Digital Commons Network^™

Experiences And Perceptions Of How Community-Based Interventions Can Promote Young Adults' Resilience To Suicide Within Rural/Regional Communities, Tracy Evans

Theses : Honours

In the literature, both statistics and studies have noted that suicide in rural/regional young adults' is an important concern. Recent research suggests, that to facilitate a primary approach to suicide prevention in young people, there is a need to promote the protective construct of resilience at a community level, highlighting strategies such as connectedness, and decreasing the stigma related to mental illness and health-seeking behaviour (Commonwealth Department of Health & Aged Care, 2005; Injury Control Council of Western Australia, 2006). However, there is a need to investigate and identify the links or mediating factors that promote individual resilience within a …

Terrorism In Australia: Myth Or Reality? A Psychometric Study Into The Western Australian Public's Perception Of Terrorism, Richard Sargent

Theses : Honours

Terrorism is not a new concept as terrorist individuals and organisations since time immemorial have used the threat of violence or actual violence to generate fear in individuals, organisations and governments alike. Fear is a powerful weapon and it is used in order to gain political, ideological or religious objectives. The attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on the 11th September 2001 (9/11) highlighted the dangers of the inadequate intelligence, border security and immigration practices that led to this event. The attacks were a security wake up call not only for the United States of America but …

Asperger's Disorder: A Musical Treatment For Child Anxiety, Jeremy Marriott

Theses : Honours

School-aged females with Asperger's Disorder (AD) are significantly affected by debilitating anxiety. At present, no empirically validated treatments exist to treat this anxiety. To investigate this affect and treatment gap, a mixed-methods revelatory single-case design, built on evidence-based treatment elements was designed and tested. Solo pianist, David Helfgott rated, performed and provided musical performances by Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Claude Debussy which were listened to once each morning before school by a 10-year-old female with AD. Anxiety was recorded via a self-report Daily Journal and parent-report Spence Child Anxiety Scale for 20 consecutive school days. Results indicated support for the …

Factors That Influence Help-Seeking Behaviours In Young Men Aged 25 To 30 Years, Meredith Bolland

Theses : Honours

Using Heidegger's (1962) hermeneutic phenomenology informed by van Manen (1984) and Gadamer (1975), this qualitative inquiry has been an exploration, analysis and interpretation of the lived experiences of the help-seeking phenomenon in young men aged 25 to 30 years. A purposive sample of thirteen young men, 25 to 30 years of age, living in urban areas of Perth, were interviewed using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The ultimate aim of this study was to discover meaning and enhance the understanding of the essential experiences that influence help-seeking behaviours of these young men. The findings of this inquiry indicate a sophisticated emotional discourse …

Resilience In Families With Same-Sex Parents, Natasha Griffiths

Theses : Honours

Research suggests resilience can be viewed as a dynamic process facilitating positive functioning within the context of significant adversity. A nuclear family type that remains a controversial and stigmatized group is families with same-sex parents. Same-sex families face a great number of challenges, due to the presence of heterosexism in society and they are often heavily criticised within the broad public domain. The current study adopted a phenomenological methodology to identify the family resilience processes utilised by same-sex families. Five lesbian couples (n = 10) raising children in Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. A thematic analysis technique outlined by Glesne …

The Impact Of Crime Outcomes On Public Opinions On Sentencing: In Particular Regards To Recent "One Punch" Legislation, Teneke Kuek

Theses : Honours

Australia has recently experienced a punitive swing in sentencing policies and legislation. Consequently, politicians have responded favourably to popular demands for harsher sentencing. A comprehensive review of the current literature has been undertaken to understand why the community has adopted such a punitive position. It has been suggested that the media have hypersensitised the public into believing that crime is much more prevalent than it actually is, resulting in the individual fearing becoming a victim of crime. The public then chooses to elect politicians who appear to be concerned with their safety and the associated legislation. Expectancy/value theory contends that …

From Junior To Senior Sport: Do Athletes Differ In Their Transitional Experiences?, Glen Ewen

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether athletes at the beginning (BTG) of their transition from junior to senior sport, had different transitional experiences to those in the middle (MTG). One hundred and forty eight male and female elite athletes aged between 14 and 18 years, from a variety of sports in both city and country locations of Western Australia, were surveyed. Two test instruments were used; the newly developed Swedish, Transitional Monitoring Survey (TMS), and the Athletic Identity Measurement Scales (AIMS). Univariate descriptive statistics, One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and reliability measures were used to analyse …

Fear Of Terrorism: Legislation And Perceived Loss Of Civil Liberties, Finola Richardson

