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The Castrated Gods And Their Castration Cults: Revenge, Punishment, And Spiritual Supremacy, Jenny Wade

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Voluntary castration has existed as a religious practice up to the present day, openly in India and secretively in other parts of the world. Gods in a number of different cultures were castrated, a mutilation that paradoxically tended to increase rather than diminish their powers. This cross-cultural examination of the eunuch gods examines the meaning associated with divine emasculation in Egypt, Asia Minor, Greece, the Roman Empire, India, and northern Europe to the degree that these meanings can be read from the wording of myths, early accounts, and the castration cults for some of these gods. Three distinct patterns of …

Dermatoglyphic Measures In Relation To Depressive Symptoms Among Non-Clinical Adolescents And Young Adults, Yosefa A. Modiano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Depressive disorders are highly prevalent and can be devastating. Increasingly, depressive symptomatology is understood from a dimensional perspective such that non- or sub-clinical presentations may share a similar etiology. Depression etiology is believed to include genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to underlying vulnerability (diathesis) by way of neurodevelopment. Birth cohort studies have provided empirical evidence of the relationship between prenatal insult and later experience of adverse outcomes, including increased risk for depressive disorders. Retrospective investigation of the possible influence of prenatal disturbance on later experience of depressive symptoms has methodological limitations. Dermatoglyphic measurements offer a more methodologically viable …

The Impact Of Mentalization And Self-Compassion On Psychological Adjustment In Adolescents, Jaleh Hamadani

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The following study was designed to look at the impact of Mentalization (or Reflective Functioning (RF)) as well as Mentalized Affectivity (MA) [comprised of Identifying, Processing, and Expressing] and Self-Compassion (SC) on psychological adjustment in adolescents. Psychological adjustment in this study was measured utilizing measures of psychological symptoms (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and well-being.

While deficiencies in RF have been associated with increased psychological symptoms in clinical sample of adolescents, studies examining RF in community sample of adolescents have shown a mixed picture. Furthermore, no study to date has examined the impact of MA on psychological adjustment in …

Getting The Benefit Of The Doubt: The Effect Of Randomization Ratio On The Placebo Response, Taiki Matsuura

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Placebos are commonly employed in clinical trials as inactive treatments to which experimental treatments are compared against in order to control for psychological “noise.” Randomized double-blind placebo control studies are considered the “gold standard” in epidemiologic research because they can provide the strongest possible evidence of causation if designed correctly (Hulley, Cummings, Browner, & Grady, 2007). One phenomenon that poses a threat to the integrity of this evidence is the placebo response (PR), or referred to as the “placebo effect.” Expectancy is considered a central PR mechanism and boasts the most empirical support among all proposed mechanisms. Expectancy is not …

Murine Genetic Variance In Sugar And Fat-Conditioned Flavor Preferences: Roles Of Dopamine, Opioid And Nmda Receptors And Nutritive Sensing, Tamar T. Kraft

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As obesity and diabetes have emerged as a severe public health crisis, understanding the mechanisms underlying the consumption of sugars and fats has become a topic of vigorous study. From a biological standpoint, genetic dispositions, neurochemical and hormonal influences, and predetermined orosensory and postingestive signals that modulate the hunger and satiety process may govern physiological aspects of the obesity puzzle. In addition to an innate appetite and attraction for simple carbohydrates and fats, learning plays an important role in modulating preferences for sugar- and fat-rich foods in rodents, including inbred mouse strains. Marked genetic variance has been observed among murine …

The Complexity Of The Bilingual Experience: Linguistic Variables Predict Cognition In Older Adults, K'Dee D. Elsen

