021). Moreover, collective research has indicated the debilitating complications of long COVID often result in impaired mental health, chronic illness, and disability. While significant research efforts have started to accumulate data to understand and treat the physical and neuro-logical manifestations of this chronic …

Making Room, Rachel Strompf

Masters Theses

Massachusetts is the only state in the United States with a right-to-shelter law which guarantees shelter for families with children and pregnant women.¹ As of February 2024, 3,500 homeless families with children are being sheltered in a motel or hotel with an average length of stay of 14 months, because traditional family shelters have reached capacity.^2,3 While these families are provided temporary shelter, these shelters do not allow for the development of a true sense of “home.” While a motel meets the needs of rudimentary shelter, motels were never designed as long-term accommodations and certainly not with a …