Theses : Honours

Terrorism is a fear-inducing element of the current Australian political agenda. There are concerns about counter-terrorism legislation employed in Australian since the September 11th attacks on the United States, (9/11) and the effects these laws have on the civil liberties of Australian citizens. The literature presents two views one identifies the low risk of terrorism in Australia as no justification for strict new legislation. An alternative claim is increased security following 9/11 is essential in ensuring Australia is not viewed as a 'soft target'. The psychological experience of fear following terrorist attacks can influence the public's response to Government initiatives …

The Role Of Perceived Threat In Anglo-Australian Attitudes To International Students, Katarzyna Koska

Theses : Honours

This study examined the relationship between intergroup threat and negative attitudes among Anglo-Australians (N = 11 0) toward international students. The Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) was reviewed and four types of threat were discussed that have been shown to be influential determinants of negative attitudes, namely: realistic threat, symbolic threat, intergroup anxiety and negative stereotypes. In addition, the importance of intergroup contact as a separate predictor of attitudes was investigated. Results provided partial support for the ITT, identifying only two threats as significant and unique predictors of attitudes toward international students. Consistent with the hypothesis, realistic threat was significantly and …

Spirituality And Organised Religion In Supporting Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome And Intellectual Disability, Divia Pillay

Theses : Honours

Background: Raising a child with an intellectual disability can present parents with many challenges. Factors that have been demonstrated to positively impact on the mental and physical health of parents of children with an intellectual disability include greater clinical, family and social supports. One avenue of support that has been rarely explored is the role of spirituality and organised religion in supporting parents of children with an intellectual disability. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to investigate the role of spirituality and organised religion in the lives of parents of children with intellectual disability, specifically Down syndrome. Methods: …

Community-Based Psychosocial Interventions Improve Psychosocial Outcomes For Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Their Families: A Systematic Review; And, Community Mental Health Nursing For Children/Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus And Their Families, Caris Bailey

Theses : Honours

Background: Research indicates an increased prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus in comparison to their peers. As a result, psychosocial community-based services are sometimes available to those who are experiencing psychosocial problems. Several reviews have examined the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children/ adolescents living with type 1 diabetes mellitus, however the psychosocial outcomes of psychosocial interventions being conducted in the community specifically, have yet to be systematically reviewed. Objective: To systematically review the psychosocial outcomes of community-based psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their families. Subjects …

Facebook Usage Predicted By Sense Of Community And 'Loneliness', Alison Bagworth

Theses : Honours

Facebook Usage Predicted by Sense of Community and 'loneliness' Face book is one of a growing number of social networking sites (SNSs) that are currently being used by young adults to compliment face-to-face interactions. The use of these sites raises questions in relation to how their function may be compared to measurements of more traditional communication. This research measured Sense of Community (SoC) and 'loneliness' in young adults in order to predict usage of Facebook. Participants were 154 Facebook users (82% female, mean age 23.66) who completed an online survey with four components (demographics, Facebook usage, SoC Index, and …

The Experiences Of Incarceration On Indigenous Parents And Primary Care-Givers Of Juvenile Detainees, Simone Reid

Theses : Honours

Incarceration impacts on a number of people, not just the person sentenced. It has been suggested that the family of the prisoner can experience the prison sentence just as much, albeit differently, as the prisoner themself. Families remain important, as those prisoners who return to strong family networks are at less risk of recidivism. National research has been used to inform policy-makers, but every State has unique characteristics. The overrepresentation of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal juveniles in juvenile detention, especially in Western Australia, has been well-documented. However, research examining the experiences of incarceration on family members is limited. This …

Cannabinoid Conditioned Reward And Aversion: Behavioral And Neural Processes, Jennifer E. Murray, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The discovery that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

(Δ⁹-THC) is the primary psychoactive ingredient in

marijuana prompted research that helped elucidate

the endogenous cannabinoid system of the brain.

Δ⁹-THC and other cannabinoid ligands with agonist

action (CP 55,940, HU210, and WIN 55,212-2)

increase firing of dopamine neurons and increase

synaptic dopamine in brain regions associated with

reward and drug addiction. Such changes in cellular

processes have prompted investigators to examine

the conditioned rewarding effects of the cannabinoid

ligands using the place conditioning task with rats and

mice. As reviewed here, these cannabinoid ligands

can condition place preferences (evidence for rewarding …

The Impact Of Blatant Stereotype Activation And Group Sex-Composition On Female Leaders, Crystal L. Hoyt, Stefanie K. Johnson, Susan Elaine Murphy, Kerry Hogue Skinnell

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

The individual and combined impact of blatant stereotype activation and solo status or mixed-sex groups on the self-appraisals, performance, and anxiety of female leaders was examined across three laboratory studies. The first study utilized a two-condition, two-stage design in which female leaders were exposed to a blatant stereotype threat or control condition after which they completed a leadership task. In the second stage, the threatened leaders received a solo status manipulation (leading a group of men) while the control condition did not. In the second study a 2 (blatant threat, no blatant threat) by 2 (solo status, all-female group) fully …