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: It has been estimated that more than half of the world’s population is bilingual. With the rates of bilingualism exponentially growing, researchers have been increasingly interested in the effects of bilingualism on the brain. Although the literature continues to expand, it remains limited in its understanding of how the complex bilingual experience impacts cognition. Objective: The current study, therefore, will focus on investigating how the bilingual experience affects cognition, specifically the cognitive domains of executive functioning and linguistic processing within an older adult population. Methods: Participants were 144 healthy older adults (67% female) between the ages …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Cognitive Ability, And Psychosocial Functioning, Maleia Mathis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Nearly half of all children in the U.S. have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and 23 percent have experienced at least two ACEs. Cumulative exposure to ACEs places children at increased risk for poor psychosocial functioning in childhood and cognitive ability may mediate this relationship. The study aims were to assess the predictive ability of cumulative exposure to ACEs on poor psychosocial functioning and to determine if verbal and non-verbal cognitive ability mediated this association. Parent-child dyads from a low-income pediatric clinic were assessed. Parents were given a parent report measure to assess the child’s psychosocial functioning …

The Relationship Between Cognitive Function And Activities Of Daily Living, Pamela V. Lorenzo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dementia is a cognitive disorder that can be caused by several underlying diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular disease. Dementia is not only characterized by declines in cognition, but is also associated with declines in instrumental and basic activities of daily living (ADLs). Cognitive decline generally begins prior to any declines in ADLs, and as cognitive impairments progress, the ability to independently perform ADLs begins to decline as well. Accurate assessment of ADL functioning, though critical to the diagnosis of dementia, can be difficult with the use of self-report measures. One objective measure of ADLs is the Functional Independence Measure …

Body Dissatisfaction, Perceived Smoking Consequences, And Weight Control Smoking, Samantha N. Martinez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Eating disorders are a significant public health concern affecting approximately 8 million individuals in the United States, with women suffering at disproportionate rates. Eating disorders have been associated with a variety of negative health behaviors, including smoking. Despite an overall decrease in smoking prevalence, smoking rates remain high among females with eating disorders. The current study explored the role that perceived consequences of smoking related to appetite/weight control plays in moderating the relationship between body dissatisfaction, which is a risk factor for the development of an eating disorder, and weight control smoking, controlling for the effects of race/ethnicity smoking status, …

Towards A Pedagogy Of Life Purposes, Manny Lopez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

College students who understand how the courses that they are enrolled in connect with their broader life goals are more likely to apply an approach of task perseverance with academic endeavors. Yet, nearly three million adolescent community college students in the United States may not have developed clear purposes in life. Relatedly, overtime the lack of lucid life purposes contributes to maladaptive behavior.

This dissertation is a compilation of three interrelated studies that took place in two public community colleges in the City University of New York. Guided by authentic inquiry and framed by sociocultural theory, central to each study …

Diet, Inflammation, Gut Microbiome, And Mental Health, Ashley R. Polokowski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FAs) are an essential fatty acid necessary for healthy development in mammals. They possess anti-inflammatory properties and have more recently been shown to impact gut microbiota, both factors hypothesized to be associated with depression and anxiety. Thus, empirical efforts have begun to examine the benefit of ω-3 FAs as a treatment option for various psychological disorders. Although there is evidence that ω-3 FAs have favorable outcomes on depressive symptoms, the relationship between ω-3 FAs and anxiety and the pathways by which ω-3 FAs produce beneficial health effects are poorly understood. Both inflammation and the gut microbiome …

The Impact Of Responsive Feeding Practice Training On Teacher Feeding Behaviors In Tribal Early Care And Education: The Fresh Study, Kaysha Sleet, Susan B. Sisson, Dipti Dev, Charlotte Love, Mary B. Williams, Leah A. Hoffman, Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan

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

Background: Establishing healthy eating habits early impacts lifelong dietary intake, which has implications for many health outcomes. With children spending time in early care and education (ECE) programs, teachers establish the daytime meal environment through their feeding practices.

Objective: To determine the effect of a teacher-focused intervention to increase responsive feeding practices in two interventions, one focused exclusively on the teacher’s feeding practices and the other focused on both the teacher’s feeding practices and a nutrition classroom curriculum in ECE teachers in a Native American (NA) community in Oklahoma.