Leadership And The More-Important-Than-Average Effect: Overestimation Of Group Goals And The Justification Of Unethical Behavior, Crystal L. Hoyt, Terry L. Price, Alyson E. Emrick

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

This research investigates the empirical assumptions behind the claim that leaders exaggerate the importance of their group’s goals more so than non-leaders and that they may use these beliefs to justify deviating from generally accepted moral requirements when doing so is necessary for goal achievement. We tested these biased thought processes across three studies. The results from these three studies established the more-important-than-average effect, both for real and illusory groups. Participants claimed that their group goals are more important than the goals of others, and this effect was stronger for leaders than for non-leading group members. In Study 3, …

A Preliminary Study: Body Dysmorphic Disorder In Division I Women’S Collegiate Soccer Players, Tammy D. Jones

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) among collegiate athletes has not been clearly determined. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder found in Division I women’s soccer players. The researcher hypothesized that there would be some symptoms found within the participants of sport and that there was a need to research this area further.

The study consisted of four participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. The subjects were asked a series of questions from the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD-YBOCS) to determine if they indicated …

Time-Dependence Of Distal-To-Proximal Hippocampal Neurodegeneration Produced By N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Activation, Jennifer Nicole Berry

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Excitotoxicity is the overexcitation of neurons due to the excessive activation of excitatory amino acid receptors and is thought to be involved in many neurodegenerative states. The manner in which the neuron breaks down during excitotoxicity is still unclear. The current study used the organotypic hippocampal slice culture model to examine the time-dependent loss of the synaptic vesicular protein synaptophysin and the loss of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR1 subunit availability following an excitotoxic insult (20 μM NMDA) to provide a better understanding of the topographical nature of neuronal death following NMDA receptor activation. Significant NMDA-induced cytotoxicity in the CA1 …

Somatic Injury Precedes Distal Atrophy Following Excitotoxic Hippocampal Insult, Lynda Sharrett-Field

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Excitotoxicity can lead to increases in intracellular Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentrations via the glutamatergic NMDA receptors, which can lead to cell death. Detailing the time-dependent degradation of neuronal components in response to excitotoxic challenge may help elucidate the sequence in which these signaling pathways are initiated and further, associate these pathways with topographic cellular demise. Using organotypic hippocampal slice culture technique, tissue from neonatal rat pups was exposed to NMDA, APV, or co-exposed for 24, 72 or 120 hours. Fluorescent microscopy of propidium iodide (PI) was used to evaluate neuronal membrane damage, changes in the density of mature …

A Comparison Of The Dsm-Iv And Proposed Dsm-V Ptsd Criteria For Youth: Factor Analyses Conducted With A Low Socioeconomic Status, Hurricane-Exposed Sample, Valerie Paasch

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans, exposing residents to dangerous storms and significant flooding which resulted in the loss of many families’ homes and possessions. One of the most common psychological disorders experienced by disaster victims, both adult and child, is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Given the debate over the appropriateness of applying adult DSM-IV-TR criteria to children and the current formulation of DSM-V criteria, this study further explored the presentation of PTSD symptomatology in a sample of 276 youth who experienced Hurricane Katrina. Proposed DSM-V criteria were assessed with participant responses on the UCLA PTSD Index for DSM-IV …

Feasibility Of Brief Hospital-Based Interventions For Postpartum Depression : Effects On Depressive Symptoms, Perceived Support, & Treatment Utilization, Sabra N. Abboud

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

It is estimated that 10-20% of childbearing women develop postpartum depression (PPD), affecting up to 400,000 women in the United States each year. As many an 82% of women diagnosed with PPD decline recommended treatment, primarily due to a lack of knowledge about PPD, to societal stigma and to practical barriers. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a large-scale study examining the impact of screening measures and a supportive approach immediately postpartum on utilization of recommended care, levels of depression and perceived social support. Women were randomly assigned (N=40) on a maternity unit to …

Cosmetic Surgery Pictures: Does Type Of Picture Affect Acceptance Of Cosmetic Surgery And/Or Body Image?, Lindsay Nicole Fuzzell

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The researcher investigates the effect of viewing positive and negative cosmetic surgery images, with short descriptive scenarios, on acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Two hundred ninety-nine participants were assigned to view one of three conditions: positive before/after cosmetic surgery pictures and an accompanying scenario, negative pictures and scenario, or no pictures or scenario (control), followed by the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS, Henderson-King & Henderson-King, 2005), the Body Parts Satisfaction Scale (Berscheid, Walster, & Bohrstedt, 1973), and the Physical Self Description Questionnaire (Marsh, Richards, Johnson, Roche, & Tremayne, 1994). There was a significant relationship between ACSS Intrapersonal subscale and picture/scenario …