Methods: Nine tribally-affiliated ECE programs were randomly assigned to an intervention: …

Eating Disorder Pathology Among Individuals Living With Food Insecurity: A Replication Study, Carolyn Becker, Keesha M. Middlemass, Francesca Gomez, Andrea Martinez-Abrego

Psychology Faculty Research

Eating disorders (EDs) are stereotypically associated with thin, White, affluent women and girls. One result of the ED stereotype has been a relative dearth of ED research with marginalized communities. The aim of the present study was to replicate recent findings showing an association between severity of food insecurity (FI) and increased ED pathology. Participants included 891 clients at an urban food bank. Results replicated previous research with participants in the most severe FI group reporting significantly higher levels of ED pathology, dietary restraint, anxiety, and depression. Findings provide further evidence that the thin, White, affluent, female ED stereotype offers …

Language Nutrition For Language Health In Children With Disorders: A Scoping Review, Janet Y. Bang, Aubrey S. Adiao, Virginia A. Marchman, Heidi M. Feldman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The quantity and quality of child-directed speech—language nutrition—provided to typically-developing children is associated with language outcomes—language health. Limited information is available about child-directed speech to children at biological risk of language impairments. We conducted a scoping review on caregiver child-directed speech for children with three clinical conditions associated with language impairments—preterm birth, intellectual disability, and autism—addressing three questions: (1) How does child-directed speech to these children differ from speech to typically-developing children? (2) What are the associations between child-directed speech and child language outcomes? (3) How convincing are intervention studies that aim to improve child-directed speech and thereby facilitate children’s …

Mindfulness And Blood Pressure Across Demographics: Analyses From The Serenity Study, Gabrielle R. Chin

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness, as a state, trait, and training, is linked with myriad positive mental and physical health outcomes. Understanding the individual characteristics potentially influencing links between mindful traits, mindfulness training, and physical health, is therefore important, yet remains under-addressed. Utilizing data from the ongoing Serenity Study (NCT02371317), the current project examines if (1) at baseline, higher trait mindfulness relates to lower BP consistently as a function of demographics, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training lowers BP consistently across demographic subgroups and initial levels of trait mindfulness, and (3) if change in trait mindfulness following MBSR training correlates with change in BP …

Medical Aid In Dying: Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs Of Licensed Psychologists, Christine Caroline Merz

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Medical aid in dying (MAID) is a process by which individuals with terminal illness can voluntarily ingest a lethal dose of medication provided to them by their physician to intentionally end their life. MAID is currently legal in eight U.S. states and several other countries. Licensed psychologists and other mental health professionals are implicated in MAID laws in the form of psychological evaluation that is required for select patients. Little is known about the knowledge and attitudes of psychologists regarding MAID, including views on legal and ethical acceptability, and professional competence to conduct psychological evaluations for patients requesting MAID. The …

Substance Use Treatment Accessibility For Pregnant And Postpartum Women, Adrienne Borders

Psychology ETDs

This study aimed to (1) characterize substance use treatment preferences, barriers, and attitudes in an under-represented sample of pregnant and postpartum women; (2) examine associations between barriers and help-seeking preferences, treatment attitudes, treatment engagement, substance use, and well-being; and (3) examine moderating effects of culture. Participants were 27 women, most of whom were treatment-experienced, of ethnic minority status, and from lower-income households. Results indicated flexibility in treatment preferences, and positive attitudes about treatment despite an extensive number of barriers. Participants indicated greater interference from stigma, relative to instrumental barriers. Qualitative responses revealed unique barriers experienced by this sample, and offspring …

Exploring Innovation And Behavioral Flexibility In African Lions (Panthera Leo) And Snow Leopards (Panthera Uncia), Victoria L. O'Connor