Regional Differences In Jurors’ Attitudes And Knowledge, Heather M. Caspers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Dynamic social impact theory (DSIT; Latane, 1996) suggests that social influence leads to four phenomena: clustering (regional differences in attitudes), correlation (emergent relationships between attitudes), consolidation (reduction in attitude variance), and continuing diversity (whereby minority opinions persist). These phenomena have been shown in a variety of settings (Harton & Bourgeois, 2004; Harton & Bullock, 2007), but geographic clustering in attitudes about crime have not been examined. These attitudes have the potential to affect a verdict in a trial if a defendant has a change of venue to a different area of the state or the country. Two datasets, the National …

Mate Selection, Margaret J. Cason, Norman P. Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife"—so wrote Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. From classic literature to contemporary screenplays, from the latest celebrity news to office gossip, it is nearly impossible to escape the pervasive topic of romantic relationships. Indeed, the pursuit of mates consumes a significant portion of our time and energy, and for good reason—mates give us companionship, pleasure, comfort, security, and even health benefits. As we discuss in this article, there are two major theoretical perspectives for understanding mate selection. …

From Infanticide To Activism: The Transformation Of Emotions And Identity In Self-Help Movements, Verta Taylor, Lisa A. Leitz

Peace Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Taylor and Leitz trace processes of collective identity construction and politicization among women suffering from postpartum psychiatric illness who have been convicted of infanticide. Joining a growing body of research suggesting that self‐help and consumer health movements can be a significant force for change in both the cultural and political arenas, Taylor and Lietz examine one such movement, a pen‐pal network of women incarcerated for committing infanticide. Taylor and Leitz show how a sense of collective identity fostered by the pen‐pal network triggered a profound emotional transformation in participants, allowing them to convert shame and loneliness into pride and solidarity, …

Readiness To Learn And Group Learning : The Effects Of Triggers For Learning And Learning Factors On Learning Readiness And Learning Processes, Christopher Michael Pingor

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study examined the effects of triggers for learning and factors that lead to a group’s readiness to learn and group learning processes. A longitudinal study was conducted over a two year period with a new set of cohorts participating each year for a total of 129 participants. There were 40 male and 76 female participants with 13 not identifying their gender. These participants represented a total of 30 e-boards and residence hall councils’. The participants completed individual self report surveys which were aggregated into group level data. A regression analysis was conducted. The results suggest that triggers for learning …

The Applicability Of The Megargee Classification System For The Mmpi-A, Joel Andrew Dillon

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Megargee (1977) originally developed a classification system for MMPI profiles for male offenders, and eventually expanded this system to also accommodate the MMPI profiles of female offenders (Megargee, 1992). Recently Megargee expanded and modified this system for use with the MMPI-2 (Megargee, Carbonell, Bohn, and Sliger, 2001). The purpose of the current study was to examine the utility of Megargee's systems as applied to adolescents in correctional facilities based on MMPI-A results. The Megargee classification criteria were modified for the purposes of this study, generally based on quite limited modifications to accommodate the lower profile ratings typically found for adolescents …

Working Against Youth Violence Everywhere: Evaluating A Peer-Led Approach To Bullying Prevention, Rebecca L. Pister

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

After the 2001 murder of a locai Black youth at the hands of more than 50 White youth, community organizations in the Kitchener-Waterloo area came together to develop the Working against Youth Violence Everywhere (WAYVE) program—a program created by and for local youth that would work towards eliminating bullying and violence in area high schools. WAYVE combines interactive workshops and presentations with a whole-school approach and peer-led principles. In-school teams work at maintaining an anti-bullying message within their school over the course of the year, while Regional team members develop a presentation which acts as a booster to the In-school …

Training Children Where They Learned Information: A Test Of Two Techniques, Justine Renner

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Source-monitoring abilities are crucial skills for children’s social and cognitive development, thus, source-monitoring training (SMT) has the potential to benefit children in many practical settings. While some previous research reported that older (7- to 8-years-old) but not younger children (3- to 4-year-olds) benefitted from SMT (Poole & Lindsay, 2002), other studies have found training effects with younger children (Thierry & Spence, 2002; 2004). The current study examined younger and older children's source monitoring trainability by comparing the two different training used in these previous studies: training to a criterion versus a set amount of training. 158 children (aged 3-4 and …

Towards A Seamless Support Sysetm For Federally Sentenced Women Returning To The Community, Jessica Hutchison

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Women are the fastest growing prison population in the world. Furthermore, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of federally sentenced women identified as having a mental health problem. The goal of this study was to determine how the Waterloo Region can create a seamless support system for women with mental health issues leaving Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI). An anti-oppressive framework was used, which emphasizes issues of power and oppression within the lives of individuals who have been marginalized and oppressed. Three participant groups took part in this research: (a) 12 women with mental health issues …