Theses and Dissertations

Intelligence may have evolved to help animals problem-solve in their physical and/or social environments, which enables them to cope with changes in their environments. Humans can reduce wildlife conflict by understanding how species that face harsh environments assess a situation and alter their behavior. Tests for cognitive behavior aim to formulate clear behavioral criteria for inferring an animal’s mental processes. We designed a custom multi-access puzzle box (MAB) to present a simple and effective behavioral test for exploring innovation in two species, African lions (Panthera leo) and snow leopards (Panthera uncia). Despite being vastly underrepresented in …

Exploring Rural And Urban Go Nap Sacc Trained Child Care Providers Perceptions And Needs Regarding The Promotion Of Physical Activity And Healthy Eating, Kailey Snyder, Zainab Rida, Emily Hulse, Dipti Dev, Danae Dinkel

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

Introduction: Early childhood is an optimal time to support the development of physical activity and healthy eating behaviors. As over half of children are cared for in family child care homes and child care centers it is crucial to ensure these behaviors are being supported in the childcare setting. One such process that supports provider’s education and implementation of healthy behaviors in the childcare setting is the Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment in Child Care (Go NAP SACC). However, after participation in Go NAP SACC, little is known regarding how to further support providers in their promotion of healthy behaviors. …

Testing Theories And Measures For Promoting Dietary Change, Shane A. Snyder

Psychology Theses - Archive

Many Americans do not consume enough healthy food and overconsume sugar and meat products. As a prominent food desert, this trend is particularly rife in Arlington/Ft. Worth, TX especially among low-income individuals. To obtain an understanding of this dearth in healthy eating, this research sampled a low-income population for focus groups (Study 1) and a longitudinal experimental study (Study 2). The focus groups explored the prevalence of the social cognitive theory, the prototype willingness model, and the extended parallel processing model components to preliminarily examine health attitudes and opinions of this group. The longitudinal study tested four health topics (how …

Cognitive Strategy Intervention For Elders Living In A Residential Care Facility., Thomas Michael Vorwerk

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Residential care facilities are communities for elders that encourage residents to maintain their independence for everyday activities. These individuals may experience memory dysfunction which can negatively impact their confidence and well being. Through the implementation of an intervention focusing on teaching elders strategies to improve everyday memory functioning, older adults’ knowledge of memory strategies, confidence in their memory, and quality of life may improve. The present study examines the efficacy of a five-session cognitive strategy program for elders on memory self-efficacy, quality of life, and memory strategy knowledge. The memory self-efficacy of participants of elders in the intervention group improved …

Examining A Hypothyroid Model Of Depressive Symptoms In Mice: Tests Of Behavioral Measures, Hannah S. Ovadia

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

There is abundant evidence suggesting that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is closely related to thyroid hormone (TH) function, but the exact nature of this relationship is poorly defined in the literature. The present study examined whether hypothyroidism could viably model symptoms of MDD in mice using established behavioral paradigms. It was expected that hypothyroidism would produce anhedonia-like behavior in the saccharin preference test, anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, and spatial memory impairment in the object placement task. C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of three groups, which received either a control diet, diet infused with 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (hypothyroid …

Effects Of Multivitamin-Mineral Supplementation On Mental Health Among Young Adults, Ya-Hsuan Chang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The percentage of young adults who had mental illnesses has increased from 2008 to 2015. However, few existing studies investigating the potential benefits of multivitamin-mineral (MVM) supplementation on mental health focused on young adults (18-24 years of age), whose eating behaviors are often unhealthy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a MVM supplement on mental health in young adults. One hundred and thirty-three college students (Mage=20.59, SD=1.77; 80.15% female) participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants consumed either a MVM supplement or a placebo for 30 days. The supplement contained B Vitamins, Vitamin C, …

Mhealth Childhood Obesity Prevention: A Look Into The Hispanic Mother’S Perspective, Veronica Isabel Gonzalez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Along with increasing physical activity, improving nutrition is an important behavior to target to reduce the risk of obesity in children and adolescents. To date, a nutrition-focused mHealth intervention used to promote obesity prevention and healthy living among Hispanic children and adolescents has not been specifically developed for Hispanic mothers. The purpose of this study was to provide information on feasibility and acceptability of a mHealth child nutrition intervention among Hispanic mothers. The data was collected from an online survey and telephone interviews from 30 mothers of 8-12-year-old Hispanic girls. Most mothers were 40 years old or younger (70%), identified …

The Impact Of Food Security Status On The Food Shopping Behavior And Patterns Of 2018 Brighter Bites Participants At Baseline, Sarah A. Crulcich

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Households with children continue to have a greater prevalence of food insecurity compared to the national average. While the national food security rates have improved in recent years, it remains stagnant among children. The purpose of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional regression analysis on food shopping patterns and behavior among Brighter Bites participants stratified by food security status to offer more insight into how these households obtain fresh produce. We used baseline survey data from Brighter Bites participants completed during fall 2018. The results indicate that food insecure Brighter Bites households shop more frequently for produce at locations …

Tuberculosis Among Dairy Workers In Bailey County, Texas, Anabel Rodriguez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

On January 2016, Texas State Department of Health Services (DSHS) Public Health Region 1 (PHR 1) conducted T-SPOT.TB tests in response to two requests to screen dairy workers potentially exposed to cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis or bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Bailey County, Texas. Out of 140 workers tested, 14 had confirmed latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI)—prevalence of 10.0%. This first study gave rise to questions concerning tuberculosis (TB) knowledge and exposure history among dairy workers in this same county. The second study focused on determining TB knowledge among dairy workers through a series of questions administered by research personnel on …

Evaluation Of Food Journal Application Validity In Comparison With Dhq Iii, Michael Roa

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

As chronic conditions associated with the high prevalence of obesity/overweight in the United States continue to rise, research focusing on nutrition has grown in recent years. The gold standard for collecting detailed nutritional information on individuals is food journals, mostly via pen and paper. Alternatively, smartphone food journal applications have become more popular and widely accessible in recent years. These applications allow the user to quickly make meal entries, often taking advantage of the application’s food and servings database.

This study compared the results of the third iteration of the Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ III) with a dietary journal data …

A Single Session Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Promote Health-Related Behavior Change: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Monica Barreto

Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified physical activity, nutrition, and sleep as three key health-related behaviors that can help the prevention of chronic disease. Only a fraction of the population met the recommended guidelines across these domains. It is important to develop interventions that can be simultaneously focused, flexible, efficient, and efficacious as a means of impacting population health. This study examined the efficacy of a single 60-minute Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) session targeting health-related behavior change and compared it to an information-only wait-list (WL) control condition. Forty-five collegians (Mage = 22.35 [6.91], 78% female, 56% …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Sustained Silent Reading And Reciprocal Reading On Reading Motivation For Middle School Students With Reading Delays, Margaret Uwayo

Dissertations

Research suggests that secondary students with reading delays may lack reading motivation, which can be defined as the temporal reinforcement value of texts for an individual. However, reading motivation may be a critical component of their acquisition of reading proficiency. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of two research-based reading interventions - sustained silent reading and modified reciprocal reading - on the reading motivation of middle school students with reading delays. Participants were four 6th-grade students who were grouped into dyads in a reading intervention classroom. The primary dependent variable was book engagement under pairing …

An Integrated Model Of Eating Disorder Risk And Protective Factors: Implications For Research And Treatment, Leslie Alison Davis-Waddle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors are significant public health concerns, especially among college-age women. Despite extensive research, the complex nature of disordered eating and its etiology has prevented a satisfactory predictive model from being developed and validated and has therefore hindered the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. This study aimed to integrate four of the most common etiological theories into a model to predict disordered eating behaviors. Bivariate correlations and moderation analyses were conducted to determine the strength of relationships between variables and to determine whether a protective factor (i.e., self-compassion) moderates the effects of risk factors …